Apple Cinema Display... Is it a mirror?

[Source]

Hi guys,

I've been trawling the net to find a review of the Apple Cinema Display by a professional who has used it every day for at least one month, to see whether the reflection on it is as off-putting as it looks in the store.

I went into the Apple Regent Street Store in London on Friday all ready to buy an MBP17 & an ACD24 but then when I looked at the Cinema Display I saw my own ugly face reflected back at me horrifically clearly... When I was trying out the various apps on the screen, even with a white background the glass was still very reflective.

Granted the Apple Store is probably the brightest work environment you'll ever see, but I need to know from people who own and use this monitor daily: is it as reflective as it seems and is that off-putting for your work?

My work requires very precise colour definition so if the reflections will get in the way of that then I'll essentially own a very expensive mirror/paper weight.

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[TheNightPhoenix]

My work requires very precise colour definition

Your really should be looking at other monitors then.
The 24inch display is not built for colour accuracy but to exaggerate the colours and contrast to give a better consumer experience when looking at photos or video.

 

[nick9191]

The Apple Store is an extreme environment. You will hopefully never experience this environment when working. Both matte and glossy are useless in brightly lit environments.

As for colour accuracy, this is FUD as well. A matte display would be more appropriate if your printing stuff off, as paper is matte. But that doesn't mean that matte is more accurate or truer to colour. The only difference between the two panels is matte has a treated surface. Glossy displays are not coated at all, they are natural. So if any panel is truer to colour it is a glossy panel. How can a treated matte display be truer to colour than untreated clear glass?

Or another way to put it, matte displays are textured, glossy displays aren't. So matte actually has something added to it, to make it look duller. Not the other way around as so many believe. So if things look more vibrant on a glossy panel, it's because the matte panel was screwing the colours up in the first place.

And glare is a non issue if you are using your display in the correct way.

I'd advise you to read this article http://mark2000.com/?p=541

 

[UltraNEO*]

As far a glossy displays goes. If colour precision is a major issue you should be using your desktop display with a hood in which case the glassiness of the display won't be compromised with additional light/glare or reflections. If you can't afford a professional solution you could always make one with some stiff cardboard and some duck tape.

Also, have it hardware calibrated with something like a Spyder3 Pro

 

[PeterQC]

My work requires very precise colour definition so if the reflections will get in the way of that then I'll essentially own a very expensive mirror/paper weight.

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated!

Don't get the 24'' LCD then. Test show they aren't that accurate, even if they ARE IPS screens. Take the 30'' ACD or find an earlier 20'' or 23'' used ACD, they are a lot better for colour accuracy. Pricy but at least you won't get distorted reds. Or if you can't afford Apple screen selection, you can always buy an IPS screen from another brand.

 

[Source]

Thanks for the replies and the links everyone!

I've still yet to find a single person who's owned the screen for a while, who can tell me if the reflection is distracting/a showstopper for them.

 

[nick9191]

Don't get the 24'' LCD then. Test show they aren't that accurate, even if they ARE IPS screens. Take the 30'' ACD or find an earlier 20'' or 23'' used ACD, they are a lot better for colour accuracy. Pricy but at least you won't get distorted reds. Or if you can't afford Apple screen selection, you can always buy an IPS screen from another brand.

The old ACD's are not any better. They are using ancient panels, and are far too expensive. The 24" LED is by far the best value for money in the ACD lineup. The current 30" ACD needs replacing, and fast. The panel is grainy and washed out, same goes for the now discontinued 20" and 23".

If you must have a matte display, go third party. Go for a Dell Ultrasharp or something.

 

[courboy]

I too thought the reflections in store meant it would be unworkable but after taking the plunge, have not regretted it. I am not a professional user I would like to announce however, but when in my room I am not able to see any reflections with the screen on. At times if the sun is shining through then I will be able to see a reflection but this is no means a show stopper for me.

I was hesitant at the £635 price and the lack of connectivity but I was able to get the higher education discount and considering I only intend to connect my Macbook to the monitor, decided to buy - very happy so far!