For a while I have been considering an external monitor to my Apple PowerBook (and hopefully soon MacBook Pro). Have done some reading up on this subject and had been thinking of an Apple Cinema Display 23.
Now I have looked into NEC a bit more thoroughly:
The MultiSync® LCD2690WUXi and the SpectraView® 2690. Here in Germany NEC prices them at 1170 Euros vs. 1975 Euros (1000 vs. 1700 street price). I have not been able to clearly determine what the SpectraView offers on top of the MultiSync. Is there any hardware difference between the two? The SpectraView comes with calibration software, the MultiSync doesn't.
I have a Spyder calibration gizmo and therefore think I can calibrate the MultiSync just as well. I surely must be missing something (considering the price difference).
Then I found in this forum posts about problems running the NEC calibration software off a PC laptop.
Hi,
the main difference (as explained by NEC reps to me some time ago) is that the Multisync and SpectraView have identical panels but the SpectraView ones are individually checked and measured. The screens that do not live up to the SpectraView standard will not make it to the stores.
So in theory you could be lucky and get a SpectraView-grade Multisync, problem is you really have no idea.
I decided to go with the SpectraView (2180) and I´m quite happy with it. Also the SpectraView calibration program (an OEM version of the German BasICColor) is by many regarded as the best calibration software for LCD:s today.
Since you're from Germany, please note that the European software OEMed from BasICColor is different from the US software (NEC's own development, the version that Andrew Rodney is so enthusiastic about).
Also note that I've found NEC European support to be horrible (US is apparently quite a different story). I've sent a buch of emails to NEC Netherlands, to their headquarters in Germany (Munich), not one of them was ever answered.
Thank you very much for the info. Over the last few days I have been investigating the whole thing a bit more and want to share my current thoughts. And to everyone: as always, I'd appreciate inaccuracies, misunderstandings or lack of clarity pointed out. Without further ado, here now my musings:
On Hardware calibration of LCD monitors (something I was not even aware of until a few days ago):
DDC/CI -- a protocol that allows the computer (equipped with a suitable graphics adapter and the right calibration software) to configure a monitor-built in colour look up table for calibration: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Display_Data_Channel#DDC.2FCI
So I checked the NEC 2690WUXi user manual: http://www.nec-display-solutions.de/c/download/213188/2690WUXi-UserManual-english.pdf on page 23 it says there is a monitor menu entry with this description "DDC/CI ENABLE/DISABLE: Turns on or off the two way communication and control of the monitor." This lets me assume the with the right calibration software this monitor offers hardware calibration (note this is the 2690 WUXi and not the SpectraView 2690).
I found this write up http://duncandavidson.com/2008/03/nec-2690wuxi-first-impressions.html a very informative overview and recount of what the NEC 2690 WUXi has to offer. It also focuses on a few points one might not expect when moving from standard kind of LCD displays to the wide gamut class of devices (see the bottom of section "Downsides and a Big Suprise", point "the sheer punch of colours").
This for me leaves two things that I need to resolve before I commit to the 2690 WUXi:
POINT 1: I would want to use calibration software that allows me to use the monitor's hardware calibration feature; it seems the basICColor display SQUID 2 or display SQUID FE of http://www.basiccolor.de will do the job. I shall try to contact basiccolor on the phone soon because, quite frankly, their web appearance is not clear at all about how some their different products differ -- at least not to me as a relative novice in this field.
POINT 2: I want to find out how easily I can switch between different calibrations of the NEC. This goes back to the above point of "the sheer punch of colours". What I wonder is whether I would want to do is: on one hand enable the full punch (wide color space that is) when doing (profiled) photo work and on the other make the screen appear more subdued -- a bit like lesser displays -- when working with standard applications. Whether this makes sense I cannot really tell yet, as I am only in the process of grasping all this. I wonder whether using a system wide ColorSync calibration can be used for this.
Herr B I think I can answer both of your questions under Point 1 and Point 2.
Point 1: I have used both the NEC branded OEM version of BasICColor and the "original" version with my 2180, they work identically. I use the Squid by the way.
Point 2: Running Mac OS X, you can basically have as many different profiles as you wish, you activate them with a single click under the Display Preferences (in general Preferences Panel under the -menu). But I'm not sure that this makes much sense.
Hope that clarifies your questions (unless I missunderstood your questions).
Point 1 sounds good. The info I am after is how the basICColor display SQUID 2 and display SQUID FE differ. The first is 349 Euros for three licenses (I only need 1); the second is 1 license and costs 198 Euros but I am not sure whether it is the same software version and hardware. Will check with the manufacturer.
Point 2: I am aware of the profiling in the display control panel (am using it now with my calibrated laptop screen). But can the display control panel update the colour look up table of a screen? I would have understood that Apple's ColourSync uses calibration in the graphics card. And I would have thought this mechanism is skipped (by applying kind of a neutral calibration -- I hope this term makes sense) and the custom calibration software uploads the calibration data directly to the monitor.
Now I see what you mean in Point 2, but I'm afraid I can not help you with that answer. My guess, though, is that ColorSync doesn't "care" where the data come from. But I can be way off on that... would be very interested in the answer though if anyone has one.
I'm also looking to replace my Spectraview 2180 with a 2690WUXI if it is good enough. Hope I'll get to try on out soon.
I run the SpectraView 2190 panel, have done so for a few years now, and really like it. My panel was supplied with the Spectraview Profiler software, maybe this is what you are referrring to as basiccolour/squid? Not sure though. Anyway, I SV Profiler very successfully with my Eye One Display 2 puck to hardware calibrate.
From what I understand, the top 5% of panels NEC make are diverted into the SpectraView program and each panel is individually tested.
