Help me choose a calibrator

bohdank wrote in post #11533899
...The past 2 days I have tried CEDP and BasICColor with the SP3 puck. The first gave me a better calibration but still not perfect, to my eyes. I was intrigued by BC's ability to calibrate using the NEC's internal LUT, which CEDP and SP3 could not do. At the end of all of this, I am buying BasICColor.

The reason for this is, CEDP makes it clear that it does not support NEC's proprietary version of DDC. (Not a shortcoming of the software... NEC does not allow it.) And... the reason why BasicColor can, is because in European markets, the "Spectraview" software IS BasicColor. So essentially, you'd be using European Spectraview.

It's the puck. X-Rite colorimeters are known to measure dark tones and shadows differently from the Spyder3 pucks. In real world practice, my DTP-94 reports my Dell's black point as 0.15cd/m2, while the Spyder3 puck reports it as 0.26cd/m2. The quality of the profiles created with either hardware is equal. My blacks are deep black, my shadow tones have good definition and smooth gradients without banding.

I am wondering if it's just a reporting issue and not a puck issue, also.

About CEDP and NEC... yes, they responded that NEC does/did not share their DDC protocol with them. After reading the TFTCentral review of the NEC and the 2 versions of Spectraview, with the European version being a BasICColor product, I was curious whether it would load the monitor LUT on a North American specked PA241. It does. Now, I am trying to figure out a way to buy it. When I downloaded the demo, it asks, are you in the USA I'm not.

They sell direct but none of their payment methods seem convenient. No credit cards and no Paypal. I am waiting for a response. At 100 Euros, it's also inexpensive, relatively speaking. I don't want to go through a dealer and pay markup + shipping for a CD. I just want a key.

bohdank wrote in post #11534742
I am wondering if it's just a reporting issue and not a puck issue, also.

This "issue" has been debated for years among the color gurus and tech nerds. The only conclusive result is if you get a good puck, stick with it. And the only thing that matters is a good match between monitor display and print.

...Now, I am trying to figure out a way to buy it. When I downloaded the demo, it asks, are you in the USA I'm not.

They sell direct but none of their payment methods seem convenient. No credit cards and no Paypal. I am waiting for a response. At 100 Euros, it's also inexpensive, relatively speaking. I don't want to go through a dealer and pay markup + shipping for a CD. I just want a key.

This is the issue that led me to buy CEDP over BasicColor. But you're in North America... Why would you not buy the North American Spectraview II kit?

You can easily sell your Spyder3 to help offset the expense.

I am thinking of the future.... Spectraview NA does NEC and non NEC, I assume (but not DDC). BasICColor is not tied to just NEC. They also do DDC with Eizo and maybe some others. I'm not buying the European version of Spectraview so expect better compatibility down the road. Spectraview may and may not be updated by NEC/BasICColor. I have no idea. Better to err on the side of caution and in this case I am getting a good calibration and, when I figure out where I can buy it, a cheaper price. There is no downside.

bohdank wrote in post #11535331
I am thinking of the future.... Spectraview NA does NEC and non NEC, I assume (but not DDC). BasICColor is not tied to just NEC. They also do DDC with Eizo and maybe some others....

Sound reasoning. Supporting your reasoning even more... Spectraview II (NA version) is restricted to use on NEC monitors.

Ah, I wasn't sure if Spectraview USA did non NEC monitors. If not, then it's a no brainer, for me to go with BasICColor. Just need to find a place to buy it. I haven't heard from them, yet.