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Apple Cinema HD Display: Size does matter.
I dare say that every professional video editor dreams of finding that perfect monitor for day-to-day production work and has yet to find it. If you've been looking for one – your wait is finally over! Apple has built a monitor that exceeds all expectations, makes working a joyful experience, and can increase your productivity as well.
The new Cinema HD Display is all that it is promoted to be. Using a pure digital signal to run the monitor, Apple has succeeded in producing the finest flat panel screen for professionals on the market to date. The Cinema HD Display offers impressive crispness, brightness, contrast, and image quality over traditional CRT monitors and other competing LCD screens. It has an unbelievable 23-inch diagonal viewable workspace that conforms to a widescreen aspect ratio that every video professional will come to appreciate. It also offers up to16.7 million saturated colors for intensive graphics work, have an optimum resolution capability of 1920 x 1200 (a total of over 2.3 million pixels!), and a compact case measuring 19.2 x 24.2 x 7.3 inches! This display can easily support high-definition content in its native format, with room to spare. Built into the design are two USB ports for quick peripheral devise connections and a power button that not only powers your monitor but can act as a system on/off button as well. Last but not least, Apple tops it off by making the connection between the CPU and the monitor a single link - power, video signal, and USB all carried over a single cable!
This beautiful display was built specifically for the discriminating professional who demands the most from their investments. Go beyond the notion that a $1,500.00+ high-resolution CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitor is satisfactory for your production needs and you'll have made the leap to understanding why this monitor is revolutionary and holds the potential to save you time and money in the long run.
So the question stands: What gives the Cinema HD Display an edge over traditional CRT technologies, competing LCD screens, and cost justification?
What’s the difference?
CRT monitors are sold with almost any computer system on the market – professional systems included. However, this is changing as LCD screen manufactures lower their prices, have better resolution capabilities, and as informed consumers make better purchasing decisions. For the time being though, most consumers and professionals stick to the tried and tested CRT monitor.
In almost every case, CRT monitors fall short in delivering the highest quality image possible. First, It is unlikely if not impossible for any CRT monitor to maintain perfect brightness, contrast and color uniformity across an entire image due to the changes that occur while the beam travels from the gun to the screen. This is especially true with larger monitors. Also, color shifting from deteriorating cathode tubes and RGB phosphor cells occurs over time, meaning calibration is going to have to take place on a frequent basis to offset such changes and is irreversible. Moreover, The lack of perfect color uniformity and purity further dissipates the quality of the picture affecting your projects and can seriously affect your workflow when color is a decisive factor.
Unlike VGA CRT monitor connections used in the industry, including those used on most LCD’s, the Cinema Display receives a true digital signal from the video card via the ADC (Apple Display Connector) providing the ability to receive absolute color information. Why is this? A digital connection means no analog conversion or image degradation takes place during the exchange resulting in a perfectly crisp image. Colors are much brighter, consistently rich, and much more accurate due to the nature of the LCD/ADC connection.
If you're like most non-linear video editors, you work long hours into the night and leave your monitors on for long periods of time. Your eyes are indispensable tools in the profession and need to be treated and protected as such. An LCD screen can ease the symptoms associated with screen fatigue caused by CRT refresh rates otherwise known as flicker. This is possible since LCD screens use backlighting placed behind the LCD cells providing a flicker-free environment. Your work environment will become less stressful to your eyes and enhance your ability to concentrate on your projects. Lastly, it is estimated that a CRT monitor has a typical lifespan of 10 – 20,000 hours compared to a typical LCD, which runs at 20,000 to 25,000 hours. You get what you pay for in the long run!
Cost considerations and workflow:
What should you consider when choosing between a CRT monitor and Cinema HD Display? Here are some general recommendations.
Price: It is extremely easy to make cost comparisons between products on sticker price alone without looking at all the variables in detail. Your purchasing decision should be made with clearly defined goals in mind before your final decision is made or you may actually be making a big mistake even though on paper it appears to be the logical choice. Add up the pieces for putting into operation two 21-inch monitors and a new video graphics card to run them and it’s clear to see that the Cinema Display is not all that expensive, especially when you consider all the benefits of using one screen and the advantages it holds over CRT technology.
Space: Physical space for video professionals in small and medium sized offices or production studios is in high demand. A typical 21-inch monitor takes up a lot of space resulting in counter productive organization not to mention an expensive decision when you consider your ROI. Your workflow depends on how you utilize space – so don't waste it! The Cinema Display takes up very little of it and actually can help give you the room you've desperately looked for all these years.
Screen Real Estate: Screen real estate is at a premium when working with video, no two bits about it, and there's no argument that you'll always need more! Analyze your workflow by working with your current editing and creative applications to determine how you work and where you can use extra screen space. If you find you're moving around tool palettes on your screen(s) to get to your assets browser, or worse yet, to view your timeline, you need help in your productivity workflow and a way to increase your ROI (Return On Investment).
Screen fatigue: As mentioned previously, your environment can determine how you work and should never be underestimated. Quality can suffer and your output decreased if you struggle under less than desirable viewing conditions. While this is elusive to quantify, your body will give you the signs of stress if you take notice of them. I guarantee that once you try one of Apple’s flat panel monitors you’ll never go back!
The bottom line:
Video professionals everywhere are beginning to see the light and make the transition to the Cinema HD Display as a trusted tool in their productions even if it means investing a little more money than originally planned. The benefits outweigh the costs associated with owning a Cinema HD Display especially when your productivity is on the line. The Filmandvideo.com website can offer a Cinema HD Display in a variety of turnkey non-linear video editing packages priced to please that are available at an exceptional value. You can now own one of the beautiful displays for $3499. If you're interested in purchasing, have questions relating to the Cinema HD Display or need information relating to any of our other services please call us at 1 602. 212.0616. We'd love to get you moving in the right direction!
User Community: Have an article idea or interested in writing for filmandvideo.com? Drop us a note at info@filmandvideo.com and tell us what’s on your mind! After all, we’re a community of professionals. We share together, we learn together.
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Maybe a single or dual 17" Studio Display is in your future! Click on the "Solutions" tab to see how this configuration can work for you.
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