Buy Cinema now or wait?

I know everyone talks about a refresh etc..but is there a NEW cinema coming SOON or not so soon?

 

No one knows for sure, but I would suggest you wait, especially if it isn't an immediate necessity. It will be more worth while in the long run.

 

I'd agree. If you need an external right now, pick up a cheap one on craigslist for the time being... and wait for a new ACD. But that's just me.

*crosses fingers for a 24" H-IPS ACD for $799*

 

arent the current 23 and 30 ACD?

 

Well, its been rumoured for forever now...I would expect a replacement sometime this year...but if you need it now, go right ahead, the current one's good .

 

No one knows, but they are getting long in the tooth. Honestly though, I would probably look at other LCDs first since the ACD are rather pricey and lack many features.

 

True, but they also work very well just the same, and are beautiful.

Commish, how many threads must you post in about this issue? You're beginning to sound like your old self when you'd post about AW. LOL But this time it's too late, you've got the Apple/Mac bug!

Geez, if you like the ACD's, need a new monitor, the cost is within your means and the price won't hurt you financially, go get one - it won't dissappoint you. If you can wait, and have a screen that'll make do 'til Apple springs forth with the new, then hang on.


Edit: The current models are 23" and 30" and, unless it's just recently been dropped, a 20" model is also available which, IMO, also is quite nice.

 

Theres been a rumor for the past 3-4 years now. Just pick one up and just be happy with it, I bought mine last year and I love my 23" ACD looks gorgeous! =D

I have a feeling the ACD will be updated probably 2 years later when the 30" LED ACD is at a reasonable price. Right now samsung xl20 is an led monitor 20" and you can get one on ebay for $1799, now imagine how much a 30" would cost!

 

I would wait if you can. Why drop $900- $2,000 on an LCD that isn't even HDCP compliant....thats pathetic....

 

Whats the point of HDCP when its just a computer monitor? I only use it on the mac pro and I can play whatever bluray/hd dvd movies I d/led for free to watch and play games via bootcamp windows. Also you can get a 23" ACD pretty much almost new on ebay for like $650-700

Plus I got a 52" sony bravia xbr4 full 1080p with full motion enhancer for real hd movie/gaming, which I think should be played on in the first place (hdtv).

 

I REALLY find it funny the argument about the ACDs being long in the tooth. They are better than 99.9% of screens on the market. People don't seem to realize this. If you don't understand the acronyms "TN", "PVA" or "IPS", you clearly have NO idea what constitutes a good screen. I mean no offense to anyone, but once you go IPS, you wouldn't settle for anything less. The Cinema Displays are in the TOP tier of screens for a reason, and there's a reason they cost so much. I wouldn't be surprised if the ACDs weren't updated for a while, and you can be SURE that when they do, they won't be much better than what they are now, since the IPS panels in the 23" and 30" are top-of-the-line, yes, even by today's standards. LCDs have NOT progressed in technology like you might think.

And HDCP isn't, for me, even a reason to buy a computer screen. I use my 1080p Samsung TV for that, on the comfort of my sofa, with 7.1 HD audio from my Onkyo receiver. I mean seriously.

 

I agree with you all cinema displays have the S-IPS, that's why dell's 24" or whatever size screens is a mixed bag and you'll be lucky to get an S-IPS screen but the backlighting/circuitry is not as good as the apple's screen. Also dell's screens are mostly the S-PVA, which isnt bad but not the absolute top tier that William G mentions.

There is a reason why apple's cinema displays are a bit more expensive and its not just for design looks, apple and dell arnt idiots.

If anything the new ACD screens will have the same lcd panels of today but will have led backlighting instead.

Heh and WilliamG I agree 100% hdtv + hifi system and comfy lazyboy couches!! =D

 

Before I got my Apple display, I tried the new Dell 2408WFP. It's a PVA, and not too bad, but the input lag was OUTRAGEOUS. It's harder than you might imagine to get a good LCD. I went through so many...

Ugh....to even recall them....

Westinghouse 24" (crap)
LG 246BW 24" (not awful, but not as sharp, and no sharpness controls!)
Samsung 245BW 24" (ugh... TN panel.... nasty color-shifts depending on viewing angle)
Dell 2408WFP 24" (PVA, but mad amounts of input lag)
Planar 26" (IPS panel, pretty damn good, but quite audible buzzing, and ugly as sin! But definitely the second best display out of the ones listed)

And finally:

Apple 23" ACD (IPS, minor buzzing at less than full brightness - not audible if you have a fan or a computer running nearby, and by far the best and sexiest of all the displays).

There are probably a few others, but I'm too tired to even recall them right now.

In any case, I need my computer monitor to be two things:

1.) Be an IPS panel
2.) Have DVI-out

That's it. I used to convince myself I needed HDCP and component and all that crap so I could play games and watch Blu-rays, but seriously, that's what the sofa and my HDTV is for.

