MBP: Glossy or Matte?

[NewSc2]

I have a Powerbook and a Macbook, and I can say I prefer the Macbook's glossy screen.

To everybody who said they're scared of the glare outside -- I've tried using both outside, and the Powerbook is harder to see. Not because of the reflection, but just because the colors are so dull. I literally end up having to shade the screen in some form or another to even read text decently (even on the highest contrast setting). Glare is bad either way -- try looking at a matte screen with sun shining on it -- it's not pleasant.

The glare on the glossy screen is pretty comparable to that of a CRT -- which none of us ever complained about. It's there if you focus on it, but if you're not it disappears.

 

[tarjan]

You must turn the lights out to color balance properly, otherwise you are measuring spurious light and not the laptop screwing up the lower ire values. Once done you can of course turn the lights back on!

Its just the measurement phase where the light must be completely eliminated.

 

[CaptainCaveMann]

I have a Powerbook and a Macbook, and I can say I prefer the Macbook's glossy screen.

To everybody who said they're scared of the glare outside -- I've tried using both outside, and the Powerbook is harder to see. Not because of the reflection, but just because the colors are so dull. I literally end up having to shade the screen in some form or another to even read text decently (even on the highest contrast setting). Glare is bad either way -- try looking at a matte screen with sun shining on it -- it's not pleasant.

The glare on the glossy screen is pretty comparable to that of a CRT -- which none of us ever complained about. It's there if you focus on it, but if you're not it disappears.

A CRT isnt portable! You dont have the same type of situations to deal with when you have a CRT. With a laptop you have many different lighting conditions your exposed to.

 

[wmmk]

i was about to ask about color calibration on glossy screens when i saw tarjan and dpaalka's little debate. could someone else please make a fairly definitive verdict using outside facts on this issue, please? thanks. it may save me $650 and 2 uneeded inches of screen real estate

 

[NewSc2]

A CRT isnt portable! You dont have the same type of situations to deal with when you have a CRT. With a laptop you have many different lighting conditions your exposed to.

Some people in here were making the point that a glossy screen inside a room with lights on was too glare-y for their tastes... was just trying to make a point.

Regardless, outside, glossy is still easier for me to see, just because the colors are more vivid and I'm usually not sitting with the sun right behind my head. However, sitting outside in direct/indirect sunlight, both are really hard to read.

 

[da5id]

I've demoed both, and I (slightly) prefer the glossy. The glare doesn't seem to be a problem (although it's still there), and it does seem brighter. I'm still a little reluctant to go with the glossy because I know matte won't dissappoint while, perhaps, in my specific user enviroment, the glossy will become less than ideal.

Does anyone have an opinion on DVD use? Our laptop is our only DVD player, and gets lots of use. Would matte or glossy be better for watching movies? (Which would be in a darker room.)

/sorry for the double post

 

[jaxon]

Well i just ordered my new CD2 MBP with a glossy. I hope i made the rite choice. I'll pretty much be useing it for everything, video/photo editing, school stuff, games/movies. And will be useing it in all possible enviroments, includeing one with allot of head on light.

Is there like a matte screen cover of sorts you can pop on there in the future if you decide glossy just isn't your thing?

 

[jaxon]

I think this picute here (not mine) pretty much ends the discussion about glossy vs. matte outdoors.

 

[noopinion]

anti-glare film

Has anyone tried one of those anti-glare films? I like the glossy over the matte and thought that, worst case scenario, if I end up hating it later I can always just get one of those anti-glare films.

Link:
http://www.powersupportusa.com/products/ef.php?category=pb

Looks like they have a "glossy film" so maybe you can go the other way, too?

 

[millerrh]

I think this picute here (not mine) pretty much ends the discussion about glossy vs. matte outdoors.

What a great comparison shot! I do some photo editing so accurate color representation is important to me. Assuming colors have accurate saturation when calibrated, I believe I'd love the clarity of the glossy display. Man...just a dilemma. Think I'll have to make a run to the Apple store tomorrow and see if this in person.

