Apple Cinema Display 20"
Finally, Apple decided to enter the game and sent us (a more PC website) one of their monitors. We begin our tests with this 20” monitor, one of the most successful products on the market. Besides the design, this monitor is interesting because of its excellent reputation in the graphic art world. Many remained faithful to this product. Is this reputation still justified?
Ergonomics
The monitor is vertically adjustable, doesn’t have a pivot mode, and no specific video inputs. It does, however, have a USB and Firewire 400 hub (2 inputs each).
From left to right : DVI input, USB, FireWire 400, power input to the external power supplyWe aren´t dealing with an entry level product. Indeed, functionalities are minimal, but the product´s finishing touches are superb. It´s very attractive and would look good in an office or living room. The design is sober and classy, and the aluminium body is thin and elegant.
The minimalist philosophy of nothing showing is probably a bit too extreme, however. The monitor doesn’t have an OSD menu. With a PC it´s only possible to adjust brightness and contrast and that´s it. There isn’t even an available software tool to adjust these parameters from the computer as Samsung does with its P series. With Macintosh computers these tools are directly integrated in the OS and give you access to more precise adjustments. The equivalent doesn’t exist for PCs and this might be problematic for some of our tests.
Color quality
Amongst other adjustments there´s no manual adjustment for color temperature. This means that users without a calibration tool will have to make with standard parameters. Unfortunately, these adjustments are amongst those important for graphic designers, who often underestimate the importance of calibrating a monitor (and not just by eyeing it).
Two modes are commonly used for images. Apple users often remained faithful to a quite warm color temperature (red) of 5000K, with a gamma of 1.8. PC adepts changed to 6500K with a gamma of 2.2, which is closer to natural light. For your information, if you only use your computer in the office, choosing 9300K is understandable, as it´s considered to be easier on the eyes.
So, knowing that manual adjustment isn´t possible, let´s see what Apple chose for us. Surprisingly, it was 7400K with a gamma of 2.2. In all honesty, we don´t understand this choice. For multiple uses such as games, video, and office it may be suitable, but certainly it isn´t for picture editing. This monitor clearly isn´t for graphic designers.
How to interpret the graphOn the left is the color spectrum. It is the monitor´s colorimetric range compared to the sRGB range (usually used for digital cameras). This doesn’t correspond to accuracy, but to the range of reproducible colors.
For accuracy, there is the graph on the right, the DeltaE. It´s a measure between the color requested and the one actually displayed on the monitor. The result is also counter-balanced for human eye color sensitivity.
When Delta E > 3 the desired colors is noticeably different from the one on the screen.
When 1 < Delta E < 2 colors are accurate. When Delta E < 1, the result is perfect.
Before calibration Color temperature is around 7400K with a gamma of 2.2. Dark is relatively bright at 0.7 cd/m². This is quite common for this type of panel, an IPS designed by LG-Philips. The black isn’t very deep.
Manual adjustmentsAs we explained above, manual options are restricted to less than the minimum. We can only adjust brightness and contrast so it´s impossible to adjust colors. A graphic designer or image professional won’t be able to use this monitor unless they have a colorimeter.
5000 K, 1.8 calibrationThe colorimeter completely changes the color table. However, even if it looks like it from the graph, there are no miracles. The monitor is far from the desired 5000K. With our tool it went down to a best of 6300K with a gamma of 2.2. Brightness was around 120 cd/m².
6500 K, 2.2 calibrationFinally, the result was good. We had what we requested for temperature and gamma.
Black, however, is still not deep enough as the graph shows.
Viewing angles
Photos are taken at a 50° angle Like VAs, IPS monitors benefit from very wide viewing angles. And once again this is the case here. Photos remain visible and correct even from the side from a very large angle. Concerning viewing angles, I would like to digress for a moment. The fact that there are wide angles shouldn’t be so important for perfectionist graphic designers, because, let me remind you, they should work with light protection on the monitor (a plastic covering blocking external lighting). Even if there is no light protection, they shouldn’t work from the side of his monitor. For working distance, a very good result would be 60° (30° left and right), good enough for a single monitor. For dual monitors this angle increases to 100° (50+50) for lateral angles.
Interpolation
As usual, with standard resolution the result is sharp while it´s slightly blurred with others. Here, however, it´s better than average.
Mac users should be even less bothered than
PC users as Apple uses a filter on characters to soften them. This type of blurred effect would be unbearable for PC users and is just a matter of taste.
Games
For a 20” monitor it´s satisfactory and up until now amongst better results. We are still far from TN performances, but luckily for this monitor none of them are wide format.
This won´t last forever with the release of fast 20” VA panels expected at the end of the year.
Movies : DVD, HD
Apple Cinema Display…you have to admit that we should be tough on a monitor with such a name. Those who stopped believing in Santa Claus have already guessed that an IPS panel with faded blacks won’t provide exceptional results. This name is purely a marketing strategy then, and just indicates the monitor´s format and not its specifications. Apple, who doesn’t build panels, buys them from the Korean manufacturer, LG-Philips, which are then assembled in China. Apple hasn’t added any particular filter or component to process images. The monitor´s look changes, but components are exactly the same without any added value.
The result is a twinkling effect, imperfect color scales, and inaccurate shades of black. This is nothing too serious and normal for all IPS monitors. In this domain, VA-type panels often give better results. Still, if we step back we can really enjoy the size of this screen and its
wide format well adapted for movies.
Verdict
Our usual process of grading is a little unfair for this monitor. It´s only indicative of a screen´s pure performances and not the finishing touches, design or capacity to blend into any environment. This criterion is often secondary. It isn´t here, however, and is one of the main selling points for this Apple. It´s also its only quality as the
American designer (as Apple defined itself in small text on the monitor) doesn’t add any value in terms of electronic components or panel surface treatment. Those who choose the Cinema Display do so for its look. And we have to admit, it is very nice, so nice that we even make concessions on this screen´s other characteristics.
Take a look at this manufacture’s dead pixel policy by clicking here! 
