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Author Topic: Apple cinema display 30" - is my copy horrible?  (Read 9344 times)

Mr. Rib

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Apple cinema display 30" - is my copy horrible?
« on: March 15, 2012, 11:18:07 pm »

Hi,

I just got my new Apple Cinema Display 30" working, bought second-hand of course since they are no longer manufactured. I don't have any calibration solution at hand and I won't get one till next week / in 2 weeks. What I can say is that the color shift is very noticable (left part of the monitor is much colder than the right part) and also luminance at the left side is noticably lower than at the right... I don't know what to do about it- unfortunately I no longer have an option to return the monitor and I've been told that this particular one is great, superb etc etc... not so great after all I guess..

Can you share your opinions on ACD30? Did I get a bad copy or is it common / inevitable with these monitors? Again, I'm concerned about noticable color temperature shift from left side to right (blue tint on left side) and also luminance difference. What is 'tolerable' (for this class of monitors, or should I say this particular model) edge-to-edge luminance difference? What would be 'expected' cd falloff? As I understand, with this technique there is no way of getting uniform luminance? Or am I one unlucky dude which got himself a $1500 rubbish monitor? The problem is best seen with white background or neutral grey background. And please don't bash me as DTP / colour management is magic for me :)

I have some experience with these monitors and I've been working with them but I didn't have time to focus on peeping at things like that (simply always when I was shooting with this monitor model-and it happened few times- I assumed it was calibrated correctly and that the monitor is not faulty...) But now, when I got one for myself for home, I started peeping at uniformly coloured backgrounds and I am really disgusted...
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Mr. Rib

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Re: Apple cinema display 30" - is my copy horrible?
« Reply #1 on: March 15, 2012, 11:31:12 pm »

Oh and I'll try to get the calibrator as soon as possible- this way I'll be able to determine luminance difference at corresponding edges. If someone could possibly share his luminance measurements of ACD 30" (probably some of you have it?), I would really appreciate it.

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Czornyj

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Re: Apple cinema display 30" - is my copy horrible?
« Reply #2 on: March 16, 2012, 04:47:10 am »

I think it's pretty common. Lately I've calibrated ~10 30" ACDs in a TV post production studio, all were rather uneven and had yellow casts around the borders.

In comparison to my private NEC 30" it seems to be too thin and there's no ventilation in its fancy metal housing, so my wild guess would be that the internal temperature may be an issue that makes it more uneven with time.
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Marcin Kałuża | [URL=http://zarzadzaniebarwa

Mr. Rib

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Re: Apple cinema display 30" - is my copy horrible?
« Reply #3 on: March 16, 2012, 06:43:43 am »

Hi,

Thanks for your reply. As for the ACDs you calibrated- what would be common luminance difference between, say, left edge and right edge? I'll get a calibrator as soon as possible and I would like to know if my monitor is terrifyingly shitty or is it pretty much what can I expect from any other 30" ACD (I would like to stay with this model for now so the least I can do is determine what is the expected luminance/ color temperature 'error'). Also are there 'perfect' ACD 30" ? Of course by perfect I mean that the luminance / temperature difference between cocorresponding edges is not visible to human eye.
« Last Edit: March 16, 2012, 06:47:28 am by Mr. Rib »
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Czornyj

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Re: Apple cinema display 30" - is my copy horrible?
« Reply #4 on: March 16, 2012, 07:19:24 am »

Frankly I didn't check it, but my overall impression was that they were all rather in "terrifyingly shitty" category.

I also think that even if there were a better one, it also would get worse with time. There must be a really good reason why NEC puts 30" in such a goddamn large, well ventilated housing:


I've never seen a "perfect" 30" ACD, and really doubt it's feasible to make a "perfect" CCFL IPS display without the use of digital uniformity compensation.
« Last Edit: March 16, 2012, 07:23:16 am by Czornyj »
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Marcin Kałuża | [URL=http://zarzadzaniebarwa

Mr. Rib

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Re: Apple cinema display 30" - is my copy horrible?
« Reply #5 on: March 16, 2012, 08:42:21 am »

Thanks Marcin. Yes, I've been wondering why didn't Apple introduce some sort of digital compensation, at least for they top of the line model.. Well, I guess I will stick to design work with ACD 30" and photo work with Thunderbolt display with a hood. I really enjoy the vibrant colours of the glossy screen and if it is handled properly, you don't get any glare. I would like a hood solution for 27" thunderbolt though, so far I didn't find one.
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