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slicecom

macrumors 68020
Aug 29, 2003
2,065
98
Toronto, Canada
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.

Well I guess that puts the "non-LED displays lose 50% of their brightness per year" myth to sleep once and for all.
 

Cliff3

macrumors 68000
Nov 2, 2007
1,556
178
SF Bay Area
Well I guess that puts the "non-LED displays lose 50% of their brightness per year" myth to sleep once and for all.

I think the primary reason for the shift away from CCFL backlighting is to minimize the use of hazardous materials, in this case mercury.
 

jjahshik32

macrumors 603
Sep 4, 2006
5,366
52
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 :apple: 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 actually been through the 20" acd 2 times, 23" acd 2 times and 30" acd 5 times.

The reason I say 5 times is that its the amount of times I have exchanged it.

My main reasons for exchanging the 30" is not due to bad pixels but because the display backlighting was so uneven!

Every one of them the right side was either brighter than the left and so on.

For example a white colored window would look pure white on the left side but when dragged to the other side it would look like light grey. The colors would vary accordingly and it was frustrating and straining to the eyes to look at.

At the Apple store the 30" looks evenly bright but its way different when you use any Apple product at home in low lighting settings. Its so distinguishable when you look at the terrible uneven backlighting on the 30" at home.

I would kill for a 30" LED ACD to have the LED backlighting to have that better uniformity.
 

MacFanUK

macrumors 6502a
Jul 29, 2009
546
0
UK
I would go for 2 x 24" ACD's and buy a 2nd graphics card to drive the 2nd one. You could always buy the Mac Pro with the standard GPU, then buy the ATI one seperately, then use the standard GPU for the 2nd display.
 

jjahshik32

macrumors 603
Sep 4, 2006
5,366
52
Well I guess that puts the "non-LED displays lose 50% of their brightness per year" myth to sleep once and for all.

No it is still true. Human beings eyes can adjust to all sorts of lighting and over time will not seem like it is dimming.

Also take into consideration that if you use a display on 2-3 notches of brightness out the full, then it will dim 50% of that 2 notches not the full brightness.

So say in a year, 4-5 notches of brightness would match the original 2-3 when you first turned on your display.

I remember the 23" ACD the first time I turned that display on it was very bright. I only had to use the display in 1 notch. About 6-8 months later I had to use it at 3 notches to match the original 1 notch that I had been using. Also at first I remember clearly (on both of the 23" that I owned) when first fired up it would look super bright instantly but as time progressed it would take anywhere from 2 to almost 5 minutes to get to its full brightness (on any notches) but while doing so the display would look blurry while warming up.

Not anymore with the LED display. Ive had this display since last december and the brightness hasnt budged whatsoever. It fires up just as bright instantly as the first day I bought it. And I'm pretty sure 5 years from now it will look/act the same way.

At this point I wouldnt buy anything non led. I also noticed that LED backlighting does make the pictures look more clear/vivid than ccfl lamps. Oh and I dont have to worry about a portion of the ccfl lamp going out especially in a huge display such as the 30" ACD.
 

benborman

macrumors member
May 28, 2008
81
0
I would go for 2 x 24" ACD's and buy a 2nd graphics card to drive the 2nd one. You could always buy the Mac Pro with the standard GPU, then buy the ATI one seperately, then use the standard GPU for the 2nd display.

Agreed.

And if you are into saving money, the refurb LED Displays are a killer deal right now @ $599 http://store.apple.com/us/product/FB382?mco=MTg1MTg3NA

I just got one and couldn't be happier.

Here is a thread on the topic:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/760850/
 

slicecom

macrumors 68020
Aug 29, 2003
2,065
98
Toronto, Canada
No it is still true. Human beings eyes can adjust to all sorts of lighting and over time will not seem like it is dimming.

Also take into consideration that if you use a display on 2-3 notches of brightness out the full, then it will dim 50% of that 2 notches not the full brightness.

So say in a year, 4-5 notches of brightness would match the original 2-3 when you first turned on your display.

