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What 30" display options are there?

R

rhuk

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 4, 2010
16
0
I've had 2 x 30" cinema displays hooked up to my mac pro for several years and everything has been great. These monitors have been superb although now they are getting a bit dim and it's very hard to see contrast especially with subtle grey colors. I ordered a new 2010 mac pro, and it's ATI 5870 has 2 x mini display ports, so it seemed a perfect time to replace my aging 30" CDs.

Because the Apple 30" is being discontinued, and the replacement 27" is glossy i decided on a couple of HP ZR30w's for a replacement. They look good and after calibration with my Spyder 3, I thought things were rosy, but there are severe over-saturation problems in all browsers. This makes them unusable to me. It seems the wide-gamut nature of these displays is just too much for OS X 10.6 to handle in any consistent manor.

I'm going to return these but now i'm looking for a viable replacement option for my imminently approaching mac pro. Anyone know of a quality 30" NON-wide-gamut display with display port connections?

Cheers,
 
30 inch

My nearly new DELL 3008 works great on my Mac mini (next latest), but the Mini Display Port to Display Port adapter (non Apple) failed after a while, waiting for a replacement. 3008 has lots of other inputs as well, like two DVI dual link for full resolution.

The single drawback is the need to manually set which input when using it for more than one machine (PC also here, Ubuntu + Win XP).

Worth every penny!
 
Kollis said:
My nearly new DELL 3008 works great on my Mac mini (next latest), but the Mini Display Port to Display Port adapter (non Apple) failed after a while, waiting for a replacement. 3008 has lots of other inputs as well, like two DVI dual link for full resolution.

The single drawback is the need to manually set which input when using it for more than one machine (PC also here, Ubuntu + Win XP).

Worth every penny!
Click to expand...

The 3008 was on my shortlist, but it is a wide-gamut display also. So i'm sure it will have the same problem as these HPs. You don't notice that your reds/oranges are really bright in browsers?
 
skinniezinho said:
Try NEC ones,they got good reviews.
Although I doubt they have mini displayport..maybe displayport only..
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply, but unfortunately all of them are wide-gamut and also dvi-d. Regular displayport would be fine, i already have mini-displayport -> displayport cables ready to go.

It really is not easy finding a viable solution. I've been googling and researching for 2 days straight :(
 
rhuk said:
Thanks for the reply, but unfortunately all of them are wide-gamut and also dvi-d. Regular displayport would be fine, i already have mini-displayport -> displayport cables ready to go.
Click to expand...

Strange because the NEC EA-231WMI has displayport,and it is "low end".
 
apple is still selling the 30" ACD. I just bought one from them and it came in perfect condition and works great. I fully intend to get the 27" LED from them as well and have them work side by side. Do you need the full 1600 resolution? If not why not wait for the LED 27" apple screen?
 
silveradoman01 said:
If not why not wait for the LED 27" apple screen?
Click to expand...

OP doesn't want a glossy screen. Glossy takes some time to get used to because the reflections can be distracting, and some people can't adjust, or they feel that the colors are off.

Personally, I like the glossy in an environment where you can fully control the lighting, but I find it annoying at times.
 
I have something close, the Dell U2711. It's the same panel a being used in the Apple 27" monitor (IPS), but contains a matte screen finish. It has Display Port (regular), 2x DVI, HDMI, and component video connectors. As well as a 2.0 USB hub and flash card readers built in.

I'm very happy with the display quality with it connected to my gaming PC. There are lots of color settings on it where you can adjust to your liking. I recommend this monitor.
 
mfram said:
I have something close, the Dell U2711. It's the same panel a being used in the Apple 27" monitor (IPS), but contains a matte screen finish. It has Display Port (regular), 2x DVI, HDMI, and component video connectors. As well as a 2.0 USB hub and flash card readers built in.

I'm very happy with the display quality with it connected to my gaming PC. There are lots of color settings on it where you can adjust to your liking. I recommend this monitor.
Click to expand...

The U2711 looks promising, but it appears to be wide-gamut also. Have you had any problems with over-saturation especially in reds/oranges on the web???
 
I would say NEC is your best option. They are a true professionals monitor. If I didnt want all my equipment to match (or fall for the 30" awesomeness) I would have gone with NEC.
 
silveradoman01 said:
I would say NEC is your best option. They are a true professionals monitor. If I didnt want all my equipment to match (or fall for the 30" awesomeness) I would have gone with NEC.
Click to expand...

The NEC professional displays are nothing short of awesome. Great quality, great features, *5 year* warranty. But they do cost a lot (sometimes 2x cheaper brands).
 
rhuk said:
The 3008 was on my shortlist, but it is a wide-gamut display also. So i'm sure it will have the same problem as these HPs. You don't notice that your reds/oranges are really bright in browsers?
Click to expand...


I changed some manual colour settings and are satisfied with the results. Dabbling with digital photography, I can come in with a sunset fresh in MY memory, and the pictures look quite right on the 3008 a few minutes after.

But as others have mentioned there are new products coming, may be worth waiting for.
I'll stick with what I've got for some years.
 
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