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Leaning towards matte... is the screen inferior to glossy?

S

Simon Young

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 1, 2008
58
0
I'm buying a 17" MBP this week and I've got to make a decision whether to go matte or glossy. I don't care about the glare argument as I'll be using the MBP indoors with controlled lighting; what I do care about is the quality of the panel itself, specifically with regards to backlighting and colour accuracy. I've heard that the glossy model comes from one of two manufacturers (one being better than the other) and the matte only comes from one manufacturer. I guess if I choose matte, at least I know what I'm getting. Can anybody tell me whether there is a noticeable difference in quality between the three different panels?

Cheers!
 
I did perform a search but couldn't find the specific information I was after, and I don't have time to read every single thread in detail. I guess I'm looking specifically for information on screen manufacturers, whether the new matte screen is actually new and not just the same as in the old MBP, etc.

Sorry for being a nuisance.
 
Simon Young said:
I'm buying a 17" MBP this week and I've got to make a decision whether to go matte or glossy. I don't care about the glare argument as I'll be using the MBP indoors with controlled lighting; what I do care about is the quality of the panel itself, specifically with regards to backlighting and colour accuracy. I've heard that the glossy model comes from one of two manufacturers (one being better than the other) and the matte only comes from one manufacturer. I guess if I choose matte, at least I know what I'm getting. Can anybody tell me whether there is a noticeable difference in quality between the three different panels?

Cheers!
Click to expand...

If you are the usual consumer who is used to the color richness of Plasmas and PC screens, I would go with glossy as the colors are richer. You will find the matte screen to be more dull if you are used to those types of screens. However, glossy used to be my preference until I had a matte mbp for a year, I now prefer matte.
Bottom line is, if you are not used to matte, you might not like it at first but you'll appreciate it more in the long run.
 
GGJstudios said:
No matches? Only 147 threads!

View attachment 167983

And from MRoogle:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...ite:forums.macrumors.com&as_qdr=y&btnG=Search
Click to expand...

Perfectly reasonable question, and the answer isn't easily discovered within those 147 threads.....!
Maybe try answering the question and being helpful that way rather than coming straight out with a terse and unhelpful comment.....

FWIW I'm in much the same position AND I have read through a hell of a lot of those 147 threads, and as I say the answer is not easily gleaned in amongst all that info and Glossy vs Matte bashing.....!!!
 
Macbadgerer said:
Perfectly reasonable question, and the answer isn't easily discovered within those 147 threads.....!
Maybe try answering the question and being helpful that way rather than coming straight out with a terse and unhelpful comment.....

FWIW I'm in much the same position AND I have read through a hell of a lot of those 147 threads, and as I say the answer is not easily gleaned in amongst all that info and Glossy vs Matte bashing.....!!!
Click to expand...

Yes, it's a perfectly reasonable question, which has been discussed hundreds of times in this forum. Yes, the answers (opinions) are easily discovered by simple reading comprehension. Yes, there are bashing comments in many threads. There are also technical and professional comments, which are quite helpful and which directly answer the OP's question. If you didn't find those answers, you didn't read far enough.

My response to the OP was only unhelpful to those too lazy to click and read. The bottom line is, there IS no single answer to the OP's question. It's all a matter of opinion, which you would know if you took the time to read some of the threads carefully.

And being your first post in the forums, yours was of no help whatsoever. Try providing some information to posters, rather than just criticizing those of us who are trying to help.

skye12 said:
Like saying a silver car is inferior to a black one. It is up to you to decide!
Click to expand...
Exactly my point!
 
So anyway... who manufactures the matte screen? Do they provide one of the gloss screens also? If so, is it the same panel but with a matte coating? I know I've read somewhere that one of the gloss panels (is it LG?) is more accurate out-of-the-box. Is that also true of the matte panel?
 
Simon Young said:
So anyway... who manufactures the matte screen? Do they provide one of the gloss screens also? If so, is it the same panel but with a matte coating? I know I've read somewhere that one of the gloss panels (is it LG?) is more accurate out-of-the-box. Is that also true of the matte panel?
Click to expand...

The matte screen is manufactured by either LG or Samsung (you don't get to choose). Those are the exact same panels as the glossy screen but with a different coating. The glossy coating gives a richer look to the screen and the matte gives a more dull look but the panels are the exactly same ones in both matte and glossy.
 
thiagos said:
The matte screen is manufactured by either LG or Samsung (you don't get to choose). Those are the exact same panels as the glossy screen but with a different coating. The glossy coating gives a richer look to the screen and the matte gives a more dull look but the panels are the exactly same ones in both matte and glossy.
Click to expand...
Many thanks, this is exactly what I was looking for. Last time I trawled these forums for info on this subject it seemed to be common knowledge that when choosing matte you ONLY got Samsung. But now it seems people have matte screens from LG too - so either way, it's a gamble. Which of the two has the least backlight bleed, do you know? I remember reading one was better than the other in this regard (LG, I think). Can anyone confirm?
 
Simon Young said:
Many thanks, this is exactly what I was looking for. Last time I trawled these forums for info on this subject it seemed to be common knowledge that when choosing matte you ONLY got Samsung. But now it seems people have matte screens from LG too - so either way, it's a gamble. Which of the two has the least backlight bleed, do you know? I remember reading one was better than the other in this regard (LG, I think). Can anyone confirm?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure, don't take my word for it but I think the best screen is the Samsung one (I would do some more research on it). I believe the LG panel has a more bluish hue to it than the Samsung one.
 
oh come on! arguing about the search rather than answering. much more of bandwith usage!

about the screen, if you are using it indoor, i'd say you better get the glossy one, but when you have windows on your back (just like i did!), these glares are very annoying and making you move your head alot..
 