Most of my editing will be done on a 23" cinema display anyway.

 

[doubledangerbat]

I've had a powerbook for 18 months now (matte) and I had a Dell (glossy). I prefer the matte because when I'm looking at it, I don't get distracted by little smudges, small reflections, my own face reflection (lol), etc. that I did with the dell. The color was a bit more "rich", but it seemed too much sometimes.

I just ordered my new C2D with a matte and then thought about Apple in general...

The Cinema Displays don't come in glossy, do they? Wouldn't Apple put the best screen on a stand alone display?

Just a thought, not saying it's true that matte is better. In honesty, it's all about preference.

 

[dpaanlka]

I think this picute here (not mine) pretty much ends the discussion about glossy vs. matte outdoors.

Right... tons of reflection in the glossy and a faded look on the matte.

Now bring those indoors, and you have tons of reflection on the glossy still, but you have perfect picture on the matte.

Now where do you do more work? Indoors or outdoors?

 

[jaxon]

i went to best buy and compared the macbooks glossy too an imacs matte and decided i kinda liked the matte better, i have lots of time to think now that i;ve broken my collar bone, so i cancelled my order and got the matte cd2 mbp instead, i just didn't likr how the reflections got in the way wheb photoediting, which is a big enough deal for me.

sorry for crappy typinhg, i can only type with one hand now, others in a sling, i'm getting so pro sat it too.

 

[millerrh]

i went to best buy and compared the macbooks glossy too an imacs matte and decided i kinda liked the matte better, i have lots of time to think now that i;ve broken my collar bone, so i cancelled my order and got the matte cd2 mbp instead, i just didn't likr how the reflections got in the way wheb photoediting, which is a big enough deal for me.

sorry for crappy typinhg, i can only type with one hand now, others in a sling, i'm getting so pro sat it too.

So the reflections are bad enough to be a distraction during photo editing, eh? That's one of the things I'm worried about since I'll be doing lots of that.

Any photographers out there who PREFER to use a glossy screen for photo editing? If so, why?

 

[skipsandwichdx]

Right... tons of reflection in the glossy and a faded look on the matte.

Now bring those indoors, and you have tons of reflection on the glossy still, but you have perfect picture on the matte.

Now where do you do more work? Indoors or outdoors?

It's not just outdoors- ANY amount of ambient light (a well-lit room) will exhibit the same effect. No one's trying to say either is better, but each have their strengths.

 

[millerrh]

It's not just outdoors- ANY amount of ambient light (a well-lit room) will exhibit the same effect. No one's trying to say either is better, but each have their strengths.

I'm trying to figure out which is better so I know what to order!

 

[skipsandwichdx]

Personally, the washing out annoys me more than reflections. I don't find it too difficult to focus on the screen rather than a reflection- most people blow this way out of proportion or have trouble focusing. If something is reflecting, I can either move it or turn the brightness up a little. However, the lights are overhead most of the time, so this isn't an issue for me.

With the matte MBP screen, I generally set brightness higher to compensate for the ambient washing it out a bit. But a lamp behind me wouldn't be an issue. It looked "softer" than the glossy.

You should probably look at both in an Apple store and consider the lighting of where you'll use it most. Color settings can be changed, so the "glossy is oversaturated" argument isn't terribly valid.

 

[meepm00pmeep]

i use my MBP mainly indoors and i prefer matte over glossy.

 

[millerrh]

Personally, the washing out annoys me more than reflections. I don't find it too difficult to focus on the screen rather than a reflection- most people blow this way out of proportion or have trouble focusing. If something is reflecting, I can either move it or turn the brightness up a little. However, the lights are overhead most of the time, so this isn't an issue for me.

With the matte MBP screen, I generally set brightness higher to compensate for the ambient washing it out a bit. But a lamp behind me wouldn't be an issue. It looked "softer" than the glossy.

