Monitor Calibration Software and 10.5.6

Hi Niklaus,

How do you get the software updates? I think mine is back at 4.2.x, which is what the monitor came with. There doesn't seem to be anything on LaCie's site that points to updates. Do you just have to call them?

I sold my Spyder3 bacause I found Eye One 2 colorimeter more accurate (..with Spyder3 every calibration - same parameters - gave sometimes very different results!!). Eye One 2 is used by all professional labs and all graphic monitors from excellent brand (NEC, Eizo, Lacie, Samsung)are precalibrated and tested with this colorimeter. Lacie has 2 softwares: The pro version that comes with 300 and 500 series and the Pro PE that comes with 700.

PRo PE is a great software with UGRA certification and excellent precision. Version 1.0.0 won't load profile at startup and when monitors exit from standby, but version 1.0.2 does! When I was able to calibrate my display, I obtained excellent results with general dE 0.3, all Ugra Test passed and 98% real Adobe RGB gamut coverage (104% is indicated by LACIE but that's not real gamut!!). So I really enjoy Lacie software...hope they will fix soon 10.5.6 issue.

If you are talking about version 4.x.x you have not the Pro PE software! Get It! It's a great choice!

I sold my Spyder3 bacause I found Eye One 2 colorimeter more accurate (..with Spyder3 every calibration - same parameters - gave sometimes very different results!!).

That was kind of my point above. "Accuracy" is only as good as the results. With the 324, the Eye-One Display 2 is as inaccurate as the Monaco Optix XR. Can't say I've ever had the Spyder 3 produce different results, as you mention.

In emails with the creators of Color Eyes Pro, they explained that wide gamut monitors throw some colorimeters for a loop. They use a quite expensive color analyzer to get wavelength and L*AB readings from test monitors. They then test various colorimeters to see how close they come to the original results. As the saturation goes up, some models tend to be "blinded" by the color being emitted, which then send incorrect data to the profiling software. That's how myself and others end up with pink or greenish grays. X-Rite notes the same effect in some of their help pages. The Eye-One and Optix XR work just fine with most monitors up to a certain point, but the sensors of the colorimeter then can't handle the higher end monitors. For me, the Spyder 3 is the only one that can correctly produce a gray for the 324 that matches a printing industry standard 5000K viewing booth.

Eye One 2 is used by all professional labs and all graphic monitors from excellent brand (NEC, Eizo, Lacie, Samsung)are precalibrated and tested with this colorimeter.

That may be so, but that doesn't mean they're the only choice. If it does what you need, great! But I'm much more interested in the results than what someone else is using. I have a Spyder 3, Eye-One Display 2 and Monaco Optix XR. For most monitors, I do use the Eye-One or XR with excellent results. For some monitors though, the Spyder 3 is the only one that works.

PRo PE is a great software with UGRA certification and excellent precision.

I'm very happy with the Color Eyes Pro software, but am always willing to try other software to check it out.

Supposedly, X-Rite is working on a new colorimeter to replace the Eye-One Display2. The reason being is that they know it's outdated for the newer wide gamut monitors. X-Rite also now owns both the former Monaco Profiler and Gretag-MacBeth Profile Maker software. I have the first, and it hasn't been updated for at least 2 years. Profile Maker hasn't seen much action either. A customer service person at X-Rite told me they were working on a new product that will combine the best of both packages into a new product. She just had no information when we might see it.

You should try Pro PE software, it supports also Spyder3 colorimeter. I never had dominant colors in grays with Eye One 2, but with my Spyder3 unit I noticed a deviaton to green both on my mac and on my Lacie display. Maybe my unit was older..don't know...

You should try Pro PE software, it supports also Spyder3 colorimeter.

I did contact LaCie about that yesterday. While they would allow me to download it if I wanted to, the extra features in the PE version only work with some of the latest models. On my 324, they said it would neither behave, nor look any different than the version I had. I did get the 4.5.1 update for the same version software I had though just to be up to date.

I never had dominant colors in grays with Eye One 2, but with my Spyder3 unit I noticed a deviaton to green both on my mac and on my Lacie display.

Monitors have changed so much in such a short time frame that it's sometimes hard to know what software/hardware combo to use. At least not without trying all of them. I just couldn't get the 324 to produce a correct gray with either the Optix XR or Eye-One Display 2; with or without the Color Eyes Pro software. The Eye-One profiles always come out pink, regardless of the profiling software. The Optix XR, always green. That's when the folks at Integrated Color suggested I pick up the Spyder 3, which they said should work correctly with my monitor; which it did. That's pretty much how I ended up with all three of the most used colorimeters. At least they're not expensive. :-P

Installed version 10.5.7. Nothing changed. This is intolerable. Someone can told me how can I calibrate my monitor via DDC? Apple please give Lacie instructions how to build a Blue Eye Pro PE version working on Leopard 10.5.7. We can NOT work!!!

Dang! The fault is likely on Apple's end since DDC seemed to work fine for just about everyone until 10.5.6. I'm surprised they didn't fix whatever they changed. It's not like this was an unknown issue.

Everybody here running 10.5.6 or later, both on PowerPc and Intel machines, has broken DDC comunication, right? My question is: DDC comunication fails only via Mini DVI Port or also via normal DVI-D connector (Mac Pro Only)?? Have Mac Pro users the same DDC problems via normal DVI-D connector?

...has broken DDC comunication, right?

It does seem to be a problem for most people. I think I mentioned it above, DDC still works with my 324 and the LaCie software under 10.5.6 (haven't installed 10.5.7 yet), but I still can't use it. It doesn't do as good a job as the Color Eyes Pro software for starters (have to be thankful I have full manual controls with this monitor).

The reason though that I can't use it is that it never holds. The profile looks fine when the LaCie software is done, but as soon as you restart, or turn the Mac on from a cold start, the monitor LUT does not get loaded. I end up with a screen that looks nothing like it did when the calibration was completed.

Ok, so you use DVI-D connector, right? Your Lacie software can take control over your monitor via DDC, right? But the profile loader does not work at startup. I had this problem on Win XP, but I can load it manually. On Mac my software can't comunicate at all. If I press the info button of Lacie Software (where should appear a list of monitor's attributes) nothing appears..empty screen. Lacie Software can't recognize at all that on my system is linked a 720 monitor. I can do a soft profile but with really poor results, because it can't comunicate and adjust monitor LUT.

On Vista Lacie software works great and can do LUT correction and then a soft profile. Version 1.0.2 also load profile at startup...great! But on Apple machines???????? Lacie says until 10.5.5 everything works great. And now?

I'm trying to understand that the problem affects only machines with Mini DVI connector or also Mac Pro with standard DVI-D connector.

Yes, DVI-D connector.

Downloaded latest version of ColorEyes Display Pro, WOW now it supports Lacie 700 Series with a specific selection! but it says "DDC connection failed"...so same problem I have with Lacie software. All programs give same DDC failure... I can't stand this situation, i'm working with a "semi calibrated" monitor. Apple? what are you doing? I have same problems connecting my monitor either via Mini Display Port to DVI or Mini DVI to DVI-D.

In the off chance Apple hasn't really been notified of this issue, I'm going to bring it to the attention of the forum hosts. Maybe they can move it up the line. I'm also going to put a link to this thread in Apple's feedback.

We were having the problem with the Lacie Blue Eye Pro software version 4.2.2 under OS 10.5.6 that the software wouldn't start on our G5s once it was installed. It worked on a new Intel Mini though. We upgraded our OS to 10.5.7 and then it worked.