"Ouch!" says the ASD! "Stop comparing me to everyone else! Don't you know I'm Apple? That's what you're paying for! So be grateful that I didn't leave you with a composite out!"
Robert
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I'm genuinely surprised by the negative reviews of the Studio Display
- Thread starter CalMin
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"Ouch!" says the ASD! "Stop comparing me to everyone else! Don't you know I'm Apple? That's what you're paying for! So be grateful that I didn't leave you with a composite out!"
Robert
lack of HDR is a deal breaker.
I can get a 27", 4k (sure, not 5k but whatever, in this size 4k is fine) non apple display with HDR for half the price here in Australia. Compatible with standard monitor stands, height adjustable, rotatable, with a removable power cord.
Objectively, as a display - the studio display is overpriced for what it offers. Unless you care about some of the niche things like a centre stage webcam...
If you're in the apple ecosystem you may not care, but if you look elsewhere... plenty of better value options to be had.
I can get a 27", 4k (sure, not 5k but whatever, in this size 4k is fine) non apple display with HDR for half the price here in Australia. Compatible with standard monitor stands, height adjustable, rotatable, with a removable power cord.
Objectively, as a display - the studio display is overpriced for what it offers. Unless you care about some of the niche things like a centre stage webcam...
If you're in the apple ecosystem you may not care, but if you look elsewhere... plenty of better value options to be had.
I agree, it's poor value but if you want 5k it's the only option (IMO). I'm coming from a 5k iMac and I run it at native resolution so my options are the LG 5k, the ASD or a 4k monitor where I lose resolution. The LG isn't cheap enough to make me buy it over the ASD. There aren't any other options that I know of (well the pro XDR, which I've thought about but I haven't been able to justify to myself spending that kind of money).
Judging a product as overpriced is highly subjective. For you probably the Studio Display is overpriced. For my needs (and the needs of many others) the Studio Display is worth the money (which is really a lot). It offers amazing display quality, great design, great speakers and a web camera that is ok (especially after the beta update). The overall package is perfect for Apple users that want a high quality 5K display. These are the people that Apple made the display for. Everybody else should really look elsewhere.
I would argue that they’re doing a better job of catering to both the general public AND the professionals than they have at any time under TC since Steve passed away. They’re (FINALLY) doing both, they’re just stretching the higher end devices to higher price brackets. Part of this is Apple tax, part of this is inflation. The Thunderbolt Display had all of the same criticisms that the ASD is going through now, and cost $1000. At the time, that was considered shockingly expensive for a display.
I look at AirPods classic, HomePod mini, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, the colorful iMac, Mac Mini, and the forthcoming rumored colorful MacBooks as the consumer friendly “it just works” part of the ecosystem. Pros have been complaining for the last 10 years that Tim Cook Apple had completely forgotten who helped saved Apple from the brink of death. Now we’re seeing the fruits of that, with more options for Pros than…ever before. Yes they’re much more expensive, and that argument is completely fair. But I think their products cover a spectrum from grandma to professional videographer like never before.
We take them for granted, but AirPods have been that magical product from Tim’s Apple that has revolutionized a category. Everyone has AirPods and it is a beloved product. The same can be said about Apple Watch. Do these products provide the same utility as the Mac, iPhone, or iPad? Absolutely not. But they’ve had some true hits. The M1 Macs are also selling like gangbusters.
We will see what Apple does next. If it truly is all in on AR/VR as the next big category, then I will agree with you that their focus on innovation has narrowed to a niche that is much more catered towards the nerd crowd. But I think 2022 Apple has been doing a great job of filling product line holes and providing options, at last. If they’re not for you, I get that. But I’m glad they’re trying, considering they haven’t been for a long time. I’d rather them swing and miss than not swing at all.
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It's a good quality display, but I'm hard-put to tell any difference against the LG. The Dell Ultrafine actually is better in MANY respects.
They didn't move the needle. The ASD doesn't upgrade anything and it's missing a LOT in the segment while sitting at a very high price point.
While I wait for my new Mac Studio, I'm still using my iMac 27 which has a 5K screen. Right next to it is a Dell UltraFine that's several years old. The Dell is the monitor I do most of the photo work and writing on. Using Photoshop, Final Cut and Final Draft, the 5K gives zero advantage in practical terms and the glossy screen can be fatiguing. That screen forced me to move my desk!
The Dell is just far more versatile. It can be positioned as I like and even has a portrait mode!
Apple should have thrown the kitchen sink at the ASD, provided HDR and a proper stand. Since anyone who wants good sound from a desktop system doesn't waste time with built-in speakers (and the ASD speakers are fairly awful as expected), Apple should have skipped that and offered a proper external speaker system as an add-on that matched the monitor.
Really, there was so much room for Apple to OWN the segment and there is no defending the product beyond the "it looks cool" element.
Yesterday I checked out a Viewsonic VP3881a that a friend suggested. He's a set photographer and a very experienced shooter who also does documentaries. I had doubts that the odd resolution numbers and wide curved screen would be workable, but WOW. He says he'll never go back to a regular screen and I can see why. What an amazing screen. At around 1300 bucks, it's not cheap, but it is now a frontrunner.
