Cinema display won't turn on

For those of you reporting that your display came back on after an SMC reset, firmware update, deleting a plist file or switching your mouse, ect: IT WAS A FLUKE.

Again, your display was going to come back on anyway- it was just chance and the real reason it worked, in a nutshell, is power distribution. You can get similar results by unplugging and replugging back the display. Eventually, your blown capacitors will overload and push just enough power to complete the circuit, thus powering the display. This will only work so many times and PSU failure is inevitable requiring replacement.

Only those with the afronmentioned symptoms outlined should replace their power supply unit. You'll want to unplug and replug your display as many times (some time up to 50) as it takes to recreate the scenario.

Hi Rick,

Thanks for the added info. I too am a plugger/unplugger. It had worked for me until yesterday when my monitor finaly visited that great capacitor in the sky, and I writing this on a horrible little dell who's whites look more like my coffee stained teeth. Do you know for sure if it is the capacitors? I would like to try to try to pull it out and solder in new ones but don't want to bother if it could be multiple issues. (I did this once with my Onkyo reciever and it has work great for years now). Figuring maybe you (or someone around here) might be an electrical engineer that could confirm.

Thanks.

K-

RIch (or any knowledgeable person),

My issue with my 24" Cinema Displays sounds similar to what so many others have described. Specifically for me, when I plug my 13 MacBook Pro to the display and power it up, I do get the white screen with the Apple log on it. When it gets to the point where the login screen should appear, I get the black screen. Also, I can tell that the speakers are working just fine. Long story short, are any of you all getting the white screen first and then the display going black? My hope was that it was something simple... so hot key functionality that I was missing. Community please advise.

Message was edited by: Not So Urban Legend

Same problem with me. I had my 27" Cinema Display for less than two years. FIrst went dim, then wouldn't start up at all. Took it to the Apple Store, they did triage and said that I needed to replace the LCD -for $832!!

I only used the display a few times a week. Ridiculous. Not only am I not paying to get it repaired, I am also sharing my story with all of my media students in the affluent private high school where I teach. Two ways to see it - either a promotion for AppleCare or my suggestion - as beautiful as they are, avoid Apple displays. Not worth the premium for a product that doesn't last even two years. How about it Apple - Why don't you step up with some of your 147 billion in cash reserves and stand behind an obviously flawed product with an extended warranty like you did for my old Santa Rosa MacBook Pro with the faulty video card?

X2^ Apple where aaaaarrrreeeeee yooooouuuuuuuuu???

I'm going here and buying this instead of paying $700 more for a monitor that will break in 6 months...

http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=114&cp_id=11401&cs_id=1130703&p_id=10509&s eq=1&format=2

Heck, I might even be able to repurpose my cinema display case 🙂

I love Apple, but this situation is unacceptable. It makes me wonder if this problem has been addressed in the new ones? I want a matching set for dualies but after this experience as a consumer I have no confidence in the product.

I feel like they are just waiting till these things get old and no one is complaining because it's outside "Planned Obsolecence" timeframes, and people are like... "Eh. it's old anyway and I want the Retina / 4K version!" Untill then it's in "bury the dirty little secret" mode at consumer expense.

All,

I just want to take a minute to give an update. I originally stated about 2 weeks ago that my cinema display would display just the white screen during the booting up process. Once the login screen were to come up the display would just fade to black. Also, I could hear that the speakers were working so I assumed (after reading all the post) that I would need a new display. Well great news! I took the display to the Apple Store here in Charlotte. It was obvious that the initial rep at the Genius Bar did not know anything about displays. On top of that, he was so distracted by the chatter in his ear from the little ear pieces. He spent 5 minutes looking for a power button (everyone knows that there is no power button). Anyway, he consulted a co-worker who was equally distracted. After 30 minutes, the rep said that he believe I need a new circuit board - $180. The only reason that I signed off on this repair was because they did say that if it did not work that they would put the old circuit board back in and not charge me. So after 5 days, a technician called and said that the circuit board did not fix the problem. He suggested that we try a new power supply - $85. So 3 days later the technician called to state the the power supply approach worked!!! I have never been happier to pay $85 in my life (beats the alternative - new display). So my message is this. It has been made clear that Apple will trouble shoot the issue (i.e. change the circuit board, change the power supply) with no risk to you. So my advise is take it in... let them trouble shoot it properly.

Update on mine...

I got sick of looking at my beautiful gigantic cinema display sitting on my desk collecting dust and taking up space doing nothing, so about a week ago I decided to order a new Power Supply Unit (PSU) and try my luck at installing it... I am happy to report my monitor is working again! The PSU looks like a different brand than the original, but works just fine. Quick start up, no random black outs, no more plugging-unplugging. Parise the lord.

