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Apple Cinema Display Texture

M

MarkW19

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 13, 2002
1,209
1
Surrey, UK
I just got my 23" ACD yesterday (alu), which is the first I've ever seen, so I'm not sure what they're meant to be like.

I'm coming from a 17" Studio Display (TFT), and it's running at optimum res (1900*). And, the anti-glare coating/texture to the screen seems very noticeable - particularly in Safari/Mail etc. where there's a white blackground with text on it - the texture is distracting, and makes the type look not as sharp as my old monitor.

3 people in my household have said they can't look at the screen for more than a few minutes because the texture is very distracting, and text is particularly uncomfortable to read.

Can anyone help? Is this normal?
 
Yeh, that doesn't sound right. I've had a 20" and now I have a 30". They are the best looking monitors I've ever had, and I spend hours and hours in front of them. My wife says "you die in front of that computer". I'd call Apple and get a new one.
 
krye said:
Yeh, that doesn't sound right. I've had a 20" and now I have a 30". They are the best looking monitors I've ever had, and I spend hours and hours in front of them. My wife says "you die in front of that computer". I'd call Apple and get a new one.
Click to expand...

Well, it's odd because the screen is amazing/perfect apart from that. It's just the anti glare coating that makes particular black on white txt look a bit grainy, and the coating sort of sparkles. But it's all uniform, making me think they're all like this, and we're just not used to it?
 
Sounds very strange to me as well..... do you have a colleague or a friend that owns one of these monitors you can look at, for a comparison? I sit in front of 3 of the 30-inch ACD's every day, and my eyes never hurt.
 
I have had three 23" ACDs over the past month. The first two I had were returned for various issues, and the one I have now is perfect except for the fact that the coating appears to be applied heavier than the other two. Maybe I just didn't notice it on the other two, or maybe this one has an unusually large amount of the anti-glare coating.

MarkW: can you look at your serial number and tell us what the build date of the display is? The first three numbers tell the build date. For example, mine is 752, meaning it was built in the last week of 2007. Also, what packaging did it come in? Is the blue Tiger desktop picture on the package, or the purple Aurora shot from Leopard?
 
I'm just going to say - I have a 23" and 30" since June '07, and they are amazing. No problems. Check into that, send it back, do something to correct it, because they should be unflawed.
 
Mark - I purchased a 23" Cinema Display today and have the same "texture". I believe this is normal and the more you look at it the less you will notice it. I agree that it is distracting at first. But, people say the same thing about the glossy screens (you get used to the glare and don't really notice it anymore).

I used to have the 20" and remember the same "texture". Also, all of the Cinema Displays at the Apple Store looked the same way.
 
Thanks for all the replies guys, good to hear it appears "normal", and yes I may get used to it!

Sorry, I should have said earlier - this is my very first second-hand Apple product! Saw it for an awesome price on eBay, and couldn't resist. It's definitely the Tiger picture on the box, and I believe it's a 2006 model. ProMod: whereabouts is the s/no on the product itself (not the box as it's stored away!)?

I hope I do get used to the coating, just typing this (with the light blue/grey/white all over the place) you can see it fairly prominently!
 
The serial number is located on the bottom of the base.

The texture is normal, and something that you should get used to. The 23" seems to have the coating applied most heavily out of the three display sizes, but it's not bad once you get used to it and does serve a purpose. If you have no dead pixels, uneven backlighting, or other issues, I wouldn't worry about it.
 
Well, after a week of use, I have now just about got used to the "texture", although it is still noticeable, but it doesn't really bother me any more.

There does seem to be too much of it, and I would definitely prefer a fully "clean" screen, particularly where I am as I have no direct lights behind me, but I still love the screen, the colours are amazing, and it's a joy to use.

It doesn't even feel "huge" anymore like it did when I first got it last week - although, the 15" screen on my MBP does now feel tiny!
 
Serial Number and leopard boxing

ProMod,

I ordered a Mac Pro at the beginning of March 2008 with the Cinema display 23 " .. I received one with the Tiger Box, wich surprised me because i was sure the new one comes with Leopard screen print on the box.

