Datacolor User to User Support Group.

--- In colorvision_group@yahoogroups.com, CDTobie@... wrote:

 Our recommendation is that you NOT LOAD videocard utilities, and if 
they are automatically loaded when installing drivers, that you 
REMOVE them, or at least NOT OPEN them or use them. No matter how 
often we explain to the videocard companies that the VLUT slots in 
their cards need to be untouched, in order for color management to 
function, they "forget" and utilize these same correction locations 
for adjustment functions offered in their utilities. 

 We are adding more aggressive functions to Spyder3Utility in the 
next update to attempt to correct such errors automatically in as 
many cases as possible, but the safest solution is to not load, 
open, or run any type of videocard utility on a color managed 
system. This advice is roughly equivalent to suggesting you not 
smoke, or carry an open flame in a fireworks factory... you can blow 
your color management skyhigh with such utilities, and if you care 
about managed color, you want nothing to do with these utilities. 

 Another Utility worth avoiding is called "Shades", which lowers the 
brightness of your screen... but it does so by writing new data to 
the videocard VLUTs, which loses you your color calibration.
 
C. David Tobie
WW Product Technology Manager
Digital Imaging & Home Theater
Datacolor
CDTobie@...
www.datacolor.com/Spyder3
-----------------------------------------------------------

Tobie,

Thank you for your reply and your advice. 

Some observations:

 When I open Spyder3Elite 3.0.4, I can choose Calibration Off. And 
the profile reverts back to the windows color management default 
profile. However, when I close Spyder3Elite 3.0.4 the profile then 
automatically reverts back to 6500k profile I have created in 
Spyder3Elite 3.0.4. Therefore in order to do this, I must leave the 
program running/minimized. This is due to the Spyder3Utility I 
believe, is this thinking correct?

 In Call of Duty 4, I get profiles switching back and fourth 
(default and 6500k) when the game changes maps etc. I believe this 
is during a vid(eo) restart in which case a gamma setting may be 
introduced, so that makes sense with your previous explanation about 
vLUT.

  However, I have noticed that if I have the Spyder3Elite 3.0.4 
program running, and select Calibration OFF, that it prevents the 
6500k profile from being loaded and I can open/close ATI CCC and 
play CoD4 without any changes to the current profile. I thought this 
was strange which is why when I originally posted I requested the 
addition of the Calibration on/off to the Spyder3Utility so that it 
would in fact give the same ability as having the Spyder3Elite 3.0.4 
application open and minimized. Apparently as written, the 
application has the ability to override the utility and maintain the 
default profile when a user does not wish to utilize a profile for a 
color managed workflow.

 I leave the Spyder3Utility running in taskbar 24/7. If I "kill" the 
Spyder3Utility in the taskbar, I am able to play games, and run ATI 
CCC without issue.  I have had some more time to experiment and 
would like to see the Calibration on/off  added to Spyder3Utility as 
well as the ability to load/unload/reset (to default from selected in
windows color management) profiles.  This would allow easy access to 
important functions. Allowing the user to select which profile is to 
be used. While adding the ability to turn calibration off when a 
profile for color managed workflow is not required and back on when 
it is required.

 I would really appreciate the added features, and I will be looking 
forward to an update to the utility. I would even be willing to test 
an alpha/beta if need be . Thank you for your time in this matter.

Best regards,
Thomas Adams