Thinking of purchasing a 24" Cinema Display...

[Ash9414]

So I found a used Apple 24" Cinema Display for around £400, and was wondering whether it would be a good purchase for me. I'm going to university soon and I'm going to need a display to use for my 13" MBP and perhaps my PS3. Am I able to connect my PS3 to this display? And will the audio also be outputted?

Following on, will there be any degradation in the quality of the image over the years that it has already been used by another person? And will the quality be comparable to that of the MBP screen but on a much larger display?

I know I have a lot of questions, but I've never bought a display before, especially one this expensive.

Thanks for any replies.

 

[visim91]

So I found a used Apple 24" Cinema Display for around £400, and was wondering whether it would be a good purchase for me. I'm going to university soon and I'm going to need a display to use for my 13" MBP and perhaps my PS3. Am I able to connect my PS3 to this display? And will the audio also be outputted?

Following on, will there be any degradation in the quality of the image over the years that it has already been used by another person? And will the quality be comparable to that of the MBP screen but on a much larger display?

I know I have a lot of questions, but I've never bought a display before, especially one this expensive.

Thanks for any replies.

Just bought one myself. It's perfect, basically new. It has been used thoroughly for the past 2-3 years, but the cosmetic condition, color and brightness all remain intact. As long as you have found a reliable seller, go for it, it is a great companion for the MacBook.

 

[Ash9414]

Just bought one myself. It's perfect, basically new. It has been used thoroughly for the past 2-3 years, but the cosmetic condition, color and brightness all remain intact. As long as you have found a reliable seller, go for it, it is a great companion for the MacBook.

Ahh, thank you! Out of curiosity, where did you buy yours?

 

[visim91]

Ahh, thank you! Out of curiosity, where did you buy yours?

Craigslist - I was able to take a nice long look at the display prior to paying; certainly ideal. The seller even had 1 month of AppleCare left, which I promptly took advantage of - taking the the monitor to the Apple Store for a nice check-up (be sure to have an actual reason as to why you want the monitor diagnosed, of course). Mine had a slight buzz, later attributed to an overworked fan. All taken care of.
Ultimately, the whole local arrangement worked out quite well and I hope the same for you; it is a great display, just remain prudent.

 

[Ash9414]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

Ahh, thank you! Out of curiosity, where did you buy yours?

Craigslist - I was able to take a nice long look at the display prior to paying; certainly ideal. The seller even had 1 month of AppleCare left, which I promptly took advantage of - taking the the monitor to the Apple Store for a nice check-up (be sure to have an actual reason as to why you want the monitor diagnosed, of course). Mine had a slight buzz, later attributed to an overworked fan. All taken care of.
Ultimately, the whole local arrangement worked out quite well and I hope the same for you; it is a great display, just remain prudent.

Well the one I've found is on eBay. I've asked the seller a few questions and it seems like he genuinely knows about the display and has a reason to sell. He's listed the item as pick up only so I guess this will give me a good chance to look over the display before handing over the money.

 

[visim91]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)



Well the one I've found is on eBay. I've asked the seller a few questions and it seems like he genuinely knows about the display and has a reason to sell. He's listed the item as pick up only so I guess this will give me a good chance to look over the display before handing over the money.

Sounds good to me; how much is he asking?

 

[jamesr19]

I'd say you're better off buying a different monitor because to connect your ps3 to it will be another £100 as you need a special adapter and the display is only 1080p. I've got a 1920x1200 display (Samsung 2443BW - £200) which is great for working. It supports dvi and vga. I've got a £5 DVI switch off eBay so can connect my MBA to the display and also ps3 (HDMI -> DVI) with the click of a single button. USB hub is about £7. The only reason to get the ACD is for the looks but I don't think it's worth an extra £200-£300!

And with the PS3 on the 1920x1200 res it is a little stretched (vertically) but nothing significant. Is great for working on though as you have extra real estate

 

[Ash9414]

First of all, the 24" Cinema Display does have a resolution of 1920 x 1200. I'm not sure if you typed something different from what you meant but you seem to contradict yourself. :/

I've had a look at those adapters and still don't really understand whether it is truly possible to do what I would like or not. The problem with most reviews etc are they are not that specific in most cases unfortunately.

I've looked at other brands of monitor before but I could never get myself to buy something that I deemed to be "not the best" because there was always the Apple Cinema Display at the back of my mind. I know it's a lot of money but I've been saving for a while and now it's come to it I need to make sure I'm making the right decision.

