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

May 13, 2005 4:13 PM in response to Michael Scaramozzino

I just purchased a 23 ACD today and the only problem I can detect is a washout on the left hand side. It may not be noticed by a non-graphic artist but it is easily seen by me. I usually set my background to 80% gray and at that setting the washout on the left hand side is less noticeable. But I am a little disturbed that at this point Apple couldn't get these displays to a better screen consistency. If I had read this forum sooner I probably wouldn't have purchased this display at all.... there are other and maybe better options. I'll tackle this problem with my local store next week and see how they conduct themselves.

Victor

May 14, 2005 3:13 PM in response to Michael Scaramozzino

<"defect" if you will.

May 27, 2005 8:19 AM in response to Victor Bellehumeur

Hi Victor,

How did your issue turn out?

When you screen is set to gray, do you see a bluish area just to the left of center?

-MikeS

May 27, 2005 9:47 AM in response to Michael Scaramozzino

Add me to the list. My 23 has the same problems. Very disappointed. I hope Apple and Steve Jobs pony up and fix this problem and live up to their advertised claims. This is just bad form. I started out with a 22 inch, had to send it back 3 times for pixels dead or stuck (30+), very bad clouded center of the screen and light leakage all around the edges and then one that pulled a matrix on me and whole vertical lines just died at different lengths.

Then I was offered a 23 inch Aluminum as a replacement. I accepted it and it had a few dead pixels when I opened it up. The guy at the applestore took a piece of plastic packing material and his fingernail and rubbed vigorously on the screen. I cringed and then the pixel was awake again. I didn't notice until weeks later (because I use a colored or B&W photo background) that there was a smudge that wouldn't go away. I had changed to a medium gray background for some photo color correction and there it was level with the center of my left eye. Then I noticed that there were some more dead or stuck pixels and to top it off, the bluish band and the dingy edges.

I can't say how saddened I am because I gave Apple and Steve jobs a TON of free advertising with all of the people I raved to about the superiority of the Apple 23" monitor. I based it on the claims (specs) on their website that have now been changed as well as what I was told by Applecare and the Apple Geniuses at the AppleStore in New Hampshire. Now I am stuck with a lemon and cringing at the thought of calling AppleCare again and having my blood pressure go through the roof listening to them claim that the problem does not exist. Oh well. I guess this call is inevitable, wish me luck.

Jun 6, 2005 1:30 PM in response to James Hayward4

Accurate calibration is mentioned a lot in these discussions.

I use the Colorvision Spyder Pro with my current CRT displays to calibrate.
When or if I take the plunge to buy a Cinema display that does not have the PINKS, I would like to accuratly calibrate the display. There appears to be no controls available to adjust the red green and blue balance on the Cinemas.

Any one know how the Cinema displays would be adjusted using an analyser? It can be adjusted manually in the displays preferences using a manual technique, but this is completly inaccurate for professional use.

thanks for your the facinating info so far
Gary

Jun 8, 2005 12:40 AM in response to Michael Scaramozzino

I bought my 23" in Feb 2005. I can say that the screen's color is very uneven, but what is most predominant is the dark band that runs from top to bottom of my screen just left of center. It's not acceptable for photographic retouching which is why I bought this screen. I wish I had tried the monitor out before I left the states to live in Nepal. Now my options are very slim indeed on getting my money back or getting a replacement. It's hard enough to make a phone call to AppleCare from here for support that I paid handsomely for. This is my first Apple Display usually I am smarter than this.

Frustrated and broke.

Jun 8, 2005 12:36 PM in response to Michael Scaramozzino

I am very surpised to see these issues after so many complaints. I myself went through 7 cinemas direct from Apple, Apple stores and UCLA Apple store. All had problems and there was no resistance after technicians
benched the display.

I am equally shocked that hundreds of posts were deleted from this forum. This is a place to discuss and share information but I suspect Apple is afraid to let new viewers see that there are really more like 1500+ reports.

Every motion graphics studio I have worked at use the old ADC 23 inch.
Side by side it is not as bright or saturated as the new aluminum Cinema
but it has NO pink or Blue band problems. And skin tones look much more
natural an true to life.

I really wish they would fix the production problem instead of just lowering
the price.

