apple cinema display 24 lcd panel price

It includes three USB 2.0 ports and a convenient single cable with three connectors (Mini DisplayPort, MagSafe, and USB 2.0), a built-in iSight camera with a mic and a 2.1 speaker system.

Filter by part typeAll CategoriesAccessoriesBoards, Misc.Cables, Misc.CasingFans & Heat SinksLCDs & DisplaysLogic Boards & CPUsPower Supplies & ChargersScrews & FixingsSensors & SpeakersTools

With the 2022 Apple Studio Display, the company has returned to the display business in a big way. To celebrate, I thought we could walk through the history of Apple’s standalone flat displays.

In March 1998, Apple introduced the Apple Studio Display (15-inch). At the time, all of Apple’s external monitors were CRTs wrapped in beige plastic. In contrast, the Studio Display was a thin-for-the-time LCD perched on a plastic stand.

The Apple Studio Display combines state-of-the-art digital imaging technology with advanced software-based features unique to Apple. The result is a high-performance flat-panel display that’s ideal for anyone who spends a lot of time manipulating text, graphics, and other media on-screen. Whether you’re a multimedia content creator, a designer, a writer, an educator, or an accountant, the Apple Studio Display can make your job look a lot better to you — and vice versa.

The time the Blue and White G3 as well as the initial batch of Power Mac G4s had matching CRTs, but the Rev. B LCD is my favorite from the time period:

(Amazingly, this display — wrapped in beige plastic — was teased in 1997 by none other than Jonathan Ive and Phil Schiller. Skip to about 36:30 in this video.)

In September of 1999, (alongside the Power Mac G4) Apple released a 22-inch LCD named the Apple Cinema Display. It introduced a new design language that would last for nearly five years:

The panel itself was enclosed in an acrylic housing with two clear feet that were fixed in place. Around back was a leg on a hinge that could be used to adjust the tilt of the monitor. It was designed so that it was easy to change this angle, but that the display would hold its place on almost any desk surface.

This display initially sold for $3,999 (or $6,901.13 in Pro Display XDR 2022 money) and had a resolution of 1600 x 1024. Like the 15-inch Studio Display before it, it underwent a connection change, moving from DVI to ADC later in its life.

Let me start by saying one undeniable thing about the 22-inch Apple Cinema Display digital active matrix LCD: you want this monitor. Even if you don’t yet know that you want this monitor, trust me, you do. Don’t try to deny it. Its screen area is 22-inches on the diagonal and its thickness varies from 1.25 inches on the edges to about 2 inches in the center. It’s completely digital. It has a single cord coming from the back of it: an ADC cable. There’s not even a power cord. If you were to take this monitor back with you a decade or so into the past, it, perhaps more than anything else that exists in the world of computer hardware today, would look impossibly futuristic and magical. It’s as elemental as computer display devices get these days: a flat, thin panel with single cable poking out of the back. And I suspect that if Apple could have made it wireless, it would have.

ADC is just one chapter in the long story of weird Apple display standards. It wrapped power, DVI and USB into one connector for easy set up. In a way, it was the precursor to what we have today in standards like Thunderbolt.

In May 2001, a 17-inch Studio Display (LCD) was added to the line. At this point, Apple’s entire line had transitioned to flat screens, with three models:

In March 2002, Apple added another display to its lineup, in the form of a 23-inch LCD named the Apple Cinema Display HD. It supported a maximum resolution of 1920 by 1200 pixels, allowing for 1:1 playback of 1080p media for the first time on an Apple display.

Toward the end of 2002, the old 15-inch Studio Display was discontinued, making the 17-inch Studio Display the entry-level option for Power Mac users.

In January 2003, Apple introduced a new 20-inch Cinema Display to take the now-empty middle spot, replacing the 22-inch Cinema Display. This gave the 23-inch Cinema Display HD some breathing room at the top of the line, and nicely split the difference between it and the remaining Studio Display, as you can see on this tech spec page:

“Our gorgeous new 30-inch Cinema Display is the largest desktop canvas ever created, and you can even run two of them side-by-side to get 8 million jaw-dropping pixels,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Apple’s Cinema Displays have always set the bar for the industry’s highest quality displays, and our new 30-inch display is a giant leap forward for our pro customers.”

