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 Display
calibration has become an important part of the today's home theater investment.
Many serious enthusiasts now allocate part of their home theater budget for the
services of an experienced ISF (Imaging
Science Foundation) calibrator. Having been ISF certified for nearly three
years now, we religiously perform an ISF calibration on every display we review.
Without a calibration, one cannot accurately see the true potential of the display.
Color analyzers have traditionally been costly, keeping them out of the reach
of most end-users. Furthermore, many existing color analyzers designed for CRT
displays will not accurately read the other display technologies (i.e. DLP, LCoS,
LCD, Plasma, etc.), making the large investment even more difficult to justify.
A company called Milori Software,
located in Raleigh, North Carolina, known for their ColorFacts calibration software,
has recently teamed up with GretagMacbeth. Anyone involved with the accurate reproduction
of color in the publishing industry knows about GretagMacbeth products. They have
a full line of color management software and tools. Their Eye-One Pro spectrophotometer
is used in several lines of products and offers very accurate measurements, and
has the added benefit of being fully compatible with all current display technologies.
Combining the expertise in
both software and hardware, Milori Software has introduced the new ColorFacts
6000 Display Device Analysis System that utilizes their ColorFacts software along
with the highly accurate GretagMacbeth Eye-One Pro spectrophotometer. The advantage
of being a software development company is they can focus on the software and
not on a particular instrument. This allows the calibration software to be powerful
while still supporting a large number of color sensors currently on the market.
The latest software release (Version 3.0) supports a total of ten instruments.
We tested the ColorFacts software with a separate GretagMacbeth Eye-One Pro spectrophotometer.
This is the same sensor provided with the ColorFacts 6000 System. Setup
Our test setup included a Stewart FireHawk filmscreen along with a Toshiba TDPMT8U
high-definition DLP projector. Using the GretagMacbeth Spectrophotometer to measure
the light coming off the screen, we were confident of the accuracy. We also ran
some tests on our Pioneer Elite PRO-610HD rear-screen projector. We
loaded the latest ColorFacts Version 3.0 software on our Sony Vaio PCG-GRX550
laptop, which is a P4 running at 1.6GHz with 512K of RAM. Setting up the ColorFacts
software is simple and the latest release can be downloaded from the ColorFacts
website. A special key is required to enable the software and must be requested
through the ColorFacts application or by email. The key is based on a serial number
generated during the installation. The Registration
Window is used to submit a request from Milori software for an authorization
key. Once the key is emailed back to the user (pending verification) and entered
into the registration box, the software becomes fully enabled. Without the key,
the software will use a simulated color sensor to let potential users get a feel
for the application. This is a good approach to get users familiar with what they
are buying before they fork out $2495. We
had two different color analyzers to work with during this review. We tried our
Sencore CP288 since it was listed on the compatible devices and it worked perfectly,
albeit for CRT-based displays only. We then tested the GretagMacbeth Eye-One Pro
Spectrophotometer, which is compatible with all displays including reading light
off a screen in front projection systems. The Milori CF-6000 ColorFacts System
includes the GretagMacbeth Eye-One Pro Spectrophotometer for a complete package.
Selecting an Eye-One product does require some clarification if you use the Options
menu. If an Eye-One Pro device is connected, you'll need to select the "GretagMacbeth
- Eye-Beamer" on the menu. Similarly, if you have the newly released Eye-One
Display device you'll need to select the "GretagMacbeth - EyeOne Display".
This seemed a bit confusing and I can see how one might select the "GretagMacbeth
- EyeOne Display" when they are really using the Eye-One Pro Spectrophotometer. Measurement
readings can be displayed in Metric (nits, lux) or Imperial (foot-candles, foot-lamberts)
units. Automatic or manual exposure times can also be determined by the operator.
The ColorFacts Online Help/FAQ is very well layed out and helps answer common
questions users may have with the software. Features
We found the ColorFacts System very easy to use for anyone who is already familiar
with the various video parameters that need adjusting. The fact that the PC or
laptop running the software can also be used to generate the video test signals
is very powerful. However, the actual scan rate needed for a particular calibration
will likely be different. Each set of tests has a set of detailed instructions
(Wizard) that guide you through the steps. This was very helpful in the beginning
before we became more familiar with the steps that need to be taken. Once you
know what you are doing, the detailed instructions can be disabled. Single or
continuous readings can be taken depending on how the user wants to use the software.  The
ColorFacts screen displays all of the information needed to analyze a display.
Manual and automatic measurements can be taken to evaluate the display's performance
characteristics. Device Primaries are used
to determine the Red, Green and Blue primaries for the display. These three primary
colors create a triangle on the CIE chart and determine which colors the display
is capable of producing. Only colors inside the triangle can be reproduced. Color
reference marks are also displayed on the same chart for comparison to the industry
standards (HDTV, NTSC, NTSC(1953), and PAL/SECAM). The ColorFacts System can also
determine the display's Contrast Ratio by
taking readings at the minimum and maximum brightness levels. This feature works
well, but it requires a room with no ambient light, which can drastically affect
the results. Gray Scale readings are easy
to measure using the automatic feature. Four different testing groups (Standard,
Half-Step, Detailed, Very-Detailed) for IRE level sampling are available. The
Standard testing has 10 IRE levels, the Half-Step testing has 20
IRE levels, the Detailed testing has 32 IRE levels and the Very-Detailed
testing has 64 levels of testing. Complete color calibration history
of all sampled IRE levels are displayed for Luminance, Color Temperature, RGB
levels and CIE data points. Instantaneous Luminance,
Color Temperature and RGB
Level data are displayed in separate windows making it easy for the calibrator
to see. Raw Color Data is also displayed
in a separate window anytime the measurement device samples data. The Test
Color window allows the user to produce a wide range of colors by simply clicking
on the color palette area. The Spectral Scan
window displays a graph of the spectral power distribution (SPD) produced by the
display in the visible range (380 to 780 nanometers) for meters capable of returning
this information. If an instrument is not capable of returning spectral information,
the ColorFacts software will remove the instrument from the GUI.
The 3-Axis CIE Chromacity Target window helps
the calibrator adjust the three primary colors to converge on a specific white
level (e.g. D6500) by visually watching the offset. Finally, Brightness
Uniformity is calculated by taking two readings, one in the center of the
screen and one on the side.
Updates
The LiveUpdate (optional) feature of the ColorFacts software ensures that you
always have the latest version running. Assuming you have an active connection
to the internet, ColorFacts will connect with the Milori server and determine
if an update is needed. In fact, we just found out version 3.02 has just been
released. Conclusion
The ColorFacts Display Device Analysis System is an amazing and powerful product.
The software is well designed for fully automatic or manual readings
using the PC as a video generator. The compatibility with an extensive line of
color analyzers makes the package even more valuable. The ColorFacts System covers
all current display technologies using the GretagMacbeth Eye-One spectrophotometer.
Furthermore, the ability to accurately read directly off a high-end screen in
a front projection system makes this tool even more powerful. The best part is
that you can get all this performance for under $2495, which is a fraction of
the cost of some systems with far less capabilities. Whether you're a professional
ISF calibrator or just an avid videophile, the ColorFacts System will help you
maximize the capabilities of your display technology. -
Kevin Nakano, ISF Calibrator |
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