Cinema Display Quality

[3282868]

I've had 2 24" LED LCD's that have been problematic from day 1. Both have had their panels replaced more than once, power supplies, banding issues, etc. I've had one completely replaced in Sept. 2010, and has had the same issues as my second display. Thankfully I have AppleCare. I've had them running on my 12-Core Mac Pro, tested them out on my Mac Mini and MacBook Air, it's definitely been a display issue and not graphics card. I miss the previous CCFL LCD's, the 2 23" displays I had lasted ~8 years.

After one of them went down today, Apple approved full replacements with 27" models. Has anyone experienced issues with these displays? I know the 24" panels have had issues, I'm hoping the 27" displays are improved. Thanks for any feedback!

 

[coldwaves]

I've had 2 24" LED LCD's that have been problematic from day 1. Both have had their panels replaced more than once, power supplies, banding issues, etc. I've had one completely replaced in Sept. 2010, and has had the same issues as my second display. Thankfully I have AppleCare. I've had them running on my 12-Core Mac Pro, tested them out on my Mac Mini and MacBook Air, it's definitely been a display issue and not graphics card. I miss the previous CCFL LCD's, the 2 23" displays I had lasted ~8 years.

After one of them went down today, Apple approved full replacements with 27" models. Has anyone experienced issues with these displays? I know the 24" panels have had issues, I'm hoping the 27" displays are improved. Thanks for any feedback!

It seems we have very similar experience.

I have a 24 inch cinema display that I bought from ebay. It was built in 2009 according to the serial number lookup but I don't have any idea how it was used previously. Since I bought it, I have a dead pixel and a dark smudge on the left side of the screen. Luckily, those are not very bad and it is not very noticeable during normal use. At the same time, I have a 20 inch aluminum cinema display in the office. That display should be much older but it has no problem. The backlight needs a little time to warm up and get to the birghtness but that is probably just the nature CCFL backlight.

 

[3282868]

It seems we have very similar experience.

I have a 24 inch cinema display that I bought from ebay. It was built in 2009 according to the serial number lookup but I don't have any idea how it was used previously. Since I bought it, I have a dead pixel and a dark smudge on the left side of the screen. Luckily, those are not very bad and it is not very noticeable during normal use. At the same time, I have a 20 inch aluminum cinema display in the office. That display should be much older but it has no problem. The backlight needs a little time to warm up and get to the birghtness but that is probably just the nature CCFL backlight.

Yup, the previous gen CCFL LCD's were fantastic! I miss them. I even asked AppleCare tech's and agents if they had 23" models available. They laughed and said they don't downgrade. I was tempted to respond with "It would be an upgrade."

At least 2 27" models are being shipped. Mini-display port only as Mac Pro's don't have "Thunderbolt". I'm tempted to exchange one of them for a "Thunderbolt" model, which would allow me to daisy chain the mini-DisplayPort model to it, if and when a new Mac Pro is released.

Have you looked up the serial number of your 24"Cinema Display? Enter the displays serial number on this page:

https://selfsolve.apple.com/agreementWarrantyDynamic.do

You can get it in OS X by clicking on the Apple, "About This Mac", "More Info...", "System Report", then "Graphics/Displays". "Display Serial Number" should be listed, copy and paste it on Apple's website. This should list any coverage and options you have, when it was made, etc. When you first bought it, did you phone Apple to change the owner?

 

[pingjintao]

I love my Thunderbolt display and would like to buy another one but have been holding off in case they come out with a skinny updated display at WWDC. It's about time that they did ...

 

[3282868]

I love my Thunderbolt display and would like to buy another one but have been holding off in case they come out with a skinny updated display at WWDC. It's about time that they did ...

For the first time I'm now hoping they don't update the LED LCD's. If I get two new ones only to miss the revision, argh!

Do you think I should get a Thunderbolt model along with the mini-displayport model just in case Apple updates the Mac Pro with Thunderbolt? I can always connect the mini-displayport to the Thunderbolt display, which would give me more inputs than its counterpart.

 

[3282868]

Got the 2 27" LED LCD's last week. They're great, no issues thus far (knock on wood), was able to get AppleCare for each. The only caveat is the same issue with my 2 24" LED LCD's, the color is slightly off for each. One is considerably more "pink" while the other is more "yellow". I'll have to calibrate each.