I remember the first time I saw one of these in the real world, and my jaw dropped. The 2560 x 1600 panel was so much bigger than anything I had ever seen on a desk up to that point. I mean, just look at this press image of the 30-inch display next to a Power Mac G5:

All of those pixels meant that most Macs couldn’t actually push the 30-inch Cinema Display, at least at first. Initially, only a G5 tower with a then-new GeForce 6800 GPU could so.

The quality of the pixels you see impacts how you use your computer. After years of experience, Apple engineers have discovered the ideal resolution to display both sharp text and graphics — a pixel density of about 100 pixels per inch (ppi). Other vendors may offer a larger monitor, but with less resolution, so you end up with fewer pixels, or a smaller monitor with a high resolution that causes eyestrain and headaches. Apple’s balanced 100 pixels per inch format is optimized for images, yet allows you to easily work with text in email, Safari and sophisticated type treatments in layouts.

Around back, all three of the new models now included two USB and two FireWire 400 ports, and the display was run via DVI. This meant the display could be used as a hub for all sorts of workflows, including those powered by notebooks, as ADC was now a thing of the past.

Of course, this also meant that the days of a single connection between a Mac and display were over. This generation of Cinema Displays shipped with a break-out cable that included individual connectors for DVI, USB and Firewire 400. Additionally, there was a power connector that plugged into an external power supply.

In the fall of 2008, Apple replaced the mid-range 23-inch Cinema Display with a new 24-inch model that was just $899. Built with a LED backlit display and in an updated chassis to better fit in with the now glass and aluminum iMacs.

While the other two Cinema Displays remained on sale, it was clear from Apple’s press release that this display was the start of a new generation of products. For the first time, Apple had made an external display really designed for notebook users:

“The new LED Cinema Display is the most advanced display that Apple has ever made,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “It is a perfect fit for our sleek new line of aluminum MacBooks with its 24-inch LED-backlit screen, aluminum and glass enclosure, integrated camera, mic and speakers, MagSafe charger, three USB ports and Mini DisplayPort.”

The 24-inch glossy, widescreen display with 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution uses LED-backlit technology to provide instant full-screen brightness and great power efficiency. Suspended by an aluminum stand with an adjustable hinge that makes tilting the display almost effortless, the new display includes a built-in iSight video camera, mic and speakers, making it ideal for video conferencing with iChat, listening to music or watching movies. The new display also includes three self-powered USB 2.0 ports so users can simply leave their printer, camera, iPhone 3G or iPod dock connected when they take their MacBook with them. The sleek, thin display also includes a built-in universal MagSafe charger so users can conveniently leave their notebook’s MagSafe power adapter in their travel bag.

Less than two years later, Apple replaced all of its external displays with a new one — a larger LED Cinema Display. Its 27-inch screen ran at a resolution of 2560 × 1440, but was otherwise the same as the outgoing 24-inch. It ran $999.

In July of 2011, the 27-inch LED Cinema Display got one-upped, in the form of the mighty Apple Thunderbolt Display. It took everything good about the LED Cinema Displays and made it even better, thanks to the all-in-one nature of Thunderbolt:

With its 27-inch LED-backlit screen, the new Thunderbolt Display delivers a brilliant viewing experience. But connect it to any Thunderbolt-enabled Mac, and it becomes a plug-and-play hub for everything you do. You get 27 inches of high-resolution screen space, high-quality audio, a FaceTime HD camera, and support for FireWire 800 and Gigabit Ethernet. All through a single connection.

Well not everything was made better with this product. This was pre-Retina, so the display remained at 2560 x 1440, but it was bright and vivid, with great viewing angles.

However, the Thunderbolt Display truly was the realization of a decades-long dream at Apple: a display that could hook up to almost anything, with as few cables as possible.

The Thunderbolt Display was the ultimate docking station for a number of years, but as more and more of the Mac lineup went Retina, it felt increasingly out of place.

In 2016, when Apple introduced the Touch Bar MacBook Pros, a curious thing happened: no new display was in sight. Instead, Apple said that it had worked with LG on a display for Mac users: the UltraFine 5K.

