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Until recently, for photo editing my setup was a desktop computer (first Windows 7 and recently Windows 10) with a NEC SpectraView pa241w-bk-sv monitor. To calibrate and profile the monitor I’ve used the included NEC SpectraSensor Pro hardware and software.
However, I’ve recently changed from the desktop to a new laptop, where I want to have both the laptop’s display and the NEC external monitor calibrated and profiled. I’m currently a little confused on whether I’m doing things correctly by using both DisplayCAL for the laptop display and the SpectraView software for the NEC monitor.
Here’s the process:
I first started with calibrating and profiling the laptop display using the NEC SpectraSensor Pro instrument with DisplayCAL. I looked up the model number of the laptop display online and learned it was a WLED display, so I imported the colorimeter correction file that had “wled_family” in the name located in the spectraview installation folder (was loading this file necessary? or should have I left the setting to “AUTO”)? Once complete, I noted that in the Windows Color Management window, the newly created profile is associated with the laptop display. In the system tray, DisplayCAL shows that Preserve Calibration State is turned on and the profile is loaded in the video card table.
Now, on to the NEC monitor. I’ve setup my laptop so that whenever I plug in the NEC monitor, the laptop display is turned off. I only need one or the other, I don’t want both on at the same time. Therefore, I plug in the monitor, and made sure to temporarily turn off DisplayCAL (I reset the video card table, and turned off Preserve Calibration) and used the SpectraView software to profile and calibrate the NEC monitor. Once finished, the Windows Color Management window shows the NEC profile is associated with the NEC monitor.
This is the point at which I’m confused. How do I manage both applications (DisplayCAL and SpectraView) at the same time? I can see that when I plug in the monitor cable to the laptop, the windows color management switches to the SpectraView profile, and when I unplug the cable (and the laptop display comes on) that the DisplayCAL profile is displayed. However, with the NEC monitor connected what should I do with DisplayCAL? Do I allow it to load the SpectraView profile into the video card’s LUT table and keep Preserve Calibration State turned on? I know the NEC has it’s own internal LUT, and that the profile is meant to be linear (as described in the post – https://hub.displaycal.net/forums/topic/different-monitors-work-delldisplaycal-vs-home-necspectraview/), however if I load or unload the video card table, I can see a change in the displayed image, and I can’t tell which one is correct, loaded or unloaded?
On the other hand, can DisplayCAL upload directly to the monitor’s internal LUT, and therefore bypass using SpectraView entirely? Am I going about this all wrong?
Any help would be appreciated!
I looked up the model number of the laptop display online and learned it was a WLED display, so I imported the colorimeter correction file that had “wled_family” in the name located in the spectraview installation folder (was loading this file necessary?
Generally if there’s a correction available for your display technology type then it should be used as long as you can trust the source (i.e. I’d trust the X-Rite generic but high-quality spectral corrections more than user-contributed ones, unless you created it yourself using a spectrometer of course). If you auto-imported the generic corrections at launch, then there is no need to specifically import the file again, but it won’t hurt (existing imported file will be overwritten).
Therefore, I plug in the monitor, and made sure to temporarily turn off DisplayCAL (I reset the video card table, and turned off Preserve Calibration) and used the SpectraView software to profile and calibrate the NEC monitor.
SpectraView Profiler is in the profile loader’s default (invisible and non-overridable) exception list, so the loader should turn itself off automatically (tray icon should turn gray) when the former is detected. It’ll only detect “spectraview profiler.exe” by default though, and I know there’s two versions of SpectraView (SpectraView II which is a NEC internal development, and SpectraView Profiler which is based on a re-branded basICColor Display). You can add an user-defined exception for SpectraView II, which I would recommend so you don’t have to remember turning off the profile loader for it (not sure what the SpectraView II executable is called, if you let me know I’ll add it to the default exception list in the next update).
however if I load or unload the video card table, I can see a change in the displayed image, and I can’t tell which one is correct, loaded or unloaded?
The profile that SpectraView created may still contain non-linear calibration (e.g. if you did a “hybrid” hardware/software calibration in SpectraView). You can check this in the profile information.
On the other hand, can DisplayCAL upload directly to the monitor’s internal LUT
No, there is no direct support for monitor internal LUTs.
Thanks for the quick reply!
I tried following your advice on the exceptions, but it’s giving me problems. I don’t believe the SpectraView II software (yes, turns out I am using the software distributed with my NEC monitor) is something that runs in the background. For example:
With the SpectraView executable in the exceptions (Spectraview.exe), I rebooted the laptop with the NEC monitor still connected. Once logged into windows, DisplayCAL kicked in and loaded the laptop display’s calibration into the video card table. This was followed by the SpectraView software starting up and loading it’s calibration as well. DisplayCAL promptly shut itself off (gray icon) as per the exceptions. The SpectraView software then waits 60 seconds (or a press of the OK button on the dialog that alerts the user to the calibration load, whichever comes first), and shuts down after loading the calibration. Finally, DisplayCAL turns itself right back on. Back at square one.
Unless DisplayCAL has another trick up its sleeve, I may be forced to load/unload the video card table and turn DisplayCAL on/off manually. Any chance that DisplayCAL has a way to describe an exception based on which display is connected to the machine?
The profile that SpectraView created may still contain non-linear calibration (e.g. if you did a “hybrid” hardware/software calibration in SpectraView). You can check this in the profile information.
Okay, so I figured out how to check that and yes, the PA241W profile created by the SpectraView II software is in fact linear. I also figured out why the change in color when I loaded or unloaded the video card table using DisplayCAL when using the NEC monitor… it was loading the calibration data for the laptop monitor, says so right in the DisplayCAL status window.
Any chance that DisplayCAL has a way to describe an exception based on which display is connected to the machine?
What you probably need is enable “Fix profile associations automatically” (note that you’ll have to temporarily enable both displays and make sure the correct profile is assigned to each of them in Windows color management settings).
What you probably need is enable “Fix profile associations automatically”
Actually, that does appear to have done the trick, and it keeps the correct associations even after a reboot with or without the monitor connected to the laptop. Now to recalibrate the monitor correctly and I should be good to go.
Slightly unrelated question, I couldn’t find this information anywhere, but is there a way to know if the NEC monitor has a currently loaded calibration in its hardware table?
Slightly unrelated question, I couldn’t find this information anywhere, but is there a way to know if the NEC monitor has a currently loaded calibration in its hardware table?
I would expect SpectraView to offer such functionality. I wouldn’t expect the monitor to loose its current hardware calibration though, unless it were somehow defective.
