Glossy vs. Matte Debate

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Level 2

220 points

Glossy vs. Matte Debate

Having upgraded to MBP C2D with matte screen from MacBook Glossy screen I have a few observations. First, the matte screen is not as bright, but it does offer a better view from all angels, and for sure it does not get as dirty - it has been 4 days and the screen looks new. One my old Glossy MB the screen showed every smudge, dust speck, and had poor side viewing, plus you had to tilt screen to get best view. I love glossy, but wow matte ain't bad.

MBP Core 2 Duo 2.16, Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Posted on Nov 3, 2006 10:23 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Madgenius

Level 1

0 points

Nov 10, 2006 3:53 PM in response to squidz

That is what I want to know before I buy: Which
screen is technically/operatively superior in it's
color display. My "preference" is for the superior
quality, not the perceived quality.

Can anyone provide that baseline information?

I feel the same way you do in regards to the subjective posts about the difference in displays. I work in post production and see alot of monitors and footage. I now have a Glossy MBP C2D and I have access to a Matte MBP CD. I've done a side by side comparison of these two very good screens.

On the same calibration setting (color LCD standard) Glossy has a higher kelvin temperature giving it a cleaner white look slightly bluish if you view them side by side. Glossy also has a slightly darker black. Because of the way Matte scatters ambient light it gives off a slight bit more color saturation on some content. Glossy does perform brighter than the matte display. Viewing angles are identical on both.

If you use specs, not opinion in your decision.

1. Glossy has higher contrast (regarded by many as the most important picture element)
2. Glossy has the brighter display.
3. Glossy has slightly better color saturation.

All top features of the best picture/image. As far as concerns regarding color accuracy. I haven't put any bars or graphs up to them this is just what I see right away. Both can be calibrated/adjusted. But the viewing angles in laptop panels makes this a mute point. Both are of no use in a professional environment doing color correction. I wouldn't dare do CC on a laptop monitor and I have not met any Graphic Artists who don't have desktops to work on.

Now that being said, Glossy does give glare if bright light sources are behind you. In that regard matte wins. But people have been looking at glossy CRT TV's and computer displays for over 50 years. Now glare becomes and issue?

I don't work on rooftops or sport stadiums so glare was not a big issue for me.

"If gloss is better, why isn't there a gloss Cinema Display? Isn't this the top of the line TFT display? Isn't it considered the BEST flat screen for graphics use? That's what I've always heard."

There are true professional grade LCD monitors with a Gloss finish, for video Panasonic makes some very good one's as well as marshall. I can't remember if I've seen any sony's. Almost all Ultra High end monitors I've seen have been glossy.

To my knowledge Apple does not make LCD panels, nor do most computer makers. They buy them from samsung or toshiba like most of the industry then put their touch on it. Apple buys what it feels is best for it's customer base. I went to a large trade show and one of the manufacturers was showing their product (HD footage) on Apple Cinema Displays. Clearly it was not the best choice, as other manufacturers showcased their footage on high end (Glossy) monitors that looked stunning. Graphics may be different, when I work with graphic artist they use color profiles to make sure the printers print what they are looking at.

Hopes this helps.

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Answer 2

Nov 5, 2006 4:29 AM in response to Roger Barton

Why not get the best of both worlds.

Buy the matte screen, then put a clear screen protector on it. That's what I did with my 17" powerbook. It gave me a bright, glossy screen before apple even offered them and it looked phenomenal.

I got mine from macally (3 for about 20 bucks), but other companies sell them even cheaper. They stay on with static and a thin adhesive that removes easily. If you cant make up your mind, this is an ideal solution. It also protects your screen from scratches.

I think I might wait until 10.5 comes installed on the Macbook Pros to get mine.

Dave

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Answer 3

Fardad_F

Level 1

0 points

Nov 10, 2006 6:34 AM in response to rreese

I had the same dilemma. But before I made my purchase, I tried working on a glossy screen. If you are planning to work more than 3hrs on the mbp, get the matte.