Also, are there any key differences between the 24" and the new 27"?

----------

Sounds good to me; how much is he asking?

I mentioned the price in the original post aha. Does £400 sound like a good deal? He has confirmed that it is in pristine condition so hopefully it should look and work as new.

 

[visim91]

Sure, that price seems fair, I paid around the same.

Here is a great solution for the PS3 connectivity concern:
http://www.atlona.com/ATLONA-HDMI-MINI-DISPLAYPORT-TO-MINI-DISPLAYPORT-SCALER-AND-SWITCHER.html

To be honest, there is little difference between the current 27" line and the 24" other than the Thunderbolt port and resolution.
The resolution is naturally going to be less than that of a 27" monitor. Truly speaking, if Apple still had the 24" Display available today - the specs would be exactly the same, only there would be a Thunderport.

I for one do not benefit from either of these updates to the Cinema Display line due to space constraints and a lack of a Thunderbolt-enabled Mac.

Again, be prudent and sure of yourself before making a final decision. I choose Apple because I have extremely discriminating taste aesthetically as to how my desktop should be arranged. Certainly, there are more viable options for PS3 (HDMI-ready) monitors. Ultimately, it all comes down to your taste and preferences.

 

[Ash9414]

Sure, that price seems fair, I paid around the same.

Here is a great solution for the PS3 connectivity concern:
http://www.atlona.com/ATLONA-HDMI-MINI-DISPLAYPORT-TO-MINI-DISPLAYPORT-SCALER-AND-SWITCHER.html

To be honest, there is little difference between the current 27" line and the 24" other than the Thunderbolt port and resolution.
The resolution is naturally going to be less than that of a 27" monitor. Truly speaking, if Apple still had the 24" Display available today - the specs would be exactly the same, only there would be a Thunderport.

I for one do not benefit from either of these updates to the Cinema Display line due to space constraints and a lack of a Thunderbolt-enabled Mac.

Again, be prudent and sure of yourself before making a final decision. I choose Apple because I have extremely discriminating taste aesthetically as to how my desktop should be arranged. Certainly, there are more viable options for PS3 (HDMI-ready) monitors. Ultimately, it all comes down to your taste and preferences.

I meant the non-thunderbolt display that Apple also sells, but yes, I've had a look and there seems to be no difference apart from the physical size. I think I'm going to take a chance and hopefully it pays off. I've always wanted one of these magnificent displays and it seems this will be my best opportunity. It also means spending money on a Magic Mouse and wireless keyboard too haha.

Regarding the converter you posted, I had previously looked at how that worked but it seems you can't purchase one in the UK. :/

 

[visim91]

I meant the non-thunderbolt display that Apple also sells, but yes, I've had a look and there seems to be no difference apart from the physical size. I think I'm going to take a chance and hopefully it pays off. I've always wanted one of these magnificent displays and it seems this will be my best opportunity. It also means spending money on a Magic Mouse and wireless keyboard too haha.

Regarding the converter you posted, I had previously looked at how that worked but it seems you can't purchase one in the UK. :/

Have you tried purchasing one directly from the site? I put in the zip code for Tottenham after picking the United Kingdom and it provided me with shipping costs, albeit expensive ones ($50-60).
At any rate, good luck with the purchase.

 

[Ash9414]

Have you tried purchasing one directly from the site? I put in the zip code for Tottenham after picking the United Kingdom and it provided me with shipping costs, albeit expensive ones ($50-60).
At any rate, good luck with the purchase.

Oh, I see. It seems the price of the display has gone up to £450. :/ Is it still worth it? I'm unsure on what to do now lol.

 

[visim91]

Oh, I see. It seems the price of the display has gone up to £450. :/ Is it still worth it? I'm unsure on what to do now lol.

It's hard for me to say; our currencies being different, I can't be sure.

However, I did do a quick check on Ebay.uk (completed listings) and found the typical range to be 350 - 450£: the higher priced products typically sold with the original box and/or were in "new" condition.

I want to avoid pigeonholing you into a purchase of this magnitude; truly, I can't and shouldn't tell you whether or not to buy this Display.

Were I in your situation, I would set a limit, perhaps 400-425£ - granted they provide the original packaging. This is not a range you should adopt, it is one which I personally find comfortable; you should determine the same.

Lastly, I am not aware of your financial capability. If there are other things you could spend or save for, keep them in mind. Remember, this is not the only opportunity you will have to obtain this Display.