You talk about serial number. Mine begin with 2A7411 ... So if i follow your message, it means mine was built in 2007, week 41.. Since when they send new one with leopard box.. since i just ordered my mac pro (5 months afther leopard's going out) ????

I just ask, because i'm a bit disappointed with my 23 cinema display. The texture is something hard to go with .. and i find the screen not so good compared to my the one on my old iMac (the first 20 " coming with the Core Duo in 2006).

For the price of the screen, i was hoping so much more...
 
keikojaa said:
ProMod,

I ordered a Mac Pro at the beginning of March 2008 with the Cinema display 23 " .. I received one with the Tiger Box, wich surprised me because i was sure the new one comes with Leopard screen print on the box.

You talk about serial number. Mine begin with 2A7411 ... So if i follow your message, it means mine was built in 2007, week 41.. Since when they send new one with leopard box.. since i just ordered my mac pro (5 months afther leopard's going out) ????

I just ask, because i'm a bit disappointed with my 23 cinema display. The texture is something hard to go with .. and i find the screen not so good compared to my the one on my old iMac (the first 20 " coming with the Core Duo in 2006).

For the price of the screen, i was hoping so much more...
Click to expand...

Mine was built in week 52 of 2007. I had one that was built in week 49, and it still came in the old packaging. So my best guess is sometime in the last 3 weeks of December is when they started shipping the new boxes. Whether or not you get one all depends on where you buy it from and when they ordered fresh stock of the displays, which I imagine is not all that often compared to say an iMac or Macbook.
 
Thanks for answer. I guess you are right but what is strange is i ordered mac pro and 23" display and airport extreme on 27 februar 2008 on a mac shop in my town. So i can have them under guarantee for the next 3 years with apple care.

On the box of the display, the date of expedition from Apple is 28 februar 2008.

So it's coming really from Apple the day after my order and not from my vendor.

So why Apple sent this one, and not a new one with Leopard on the box ?

Is it possible I ended up with a display from the refurb and my vendor didn't tell me that ?! (let's guess he made me pay full price and made a deal on the refurb...???)

If you had yours with leopard print at the end of december, why 3 months later, i received one with tiger on it ?

Anyway .. Is your last one better with texture ?

Thanks again .. and sorry for my english
 
Actually, this last one may have even more texture than the others, or maybe I just noticed it and couldn't get it out of my head. It is fine now, I don't notice the texture.
 
I do notice the texture sometimes, but it's rarely a problem now. You just kind of get used to it.

I'd definitely rather not have it though, being able to control my light sources!
 
my head hurts

I received my 30 inch cinema display 3 days ago and it hurts my head...... i think it is the anti reflective coating covering the display, but it gives a certain unsharpness to the picture. I visited a Machouse yesterday to try and compare the things and i must say that the one in the machouse looked much better.
The coating gives a very grainy view to the screen which you particularly notice when using light colors. The screen on my brand new Macbook pro doesnt have this issue at all, but this particular 30" ACD sucks.

Does anybody know of Apple using different screens for their 30" cinema displays? I am thinking of be sending it back monday morning for a refund. Even considering buying Dell instead..... i've used it at a client and looked really good.
 
I bought my 23" ACD at BestBuy early Friday morning. It is a week 12 of 08 and I also notice the texture on white screens such as in Safari. I had no idea it was the anti glare coating on it.
 
The texture is definitely most noticeable on lighter colours, particularly white on a Safari blank page etc., that's where I've noticed it most too.

But, a few weeks on, it's no longer a problem for me, I've totally got used to it. "Straining" to read text "through" the texture isn't an issue any more.

Guess you just have to get used to it.
 
Texture from the anti-glare coating is definitely going to be noticeable (more so for some people I'm sure). I can see it but it never annoyed me, just a characteristic of the display. Worth it to not have glare too. :) Can't imagine going back to a flickery, blurry CRT just to avoid some texturing.
 
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