Sharp NEC Display Solutions
SpectraView II

ReadMe Information for Windows

Version 1.1.09 - build 111001 - October 1 2011

Contents:

• About SpectraView II

• Release Notes

• Supported Video Graphics Card Drivers

• Supported Operating Systems

• Supported Display Monitors

• Supported Color Sensors

• Video Graphics Adapter and Chipset manufacturers web links

• Support and Troubleshooting

• Revision History

About SpectraView II

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 via the video graphics adapter and normal video cable. No extra cables are necessary. Special support is required in the video graphics display driver in order to provide this functionality.

This communications link is called DDC/CI (Display Data Channel - Command Interface) and is an industry standard developed by VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association)

The MultiSync PA Series of display monitors also feature using an optional USB connection to the display for communicating, instead of using DDC/CI. This can be used in cases where the video graphics adapter is not supported.

USB drivers for the X-Rite Eye-One color sensors are included and automatically installed with SpectraView. Drivers for other color sensors are copied to the SpectraView application directory but are not automatically installed.

Release Notes

Known issues:

USB support with the MultiSync PA231W, PA241W, PA271W, and PA301W:

• 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. Using the USB connection instead of DDC/CI can be manually selected from the Display Configuration dialog in SpectraView.
  
  Note: The video cable connection is still required in addition to the USB connection.

Compatibility with previous versions of SpectraView:

• This version of SpectraView II is not compatible with the Target and Monitor Calibration Settings (.mcs) files generated by versions prior to 1.1.00. It will be necessary to re-create any custom Target files.
   
• From version 1.0.32 the location where Target, Monitor Calibration Settings and Preference files has been changed to:
  \Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Sharp NEC Display Solutions\SpectraView II\(Windows 2000 and XP)
  \Users\Public\Public Documents\Sharp NEC Display Solutions\SpectraView II\(Windows Vista)

X-Rite iOneDisplay Pro:

• This version includes support for the X-Rite iOneDisplay Pro color sensor.
• The X-Rite ColorMunki Display device introduced in mid-2011 is not supported.
• The NEC SpectraSensor Pro is based on the X-Rite iOneDisplay Pro sensor and is supported. Note that this sensor may not be supported by non-NEC software.

X-Rite/GretagMacbeth iOne Pro or iOne Monitor: If using the X-Rite/GretagMacbeth iOne Pro or iOne Monitor -

• 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.

X-Rite/GretagMacbeth iOne Display:

• In some rare cases this color sensor may "hang" when measuring black color patches during calibration. If the calibration appears to be stuck measuring black for more than 30 seconds, try moving the sensor so it is measuring something other than black (for example turn the sensor around so it is measuring the ambient light). This should cause the calibration to resume, at which point it should be cancelled an restarted.

X-Rite ColorMunki:

The "ColorMunki Create" version of ColorMunki is not supported by SpectraView. The "ColorMunki Design" and "Colormunki Photo" versions are supported.

If the X-Rite ColorMunki software is installed, it will prevent NEC Display Wall Calibrator 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:

NEC Display Wall Calibrator will detect if the ColorMunki software is running and give the option of closing it automatically.
To use the ColorMunki software again after NEC Display Wall Calibrator has closed it, you must run the colormunki.exe application from the Startup menu in Windows.

If you are using the ColorMunki software version 1.1.0 or newer:

You must turn off the ColorMunki Service in the Windows Control Panel > "X-Rite Device Services" to allow NEC Display Wall Calibrator to access the device.
To use the ColorMunki software again you must turn the ColorMunki Service back on.

• 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 host PC.

Blank screen after starting Windows Vista or 7 x64 with an Nvidia graphics card:

• A problem has been identified with the Nvidia video drivers for Windows Vista x64 and Windows 7 x64 that can cause the screen to go blank during windows startup as the SpectraView II Gamma Loader application runs. This is caused by SpectraView trying to communicate with the display before the Nvidia drivers have fully loaded and initialized. An option has been added to the SpectraView preferences to add a startup delay in SpectraView II Gamma Loader application before it will start to communicate with the display. If you experience this issue, select the "Delay loading of SpectraView II Gamma Loader on Windows Startup" on the "Interface" tab of the Preferences dialog in SpectraView. The video can also be restored by disconnecting and reconnecting the video cable to the display.

Nvidia video drivers "No Communications":

• There is a known issue with the Nvidia video drivers versions 260.xx that prevents SpectraView from communicating with the display via DDC/CI. If you experence a "No Communications" error when using an Nvidia video chipset, try downloading and installing an older version (prior to 260.xx) of the drivers. Nvidia is aware of this issue and is expected to have updated drivers available soon. If you are using a MultiSync PA series display, please connect a USB cable from the host PC to the display to avoid this issue.