Here's a review from Fro-Knows...like me he went in with big doubts.
Robert
I'm not sure how much I can trust a sponsored review of a product. Plus, 109ppi seems like a non starter to me imo. Thats barely more dense than 1080p 24". I can totally see the use case here, but for me this is a worse value than the Studio Display.
You’ve had some pretty crappy Mercedes if you think a Kia is a better car.
My ASD works perfectly fine in portrait mode and it does it automatically. OSD in portrait mode works as it should be. In my LGs when set in portrait mode, the OSD remains in landscape mode and trying to change settings it gets all messed up because it’s really hard to navigate the menus when flipped 90 degrees. I have ZERO regrets going from a pair of LGs 32UN880-B to a pair of ASDs.
Pair of BenQ ScreenBar Halo.
ScreenBar Halo
Fitting most monitors, BenQ ScreenBar Halo is a LED monitor light with an asymmetric optical design and backlight that illuminates the workspace; what's more, the wireless controller saves valuable space and allows you to adjust brightness and color temperature.
www.benq.com
Oh that looks awesome, I need one! I'm guessing by the price, these are basically the best from a performance/design standpoint?Pair of BenQ ScreenBar Halo.
ScreenBar Halo
Fitting most monitors, BenQ ScreenBar Halo is a LED monitor light with an asymmetric optical design and backlight that illuminates the workspace; what's more, the wireless controller saves valuable space and allows you to adjust brightness and color temperature.www.benq.com
These are the best, period!! Expensive, yes!! Are there cheaper alternatives, yes but not even close in performance compared to the ScreenBar Halo. Currently it’s in stock at Amazon!!
BenQ ScreenBar Halo LED Monitor Light - Wireless Controller, Adjustable Brightness & Color Temperature, Eye-Care Light Bar, No Screen Glare, Space Saving, USB Powered
BenQ ScreenBar Halo LED Monitor Light/Lamp with Wireless Controller/Adjustable Brightness and Color Temperature/Eye-Care/No Screen Glare/Space Saving/Curved Monitors/USB Powered(ScreenBar Halo_Grey).
www.amazon.com
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
Awesome, I just placed an order for one. ?These are the best, period!! Expensive, yes!! Are there cheaper alternatives, yes but not even close in performance compared to the ScreenBar Halo. Currently it’s in stock at Amazon!!
BenQ ScreenBar Halo LED Monitor Light - Wireless Controller, Adjustable Brightness & Color Temperature, Eye-Care Light Bar, No Screen Glare, Space Saving, USB Powered
BenQ ScreenBar Halo LED Monitor Light/Lamp with Wireless Controller/Adjustable Brightness and Color Temperature/Eye-Care/No Screen Glare/Space Saving/Curved Monitors/USB Powered(ScreenBar Halo_Grey).www.amazon.com
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
I’ve found that, once I discount all the differences between two products, there’s no longer a difference between them.
/s
Don't be a brand-fan. I've owned 5 Mercedes, among many others. It helps if you know something about cars before making comments.
Hyundai and Kia hired away top designers from BMW M division and Audi. The EV6 and Ioniq 5 are basically walking away with every award, including European car of the year and several others.
I buy quality, not labels. Try driving an EV6 against a Tesla or any other EV under 100K and get back to me., FYI: Kia is now the most reliable brand, finally topping Toyota. Their plan for market dominance has a lot to do with who they've brought in to get it done.
I remember when people laughed at Toyota and Honda. The laughter died over about 10 years, just as it is with Hyundai and Kia. Of course I know cars, so I invest quickly. I picked up a ton of Kia stock in 2019 because I could see what they were doing. Another reason why I can buy whatever I want.
Apple was in very serious talks with Kia regarding the Apple car for a while. The folks at Apple know what Kia is doing better than you do. ;-)
Robert
The accolades for this monitor are almost universal. I'm a pro-photographer shooting with top tier cameras and lenses. I also write. I saw zero issues with text using Final Draft and Pages. Using Premier looked as good as my 4K dell, but with better color. Contrast was fantastic.
I'm not sure where the issue is because my 5K monitor offered virtually no advantages that I could see. The higher specification has to deliver something tangible. I'm shooting Nikon Z7II and Z9 with all S glass. I also watched footage from a Sony F55 and Arri Alexa. It all looked excellent.
Robert
It's pretty obvious reading these posts that whether the ASD is worth its price depends on what you're using it for. I work with text all day and the difference from 4K to 5K in terms of sharpness and eye strain is significant for me. No monitor feature or price is worth it to me to use anything lower than 4K at 27" (~160 PPI).
I bought two ASDs and have been using them for the last month and a half. I've used the main 5K competitors to the ASD, past and present, in the discontinued Dell 5k and the LG 5k Ultrafine. Both regularly had glitchy connection issues, and the Ultrafine had a wobbly stand overall. The ASDs have been perfect so far.
