Studio Display with nano-texture glass - pros and cons?

[MacFin]

Thanks for the comment on cleaning the nano-texture displays, really appreciate it!

I used to have a 2015 5K iMac and now my current setup is Mac Mini + 4K display from BenQ which works fine, but I really want to upgrade to Mac Studio & Studio Display combo.

Like many people have said the nano-texture does indeed make the text look fuzzy and mudded which worries me since I'm a photographer. I have seen both glass and nano versions at the Apple stores and I'm not sure if I could ever get used to the nano-texture "finish" at the end. And this is only because I will be always comparing the display to my ex 5K iMac.

My old iMac was always next to a window and I wasn't too bothered by the reflections so I think even standard Studio Display would do. But I do like the idea of having a matt finish since I do print stuff and a matted screen definitely helps when you try to colour match stuff.

I don't know if this is true but some people have said you don't notice the blurriness of the nano-texture display if you just watch it a bit further away. Can anyone comment on that one? Someone even said they got used to the "blurriness" after a week or two so I'm not sure what to think of that either.

 

[928S]

Thanks for the comment on cleaning the nano-texture displays, really appreciate it!

I used to have a 2015 5K iMac and now my current setup is Mac Mini + 4K display from BenQ which works fine, but I really want to upgrade to Mac Studio & Studio Display combo.

Like many people have said the nano-texture does indeed make the text look fuzzy and mudded which worries me since I'm a photographer. I have seen both glass and nano versions at the Apple stores and I'm not sure if I could ever get used to the nano-texture "finish" at the end. And this is only because I will be always comparing the display to my ex 5K iMac.

My old iMac was always next to a window and I wasn't too bothered by the reflections so I think even standard Studio Display would do. But I do like the idea of having a matt finish since I do print stuff and a matted screen definitely helps when you try to colour match stuff.

I don't know if this is true but some people have said you don't notice the blurriness of the nano-texture display if you just watch it a bit further away. Can anyone comment on that one? Someone even said they got used to the "blurriness" after a week or two so I'm not sure what to think of that either.

I use an MBP 14" 2021 with liquid display (glossy but fantastic) at home and at the office an iMac 27" 2020 nano-textured and I'm not aware of the supposed "blurriness", I just don't see it. I'm 52 Y.O. maybe it's also a matter of eyes aging if I'm not disturbed by the nano-texture. Maybe vision of young people can notice this "blurriness" more than older people, I don't know... But since I can remember, I never liked the glossy displays and on the other hand I have been always attracted by mat ones.

 

[Aboo]

Here is a comparison photo- nano on right, standard on left. Both are studio displays.

 

[awintersdaybyth]

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[fromgophonetoiphone]

Having gone back temporarily to a 1440p display with anti glare coating (was using LG 5K), I do wonder if the blurriness is solely the resolution alone or if it's a combination of resolution + the coating. Many people seem totally fine with 1440p, but my eyes tell me it's not great.

I'm starting to doubt my nano glass order. I might have to head back into the store. I do recall seeing a difference in sharpness, but I also can't say if it was that big of a deal for me. I may have to evaluate with a sharper/more critical eye.

 

[Arctic Moose]

Having gone back temporarily to a 1440p display with anti glare coating (was using LG 5K), I do wonder if the blurriness is solely the resolution alone or if it's a combination of resolution + the coating. Many people seem totally fine with 1440p, but my eyes tell me it's not great.

1440p is never going to be sharp unless the display is smaller than 14", regardless of screen finish. Besides, the nano-texture is just that, textured glass, not a coating, so I don't really think you can come to any conclusions from that comparison.

 

[fromgophonetoiphone]

1440p is never going to be sharp unless the display is smaller than 14", regardless of screen finish. Besides, the nano-texture is just that, textured glass, not a coating, so I don't really think you can come to any conclusions from that comparison.

Fair. I have seen the Nano in person though, and it certainly looks less sharp than a glossy display. While it may not be exactly the same as my matte U2717D, I think in many ways the principles are still similar--a matte surface is going to disperse light more and so you get less sharp text.

So even within 1440p I do wonder if a non-matte screen may be more acceptable for others.

Edit: I setup a Dell U2717D and ATD. The former has an antiglare coating where the latter is glossy (more similar to ASD). Definitely the matte display with text will appear a little more fuzzy.

