# SpectraCal Special Offer and Giveaway!



## Sonnie

*SpectraCal* has a great offer going on right now through the end of January for the *CalMAN DIY Software w/ i1Display2 OEM at $199.00*, but you could also win one of these kits right here at Home Theater Shack.

Here's the scoop... if you are already a member here at Home Theater Shack and have 10 posts (no post padding) in our forums by January 31, 2012 (these do not have to be new posts), you can enter the giveaway by posting your entry in the *SpectraCal Special Offer and Giveaway Qualification Thread*.

Here's the catch... the drawing will be held on February 1, 2012, so you have less than 6 days to qualify and enter.

Shipping will be covered worldwide!

NOTE: If you don't want to miss out on *the great deal of $199*, don't worry, if you buy now and win the giveaway, SpectraCal will refund you the $199. Either way you can't lose! You get a great deal and you might just get it for free!

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## ALMFamily

See, this is one of the many reasons I love this forum - thanks for another fantastic giveaway!!


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## jweed

Agree this is a great forum.


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## jweed

Did this post count as padding?:devil:


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## dgrambo

Is this as good as Accucal i1 Pro Display Calibration Software with the GretagMacbeth Eye-One Pro spectrophotometer?


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## dgrambo

dgrambo said:


> Is this as good as Accucal i1 Pro Display Calibration Software with the GretagMacbeth Eye-One Pro spectrophotometer?




--Sorry that hyperlink was auto-generated. The product linked has no relevance


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## KalaniP

10 posts between today and the 31st, or 10 posts, period? I assume the former, but it's not clear.


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## Mr Bob

I'm curious about that too. Don't think you get any better than the Eye One Pro in this price range, right? Say compared to the Photo Research at $25,000...

Mine used to be called the Eye Beamer, back when I bought it with my Colorfacts CF 6000, years ago, but it's the same as the Eye 1 Pro -

Mr Bob


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## mechman

dgrambo said:


> Is this as good as Accucal i1 Pro Display Calibration Software with the GretagMacbeth Eye-One Pro spectrophotometer?


Software - better
Meter - not better


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## mot67

*Re: SpectraCal Special Offer and Giveaway Qualification Thread*

How does one qualify? Is the giveaway open to overseas members (I'm from Europe)?
I'd love to win one for my Samsung PS59D7005, those calibration devices cost here almost 4x more and don't even come with software other than calibrating computer monitors.


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## Sputter

Sonnie, when you say "Shipping will be covered to a CONUS address only!" does that mean we can still enter but the shipping will be on us if we live north of the 49th?

Jim


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## earthbound

I guess if I ever want to win any cool prizes I'm going to have to quit lurking and actually start posting something, hopefully something interesting. Unfortunately my first post here is just an icebreaker, but it does give me the chance to say hello and thanks to all the participants here for lots of good info.


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## Sonnie

Sputter said:


> Sonnie, when you say "Shipping will be covered to a CONUS address only!" does that mean we can still enter but the shipping will be on us if we live north of the 49th?
> 
> Jim


You have to supply a U.S. address for shipping if you win. I will verify this with SpectraCal and clarify it in the first post. Being that it is a small package, they might ship to Canada, but I will have to ask.



earthbound said:


> I guess if I ever want to win any cool prizes I'm going to have to quit lurking and actually start posting something, hopefully something interesting. Unfortunately my first post here is just an icebreaker, but it does give me the chance to say hello and thanks to all the participants here for lots of good info.


It could very well be a benefit to participate... and who knows, you might be able to help someone else in some way. :huh:


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## Sonnie

*Re: SpectraCal Special Offer and Giveaway Qualification Thread*



mot67 said:


> How does one qualify? Is the giveaway open to overseas members (I'm from Europe)?
> I'd love to win one for my Samsung PS59D7005, those calibration devices cost here almost 4x more and don't even come with software other than calibrating computer monitors.


See the first post... :T


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## WRYKER

That's why I need to check this forum more often!


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## puffinak

Wow, what awesome giveaways this site has. I've got a quick question.

Can you use this to calibrate a projector or is this mostly for display (Tv's and monitors), if so does it come with everything you need to do so? I know some earlier models there was some kind of special mounting bracket to use with a tripod.


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## woofersus

oops, wrong thread...


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## Sonnie

puffinak said:


> Wow, what awesome giveaways this site has. I've got a quick question.
> 
> Can you use this to calibrate a projector or is this mostly for display (Tv's and monitors), if so does it come with everything you need to do so? I know some earlier models there was some kind of special mounting bracket to use with a tripod.