I remember the 23" ACD the first time I turned that display on it was very bright. I only had to use the display in 1 notch. About 6-8 months later I had to use it at 3 notches to match the original 1 notch that I had been using. Also at first I remember clearly (on both of the 23" that I owned) when first fired up it would look super bright instantly but as time progressed it would take anywhere from 2 to almost 5 minutes to get to its full brightness (on any notches) but while doing so the display would look blurry while warming up.

Not anymore with the LED display. Ive had this display since last december and the brightness hasnt budged whatsoever. It fires up just as bright instantly as the first day I bought it. And I'm pretty sure 5 years from now it will look/act the same way.

At this point I wouldnt buy anything non led. I also noticed that LED backlighting does make the pictures look more clear/vivid than ccfl lamps. Oh and I dont have to worry about a portion of the ccfl lamp going out especially in a huge display such as the 30" ACD.

Well as I said, at work we have a bunch of non LED ACD's (30" and 23"). They're all over 3 years old, and when calibrated (which takes into account luminosity), their brightness is set to about 1/3rd. It's not a matter of the human eye adjusting to anything, its a professional calibrating machine saying that any brighter than 1/3rd on a 3 year old ACD is too bright to accurately reproduce colour.
 

ChrisA

macrumors G5
Jan 5, 2006
12,581
1,697
Redondo Beach, California
...
My main reasons for exchanging the 30" is not due to bad pixels but because the display backlighting was so uneven!
...


The problem is not un-even back lighting. The problem with some larger LCDs is that the color you see depends on the viewing angle. When your line of sight is 90 degrees to the panels you see brighter color but when you move over and look at the screen from off center at (say) a 45 degree angle then the color look different.

With a very wide screen, if you sit close you are Aways looking at an angle to some part of the screen. Your line of sight can't so 90 degrees to the entire screen. You can get the same effect on a 20" LCD if you place your eye 6 inches from the screen. Try it the edges will look dark.

So what you want is a 30" screen with a very wide viewing angle. Or for critical color work just lean over a little so you eye is over the "corect" part of the larger screen

I think 24" is a reasonable screen size for most kinds of work even with Logic and multi-track editing
 

UltraNEO*

macrumors 601
Jun 16, 2007
4,057
15
近畿日本
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.

Be careful of the word usage there (unless you can prove otherwise) because I don't believe the change of back-lighting technology alone is enough to make a good panel, better! Also having a brightly illuminted screen doesn't make the colour more accurate nor does it make a narrow gamut, wider.
 

UltraNEO*

macrumors 601
Jun 16, 2007
4,057
15
近畿日本
huh, so you first say..



Originally Posted by UltraNEO*
Yeah.. they are but who actually buys them for a fashion accessory?
then end by saying..

Quote:
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 :confused:

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

Haha... I was little tired. Please allow me the opportunity to clear that up for you.

I think your referring to the physical aspects (cabinet, style and possibly the build quality) where as I'm referring to the colour accuracy of the panel, how it appears with work open. Dell's out of the box are terrible!! And switching them back and forth through different sources and or modes doesn't make them any better, thus I'd prefer a dedicated display.
 

gugucom

macrumors 68020
May 21, 2009
2,136
2
Munich, Germany
Be careful of the word usage there (unless you can prove otherwise) because I don't believe the change of back-lighting technology alone is enough to make a good panel, better! Also having a brightly illuminted screen doesn't make the colour more accurate.

Perhaps you don't understand what color gamut mean? In layman terms it refers to the bandwidth or spectrum of colors the screen can display. And, yes a better backlight can make a hell of a difference to the same LCD. The LCD only flters the light that is send through it. If the emitting light is superior the end result is superior with the same filter.

The most common technology nowadays are diffusor plates combined with CCFLs or LEDs. But the much superior technology is direct local dimming LED without diffusor.

Samsung have also pioniered multi color LEDs as seen in the Syncmaster XL24, where you can basically compose the backlight from different basic color components. This is probably the most advanced monitor for fotography that exists.
 

jjahshik32

macrumors 603
Sep 4, 2006
5,366
52
The problem is not un-even back lighting. The problem with some larger LCDs is that the color you see depends on the viewing angle. When your line of sight is 90 degrees to the panels you see brighter color but when you move over and look at the screen from off center at (say) a 45 degree angle then the color look different.

