Color Correction for Home Theater
ColorVision, a Datacolor company, is pleased to announce two exciting products for home theater enthusiasts and home theater calibration professionals. Datacolor ColorFacts and Datacolor SpyderTV bring color management to the home with effective and simple to use tools. (More Info (http://www.colorvision.com/products_highlight.shtml))

I wonder if the SpyderTV device would be useful for calibrating my broadcast monitor? Even though I've run through the color bars routine I've still wondered if I got it right just by eyeballing it.

Hmmm. You need to remember that when you adjust your production monitor you are adjusting it to what is technically right rather than aesthetically nice. If you have run through the correct technical process for setting the monitor up you should have a good setting already.

You need to remember that when you adjust your production monitor you are adjusting it to what is technically right rather than aesthetically nice.
I realize that, but a hardware device should enable one to get the most accurate picture possible. Just using one's eyes to judge whether you've got it right isn't ideal. That's why you really need a hardware device to calibrate a computer screen for accurate graphics/photo work. I would think a hardware calibration device would also be better for calibrating a broadcast television monitor.
If you have run through the correct technical process for setting the monitor up you should have a good setting already.
I did that, but it is still recommended that one have broadcast monitors professionally calibrated every few years. If I had my own hardware calibration device I could make sure it displaying the correct image myself.

The Spyder has one problem. It doesn't account, from what I can tell, for ambient light conditions. Some of the better Sony broadcast monitors have white balance probes to ensure that the setup is correct for the lighting conditions present.

The Spyder has one problem. It doesn't account, from what I can tell, for ambient light conditions.
Ideally, any serious color correction should be done in a darkened room so that ambient light isn't a problem.