Apple Cinema Display Response Time

[macintouch]

I had posted in another thread about the Apple Cinema Display's response time, nobody had commented on my post, so I figured I'd make a thread about it.

Right now I'm using a ViewSonic VX924 display with a 4 or 5ms response time, and that's a great response time. Most (maybe all?) of the ACD's have a response time of like 14ms. Now, being that my ViewSonic is only a 19" non-widescreen, I've been wanting to pick up something that's like a 20" widescreen, which the ACD 20" fits into perfectly.

My only qualm is the high response time on the Apple Displays. 14ms and 4ms is a huge difference. The reason I'm so concerned is because I'm a gamer. Back when I was using PC's, I always bought CRT's because there's virtually an 0ms response time on them. I decided to try this LCD because at the time it was one of the lowest ms available. Now I've come to love LCD's because of their size and weight.

So, my question is, are there any gamers out there that use the ACD for gaming? Is there any shadowing effect? If the ACD isn't good for gaming, then what is it's strong point? (is it just the design, is it that it has good color accuracy, etc.)

Please don't get into telling me "the MacPro and ACD isn't meant for gaming, blah blah"...my Mac Pro is great for gaming. It may not be centered around that but that's what I'm doing with it.

Thanks in advance guys!

 

[MisterMe]

...

Right now I'm using a ViewSonic VX924 display with a 4 or 5ms response time, and that's a great response time. Most (maybe all?) of the ACD's have a response time of like 14ms. Now, being that my ViewSonic is only a 19" non-widescreen, I've been wanting to pick up something that's like a 20" widescreen, which the ACD 20" fits into perfectly.

My only qualm is the high response time on the Apple Displays. 14ms and 4ms is a huge difference. The reason I'm so concerned is because I'm a gamer. Back when I was using PC's, I always bought CRT's because there's virtually an 0ms response time on them. I decided to try this LCD because at the time it was one of the lowest ms available. Now I've come to love LCD's because of their size and weight.

...

Don't you think that it is just a bit strange that the response time for ViewSonic's professional monitor of the same size as the VX924 is as much as 16 ms? What compromises have been made to get the VX924's response time down to 3 ms?

 

[macintouch]

Don't you think that it is just a bit strange that the response time for ViewSonic's professional monitor of the same size as the VX924 is as much as 16 ms? What compromises have been made to get the VX924's response time down to 3 ms?

That's what I'm trying to figure out here... I have no clue. I'm sure there's something, but I don't know.

It's not that I want to buy another ViewSonic, or even another monitor that has this low of a response time. I'm just trying to find out the pros and cons/sacrifices and add ons of each product.

I'd MUCH rather walk out the door with the Apple...but if the ViewSonic offers better performance, then I'll go with that.

 

[panoz7]

With the apple display response time is sacrificed for color accuracy. Read this thread for details on different panel types and how they affect response times, color accuracy, color stability, and viewing angle.

For you the apple display probably isn't worth the price premium. I'd suggest the 20" dell or 22" samsung. Both have much better response times then the ACDs.

EDIT... actually, the dell and apple use the same panel in the 20" size... I know a lot of gamers use the Dell 20", so I'd imagine the 20" apple would be fine for gaming as well. Whether the design is worth the large price premium is up to you to decide.

 

[rogersmj]

It's true that the response time is lower on the higher-quality Apple and Dell panels. However, I dare you to try to actually see a difference in speed with the naked eye. I know quite a few gamers who have the Dell and one who has the ACD, and they love those monitors and tell me all the time how great they are for gaming. I stopped hearing real complaints about response times once they dropped below 18ms a year or so ago. I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a monitor these days (at least a well-known one) that actually has ghosting problems. My personal rule of thumb ever since early this year is that if it's 16ms or less, don't even bother with the response time. Judge on all the other factors, because 99% of people (or more) will never notice the difference between 4ms and 14ms.

