Monitor calibration advice

[Mark R]

I'm looking for a low-ish cost calibration tool that can be used with Dell U2713HM or similar type monitors.

Not having used a calibration tool before, I don't really know how they work. Presumably, they install a software driver that loads the calibration data into the graphics card at boot. Is this right? Or do some monitors permit upload of data into firmware?

I need the monitors to be calibrated to a custom curve (not a simple gamma value, but gamma 1.4 would be close enough).

I have identified some software that will work with common colorimeters (e.g. spyder 4 elite) and can apply the precise curve via DDC/CI. I'm guessing that this means it can upload the calibration into the monitor's firmware. They don't list the U2713 as compatible, but they claim that it should work if the monitor supports DDC/CI which the U2713Hm does.

My concern is that reviews of the U2713 have suggested that Dell have locked down the hardware calibration to a specific software/colorimeter package that does not support my requirements. Is this relevant?

Before I go spending $1000 on the calibration software, is this likely to work (the demo version doesn't support DDC/CI).

 

[kbp]

I use DataColor Spyder 3 Elite. Calibration sets an icc profile for the video card. But ...I use a Dell U2410.
Last I had looked, the Spyder 4 and software was around $250ish. (That may be with the basic software feature thou) ???
I also have the Datacolor Print Spectrocolorimeter.

 

[Mark R]

The prob I have is that no bundled calibration software will handle the special calibration that I need. I basically have to buy a specific calibration software package that supports the curves I need.

I suppose that if the application of the calibration is software dependent, I'll just have to ask the specific software vendor how it works.

 

[gpse]

I have a DataColor Spyder 4 PRO, works great, and gives excellent results.

 

[Mark R]

Well, the specialist software vendor got back to me (on a Sunday, WTF?) - I'm guessing they're a 1-man shop, which wouldn't be too surprising given that this is a specialist product.

The U2713HM cannot be calibrated and only has an 8-bit data path, so while software LUT calibration can be performed, the quality of the calibration may not be very good.

They recommended the U2713H which can be calibrated. They also gave a list of about 20 different calibration hardware devices that they support (including budget devices like the Spyder 4 elite).