Version 1.1.42.00 – build 210211 – February 11, 2021
SpectraView II provides automatic display monitor color calibration and profiling functions for supported models of NEC display monitors.
The software uses a two-way communications link with the display monitor either via the video graphics adapter over the video cable – known as DDC/CI (Display Data Channel - Command Interface) – or via a separate USB connection to the display (supported models only). Using a USB connection to the display is highly recommended for compatibility and speed.
Support for the X-Rite i1Display, i1Pro, i1Pro2, i1Monitor, i1Studio, and ColorMunki, and the Datacolor Spyder3, Spyder4, Spyder5, and SpyderX color sensors is included and automatically installed with SpectraView. Drivers for the BasICColor Discus must be installed using a separate installer application included on the installation media or .DMG.
New 64-bit Build
SpectraView is now a 64-bit application. Due to the requirements for 64-bit applications, the minimum supported macOS version is now 10.13 and support for the X-Rite i1Display V2 sensor has been discontinued. A legacy 32-bit build of this application's version 1.1.39 is available if support for Mac OS X 10.7 - 10.11 or the X-Rite i1Display V2 sensor is required.
HDMI Video Signal recommendation
Due to the type of video encoding used with the HDMI signal from the Mac to the display, the color performance of the display is not optimal. The calibration accuracy with EA and EX desktop display models is also impacted when using an HDMI signal, which may result in higher than normal Delta E values.
It is therefore recommended to use a DisplayPort (DP) / Thunderbolt connection instead of HDMI when connecting to a Mac.
The following table outlines the recommended connections:
| Mac model: | Recommended connection: | |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop | Mac mini with USB-C | USB-C to DP cable |
| Mac mini with Thunderbolt 2 / miniDP | miniDP to DP cable | |
| iMac with Thunderbolt 2 / miniDP | miniDP to DP cable | |
| iMac with USB-C | USB-C to DP cable | |
| iMac Pro | USB-C to DP cable | |
| Mac Pro | miniDP to DP cable | |
| Notebook | MacBook Pro with USB-C | USB-C to DP cable |
| MacBook Pro with Thunderbolt 2 / miniDP | miniDP to DP cable | |
| MacBook Air with USB-C | USB-C to DP cable | |
| MacBook Air with USB-C hub with HDMI output | USB-C hub with DP out | |
| Others | Mac with Thunderbolt 2 port | miniDP to DP cable |
| Mac with Thunderbolt 3 port | USB-C to DP cable or USB-C hub with DP out |
Notes:
Theme Support
Added support for the Dark Mode color theme available in the macOS starting from version 10.14.
New Display Firmware - Desktop Displays
New firmware for the following desktop display models is available which adds some functionality improvements.
Navigate to the following page for more information:
https://www.sharp-nec-displays.com/dl/en/dp_soft/pa_fm_update/select.html
New Display Firmware - Large-screen Displays
Firmware Revision 1.7 (or newer) is available for the following large-screen display models, which adds functionality improvements by upgrading the internal SpectraView Engine features.
Navigate to the following page for more information:
https://www.sharp-nec-displays.com/dl/en/dp_soft/pd_fm_update/index.html
Optional Launch Agent
SpectraView can optionally query the display monitor each time a user logs in to see if any settings have changed since the last calibration. This is normally only necessary if multiple users are logging into the same Mac. To enable this functionality copy the file "com.necdisplay.SpectraViewII.launch.plist" located in the "Extras" folder in the SpectraView DMG image to the "/Library/LaunchAgents/" folder on the system. Administrative rights will be required to copy this file. The SpectraView II application must be located in the Applications folder on the system.
Note:To use this feature when logging in as another user it may be necessary to change the ownership permissions, on the file, using the following commands from a Terminal window:
sudo chown root /Library/LaunchAgents/com.necdisplay.SpectraViewII.launch.plist sudo chgrp wheel /Library/LaunchAgents/com.necdisplay.SpectraViewII.launch.plist
M1 based Macs
The new M1 based MacBook and Mac mini are not yet compatible with SpectraView as of macOS 11.2. The software is unable to detect any connected NEC displays. Apple is aware of this issue, and it is expected to be resolved in a future macOS update. Please check for system updates when available. SpectraView is compatible with other non-M1 Macs running macOS 11.
