 Apple's previous 20" cinema display set the benchmark for 20" flat screen monitors with its stunning clarity and brilliant brightness. For its new aluminum version, Apple improved the design and somehow made the image quality even better.
The brightness of the display is rated 250 cd/m2, with a contrast ratio of 400:1. While these are solid numbers, there are other displays out there with higher brightness and contrast ratings. However, most of the other displays with "better" specs don't look nearly as good as Apple's aluminum display. Also, the wide aspect ratio is great for working with programs like Photoshop and Final Cut Pro, and is perfect for watching DVDs.
The Apple 20" Aluminum Cinema Display is super bright, with a screen image as clear as you can ask for. The brightness is very consistent from corner to corner and to the middle of the screen. My display has two slightly brighter areas near the top of the screen that I noticed when playing a DVD with a black background. However, I had to strain my eyes to really notice it and it is not perceivable when working with other programs.
When working with photos, the images seem to just float on the screen. This is largely because of the ridiculous viewing angles the display provides. I can view the screen almost perfectly from 180 degrees in any direction, with hardly any loss in color consistently. This is a stark contrast to most LCD monitors, where the hues of the colors begin to change once you move your viewing angle about 30 degrees in any direction. It's great to finally have a display that always shows an accurate representation of the images on the screen.
Compared to other flat screen displays I have used, this display also has close to the best white balance I have seen. It is not too blue, too red, or too green like a number of other displays are that I have used. If you are using this display with a Macintosh system, you can calibrate it to perfection using the Displays System Preference Panel.
My only complaint is that the brightness is so bright, even the lowest setting isn't dim enough for a dark room. Extended viewing of a bright display in a dark room can cause serious eye strain. Fortunately, I bought a lamp that allows me to counter the overpowering brightness with some backlighting. Also, the native resolution of the display is 1680x1050, which is great for my purposes, but could be a bit low for some graphics artists. It is also just shy of the 1080 horizontal lines needed for true HD video representation.
In summary, the Apple 20" Aluminum Cinema Display is an excellent monitor, both in form and function. The image quality is second to none, and the price is easily competitive with other 20" LCD displays. If you want a solid, wide aspect ratio screen to make your work and play more enjoyable, this monitor is a great choice. |
|
|
|