Yes, you can use it for calibrating a projector. You might want to double check with SpectraCal, but I believe it comes with everything you will need. When I got mine, I did buy a USB extension cable to go from my laptop to my meter because I am sitting so far away from the display.


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## Sonnie

We have worked it out for shipping to be included worldwide... :T


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## ALMFamily

See, again, another fine reason why HTS is such a great place to be. Not only do they do a fine giveaway, but, based on response, go the extra mile and change the original giveaway parameters to accomodate our international bretheren.

Keep up the great work you guys!

As an aside, I ordered the software last night - could not pass up that sale price. :bigsmile:


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## KalaniP

So, assuming your average LCD-based TV, how well would this package work for a layman with very little knowledge to calibrate their set? And how close would the final result likely be compared to that from a pro ISF calibration? I assume it would be a distinct step up from the results you can get from a calibration disc like Wow, DVE, Spears & Munsil, etc., but what about compared to a pro? I'd imagine pros would be able to do still more, by going into "secret" service menus and such?


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## 11B2P

Thank Home Theater Shack for yet another awesome give away!


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## bribowsky

I've been considering a video cal. setup for a while now. Keeping my fingers crossed on this great giveaway.


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## ALMFamily

bribowsky said:


> I've been considering a video cal. setup for a while now. Keeping my fingers crossed on this great giveaway.


Not sure if you are aware, but you do not currently qualify if I understand the giveaway guidelines correctly. You need to have at least 10 posts by the 31st with none of those being in the padding thread.


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## Mr Bob

I have over 100, but they are all from the past. Just 2 here recently, this being the second one. Do I qualify?

B


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## Sonnie

If you are already a member here at Home Theater Shack and have 10 posts (no post padding) in our forums by January 31, 2012 (these do not have to be new posts), you can enter the giveaway by posting your entry in the *SpectraCal Special Offer and Giveaway Qualification Thread*.


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## Technosponge

Can this be used on multiple devices including projectors? Forgive me asking but soemone metioned elseware that one can use this on one device only. I have never heard of such a thing but thought I would ask first as i am ready to buy.


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## Mr Bob

Sonnie said:


> If you are already a member here at Home Theater Shack and have 10 posts (no post padding) in our forums by January 31, 2012 (these do not have to be new posts), you can enter the giveaway by posting your entry in the *SpectraCal Special Offer and Giveaway Qualification Thread*.


Thanks Sonnie. Just put in my bid over there -

Mr Bob


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## mechman

Technosponge said:


> Can this be used on multiple devices including projectors? Forgive me asking but soemone metioned elseware that one can use this on one device only. I have never heard of such a thing but thought I would ask first as i am ready to buy.


Multiple displays? Yes. I believe it is the CalPC software that is limited to one monitor.


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## XenoBIT78

Great prize


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## sahmen

KalaniP said:


> So, assuming your average LCD-based TV, how well would this package work for a layman with very little knowledge to calibrate their set? And how close would the final result likely be compared to that from a pro ISF calibration? I assume it would be a distinct step up from the results you can get from a calibration disc like Wow, DVE, Spears & Munsil, etc., but what about compared to a pro? I'd imagine pros would be able to do still more, by going into "secret" service menus and such?


This is exactly my question too, although my display is a panasonic GT30 plasma... Is this question too difficult? Could someone attempt a response? I am interested in buying the item, but I need some clarity about what I am getting, and January 31st is already upon us. Thanks.


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## Sonnie

I don't think it is a difficult question if the right people see it. This probably ain't the best thread for it though. Check out the CalMAN Help Thread and I think you will get quicker response.


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## icor1031

Bump.


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## mechman

KalaniP said:


> So, assuming your average LCD-based TV, how well would this package work for a layman with very little knowledge to calibrate their set?


If you can read this you should be able to calibrate your display.


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## KalaniP

mechman said:


> If you can read this you should be able to calibrate your display.


Thanks! I'll check it out.

That said, my question was a little more nuanced. Assuming I can follow the info in your link, how is the resultant calibration likely to compare to a real ISF cal by a pro? 95% of the way there? Only 50% of the way there?

Just curious about people's opinions on the matter... I think I'm probably going to get this anyway.


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## Sonnie

Michael TLV and I chatted about this a bit. His thoughts are that 60-65% of a properly calibrated set is brightness and contrast, which is the easiest to adjust, obviously. Those are what he considers the two most important adjustments a user can make. 