Other than 5K, having a built-in webcam is nice, although I use the microphone alone far more often. I love the single cable for video, microphone, webcam, and speakers compared to having separate components and wires for some/all of these. I have enough other clutter on my desk that it's nice to have those all in one cable. The speakers from two ASDs (setup as a multi-output device) sound incredible.
The fixed height stands are perfect for my desk, but if I needed adjustment I don’t personally see Apple’s height adjustable stand being worth $400 to me. I'm sure it's nice, but for my use I'd probably set the height once and leave it, so I’d get the VESA display option for the ASD instead, and couple it with a tilt/height adjustable stand. I see plenty of regular stand options on Amazon for less than $100 that couple to VESA mounts, so I guess I don’t see the stand as a big issue either way. Likewise, I never unplug the monitor from the display, so the “fixed” power cord, that actually can be removed with force or a tool, isn’t an issue for me either. If I ever need something longer I'll get a suitable extension cord.
If 4K or even 2K monitors at 27+ inches work well for your use case and you don't value the other qualities of the ASD relative to its cost, I envy you since there are a ton of other options available for a lot less money than the ASD. For the rest of us, thankfully there's more than just the LG Ultrafine for 5K now, and in my opinion a few hundred more for the ASD is a great value for what you get. I'm looking forward to using mine for many years to come.
I bought two ASDs and have been using them for the last month and a half. I've used the main 5K competitors to the ASD, past and present, in the discontinued Dell 5k and the LG 5k Ultrafine. Both regularly had glitchy connection issues, and the Ultrafine had a wobbly stand overall. The ASDs have been perfect so far.
Other than 5K, having a built-in webcam is nice, although I use the microphone alone far more often. I love the single cable for video, microphone, webcam, and speakers compared to having separate components and wires for some/all of these. I have enough other clutter on my desk that it's nice to have those all in one cable. The speakers from two ASDs (setup as a multi-output device) sound incredible.
The fixed height stands are perfect for my desk, but if I needed adjustment I don’t personally see Apple’s height adjustable stand being worth $400 to me. I'm sure it's nice, but for my use I'd probably set the height once and leave it, so I’d get the VESA display option for the ASD instead, and couple it with a tilt/height adjustable stand. I see plenty of regular stand options on Amazon for less than $100 that couple to VESA mounts, so I guess I don’t see the stand as a big issue either way. Likewise, I never unplug the monitor from the display, so the “fixed” power cord, that actually can be removed with force or a tool, isn’t an issue for me either. If I ever need something longer I'll get a suitable extension cord.
If 4K or even 2K monitors at 27+ inches work well for your use case and you don't value the other qualities of the ASD relative to its cost, I envy you since there are a ton of other options available for a lot less money than the ASD. For the rest of us, thankfully there's more than just the LG Ultrafine for 5K now, and in my opinion a few hundred more for the ASD is a great value for what you get. I'm looking forward to using mine for many years to come.
I think the stand for some is more “Apple makes a thing so, even with all the options out there, OF COURSE it’s made for me. I just don’t understand why they want to charge me more than I want to pay. Don’t they know that I won’t buy this thing they made for ME if it’s that much?”
im going to nitpick this statement a bit because its far from being absolute as you imply. take the length of this thread as evidence, there are tons of people who want a high quality 5K display yet this isn't doing it. its nowhere near a perfect package.
and running beta software to get acceptable quality out of a mediocre parts bin webcam (a month+ after launch) is hardly the mark of a high quality, premium priced product.
As a screenwriter, eye-strain can certainly be a concern.
But no one had much issues with eyestrain once we got 1080p going on good quality displays. The real issues with eyestrain had more to do with refresh rates, glare and contrast.
The monitor industry loved to promote the whole eyestrain thing for text work, but it was mostly bogus. My Dell 4K monitor is FAR superior to my 5K Mac display primarily because it has a matte screen. There's really nothing ANYONE can see regarding the resolution of fonts, certainly nothing that would strain the human eye.
The killer is that the Dell is also a bit better for photo work and video. I'm not working with amateur gear. We just finished a feature. Footage from Arri Alexa Mini and Sony F55. Again, the Dell (both monitors are calibrated) is the better pick.
When it comes to eyestrain, I blame the highly reflective surface of the Mac displays. Even in a darkened room, there are reflections. We get used to ignoring them, but they're always there and THAT is what can cause eyestrain. 99% of monitor eyestrain has more to do with improper viewing distances and monitor brightness.
Text on the ultra wide Viewsonic looked sharp and crisp. 4K footage looked superb. Most importantly, the colors were excellent and there had been no calibration. Photo's from my cameras are FAR more demanding than text rendering. 8256 x 5504 pixels is a LOT!
Robert
Exactly.
It's is a GOOD display, but FAR FAR FAR from high quality. It has too many compromises and high quality displays costs quite a bit more.
Robert
I didn’t see any post here saying that people want a 5K display that is in any way different than what we got. Most people complain about the high price, the lack of HDR and the lack of Promotion.