PPC based Mac support discontinued
As of version 1.1.12, SpectraView no longer supports PowerPC based Macs. This is due to the lack of PPC support in 3rd party color sensor support libraries. Users with a PPC based Mac must use an older version of SpectraView.
USB support with the MultiSync displays:
(C751Q, C861Q, C981Q, EA231WU, EA241F, EA241WU, EA242F, EA244UHD, EA245WMi, EA245WMi-2, EA271F, EA271Q, EA271U, EA272F, EA275UHD, EA275WMi, EA295WMi, EA305WMi, EA304WMi, EX241UN, EX341R, MA431, MA491, MA551, P212, P232W, P241W, P242W, P243W, P435, P404, P484, P495, P554, P555, P754Q, PA231W, PA241W, PA242W, PA243W, PA271Q, PA271W, PA272W, PA301W, PA302W, PA311D, PA322UHD, PA322UHD-2, UN462A, UN462VA, UN492S, UN492VS, UN552, UN552A, UN552S, UN552V, UN552VS, UX552, UX552S, V404, V404-T, V484, V484-T, V554, V554-T, V554Q, V654Q, V754Q, V864Q, V984Q, X551UHD, X651UHD, X651UHD-2, X841UHD, X841UHD-2, X981UHD, and X981UHD-2 only)
This version of SpectraView II supports communicating with these displays via USB. Connect a USB cable (not supplied) between the host PC and one of the USB inputs (upstream ports) on the display. Make sure the correct USB input is selected on the OSD. SpectraView will automatically select the USB connection instead of DDC/CI when the USB connection is detected.
Note: The video cable connection is still required in addition to the USB connection.
If using the PA271W, PA272W, PA301W or PA302W with the Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual Link DVI adapter, a USB connection to the display should be used due to communications compatibility issues with this adapter. The DisplayPort video input should be used to connect the display directly using a simple Mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort cable rather than using the Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual Link DVI adapter.
NEC PA231W, PA241W, PA271W, PA301W: "No communications" error, "An error occurred while communicating with the display monitor" error, or screen flashes and monitor resets when using a DisplayPort video connection:
In some cases SpectraView is not able to correctly communicate with the monitor if it is connected to the host PC using a DisplayPort video connection. If possible connect a USB cable to the display.
X-Rite i1Display Pro / X-Rite i1Display Pro Plus:
This version includes support for the X-Rite i1Display Pro / X-Rite i1Display Pro Plus color sensor.
The X-Rite ColorMunki Display device introduced in mid-2011 is not supported.
The NEC MDSVSENSOR3 / NEC SpectraSensor Pro is based on the X-Rite i1Display Pro / X-Rite i1Display Pro Plus sensor and is supported. Note that this sensor may not be supported by non-NEC software.
X-Rite i1Pro or i1Monitor:
If using the X-Rite i1Pro or i1Monitor
Be sure to allow the device at least 15 minutes to warm up before calibrating the display.
Measurements may drift slightly causing inaccurate measurements, especially when measuring colors close to black.
Selecting the Average low light measurements option in the SpectraView Preferences is highly recommended when using this device.
Be sure to carefully follow the instructions for zero calibrating the device.
It is not recommended to connect this device using either USB extension cables or USB hubs as it may cause errors detecting or taking measurements from the device. Whenever possible connect it directly to the Mac.
X-Rite i1Display:
X-Rite ColorMunki:
The "ColorMunki Create" version of ColorMunki is not supported by SpectraView. The "ColorMunki Design" and "Colormunki Photo" versions are supported.
The X-Rite ColorMunki Display device introduced in mid-2011 is not supported.
If the X-Rite ColorMunki software is installed, it will prevent SpectraView from accessing the device even if the main ColorMunki application is not currently running.
If you are using the ColorMunki software prior to version 1.1.0:
SpectraView will detect if the ColorMunki software is running and give the option of closing it automatically.
To use the ColorMunki software again after SpectraView has closed it, you must manually restart the colormunki service or restart your system.If you are using the ColorMunki software version 1.1.0 or newer:
You must turn off the ColorMunki Service in System Preferences > "X-Rite Devices" to allow SpectraView to access the device.
To use the ColorMunki software again you must turn the ColorMunki Service back on.Note: It is not recommended to connect this device using either USB extension cables or USB hubs as it may cause errors detecting or taking measurements from the device. Whenever possible connect it directly to the Mac.
