Catleap & Crossover Monitors

[mawyatt]

Hello,

I just switched from a PC Dell laptop to the MacBook Pro Retina. So everything about the Apple is new to me.

I would like to do some (I am not pro though) photo editing and want to use an external monitor with the MBP. I know the new 27" Apple monitor is best way to go with the MBP with the Thunderbolt high speed interface, but after the cost of the MBP, a $1000 will get me killed with the home CFO.

Some folks are talking about the S. Korean Catleap and Crossover monitors with the A- grade IPS LG display, same as the 27" Apple (A grade). This has me thinking about this path instead of the Apple monitor. If I understand I would need a Thunderbolt to dual DVI active cable adapter to interface with the Catleap or Crossover monitors which support Dual DVI.

Does anyone have any recommendations on which monitor and cable adapter would best fit my needs (mostly net surfing and photo editing) with the MBP?

Thanks in advance,

Mike

 

[BigHerky]

I got an achieva QH270-IPSB with the tempered glass and paid $315 for it. It's an amazing monitor for the price, however as I'm sure you know, it can be risky. I was fortunate enough that mine appears to be perfect. I've had mine for 2 months and if you ignore the poor quality stand and dont expect the case to look as pretty as apples monitors, I dont think you could tell a difference. One of these days I think I may open mine up because I suspect that mine may have an A or A+ panel.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

I just got my Neo Matrix today and I'm TOTALLY blown away. For $275 shipped, truly it's a crazy good deal if you're willing to take a little risk.

I have not been able to find a single dead pixel though the seller said it did have one. So many pixels with this resolution it's kind of a moot point.

I actually think this looks better than the ATD or 27" iMac as this one has no tempered glass... less glare and the image quality is fantastic. I could not find a 24" 'major brand' IPS screen for this money and most likely it would have heavy AG coating.

It isn't glamorous and it is a bit old school as it uses a power brick, but for the money it can't be beat. I run a GTX 670 which has dual-link DVI so I can't speak to the adapter question.

 

[cosmicjoke]

I just got my Neo Matrix today and I'm TOTALLY blown away. For $275 shipped, truly it's a crazy good deal if you're willing to take a little risk.

I have not been able to find a single dead pixel though the seller said it did have one. So many pixels with this resolution it's kind of a moot point.

I actually think this looks better than the ATD or 27" iMac as this one has no tempered glass... less glare and the image quality is fantastic. I could not find a 24" 'major brand' IPS screen for this money and most likely it would have heavy AG coating.

It isn't glamorous and it is a bit old school as it uses a power brick, but for the money it can't be beat. I run a GTX 670 which has dual-link DVI so I can't speak to the adapter question.

i have a couple thunderbolt displays for my mac and a couple shimian achievas (for my gaming pc on gtx 670 too) and frankly aside from aesthetics and stand, the $300 korean A- panels are flat up better, no tempered glass makes huge difference w/ glare... no dead pixels on either, one has a tiny bit of BLB on bottom you can notice when watching movies w/ black bars for aspect ratio,but def. not a dealbreaker for the price.. the other is seemingly perfect, so it is a bit of a gamble.

the thunderbolt displays i have(bought from different places for that matter) have a little strangeness in color uniformity at bottom of screens, which may be a product of the tempered glass too, seems you can't notice if you look at the bottoms of screen from eye level.

 

[macman05]

Hey guys,

Do you know if the achieva QH270-IPSB monitor would work with the 2012 mac mini?

 

[Tom Sawyer]

I believe it will but you will need to get a display port to dual link DVI converter....

I would do some research but a quick search poped this up...

Mini Display port to Dual Link DVI

It MAY take more electronics to make the conversion though... worth checking into for sure.

 

[Pimptastic]

I just got the CrossOver 27Q LED-P delivered today. Cost £270. I've got to tell you, it is awesome! Exactly the same quality as my 27" iMac.

The "P" in the model number means I can rotate this monitor into portrait mode which is a nice addition. Also, this model comes in a high quality aluminium housing.

The only downside was that I had to purchase the mini DP to dual DVI adapter which was £70.

Wish I could connect 2 to my MacBook because I would get another in a heartbeat!

 

[mac jones]

I bought a Catleap and it was a bad monitor so I sold it. The color was off and it wasn't as bright as my Cinema display. It had a blue tint to it and didn't calibrate correctly.

So there is a risk. I think I was just unlucky, but you never know. Fortunately, I didn't need it as I had a great display already. I bought it as I thought if it was as good as the Apple i'd sell the Apple and make about $400.

Actually, I was surprised. I think it was the Ebay seller Greensum, or something like that. All you people who have success stories, you might want to give specifics (who you bought it from, the exact model with upgrades, etc.) so to help potential buyers here. It can be confusing to people just starting to look at their options.

But all in all, it was an interesting experience as these things are so drastically cheap, and even it you get a bad one you can sell it and break even like I did. The only real worry is if it's broken (a real possibility). In that case, good luck collecting.

 

[apparition47]

I believe it will but you will need to get a display port to dual link DVI converter....

I would do some research but a quick search poped this up...

Mini Display port to Dual Link DVI

It MAY take more electronics to make the conversion though... worth checking into for sure.

That one won't work at 2560x1440. The true Dual Link DVI converters actually are active, meaning they are powered by USB as well. That one posted is a single link one, which means you'll only get 1080p.

This one is the one you want.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

That one won't work at 2560x1440. The true Dual Link DVI converters actually are active, meaning they are powered by USB as well. That one posted is a single link one, which means you'll only get 1080p.

This one is the one you want.

Yeah, kind of figured more than a simple cable would be needed. Still not a bad total cost.