This seems more common with LED LCD panels. I know iDevices and other such LED based devices suffer from the same inconsistencies. While LED LCD's are more eco-conscious than CCFL LCD's, I can't help but wonder is they were better quality.

 

[jayfire124]

Got the 2 27" LED LCD's last week. They're great, no issues thus far (knock on wood), was able to get AppleCare for each. The only caveat is the same issue with my 2 24" LED LCD's, the color is slightly off for each. One is considerably more "pink" while the other is more "yellow". I'll have to calibrate each.

This seems more common with LED LCD panels. I know iDevices and other such LED based devices suffer from the same inconsistencies. While LED LCD's are more eco-conscious than CCFL LCD's, I can't help but wonder is they were better quality.

I recently returned my 4 hour old Apple Thunderbolt display due to the appalling colour inconsistency and cold blue hue. I couldn't see any 'clear white' colour anywhere. When I returned it to the Apple Reseller I bought it to their attention that the 2 they had on display in store were also faulty. You only had to check the Mac Rumors Homepage and the upper blue colour didn't move to a white colour at all, I was not impressed!!

Just bought myself a glossy Dell S2340L for £125 from Amazon UK to tide me over until the new 27" Displays appear. Honestly the colour on the cheap Dell is far superior to the Apple Thunderbolt Display I returned. I am still shocked at the true colours on the Dell.....Get it right next time Apple !!!!

 

[3282868]

Just bought myself a glossy Dell S2340L for £125 from Amazon UK to tide me over until the new 27" Displays appear. Honestly the colour on the cheap Dell is far superior to the Apple Thunderbolt Display I returned. I am still shocked at the true colours on the Dell.....Get it right next time Apple !!!!

So disappointing. I asked the rep who authorized the exchange if Apple had any older 23" CCFL LCD's. Those were fantastic, they were set apart from the iMac displays, offered in three sizes with cables long enough to reach the PowerMac's and then Mac Pro's. The LED LCD panels have been very hit or miss, and it's shameful Apple is simply using the 27" iMac panels in a display form. Cheap and only seeks to improve their profit margins.

As these are not refurbished and have AppleCare, I'm tempted to sell them should Apple release new displays that are much better in quality. Not holding my breath.

Before I bought the 24" displays in 2010 I tried out Dell's based on reviews. Sadly I went through ~5 of them, some had dead pixels, banding, etc. I went for the Apple displays as at the time they were newer and were getting good reviews. Oh well. Sorry bout your display issues, this is unlike the Apple I have known for so long. Quality in their products has taken a hit for the past few years, unless it's a mobile device.

 

[BigJohno]

I've had 2 24" LED LCD's that have been problematic from day 1. Both have had their panels replaced more than once, power supplies, banding issues, etc. I've had one completely replaced in Sept. 2010, and has had the same issues as my second display. Thankfully I have AppleCare. I've had them running on my 12-Core Mac Pro, tested them out on my Mac Mini and MacBook Air, it's definitely been a display issue and not graphics card. I miss the previous CCFL LCD's, the 2 23" displays I had lasted ~8 years.

After one of them went down today, Apple approved full replacements with 27" models. Has anyone experienced issues with these displays? I know the 24" panels have had issues, I'm hoping the 27" displays are improved. Thanks for any feedback!

I had problems with my 24, had it replaced twice. Had a 27 for about 8 months and there was a bruising that appeared once the display warmed up. Had that replaced. 7 months later and no problem.

 

[3282868]

I had problems with my 24, had it replaced twice. Had a 27 for about 8 months and there was a bruising that appeared once the display warmed up. Had that replaced. 7 months later and no problem.

Thanks for the info (everyone)! So far mine are great aside from slight differences in color. No spots, banding, dead pixels, etc. I wish I could have gotten the Thunderbolt displays but the current Mac Pro's don't have it (yet). If they release a new Mac Pro, and possibly new displays, I'm selling them with my Mac Pro. I can't believe it's been three years, I'm hoping I can sell it before its AppelCare runs out in October.