The 2019 Pro Display XDR was Apple’s first display in eight years, but was unlike anything that had come before it. Bigger than the old 30-inch Cinema Display, this monitor packed a whopping 6K resolution into a panel that Apple said went toe-to-toe with reference monitors used in Hollywood. At a starting price of $4,999 — without a stand — it was far from what most Mac users could justify.

The 27-inch Studio Display houses a 5K panel in a new design that takes its cues from the Apple’s current design language. While its name is an old one, it really feels like a successor to the Thunderbolt Display more than anything else. While notably more expensive, it offers a similar docking experience that notebook users were first treated to over a decade ago.

While the XDR is just too much … everything… for most people, the Studio Display is a much better fit. Many think it is too expensive at $1,599, and that’s probably true, especially given that the panel itself isn’t anything all that special anymore.

I’m willing to sit those things aside and just be glad Apple is back in the display business. It has a rich history of making good products in the space, and I hope there are many more to come in the future.

The Apple Cinema Display LED (24-inch) is meant to companion the laptops with small displays and a Mini DisplayPort (earlier Macs aren’t supported): the MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air. It has an anodized aluminum casing with a slight bezel (but wider than that of its predecessor) and is mounted on an aluminum stand with an adjustable hinge.

The screen is covered with an anti-glare glass that is .75-inch-thick. The display also meets the Electronics Standards Association’s (VESA) mounting interface standard and can be mounted on a wall or an articulating arm. It is an active-matrix LED -backlit glossy display with IPS technology, and has a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels, with an integrated three port USB hub, an iSight web-camera with a mic, as well as a 2.1 speaker system. It also has an octopus cable with three connectors (Mini DisplayPort, MagSafe, and USB 2.0) and therefore, can only be plugged into an Apple laptop.

Connect an external USB keyboard and mouse to the USB port on your display. Alternatively, it was possible to use the Bluetooth Setup Assistant to set up a wireless keyboard and mouse.

The display allowed the user to listen to movies and other videos, listen to music, play games with sound and listen to other multimedia files through the speaker system. The user could also use the microphone to record sounds, or talk with friends using the iChat feature. To manage sound input and output, go to Sound preferences:

The 24-inches Apple LED Cinema Display could use the built-in iSight camera and microphone to capture still images, video, and audio with applications such as iChat, iMovie, and Photo Booth features.

When the user leaves the computer’s display open, the user can mirror the same image on both displays or use the displays as an extension of your desktop. Too set up video mirroring or extended desktop, the user should use Display preferences.

You can use your Apple Keyboard to increase or decrease the brightness of the display. It is also possible to use System Preferences to adjust the resolution, brightness, and color settings.

The Apple LED Cinema Display was designed to work seamlessly with the MacBook family of computers that have a Mini DisplayPort connector. It featured a 24-inch LED-backlit widescreen display, a MagSafe connector to charge the MacBook computer, a built-in iSight camera, a speaker system, and a microphone. The USB connection between the display and the computer enabled these features.

Unlike its predecessors, Apple Cinema Display LED features multimedia, such as a webcam with a mic and a 2.1 speaker system. The main disadvantage of this monitor apart from its connectivity with laptops only, is the glossy surface. When turned off, the display looks much like a mirror. The anti-glare glass does little to improve the situation if only distorts the image slightly.

When you get tired of your old Apple Cinema Display, sell it to iGotOffer and save for the new model. We Buy Old Apple Cinema Displays for the best price online: Apple Display for sale online. Check our prices.

CUPERTINO, California—October 14, 2008—Apple® today unveiled the LED Cinema Display featuring a stunning 24-inch LED-backlit widescreen display with built-in iSight® video camera, mic and speakers in an elegant, thin aluminum and glass enclosure. Designed for the new MacBook® family, the LED Cinema Display includes an integrated MagSafe® charger, three USB 2.0 ports and the new Mini DisplayPort, making it easy for MacBook users to quickly connect and power their notebooks as well as use their favorite peripherals.

“The new LED Cinema Display is the most advanced display that Apple has ever made,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “It is a perfect fit for our sleek new line of aluminum MacBooks with its 24-inch LED-backlit screen, aluminum and glass enclosure, integrated camera, mic and speakers, MagSafe charger, three USB ports and Mini DisplayPort.”

