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23" Cinema Question

edesignuk

edesignuk

Moderator emeritus
Original poster
Mar 25, 2002
19,232
2
London, England
Ok, if I was someday to get a 23" Cinema, would it be any good for me. Here is what I mean.

I know the 23" has an ADC port, and only an ADC port, correct?
I would need to be able to use my Mac, as well as 1-3 PC's through it.
What kind of adapters/KVM's would I need to make this setup usable?

Thanks.
 
Originally posted by Rower_CPU
You'd probably have to get a DVI-based KVM and an ADC-DVI adapter.

The main issue is getting the PCs to support the res on the 23".
Click to expand...
Cool.
Hadn't thought of the pc res issue, still, I have a 9800pro in the PC, that should easily be able to push out 1920x1200 shouldn't it?

edit: holy ****! NOT cool! That DVI switch is $449 :eek:
 
Yeah, DVI KVMs are not cheap. :(

The trick with the PC res will be the aspect ratio, if I'm not mistaken. You'll probably only be able to get 1600x1200.
 
Originally posted by Rower_CPU
The trick with the PC res will be the aspect ratio, if I'm not mistaken. You'll probably only be able to get 1600x1200.
Click to expand...
I reckon it'll just detect the screens native resolution. When I hook my plasma up to it (which has a res on 1280x768 - not a standard res), it detects this aspect ratio (16:9) and native res and allows you to set it.
 
when i plugged my 20" inch display into my pc it didnt detect native. i got about 50 pixels short on height.

iJon
 
Anybody tried plugging a computer (PC or Mac) into a big screen projection TV.
A Hitachi 51" wide screen with DVI connector to be precise ?
 
1280x768 is PC standard widescreen. So its a pretty standard Res, sonys 17" LCD runs at that. The 20 will pretty much flat out not run on a PC. I think the 23 is good with PC nvidia cards with DVI, not sure about ATI, but i know Alienware offered the 23 for a while and i belive they had a warning about ATI and 23" , i could be backwards, it been so long since i read it, so i might just be talking out my rear now. You should be able get a PC to work with a 23 inch apple LCD, might not be worth it tho.
 
Hmmm...well, SOny also makes a (more expensive!) 23" LCD with a screen res of 1920x1200, so I would think the Apple would work.
 
It should work then, i mean obviously there exist drivers to make it work at that aspect ratio. So yes, i would have to think it work. I want a plasma, 23" cinema, and 3 PC's and a Mac. :) But i would think that all the new drivers would then support that aspect ratio. I would imagine all DVI KVM support high res. but i have seen some VGA ones that top out at 1600x1200, worth making sure.
 
Hmmm...well it's something to think about anyway. It won't be happening anytime soon. The reason I am thinking about it is that one of my screens has just died, and it is out of warrenty :( so I'm down to 2.
 
I know this is off-topic, but what's the life-span of a plasma display? A guy who works for Samsung said they only last about 5 years? Is that a crock? I was also told that they use a ton of power. Their prices, however, have taken a nosedive the past few years.

I'm considering a 32" LCD TV (and I would also like to hook my iMac and PC up to it- possible?) but thought I'd clarify the plasma issue first.

Squire
 
LCD's do have a shorter life span than CRT's in that (as I understand it) the pixels "wear out" -- they become dull and the color may shift. CRT phosphors will outlast the rest of the monitor, so they're not going to become a problem normally. However, how many pieces of your computing hardware are 5 years old? I suspect that by 2007-8, there'll be something else and a new LCD (even a 23"-er) will be far less painful to replace.

I don't know about power consumption, but I'd be careful about planning to use anything that's advertised as a TV for computing. TV's don't usually have great resolution, so I'd try to hook up a laptop at the store or look at the manual. If it works, let us know -- 32" of real estate would be sweet!
 
No, the rumors I heard were about PDP, not LCD- although you're probably right.

Good point about the 5-year issue. However, if you're paying 5 or 6 thousand dollars for a piece of equipment and it's useless 5 years after your purchase, that's just not cool. Also, because of the relative simplicity of a screen, they don't advance (technologically) as much as other parts of a person's system. For instance, both my PC monitor and TV are 4 years old.

Squire
 
Why not get the Sony screen with the same panel but dual DVI and dual VGA inputs? Then you don't have to switch cables. It has a better warranty too. $2000 here

Or buy the 20". It's better. Then you can afford a second one sooner.
 
Originally posted by edesignuk
Hmmm...well, SOny also makes a (more expensive!) 23" LCD with a screen res of 1920x1200, so I would think the Apple would work.
Click to expand...

