why are mac displays so expensive?

i want to get one in the near future. but there so expensive! im fine with paying more an apple product but this is more then double what they should cost! i might as well buy an imac. /rant

 

Because they are IPS panels, not TN. You actually get all those millions of colours. For those doing photo/video work it's important.

While I agree they should cut the price a bit, you can't beat what they offer by more than $150 from any other company.

 

Right, they are pro panels. People who actually know anything about different LCD panels can tell you why they are so much more expensive.

Idiots who don't know jack will tell you that you can get the same quality from something like a Dell monitor. Sure, that is fine for gaming, but not for pro photo work.

 

i did not know actually. wel now im convinced there worth the extra cash. however if i buy one, can i plug in gaming consles via hdmi to dvi cables?

 

Good question... I don't own any game consoles, and my monitor is larger than my TV (Which by the way was made 7 years before I was, and has a wood cabinet housing).

 

Well, they are very nice displays, yes...compared to say the average Samsung, LG, etc. you find at Best Buy.

 

some dell monitors are as good as apple's monitor.

they use IPS as well.....stop informing this guy with false information.

why are they expensive? you pay more for apple brand name and their superior build quality (aluminum construction)..

however, don't think that dell monitors are somehow inferior because they use exactly same kind of lcd tech..

 

Yea you should be able to. As long as you get a hdmi-dvi cable, and the display supports either 1920x1080 or 1280x720, you should be good.

Although youre gonna have to get the audio from somewhere else, like from the analog cables.

 

I agree with you that they are pro panels but y ou can still get IPS panels for way cheaper. The truth about the Apple is that you're paying prices from several years ago for already older technology TODAY. They need to cut the price, it hasn't been cut in a long time. Whether you bought it now or a few years ago it's pretty much teh same display.

The aesthetics are pretty and it's a great monitor but unless I was VERY wealthy lol I wouldn't buy one. I mean they're beautiful monitors and if anyone has one they don't want I'll gladly take it

 

I highlighted the key word. Some. Their best 20" retails for $400 though ($100 less than Apple), which is $100-200 more than cheap 22" TN panels, so most people who buy a dell won't opt to get one. They'll see a higher price tag and a smaller screen size and pass. They don't have a 23", so I can't directly compare the prices on those. Their good 30" retails for more than the Apple 30" though.

Like I said in my first reply, you won't get a monitor to match an Apple's specs for at a substantial price drop. If you want an IPS panel, you are going to pay top dollar regardless. If you see a 23" IPS monitor that doesn't suck for less than $600 brand new, let me know. I want to get rid of this Samsung.

 

same reason why Ferrari are so expensive.

 

hey nirvana u goto nyu, im like a mile away over here on the lower east side. lol. anyway what kind of screens does apple put in thier imacs?

 

Let me clear this up, you can not use a game console (ps3, xbox 360) with the apple cinema displays without the help from another device. Believe me, I have a cinema display and have tried to find a cheap solution. Currently, this is the best solution, but it is 350 dollars

 

Umm... Can the PS3 and 360 not output 1680x1050 or 1920x1200? If so, then you can use the Cinema Display.
Did you not try using an HDMI -> DVI cable or adapter?

I should mention... if your 360 doesn't have a HDMI out, then you will probably have to go through a receiver that has the ability to output the analog signals over digital (either hdmi or dvi).

But seriously, you probably don't need a Cinema Display. You will really only see the difference if that 1% color difference between the printed color and displayed color is extremely important. Most consumer monitors have a delta of about 10%, some of the betters are around 5%.

My personal experience with Dell monitors, is they're good. But not great. color reproduction is not acceptable for anyone doing anything close to pro work. My Hyundai TN display had much better color accuracy that that some of the 05 models.

 

like others have said... if your not doing photo work for a living, or as a big hobby, skip the 700$ displays.

go get a nice dell/hp and call it a day. Samsung is also very nice, id buy that over a dell. I have a HP w2207, and its wonderful. 300$

 

I also just bought the HP w2207 and it is awesome...if you like glossy displays... i would recommend the dell for a matte...

 

actually, it is because the production cost. They are selling something that they dont make much. Keep in mind that you are comparing brands that sell A LOT and minimized their marginal cost.

 

The 20" iMacs have TN film panels, and the 24" iMacs have IPS displays.

The big downside with Cinema Displays is that the DVI cable is not detachable, and that there are no other display ports on it. This can get annoying, for example if you damage the DVI cable.

 

Apple panels are normal IPS quality, you can find the same quality in many other brands, in fact they even share the same panels there are only a few people that make the actual panels, apple doesn't make them.