The 24-inch glossy, widescreen display with 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution uses LED-backlit technology to provide instant full-screen brightness and great power efficiency. Suspended by an aluminum stand with an adjustable hinge that makes tilting the display almost effortless, the new display includes a built-in iSight video camera, mic and speakers, making it ideal for video conferencing with iChat®,* listening to music or watching movies. The new display also includes three self-powered USB 2.0 ports so users can simply leave their printer, camera, iPhone™ 3G or iPod® dock connected when they take their MacBook with them. The sleek, thin display also includes a built-in universal MagSafe charger so users can conveniently leave their notebook’s MagSafe power adapter in their travel bag.

The new LED Cinema Display is the greenest Apple display ever, made with mercury-free LED technology, arsenic-free glass and highly recyclable materials. The LED Cinema Display meets stringent Energy Star 4.0 requirements and achieves EPEAT Gold status.** The new display contains no brominated flame retardants, all internal cables and components are PVC-free and its foam packaging has been reduced by 44 percent.

Part of the next-generation DisplayPort industry standard, the new Mini DisplayPort delivers a pure digital signal that can drive up to a 30-inch widescreen display. The Mini DisplayPort is ultra-compact at just 10 percent the size of a full DVI connector, perfect for the sleek design of the new MacBook family. Adapters are available for using the MacBook’s Mini DisplayPort with older generation VGA, DVI/HDMI and Dual-Link DVI displays.

The new LED Cinema Display will be available in November through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $899 (US). The LED Cinema Display requires a MacBook, MacBook Air™ or MacBook Pro with the new Mini DisplayPort.

The extremely glossy screen was the first thing we noticed about the 24-inch Apple LED Cinema Display. In fact, it"s so reflective that it"s practically a mirror when the display is off. Upon closer inspection, we noticed what seems to be a sheet of antiglare glass over the screen that slightly blurs out the reflection and extends over the bezel to the very edge of the panel. The panel is about .75 inch thick--a thin measurement for a 24-inch monitor--and approximately 22.5 inches wide, which is normal for a 24-incher. The bezel is about an inch long at the sides and top and 1.5 inches along the bottom. In the middle of the bezel"s bottom section, there is a silver Apple logo. Directly above, in the middle of the bezel"s top section, is a small lens for the built-in iSight camera.

About an inch above the lens on the top part of the panel, you"ll find several small holes for the mic, and all the way on the bottom of the panel there are two built-in speakers. The sides of the panel are encased in a smooth aluminum finish that extends across the backside. In the upper middle section of the rear sits a black, reflective Apple logo, and in the lower left-hand corner are three USB 2.0 downstream ports.

The foot stand measures roughly 7.5 inches deep by 7 inches wide. Despite its narrow appearance, the stand provides enough stability that when the display is knocked from the sides there is minimal wobbling; however, thanks to its smooth aluminum finish, it does slide quite easily. The neck of the foot stand is 11.5 inches high and has a 2-inch diameter hole through it for routing the cables. Unfortunately, you can"t rotate, swivel, or pivot the screen, and you can"t adjust its height. The only included ergonomic feature is that the panel tilts back 30 degrees.

The display has a 1,920x1,200-pixel native resolution. Extruding from the back is an irremovable cord that splits off into three connections: a USB plug, a MagSafe connector (that will charge your MacBook if the monitor is plugged in), and a Mini DisplayPort connection. There is no DVI, VGA, or even HDMI connection. As we mentioned, this is a monitor for MacBooks (with the Mini DisplayPort connection) and for MacBooks only--at least for the time being.

You can adjust the backlight luminance by going through system preferences. There, you"ll also have access to the display"s color-temperature settings, where you can adjust it from 4,500K up to 9,300K. Unfortunately, there are no contrast controls.

We tested the Apple LED Cinema Display via its Mini DisplayPort connection, which connected to a 15-inch MacBook Pro with a 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, 4GB of RAM, and an Nvidia GeForce 9400M/9600M GT graphics adapter with 512MB of video memory. With this configuration we are unable to give the display an actual DisplayMate score, as our DisplayMate score is based on a DVI-specific PC configuration with which the Apple LED Cinema Display was not compatible. Also, we used Boot Camp to install Windows XP Pro on the MacBook, because DisplayMate is not compatible with Mac OS. Given the different configurations, it would be unfair to make direct DisplayMate comparisons with the other tested displays, but we can at least discuss the results we got from the tests. Please keep in mind that DisplayPort has a higher video bandwidth than DVI.

