Monitor calibration issues with laptop screen and using second display

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Monitor calibration issues with laptop screen and using second display

I've just started using my MacBook Pro as my main machine till I can replace my too old and slow G4. Being a photographer and needing colour calibrated monitors, I hooked up my Lacie 19" ElectronBlue IV to the laptop and used a brand new X-rite Eye-one to calibrate both the laptop screen and the CRT monitor. Here's the issues I'm finding:
With the new screen calibration on the laptop screen, when I scroll text, the text changes colour, it goes blue. This is even when the second monitor is not hooked up. If I revert to the Color LCD profile in System Preferences>Display>Color the screen acts normally.
When the CRT monitor is hooked up the profiles are not stable. Sometimes the profile will not load and I have to open System Preferences and re-select the profile I made. At first I could not get the laptop screen and the CRT to both run with their separate profiles at the same time. Apple Care had me trash a couple of Preferences and Caches and that seemed to fix the major issue, but it still appears somewhat unstable.
I'm wondering if this is an issue with the video card or the Look Up Tables (LUT) on the video card? Software or hardware issue? If hardware, do I need to talk to Apple about fixing my machine.
Oh yes, the monitor cable is blue 15 prong that connects to the Apple connector that came with the laptop.

Thanks!
nick

MacBook Pro, G4 766

Posted on Dec 5, 2007 9:07 AM

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Answer 1

Dec 6, 2007 10:11 AM in response to OiNick

I have a brand new Macbook Pro 17 and purchased the 23" Apple Cinema Display and purchased the Monaco Optix XR Pro and here is what I have found...

I can calibrate the Cinema and it truly looks like a window and seems spot on perfect. I can try to calibrate the notebook but never like my results. I cannot use the Monaco Tweaking Tools to help calibrate further because Apple uses a 3D LUT and I guess Monaco does not want to mess with a 3D LUT table.

The Monaco is now owned by X-rite as is your Eye-One and I have a feeling you too will have to be content to do as I am doing, and most pros I have spoken with...

Calibrate the LaCie but just leave the MacBook Pro set to Color LCD but calibrate that to gamma 2.2 and D65 and leave it at that.

I can see why the LaCie may look different when connecting to the Notebook, but not the Cinema display but everything I have read leads me to believe that no matter what claims are made on the notebook and high end and professional matte screen and alll the chatter, it just performs less than desired.

In your case, there may be some loss due to the DVI/VGA pin adapter. But I cannot see ANY reason your text would change color except Eye-One is probably trying to write an ICC profile and tweak the LUT and with a 3D LUT table, so you can pan and scroll and rotate that look, you are finding failure.

My guess is it is not hardware, but I would take the whole thing into an Apple store and inquire. The La Cie, the notebook, everything. Hassle? Yes. And they may not have an answer but get that documented for later reference and then contact X-rite and let them know your frustrations.

Good luck...

Randal

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Answer 2

Dec 6, 2007 10:15 AM in response to OiNick

One other thing,

Try this... to color calibrate your notebook

http://www.bergdesign.com/supercal/

Let us know if you can use the Eye-One to calibrate the LaCie and this program on the notebook and get better results

r

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Answer 3

OiNick Author

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Dec 7, 2007 3:36 PM in response to OiNick

Thanks Randall,

AppleCare were pretty useless. I couldn't get passed through to advanced support and the people I was dealing with know nothing about video cards and drivers. They had me do an Archive and ReInstall. That was a big pain. Lost all my profiles, printer drivers and had to reinstall Photoshop. But right now, the profiles seem to be holding. Though I think that was fixed by doing several calibrations and somehow System Preferences decided to stay stable. In other words, it started working and I have no idea why, but I ain't complaining! The weird blue text and trails coming off the widows thing, I'm starting to wonder if I'm just nuts, so I'm going to go and check out some macbooks at the local University shop and see if they do the same. If not, I'm gonna raise a stink with AppleCare and get them to fix the Video card. I saw mention of the video cards developing issues due to the heat issues with the batteries on a post somewhere. Maybe that's the issue.
I checked out that link to the software, but looks like a visual calibration, kind of like the gamma calibrator that's in System Preferences>Display. Pretty primitive basically.
You wrote "Eye-One is probably trying to write an ICC profile and tweak the LUT and with a 3D LUT table, so you can pan and scroll and rotate that look, you are finding failure." Sorry, not sure what you mean there. What's a 3D Look Up Table? Do you know if there's any reason the video card or the LUT cannot use 2 profiles at once? Both are using the same Gamma, 2.2, which I believe is the critical component.

Thanks

nick

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