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iMac screen..Matte or Glossy??

Roy Hobbs

Roy Hobbs

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Apr 29, 2005
1,866
287
Do the current version of the iMac have glossy or matte screens?

Considering getting an iMac and using a Sony monitor as a secondary monitor. The Sony has a glossy xbrite sceen that looks quite good.

I am just worried the iMac's screen might not look so good next to the Sony.
 
kvanwagoner said:
Do the current version of the iMac have glossy or matte screens?

Considering getting an iMac and using a Sony monitor as a secondary monitor. The Sony has a glossy xbrite sceen that looks quite good.

I am just worried the iMac's screen might not look so good next to the Sony.
Click to expand...

All imac screens come as matte as standard, and as far as im aware you cant buy glossy ones. Trust me, apple make some of the best screens available. It will look just as good, if not better next to your sony.
 
chaslam said:
All imac screens come as matte as standard, and as far as im aware you cant buy glossy ones. Trust me, apple make some of the best screens available. It will look just as good, if not better next to your sony.
Click to expand...

Apple don't make screens... they just buy them from different companies.
 
chaslam said:
All imac screens come as matte as standard, and as far as im aware you cant buy glossy ones. Trust me, apple make some of the best screens available. It will look just as good, if not better next to your sony.
Click to expand...

I can imagine that it would be extremely distracting to me to have a mate and a glossy screen next to each other because they look really different. But then I haven't used them yet next to each other, so maybe this is not a problem. But I would definitely have a look at a setup like this first before I would buy it.
 
2ndPath said:
I can imagine that it would be extremely distracting to me to have a mate and a glossy screen next to each other because they look really different. But then I haven't used them yet next to each other, so maybe this is not a problem. But I would definitely have a look at a setup like this first before I would buy it.
Click to expand...

Worse case I dump the sony monitor and get an ADC
 
Gloss can be distracting when working in bright enviroments. I wish they would lower the refresh rate from 14ms to under 10ms. Thats pathetic.
 
2ndPath said:
I can imagine that it would be extremely distracting to me to have a mate and a glossy screen next to each other because they look really different. But then I haven't used them yet next to each other, so maybe this is not a problem. But I would definitely have a look at a setup like this first before I would buy it.
Click to expand...

It's not actually too bad. There is a noticeable difference though. When placed side by side the Matte screen appears darker then the glossy screen. I prefer the glossy screen, and although there is glare, it is not usually a big problem. This of course all depends on your preference.
 
Tarkovsky said:
Gloss can be distracting when working in bright enviroments. I wish they would lower the refresh rate from 14ms to under 10ms. Thats pathetic.
Click to expand...

That's response time, not refresh rate. Refresh rate is how many times a CRT can redraw the entire image using its electron gun; response time is how long it takes an LCD to switch a pixel. Furthermore, I guarantee you that 99% of people cannot tell a difference once response time drops below 16ms. 14ms is not "pathetic." It's plenty fast and the only reason it's not faster is because the iMacs use S-IPS panels which are a little slower than PVAs but are more color accurate.
 
mrogers said:
That's response time, not refresh rate. Refresh rate is how many times a CRT can redraw the entire image using its electron gun; response time is how long it takes an LCD to switch a pixel. Furthermore, I guarantee you that 99% of people cannot tell a difference once response time drops below 16ms. 14ms is not "pathetic." It's plenty fast and the only reason it's not faster is because the iMacs use S-IPS panels which are a little slower than PVAs but are more color accurate.
Click to expand...

Are you sure the iMacs use S-IPS panels?

14ms sounds very fast for that kind of panel. I'd expect that kind of speed for a PVA panel. IIRC S-IPS panels are typically in the 20ms region.
 
Yes I understand the difference between a CRT and LCD screen cheers, but 'refresh rate' could refer to the speed at which the monitor could refresh the colouring of each pixel - plus who gives a damn? you know exactly what I mean regardless. 99% Did you just pull that out of the air? And what if you are this '1%'? Are you talking about this on upscaled 480i? or PAL? Because I reckon theres a massive difference, especially in dark shots in films, where you get these annoying trails...
 
Advertised response time means nearly nothing in real world use anyways. A display could claim 8ms response, but that's just the fastest time it can switch colors - it's a rigged benchmark. It may be 8ms from grey to white, for example, but 16ms for red to blue (just some hypothetical numbers and situations). Overall, the panels Apple uses tend to be very nice, and even though they don't have as high of advertised specs as other companies they perform very favorably in real world situations.
 
kvanwagoner said:
Do the current version of the iMac have glossy or matte screens?

Considering getting an iMac and using a Sony monitor as a secondary monitor. The Sony has a glossy xbrite sceen that looks quite good.

I am just worried the iMac's screen might not look so good next to the Sony.
Click to expand...

The iMac screen is the most precise screen I've seen. I have several flat panels at work and they don't even compare to the detail that I see on my iMac.
 
xyian said:
The iMac screen is the most precise screen I've seen. I have several flat panels at work and they don't even compare to the detail that I see on my iMac.
Click to expand...


I am in the same boat. I have a wonderful imac at home and I come to work and use a gateway flat screen. And there is definitely a big difference in the two. The imac screen is by far the better of the two. Too bad I can't use my imac at work. lol
 
iW00t said:
Are you sure the iMacs use S-IPS panels?

14ms sounds very fast for that kind of panel. I'd expect that kind of speed for a PVA panel. IIRC S-IPS panels are typically in the 20ms region.
Click to expand...

Yes, I am sure. And yes, 16ms or so is the response time for the iMac (20", at least). The IPS Dell 2007WFP is 16ms. Today's PVA panels are typically down in the 5-10ms range.
 
Tarkovsky said:
Yes I understand the difference between a CRT and LCD screen cheers, but 'refresh rate' could refer to the speed at which the monitor could refresh the colouring of each pixel - plus who gives a damn? you know exactly what I mean regardless. 99% Did you just pull that out of the air? And what if you are this '1%'? Are you talking about this on upscaled 480i? or PAL? Because I reckon theres a massive difference, especially in dark shots in films, where you get these annoying trails...
Click to expand...

Wow, for someone complaining about how I should have known "exactly" what you meant, maybe you could apply that logic to what I was saying before getting all bent out of shape. By saying 99%, I meant, as I think you well know, that most people cannot tell the difference. 99% = a way of saying "almost all". I think YOU knew exactly what I meant.

Who gives a damn about the difference? Maybe someone reading this thread who isn't sure of the difference. Don't get all pissy when all I did was try to clear up what might cause some confusion.
 
chaslam said:
All imac screens come as matte as standard, and as far as im aware you cant buy glossy ones. Trust me, apple make some of the best screens available. It will look just as good, if not better next to your sony.
Click to expand...

Yes, my 15" Macbook Pro has the best screen on earth. From chinese companies like AU Optronics and Chimei. Unlike the Sonys which get screens from real Japanese companies.

Give credit where it is due, every Apple screen, including the ACD, is crap for the class it is supposed to belong to. What "pro" quality monitor has no contrast controls? Presenting the Apple Cinema Display!
 
iW00t said:
Give credit where it is due, every Apple screen, including the ACD, is crap for the class it is supposed to belong to. What "pro" quality monitor has no contrast controls? Presenting the Apple Cinema Display!
Click to expand...

I'm not a fan of ACDs for other reasons, but to be fair, I don't think any monitor (that I've seen) allows contrast controls to be used when the connection is DVI. I'm pretty sure on my monitors at work and my Dell at home, the contrast options are grayed out when the input is DVI. Since the ACD is only DVI, it doesn't need contrast controls.
 
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