Can't calibrate 2 DELL U2211h monitors with spyder2 express

Hey guys,


I'm new to this forum and I appreciate all the help I can get

I'm a photographer and videomaker. I edit my work on a Windows 7 Intel Core i7 computer with a Geforce Gtx 470 hooked on two DELL U2211h monitors. The thing is I can't match the two displays using spyder2 express workaround to rename the icc color profiles. One is more green, other is more red, significally, no matter what I do.

My question is: if I buy another calibration tool that supports 2 monitors, such as the Spyder3 or the X-Rite i1Display, will I be able to match them? Or they will always diverge, even though they are the same model from the same manufacturer?

I just don't want to spend more money on another tool that will end up giving me the same result. Maybe it's my monitors fault?

Thank you very much in advance,
Leandro.

Nobody can give a helping hand?

dogmydog wrote in post #14149543
Hey guys,


I'm new to this forum and I appreciate all the help I can get

I'm a photographer and videomaker. I edit my work on a Windows 7 Intel Core i7 computer with a Geforce Gtx 470 hooked on two DELL U2211h monitors. The thing is I can't match the two displays using spyder2 express workaround to rename the icc color profiles. One is more green, other is more red, significally, no matter what I do.

My question is: if I buy another calibration tool that supports 2 monitors, such as the Spyder3 or the X-Rite i1Display, will I be able to match them? Or they will always diverge, even though they are the same model from the same manufacturer?

I just don't want to spend more money on another tool that will end up giving me the same result. Maybe it's my monitors fault?

Thank you very much in advance,
Leandro.

Hi Leandro and welcome to POTN.

I have the Eye One X-Rite calibrator so can't help you with the Spyder. Just guessing here, but don't feel you would really need another calibrator. Are you saying that if you calibrate one monitor, the other is does not match the first when the same profile is applied to it? Likely the two monitors were not manufactured exactly alike, but they should not be too far off.

Do you use one for "image viewing" and the other for menus?

sapearl wrote in post #14155702
Hi Leandro and welcome to POTN.

I have the Eye One X-Rite calibrator so can't help you with the Spyder. Just guessing here, but don't feel you would really need another calibrator. Are you saying that if you calibrate one monitor, the other is does not match the first when the same profile is applied to it? Likely the two monitors were not manufactured exactly alike, but they should not be too far off.

Do you use one for "image viewing" and the other for menus?

I believe the Spider Express 2 will only calibrate one monitor of the two attached to your PC. I got around this by disconnecting the first monitor, rebooting, calibrating the second monitor, powering down, disconnecting the second monitor, connecting the first, rebooting, and calibrating the first monitor. Not an ideal solution, so I bought a more competent calibration tool.

Beyond that, I think it's a PITA to try to keep both monitors calibrated. I use one 24 inch Dell IPS monitor for editing, and a 22 inch Dell strictly for panels and tools. I've even found that calibrating my 24 inch screen and then using its profile on the tools screen gives me enough of a color match so that the images look very close. And of course, the image on the tools panel is in the CS5 Navigation panel, so it really doesn't need to be that accurate.

As for being manufactured exactly alike, yes, but electronics devices begin degrading the instant you turn them on, and they degrade at different rates, so once they've had electricity in them, no matter how alike they were, they are immediately different.

Hen3Ry wrote in post #14156286
I believe the Spider Express 2 will only calibrate one monitor of the two attached to your PC. I got around this by disconnecting the first monitor, rebooting, calibrating the second monitor, powering down, disconnecting the second monitor, connecting the first, rebooting, and calibrating the first monitor. Not an ideal solution, so I bought a more competent calibration tool.

Beyond that, I think it's a PITA to try to keep both monitors calibrated. I use one 24 inch Dell IPS monitor for editing, and a 22 inch Dell strictly for panels and tools. I've even found that calibrating my 24 inch screen and then using its profile on the tools screen gives me enough of a color match so that the images look very close. And of course, the image on the tools panel is in the CS5 Navigation panel, so it really doesn't need to be that accurate.

As for being manufactured exactly alike, yes, but electronics devices begin degrading the instant you turn them on, and they degrade at different rates, so once they've had electricity in them, no matter how alike they were, they are immediately different.

