24" LED Apple Cinema Display impressions....

Hey all,

So I spent a good bit of time tonight at the Apple Store (had to go get the wife a new MacBook Pro as well.... my bank account is groaning....).

Anyway, it really is gorgeous. Sleeker, thinner than the soon-to-be outgoing model.

Some things to note:

1.) It can power your MacBook Air/MacBook/MacBook Pro without the need of another power adapter. The actual power plug is similar to the MacBook Air.

2.) The brightness of the display is amazing, even brighter than the MacBook Pro it was plugged into.

3.) Viewing angles are VERY similar to the outgoing 23" Apple Cinema Display, indicating this new panel may indeed be an updated IPS panel.

4.) The sound from the display is actually quite decent for an LCD.

5.) The sound is NOT transported over the mini DisplayPort. It's carried over USB. I verified this by checking in the Sound panel in System Preferences (it says "USB Speakers," and also by pulling the USB cord out of the MacBook Pro (whereupon the sound came out of the notebook speakers).

6.) It's gorgeous, and I want one. Even though it's only one inch bigger than the outgoing 23", it looks quite a decent bit bigger. The 23" was right next to the new 24" so it was an easy comparison!

7.) It matches the new MacBook/Pro systems perfectly.

It remains to be seen how well the new LED display will calibrate (I do photography), but in sheer looks, the new ACD is amazing. The whites are incredibly white, and no more of that "shimmer" to the coating that the current 23" has.

Bring on November!

 

Any pictures?

 

its dvi correct?

and how much?

 

wait. i just looked it up $899..... holy crap. yea idk about that now. i forgot how much apple overprices their displays.

 

I haven't really kept up on displays... for a 24", $899 is pretty expensive... but how much are LED 24" displays going for? I did a VERY quick search and came up with only one LED 24" Samsung on Newegg.... and it's more than $2,200... so the Apple looks like a steal compared to that one, lol

 

Before this thread becomes bogged down with statements about the Apple displays being overpriced, let's NOT forget that:

1.) It's an LED-lit LCD.

2.) It's likely an IPS panel

If you're the kind of person who's happy walking into Best Buy and buying one of the Gateway/HP/LG/Samsung LCDs on display, you need not apply here.

 

What I dont like about the new ACD:

1) LED lit jacks up the price alot without making much difference. Good CCFL will match good LED in uniformity.

2) $$$, if it was in the $600 range it would be much better. Still expensive but at least more reasonable. $900 is 30in territory.

3) Only DisplayPort and only 1 from what I can see.

 

I liked the display with a few buts.

I want to see it in a dark room, just like mine. As much as I like the Nekromantix, I couldn't get over the fact that their logo from my shirt was reflecting in the screen when I was at the apple store... (Which compared to my apartment, is like comparing 12 noon to 12 midnight)

Also, the other but.

I don't need USB speakers, the laptop power adapter, nor do I even want a display port (The iSight would be nice to keep though). Give it to me with DVI, and make it $799, I'll buy one ASAP. (Assuming the reflections in low light aren't bad that is)

Other than that though, it looks awesome sitting on their counter, and is a beautiful looking piece.

1; I'm not so sure I agree. Maybe it was the lighting, but I did not see the extra bright spots at the top and bottom, nor bleeding with all white/black screens. The LEDs made a huge difference in the picture, which I'm sure I'll notice with movies.

2; 30" monitors are $1200 at the low end still. Those are no frills monitors at that. Used however, maybe... (I saw a 2 year old used Apple 30" the other day for $900).

3; Semi agreed. Display port needs to go, but I don't really have a need for more than one input... sure it would be nice, but the only reason that multi input is useful is to have multiple devices on one screen... But I don't do that. I have an individual screen for every device. (And if I buy one, my 22" samsung will be attached to my PC).

 

Many people don't note that Apple's displays are S-IPS panels, which are much better quality than the average consumer TN panel, so the prices are actually quite average and good when its compared to other S-IPS panels.

I'm liking the new Cinema Displays, especially the notebook features. Does it retract or anything when you're not using those cables though? I imagine it looks a bit weird to have them dangling around .

 

No, the cables don't retract.

Also, to those saying a CCFL screen matches an LED display in uniformity, I have just one emoticon for you: (OK that was 3).

