Hi Guys. Need your experience. Couldn't find an answer so decided to start a topic.

I am planning on getting an Apple Cinema Display 20" to accompany my MacBook Pro. I'll be using it for CS3 and Final Cut Studio, mainly.
All I want to ask is that - do you have any problems with it? Reports say they come with few dead pixels, but how many of you actually get those? Do you think it's worth the cash?

Thanks a lot in advance.

if you ask me, it's not worth the cash

it's expensive cos it's apple

i could get better value for money with a dell 24" ultrasharp

I cannot think of any problem with this display besides it's price tag. I still cannot justify myself buying it at full retail price. Hence I got my 30incher at 1/3 of what Apple offering. Can't help it, I'm economy rice supporter (like my friend always says).

I would still get the Apple one because it's colour quality. I am a designer too.

how do you define color quality? they use panels made by LG.philips

there are many more lcd panels that are far superior in term of color reproduction than this 20" ACD


edit: OLD article for an OLD lcd panel

http://www.anandtech.com/displays/showdoc.aspx?i=2400

This post has been edited by lucifah: Nov 2 2007, 11:17 PM

If you want superior color, get NEC pro level or Eizo.

go ahead with acd ... don't listen to those that never owns one.

Colour quality as I always used to do printing production:
* When I use Mac with other monitors, I do not get accurate colour (this might be hard to differentiate).
* When I use PC with the usual monitors, it does the same.
* When I use PC with ACD, it does the same.
* When I use Mac with ACD, I get what I wanted on the screen.

This is not just my personal experience, it is my lecturer claiming that what industries designer does and all of us students and lecturers went testing it.

Anyway, at first I did not trust my lecturer until I read most of the articles online and personal experience.

Thanks for the article anyway, I can further doing my research. Although, the article used Windows to test. They should try using Mac also some printing production instead of those contrast and brightness type of thing which is common to me. I'm sorry.

That is not a fair statement for you to make when others are offering their sincere comments.

You just need to do your calibrations. And from what you mentioned, it's really just your personal preferences.

how bout dell's ultrasharp LCD and color accuracy?
those are competitively priced.. and i have the ultrasharp 24" i love the colors
i read its better than apple cinema display

Yes, but with all the settings I have done on usual monitors it just do not work for me. I have a DVI Dell monitor using with PC, look closely and you will see some "noise" on the display, usually it is all on usual monitors.

Well well TS, you do Photoshop (CS3 as you mention). Try to compare printings with the preferences I have stated on my previous and you will find your answer. For video editing, try to compare it with a PC and you will get your answers too. Just one thing I can tell in big difference, colour accuracy upon production.

Thank you all for your great replies. I actually set my mind more towards an ACD because of it's gorgeous design and it's supposedly great colour. (I am also a little bias towards Apple).

The only thing that scared me was the dead pixels.
http://www.amazon.com/review/R2WO5U0GSP9XA...#R2WO5U0GSP9XAG

Since none of you reported anything, looks like I shouldn't fear much. I'll still be waiting a little while (suggested by MacRumors.com)
http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/

Do feel free to continue giving comments.
Thanks again.

@macfanatic, for dead pixel. It depend on your luck, seriously. I bet if you buy any LCD, it will also have dead pixel sooner or later. Just a matter of time.

what i was saying is that the ACD uses the lg.philips panel which is also used in some other lcd brands

there are very few good panel manufacturer and apple is not one of them

try to differentiate between LCD PANEL MANUFACTURER and BRAND - they are two different thing

the same dell 2407 may have 3-4 different type of lcd panel types, depending on ur luck

it's the same with Apple

which gives to the conclusion that by being branded apple , it suddenly got all superior (only in ur mind la...)

anyway, there's a host of professional clabiration device that you can use to get very precise color reproduction on any lcd panels.

gone is the era where Apple and Mac is the de-facto standard in the printing / design / movie business. it was in the 90's, but it's not now.

You need to understand the different LCD panels. Generally there are 3 types:
TN, S-IPS, S-PVA

- TN is the cheapest. Fast response time. Colour accuracy is so-so. There would be colour changes when viewed in an angle from side/top/bottom. Quoted viewing angle is 160 (from Dell). All 17 & 22in LCDs use this panel.

- S-PVA is from Samsung. Dell's 24in is using this. Pretty good colour accuracy. Very good black level (some-what important factor for photo editing). Colour changes when viewed in an angle from side/top/bottom.

Both the above panels will still work well for photo editing if you calibrate them... unless you are very-very fussy.

- S-IPS has the best colour accuracy (critical for video/photo editing). Quoted viewing angle is 178deg (Dell). NEC pro monitors and EIZO use this panel (more expensive than ACD, i think).
BTW, [some of] Dell 2007WFP and all ACD 20inch are using the same panel from LG-Philips. Dell 2007WFP has panel lottery --- you might get the S-PVA version instead of S-IPS one. All ACDs are S-IPS panels from LG-Philips.

I'd say get the 20inch ACD if you have the money. At least I would, if I have the money.
I think it's worth it... both for work and for the 'lan si' factor.

Check out these web pages:
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.as...6&enterthread=y (there's a paragraph in the first post which recommends a few LCDs for photo editing)
http://www.lcdresource.com/
http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/wiki/...r_Monitors_List
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You need to calibrate the monitors + PC/Mac + printers... everything. Contrast and brightness adjustment alone are not enough. Use calibration equipments for monitors like Pantone Huey, ColorVision Spyder2... etc... etc...
Macs are calibrated in factory already, so you get better colour accuracy. If you calibrate a Windows + other LCD, You'll still get accurate colours.
[I'm assuming your test was done without calibrating with proper equipments.]

Check this out:
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.as...6&enterthread=y
(There's a paragraph explaining calibration in the first post)

Macfanatic,
You didn't pay all these premium for an ACD for dead pixels.
What I heard (rumours) in the LCD industry is that panels that pass the highest QC & no dead pixels will be sold as pro monitors, the rest are for consumers (cheaper).
No guarantees, but that's what I read somewhere in the net.

I don't think dead pixels are of any worries, I bought a Entry Level LCD from Dell and had a dead pixel, they gave me a replacement. Would expect the same from Apple.