 

[macintouch]

It's true that the response time is lower on the higher-quality Apple and Dell panels. However, I dare you to try to actually see a difference in speed with the naked eye. I know quite a few gamers who have the Dell and one who has the ACD, and they love those monitors and tell me all the time how great they are for gaming. I stopped hearing real complaints about response times once they dropped below 18ms a year or so ago. I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a monitor these days (at least a well-known one) that actually has ghosting problems. My personal rule of thumb ever since early this year is that if it's 16ms or less, don't even bother with the response time. Judge on all the other factors, because 99% of people (or more) will never notice the difference between 4ms and 14ms.

Yeah, I see what you're saying.

I do work for Apple so I'd get a pretty decent discount on the 20", but it would still be cheaper to buy the Dell.

So basically it's whether I want the beautiful Apple monitor at the Hollywood price, or the mediocre looking Dell at the cheaper price.

 

[Racerdog55]

Apple Display

I have a 30" apple display, and for gaming such as BF2 and Nascar Racing 2003, and Joint Ops, the picture quality is great, in the Windows mode, but when in the Mac OS x the colors are horrible, when on web pages the color is washed out and the blacks are dim, and the white is way to bright, this monitor was $2000.00 bucks and my View sonic 20" has a better picture, If I had it to do over I wouldn't get a Apple monitor, and I'm running the ATI video card Xt1900, just my 2cents.

 

[MisterMe]

I have a 30" apple display, ..., the picture quality is great, in the Windows mode, but when in the Mac OS x the colors are horrible, when on web pages the color is washed out and the blacks are dim, and the white is way to bright, ... If I had it to do over I wouldn't get a Apple monitor, and I'm running the ATI video card Xt1900, ....

If a monitor has excellent color when in Windows mode, then your color problems in MacOS X have nothing to do with the monitor or your graphics card:

Launch System Preferences.
Click the Displays preferences pane.
Click the Color tab.
Check Show profiles for this display only
Select Apple Cinema HD Display

If selecting this ColorSync profile does not do the trick, then click the Calibrate... button. Follow instructions.

 

[fivetoadsloth]

the apple cinma display has a 14ms reponse time, but most everyone will not notice a difference between that a a monitor that has a two millisecond response time.

 

[Racerdog55]

MisterMe, I have tried the calibrate route and the quality is just as bad as the Apple Cinema display, is there not a contrast setting on this monitor, all I see is a brightness. If I knew how to take a screen shot I would post a picture of what it looks like.

 

[Racerdog55]

http://att.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=62905&stc=1&d=1164692342

This is what a screen capture looks like on my computer while at a web page, now tell me if that is a good image,
Thanks

 

[alFR]

This is what a screen capture looks like on my computer while at a web page, now tell me if that is a good image,
Thanks

It looks fine to me, but that might be because what I'm seeing is how my monitor displays the data that your screen was displaying when you took the screenshot, not what you were seeing on your monitor when you took the screenshot.... The only way to give us an idea would be to take a picture of it with a digital camera and post that, even then we'd be seeing how our monitor displays the picture etc. etc. I think this sort of thing is hard to get across unless you're seeing it with your own eyes.

 

[Racerdog55]

alFR, could you do me a favor and take a screen shot of something on your computer so I can just see what it looks like on this end. I just looked at my screenshot post from my Windows computer and the wording and some of the pictures look washed out thats why I would like to see something from some one else.
Thanks

 

[alFR]

sorry, no access to somewhere to host the pic from here (work). There are screenshots in some other threads though, like the "Post Your Dock" and "Leopard screenshot" threads.

 

[Robert Maloney]

Font smoothing causing horrible display?

I have a 30" apple display, and for gaming such as BF2 and Nascar Racing 2003, and Joint Ops, the picture quality is great, in the Windows mode, but when in the Mac OS x the colors are horrible, when on web pages the color is washed out and the blacks are dim ...

It sounds like you are describing font smoothing.