Photo Research PR-655, PR-670, PR-680, PR-730 and PR-740 Spectroradiometers:
No USB drivers are required for macOS in order to communicate with the device. Once connected the device will appear as an RS232 COM/Serial port on the system. Select the COM port in the SpectraView Preferences. SpectraView does not change any of the measurement settings on the device such as the standard observer setting, and measurement times. Be sure to set the observer setting to 2°.
"An error occurred while communicating with the display monitor" message:
In some rare cases the software may encounter errors when communicating with the display monitor. Try restarting the calibration. If the issue continues please provide feedback using the form on the Sharp NEC Display Solutions SpectraView support page and include the display monitor model and serial number, Mac model including video graphics adapter model, and macOS version.
"No Communications" error:
Please see the following section for specific compatibility issues that may cause this error.
Make sure that "DDC/CI" is set to "Enabled" on the On Screen Display (if supported).
If using a MacBook or MacBook Pro, and the System Preferences - Energy Saver panel has an option for selecting the graphics performance vs. power saving, try selecting the opposite setting and restarting.
DICOM Calibration:
If calibrating to the DICOM tone response curve, selecting the Calibration Priority: Best grayscale color tracking option in the SpectraView Preferences may result in a slight decrease in the DICOM response curve accuracy. If the greatest possible DICOM curve accuracy is required, please select the Maximize Contrast Ratio option.
Datacolor Spyder3 color sensors:
The Datacolor Spyder3 color sensors have been tested with the following NEC displays and found to cause inaccurate measurements when measuring the color primaries:
LCD2690WUXi, LCD2690WUXi-2, LCD3090WQXi and LCD2180WG-LED, PA241W, PA242W, PA243W, PA271Q, PA271W, PA272W, PA301W, PA302W, PA311D, PA322UHD and PA322UHD-2 only
NEC LCD2180WG-LED:
Be sure to allow the display monitor at least 30 minutes to warm up before calibrating the display. Failure to do so may result in a LUMINANCE LIMIT REACHED error being displayed as the monitor reaches operating temperature. If this happens, recalibrate the monitor and if necessary, choose a lower luminance value.
Due to the unique wide color gamut of this display, colorimeter based calibration sensors such as the X-Rite i1Display V1 and V2 are not able to accurately measure some aspects of the display's color characteristics. It is recommended to select the Factory Measurement option for the Primary Colors Chromaticity Coordinates source option in the SpectraView Preferences.
Large screen displays without SpectraView Engine:
LCD4020, LCD4620, LCD5220, LCD6520, M40, M40B, M40-2, M46, M46B, M46-2, P401, P461, P521, P551, P701, X431BT, X461UN, X462UN, and X461HB only
The accuracy to which the Intensity can be calibrated when a relatively low value target Intensity is used (less than 150 cd/m2) will be lower than normal, which results in a large Delta-E value to be reported. This is due to the very large screen size, high brightness of the display, and the thermal effect of changing the screen brightness. The monitor may take several minutes after calibration to stabilize in Intensity. Selecting a Target Intensity value slightly higher than the desired value can be used to avoid this issue.
Some versions of these models do not support OSD Control Locking.
Direct color calibration is not available when using the HDMI video input on some models. To calibrate the monitor, use the DVI input, then when completed change to the HDMI input and change the GAMMA SELECTION setting to PROGRAMMABLE on the On Screen Display.
Direct color calibration is not available when using the DisplayPort video input. To calibrate the monitor, use the DVI input, then when completed change to the DisplayPort input and change the GAMMA SELECTION setting to PROGRAMMABLE on the On Screen Display.
Calibrating an NEC LCD3090WQXi with a Mac using a mini DisplayPort video output (e.g. 13-inch MacBook, and 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pros):
It is necessary to use the Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter in order to display the native 2560x1600 resolution of this display. Communications with the display using this adapter is only supported in Mac OS X 10.5.8 and higher.
Note: This version of SpectraView will automatically detect if the Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter is being used with the LCD3090WQXi and will correct for communications problems with the adapter. On previous versions of SpectraView a special build of the software was necessary for this configuration in order to compensate for these communications problems with the adapter. It is no longer necessary to use the special build of SpectraView.