The Apple LED Cinema Display impressed us the most in its color reproduction and contrast results. In our Extreme Grayscale Bars and Intensity and Grayscale tests, the display scored higher than any previous display we"ve tested. In these tests, the display was able to produce pure white as well as very light grays--a challenging feat for most displays, but the Cinema Display does it nearly perfectly. On the same token, it was able to display near true black while showing very dark grays. Also, it reproduced the grayscale (the shades of gray between black and white) accurately without any signs of other colors. This indicates that it does not have any color-tracking errors.

The display performed perfectly in most of our color tests, as well. Apple LED Cinema Display was able to scale dark shades of specific colors into lighter shades of the same color without compressing the shades in between. This indicates a very accurate representation of color all around.

The display continued to impress in our Uniformity and Screen tests, stumbling only in our Dark Screen test. During this test, we noticed that backlight bleed through is very apparent along the bottom and top edges of the screen on a dark screen showing all black.

We tried out our usual test movie, Kill Bill Vol. 1, and saw deep blacks and full colors. The yellow in the bride"s jumpsuit was particularly impressive, with an accurate and deep yellow that did not bleed or show signs of other colors. World of Warcraft looked as good as we"ve ever seen it on any display, with vibrant colors and an impressive contrast ratio that makes the polygonal characters look full and three dimensional. We found that the display was best for movies and games when its color temperature was set to 6,500K and its brightness was set at 75 percent of its maximum.

While other displays, such as theDell UltraSharp 2408WFP, use cold-cathode florescent tube-based backlights, the Apple LED Cinema Display uses a light-emitting diode backlight. So instead of having several florescent tubes stretched horizontally across the screen, there are many individual LEDs all over the screen that can each be turned off or on. This gives LED displays more precise control over the amount of light coming through the screen. Other advantages include better energy efficiency, more accurate and precise color reproduction, a potentially thinner panel design, and a higher potential brightness level.

When viewing the monitor from above, below, or the side of its optimal viewing angle, we noticed gamma problems in the form of shadows along the bottom of the screen. The gamma problems are not as bad as on the Lenovo ThinkVision L2440x, where details on the screen can almost not be seen when viewed from the wrong angle, but Apple"s panel"s performance was not as good as the Dell UltraSharp 2408WFP, which lacked any gamma problems from off angles.

Apple continues with its frustratingly strange customer support. It backs the 24-inch LED Cinema Display with a one-year limited warranty that covers the backlight, but only includes 90 days of toll-free telephone support. With the purchase of a $249 AppleCare package, the warranty is extended to three years from the date the display was purchased, which seems almost like a necessity given the proprietary nature of the display.

When I made the decision to purchase my MacBook Pro the main reason that I selected it was the fact that even though it was a laptop, it was a “proper” computer. I would be able to work with it as though it were a desktop machine, without limitations. In order to achieve this properly I knew that I was going to need an additional display for when I was working at home.After looking around at the various screens on the market I eventually decided to stick with the Apple screen. There were many reasons for this, but the main one was the fact that the quality of image on this screen is absolute perfection. Colours are rich, blacks are very black, and the resolution is high enough for the work I was intending to use it for. I could have purchased a much cheaper display (at £635 the Apple Cinema Display is very expensive), however, other less expensive displays use CCFL technology for the lighting of the panel, and this is no way near as effective as using LED technology in the way that Apple have chosen to do with this display. Cold cathode fluorescent lamps achieve excellent results for their price, but I wanted a display that really delivered when it came to colour, and produced an even tone across the whole display.The box contents are minimal, just the display, the attached cable bunch, power lead and various warranty cards and instruction manuals. Also included is a small cleaning cloth for use with the screen. The first thing you notice when you remove it from the box is the stunning industrial design. The guys at Apple have once again produced something which will not look out of place in any home or office. The display has a cable bunch attached with includes a Micro Displayport connector, USB 2.0 lead and the Magsafe connector. The Magsafe connector allows you to charge your Apple MacBook while using it with the display. This is a great idea as it removed the need for me to purchase an additional power block for use at home. I can now leave my Apple charger in my bag, ready to go. The USB cable is also handy as it allows you to use the display as a USB hub for up to three devices. The only downside of this is that as the USB sockets are located on the rear of the display they can be quite hard to locate without turning the display around.When you plug in your display into the MacBook you have a choice of different modes to use. You can leave the MacBook lid open and have the displays running together, giving you a huge area to work within, or you can close the lid and the 24″ display becomes the primary display for using your MacBook. Either method provides excellent results, and the display is a joy to work with. Also included in the display is a built-in iSight camera, speakers and a microphone – all of which are powered via the same USB connection to your MacBook. This is an excellent feature, as it gives you the option to work with the lid down on your MacBook and still use all of the features of the MacBook. Obviously working in this way requires a keyboard and mouse (I have been using the bluetooth wireless keyboard and mouse and these work perfectly with the lid closed. Performance under Windows via Bootcamp is also excellent and everything works just as it should.Overall using the Apple 24″ LED Cinema Display is an excellent experience, the screen looks fantastic and has the performance to boot. An excellent display and well worth the extra money – £635 never sounded such a bargain. Perfect for all MacBook users.