Video Graphics Adapter control panel "color controls':

• Some video drivers install control panels that provide some color controls such as gamma, brightness, contrast and even Video Media playback modes. These controls can interfere with the calibration process and should never be adjusted. Be sure the settings for these controls are reset to the "default" settings.

"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. Also try updating the video card drivers if possible. 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, video graphics adapter model, and OS version.

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.

NEC LCD2180WG-LED:

• Be sure to allow the display monitor at least 30 minutes to warm up before calibrating the display.
• Due to the unique wide color gamut of this display, colorimeter based calibration sensors such as the GretagMacbeth iOne Display 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.

Datacolor Sypder2 and Spyder3 color sensors:

• The Datacolor Spyder2 and Spyder3 color sensors have been tested with the the NEC LCD2690WUXi, LCD2690WUXi2, LCD3090WQXi and LCD2180WG-LED, PA241W, PA271W and PA301W displays and found to cause inaccurate measurements when measuring the color primaries. This is due to the wide color gamut aspect of these displays. This may result in an inaccurate calibration and ICC Profiles to be generated. Using these color sensors is not recommended with these displays if very high color accuracy is needed.

Large screen displays (40 inches and higher):

• 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 the Extended luminance stabilization time option in the Preferences can be used to minimize 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.

NEC MultiSync PA series displays and P241W - Color Gamut and preset Targets:

• 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:
  • Digital Cinema
  • Broadcast Video (SMPTE-C color gamut)
  • sRGB Emulation
    
    
• Note: The PA231W and P241W 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.

Supported Video Graphics Card Drivers

It is necessary to install the latest full video drivers for the video graphics card. Drivers included with Windows will need to be updated with the full video drivers from the video graphics card vendor.

Note: MultiSync PA Series and P241W only - These models feature using an optional USB connection to the display for communicating, instead of using DDC/CI. This can be used in cases where the video graphics adapter is not supported.

Please refer to the following table:

Video Graphics Adapter and Chipset manufacturers web links

You can obtain the latest drivers for your video graphics adapter card or chipset directly from the manufacturer.

The following are links to some of the manufacturers that currently support DDC/CI:

• ATI Technologies
• MATROX Graphics
• NVIDIA
• S3 Graphics
• SiS (Silicon Integrated Systems Corporation)
• Tech Source Inc. (Raptor Med 12 supported)
• VillageTronic VTBook

Supported Operating Systems

This version of SpectraView is supported on Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP (Home and Professional editions), Windows XP x64, Windows Vista 32 bit and x64 versions, and Windows 7 32 bit and x64 versions.

Windows "In the box" video drivers for most graphics cards will need to be updated with the full versions available from the respective manufacturers.

Installing SpectraView requires an account with administrator privileges.

Supported Display Monitors

SpectraView II supports the following display monitor models:

• NEC LCD1980SXi
• NEC LCD1980FXi
• NEC LCD1990SX
• NEC LCD1990SXi
• NEC LCD1990SXp
• NEC LCD2090UXi
• NEC LCD2180UX
• NEC LCD2180WG-LED
• NEC LCD2190UXi
• NEC LCD2190UXp
• NEC LCD2490WUXi
• NEC LCD2490WUXi2
• NEC LCD2690WUXi
• NEC LCD2690WUXi2
• NEC LCD3090WQXi
• NEC LCD4020
• NEC LCD4020-2
• NEC LCD4620
• NEC LCD4620-2
• NEC LCD5220
• NEC LCD6520
• NEC M40
• NEC M40B
• NEC M40-2
• NEC M46
• NEC M46B
• NEC M46-2
• NEC M401
• NEC M461
• NEC M521
• NEC X431BT
• NEC X461UN
• NEC X462UN
• NEC X461HB
• NEC P401
• NEC P461
• NEC P521
• NEC P551
• NEC P701
• NEC P221W
• NEC P241W
• NEC PA231W
• NEC PA241W
• NEC PA271W
• NEC PA301W
• NEC S401
• NEC S461
• NEC S521

Supported Color Sensors

SpectraView II supports the following color sensors:

• NEC iOne Display V2 *
• NEC MDSVSENSOR iOne Display V2 WG *
• NEC SpectraSensor Pro *
• X-Rite/GretagMacbeth iOne Pro and iOne Monitor *
• X-Rite/GretagMacbeth iOne Display V1 and V2 *
• X-Rite DTP94 / MonacoOPTIX-XR
• Datacolor Spyder2
• Datacolor Spyder3
• X-Rite ColorMunki
• X-Rite iOne Display Pro *

* Drivers for these color sensor devices are automatically installed on the system by SpectraView. Drivers for other sensors may have to be manually installed.

