30bit Color with 27" Dell U2711 + Late '08 MBP

[Hexley]

So I have the 15" MBP plugged into the U2711 via mini displayport to displayport cable. I see a picture and it is 2560x1440. I calibrated it with success with the Spyder3Pro.

Now do I need to do anything else to enable 30-bit color?

My GPU's an NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT w/ 256MB VRAM and it is reporting that it is connected to my U2711 at the prescribed resolution at the pixel depth of 32-bit color. Is this the same as 30-bit color?

I just realized it now... but can you use the 9400M on the built-in LCD while the 9600M GT drives the Dell?

 

[kny3twalker]

So I have the 15" MBP plugged into the U2711 via mini displayport to displayport cable. I see a picture and it is 2560x1440. I calibrated it with success with the Spyder3Pro.

Now do I need to do anything else to enable 30-bit color?

My GPU's an NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT w/ 256MB VRAM and it is reporting that it is connected to my U2711 at the prescribed resolution at the pixel depth of 32-bit color. Is this the same as 30-bit color?

I just realized it now... but can you use the 9400M on the built-in LCD while the 9600M GT drives the Dell?

Well 32 bit color is really just 24 bit color which around 16.7 million colors. This is known as true color or 8 bit color (across the three channels, RGB). Your Dell is really just a 10 bit display which capable of deep color or 1 billion colors. So while your display is capable displaying many more colors, the os does not. So there is nothing to set or change the monitor will simply display a narrower range of colors than it's possibly of colors. I am guessing certain applications may be able to use the wide range of colors though like Photoshop.
And I am positive you can only use one video at once. So using one to power each display will not work.

 

[unamused]

how does the MBP run with with this monitor? i plan on getting one next time dell has a deal going on.

 

[MikeinJapan]

how does the MBP run with with this monitor? i plan on getting one next time dell has a deal going on.

I was going to ask that too. I'm sick of waiting for an apple 27" display.

 

[Hexley]

how does the MBP run with with this monitor? i plan on getting one next time dell has a deal going on.

Worth the wait and the money vs a 30-inch S-IPS LCD unless the 16:9 ratio of the U2711 is a bother.

The annoying part is that I had to buy a min displayport to displayport cable. Couldn't they just make everything mini displayport? It is a standard anyways.

It is so good that I am getting another one for the PC. Will be powered by a 5870. But reading the tech specs it does "Deep Color" via HDMI 1.3a only.

What I find annoying is Apple's obsession with LED which reduces the color gamut of the 27-inch iMac LED to 72% vs Dell U2711's CCFL's 102% Color Gamut. I know they're angling the environmento-ecomentalist hippie crowd but it should not be at the expense of quality.

 

[cube]

This monitor has 10-bit PROCESSING, not 10-bit input.

An LCD monitor with 10-bit input costs at least $2000.

EDIT: Or maybe this model supports it via HDMI?

 

[cube]

I read that it can input 10-bit via DisplayPort, but that the panel is only 8-bit, so it would have to dither.

Anyway, Macs are only 8-bit.

 

[cubiczech]

i think that they are 10-bit , atleast desktop nvidia cards are, maybe there will be problem with some kind of mini display port to DVI converter, but natively, mini display port > full size DP shoult output in 10-bit precision

 

[Hexley]

This monitor has 10-bit PROCESSING, not 10-bit input.

An LCD monitor with 10-bit input costs at least $2000.

EDIT: Or maybe this model supports it via HDMI?

Links please.

I read that the panel used (LG.Display's LM270WQ1) is listed as 10-bit but there is some confusion if the U2711 does it end to end 10-bit or goes through 8-bit with A-FRC supporting up to 10-bit color.

It doesn't matter though as neither my NVIDIA or ATI GPUs can support Deep Color at 2560x1440. The feature would be great to have when I upgrade in a year's time.