Prior to October 14th of this year, Apple hadn"t updated its Cinema Display line in years. Literally. There"s no doubt that this refresh is entirely overdue, and we still hold that Apple should"ve taken the opportunity to refresh its now-archaic 20 and 30-inch counterparts. All that aside, this writeup is about the new 24-incher, a LED-backlit beauty that doesn"t mind being called glossy and is clearly partial to notebooks. The screen packs the same 1,920 x 1,200 resolution that was on the 23-incher it replaced, but ditches that DVI connector in favor of the newer, less widely adopted DisplayPort. So, is the newfangled screen worth $899? Read on to find out.

Design wise, the new LED Cinema Display isn"t a far cry from Apple"s prior (er, still current, kind of) line. It"s relatively sleek, completely fashionable and 100% Apple. It"s simply silver and black, and it meshes well with the motif found on the outfit"s latest laptop line. The "cheese grater" grille on the bottom of the screen -- which enables the "2.1" sound system to cut through -- is a nice touch, though you"ll probably never look at it after giving it a peek upon the initial unboxing. We"ve never been a fan of the Cinema Display base, and we"re no closer to falling in love now. The inability to adjust it north and south (it simply tilts down and back) is a real pain for us. Sure, you can remove the base entirely and mount it on a VESA-compatible arm, but seriously, who"s doing that? In all honesty, the angle is just about right for most, but it"s a niggle we can"t help but point out.

"Round back, you"ll find a large, mirrored Apple logo, a recessed port for the AC adapter and another port that"s filled with a tri-prong cable (USB 2.0, MagSafe power and Mini DisplayPort). There"s the obligatory Kensington security slot and a trio of USB 2.0 sockets too, but that"s sadly where the connectivity options end. No HDMI input, no possibility for a breakout box, nothing. In other words, you can forget about hooking your Xbox 360 up to this thing when it"s not handling your desktop activities. Needless to say, we were a bit bummed to see additional video inputs completely omitted, but strangely, not at all surprised.The recline on the base is nice and smooth, and it always held solid whenever we changed its position. Oh, and yeah, it"s pretty striking to look at. Just make sure you have a good duster, as the glossy screen pulls dust out of places you never knew existed.

We generally wouldn"t bother with mentioning a monitor"s audio qualities specifically, but Apple has clearly given this screen something worthy of talking about. Audio is delivered automatically over USB 2.0 from one"s laptop to the screen, and while we can only chuckle at the ".1" part of the "2.1" audio system, the quality is darn impressive. When hooking up your notebook, audio is instantly ported from the lappie"s speakers to the monitor"s speakers when the USB connector of the tri-prong cable is hooked up, and the clarity is superb. It gets plenty loud for desk use, and it does a noteworthy job of dispersing sound in a way that envelopes the user. In other words, it actually sounds like stereo, not just a puny tweeter doing its best to crank out full-range monaural sound.