It cost more because its Apple pretty much, and I dont care how much your a mac/apple guy its true. So many post saying those that know will tell you... well I know. I may be a regular here on notebookreview but I am a regular at widescreengamingforum.com and we have a whole wiki that I help maintain with panel types, user reviews, and we happen to have quite a few apple freaks there that will admit it too.

The reason to get a Apple display over another brand is pretty much because it will match your computer if you have an apple if your only wanting it for quality then look somewhere else to save money. Also if you want really professional I recommend Eizo.

Dell/Hp are ok... but inconsistant, especially Dell you may have to send back a monitor 4 times before you get one thats right, and over the last few years there component quality has gone to hell. To the untrained eye they are probably great but compared to a good Samsung or NEC they are usually "lower end" also BenQ happens to have a really kick but 24" that puts Dells to shame in both features and price/quality.

Me personally what do I use? Well I always go for the best price/performance ratio and in the case of monitors I also like BIG (easier to see, more emmersive) so this is what I use:
Westinghouse LVM37W3 ^^ 37" 1080P HD LCD and I have plenty of pictures and stuff in my review here: http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10105

 

Good post Vicious.

Last I heard those, other panels that were in the pro level were roughly the same price as the Apple ones. I've heard the 30" Eizo's were only about $150 less than the Apples.

 

Eizo can be much more expensive than Apple actually depending on what you get, but its the best of the best. Although one of those wacom monitors would be very cool for professional use if your a photoshoper.

http://www.wacom.com/cintiq/index.cfm

 

I drool over those wacom monitors. So pricey though. More than the MBP.
I've used tablets (I enjoy photoshopping, but I'm not a pro) but they've always been kind of weird to use. Something about having the pixels not mapping 1 to 1, or if you turn that ability on, then it gets hard to draw long, continuos lines and stuff.

Now... tablet pcs. Those are fun to draw on! I can actually draw on those better than on paper.

 

errr... is the screen on 24" imac and/or the line of Apple Cinema display uses S-IPS or S-PVA?

 

My Dell 2007WFP is S-IPS and cost me about $400 at the time. It has an LG panel in it. The 24" A03 & A04 revisions of the Dell 2407WFP is S-PVA by Samsung and I'd disagree with the post about the BenQ 24" putting it to shame. I've seen them side by side and those 2407s are 100 times better.

Sadly these models are not really available from Dell anymore. You might find one in the outlet or for sale in a classified though.

The panels in the new 20" iMacs are TN junk. I don't know about the 24" iMacs I have not spent any time on one. My guess would be it is also crap since these computers are aimed at the casual/average user market and not the discerning photo re toucher or designer.

 

The 24" uses H-IPS. I'm actually suprised they use a TN panel in the 20".

 

Nope, wont work. There is a problem with the ACD not being HDCP compliant and the game console traveling through a digital medium to the monitor. You need something like the HD Scaler.

 

People are willing to pay that much.

While they use the best type of LCD technology - IPS, it's not "$500 more than a Dell" good. I'm on a Westinghouse that I got on Black Friday. While it's probaly TN, and the colors are really off, it looks great to me.

 

If you have to ask what the difference between an IPS or TN panel, you don't need a cinema display.

 

TN is ok for some people, some "extreme gamers" prefer TN because of its faster response time, but IPS is fast enough for me and I watch movies alot and do photoshop so I want the quality/colors.

extreme gamers should use CRT's if they really want the best for a monitor so I really dont see the market for TN at all and just wish they would do away with them.

As for the Benq I have seen them side by side myself too and the benq is better, had more inputs, and also has 1:1 scaling... the Dell didnt so I think the poster above must be thinking the wrong model Benq or he fell victim to a retail store and there evil plot to sell more expensive items. Often times in a retail store they will purposly give the cheaper brand/models bad input to make them look worse than the expensive stuff to boost sales of the higher items.

Its a common practice, for instance my Westy I use looks BRILLIANT just like the Sharp Aquios did in store, but the Westy in the store looked HORRIBLE. Reason why? The Aquios was hooked up to HDMI and the Westy was on composite lol.....

 

The A04 rev 2407 has 1:1 scaling. The A03 does not. I snooped around and I think the BenQ was suffering the same kind of panel lottery that you got with the 2407s a year or so ago. Some had nasty colour and banding issues, others did not.

 

I personally will probably never buy a "computer monitor" again. I much prefer HDTV's but yeah I have not looked into Dell since A04 has come around but there sure was a huge mess with Dell panels in A03 and below, people were sending 4-5 units back before they got one even acceptable. As for BenQ I have only seen good reviews and not heard of anybody sending one back, I happen to know 2 people that own them from the other forum and they love them to death. Both of these people owned or still own dell panels too.