Ty for quick reply, Saperl and Henry!

Yes, I use one monitor for editing on Lightroom and the other for a full size preview.

What I do with spyder is like Henry stated: calibrate one monitor, then the other, and apply the icc profiles spyder generated.

My idea of buyin the xRite is, since it supports two monitors calibrations, it must have the solution of matching them both, unlike the Spyder, which is designed for one monitor only.

I just wanted to check with you guys first before buyin another tool

The Express version of the software will only allow you to calibrate a single monitor. You have to have the Pro version to do multi-monitor.

Dear Leandro,

this is Raphael from Datacolor Tech Support.
Let me give you some feedback on the Spyder2Express.

As mentioned before by other users, Express is the very basic version which will calibrate the main display of the computer system. If you would like to calibrate multiple displays on one and the same computer system, you would have to use the PRO version, or even better, the ELITE version, since only ELITE got the StudioMatch feature included, which will allow you to match the different luminance levels of the 2 displays.

However, if you are working on PC, you need to make sure that the included video card is able to handle multiple profiles. This means, that the video card needs separate LUTs (LookUpTable) in order to be able to handle multiple profiles. Or get a Mac, since Mac works different

Please note, that our Spyder2-products are officially not supported under Windows 7.

Furthermore, this 2nd generation sensor has been construced more than 7 years ago and is therefore no longer compatible with latest display technologies, such as LED-Backlight, Wide-Gammut and screens with a glossy surface.

A Spyder4 product (including the 4th generation Spyder hardware) would solve all these compatibility issues.

If you or any other forum user has technical issues related to Spyder products, please directly contact our support team. You will reach them with submitting a ticket in our ticket system under:
www.datacolor.eu-->Support-->Online Support

Thank you and best regards,
Raphael

Datacolor Team

I'm using a Spyder 2 on 2 wide gammut screens under Windows 7, and it works very, very well.
Not only do both screens match each other, but they match my prints perfectly.

Of course I'm not even sure you can still get the Spyder 2 anymore, it is out dated.
It was end of line when I got it.

I've seen the new Spyder 4 being used, and it is much faster, and does do a better job.

Thank you very much for all the help guys!
After researchin online (and before reading dctech's response, unfortunately) I ended up buying the x-rite i1 display pro.

After profiling both monitors, guess what: they are still different.
And, despite my best expectations, x-rite software doesn't have an option for MATCHING a dual monitor setup, only for profiling one monitor and then the other. Should I have bought the Spyder4 ELITE? Now it's too late I guess...

I think I'll follow Hen3ry's advice and just use as my main and the other just for details.

Thank you very much for the help!

Sorry to hear it didn't work out exactly as you wished dog, but I'm glad you achieved some sort of resolution.

I wouldn't sweat that second monitor too much unless there's an absolute need - I'd guess that most folks here are likely most concerned with the MAIN viewing monitor when it comes to calibration. The right hand monitor is typically used for menus, text and such, and I don't aggravate myself if it's not perfect.

Hen3Ry wrote in post #14156286
I believe the Spider Express 2 will only calibrate one monitor of the two attached to your PC. I got around this by disconnecting the first monitor, rebooting, calibrating the second monitor, powering down, disconnecting the second monitor, connecting the first, rebooting, and calibrating the first monitor. Not an ideal solution, so I bought a more competent calibration tool.

I have a Spyder2Express with Windows 7, and what I do is disable one display in Windows' control panel, generate the profile, then rename the file for that particular monitor. Then go back to the control panel, and active that monitor again and deactivate the one I just profiled. Go through the profiling process and then rename the file. Now I have two files, one for each monitor, and I didn't have to power down!

barronchung wrote in post #14947366
I have a Spyder2Express with Windows 7, and what I do is disable one display in Windows' control panel, generate the profile, then rename the file for that particular monitor. Then go back to the control panel, and active that monitor again and deactivate the one I just profiled. Go through the profiling process and then rename the file. Now I have two files, one for each monitor, and I didn't have to power down!

Well, you have two profile files alright, but without the Pro software that supports multi-monitor, how do you get the express software to actually use both of those files at the same time?