Seriously, my CCFL Apple display doesn't come close to the uniformity of even my new MacBook Pro display! The new MBP and LED 24" ACD are just incredible in terms of uniformity.

 

Yes, pictures please!

 

Haha. Well, pictures will come when I actually get the screen. I took a couple of shots with my iPhone, but they'll be kinda pointless. Hopefully get the display in the next few weeks?

 

get back to work

 

LED baclit does not mean it will magically be uniform and that there wont be bleeding. Your ACD is at least a 2 year old panel. It was never refreshed since it came out. It is no where near the best now. Most high end professional displays are still CCFL and the uniformity is excellent. Of course your chances are better with LED baclit, however that does not mean a good CCFL cannot achieve what a good LED backlit display can.

 

Not quite true. While the display shape is several years old, it was refreshed at the end of 2006. It IS 2 years old, yes. However, it is one of the BEST displays on the market to date because it's not a TN panel like 99.9% of LCDs out there. And there's no possible way a CCFL display can obtain the same results as an LED-lit display. There's a vibrancy to the whites that is not attainable by even "the best" CCFL panels on the market. And I've seen quite a few, including the Planar 26" (IPS) and NEC 2690 (IPS). The Apple 23" compares VERY favorably to this date, which is why the 23" is only now being replaced with the 24". Apple isn't stupid. There's a reason their displays cost more than the "average." IPS plain and simply destroys the other types of panel out there.

 

hmm.. I guess difference in opinions. I thought it wasnt very bright on the 24" acd.. maybe I saw a dud?

Anyways I believe the new panels is most likely the H-IPS which have the same specs as the S-IPS but without the shimmering look that some people dislike.

I honestly like the slight shimmering look and had never really bothered me or thought was an issue until others have mentioned it.

But the current imacs incorporates an H-IPS panel and I believe the 24" ACD looks like it has the same panel. Basically I felt like looking at the 24" ACD was looking at an imac.

Now I'm very interested in what the new Mac Pros will look like... Please for the love of God, NO BLACK BOARDERS AROUND THE MAC PRO CASE!

 

Actually about 2 years ago soon to be almost 3 that the Apple cinema displays has been refreshed with a slight higher contrast/brightness. Minor upgrade just like what dell has done recently boosting up the contrast.

 

Yep, jjahshik32. I've definitely yet to see a display in a store that looks anywhere near as good as the outgoing 23" model. The new 24" was unquestionably brighter than the new MBP, and didn't wash out as easily either.

 

again aussie getting ripped, its $1500AUD for us!
So do we know what panel it is using? because 1500 is fair bit highly than any other high end IPS panels.

 

So Apple doesn't support audio over the mini-displayport, how unexpected...

 

i will be at an Apple store later today, I will definitely be checking out the new displays extensively, exciting times.

 

The older Apple Cinema Displays used to take DVI inputs, correct? My question is why are they limiting this new apparently amazing display to only their new Macbooks?? No DVI in, no HDMI in... Only Display-port

 

You can't question Apple. They make no sense up there... You just to accept their decisions, for better or for worse..

 

hahaha I see... and when I was just getting interested in Apple notebooks, go figure

 

I bought a Dell 20" 2007WFP display for about $400 CDN about 1.6 years ago. It is an LG S-IPS panel. The Apple 20" S-IPS display is currently $700 CDN. I don't think Apple is too well priced there. However the outgoing 23' display is $999 CDN, which is a good price for an S-IPS panel and had DVI input along with others.

This new 24" is leaving me suspicious. Let's see it has built in speakers, camera and microphone, is 1" bigger screen size, is LED and costs the same (in Canada) as the 23" that doesn't have any of that? Any absolute confirmation this 24" LED is an S-IPS panel?

 

well, with their laptops this screen makes perfect sense. I will get one as soon they show up in November, as a student is 800$. If you take out the power source and the cable (the display provides that) the price goes a little down, so I get to keep my laptop power at home all the time and use this screen (with it's power supply) at work. Still a lot of money ... I have to be honest: I'll buy this display 50% cause it's great quality display and 50% cause it goes so nice with the MBP. From my point of view I will spend a couple hundreds extra just for the look, since there are tons of quality 24" at this resolution.

