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Calibrating Mac 24" Cinema Display with Mac Book Pro

P

photogy

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 2, 2010
64
0
i have just got a 24" home cinema screen to use with my mac book pro 15". All working fine and tried to calibrate the 2 screens but they are different! I went into sys pref etc and calibrated but they are still different (24" being darker). How do you calibrate so the 2 share exactly the same settings? Thanks.
 
You don't want them to have the same settings but the same look. Because they are two completely different displays with 2 different technologies they will have completely different calibration settings. Your best bet for calibration is to use an external calibrator like a Spyder from Datacolor - I use one because I do a lot of Photoshop work on my PPC G4 with a 26" Viewsonic display. If I calibrate the G4's internal display, then calibrate the Viewsonic and then look at the calibration profiles they have different numbers - that's nothing to worry about.

Even if you don't do Photoshop work using an external calibrator removes the subjectivity of using Apple's built-in routine. As to one display being darker than the other - can you adjust the brightness of the external separately from the laptop's internal display? I know with my Viewsonic (and any other third party display) it's a separate control on the display itself.
 
thanks...playing around with it (i am not tech savvy!) i have managed to bring both screen settings and i can see thru the color profiles that the settings are different...i also found out how to adjust the brightness as well. I am getting syder 3 today so hopefully that will be painless! have read many mixed reviews..most positive but some neg..how did you find it?

i noticed that in the Color Profiles, Open Profiles are the X, Y, Z settings for RGB..i guess that these numbers for each screen have to match for the screens to be equally calibrated? (or not!)

i live in the middle east and its very hard to get any support here as even the official retailers have very limited knowledge!

i use lightroom so the 24" is a massive welcome for editing photo's!
 
I found the Spyder via one of the photography magazines I used to subscribe to. Actually there are others out there but I happen to like the Spyder. The software install is easy. Something to watch out for when placing the sensor against your display (it actually hangs via the cord from the top of the display or laptop screen) is that the sensor lies flat against the display. You may have to tip the display back a little for it to do so. Do not use the suction cups on the sensor to attach it to the display - you will harm the display. Just let it lie against the display.

Do let your monitor and laptop warm up for at least an hour before doing a calibration. Displays change from cold start and the color rendition will be off if you calibrate too early.

There are all kinds of options when doing a calibration one of which being taking into account ambient light. I don't select that option because my room lighting changes through the day. If you're in a room with constant lighting then you could select that option but it's not necessary.

Good luck with it - I think you'll like it!
 
nrajack said:
I found the Spyder via one of the photography magazines I used to subscribe to. Actually there are others out there but I happen to like the Spyder. The software install is easy. Something to watch out for when placing the sensor against your display (it actually hangs via the cord from the top of the display or laptop screen) is that the sensor lies flat against the display. You may have to tip the display back a little for it to do so. Do not use the suction cups on the sensor to attach it to the display - you will harm the display. Just let it lie against the display.

Do let your monitor and laptop warm up for at least an hour before doing a calibration. Displays change from cold start and the color rendition will be off if you calibrate too early.

There are all kinds of options when doing a calibration one of which being taking into account ambient light. I don't select that option because my room lighting changes through the day. If you're in a room with constant lighting then you could select that option but it's not necessary.

Good luck with it - I think you'll like it!
Click to expand...


thanks..just got it and still sitting in the box on my desk so will set it up tomorrow..weird using the 24'' screen as its huge but impressive too!
 
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