Oops, didn't see this post. But it's not more expensive. Better deal considering it has a better warranty and Dual inputs. I have a friend with one.
 
Originally posted by acj
Better deal considering it has a better warranty and Dual inputs. I have a friend with one.
Click to expand...

If you want a big screen, and your looking @ a 23"LCD, buy a projector instead, they have oddoles of imputs, and the size is limited only buy the size of your wall, buy yourself a beanbag, bar fridge and wireless KB&Mouse and your set.
 
Dude, what's your deal with projectors? :p

Like I said in the other thread where you suggested one, it comes down to resolution and projectors at XGA (1024x768) or higher get expensive real fast. When you look at bulb life and replacement on top of that, projectors don't make sense for day-to-day use.

They are damn cool, though. ;)
 
Originally posted by Rower_CPU
Dude, what's your deal with projectors? :p

Like I said in the other thread where you suggested one, it comes down to resolution and projectors at XGA (1024x768) or higher get expensive real fast. When you look at bulb life and replacement on top of that, projectors don't make sense for day-to-day use.

They are damn cool, though. ;)
Click to expand...

You can't do color critical stuff on a projector, either.
 
Originally posted by edesignuk
And a projector is no good at all for everyday use. They are for presentations, not checking email and surfing the web :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Depends what every day use is, If your into Video editing(I am,) you need to see how it looks on a big screen (nothing beats editing on a life size screen.)
I play alot of games at home and occasionally I get hold of a projector and hook it up to my computer, point it @ my 3.2m hight wall and sit back and enjoy the view. Ever played Golden Eye with an 8ft Jaws? I have.
 
Originally posted by Squire
I know this is off-topic, but what's the life-span of a plasma display? A guy who works for Samsung said they only last about 5 years? Is that a crock? I was also told that they use a ton of power. Their prices, however, have taken a nosedive the past few years.

I'm considering a 32" LCD TV (and I would also like to hook my iMac and PC up to it- possible?) but thought I'd clarify the plasma issue first.

Squire
Click to expand...

PDP - or Plasma displays actually have a serious problem with regards to the brightness of the display. Most displays are rated for about 20k-30k hours until halflife (which means half brightness). That said, the new Pioneers have a brightness of 1100 Cd/m^2 (that's candle power per square meter), and while that seems bright (the Apple's LCD range is in the 200-250 range), remember it's active brigtness whereas LCD is passive brightness. What is the difference between active and passive? Well a piece of paper is completely passive (it generates no light on it's own), and a CRT is active, generating light even in total darkness. An LCD is actually passive, like a piece of paper - only the addition of a backlight allows you to see it easily, and ambient light can actually help. PDPs and CRTs, on the other hand, are like light bulbs, generating their own light, and can have problems if ambient light interferes (ever see the sun reflected on your tv? Same thing). With passive displays, constrast, and reflectivity are most important, whereas with active displays brightness is the most important followed by contrast.

With regards to power consumption they are beasts, typically 2x a CRT and 4x an LCD... hey they have to turn a gas to PLASMA after all.

So basically the 5 year thing of PDP is actually if you have the device always powered on, you are looking at roughly 4-5 years until half brightness. Even after the first year there is a noticeable drop. 8-10 Years of regular use tends to be the marker for replacement. They are cool, and expensive, but not near the color fidelity of CRT.

-Wyrm
 
Thanks for that informative post, Wyrm. I guess my 32" LCD TV idea is better after all.

By the way, have any of you heard that Samsung and Sony are going to merge their LCD divisions? I heard that they'll be built here and called Samsung-Sony (in Korea) and Sony-Samsung (in Japan). I heard it from a neighbor who works for Samsung. It should be a good partnership.

Squire
 
Speaking of samsung monitors, has anyone tried the 241mp? Its one hell of a monitor :cool:

HDTV compatible and all that. Too bad it does not have DVI input and costs twice the Sony's!
 
Originally posted by Squire
Thanks for that informative post, Wyrm. I guess my 32" LCD TV idea is better after all.

By the way, have any of you heard that Samsung and Sony are going to merge their LCD divisions? I heard that they'll be built here and called Samsung-Sony (in Korea) and Sony-Samsung (in Japan). I heard it from a neighbor who works for Samsung. It should be a good partnership.

Squire
Click to expand...

I guess Sony realizes they need a new hand in order to play the game. While their LCDs aren't bad, they are overpriced and not as good as the Sharp displays... teaming up with Samsung may give them an edge?

-Wyrm
 
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