 

Apple cinema display, Mackbook pro and even an iPhone.. gosh you must be a hard core Apple fan. Seriously though, $899 for a 24” display For that price you could buy a 28" IPS panel LCD monitor or a 42" Full HD TV....

 

I understand that if you have a new macbook, this monitor might make perfect sense, but that's the thing... They are limiting it to almost SPECIFICALLY the macbook. Seems like a waste of a good monitor when I'm sure it wouldn't have been difficult to add a simple DVI connection. *shrug* I guess you don't question Apple.

 

APPLE is weird, to say it nicely. I definetelly do not agree with this non-sense, but in my case it works just fine.

I am no fanboy, I just switched my iphone for a small&elegant nokia phone cause I do not use the internet at all on it (just the email, that works on any phone) and so the iphone's big screen doesn't do me any good anymore. I use to stay online a lot on the iphone, but now with my new job I am 100% in the office or at home and I carry a laptop with me 110% of the time
No need to carry a bulky phone anymore, I am happy about that. I will go with whatever company suits me best at the moment. I had the iphone for one year, it was great and I will still keep it, but OFF and quiet.

 

I used to own the dell 20" with an S-IPS (Got lucky in the lottery of S-IPS panels) and also had the 20" ACD as well at the time. Looking at them side by side the ACD was so much better, I believe because Apple uses the same circuitboard, chipset and the components like glass as Eizo brands which in overall makes the picture quality superior than the cheaper dell components.

I dont know what it was about the ACD but looking at the picture it looked much more natural and cleaner and the colors were more vivid, like it was popping out but the dell even with the S-IPS panel looked muddier in its colors.

I tried to justify the dell's display's purchase but always end up returning it as I tried to calibrate it with spyder 2, it always never looked as good as any of the ACDs.

 

^^ Cool thanks for the info. Yes I calibrate my Dell w/the Spyder Pro 2 as well. I have never done a side by side with the ACD so maybe you are right about it, or maybe it's just the gloss screen vs matte? I'd like to see for myself, maybe I'll buy one just to compare and return it (ooo that is SO evil I know). Eizo is definitely the shizzle so if indeed it's all the same components then you might have something there. Cheers.

 

I cant find the article right now but I remember reading about it in about 2-3 years back on one of the tech sites about how apple used the same components as Eizo brand displays (I think even Steve Jobs mentioned this in one of his keynotes as well) and this is why Apple's ACD's were more expensive than other alternatives.

Anyway the current ACD's all use matte screens only the new 24" LED has the glossy which I really dont like...

I was not impressed AT ALL on the new 24" LED ACD.. maybe its because the current 23" ACD is superior to it? Not sure but I was ready to be blown away but it seemed more so like a downgrade.

Maybe Apple has changed its components to cheaper materials to lower the cost of the 24" LED ACDs? I could see that happening because the only 24" LED displays that you can buy right now cost around $2,599 from Samsung XL24, which I believe is still a S-PVA only panel (inferior too).

 

Apple likes to lock you into their rather closed world. So either one have to accept this or not, like you said. If one accepts this, then there is no turning back... from what I have seen on various mac forums. If Apple is doing something that clearly doesn't help the consumer, people just close their eyes and somehow reverse it to make it look like Apple's decisions are the best for us.

 

If that display isn't much more than a buck two fifty, I may want one...

 

$899.......

 

Apple lists the contrast ratio as 1000:1....does anyone know if that's measured as dynamic or static? because there's a huge difference

 

Right now, They don't have a whole lot of specs out.

I'm suspecting that once they are released, that they will have more info about them.

 

The cinema display is "Full HD" too. It supports resolutions up to 1900x1200.

 

The TV I can see... But I haven't seen any 28" IPS displays for even near that price.

Got some linkage? (And I mean brand new units, not refurb or used)

 

I bet the new ACD uses the same LG S-IPS panel as HP's excellent new LP2475W monitor. However, for the $899 price tag, the ACD is a steal considering it has an LED backlight while HP only has a standard CCFL and costs about the same. However, Apple kinda killed it by limiting the output interface to the proprietary mini-displayport.

 

Heck yes! Pshycobilly rocks!

 

Here's the Planar 26" IPS for $820... not LED though.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824016084

 

I want led in a new display that I buy...