View Full Version : Apple 30" Cinema display or LCD HDTV
Fallencircus
2007-01-15, 00:56
I am purchasing a new mbp and G5 and am trying to decide weather to get the 30" Cinema Display or a 42" LCD HDTV. I use the computer for video editing and web design. Which is going to give me the best picture and if there is a difference between the two is it that noticeable? I am leaning towards the 42" HDTV, but I dont want to sacrifice resolution and clarity as it will be my monitor.
The 30" display will give you vastly better resolution than the TV. Also, when you drive more pixels in less space, the image will appear sharper. Go for the ACD, definitely.
Fallencircus
2007-01-16, 22:50
Ok, so I was going to take your advice, however when I went to the apple store today to ask them the person helping me said that they would definately go for the 42" 1080p tv. Has anyone out there actually used both, or more importantly since I know what the 30" ACD looks like can someone tell me what the mac pro looks like with an HDTV as a monitor. Will you get the same clarity as you do a normal hdtv show since you can scale to the 1920x1080?
Smaller display = higher pixel density = sharper image.
When it comes down to it though, buy the TV if you want a TV. If you are buying it to be a computer monitor, though, buy the monitor.
GladToBeHere
2007-01-17, 09:21
1080p is nothing to sneeze at. But if you think you need to scrutinize minutiae at the pixel level, the detail of the ACD is better.
The tv, though, will also act as a tv...
Fahrenheit
2007-01-17, 09:52
Ok, so I was going to take your advice, however when I went to the apple store today to ask them the person helping me said that they would definately go for the 42" 1080p.
Now theres a sales pitch If I ever saw one.
Have you thought about the dell 30" (or the more expensive samsung) instead of the Apple monitor, seems like it may fit your needs better in this case (component and svideo in would make it usable for some TV....)
intlplby
2007-01-17, 14:52
30" acd + elgato
Fallencircus
2007-01-17, 15:17
The part that I am most interested in is if the quality of the 1080p will look the same when showing a hdtv show as a monitor. If the quality looks the same as the hdtv shows look then I would definately get it. I already have one hdtv, but getting a second that would also double as my main monitor would just be an added bonus. However if the quality will not look like an hdtv show does and will be grainy I would not want to get it.
Fallencircus
2007-01-17, 15:17
The part that I am most interested in is if the quality of the 1080p will look the same when showing a hdtv show as a monitor. If the quality looks the same as the hdtv shows look then I would definately get it. I already have one hdtv, but getting a second that would also double as my main monitor would just be an added bonus. However if the quality will not look like an hdtv show does and will be grainy I would not want to get it.
Do you plan to use it more as a TV or as a Monitor? Because, unsurprisingly, the TV will work better as a TV and the monitor will work better as a monitor. They each have features that will make one better than the other at each task. For instance, the 30" ACD has a higher resolution (2560 x 1600) and will maintain correct colors at a more extreme angle. On the other hand, the LCD HDTV has a higher contrast ratio which is better for watching TV or movies.
Buy the one you are going to use it for more in its "natural" mode. While each one will do the other task well, the low contrast ratio of the ACD will bother you when using it as a television, and the low resolution of the LCD HDTV will bother you when using it as a monitor. It sounds like you already *have* an HDTV, so I would personally recommend the ACD.
Schnauzer
2007-01-17, 20:06
Apple LCD
The guy at the Apple Store told you to buy a 42 inch TV for a computer monitor / video editing?
Chalk that up as another reason why the sales people at the Apple Stores know nothing. Sometimes I think GAP employees get lost and start working Apple sales.
The guy at the Apple Store told you to buy a 42 inch TV for a computer monitor / video editing?
Chalk that up as another reason why the sales people at the Apple Stores know nothing. Sometimes I think GAP employees get lost and start working Apple sales.
It's a crapshoot, with Apple Store employees. Some are great, some are idiots.
Hey, it beats Best Buy where 80% are idiots. Or CompUSA, where "idiot" is on the applications and they shred the ones where it isn't checked.
Fallencircus
2007-01-21, 14:14
Just in case anyone is wondering, I tested both the 30" ACD and an NEC 50" 720P tv. They both looked great. Absolutely no grainy image on the tv even sitting 6 inches away. And the was tested with a mac mini.
The guy at the Apple Store told you to buy a 42 inch TV for a computer monitor / video editing?
Chalk that up as another reason why the sales people at the Apple Stores know nothing. Sometimes I think GAP employees get lost and start working Apple sales.
That's funny, because as any Minnesotan here can tell you, the MoA Apple Store is right across from the Gap. :lol:
Brave Ulysses
2007-01-21, 20:07
Just in case anyone is wondering, I tested both the 30" ACD and an NEC 50" 720P tv. They both looked great. Absolutely no grainy image on the tv even sitting 6 inches away. And the was tested with a mac mini.
Sorry, but they aren't even comparable.
Dorian Gray
2007-01-21, 22:23
Fallencircus, not to put too fine a point on it: if you don't notice (or understand, or care about) the vast difference in image quality between a 30-inch Cinema Display and a friggin' TV you should probably just get whatever's cheaper. The Apple Store employee who told you to go for the TV obviously uses his computer for nothing other than watching DVDs, or is blind, because even a full-HD 42-inch TV has a screen resolution of around 50 DPI. This compares to 100 DPI for the Cinema Display, i.e. the Cinema Display has 4x more pixels per square inch. This is before we get into issues of colour calibration, etc., which are going to be crucial for video editing and general design work. By the way, I cannot imagine why you think a 30-inch display is too small for doing these tasks.
rminkler
2007-01-21, 22:37
Just in case anyone is wondering, I tested both the 30" ACD and an NEC 50" 720P tv. They both looked great. Absolutely no grainy image on the tv even sitting 6 inches away. And the was tested with a mac mini.
A mac mini can't drive the 30" cinema display at it's native resolution - I don't think it can go higher than 1900x1200 - so you weren't seeing the best picture the 30" can deliver.
A mac mini can't drive the 30" cinema display at it's native resolution - I don't think it can go higher than 1900x1200 - so you weren't seeing the best picture the 30" can deliver.
Actually, because the mini doesn't have dual-link DVI, the highest it can go on a 30" ACD is 1280 x 800. :eek: So the picture you were seeing on the 30" ACD is nothing like what it should be. You need to run that test with a late model PB G4, MPB, late model G5, or Mac Pro.
torifile
2007-01-22, 00:25
If you can't tell the difference between a 30" ACD and a 1080p t.v. for editing, should you be spending so much on it? Really?
digitalprimate
2007-01-22, 00:53
Hmmm...,
Could it be that the original poster wants to use the screen for both video editing AND as a HD output monitor for checking at the same time?
If it's for editing, for the price of 1 30" Apple Cinema Display, I'd rather buy TWO 23" displays, maybe from Dell or even Apple.
More screen estate for almost the same price.
If I'd urgently need an output monitor too, then maybe I'd two 19" or 20" screens and shop around for a smaller LCD HDTV, maybe even ask a discount at the shop where I'd buy the two monitors. Or just buy one 23" and the smaller LCD HDTV. I've edited projects on a single 1024x768 screen, so I think at 1920x1200 there should be ample space for all the panels and menus.
I never got the "bigger screen is better" philosophy. There's only so much you can look at at once.
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