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best available LCD display?

E

eyeon

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 7, 2004
161
0
Montana, USA
I am currently looking into buying a new display for my work-- here's the deal...

My work just got a nice big grant, and we were interested in using it to do a significant upgrade to our workstations. At my request, we will be purchasing a new top of the line rev. B G5 when they are released, and a VERY GOOD LCD display. I am a professional designer who needs absolutely accurate (or very close) color rendition, very high resolution (as we frequently work with high-definition video), good brightness, contrast ratio, and I would prefer a decent response time. I really love the 16:9 aspect ratio of Apple's displays, (and could use the real estate) but let's face it, the specs could be better. Is there another 16:9 display available not from Apple? I have looked at the Liebermann displays (www.go-l.com) and am very interested in those, but they have yet to release the two-monitor version that I am most interested in. Lets say money is not an issue... In other words, what is the best available display out there?

Thanks in advance for your help.
 
I would hold out for the next generation Apple displays. They will most likely be revamped at WWDC in early July, both technically and aesthetically. In other words, if the 23" HD monitor is sufficient now for most color critical and video work (which in my opinion it is, albeit barely), the new ones will be much better.

p.s. if color and resolution are of utmost importance, maybe a top of the line CRT (no ghosting etc.)?
 
Best LCDs on the market

Sony PremeriePro 23" (1920x1600; puts the Apple displays to shame in color, brightness, contrast, and easily form factor) about $2400

IBM T221 ($8,399, recessed arm design and some very unique capabilities; multiple inputs concurrently visible, 3850x2400 resolution (that is not a typo!) It requires high-end video cards (possibly those that do not exist for Macs) Once again, note the resolution. Used for 3D modeling and multiscreen/angle displaying)

Those Go-L monitors are just joined LCDs. It's equivalent to putting average LCDs together and bonding the bezels (in fact, you have to use a multiheaded card to use them so they are exactly like having two LCDs next to each other.) I saw them when they were used to demo some video cards at a trade show. They were pretty poor.

Best bang for buck is still the Sony mentioned above. Really great stuff.
 
legion said:
Best LCDs on the market

Sony PremeriePro 23" (1920x1600; puts the Apple displays to shame in color, brightness, contrast, and easily form factor) about $2400.
Click to expand...

I've seen enough LCDs to know that theres more to the quality than just specs... But the specs of Sony's 23'' are IDENTICAL to the specs of Apple's... How could it possibly be so much better?
 
Chaszmyr said:
I've seen enough LCDs to know that theres more to the quality than just specs... But the specs of Sony's 23'' are IDENTICAL to the specs of Apple's... How could it possibly be so much better?
Click to expand...

Well, we had/have (they're in storage now as backups) about 7 23" Apple Displays. We have since replaced all of them with the 23" Premiere Pros after the first one was quite obviously better (all within a year.) It became hard to work on the Apples after you spent anytime in front of the Sonys. Specs are deceiving because you don't know who did the measurements-- there really are no standards there in measurements. An obvious reason is that the Sonys use newer LCD panels and Apple has been using the same manufactered LCDs for quite a few years. Also, Sony makes their own LCDs (whereas Apple sources them from quite a few different manufacturers--including Sony, but there are different grades to panels even in the same batches.) There's also the issue of electronics and input shielding. The Apples tend to have "sparkles" from poor shielding on their electronics (obvious EMF interference.) It's another reason the displays need to be re-engineered.

Also, the 23" Sonys use the same LCD panels that are used in the Luma line from Sony for broadcast monitors--albeit with other inputs including SDI (that's quite a feat when you consider that you still have to buy crt broadcast monitors for the most part and Sony is the only one who makes LCD panels of this grade for video color accuracy)

But at the end it comes down to seeing the two next to each other... I know some Fry's carry both. Put 'em next to each other in the same lighting conditions and it's crystal clear (pun intended)
 
ssshhh...

Dell Ultrasharp 2001FP

It's not 16:9, but I find the benefit of added height a bonus and it's 'only' 20" but for the price you can buy 2 of them.

I just picked it up a couple months ago and looked at pretty much every single highend LCD out there. And the Dell compares equally to the Eizo CG line which is arguable the best LCD out there.