I got it from DV Warehouse:

I followed instructions from iFixit to take it apart (Took about 30 minutes to do in all):

http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Apple+Thunderbolt+Display+Teardown/6525

It helps to have the propper Torx screwdriver/bits and suction cups to pull the screen off. Also if you decide to do it yourself, be careful with the PSU, I belive they hold a charge and can shock you. I wore rubber work gloves as a precaution when touching it. Also keep some windex, lint-free paper towels and a swiffer duster on hand (The fluffy kind with the handle) for when you reassemble it. It's really easy to get dust trapped between the glass screen and the LCD.

Kevin808,

After trying to use the force from down under .. my 27inch cinema display final became such a total pain that I hipped a replacement power supply from DV Warehouse like you and voila it now works again. But I also totally fell out of love with the display in the process and bought a Kogan http://www.kogan.com/au/buy/kogan-27-cinema-display-2560x1440-ips-led-monitor.

You can fall in love with an on off switch, the ability to plug in anything any way you want, plus acouple of USB ports, swivel base, simple height adjustment and a great resultion, screen etc. Plus HDMI. DVI. VGA.

Am an Apple everything household/business ... Except for the Kogan which works with every Apple I own plus accepts a connection with all of the non-Apple stuff as well.

Glad it worked for you as well!

Ya, I had fallen out of love too untill I plugged it back in and saw how much better it was than the 21" cheapo monitor I used as it's replacement for a couple months. It's like night and day.

It's pretty clear the Cinema Display uses smaller pixels than other typical displays which gives it a finer picture. I fell in love all over again. 😉 I'm sure these other 27" IPS monitors are just as good picture-wise though.

I also posted this 27" IPS LCD CD from monopr|ce earlier that would be a great super low-cost replacement:

http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=114&cp_id=11401&cs_id=1130703&p_id=10509&s eq=1&format=2

And this LG 29" super wide 21:1 ratio screen is really nice and $300 less tham apples 27" CD (Also IPS):

http://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-29EA93-P-led-monitor.

Still... I would love to see what Apple comes up with for a 4K screen. I would like to see a 30-something inch super-wide 21:1 4K display (or two) sitting on my desk.

Update kevin .. out of love is an understatement ... new power supply worked for a few days .. now the screen is randomly going black and we are back to square 1 ... Not sure I will ever again buy an Apple Cinema display while there are lower cost alternatives out there.

I could have bought a good to very good quality 27 inch display for three locations for the cost and grief of this puppy.

My advice at this stage based on thse experiences is "walk away" .. save time ... avoid grief ... buy something else!

Ouch! Sorry to hear that! I hope mine does not suffer the same fate. Do you remember what brand of PSU you put in as a replacement? ...I wonder if we got different ones, there are two different manufactures out there (Although I'm guessing it's the same) Will DV Wharehouse RMA it for you?

truthfully ... No longer care .. only did the post as a warning that there are lemons out there and this apple Cinema Display seems to be one of them .. not all .. but some. Buying a replacement as we speak! Good luch.

Rodhall. I hate to hear of your experience. I would question two things. One, the PSU that you purchased. How comfortable are you that it is of good quality? I have come to realize just how flooded the market is with cheap Apple inferior counterfit parts. 10 - 15 years ago the only thing counterfiters made money off of were women's handbags and Nike Air Jordans. Now-a-day you have shops in China counterfitting everthing from music to PC batteries to car hubcaps... just look at eBay. I have witnessed first had what a counterfit Macbook Pro battery can do..BOOM! Second, is there an Apple store that you could use? Again, I am asking because they replaced my PSU (parts and labor) for just $85. What really impressed me was that they were not going to charge me if the solution did not work. As a matter of fact, they initially replaced the logic board. That did not fix the problem so they put the old one back in and tried the PSU. At the end of the day $85 was a small amount given how expensive the monitor was. Heck... consider replacing the PSU (professionally by Apple). If it works, then you could sell it on eBay and keep the Kogan that you now like.

My replacement was from the DV warehouse

Had the unit installed by a tech who also cleaned the inside of the case.

Worked perfectly for a few days and literally went back to the state it was in before I swapped out the power supply.

End of my involvement in this discussion .. now have two new 27 inch displays .. one for home, one for office ... total cost less than the Apple Cinema Display .. got 3 year low cost warranty extensions ..

I am just writing off my failure to Google "problems with 27 inch Apple cinema displays" as an expensive learning experience.

Principle a few people use ... don't buy Apple products when they are first released .. wait for the bugs and updates to be sorted. Don't upgrade Apple software until the bulletin boards show that the bugs are gone ... etc etc

Here's my experience;

My ACD (model A1316) blacked out WHILE I WAS WORKING on my Imac 27". So the "going to black" is definitely not because of some power save setting.

I can try whatever I want on my Imac; absolutely nothing revives the ACD. Yes, I tried everything people advised, in about every thread on the www that's related to this type of issue.

But... when I put the TB connection in my MB Pro.. BAM... the ACD fires up immediately.

Bottom line; I've got a feeling this has nothing to do with the ACD at all, but rather with the PC it is connected to. In my case the Imac.