GGJstudios said:
Yes, it's a perfectly reasonable question, which has been discussed hundreds of times in this forum. Yes, the answers (opinions) are easily discovered by simple reading comprehension. Yes, there are bashing comments in many threads. There are also technical and professional comments, which are quite helpful and which directly answer the OP's question. If you didn't find those answers, you didn't read far enough.

My response to the OP was only unhelpful to those too lazy to click and read. The bottom line is, there IS no single answer to the OP's question. It's all a matter of opinion, which you would know if you took the time to read some of the threads carefully.

And being your first post in the forums, yours was of no help whatsoever. Try providing some information to posters, rather than just criticizing those of us who are trying to help.


Exactly my point!
Click to expand...

[Sigh]

I HAVE read a very large proportion of the vast back catalogue of Matte vs Glassy debate, but it's just not feasible to read all of it when looking for an answer to what is a quite specific question, and imho one worthy of having a thread of its own. I for one was interested enough to click on it in the hope that someone would provide a specific answer, but instead was greeted with your unhelpfuland patronising comment about doing a search.....
Quite why people get so uppity about others asking a reasonable question I really don't know. It's not as if the search would be hugely helpful in this instance anyway - exactly what parameters would you enter to narrow down the search so as not to be confronted by pages and pages of irrelevant text of people saying they PREFER matte to glassy or vice versa (not what the OP asked)?

And yes I do know how forums work......

And YES there is a SINGLE answer to the OP's original post as thiagos nicely showed...

If you want opinion, then as people have said the Matte is probably a more practical solution, and still looks pretty gorgeous, although I have to admit that the Glassy does look smart with the black border. One other consideration I also had is that I hate having to wipe my iPod of fingerprints all the time, and Im pretty sure the Glassy would be a fingerprint magnet too!
 
Simon Young said:
I'm buying a 17" MBP this week and I've got to make a decision whether to go matte or glossy. I don't care about the glare argument as I'll be using the MBP indoors with controlled lighting; what I do care about is the quality of the panel itself, specifically with regards to backlighting and colour accuracy. I've heard that the glossy model comes from one of two manufacturers (one being better than the other) and the matte only comes from one manufacturer. I guess if I choose matte, at least I know what I'm getting. Can anybody tell me whether there is a noticeable difference in quality between the three different panels?

Cheers!
Click to expand...

So are you asking if the specs are different? Like contrast ratio, response time, color gamut, etc.? Or are you asking us to compare and contrast the glossy to the matte?

Gloss vs. matte has been beaten to death, but I don't know if anyone has ever asked which is a higher quality panel, disregarding the finish.
 
The General said:
So are you asking if the specs are different? Like contrast ratio, response time, color gamut, etc.? Or are you asking us to compare and contrast the glossy to the matte?

Gloss vs. matte has been beaten to death, but I don't know if anyone has ever asked which is a higher quality panel, disregarding the finish.
Click to expand...
Exactly! I'm far more interested in the panel than the finish. If getting the best panel means getting glossy, then I'll get glossy. And vice versa.
 
thiagos said:
The matte screen is manufactured by either LG or Samsung (you don't get to choose). Those are the exact same panels as the glossy screen but with a different coating. The glossy coating gives a richer look to the screen and the matte gives a more dull look but the panels are the exactly same ones in both matte and glossy.
Click to expand...

LOL...

"richer..."

vs.

"more dull"

Now that's an objective description...not.
 
Hmmm . . . With regard to the choosing the screen configuration . . . I had to make the same decision, myself. I took everything, which I had read, into consideration prior to purchasing my new 17" MBP. Ultimately, I asked the salesperson at the Apple store for a side by side comparison.

Understanding the differences and viewing the 2 different set-ups side by side is the only way to truly come upon a decision.
 
erratikmind said:
Hmmm . . . With regard to the choosing the screen configuration . . . I had to make the same decision, myself. I took everything, which I had read, into consideration prior to purchasing my new 17" MBP. Ultimately, I asked the salesperson at the Apple store for a side by side comparison.

Understanding the differences and viewing the 2 different set-ups side by side is the only way to truly come upon a decision.
Click to expand...

Which one did you choose?
 
jrnewhouse said:
Which one did you choose?
Click to expand...

I chose the glossy. I love the vibrant colors, which the glossy screen affords. For some, the glossy may be annoying due to potential screen glare from exterior light/lighting sources. However, personally, that will rarely be an issue for me. If so, it would be easily remedied.
 
I like to consider what is actually usable in the context of a portable computer. If I wanted a computer to stick on a desk, I would (and do) buy a desktop.

The 15-inch MBP, the Macbook and the Dell XPS 16 all causes me major irritation.

The matte 17-inch does not. Qualitywise you can do better with some Dells for example, but in the overall scheme of things it's not bad at all if you're used to a regular monitor.

Even when not taking into account practicality, colour-wise the excessively glossy displays are a boon for strictly consumer use but is a liability for a lot of other usage patterns.
 
Just to give some sense of closure to this thread...

I ended up going with the matte option. Upgraded the processor and HDD too.
 
skye12 said:
Like saying a silver car is inferior to a black one. It is up to you to decide!

I prefer glossy.
Click to expand...

Bottom line, a silver car IS inferior to a black one. :D

And good choice on the matte imo, I know everyone hates the UMBs display, but I miss my SR MBP for the matte screen not the quality of it (but I can't tell the difference)
 
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