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Datacolor Spyder TV Pro (Win/Mac) | List Price: $699.00

| Platform: Windows XP, Mac OS X Brand: ColorVision Binding: CD-ROM Release Date: 2006-07-30
Features: - Award winning Spyder2 Colorimeter is the new standard for on screen accuracy. It calibrates all of your front projectors, plasma, RPTV, DLP, LCD, LCoS, CRT TVs and LCD, CRT and laptop computer monitors
- Easy-to-Use Calibration Wizard walks you through the entire optimization process with its intuitive interface. SpyderTV Pro offers a new timeline feature that allows the installer to jump to any step in the wizard-driven process, making it easier to use
- Ambient PreciseLight Function measures ambient light and balances studio lighting and monitor settings accordingly
- Front Projector calibration option ensures that your images are shown to their best advantage in presentations
- Gray Balance and Tonal Response Algorithms
Somewhat Disappointing [Posted on 2007-01-11] Unit gives inconsistant results especially with front projection sets. Spyder also requires room to be as dark as possible in order to make adjustments. This is not always practical. The tripod mount fits too loose on Spyder and easily falls off. I think this is a good beginning to a potentially fine product, but not yet ready for prime time.
A professional color calibration tool [Posted on 2007-04-20] This edition of the color calibration hardware and software is very professional - a fact that is reflected in the price tag. However, the difference between the uncalibrated and calibrated states on a television is very noticeable.
The kit includes the colorimeter (color measurement device) with a USB connection. The assumption here is that a laptop or nearby desktop is available to calibrate the televisions. The software makes calibration extremely easy. It allows the user to select which color and picture controls the TV allows them to use (not all televisions present the same controls, and even then, they often have different names) and modifies its process accordingly. Calibration takes approximately 30-45 minutes, but the results are undeniably an improvement.
The kit comes in a sturdy plastic case with foam cutouts for the hardware and software (much like a Stargate SG-1 case for an alien device :-) ). While expensive, the software and hardware can be used on nearly anything that displays a picture - TVs of any kind and computer monitors - without limit.
The one caveat is that, for LCD and other TVs or monitors with "delicate" screens, the suction cup provided to stick the colorimeter to the device requires a good deal of force. In fact, the force required is more than I am comfortable with applying to any display I have, except CRTs. As such, calibration requires one to either hold the colorimeter to the TV for each measurement (not really a problem), or buy the tripod for the device. This is the only downside.
This device is definitely of professional quality and is a must for any home theater enthusiast or the perfectionist in your household. It might even be possible to recover the cost of the unit by becoming a calibration technician... :-)
Sypder Tv Pro [Posted on 2007-05-13] Well, I bought this product in the hopes that it would accurately fix the colors on my sony bravia lcd and it did not. With the cost of this product, I would have not have purchased this if I knew how in accurate it would be. I instead purchased the pantone display lt, much better calibrator, and the picture looks stunning.
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