1) Free updates, no annual feesFor example, LightSpace users have received 12 years of free updates.
ColourSpace released in 2021, so it will have many years of free updates.
Calman Home users have to purchase at full price each year the software to have the latest version.
That info is not provided to the Calman site for users to know that detail before the purchase.
2) 3D LUT SDR (REC.709 / REC.2020) for LG OLED 2017/2018/2019/2020/2021 TVsCalman Home is not supporting LG OLED 2017 (with Technicolor FW that can be provided to ColourSpace users), and it will require Calman Studio.
LG has two slots for 3D LUT per picture mode for REC.709 and 2020. It's available for ColourSpace users REC.2020 MP4 file to enable the REC.2020 slot for iTPG users. External TPG can also be used, like Pi4, Murideo, Accupel, or others. (instructions)
HDR10 / DoVi calibration using LG's iTPG for LG OLED 2019/2020/2021 LG TVs. (like Calman)
3) LUTs for MadVR / ENVY / Lumagen Processors / eeColorCalman Home is not supporting any of those devices for LUT-based calibrations.
ColourSpace is supporting the latest developments for 1D -> 3D -> 1D LUTs calibration of ENVY.
The 12-bit (4096) 1D LUTs will improve even further the results.
4) Internal calibration functions for projectorsColourSpace HTL supports JVC AutoCAL (using third-party files). X-Rite meters can be used to perform the AutoCAL instead of using Spyder.
Sony projectors have internal 1D LUT.
ColourSpace HTL is supporting the 1D LUT generation (1024 grayscale steps) for Sony software, so you can use ColourSpace to take measurements, generate 1D LUT and then upload it with Sony software.
5) Dolby Vision patch generation for Murideo (Six-G / SEVEN) pattern generators for STANDARD or Low Latency Dolby Vision 'LLDV'LLDV is not supported by Calman for Murideo users.
Calman Home is not supporting Murideo SEVEN.
6) Custom PDF ReportingUsers can create their own custom PDF reports, save/export/import layouts. Calman Home/Video PRO is not supporting custom user PDF reports.
Calman Home is not supporting any form of PDF Reporting.
Calman Video PRO support fixed PDF reports.
7) Custom Interface UIUsers can define the size/number of the charts to their interface, save/load layouts. Calman Home/Video PRO has fixed workflows/charts position.
8) Volumetric charts3D CIE, XYZ, and normalized Colour Space Graphs, including Error Tangent lines and color-coded measure points
Calman has no 3D charts.
9) Custom patchlistsUser-defined patch color sequences have been implemented for manual TV CMS adjustments, allowing any patch sequences to be imported for either manual or profiling measurements.
Users can import/create any patch sequence with 8/10/12/16-bit RGB triplets, custom patch sorting, custom names of patches for manual calibration or for 1D/3D LUT profiling.
Calman's engine works for LG with four specific patch sequences only, not allowing to import of a custom patchlist even for manual calibration.
Calman users have reported that using a larger patchset from 7-Point will add artifacts and a higher dE average. (
here or
here)
10) Capability to see the measurement data file before the LUT Generation. ColourSpace users can see the measured profile data for all the measured points before generating any 3D LUT.
In case of a problem during the measurements, problematic measurement points can be removed or remeasured.
Users can detect any problem, like an enabled display power-saving function they forgot to disable by looking at drift plot chart, any patch generation problem, meter failed readings due to wrong settings; all these data are open to users.
Unfortunately, Calman has all this data encrypted and hidden from users, so it's not easy to isolate a problem after the measurements.
Calman user has to re-perform a totally new calibration without knowing the reason of the failure, so the same problem will re-appear in the new calibration too.
11) Evaluation of generated 3D LUT file before upload/export/import ColourSpace has 1D Viewer / Cube Viewer / LUT Image Preview; users can detect issues or import LUTs from Calman to detect artifacts/banding/distortio
ns. (all these functions are not available in Calman).
These functions can be used to evaluate the quality of any LUT-based calibration.
12) Active LUT
Users can profile their display/projector without having a LUT box.
The generated 3D LUT can be loaded as an offset (using Active LUT) to their patch generation output, so they can verify the 3D LUT profiling to see their device performance when they will buy a LUT box.
Active LUT can work as a virtual LUT box; after evaluating the profiling, the user can decide if it's worth investing in a hardware LUT box.
13) Ability to RESET an LG to initial factory settings without losing the calibration.
When is required to reset the TV to its default settings; to prevent an issue introduced to LG TV apps or after installing an FW update, users can record a video or take still pictures of the TV settings per each picture mode (SDR/HDR/DoVi) and then reset their TV.
Re-apply these settings, generate a color space conversion using the measurement data stored to their ColourSpace profile data list, re-upload to the TV the LUTs, and the DoVi configuration file using a USB Stick.
Calman can't do this, as it will require re-calibrating all picture modes since it's impossible to save or upload any 1D LUT manually.
14) Ability to generate multiple LUTs with different white points or gamma with the same peak output for a different picture mode
After the profiling measurements (5000 colors) for SDR profiling, ColourSpace will save a profile data file with all these measurements.
Users can generate using that profile data file as many different 3D LUTs with a custom white point or gamma value (for the same peak output) they want, then upload them to different picture modes. This method saves time for the user to quickly test different white points or gamma values without re-calibrating the TV.
Calman users can't do this, as it will require re-calibrating their TV, with a different picture mode selected.
15) Sony / Panasonic TV's DDC with DeviceControl.
DeviceControl users can control their TV controls to speed up their manual TV calibration.
For Panasonic TVs, the instructions are available here.
Select EZ as a TV model, it will work with FZ/GZ/HZ also.
Sony BRAVIA Template, beyond DDC of TV controls, unlocking professional picture modes, multipoint grayscale / CMS controls, has some unique features unavailable in Calman.
Users can export and save TV settings to a file or upload a file with settings to the TV, which works as a backup of calibration settings when a factory reset is required.
Calibrators can use that function to provide to their customer the calibrated settings very quickly.
Calman Home is limited to work with specific TV brands, so when a user has both a Sony and an LG TV, he has to buy Calman Home for LG and Calman Home for Sony.
16) LG OLED 2020 Issues with factory panel calibration can be fixed only using ColourSpace (other models can have this problem too
It's not possible to fix that problem using Calman since it's not supporting RGB Separation / 3D Plotting charts. (link)
17) User feedback is the most important detail about their experience with each calibration system
Just perform research to see the feedback or issues Calman / ColourSpace is experiencing; it's the only way to find out what is really happening beyond marketing.
see Link 1, Link 2here, Link 3, Link 4.
18) Customer support?
No comments; I have replied with over 1000 words to a single question many times.
In comparison, Tyler (wifi-spy) from Calman will pick to reply to one of 100 questions by writing one sentence of text.
It's important to have someone to talk to or ask a question and have a proper explanation/help to solve a problem or understand a function.
You have more chances to win a lottery than to solve a problem using Calman's email support. (proof)