I spent some more time at an Apple Store yesterday to evaluate and yeah, the Nano display is definitely not as sharp as the glossy version. It gets worse if you get oils on it, so cleaning it is very important. The reflections are bad in an Apple store, especially the stores with floor to ceiling windows to the outside, so you already have your worst case test for glossy screens. In most indoor lighting I think standard glass will be fine. Even newer homes that are built with more light, I suspect it'll never be as bright as those all glass Apple stores with floor to ceiling windows and much taller than your average home's floor. Indoors, I can notice the ATD's reflections, but it's never bothered me unless I focus on it.

 

[928S]

Side by side, a MBP 2021 14" & the ASD with nano texture. There is a big window which faces the displays...

 

[Jeremy Chone]

Day one with a Studio Display with nano-texture glass (coming off two LG 5K UltraFines) and I can't imagine I will make it a week before returning it. I sit in front of bright windows in sunny Florida and I assumed the nano-texture would help, and while it does eliminate reflections I can't stand the lack of color depth and the tiny bit of blurriness the texture adds. I can see the texture everywhere (it is almost like looking at paper) and my 12.9" M1 iPad Pro sitting next to the Studio Display looks so much better. Of course that is Mini-LED so not perfectly comparable but until Apple introduces a monitor that looks as good as the iPad I am sticking to the LG's.

yes. same here. In fact, I did not have much glare but just wanted the better option. But the blurriness is distracting. I am returning it to get the standard glass.

 

[Maruks]

I have Apple LED Cinema Display , 24-inch (1920 × 1200) from 2009.

Is ASD less reflective than the LED Cinema Display? I am not sure if I should go for nano glass.

I am going to have a new MBP soon. Is there an adapter that would allow me to use my Cinema Display with a modern (M1) MBP? It doesn't have mini display port AFAIK. Do you think I should upgrade to ASD?

 

[Arctic Moose]

Is there an adapter that would allow me to use my Cinema Display with a modern (M1) MBP? It doesn't have mini display port AFAIK. Do you think I should upgrade to ASD?

Yes, there are adapters for USB-C to mini-DP.

(For a cleaner setup you could just get a replacement cable with what you need at either end.)

 

[cczhu]

I have Apple LED Cinema Display , 24-inch (1920 × 1200) from 2009.

Is ASD less reflective than the LED Cinema Display? I am not sure if I should go for nano glass.

I am going to have a new MBP soon. Is there an adapter that would allow me to use my Cinema Display with a modern (M1) MBP? It doesn't have mini display port AFAIK. Do you think I should upgrade to ASD?

Yes, ASD is less reflective IMO. I have Thunderbolt Display and glossy ASD. ASD has way less issues with reflection. But obviously this depends on the lighting situation and your perception.

 

[CubeApril]

Went into the Apple Store this weekend, and saw the two side by side. The nano display was pretty danged impressive at controlling reflections, but the glossy was better than I'd thought it would be. Given how fuzzy the nano looked for someone who works with text all day, I'm really on the fence.

Does anybody know how well the ASD glossy compares to the new MBPs with reflections? My U2720s are... okayish, my MBP is right on the edge of too reflecty, and my iPad Pro is so reflective that it's hard to use at times. If it's a good deal better than the new MBPs, that would probably be good enough in my setup.

Thanks!

 

[928S]

Went into the Apple Store this weekend, and saw the two side by side. The nano display was pretty danged impressive at controlling reflections, but the glossy was better than I'd thought it would be. Given how fuzzy the nano looked for someone who works with text all day, I'm really on the fence.

Does anybody know how well the ASD glossy compares to the new MBPs with reflections? My U2720s are... okayish, my MBP is right on the edge of too reflecty, and my iPad Pro is so reflective that it's hard to use at times. If it's a good deal better than the new MBPs, that would probably be good enough in my setup.

Thanks!

I hope it can help... The displays are in front of this big window. The ASD is nano-texture, the MBP is a 2021 model, 14".

 

[CubeApril]

Oh yeah, I definitely think the nano-texture display will work in my space; I was hoping to see a glossy ASD next to a MBP in a brightly lit room.

But thank you.

 

[CubeApril]

I was finally able to get into the Apple store and see the glossy Studio Display and the MBP side by side. The Studio Display definitely controls reflections better than the MBP, although it was pretty astonishing how much better the nano-texture did in that regards.

 

[xraydoc]

View attachment 2025481I was finally able to get into the Apple store and see them side by side. The Studio Display definitely controls reflections better than the MBP, although it was pretty astonishing how much better the nano-texture did in that regards.

