Apple Cinema Display extremely bright

[shinji]

Using the default profile and then a calibrated profile (not with a colorimeter, just with the built-in wizard) the ACD 23" is extremely bright.

I currently have the brightness nearly all the way down. Is it supposed to be like this? I came from a Samsung TN panel which I used to use on 'internet mode' which was like a compromise between the too-dark text mode and the too-bright gaming mode. I don't know if my eyes just need to get adjusted or what, but it comes absurdly bright.

[richard.mac]

thats whats so good about the ACDs. if youre in a bright room and looking from afar or watching a movie you can still have a great bright picture. i mainly have mine at half way or just below as i sit in front of it in a moderatly bright room.

the 23" and 30" ACDs have a brightness of 400 cd/m2 which is the same as the Dell Ultrasharps. while ive never used a Dell i find the ACD displays to be pretty bright but remarkably they dont hurt my eyes when working on them for long periods of time like other LCDs ive used.

[WardC]

The new ones are both 400cd/m^3. I have one of the early 23" Cinema Displays, and they used to be 270cd/m^3. I have mine set on full brightness, and it's really bright and actually just right. I had a 30" for about a month and didn't like it vs. my 23", mainly because it was alot of work to turn my head and strain my eyes more. I ended up feeling like 1920x1200 on a 23" or 24" is really the sweet spot for any computer right now...ended up selling the 30" on eBay and keeping my original 23" -- also I did notice that superbright 400cd/m^2 on the 30" while I had it. It was the brightest screen I had ever seen in my life. But I can say I'm super-happy with my 23" ACD as-is, even though it's an earlier model, the picture is super crisp and the colors are vibrant. I have a Samsung 22" at work and still like my Apple way better. The Samsung required alot of intense calibration to get the colors and levels right with my Mac.

[shinji]

Originally Posted by WardC

The new ones are both 400cd/m^3. I have one of the early 23" Cinema Displays, and they used to be 270cd/m^3. I have mine set on full brightness, and it's really bright and actually just right. I had a 30" for about a month and didn't like it vs. my 23", mainly because it was alot of work to turn my head and strain my eyes more. I ended up feeling like 1920x1200 on a 23" or 24" is really the sweet spot for any computer right now...ended up selling the 30" on eBay and keeping my original 23" -- also I did notice that superbright 400cd/m^2 on the 30" while I had it. It was the brightest screen I had ever seen in my life. But I can say I'm super-happy with my 23" ACD as-is, even though it's an earlier model, the picture is super crisp and the colors are vibrant. I have a Samsung 22" at work and still like my Apple way better. The Samsung required alot of intense calibration to get the colors and levels right with my Mac.

Yeah, this is a 400cd/m^3 23"

Any suggestions on what I could do here other than get some visine? Maybe my eyes just need time to adjust but this is is a little ridiculous.

[richard.mac]

use it on the lowest brightness setting then slowly increment brighter. surely the lowest setting isnt too bright for you?

[shinji]

Originally Posted by richthomas

use it on the lowest brightness setting then slowly increment brighter. surely the lowest setting isnt too bright for you?

The lowest is what's on and it's what I consider a normal brightness, maybe a little bit brighter.. I mean am I supposed to use this monitor constantly at the lowest possible setting? I just to make sure this is how it's supposed to be, as ward pointed out, this is the newer brighter one.

[richard.mac]

yes i have the newer brighter one same as you. i find the display and colours look way better at half brightness than the lowest brightness. just slowly make it brighter each day and youll get used to it.

[stainlessliquid]

Maybe youre confusing gamma with brightness? Brightness is how intense the backlight is, it should not effect the colors very much when raised or lowered. Gamma is how light the colors are. Default apple gamma is 1.8 which is too "bright" for most people since it washes colors out so much. Change the gamma to PC standard (2.2) and see if that makes it look better.

[shinji]

Originally Posted by stainlessliquid

Maybe youre confusing gamma with brightness? Brightness is how intense the backlight is, it should not effect the colors very much when raised or lowered. Gamma is how light the colors are. Default apple gamma is 1.8 which is too "bright" for most people since it washes colors out so much. Change the gamma to PC standard (2.2) and see if that makes it look better.

Well the backlight is what's too intense and hurting my eyes, the colors actually look pretty nice- but yeah, I have the gamma set at 1.8 in the os x pref pane calibration thing.