So, the $64,000 question -- does the thing even look good? In a word, yes. In a couple of words, absolutely yes. The LED backlight is responsible for delivering a striking, bright and incredibly crisp image that looks good while playing back fast-moving action or just displaying your mundane desktop. It"s actually rather scary how bright this thing gets, so don"t worry about being able to see it in broad daylight. Those familiar with the display on the new MacBook Pro are fully equipped to understand the LED Cinema Display, as the qualities between the two are practically identical. Whites are starkly white, blacks are decidedly deep and overall, it"s just enjoyable to look at. Visually, we really don"t have any complaints worth harping on.

Now, about that glossy coating. We mentioned that it"s bright enough for use in an office surrounded by open windows, but sadly, you"ll see every decoration in said office just as frequently (via reflections) as your see your applications. Particularly in bright light, the glossy coating doubles as a mirror, and while you can certainly look through and adjust your eyes to tone it out, it"s a quality that"s distinctive enough to make mention of. In fact, if you"re not already comfortable with working on highly glossy displays, we wouldn"t buy this one without a trip to the Apple Store to see it for yourself. Sure, the colors certainly "pop" more thanks to the glossy panel, but we still prefer matte when it comes down to it. Again, this is completely subjective -- you owe it to yourself to check it out and see if it"s a bother.

Apple makes no bones about the fact that this monitor was built with MacBook / MacBook Pro / MacBook Air owners in mind. It"s a notebook owner"s display, if you will. We didn"t fully appreciate the convenience of an included MagSafe power adapter until we began moving from one floor to another. Not having to unplug and tote your AC adapter with you when moving to "desktop mode" is a really, really nice touch. You simply plug the monitor into the wall, connect the MagSafe / USB 2.0 / Mini DisplayPort adapter to your unibody MacBook (or Pro / Air), and you"re ready to go. You can even connect it with the lid closed and operate in "lid closed" mode should you choose. Everything was extremely snappy in terms of connecting / disconnecting from the display; our MacBook Pro immediately adjusted to its new friend when the tri-prong cable was all hooked up, and it didn"t lag up when things were suddenly unplugged on a whim.

The 24-inch LED Cinema Display is a well thought-out product. It"s the first display that isn"t ashamed to be built for notebook owners, and the simple inclusions that make it unique are incredibly handy and entirely useful. A built-in power adapter (MagSafe) and integrated speakers that don"t sound horrendous are two features we quickly learned to appreciate, and the visuals weren"t too shabby, either. That said, we"ve got plenty of beef with this thing. The move to Mini DisplayPort is fine, but charging $29 for a Mini DisplayPort to DVI (or VGA, as a separate adapter) is kind of ludicrous. Leave it to Apple to equip its new display with a single output format; if you want to use any port that"s been remotely popular in the past few years, you"ll be coughing up some extra -- a lot extra if springing for the $99 Mini DisplayPort to dual-link DVI adapter.

Also, why not provide a few auxiliary inputs here? This would be a killer multi-faceted display if it would openly accept HDMI, VGA, component or even S-Video from alternate sources. These days, folks are looking for utility in the devices they buy, and we"re not so sure a one-trick-pony display is going to be all that compelling when there are literally dozens of similarly sized alternatives that welcome standalone game consoles, DVD players and cameras / camcorders. Don"t get us wrong, this device is exceptional at being a computer monitor, and the price isn"t at all absurd given its size and LED backlight, but we"re still left yearning for a tiny bit more in the connectivity department.

Our bottom line? Apple"s 24-inch LED Cinema Display is a winner, but it"s a winner with reservations. If you"re totally kosher with Mini DisplayPort, and you don"t mind the omission of additional inputs, and you"re confident the glossy panel won"t turn you off, you"ll be hard pressed to find a better LED-backlit screen at this size and at this price point -- particularly if you"re a MacBook / MBP / MBA owner.

The 24-inch glossy, widescreen display with 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution uses LED-backlit technology to provide instant full-screen brightness and great power efficiency.

Plug in three simple connectors on one cable the new industry-standard Mini DisplayPort, MagSafe, and USB and suddenly you have more room to work and play, power for your notebook, and access to peripherals. The built-in iSight camera, microphone, and speaker system let you video chat or listen to your music whether your MacBook is open or closed.

