Product ReviewsTFT monitors
Apple's 22in Cinema Display was once the ultimate in flat-screen luxury: distinctly expensive, but stunning looks and superb resolution. Now the company has upstaged it with the new 23in Cinema HD Display, a larger (well, slightly) and higher-resolution model. The Cinema HD Display, so named because it's aimed at those working in High Definition (HD) format at the cutting edge of digital video editing. It has a native resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels, compared with the 1600 x 1024 pixels of the original Cinema Display. This is the same widescreen format as the previous design, running at a 5:8 ratio rather than the 3:4 ratio of most displays. It works with lower resolutions, scaled (distorted) or cropped to fit if necessary, and renders them surprisingly well. The resolution and format makes this a dream for DTP users and digital video editors - an A4 spread will fit comfortably at 100% and with room for palettes. Flat club The Cinema HD Display is quite simply the best flat-panel screen we've ever seen, both in terms of image quality and sheer good looks. It's decidedly expensive, though: the 22in Cinema Display, once priced at £2799 (inc VAT), is now £1000 cheaper at £1799, while the new
The new monitor looks virtually the same as the 22in model, even when placed side by side. There are a few small differences, for example, the controls are touch-sensitive, embedded buttons in the front bezel rather than hiding under the bottom edge, and there's no black line running around the frame. But it uses the same well-balanced, spring-loaded arm as Apple's other flat-screen monitors. The Cinema HD Display connects via Apple's proprietary ADC port. Recent Power Macs have this built in, but everyone else has to use an adaptor to provide the power, as well as the digital connection that this monitor needs. The Dr Bott DVIator functions well with this display, connecting it to a DVI-equipped Mac as if it was a true ADC connection. Apple has just launched an equivalent product, the DVI to ADC Adapter, for around the same £100 price. If you don't have an ADC-equipped Mac, you will have to fork out extra to be able to connect the Cinema HD Display to anything else, including the PowerBook G4 800MHz with its built-in DVI port. Only hue LCD technology is often regarded with slight suspicion by serious colour professionals, but the Cinema HD Display shows none of the alarming hue and contrast shifts associated when changing the user viewing angle with other LCD displays. We'd recommend checking it at a dealer if you're concerned about this, but you'll probably agree that it's good enough for serious Photoshop work. In case you need another excuse, the Cinema HD Display uses around a third of the power of a large CRT display, and generates a fraction of the heat. The ADC requirement (DVI adaptors aside) means that it's only suitable for owners of recent Power Macs, and it's expensive. But it's also today's ultimate in displays. By Keith Martin
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