YouTuber Compares Apple Pro Display XDR to $43K Sony Reference Monitor, Says It's a 'No Go' for Professional Colorists

[warp9]

I'm a bit confused. I get that as a creator you want the best you can do. Makes sense, you want that extraordinary lens flare, add it in and you'll see it on an expensive reference monitor. But us consumers that are going to just be watching what you did will never see that slightly increased flare because our panels generally are exponentially worse than what you just created it on. Didn't that happen with GoT? They can see all the dark details on their reference monitors, but when it hit consumers, we couldn't see squat. So what is it referencing to if the majority aren't even using what is considered a reference?

30 years ago, my reference monitor was considerably worse than your current tv set, but consumers are still watching what was produced back then. If we designed on consumer televisions (or even mid-range pro sets), those shows would be embarrassingly bad now.

The point is to create the best possible original that you can. Where it ends up-- and when it ends up-- is not something a creator can control so plan for the best and expect the worst.

 

[MEJHarrison]

Citation?

Previous page, post #85.

 

[x-evil-x]

Lots of sanity. A monitor that costs $43k is better than a monitor that cost $6. Apple never said the xdr could replace a $43k monitor apple used the word compete.

If you were about to invest in a high quality monitor your choices were $43k or ? Now you choices are $43k or $6k.

Apple produced a monitor for 6000$ a 2000$ 65” tv can do better

 

[timborama]

A monitor that costs 9x more is better? Wow.

A monitor that costs 1/9th tries to compete. Good luck Apple.

 

[BODYBUILDERPAUL]

Random person on YouTube. Let’s hold of for real reviews.

Whilst I'm not into his reviews, he is a professional calibrator so I guess he knows the field in a geeky kind of way

 

[x-evil-x]

Yup, Apple made the comparison, so it basically set itself up for this sort of criticism. The YouTuber seemed quite fair in his assessment. I'm no professional and I can barely tell the difference but he explained it very well and I see where he was coming from. He can run right out and buy that $43,000 Sony reference monitor if that's what he actually needs. I'm not sure how many home-based professionals can afford a $40,000+ reference monitor, but it shouldn't be difficult for a corporation or studio to manage that cost. There are probably used reference monitors available, too, for a lower price. I enjoyed listening to him explain what it takes to create a high-end reference monitor. I didn't find any bias in this YouTuber's comments and it seems he just told it like it is.

Heck, although I could afford the Apple Pro Display XDR it's more than what I would ever need just to watch videos on. Although I have to admit, it looks pretty sweet. Of course, I would rather get a desk-mounted VESA set-up with a floating arm that I find much more useful than Apple's fixed stand.

Apple needs to be careful with its marketing for products if they're going to have some credibility, but I'm sure Apple must have known it could get away with stretching these claims. The Pro Display XDR may not be equal to a $40,000 reference monitor, but it's probably a decent monitor for its $5,000 price. So, It's not a display for professional colorists, but I suppose it's suitable enough for other types of professionals.

It doesn’t take someone with perfect vision to see how bad the black levels are on the Apple display. Comparing the two is a joke. let alone the very low contrast of apples display. This monitor is a lot of hype with not much backing imo
But it sure does look pretty. That’s about it.

 

[bn-7bc]

Reviewer compares a $5k display with a 43K one, finds the $43K onevway better, No ****!,I shuld bldy hope so at a factor of 9 price difference, or the 40K one would be a scam. Mebe app'es pr department shuld calm down a bit
Edit: corrected a few numbers and a typo

 

[kiranmk2]

Very strange that Apple don't have calibration software. Vincent can normally tease out the best from most displays by calibrating them so this screen could have likely performed better. Still the lack of dual LCD or miniLED at this price is terrible!

 

[Baymowe335]

Yes, but I think the point of the video is that the display does not compete against the 43,000 dollar sony monitor which is what apple said it did.

It does certain things really well, like well lit HDR content. It looked phenomenal. The only thing the reviewer really killed the XDR for is the blacks.

 

[Coconut Bean]

Everyone saying "of course" to this:
Who is the apple monitor for? What user needs a monitor that expensive BUT also not a colorists monitor?

Yeah, the whole "it's for pros, duh" argument is falling apart. Just like all those pros that were doing fine with the trashcan Mac pro without updates for like 4 years too many, but suddenly need the 1.5 TBs of ram the pro offers...

 

[mdriftmeyer]

It’s an exceptional monitor at its price range. Comparing to this high end monitor from Sony is Silly.
Despite Apple doing so in its own presentation.
It’s not possible to produce 40K of monitor for 6.

It will be when microLED arrives

 

[ZipZap]

I think the comparison is somewhat valid, but thinking it's actually going to perform like a $43,000 monitor is expecting too much.

It's an outstanding display, for the price.

It was probably a little rich for Apple to have compared it to such monitors.

But that is exactly the expectation Apple presented. As good as it might be it was over promised.
[automerge]1581633128[/automerge]

Random person on YouTube. Let’s hold of for real reviews.

Seriously...can you be anymore of a fanboy.

 

[mdriftmeyer]

Yeah, the whole "it's for pros, duh" argument is falling apart. Just like all those pros that were doing fine with the trashcan Mac pro without updates for like 4 years too many, but suddenly need the 1.5 TBs of ram the pro offers...

"I think the Pro Display XDR is a no go for any serious professional colorist," he concluded.