Drivers for sensors are available on the SpectraView II CD-ROM or in the \Program Files\Sharp NEC Display Solutions\SpectraView II\Drivers folder after installing SpectraView (on 64 bit versions of Windows the folder location  \Program Files (x86)\Sharp NEC Display Solutions\SpectraView II\Drivers).

Support and Troubleshooting

If you are having problems with SpectraView detecting the display monitor, please:

• Confirm that you have installed the latest video drivers for your video graphics adapter

For additional technical support, please visit the Sharp NEC Display Solutions SpectraView support page. A feedback form is available for direct assistance with SpectraView.

Revision History

V1.0.00: July 1 2005

• First release of SpectraView II

V1.0.10: August 25 2005

• Added French translation of User's Guide
• Added support for the NEC iOne Display V2 WG sensor for use with the LCD2180WG-LED
• Added support for the X-Rite DTP94 / Monaco OPTIX-XR colorimeter

V1.0.30: June 1 2006

• Added support for the LCD 90 Series models.
• Added Custom Gamma Curve function
• Added a Native white point setting
• Added Auto-load settings on Target Change function
• Added Test Pattern feature
• Improved monitor and colorimeter detection
• Improved calibration accuracy for low intensity values

V1.0.31: September 26 2006

• Modified to use new DDC/CI interface design to support most major graphics cards without requiring unsigned drivers.
• Added x64 drivers for GretagMacbeth iOne Pro and iOne Monitor.
• Corrected aspect ratio scaling when display used in portrait orientation.

V1.0.32: December 1 2006

• Added support for the NEC LCD2490WUXi and LCD2690WUXi.
• Improved delta Custom Color Temperature input dialog.
• Changed minimum allowable Color Temperature to 4000K.
• Added support for Windows Vista.
• Default location for Target, Monitor Calibration Settings and Preference files changed to:
  \Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Sharp NEC Display Solutions\SpectraView II\

V1.0.40: August 1 2007

• Added support for the NEC M40 and M46.
• Added support for the NEC LCD4020 and LCD4620.
• Added support for the Datacolor Spyder2 color sensor.
• Added Ambient Light Measurement tool when using the iOne Display V2 color sensor.
• Added Contrast Response graph for DICOM Conformance measurements.
• Added selectable Contrast Ratio for calibration Target settings.
• Added Visual Color Matching tool to the Custom White Point editor.
• Updated included Gretag iOne drivers that support Windows Vista x64.
• Improved calibration speed and accuracy.
• Improved ICC profile generation to reduce color banding.

V1.0.41: September 1 2007

• Improved color sensor auto-detection on startup.
• Fixed issue preventing Ambient Light measurements when using the NEC branded iOne Display V2.
• Fixed issue that caused power on hours to be misreported on LCD 90 series models.
• Fixed issue that may have caused "invalid color measured" error when 50:1 contrast ratio is used.
• Added support for the NEC LCD1990SX.

V1.0.42: March 1 2008

• Added support for the Datacolor Spyder 3.
• Added support for the NEC LCD5220.
• Added support for the NEC LCD6520.
• Added support for the NEC LCD3090WQXi.
• Added ambient light measurement support for the X-Rite/GretagMacbeth iOne Pro.
• Added monitor firmware version information to Information - Summary window.
• Added Monitor Settings dialog for adjusting Power LED and ColorComp controls (if supported)
• Added Preferences option for using Auto Luminance feature (available on the NEC LCD2490WUXi, LCD2690WUXi, and LCD3090WQXi)
• Added automatic video level calibration (Auto Contrast) when an analog video signal is being used.
• Added new Photo Editing preset Target.
• Renamed Monitor Standard Target to CRT Monitor Standard.

V1.1.00: January 14 2009

• Added support for the NEC MultiSync P221W.
• Added support for the NEC LCD2690WUXi2.
• Added support for the X-Rite ColorMunki sensor.
• Support for the Gretag Spectrolino has been discontinued.
• Improved the smoothness of the grayscale calibration.
• Improved the accuracy of ICC Profile generation.
• Added many new Test Patterns.
• Added feature to check for software updates.
• Improved the Preferences dialog and descriptions of each option.
• Improved the Auto Luminance function on the LCD2490WUXi, LCD2690WUXi, LCD2690WUXi2, and LCD3090WQXi.
• A special "sRGB" target has been added for the following monitors: LCD2690WUXi, LCD2690WUXi2, LCD3090WQXi and MultiSync P221W. This will automatically switch the monitor into the sRGB Gamut Emulation mode and profile the monitor.
• The white point of the sRGB Gamut Emulation mode on the LCD2690WUXi2 can be calibrated automatically. The factory preset white point for sRGB mode will be used with the LCD2690WUXi, LCD3090WUXi and MultiSync P221W.
• All graphs and charts can now be zoomed and panned.
• All graphs and charts can now be copied to the clipboard as a bitmap by right-clicking on the graphs and selecting "Copy".
• Data from the Colorimeter window and Information Summary can be copied to the clipboard in text format by right-clicking in the window and selecting "Copy".
• Color Gamut chart can now be shown in CIE u'v' colorspace as well as CIE xy.
• The Target White Point and blackbody curve can be shown on the Color Gamut chart.
• Added a Validation function to quickly check if the monitor calibration is still accurate.
• Targets that have been calibrated are now shown with a green check mark in the Targets list on the main window. The check mark will turn yellow once the calibration is past the recommended recalibration date.
• Improved the management of previous calibrations and results. It is now possible to see and compare all previous calibration results.
• Improved the overall User Interface and application responsiveness.
• Improved support for Intel video chipsets including DVI and HDMI outputs.
• Added support for XP x64 and Vista x64 with the S3 Chrome S20 and newer graphics cards.
• Fixed an issue that caused an error with the LCD3090WQXi when used in portrait mode if Auto Luminance was enabled.
• Fixed an issue that caused SpectraView to crash if it was run for the first time from the Startup folder after installing the application.

