The Spyder 2 Pro
– updated for profiling digital projectors

ColorVision add projector profiling to the Spyder2 Pro

The Spyder2 Pro gives good results profiling CRT Monitors and LCDs.

It does a good job with laptops as well, and now ColorVision have released an update to the software that allows you to profile digital projectors.

Article Index

• What has changed?
• Profiling projectors
• Summary

Profiling Projectors and monitors

Keith has looked at this new functionality and some other changes in the software…

What has changed?

The latest release of the Spyder 2 Pro software (download here) offers some general improvements and bug fixes to version 1, but the two most welcome changes are a noticeably faster calibration process and the ability to calibrate LCD projectors (other types such as DLP are supported, and CRT projectors should probably be fine).

I’ll not go over details covered in the original review, but the software essentially works just the same as before when calibrating your monitor, and it does it just fine…

Profiling a digital projector?

I’ve regularly given introductory talks to various groups of people of why colour management can a worthwhile contributor to the bottom line of your business (“Right first time – more often” sums it up pretty well).

Almost invariably I’m using an LCD projector that the organisers have set up for use.

In many ways this is the best way I can give real examples of what may well be unfamiliar concepts.

Without exception, every projector I’ve ever used has been noticeably ‘wrong’ in it’s colour.

Show a nice picture on the big screen, let everybody decide that it looks great, then turn round my laptop with its profiled screen and the difference just jumps out at you.

I took the picture at the right, at an event where I’d previously been speaking. The image on the screen is my own photo of a sunset at Cape Kiwanda in Oregon.

Although I’ve corrected the overall photo for the mixed lighting, the greenish tint in the projected image is quite clear.

The process of profiling and calibrating a projector is not much different from doing a monitor. You just need to measure the light being reflected off the projection screen (or wall if need be). You have to be a bit more careful about extraneous light, but within reason this can be allowed for.

The software

A new choice is available when initially opening the application – ProjectorThe Grey Balanced Calibration option is there since apparently some projectors profile better with it switched off.

See the summary below for a minor help issue with this screen.

There are a wide range of ways you could set up your monitor – best stick to the suggested ones unless you have a specific need

When profiling a projector system you need to hold the sensor directly in front of the screen, as in this suggestion shown in the software.

What’s being shown here is a tripod adapter, although it’s not clear what is what.

It’s actually this thing… available from ColorVision, or included with the latest version of the Spyder 2 Pro.

I actually made the equivalent from a tripod ball head and a large lump of Blu-Tac (very useful stuff to keep in your camera bag!)

The sensor should face the screen and be about a foot away from it

Before the calibration process starts, there is a target cross projected to help ensure that everything is aligned.

The process itself consists of the whole screen being changed to different colours and brightnesses, while the sensor records the reflected light.

After this the profile is built and you should save it with a meaningful name.

Note that on many PCs you can only apply one profile to a video card, so with most laptops you can have your screen correct or your projector, but not both (see our note on profiling dual monitor PC systems)

You can make new measurements under higher ambient light conditions if need be, which should give better results (I was unable to fully test this feature).

It’s probably taken you longer to read this review so far than it would to profile a projection system…

• The Amazon links, to the right, go to the latest Spyder4Elite calibrator, which is the current eqivalent for the Spyder2Pro.

Summary

Quick and easy to use — I’ll have to try it out ‘in the field’ to see just how easy it is to set up when I’m giving talks and lectures. There are many locations and venues where I’ve spoken that could not easily be dimmed for calibration, but if I’m setting things up myself, it looks to be very useful. — I’ll add a comment in a few months when I’ve used the device ‘for real’ a few times.

The increase in speed of profiling is also useful, if you have several machines to do.

One minor issue I noticed was that the help documentation does not seem to have caught up with the new functionality – it has no information on projectors.

• Update (Sept 07) – it seems that the European download site had a slightly earlier version (2.0_6 rather than 2.0_8) This has incomplete help info. The version should be corrected, or if you are not sure, you can go to the US site at http://www.colorvision.com/sup_dl-upgrades.shtml
• Update (April 07) Feature Update – Spyder2PRO Ambient light measurement

Overall – very useful enhancements to a good product.

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