With a very wide screen, if you sit close you are Aways looking at an angle to some part of the screen. Your line of sight can't so 90 degrees to the entire screen. You can get the same effect on a 20" LCD if you place your eye 6 inches from the screen. Try it the edges will look dark.

So what you want is a 30" screen with a very wide viewing angle. Or for critical color work just lean over a little so you eye is over the "corect" part of the larger screen

I think 24" is a reasonable screen size for most kinds of work even with Logic and multi-track editing

No it sure wasnt the viewing angle. The 30" ACD uses an S-IPS panel (the same as the 20" and the 23" that I both owned as well). All 5 of the 30" that I went through I actually repositioned myself or just moved my head from the left side to the right side comparing colors/brightness so it was all evenly calculated and viewing angles had nothing to do with it. White looks like grey on the right side as to the left and you can clearly see where the brighter area is divided.

I never had any problems with the 20" or the 23" backlighting being uneven.
 

jjahshik32

macrumors 603
Sep 4, 2006
5,366
52
Well as I said, at work we have a bunch of non LED ACD's (30" and 23"). They're all over 3 years old, and when calibrated (which takes into account luminosity), their brightness is set to about 1/3rd. It's not a matter of the human eye adjusting to anything, its a professional calibrating machine saying that any brighter than 1/3rd on a 3 year old ACD is too bright to accurately reproduce colour.

Well my point is that the 23" and the 30" ACD professionally calibrated or not (since you turn down the brightness level to 1/3rd you wont notice much of the dimming of the brightness as to the first time you fired up those displays because you wont be comparing the original brightness as to now.

If you compare a 24" LED ACD right next to the 23" or the 30" acd, the difference will be night and day.

Also I remember when led backlighting first came to the SR macbook pro, comparing it to my 23" and 20" ACD at the time I thought it looked less vivid/clear and muddier/blurry as to the 15" led backlit cheap TN panel display.

Colors were definitely better on the 20"/23" ACD but the vividness and sharpness from the 15" TN led panel distinguished it clearly.
 

Transporteur

macrumors 68030
Nov 30, 2008
2,729
3
UK
Colors were definitely better on the 20"/23" ACD but the vividness and sharpness from the 15" TN led panel distinguished it clearly.

Are you serious?
I've got a SR LED MacBook Pro with a matte screen next to my 30" ACD.
The only thing the LED panel can compete with is brightness, but everything else is crap compared to the ACD!
Viewing angle, colors and sharpness are better on the ACD!
 

jjahshik32

macrumors 603
Sep 4, 2006
5,366
52
Are you serious?
I've got a SR LED MacBook Pro with a matte screen next to my 30" ACD.
The only thing the LED panel can compete with is brightness, but everything else is crap compared to the ACD!
Viewing angle, colors and sharpness are better on the ACD!

Well like I said, the colors and viewing angles were definitely better on the ACD but the brightness/sharpness of the led screen on even a mere TN panel was more vivid/clear.

I remember I always wished to have LED backlighting to get that vivid/clear picture on an ACD and Apple delivered it on the 24" LED ACD.

I love this display to death. Out of all my toys on my signature, the 24" LED ACD display is by far my most favorite.
 

UltraNEO*

macrumors 601
Jun 16, 2007
4,057
15
近畿日本
Perhaps you don't understand what color gamut mean? ...

Sure I know...

It's the colour reproduction set or ability of a device; the wider the gamut triangle, the higher the number of tone's the device is able to reproduce. Thus, in the case of digital photography, a more accurate digital representation of the original optical image but it'll only be as good as the camera is able to capture. So if your camera's default colour space is sRGB then gonna be narrower than the Adobe RGB (1989) standard.
 

smacman

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 7, 2006
452
2
I love this display to death. Out of all my toys on my signature, the 24" LED ACD display is by far my most favorite.

Ok.. Well no I am leaning more towards the 24" LED ACD. I wish Apple would just hurry up and update the 30".

