30" ACD or 24" LED Display?

[smacman]

Hi. Sorry if this has been beaten to death here but I am about to pull the trigger on a new Mac Pro system in the next few weeks. It will be used primarily for Aperture, Photoshop, and general day to day use. I seem to have the specs finalized with the exception of the display. I would love to have 30 inches of screen real estate but I am hesitant about buying an old technology display that could be replaced any day now. On the other hand, the 24" looks quite nice too. I even thought of two 24" LED displays but the ATI card can't seem to drive them both.

Opinions and thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[GoCubsGo]

Honestly, the 30" ACD is not a purchase that comes with enough value. 2 years ago, maybe. Not now. If you need 30" get a Dell.

 

[UltraNEO*]

Honestly, the 30" ACD is not a purchase that comes with enough value. 2 years ago, maybe. Not now. If you need 30" get a Dell.

+1

Adding to what Jessica said.. the 30" ACD's are lovely, perfect match for any MP but they're lacking in many features!
Besides the Dell 3008WFP are cheaper and it uses the same identical panel.

 

[rub]

this is what i'll be getting
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824016084

 

[ventro]

Only buy the 24 if you're dying for the webcam, speakers, and microphone. Otherwise, the 30 is a much better device.

While the gloss might be shiny and cool, you'll get tired of the reflections after a couple months. It's not like LED technology is any better at color reproduction than a LCD display. Not to mention matte displays are a must for any color-accurate work. You'll need to calibrate either if you buy them, as they have terrible color casts out of the box, so factor a colorimeter into your purchase.

 

[UltraNEO*]

It's not like LED technology is any better at color reproduction than a LCD display. Not to mention matte displays are a must for any color-accurate work. You'll need to calibrate either if you buy them, as they have terrible color casts out of the box, so factor a colorimeter into your purchase.

Correction..

Apple's 24" LED display isn't technically a LED panel as such, only the backlight is LED. The actual display is still a LCD-TFT with added LED backlight instead of the regular cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) which becomes dimmer over time.

 

[Sehnsucht]

+1

Adding to what Jessica said.. the 30" ACD's are lovely, perfect match for any MP but they're lacking in many features!
Besides the Dell 3008WFP are cheaper and it uses the same identical panel.

I thought the 30" ACD uses an outdated panel, and the one in the 3008WFP is newer/better?

If I were to pick between the two, personally I'd get the 24" ACD, but that's only because I'd be using it with a MBP, and 1920 x 1200 is more than enough screen real estate for me. Also, I'd need to get the dreaded mini DisplayPort to DL-DVI adapter to run either 30" displays.

 

[UltraNEO*]

I thought the 30" ACD uses an outdated panel, and the one in the 3008WFP is newer/better?

If I were to pick between the two, personally I'd get the 24" ACD, but that's only because I'd be using it with a MBP, and 1920 x 1200 is more than enough screen real estate for me. Also, I'd need to get the dreaded mini DisplayPort to DL-DVI adapter to run either 30" displays.

I can only guess that Apple want's it's displays built to a certain spec, so that's why they've never updated the revision of the panel... Where as Dell, they're using this:




More Dell Images here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ultraneo/sets/72157617586416673/

 

[sparkie7]

30 ACD all the way. Its matte, has huge screen real-estate and was designed to work seamlessly with your MP and match it's looks

Dell = crap

 

[GoCubsGo]

30 ACD all the way. Its matte, has huge screen real-estate and was designed to work seamlessly with your MP and match it's looks

Dell = crap

WTF? Dell uses the same panel!

 

[maghemi]

I'd personally go with the 30" if I had the cash to splash. Though I admit that the 30" dells do look pretty good.

 

[Macinposh]

WTF? Dell uses the same panel!

So what?
The backlighting and electronics are different.Result?
Totally different quality.


To the original poster.
It is easy : if you are a pro , 30".
If you are a consumer,then choose the one wich makes you giggle.
But beware:glossy display+static picture work=Fail.

 

[sparkie7]

WTF? Dell uses the same panel!

Thats not very lady-like

Maybe I should have said.. Dell = LOOKS like crap, and works like it too. Did you know for example the power brick is external and separate from the ACDs for noise reasons etc.. And also the aluminium enclosure helps dissipate heat. Not sure about the Dell. Butt it sure looks Butt-Uglee LOL

Peace

 

[UltraNEO*]

30 ACD all the way. Its matte, has huge screen real-estate and was designed to work seamlessly with your MP and match it's looks

Dell = crap

Er... the Dell 30" are Matte too!!

Thats not very lady-like

Maybe I should have said.. Dell = LOOKS like crap, and works like it too. Did you know for example the power brick is external and separate from the ACDs for noise reasons etc.. NOt sure about the Dell. Butt it sure looks Butt-Uglee LOL

Peace

Yeah.. they are but who actually buys them for a fashion accessory?

The left of the two boards is the PSU... it's bleedin' huge!! And the heat the thing radiates feels like ten times as much!! But... On the 30" ACD, all the heat still comes of the top of the display and it's external brick is pretty much cool to the touch! Another thing, if the ACD's PSU does die they're easier to replace!!!



Umm. I got one for the PS3 Personally I'd pay the premium and buy the ACD for any kind of work, they're just nicer looking...

 

[sparkie7]

huh, so you first say..

Yeah.. they are but who actually buys them for a fashion accessory?

then end by saying..

Personally I'd pay the premium and buy the ACD for any kind of work, they're just nicer looking...

Rather contradictory don't you think

No offence but I think you need to hold back on the sake

 

[reservedegotist]

Vastly different prices (30 vs 24), but if you're willing to drop the cash go for the 30". I recommend the Dell 3008WFP though; the ACD is getting a bit old and really could use a refresh.