You should probably look at both in an Apple store and consider the lighting of where you'll use it most. Color settings can be changed, so the "glossy is oversaturated" argument isn't terribly valid.

I'm planning on taking a trip to the Apple store today with a USB drive full of photos to check them both out. But I really don't know if I'll get the finer points of how the screen gloss will affect photo editing at the store. I'm sure I'd learn to live with and be happy with whichever I end up getting.

By the way, no idea if this is valid or not, but a friend of mine who works at Dell says the glossy screens are in all ways better for almost anything. I asked him why professional larger monitors are always matte and his response was that it was purely a price thing. That glossy monitors are actually much more expensive. But as prices drop, manufacturers are switching to this newer (better) technology.

The other thing I was thinking about is that a glossy screen might better represent how a glossy photo would look after you print it. That fact would kind of make me lean towards the glossy screen....might be truer to the print actually.

 

[dpaanlka]

I really don't get this washed out argument.

Look around you... how many objects in real life are glossy?

 

[millerrh]

I really don't get this washed out argument.

Look around you... how many objects in real life are glossy?

That right there is a great point.

 

[dpaanlka]

That right there is a great point.

Right, so lets say you have a photo of a glossy object. Because of the way cameras take pictures, it will *pick-up* the glossy look because of light, reflections, etc. On a bright, high contrast matte LCD, you can clearly see that the object in the photograph is glossy.

Now lets take a photograph of a normal, non-glossy object. A glossy LCD will add an artificial glossyness to it that cannot be removed because, by definition, you have a glossy LCD.

You really, really should get a matte display if you plan on doing photo editing. When you see them in person, there just as bright and high in contrast as the glossy displays, only minus the reflection and stuff. That above photograph is a terrible comparison for anything other than outdoors (yes matte displays do look like that outside). Besides, those old 12" PowerBooks had pretty dim displays compared to current MacBook Pros.

Also something to consider - what high end professional studio display is glossy? I challenge anybody to find me one.

There must be a reason why the highest end displays are never glossy.

 

[Maximus434]

CRT monitors are glossy. There are high end CRT monitors.

Did anyone ever complain when using CRTs for the past 10+ years? No. I don't remember anyone pulling their hair out over the gloss. How did having a CRT a few years back make you produce bad/non "colour true" pictures?

The reality is, it didn't. So the matte over glossy point is moot.

And if you ARE a professional, you should be using high end pro monitors, not low contrast laptop screens. And despite what you might think, the Macbook Pro screen is not pro grade.

So I'm getting the best all round - a vibrant/sharper looking glossy display, with gloss that never bothered or distracted me (nor most people), and if I want to go pro I will buy a good quality external screen.

 

[dpaanlka]

CRT monitors are glossy. There are high end CRT monitors.

Did anyone ever complain when using CRTs for the past 10+ years? No. I don't remember anyone pulling their hair out over the gloss. How did having a CRT a few years back make you produce bad/non "colour true" pictures?

Well obviously you weren't around for the past 10+ years, because there is a HUGE after-market of glare-reducing products for CRT displays. Also, I have never seen a professional CRT with anywhere near the level of glare that the new *glossy* laptop screens are at. CRT manufacturers spent years and years and millions trying to reduce the glare on CRT displays, and now suddenly everybody wants more glare?

What do you think those huge CRT hoods were for???

And if you ARE a professional, you should be using high end pro monitors, not low contrast laptop screens. And despite what you might think, the Macbook Pro screen is not pro grade.

The point is, that there is some reason why professionals do not use glossy displays, so wouldn't it be best to try and not have a glossy display on your laptop as well? It being a laptop is suddenly an excuse to have the worst display possible? Is that what you're saying?

 

[Megaman]

I think this picute here (not mine) pretty much ends the discussion about glossy vs. matte outdoors.

Not really. Since then, Apple updated the brightness of the display.