23" Cinema display poor color consistency

I just hooked up my brand new aluminum Apple Cinema HD Display 23 after waiting for weeks for it to arrive. I was pretty disappointed when I immediately noticed the far left and right edges had a dingy yellow tint to them when viewing white windows (such as Finder windows). I also noticed a darker bluish vertical band just to the left of the center when working in LightWave which has a gray background.

So to test the color consistency I then switched the desktop to a medium gray and hid everything else. Sure enough, there was a subtle, but noticeable bluish vertical band about 3" wide just to the left of the center. I then switched the desktop to white and could also see that the far right and left edges were slightly dingy yellow about 2" wide on each side.

I recalibrated the display 2 - 3 times and tested various brightnesses and viewing angles. No matter what I did, the color problems persisted...

I had this $2000 23" Apple HD monitor attached to the Mac with a $400 17" Sony DVI LCD right next to it as a second monitor. The Sony wasn't as good at wide angle viewing, but performing the same gray/white desktop tests showed nice consistent color across the screen. For $2K this HD monitor should have at least as good color consistency as a $400 DVI LCD...

I'd be curious to see how other people's HD 23 monitors hold up with these simple tests. Set your desktop to solid color gray and see how consistent the color holds across the screen. Do the same with solid color white...

Since I run a high end multimedia studio, I need consistent color across the screen. I bought the Apple Cinema display because I thought it was the best I could get...

I packed the monitor up and my associate has just gone to the closest Apple store to see what can be done... I hope this is just an isolated problem that can be quickly resolved. Hopefully I just got a bad monitor and hopefully Apple will just replace it with one with better color consistency...

I'll post the results here...

Thanks,
-MikeS

Posted on Aug 17, 2004 12:15 PM

349 replies

TomNYC

Level 3

592 points

Feb 10, 2005 10:58 AM in response to Rustus Maximus

David, good for you for writing to MacWorld. We all should do it.

Rustus, what I didn't understand is that after all the problems with the 23" ACDs that MacWorld did point out, they gave everything an "Excellent" rating, and color "Very Good." Didn't seem to jive, but, as you said, they did mention all the problems in the article.

Feb 10, 2005 7:52 PM in response to Michael Scaramozzino

Yeah, Tom, I agree. They should have pulled their boots up and given them a FAIR rating instead of the GOOD rating they gave them (Like the article said they gave them only a GOOD rating in viewing angle area). But I understand politics...you don't want to bite the hand that feeds you too hard 😉

The thing is, if that other theory F vd Geest mentions in that other thread is true then the ratings may make more sense. If the hardcoat layer is causing the problems then the rest of the panel is okay and "viewing angle" would be the problem area. Albeit because of the polluted screen.

Feb 10, 2005 10:14 PM in response to Rustus Maximus

Maybe it's just me but the veiwing angle would seem to be the least of the issues with a computer display where you mostly sit right in front of it. So a "fair" veiwing angle sould not be as much of an issue than the quality of the color rendering or backlighting. I cannot see how the reviewer could make the statements he did regarding these "qualities" and still rate them "very good". Like you drink a bitter, sour espresso and call it "very good" because it looked so nice in the cup.

DD

Feb 10, 2005 10:35 PM in response to Michael Scaramozzino

I am a Graphic Designer and I have used my 23" display every day since I bought it in December and I have never noticed any color problems.

Feb 10, 2005 10:41 PM in response to DMiller

If you would like to make a recommendation I would like to hear it.

Feb 10, 2005 11:18 PM in response to Michael Scaramozzino

Well...you gotta admit, as far as coffee cups go...the 23" is a stunner...

2...3...4...

is this thing on?? (tap, tap)

Feb 11, 2005 9:03 AM in response to Dan Grant

Can you post photos of your screen showing solid white and solid gray?

-MikeS

TomNYC

Level 3

592 points

Feb 11, 2005 2:13 PM in response to Michael Scaramozzino

Yes, I will give the 23" ACD credit in that, aside from all the color consistency problems, it is otherwise a beautiful display with bright, saturated colors in the center of the screen. The size is the most impressive part of the display, and it was not easy to return it back and go back to a 17" CRT display, which is what I'm using now. And if Apple ever does fix the problem, I will buy a new 23" again immediately.

But when you take into account the price and the short warranty of the 23" ACD, the color problems really detract from the display overall, which is why I decided to return it. I was hoping I could live with the defects, but, the color problems were just too severe. Let's hope Apple does the right thing and corrects it.

TomNYC

Level 3

592 points

Feb 11, 2005 2:15 PM in response to Dan Grant

Good for you, Dan, you're one of the very few.

Feb 11, 2005 7:31 PM in response to Michael Scaramozzino

I may bring my mini with me to the apple store to try a 23" display on the spot. If I get one w/o the problems I'll buy it and happily take it home. If not, they'll have to keep swapping it out at the genius bar until I get one that works 🙂

TM

Feb 12, 2005 2:59 AM in response to Michael Scaramozzino

Anthony,

Save your money. I just got my third replacement and it is defective as well. I've had the pink ones, the blurry ones, the dingy yellow, and image burn in ones. The last two I have had have a vertical band of blue on the left center portion of the screen.

The store I bought at says I can have money back if I'm not satisfied. Apparently, Apple is okay with swapping out monitor
after monitor as long as the authorized techs can reproduce the
problems.

Thanks to DD for his MacWorld comments.

The LCD review article is the first pro-Apple print media to
acknowlegde the defects in these monitors.

Further denial will only drive away long time supporters.

Feb 14, 2005 6:21 PM in response to Michael Scaramozzino

Just so everyone knows, the 23" dispaly in the Pro section of the local apple store has a pink tint, and the employees know about it. There are 2 returned displays in back, which make me think they have problems. I wanna buy one but with all the probems, I'm waiting until they are COMPLETELY fixed.

-Brian

Teg Goh

Level 1

85 points

Feb 14, 2005 11:33 PM in response to Michael Scaramozzino

The Apple centre here in Singapore is even "smarter", they just don't put up any 23" for display but only the 20"!!!

Feb 15, 2005 11:33 PM in response to Teg Goh

If what you are looking for is color consistency, then you should stay with the good old fashion CRT displays. I am in the graphics field and we have much better, more consistant color with a good CRT display.

TomNYC

Level 3

592 points

Feb 16, 2005 2:08 PM in response to Robert Scherb Jr

Robert, that is good advice. Apple has positioned these new HD displays as being color-accurate, though, claiming the color of a pixel in the left corner will be the same in the right corner. But, as many of us have discovered, it's just not true. I was hoping the Apple LCDs were finally going to be able to replace the older CRTs for color-critical work, as they claim, but, it hasn't happened yet.

Otherwise, they are nice displays and I hated having to send mine back for a refund. Still waiting for Apple to acknowledge the problem and fix it before I buy another or just go to a different manufacturer. But, I'd prefer an Apple display.

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23" Cinema display poor color consistency