The glossy screen will give you actual headaches (I know a couple of digital painters who said the same thing).

I use my machine for Maya and it when I try to control vertices around (usually a 2x2 px point), I have to nudge a bit everytime to get the glare out of the way.

So after 3 days, I ordered a matte mbp. The glossy screen is pretty, but only for part-time viewing/working, not if plan to use your macbook pro as a workhorse (working with it full time).

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Answer 4

Nov 3, 2006 1:23 PM in response to Fardad_F

i think it all depends on what you're going to use it for. for me, using it for graphic applications, the matte display is much better than the glossy. plus like others said, there will be a constant glare from lights and such. going the matte route is the safest route and you won't be dissapointed at all!

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Answer 5

rreese

Level 1

10 points

Nov 13, 2006 4:25 AM in response to Madgenius

Thanks for all of the responses. Clearly this isn't a simple issue and personal preferences seem to dominate. I decided to brave the mall and went to the Apple Store to compare. I brought a CD of my own photos and pulled aside a 17" matte and a 15" glossy. They let me play for over half an hour without disturbing me once.

The glossy is wonderfully sharp and crisp. However, it's so bright that it will be hard to get an accurate feel for Photoshop work. The matte is nice, too, and it seems to be closer to color accuracy. It's clear, though, that for serious color correcting the MBP is going to have to be connected to a CRT. In theory I work by numbers, but having an accurate monitor makes it much easier to know where to take a reading.

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Answer 6

red67

Level 1

8 points

Nov 21, 2006 12:02 PM in response to infinite vortex

I can't believe this topic causes such a fuss. Go to your local store and look at a matte and glossy screen side by side. Think about the enviroment you'll be using it in and then get the one you like. It's that simple.

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Answer 7

tpljim

Level 1

0 points

Nov 3, 2006 12:03 PM in response to Willett58

Being in the computer industry for 9 yrs now. The matte finish has its own color sort of a blackish Grey when you turn the back light off. The glossy is 100% clear and transparent. Now what do those have to do with usage? Well the matte will not reflect light because it absorbs it. The glossy you will have a little glare depending on how clean it is. The glossy have a greater contrast ratio and color spectrum just on the surface than the matte because the matte restricts color. If you take both side by side and turn the black light off. The glossy will have a display that is darker and blacker than the matte. In the same instance turn the back lights all the way up. The glossy will have a more true white. If you take both in to an environment where it is extremely bright the matte finish's own color will make the display harder to be seen. Take the glossy into the same situation; the glossy will perform as normal but will gain a little glare depending on positioning of the screen to where the light source is.

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Answer 8

Nov 4, 2006 8:26 AM in response to Willett58

I'm loving my glossy screen. Not had to clean it in a week, no dust. Don't notice the glare or reflections at all, even outside. In a dark room it looks just like the matte to me, in a well lit room, it has a CRT picture quality to photos and movies. I would agree with everyone that if you spend the majority of your time doing graphic design and word processing, then matte should be fine. But if you are doing tons of photo work or movies, etc, then you should really consider the glossy finish.

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Answer 9

Dogcow-Moof

Level 8

36,815 points

Jan 7, 2007 4:24 AM in response to trolan

A lot also depends on the lighting conditions where you work.

If you are in a dark room and a lamp is behind or above you, you'll see a reflection of the lamp (and yourself) in the screen.

If a lamp is in front of you, you'll be fine.

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Answer 10

MarcoMac

Level 1

10 points

Jan 8, 2007 3:27 PM in response to Willett58

In the store I asked for glossy but was accidentally given matte. I was upset at first, but within a few hours I fell in love with the display. I went back to the store to exchange the computers and when I saw the glossy displays I realized that the matte was superior is virtually every respect. I tried to do some wordprocessing and I found myself looking over my shoulder ever 30 seconds. I also got a massive headache after using it for just a few mins! I got the matte by accident and I am so glad I did! I love it!