No the argument is not falling apart. Ask PIXAR, Disney Studios, and thousands of others who are making Motion Pictures if they aren't ditching those Sony monitors for this monitor? The man is a TV tech reviewer.

Drag his ass into PIXAR and see how quickly he's dead wrong at what he's talking about.

By the way, in a year from now when those microLEDs arrive no one will ever buy that SONY monitor again. Ever. There is a reason Apple has the majority of patents on MicroLED. These panels are just the beginning of their foray into displays.

 

[CarlJ]

He's right on spot about J.J. Abrams using too much lens flares...

I want to see someone retouch Citizen Kane to have J.J.-style lens flares all over the place. Just to be weird.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

It does certain things really well, like well lit HDR content. It looked phenomenal. The only thing the reviewer really killed the XDR for is the blacks.

Thanks for saving me the trouble Seems like a monitor that would be an acceptable substitute for the vast majority of of uses. If you’ve got content where the frame is mostly black, though, you’ll want to rent the high dollar monitor for a few days.

YouTube content designed to drive the most clicks and increase in subscriber count. Check!

 

[Coconut Bean]

Apple themselves have said that software developers make up the majority of their professional users. Yet they finally bring out a "Pro" display but its mostly out of the reach of most software developers.

Even if it has a justifiable price tag of $5000+ for what it does, if its too much monitor for software developers, yet doesn't cut it for true video / film professionals, who exactly is this thing for?

Youtubers.

 

[PickUrPoison]

No the argument is not falling apart. Ask PIXAR, Disney Studios, and thousands of others who are making Motion Pictures if they aren't ditching those Sony monitors for this monitor? The man is a TV tech reviewer.

Drag his ass into PIXAR and see how quickly he's dead wrong at what he's talking about.

By the way, in a year from now when those microLEDs arrive no one will ever buy that SONY monitor again. Ever. There is a reason Apple has the majority of patents on MicroLED. These panels are just the beginning of their foray into displays.

MicroLED at 32” size aren’t coming next year. We’ll be lucky to have them in Apple Watch. Not sure even that’s a 2021 thing.

 

[ZipZap]

Wake me when the monitor is at $2k...should not be long

 

[RogerWilco]

It reminds me of how people shoot and edit in 8K--why? I'm never going to the notice.

What is the notional digital equivalent of triple-projection film Cinerama from the 1960s? 32K? Digital still has a ways to go before it matches what directors like Kubrick accomplished fifty years ago.

 

[PickUrPoison]

Wake me when the monitor is at $2k...should not be long

Sure, so it would be competitive with the other 32” 6K monitors?

 

[mdriftmeyer]

I wonder why this has never been reference?

First Impressions of the New Mac Pro and the Pro Display XDR Used on Real-world Projects by James Tonkin at Hangman.

Ronny Courtens was lucky enough to spend some time again with James Tonkin from Hangman Studios. James has had a new Mac Pro & Pro Display XDR in his studio for the last month and Ronny asked James about his experience working on real-life projects with the new machine.

www.fcp.co

The displays come with factory calibration in the form of the reference modes:

Pro Display XDR (P3-1600 nits)
Apple Display (P3-500 nits)
HDR Video (P3-ST 2084)
HDTV Video (BT.709-BT.1886)
NTSC Video (BT.601 SMPTE-C)
PAL and SECAM Video (BT.601 EBU)
Digital Cinema (P3-DCI)
Digital Cinema (P3-D65)
Design and Print (P3-D50)
Photography (P3-D65)
Internet and Web (sRGB)

The default reference modes (HDTV Video for Rec.709 and Pro Display XDR for HDR) revealed to be perfectly set. The colours were consistent on the XDR GUI monitor, the XDR reference monitor and our 77" OLED. Both in FCP X and in Resolve. So we did not need to do any further calibration.

You'd think contacting the folks at FCP.co about working with Reference Displays and more in Final Cut Pro, etc., would have been who you cite, right? I guess not on Macrumors.com.

 

[gugy]

This YT guy is legit. I have been watching him for long time. Still, I can't wait to get the XDR Nano display.

 

[martinX]

Vincent is great and always fair in his thoughts as I follow him on his reviews. He also has a great sense of humor if you catch it.

He is so deadpan. Such a refreshing difference from the almost-sitcom style of humour all over YouTube - line, line, joke, line, line, joke... repeat

 

[novakk86]

Everyone saying "of course" to this:
Who is the apple monitor for? What user needs a monitor that expensive BUT also not a colorists monitor?

Same people who need a $6000 8core /32GB of ram/256GB of storage/r 580 gpu computer.
How're they called? Ah yes "The real professional" in other words a delusional crowd with a lot of money.

 

[D.T.]

This is consistent with pros I’ve heard from. Not good enough for a colorist or mastering.

However, there are other roles in the upstream pro workflow that this monitor can fulfill. Other uses outside video/film as well.

I'll have to ping a buddy who's involved with "TV" (quotes by design ...) content production, has worked with HBO, pretty active with AMC, he seemed to think the Apple display was fantastic (he made a pretty excited post about them), even for the price, just not familiar enough with his (and his company's) exact role in production (or admittedly , what those roles even are ...) I can tell you, their revenues and visibility of their projects, are such that spending more would not be an issue (unless it wasn't necessary).

[edit: corrected typo]