I calibrated mine using a Monaco Profiler and everything is exact from my monitor to scanner to printer.

Dell has sales all the time on them, picked it up for $750.

Also has a 16ms response time 1600x1200 native resolution blah blah...

If money is not an object get this set-up and a 17" PB and edit in the 'field!'

eyeon said:
I am currently looking into buying a new display for my work-- here's the deal...

My work just got a nice big grant, and we were interested in using it to do a significant upgrade to our workstations. At my request, we will be purchasing a new top of the line rev. B G5 when they are released, and a VERY GOOD LCD display. I am a professional designer who needs absolutely accurate (or very close) color rendition, very high resolution (as we frequently work with high-definition video), good brightness, contrast ratio, and I would prefer a decent response time. I really love the 16:9 aspect ratio of Apple's displays, (and could use the real estate) but let's face it, the specs could be better. Is there another 16:9 display available not from Apple? I have looked at the Liebermann displays (www.go-l.com) and am very interested in those, but they have yet to release the two-monitor version that I am most interested in. Lets say money is not an issue... In other words, what is the best available display out there?

Thanks in advance for your help.
Click to expand...
 
eyeon said:
I have looked at the Liebermann displays (www.go-l.com) and am very interested in those, but they have yet to release the two-monitor version that I am most interested in. Lets say money is not an issue... In other words, what is the best available display out there?

Thanks in advance for your help.
Click to expand...

Those look sneakily like Powerbooks!!

left_over.jpg
 
I'd stay away from anything www.go-l.com. Seems like they just rebrand existing stuff, package it 'nicely' (try to copy Apple's presentation) and put a huge pricetag on it.

Their laptops for example can be bought waaaaaay cheaper here:
http://www.pctorque.com/3760.php

Not sure what displays they use, though, but I don't trust these guys.
 
I read a lot about people's positive and negative opinions of monitors and its hard to get an idea of what brand i'd prefer the most.

I thought to get formac in the begining, but i started seeing almost endless complaints against it. So I thought Apple displays would do since their sleek look have *always* got my attention. However, people told me they are outdated and its not worth buying them now. Is this true, will apple update their monitors line soon to something so much superior that I should wait?
thanks for any tips
 
etoiles said:
Not sure what displays they use, though, but I don't trust these guys.
Click to expand...

I'm not so sure anyone trusts those guys... nI thought at one point that had been proven to be a hoax. :confused:
 
cr2sh said:
I'm not so sure anyone trusts those guys... nI thought at one point that had been proven to be a hoax. :confused:
Click to expand...

No, from everything I've read theyre for real... But I have also heard that they are known for fishy business practices
 
Note the black background in the powerbook photo carletomusic posted. It hides the black base of their computer, making it seem much thinner than it actually is. Not cool.
 
if you want an excellent display...go apple, in many reviews I have read, they have the best dynamic range etc
 
Anna said:
if you want an excellent display...go apple, in many reviews I have read, they have the best dynamic range etc
Click to expand...

"dynamic range" ?

what exactly does that mean in reference to LCDs? Colour depth? Resolution? (Realize that Apple doesn't make their LCDs, only designs the bezel and the input ports.)
 
eyeon said:
I am currently looking into buying a new display for my work-- here's the deal...

My work just got a nice big grant, and we were interested in using it to do a significant upgrade to our workstations. At my request, we will be purchasing a new top of the line rev. B G5 when they are released, and a VERY GOOD LCD display. I am a professional designer who needs absolutely accurate (or very close) color rendition, very high resolution (as we frequently work with high-definition video), good brightness, contrast ratio, and I would prefer a decent response time. I really love the 16:9 aspect ratio of Apple's displays, (and could use the real estate) but let's face it, the specs could be better. Is there another 16:9 display available not from Apple? I have looked at the Liebermann displays (www.go-l.com) and am very interested in those, but they have yet to release the two-monitor version that I am most interested in. Lets say money is not an issue... In other words, what is the best available display out there?

Thanks in advance for your help.
Click to expand...

If color accuracy, etc, etc are so paramount in importance, I sure as hell wouldn't be using an LCD.
 
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