Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

30" cinema display, now or never?

D

dashedtony

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 27, 2010
2
0
Hey guys,


I am actually trying to decide if to get the old 30" cinema display or not.

I'm a graphic designer and my fear is that apple will never make a matte display...

Here in Italy it's still sold in the apple store.
I have the unibody macbook pro, and so I've been reading through reviews now for a week ... my biggest concern is the dual-link dvi adapter... I still see posts (August or September 2010) with people experiencing issues, even with the firmware 1.3!


I wanted to ask you people if I should go for it or dig the 27 inch even though it's glossy... I have a few people in the office (also graphic designers) working on iMacs and got used to the glossy.

I know there are other great quality displays (nec, dell, etc..) but I wanted to check the apple displays first!


What d'you think?
 
dashedtony said:
Hey guys,


I am actually trying to decide if to get the old 30" cinema display or not.

I'm a graphic designer and my fear is that apple will never make a matte display..
What d'you think?
Click to expand...
If you have the budget do it!! I use a few here and one of them is showing screen problems. We cant replace these now so Ill have to use em till they die :(
Started replacing some of the older 24"s with the top of the line Dells last year.
But now with 27"s coming in with glossy, we might have to stick with the Dells.
 
beware iTunes content

Be aware that with the latest release of iTunes 10, any HD video content you buy or have purchased will not play in HD on the 30" monitor because it is not a HDCP display. Something to do with digital rights management for HD content.

I had the same issue with my 23" cinema display where the content will not longer play. Search other posts (I think in the ATV forum) there is a workaround by installing an old version of quicktime that bypasses this content protection.


Just so you are aware!
 
ryanide said:
Be aware that with the latest release of iTunes 10, any HD video content you buy or have purchased will not play in HD on the 30" monitor because it is not a HDCP display. Something to do with digital rights management for HD content.

I had the same issue with my 23" cinema display where the content will not longer play. Search other posts (I think in the ATV forum) there is a workaround by installing an old version of quicktime that bypasses this content protection.


Just so you are aware!
Click to expand...
Hmm thats not cool. But then I always assume that most 30" users are working in creative.
 
Thanks for the replies!
I have the budget for one 30 inch but don't have the time / nerves to play shuffle with the dual-link adapter... I really find it too risky to invest 1700 € in a product that is 7 years old, with no garantee that it will work properly.
I've spent some time looking for alternatives from dell, nec etc... But I can't get on with their appearance.
I know it's just a computer screen, but I just find that those high-end monitors look crappy. My collegue next to me has the Nec LCD3090W. The Display is crisp, bright and top-notch in terms of color reproduction, but the matte plastic finish of the bezel and the stand just look cheap to me. I mean where were the product designers when it came to design a high-end screen?
The Screen I'm looking is for my home office and I feel bad spending 2k euros for a thing that doesn't fit optically into my workspace.
I fear that I'll end up with the 27 inch LED ACD ... although I know that it's a no-go for print and many people are avoiding it.
 
California said:
The 30" is great. Whatever about HD content. Your eyes matter more.
Click to expand...
our offline Avid system is on a MBP. Most of time it's at editors home hooked up to a 30". We work mostly in HD (soon 4k RED). No problems to date but in the past Lwith older MBP (late 2008 Uni) there was sync issues.
 
I love my 30" ACD connected to my Mac Pro via Dual link DVI. If I had another $1600, I'd buy the 30" again. I would definitely be wary about connecting it to your unibody via the displayport/DVI adapter. That is something to think about, the reviews at the online Apple store for the adapter is quite sporadic even with the reviews dated 2010, half good, half bad it seems like. Many people complain about the gloss on the 27 as well, which would be a definite no-no as you are a print designer. Perhaps you should upgrade to a Mac Pro with a video card that has DVI inputs. :)
 
dashedtony said:
Hey guys,


I am actually trying to decide if to get the old 30" cinema display or not.

I'm a graphic designer and my fear is that apple will never make a matte display...

Here in Italy it's still sold in the apple store.
I have the unibody macbook pro, and so I've been reading through reviews now for a week ... my biggest concern is the dual-link dvi adapter... I still see posts (August or September 2010) with people experiencing issues, even with the firmware 1.3!


I wanted to ask you people if I should go for it or dig the 27 inch even though it's glossy... I have a few people in the office (also graphic designers) working on iMacs and got used to the glossy.

I know there are other great quality displays (nec, dell, etc..) but I wanted to check the apple displays first!


What d'you think?
Click to expand...



If you own a Mac Pro with a compatible graphics card and have the budget: Buy two. The 30" Apple Cinema Display is BY FAR the best monitor that has ever been sold. An alternative would be Dell's 30" 3007 display (I know it first hand and the Dell is awesome).

However, if that standalone 27" display is the same thing that is built into the 27" iMac, then this is also a very good product. I replaced my old Mac Pro with the 27" iMac i5 and I am very happy with it.
 
outdated

why waste your money on an antique?

most studios wouldn't touch apple monitors with a bargepole. NEC, Eizo and even Dell make far superior products.
 
The Unibodies with the old Cinema displays is kind of annoying with all the converters and cables to get it working. Seems like a hassle..But the 30" Cinema display is a classic for designers.

I'm not a fan of the glossy altogether, but I you do get used to it after awhile. Another issue with them is color accuracy.

Let's just pray Apple sees the light and puts out a matte option on the Cinema Display soon.

Let us know what you end up going with.
 
It's exactly as you said, buy them now or never! It's only a matter of time till they will disappear from the EU Apple stores.

Personally I'd buy them any time again. I had to work with a 27" iMac yesterday and although the display is stunning (definitely crisper than the 30" due to the glossy screen), the mirror effect is a complete bummer.
I really considered updating my 30" with two 27" ACDs, but after working with an identical display I changed my plan and will stay with the 30" till bigger displays show up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back