Slightly different question: If I go with a 24", could I buy a second hand 30" later on and drive it from the same ATI card? In other words, can the 4870 drive a dual link DVI 30" and a DP 24" simultaneously?

Thanks again!
 

jjahshik32

macrumors 603
Sep 4, 2006
5,366
52
Ok.. Well no I am leaning more towards the 24" LED ACD. I wish Apple would just hurry up and update the 30".

Slightly different question: If I go with a 24", could I buy a second hand 30" later on and drive it from the same ATI card? In other words, can the 4870 drive a dual link DVI 30" and a DP 24" simultaneously?

Thanks again!

Yes. The 24" LED ACD has the mini displayport which the nvidia gt120 and the ati 4870 has built in + an additional dvi where you can plug in a second monitor.

On the dvi port I have my hdtv hooked up and it works beautifully.
 

California

macrumors 68040
Aug 21, 2004
3,885
90
I think your eyes will fare better with a LCD ACD screen.

The florescent lighting in LED screens... actually stresses out your retinas.

For the same reason no artist or graphic designer or editor would never work in an office full of florescent lighting.

If Apple phases out the 30" ACD there will be no professional displays made by Apple.

This is the other reason I returned my unibody MB. Eyestrain.
 

Dr.Pants

macrumors 65816
Jan 8, 2009
1,181
2
I think the primary reason for the shift away from CCFL backlighting is to minimize the use of hazardous materials, in this case mercury.

Not to mention less wattage used, I would think - greater wattage to light up a mercury lamp then to power an LED. With less wattage comes less heat - I think my G5 doesn't heat up my room as much as my monitor does!

If I go with a 24", could I buy a second hand 30" later on and drive it from the same ATI card? In other words, can the 4870 drive a dual link DVI 30" and a DP 24" simultaneously?

Yes, it should. IIRC, there is a MDP and a dual-link DVI on-card, so for driving both monitors the user is set.
 

Cliff3

macrumors 68000
Nov 2, 2007
1,556
178
SF Bay Area
Not to mention less wattage used, I would think - greater wattage to light up a mercury lamp then to power an LED. With less wattage comes less heat - I think my G5 doesn't heat up my room as much as my monitor does!

From what I was reading, power consumption is about the same. The articles did indicate that LED backlighting is better able to operate at low voltages than CCFL. The brightness setting on my 30 is at 1 bar and it doesn't appear to be heating up much of anything at that setting.

I think too much emphasis is being placed on backlighting in this thread. I only entered this discussion to observe that my hardware calibrated CCFL-backlit display is not losing 50% of its brightness with each passing year and any assertions to the contrary are contradicted by my experience.

For me, the glossy screen on the ACD 24 is a deal breaker. Some people like glossy screens, but I am not one of them. I was happy with my ACD 23, but it's up on Ebay now as my requirements changed somewhat. I expect I'll be happy with my ACD 30 for years. But this thread isn't about what I need in a monitor.
 

3N16MA

macrumors 65816
Jul 23, 2009
1,011
177
Space
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.

Last time I checked there was no local dimming LED back lit monitors, TV's yes but not computer monitors so the 24" LED cannot be outdated. Secondly local dimming LED TV's are great and produce really nice blacks but they still fail to deliver the blacks that the Pioneer Kuro was able to produce, read any review. I believe they will surpass the Kuro in a couple of years but right now it is still the king of producing deep blacks.
 

skyline r34

macrumors 6502
Oct 10, 2005
397
33
San Diego
Apple 30 inch LED

All I want to know is when is Apple releasing the LED 30 inch I was thinking that Apple may release the 30 inch LED at the same time apple released the 24 inch LED around october-november 2009 Maybe i'm just guessing and I know nobody knows but this waiting game sucks and I don't want to purchase the current outdated 30 inch Cinema display HD and I don't know how many years it's been sense the last update, I think but not for sure that the 30 inch Cinema display is the oldest hardware on apple.com, Apple has updated everything else in the store but losing their focus on their desktop displays, Maybe it's time to look else where like Samsung XL30 or NEC but it won't be the same because it's not Apple I guess I will waiting it out more and keep using my TAN 17 inch for the time being, so sad
 
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