V1.1.01: February 11 2009

• Fixed an issue that caused calibrations using the L* and NTSC custom curves not to be stored correctly.
• Fixed an issue that caused duplicate displays to be listed when dual displays are used on some video cards.
• Fixed an issue that caused the Calibrate button to incorrectly remain enabled even if communications with the display was not possible.

V1.1.02: May 6 2009

• Added support for the NEC LCD2490WUXi2.
• Added support for the NEC X461UN.
• Corrected support for the NEC LCD5220 and NEC LCD6520.
• Fixed an issue that caused the serial number not to be read correctly from the NEC MultiSync P221W.
• Improved the grayscale calibration accuracy on the NEC LCD4020, LCD4620, M40 and M46.
• Changed the lower color temperature limit for the white point from 4000K to 2500K.

V1.1.03: August 28 2009

• Added support for the NEC X461HB, P401, and P461 displays.
• Updated X-Rite iOne drivers to new version compatible with Windows 7.
• Fixed an issue with the X-Rite iOne Display that caused incorrect readings when measuring very high brightness displays.
• Fixed issue that caused power on hours to be misreported on some very early LCD 90 series models that was reintroduced in V1.1.00.
• Fixed an issue that prevented the LCD2490WUXi2 from being detected if the Analog video input was being used.
• Fixed an issue that caused an "Error -32" during calibration under certain circumstances.
• Improved reporting of communications errors.

V1.1.04: April 19 2010

• Added support for the NEC PA241W and PA271W displays. Please see the User's Guide for specific information on these models.
• Added support for the NEC P521 and P701 displays.
• Added optional delay for loading the SpectraView II Gamma loader application.

V1.1.05: May 20 2010

• Fixed a bug that prevented the optional delay for loading the SpectraView II Gamma loader application from being turned off.
• Added USB communications support for the NEC PA241W and PA271W displays.
• Added "sRGB Emulation" target support for the NEC PA241W and PA271W displays.

V1.1.07: November 15 2010

• Added support for the following NEC displays: PA231W, PA301W, M401, M461, M521, P551, X461UNV, X462UN, X431BT, S401, S461, and S521.
• Added color gamut setting function for the MultiSync PA series models.
• Added display warmup warning message.
• Added iOne Display warning message to remove sensor cover before use.
• Added protection to prevent overwriting preset Targets.
• Corrected DICOM calibration when a specific contrast ratio was chosen on MultiSync PA series models.

V1.1.08: July 22 2011

• Added support for the NEC P241W.
• New installer application.
• Information window title now shows the Target name.
• USB connection to displays is now automatically detected.
• Fixed frozen progress bar duing calibration.
• Added new Diagnostics feature.
• Added support for Intel "core graphics" on i3/i5/i7 processors.
• Added support for Matrox M series cards (requires updated driver from Matrox)

V1.1.08: Build 110811, August 11 2011

• Support for monitor communications when using Intel video chipsets via DisplayPort has been temporarily removed due to compatibility issues that in some cases caused SpectraView to hang.

V1.1.09: Build 111001, October 1 2011

• Added support for the X-Rite iOne Display Pro and NEC SpectraSensor Pro calibration sensors.

Copyright

This file and all of the SpectraView software is Copyright (C) 2003-11 Sharp NEC Display Solutions, Ltd.

CryptoPP (www.cryptopp.com) Compilation Copyright (c) 1995-2006 by Wei Dai. All rights reserved. This copyright applies only to this software distribution package as a compilation, and does not imply a copyright on any particular file in the package.

Copyright © 2003-2006 - The International Color Consortium. All rights reserved. This product includes software developed by the The International Color Consortium (www.color.org).