 

[Transporteur]

Yeah.. they are but who actually buys them for a fashion accessory?

Morning! Here I am!

That's exactly what I did two years ago when I had to decide wheather to buy the ACD or the Dell.
As both of them used the excact same technology two years ago, I went for the ACD, even if it was 700€ above the price of the current Dell in 2007 (must have been 3007, don't know exactly).

Why? Quite simple. Design and materials.
We got the Dell displays in the office, they are quite good performing, but the enclosure looks lite a peace of crap and even feels like that.
It crunches a litte when moving it and so on. The ACD with its aluminum enclosure is immaculate and very solid.
And of course it looks nice besides a Mac Pro.

That why I had no problem to pay 700€ more for the ACD than for the same display with an plastic enclosure.

Nevertheless the ACD is getting old, so today, after two years with it I would wait for a new 30 inch (I hope it comes with a matte screen), or buy an EIZO. That's not to say that the ACD is bad, but it's overpriced.


To go back to topic I can just say, if you have the money, go for a 30 inch, every model should be fine.
I can't even imagine to go back to a smaller display.

 

[gugucom]

Correction..

Apple's 24" LED display isn't technically a LED panel as such, only the backlight is LED. The actual display is still a LCD-TFT with added LED backlight instead of the regular cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) which becomes dimmer over time.

On top Apple's LED backlight technology are not local dimming which is state of the art in backlight for almost a year now. So one could say that they are over priced and outdated. Local dimming LEDs are directly mounted behind the sreen instead of lighting the screen from the edge with a light wave guide or diffusor plate. The individual LEDs are dimmed in brightness with the brightness level of the pixel group of the LCD they are associated with. As a result contrast goes op to millions: 1 instead of thouthands:1. I have a Samsung 46" local dimming HDTV and it is spectacular. It beats plasma hands down.

The advantage of LED over CCFL is the wider color gamut which potentially gives you better and truer color. So a LED is preferrable over a CCFL if color is important to you. The brightness of the creen is also higher with LED.

 

[Transporteur]

The brightness of the creen is also higher with LED.

Not in general.
The old 30 inch with ccfl backlit, has 400cd whereas the current 24 inch LED got 70 less.
Even other 30 inch LED displays are not as bright as the old Cinema.

 

[gugucom]

Not in general.
The old 30 inch with ccfl backlit, has 400cd whereas the current 24 inch LED got 70 less.
Even other 30 inch LED displays are not as bright as the old Cinema.

My remark was referring to concurrent technologies and products in the industry. Screens designed at the same time with LEDs are typically brighter than those with CCFLs. But who knows what Apple thinks. They have very few products and do not update them frequently as Samsung or LG would do. The big panel makers typically push out new, improved models in 3-6 months rythm.

 

[jjahshik32]

Not in general.
The old 30 inch with ccfl backlit, has 400cd whereas the current 24 inch LED got 70 less.
Even other 30 inch LED displays are not as bright as the old Cinema.

Trust me the 24" LED ACD is more than bright enough.

Only reason the 23" and 30" ACDs with the CCFL lamps are rated brighter is because it needs to be since it dims 50% of its original brightness per year (dims 50% of the adjusted brightness accordingly of course).

 

[Macinposh]

Trust me the 24" LED ACD is more than bright enough.

Only reason the 23" and 30" ACDs with the CCFL lamps are rated brighter is because it needs to be since it dims 50% of its original brightness per year (dims 50% of the adjusted brightness accordingly of course).

The problem with photo/prepress is NOT the brightness. On the contrary.
You have to actually dampen the cd to get accurate results.
I´ve seen way too many photogs that are using the full throttle in the screen when the values should way lower..

 

[smacman]

Wow. I seem to have generated more discussion than I though I would. I too thought about the Dell 30". It seems like a nice screen and the inputs would sure be nice to have, but in the end, I decided against it as I don't think it will look very nice in my all workspace (silly reason I know). At the moment I am leaning slightly towards the 30" ACD. Has anyone had one of these for a while? How do they hold up to the test of time? Does it really get noticeably dimmer after a few years?

Thanks again for your thoughts!

 

[slicecom]

The problem with photo/prepress is NOT the brightness. On the contrary.
You have to actually dampen the cd to get accurate results.
I´ve seen way too many photogs that are using the full throttle in the screen when the values should way lower..

So true. We use ACD's at work and they are professionally calibrated monthly. They are all over 3 years old and their brightness is still never turned up over 1/3rd when properly calibrated (so, if it's true that they lose 50% of their brightness per year, imagine how dim these must be compared to they originally were at full brightness). It's funny how the average customer associates brightness with quality. Go to a Best Buy and all the displays are turned up to full brightness and people gravitate toward the brightest display, even when the blacks are washed out at that level.

Back on topic, I would go with the 30" no contest. The only thing I like in the 24" more than the 30" is the LED's instant on nature (no need to wait for the light to warm up for a minute).

 

[Cliff3]

Wow. I seem to have generated more discussion than I though I would. I too thought about the Dell 30". It seems like a nice screen and the inputs would sure be nice to have, but in the end, I decided against it as I don't think it will look very nice in my all workspace (silly reason I know). At the moment I am leaning slightly towards the 30" ACD. Has anyone had one of these for a while? How do they hold up to the test of time? Does it really get noticeably dimmer after a few years?

Thanks again for your thoughts!

I have had a 23" ACD for the past 2 years, and I replaced this with a 30" ACD a couple of weeks ago (I wanted more real estate and did not want multiple monitors). I am a semi-professional photographer and I calibrate my display monthly with a colorimeter (Gretag-Macbeth i1). One of the characteristics measured by the colorimeter is luminosity. This has not changed one iota in the past 2 years. I expect the 30" to behave similarly.