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Answer 11

Jul 20, 2007 11:14 PM in response to Willett58

Personally I went with the glossy and used a stuck-on screen protect to protect the TFT from keyboard scratches and marks. The screen protector i used has a semi-matte finish, thus give s the screen a matte like effect. The reason... well, replacement TFT's are terribly expensive to replace, especially high-res units as used in the MBP SR.

I tried this before on my PowerBook with it's default matte screen, but because the surface ain't smooth cause it's pre-matted and text became more blurred then clear!

As for those people who are worried about colour accuracy, well there's some hardware devices which can calibrate the screen to match pantone colour, or whatever colour system you prefer use.

I speculate, that professionals working with their laptops would sooner have a perfectly clear screen, than one with keyboard damage... at least when my keyboard damages the screen protector, i can change it with ease and fairly cheaply.

think about it...

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Answer 12

Nov 20, 2006 8:44 AM in response to sseligson

They sell much more of the matte displays. I believe in the ratio of about 2 to 1. There are two clear reasons for this…

1) It is sold standard that way so anyone buying a stock unti will have no choice.

2) The matte display produces much more consistent, although not as vibrant, colour. A much larger percentage of MBP owners compared to MB owner use them for work.

Ultimately I doubt either will have any repercussions on resale unless you damage the display. No-one would buy a 2nd hand, 2-3 year old, laptop for work. They'd buy a new current laptop.

FWIW I went with a glossy display as it's more an entertainment "toy" more than anything so the extra vibrance in colour is a more attractive option than more accurate colour.

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Answer 13

Jan 7, 2007 3:46 PM in response to Willett58

I had debated between matte and glossy when I was choosing my MBP. I did go to the Apple Store and looked at them side-by-side for a while. The glossy just looked so much better to me that I went for it.

And... I love it! My tired eyes really appreciate the better contrast and color saturation. And photos and videos just look great on the screen!

As for reflections? I don't notice them in the lighting conditions I work under. As somebody in one of these threads pointed out - people have gotten used to glossy over the list 60 years or so...isn't that what all our CRT TVs are?

doug

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Answer 14

zolaman

Level 1

0 points

Jan 9, 2007 6:16 PM in response to trolan

I totally agree. I spent almost 3 weeks reading threads in these support forums as well as macrumors' forums and applenova among others. There isn't an apple store that I can get to easily so it was a risky decision but I went out on a limb and got the glossy screen.

I LOVE IT!!

I've only used it at home where I use 70 watt bulb lamps and at the library which is well lit with the standard 'office' lighting. In both places, glare wasn't an issue - not saying it wasn't there, but it was a simple one-time adjustment. I never found myself angling my head or contorting my neck and the screen is a lot sharper/clearer than my friend's macbook pro with a matte finish (the friend who persuaded me to get one in the first place).

To all the people making arguments about the matte screen being better because the cinema displays are all matte, I urge you to take a macbook pro and set it alongside one of those beautiful Cinema Displays. The screens are NOT the same. The Cinema Displays are a lot brighter and more vivid than their laptop counterparts. Not to say that the matte screen on the Macbook pro isn't good but to liken it to the Cinema Displays is definitely an overexaggeration of quality.

I guess people who know what they want will get what they want but to those who are on the fence, here's a strong shout in favor of glossy.

Macbook Pro C2D 2.33 GHz Mac OS X (10.4.8) 2 GB RAM, 120 GB HD, 256 MB ATi, GLOSSY ^_^

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Answer 15

red67

Level 1

8 points

Nov 21, 2006 2:42 PM in response to infinite vortex

Even if you don't live by an Apple store you can get an idea by looking at any other brand of laptop that has a glossy or matte screen. Any Wal-Mart, CompUSA, BestBuy or electronic store of your choice will suffice.

Sure there will be differences between the actual screen of a Mac to that of another brand, but the differences between matte and glossy have little to do with that.

The qualities you look for in matte or glossy can be determined without going to an actual Apple store. I didn't say anything about it being easy. I said it was a matter of personal choice.

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