 

Well for the rest of us that dropped $4,000 on an HDCP compliant Macbook Pro. Having to buy an HDTV in addition to a Cinema Display to watch Blu-Ray movies is just lame.

There are many LCD monitors out there that boast the same specs as the ACD around the same price range + or - that are pretty much all HDCP. The only reason the ACD isn't is because it hasn't been updated in ages. The Apple Cinema Display is very well designed and has really good picture quality. However your telling me that if you had a blu-ray player you wouldn't want to watch movies on it as well?

 

Eh? Many LCDs that boast the same specs as the ACD? I'd say there are "several," but certainly not many. IPS panels are FEW and FAR between. There are a few Eizos, a Planar, an NEC...., and a few others here and there, but hardly many. The ACD is in a very small field of screens of this caliber.

Anyway, who's spending $4k on a MBP? Crazy cash! And, since we're throwing out opinions here, watching Blu-ray movies on small displays is sad, as is watching Blu-rays without True-HD, DTS-MA or PCM audio. But that's just my two cents.

I hear you, though. Sure it COULD have HDCP, but I think (and with no basis for this thought, mind you) that the majority of people who buy ACDs could not care less about HDCP. It's a monitor designed, rather specifically, for people who need really great colour reproduction and fabulous viewing angles for colour consistency. That's why I got mine...

And aesthetically, while perhaps not a factor for some, is now a factor for me. I think I would find it hard going back to black plastic.

 

I totally agree William but I also do HD editing work in Final Cut Studio so HDCP is pretty important to me. I plan on keeping the display for at least 3-4 years or until it dies.

So.... for HD editing and thinking towards the future HDCP is pretty important imho. I plan on waiting myself till the ACDs are updated in the meantime I'll have to get by with my 1920x1200 17" LCD.

 

I am with Airman on this one. If you can get more for what you pay for why not? I do not have an HDTV and would indeed use my monitor for viewing them if I bought a Blu-Ray player or a computer with Blu-Ray capabilities(which I plan on getting for the MBP ... hopefully).

 

I have a Plasma for HDTV.

BUT for 1700 bucks for a 30 I WOULD like to have all possible inputs....My worst mistake was sitting down in front of the 30 Cinema and now my 5 year old 2001FP 20 inch looks A) faded B) small C) boring.

 

LOL I've went through those as well, samsung being a bit better but the LG for some reason always looks washed out, too much brightness. And the colors dont look vivid at all, the colors looked pastel/fake looking.

 

There is a lot of development of LED and OLED in the works. If I were Apple, I would wait till those technologies vest, as that would provide a superior update to the cinema line. IPS, S-IPS is either the best or better than anything out there, so there is not a really good reason apple should "update" their line.

 

I'm dying for the 30 inch Cinema....I may just go ahead and do it.

 

Those Cinema Displays are so drool worthy...so expensive though .

 

its the envy of all PC owners...the cinema 30 has always been the tip top.!

 

You're just a wimp if you don't do it, commish!









Of course, I'm kidding.

 

hahahahaha does anyone on this forum have a 30???

 

I had a 30" but returned it because it was way too big for me. Whlie the 30" was awesome, the 23" ACD was perfect for me and I love it! -D

 

Why was it too big?

 

Well for me it was too big I like staring at a screen where I can see the whole screen at once but the 30" I had to move my head up left, up right, down left, down right, basically shift my head around to see parts (to whole) screens.

 

Same reason I went with the 23" instead of the 30".

 

yeah it is enormous.

Anyone have pictures of it setup?

 

I have one, commish. I posted a picture of it with the MacPro in one of these threads (thought it was this one, but obviously I was badly mistaken - again . . . ).

 

you have the 30? post it up!

 

Edit: These were taken for Kakaze's (over there) benefit; I ordered the MacPro the day it first became available - he thought I was joking.

 

thats the 23 isnt it?

 

Looks like it. My 22" samsung looks roughly the same next to my Mac Pro.

 

No, guys. It's the 30" monitor.

This is the 23":



With the eMachines after the Voodoo blew up:

 

My bad. I was looking at the overall height, but I forgot my samsung has adjustable height.

I measured my Mac Pro and it adds up now. Man, our towers sure do dwarf monitors....

 

ah yeah...I get it now! The 23 looks small compared to the 30!

 

commish, just my opinion, but if most of your work will be with text, I recommend the 23" screen. You won't need or appreciate, IMO, the 30" for that use, even if you open up several pages at a time.

If, otoh, you'll be working with graphics (I like to edit photos, though I'm probably the world's worst photographer), the 30" monitor is terrific!

 

I prefer 23"ACDx2 than just 1x30"

 

the cinema is way old, so I'd either wait, or get a diff brand. It does have good quality, but I'd wait for the upgrade.

 

The cinema displays havnt been updated in a long time but if you compare its quality as to even newer monitors around these days, the ACD are still the better monitor