Grayscale gets your set to about 85-90%, which you will need something like CalMAN to accomplish. How far you get might depend on whether you are making a 2 point grayscale adjustment (80/20) or a 10 point grayscale adjustment. Some sets may not offer any adjustments other than the high and low grayscale adjustments. Some may offer advanced or pro settings to allow 10 different grayscale adjustments. It is possible to get with very acceptable error limits with 2 point adjustments. For 10 point adjustments, Michael says we do it because we can, although it might not always be necessary. You also have to have all the grayscale images from 0% (or 10%) to 100%, which may require a pattern generator.

CMS (Color Management System) will get you to about 90-95%. As Michael says, hardly anyone ever gets to absolute perfection. 

As an end user, if you are willing to learn it and work with it, there is no reason you could do as well as a professional calibrator, although just because they would typically have a lot more experience, they might edge an end user out by a few percentage points and would probably be able to do it a whole lot quicker.


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## Mr Bob

Thanks, Sonnie, great comments.


End users need to know that the learning curve on grayscale is huge. Just having the right equipment only starts the process. After that you need to not only find out what to do, but practice! Practice practice, practice.

Eventually your results will start to form a predictable pattern, and eventually you will prevail. But is it worth your time? If your time is worth money, having a pro do it is far more cost effective, hands down, than even buying the equipment, much less manning the extensive and sometimes infuriating learning curve.

I have heard guys on these and other threads/sites say it took them 15 hours to finally get it down to where the grayscale was acceptable. Took me that long, starting out. 

So if you have the time and your time is not worth money, go for it, do your own! But if your time is valuable and scarce - have you heard of these things called families? - get a pro on it and be done with it! Then you'll also have the benefit of his long years of experience as well, no extra charge!

Mr Bob
Image Perfection


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## sahmen

Mr Bob said:


> Thanks, Sonnie, great comments.
> 
> I have heard guys on these and other threads/sites say it took them 15 hours to finally get it down to where the grayscale was acceptable. Took me that long, starting out.
> 
> So if you have the time and your time is not worth money, go for it, do your own! But if your time is valuable and scarce - have you heard of these things called families? - get a pro on it and be done with it! Then you'll also have the benefit of his long years of experience as well, no extra charge!
> 
> Mr Bob
> Image Perfection


I would say the time is worth money whether you're giving that money to a pro or keeping it in your pocket to spend on something else: In either case you have to give something to gain something. The only reason the "pro" idea has never really appealed to me is that there is something to be said for learning and having a skill such as this and by extension, having the ability to apply it repeatedly in different circumstances, on multiple displays from time to time... My family and I currently have a total of 5 flatscreen displays in our two places of residence... The cost of having all of the five professionally calibrated could be humongous--come to think of it I could invest in another 65" display with that kind of money--so wouldn't it be much more cost effective for me to learn the skill myself, and calibrate the sets at my own pace, as well as any others we might acquire in the future?

And yes, the 15 hour learning curve sounds grueling but the payoff at the end of that road is also very attractive to me... I'm the kind of dude who spends a lot of time tweaking displays and obsessing about pq anyway, so I might as well use that time more constructively in learning how to fine-tune display... I see that the deal has expired, but I hope they make the offer again soon... One thing I was not sure about was whether the i1Display2 OEM which comes with the software was sufficient to get a sophisticated calibration, or whether one has to buy the "pro" version of it, which will be quite expensive, I presume...


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## ALMFamily

sahmen said:


> I would say the time is worth money whether you're giving that money to a pro or keeping it in your pocket to spend on something else: In either case you have to give something to gain something. The only reason the "pro" idea has never really appealed to me is that there is something to be said for learning and having a skill such as this and by extension, having the ability to apply it repeatedly in different circumstances, on multiple displays from time to time... My family and I currently have a total of 5 flatscreen displays in our two places of residence... The cost of having all of the five professionally calibrated could be humongous--come to think of it I could invest in another 65" display with that kind of money--so wouldn't it be much more cost effective for me to learn the skill myself, and calibrate the sets at my own pace, as well as any others we might acquire in the future?
> 
> And yes, the 15 hour learning curve sounds grueling but the payoff at the end of that road is also very attractive to me... I'm the kind of dude who spends a lot of time tweaking displays and obsessing about pq anyway, so I might as well use that time more constructively in learning how to fine-tune display... I see that the deal has expired, but I hope they make the offer again soon... One thing I was not sure about was whether the i1Display2 OEM which comes with the software was sufficient to get a sophisticated calibration, or whether one has to buy the "pro" version of it, which will be quite expensive, I presume...


I agree - when I started my HT, I wanted to DIY as much as I possibly could so I could learn as I go. It seems this is one of those things that I have the ability to learn and do with the main investment being my time. Plus, once I have the skill, I can help out friends and family as well.....


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