Which one is in your picture? The nano texture?

 

[CubeApril]

Which one is in your picture? The nano texture?

That’s the Glossy. The nano texture had almost no reflections at all, but I still didn’t like how fuzzy the text looked on it.

 

[Arctic Moose]

Oh yeah, I definitely think the nano-texture display will work in my space; I was hoping to see a glossy ASD next to a MBP in a brightly lit room.

Here you go.

Screens on, 100% brightness:

Screens sleeping:

My verdict:

The nano-texture is absolutely worth the sharpness compromise. The nano-texture is definitely a little fuzzier, but not enough that it bothers me. I really hate glare, and the nano-texture removes this entirely, while on the standard glass I definitely get distracted by it every now and then, especially when transitioning to a dark background.

I am keeping this setup, and will simply choose a primary monitor based on the current lighting conditions.

I find the glare on the standard-glass ASD and the 14" equally distracting.

 

[CubeApril]

Wow, that picture is absolutely fantastic. Thank you so much!

 

[Lioness~]

Here you go.

Screens on, 100% brightness:

View attachment 2025761

Screens sleeping:

View attachment 2025762

My verdict:

The nano-texture is absolutely worth the sharpness compromise. The nano-texture is definitely a little fuzzier, but not enough that it bothers me. I really hate glare, and the nano-texture removes this entirely, while on the standard glass I definitely get distracted by it every now and then, especially when transitioning to a dark background.

I am keeping this setup, and will simply choose a primary monitor based on the current lighting conditions.

I find the glare on the standard-glass ASD and the 14" equally distracting.

Thanks for letting us see the difference between the nano and the standard close up.
I am beyond all doubts that standard was and is 100% right for me. So next display will be the same.
I am not sure I even like the nano 😉 Not for my needs.
But I understand why it can be very suitable for some people and situations.

I can imagine if you have light going into the display that it can be a reason for choosing the nano, from my perspective.
The light that comes into my work place hits the display from behind from windows, and other lights in the room that is changeable, and not directed into them, so I am all good.

 

[DMG35]

A couple of years ago I purchased the 27" iMac with the Nano texture. It was an amazing screen and the amount of glare it got rid of was astonishing. But, text on it was just too blurry for my liking and I started getting headaches after just using the iMac for a few days. I truly loved the way it looked but it just strained my eyes too much.

 

[fromgophonetoiphone]

Re-thinking the glossy vs matte debate more. MacBooks have been glossy for some time. When you take a photo of the screen it's very noticeably glossy. Yet most of the time we don't complain about it when using the actual device--I think glossiness is more noticeable when you're trying to look at the scene itself, but when you're using the computer... it's hardly noticeable for most people.

Thus while ASD glossy will likely have a lot of reflections, you have to ask yourself if that's what your eyes are focusing on when you're doing work or not. For most of us I think focusing on screen content means less focus on the reflections/glare.

 

[Arctic Moose]

Yet most of the time we don't complain about it when using the actual device--I think glossiness is more noticeable when you're trying to look at the scene itself, but when you're using the computer... it's hardly noticeable for most people.

I noticed, and complained. A lot.

I bought the last MacBook Pro that had an "anti-glare" (i.e. not glossy) option, that was also higher resolution (1680x1050 instead of the standard 1440x900) in 2010.

I used this as my only laptop way, way beyond its best-before-date, only due to the screen.

When I finally caved and got a new one in 2016 I hated the screen so much that I put an anti-glare film on it, which made text so fuzzy it could just as well have been non-retina. I sold it in disgust.

 

[rkuo]

Here you go.

Screens on, 100% brightness:

View attachment 2025761

Screens sleeping:

View attachment 2025762

My verdict:

The nano-texture is absolutely worth the sharpness compromise. The nano-texture is definitely a little fuzzier, but not enough that it bothers me. I really hate glare, and the nano-texture removes this entirely, while on the standard glass I definitely get distracted by it every now and then, especially when transitioning to a dark background.

I am keeping this setup, and will simply choose a primary monitor based on the current lighting conditions.

I find the glare on the standard-glass ASD and the 14" equally distracting.

I mean in general I would never put a direct light source opposite my monitor. I’m not sure if you have a specific situation that requires what you’re doing but of course if that source of light is there all the time then you’re going to want to mitigate it with anti-glare or otherwise. Or maybe just turning the light off?