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Read about this in Popular Science. They said US$250. Anyone used it?
http://spyder.datacolor.com/spydertv_usa.shtml
http://spyder.datacolor.com/spydertv_usa.shtml
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The only way to properly do greyscale is in the service menu, usually with a Sencor unit. Although the "sensor" on this unit is similar, if not identical, I'm not sure it allows for service menu settings in the software on the PC... The unit is mainly for user settings and should give you good PQ, except for that final service greyscale step.
It's almost like using AVIA, without relying on your eyes, the sensor does the checking.
It's almost like using AVIA, without relying on your eyes, the sensor does the checking.
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I bought one of these from a "friend". It works very well and is very quick.
http://www.colorvision.com/spydertv_usa.shtml
The entire "calibration" took 36 minutes (for my first one) and there is no "guesswork" on contrast, brightness, colour, tint and colour temperature.
The unit helps you to optimize these user settings. It doesn't do service menu settings or sharpness.
Good product.
http://www.audioholics.com/productreviews/avhardware/DatacolorSpyderTVreview.php
The above report talked about "repeated requests". I also encountered this, but only once (not 4 times like they did). I simply assumed that the device didn't get the "reading" quite right. I did not find the unit "favours red". (My TV recently had a pro calibration)
http://www.colorvision.com/spydertv_usa.shtml
The entire "calibration" took 36 minutes (for my first one) and there is no "guesswork" on contrast, brightness, colour, tint and colour temperature.
The unit helps you to optimize these user settings. It doesn't do service menu settings or sharpness.
Good product.
http://www.audioholics.com/productreviews/avhardware/DatacolorSpyderTVreview.php
The above report talked about "repeated requests". I also encountered this, but only once (not 4 times like they did). I simply assumed that the device didn't get the "reading" quite right. I did not find the unit "favours red". (My TV recently had a pro calibration)
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With AVIA, there is a "point of reference" when using the filters, although you can always feel free to tweak the colours a bit by eye.
Each way would likely require about the same amount of time for the first calibration since the calibration is only one aspect of the overall time. It takes perhaps 1/2 hour to watch the AVIA and the Spyder DVDs so that you understand what to do and then you "do it".
The AVIA DVD also has additional test patterns that the Spyder doesn't have like sharpness, overscan, sound setup, etc.
The Spyder would be typically used in conjunction with or in addition to AVIA or DVE, not just instead.
I would certainly not spend $250+ for this device to simply do one or two TVs. I plan to use it in "future work" and if that doesn't pan out, I'll resell it.
Each way would likely require about the same amount of time for the first calibration since the calibration is only one aspect of the overall time. It takes perhaps 1/2 hour to watch the AVIA and the Spyder DVDs so that you understand what to do and then you "do it".
The AVIA DVD also has additional test patterns that the Spyder doesn't have like sharpness, overscan, sound setup, etc.
The Spyder would be typically used in conjunction with or in addition to AVIA or DVE, not just instead.
I would certainly not spend $250+ for this device to simply do one or two TVs. I plan to use it in "future work" and if that doesn't pan out, I'll resell it.
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I have used it on all but one of my setups. A recent one had a ridged screen on the outside, however, on all the others I was able to stick it to a relatively smooth surface.
One time it wouldn't stick to a plasma, but it turned out that the plasma had been open in a house with a lot of construction, so there was a lot of dust on the screen. Once the screen was clean, all was good.
On the CRT-RPTV which had the ridges, I also improvised with a cardboard tube leaned up against the "spyder" to hold it against the screen while hanging from above.
One time it wouldn't stick to a plasma, but it turned out that the plasma had been open in a house with a lot of construction, so there was a lot of dust on the screen. Once the screen was clean, all was good.
On the CRT-RPTV which had the ridges, I also improvised with a cardboard tube leaned up against the "spyder" to hold it against the screen while hanging from above.
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