The case looks nice though. At least they can't put INTEL inside...

indo

Level 1

15 points

Jun 10, 2005 5:27 PM in response to Michael Scaramozzino

I just bought a new 2.7GHz G5. I looked at the 23" Cinema and it looked pretty good. I didn't notice any color issues at the time, but I couldn't exactly remember what they were (pinkish cast, etc.). I looked at this thread last night and realized that I didn't look at the all-white or all-gray screen on the model on display to check for the pink cast/blue line issue. Now I am worried. I want to use this monitor primarily for photo-editing and I guess I'm dreaming if I think the one that I purchased won't go bad also (didn't even bother to take it out of the box). I originally wanted a Sony Artisan, but they are no longer in production. Mitsubishi stopped making CRTs also. That leaves LaCie ElectronBlue, upper end Viewsonics, and the upper end LCDs. I think the answer will be the LaCie 321. Does anyone have any experience with this LCD? Cnet just gave it an editor's award...

Jun 10, 2005 7:18 PM in response to Michael Scaramozzino

I've been reading for probably at least a year about the 23" Aluminum Cinema Displays having color and consistency problems. I've also been drooling over the prospect of buying a new Power Mac G5 and one of these displays but I've been afraid to purchase the 23" because of everything I've read.

Well, I took the plunge and just got in this week my new Dual 2.3GHz G5 and 23" display. Guess what . . . the display is perfect.

I've been a Mac user for almost three decades and I'm posting this because unfortunately almost all we ever read in the forums is about the problems. Very seldom does anyone ever post good things and I wanted to be sure that everyone knows, that there aren't only problems. I'm estactic about this new setup and although I certainly can't guarantee that everyone will get a good display, I did. I've done the test of setting the background to solid white, gray, etc. and I can't detect that it's not uniform across the screen. I'm also not blind 😉

Go for it if you want it and good luck.

Jun 11, 2005 12:41 PM in response to Michael Scaramozzino

Michael,

Exchanging the monitor was no big deal. Of course, they didn't acknowledge that there were any defects with my original monitor to which I simply stated that I wanted a new replacement - period! The new monitor is substantially better than the old one. There still is some very slight leakage on the left hand side ( very very slight and liveable ). I create gray backgrounds in photoshop and use 65% gray as my default background. I then calibrate the monitor and set gamma to native. In an average lighted room this works out very well.

I also have one of the 23 inch cinema displays ( just about 3 years old ) which is substantially inferior to the new display. This is not to say that the new display is perfect or anything like that. It would be nice to see what perfection really looks like but I have other places for $6000.00.

I have no issues with dead pixels and feel that I am actually a little on the lucky side to get a monitor that I can live with. Serial number is 2A513 series. It is really a shame that there are so many issues with the 23 monitors.

Victor

Jun 11, 2005 1:00 PM in response to Michael Scaramozzino

Michael,

I realize that I didn't actually answere you question. I do not see any bluish area just to the left of center when the screen is set to any shade gray - and I am very picky and would be able to spot that defect.

Victor

zupchuck

Level 3

595 points

Jun 11, 2005 9:16 PM in response to Terry Ford

What are the first characters of the display's serial number?

Jun 13, 2005 7:52 AM in response to Terry Ford

That's great news Terry,

Can you post photos of your screen showing a solid white and solid gray desktop to the following thread, so we can all see for ourselves?

http://discussions.info.apple.com/webx?128@@.68a92810

Thanks,
-MikeS

indo

Level 1

15 points

Jun 13, 2005 8:14 AM in response to Michael Scaramozzino

I was at CompUSA in New Orleans on Saturday...the Apple Rep. just happened to be there. I was looking at the 23" on the display counter and, sure enough, all of the color problems were present. I asked him about this. His response (after getting very defensive) was to ask me what the serial number was on the shelf model--as if I would know. He then stated that Apple has corrected the problem with the later serial number models and that the color issues are "no longer a problem". I asked him what the problem was. He evaded the question. I also asked him what is going on with the new Intel Inside issue. His answer was that Apple sent a printout to all of its field Reps which is "about an inch thick" (his words) detailing what the Reps can and cannot discuss at this time. Since I am generally a skeptical person regarding the We-Fixed-It response, I was left with a healthy skepticism (is that spelled correctly?)regarding the We Fixed the Cinema 23". Seems to me like the Reps also got a printout re: what they can and cannot discuss about the 23". I truly hope that they fixed it. It's a beautiful display (didn't have the heart to tell him that I got impatient and bought a LaCie 321...

sorry so long

Jun 13, 2005 11:41 AM in response to zupchuck

AP449

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23" Cinema display poor color consistency