Color gamut and preset Targets for displays with the SpectraView Engine:
NEC MultiSync PA series displays, C751Q, C861Q, C981Q, EX341R, MA431, MA491, MA551, P212, P232W, P241W, P242W, P243W, P435, P404, P484, P495, P554, P555, P754Q, UN462A, UN462VA, UN492S, UN492VS, UN552, UN552A, UN552S, UN552V, UN552VS, UX552, UX552S, V404, V484, V554, V554Q, V654Q, V754Q, V864Q, V984Q, X551UHD, X651UHD, X651UHD-2, X841UHD, X841UHD-2, X981UHD, and X981UHD-2 only
Starting with SpectraView version 1.1.07, the color gamut of the display can be set in the calibration Target settings when using a MultiSync PA series display. The following preset Target files included with SpectraView will set the color gamut of the displays accordingly:
Note: These models support the color gamut adjustment features of the PA series, however the native color gamut of the LCD panel is close to sRGB. If a color gamut larger than this, such as AdobeRGB, is selected, the out of gamut colors will be clipped to the closest displayable color by the display.
C751Q, C861Q, C981Q, P212, P232W, P241W, P242W, P243W, P404, P484, P554, P754Q, UN462A, UN462VA, UN492S, UN492VS, UN552, UN552A, UN552S, UN552V, UN552VS, UX552, UX552S, V404, V484, V554, V554Q, V654Q, V754Q, V864Q, V984Q, X551UHD, X651UHD, X651UHD-2, X841UHD, X841UHD-2, X981UHD and X981UHD-2
This version of SpectraView requires Mac OS X version 10.13 or higher. Earlier versions of Mac OS X are no longer supported as of version 1.1.42.
Installing SpectraView requires an account with administrator privileges.
This version of SpectraView supports only Intel based Macs. PPC based Macs are no longer supported as of version 1.1.12.
The following models of NEC display monitors are not compatible with SpectraView when using an Apple MacBook Air or MacBook 13" with Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor.
This issue is due to a hardware incompatibility with the Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor and cannot be fixed by a future software update. Note that these monitors will otherwise function normally on these models of Apple Macs.
Apple Macs with an Nvidia graphics card or chipset and Mac OS X 10.5.6 or higher may give a "No communications" error in SpectraView on some early production (before mid-2007) models of LCD90 series displays, including the LCD2690WUXi and LCD2490WUXi. Please contact NEC Technical Support directly for assistance.
The Apple DisplayPort to Dual Link DVI adapter is required to run the LCD3090WQXi at native resolution (2560x1600) when using a Mac with a DisplayPort video output.
SpectraView II supports the following display monitor models:
SpectraView II supports the following color sensors:
Note:
For additional technical support, please visit the Sharp NEC Display Solutions SpectraView support page. A feedback form is available for direct assistance with SpectraView.
V1.0.00: July 1 2005
V1.0.10: August 25 2005
V1.0.11: September 6 2005
V1.0.12: September 23 2005
V1.0.20: January 6 2006
V1.0.30: June 1 2006
V1.0.31: September 20 2006
V1.0.32: December 1 2006
V1.0.40: August 1 2007
V1.0.41: September 1 2007
V1.0.42: March 1 2008
V1.1.00: January 14 2009
V1.1.01: February 11 2009
V1.1.02: May 6 2009
V1.1.03: August 28 2009
V1.1.04: April 19 2010
V1.1.05: May 20 2010
V1.1.07: November 15 2010
V1.1.08: July 22 2011
V1.1.09: October 1 2011
V1.1.09-1: Build 111201, December 1 2011
V1.1.10: April 20 2012
V1.1.11: June 20 2012
V1.1.12: July 20 2012
V1.1.12.1: August 11 2012
V1.1.14: February 27 2013
V1.1.15: May 31 2013
V1.1.16: August 23 2013
V1.1.16.01: November 6 2013
V1.1.16.02: January 6 2014
V1.1.17: April 7 2014
V1.1.18: October 6 2014
V1.1.20: February 10 2015
V1.1.30: November 13 2015
V1.1.32: July 5 2016
V1.1.34: March 31 2017
V1.1.36: September 28 2017
V1.1.37: April 6 2018
V1.1.38: August 15 2018
V1.1.39: October 24 2018
V1.1.40: September 9, 2019
V1.1.41: May 8, 2020
V1.1.42: February 11, 2021
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