This model uses a Mini DisplayPort interface and consequently is compatible with all Mini DisplayPort-equipped MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air models

The Apple Cinema Display is a line of flat-panel computer monitors developed and sold by Apple between 1999 and 2011. It was initially sold alongside the older line of Studio Displays, but eventually replaced them. Apple offered 20-, 22-, 23-, 24-, 27- and 30-inch sizes, with the last model being a 27-inch size with LED backlighting.

There have been three designs for the Cinema Display, one featuring polycarbonate plastic and two featuring anodized aluminum. The first displays were designed to match the colorful plastic of the Power Mac G3 and later the Power Mac G4, while the second revisions were designed to match the aluminum aesthetics of the Power Mac G5 and PowerBook G4. The last available design matched the unibody laptops released in October 2008.

The Apple Cinema Display name was retired in July 2011 with the introduction of the Apple Thunderbolt Display, and the Cinema Display models were no longer offered on the Apple Store website as of August 2014.

The first model—the 22-inch Apple Cinema Display—was introduced in September 1999 alongside the Power Mac G4 and used DVI for video input. It was enclosed in a high-density plastic frame with an easel-style stand and had a display resolution of 1600×1024. This model was upgraded in July 2000 with the Apple Display Connector (ADC), which ran DVI, USB, and 28V power through a single connector. It was eventually replaced by a 20-inch model on January 28, 2003, that sported a widescreen display with up to 1680×1050 resolution and a brightness of 230 cd/m2.

The 20" Cinema Display was updated again June 28, 2004 to match the aluminum design of the new Cinema HD Display. It retained the 1680x1050 resolution of the previous model but saw its brightness increased to 250 cd/m2, and was introduced at a $1,299 USD price point.2009.

The 23-inch model, dubbed the "Cinema HD Display," was introduced on March 20, 2002, and supported full 1:1 1080p playback on a 1920x1200 pixel display.

On June 28, 2004, Apple introduced a redesigned line of Cinema Displays, along with a new 30-inch model that, like the 23-inch model, carried the "Cinema HD Display" name. The new models had an anodized aluminum enclosure that matched Apple"s high-end lines of professional products. An alternative stand or a wall mount could be used with a VESA mount adapter kit that was sold separately. Though the display enclosures had not been redesigned for a long period of time, several "silent" improvements were made to the brightness levels and contrast ratios.

All Power Mac G5, PowerBook G4 15 or 17-inch, and Mac Pro mid-2006 to mid-2010 models are capable of supporting it without the use of any adapters. Discrete MacBook Pros are also capable of driving the 30-inch display, while all Macs released after October 2008 require an additional adapter. The 30-inch Cinema Display was introduced together with the GeForce 6800, which supports two DVI-DL ports. ATI"s aftermarket AGP X800 Mac Edition also supports dual-link DVI, but has only one port. The Radeon 9600 Mac/PC was another aftermarket graphics card that supported dual-link DVI and was also compatible with older AGP-based Power Macs.

If a computer with a single-link DVI port (such as a Mac laptop with a mini-DVI connector) is connected to the 30-inch display, it will only run at 1280×800, even if the computer is capable of supporting 1920×1200 over a single-link connection.

On October 14, 2008, the 23-inch Cinema HD Display was replaced with a 24-inch model made with aluminum and glass, reflecting the appearances of the latest iMac, MacBook Pro and unibody MacBook designs. The display features a built-in iSight camera, microphone and dual speaker system. A MagSafe cable runs from the back of the display for charging notebooks. It is the first Cinema Display to use LED backlighting and Mini DisplayPort for video input; however, the LED backlighting is edge-lit as opposed to the fully back-lit CCFL of the previous models, resulting in a lower brightness cd/m2 output. This display is only officially compatible with Macs that have the Mini DisplayPort connector. A third-party converter must be used in order to use this display with older Macs.

With the introduction of LED panels, the matte, anti-glare screen panels were retired, except for the 30" Cinema Display. Apple had already moved away from matte screens in its line of iMac desktop computers on August 7, 2007. Apple had not offered any equipment with a matte, anti-glare screen after the 15" non-Retina MacBook Pro was discontinued in October 2013 until the introduction of the Pro Display XDR in 2019. This had been a cause for concern among users who wanted matte screens for their area of work, particularly graphic designers, photographers and users who extensively view their screens.The Wall Street Journal referred to Apple"s removal of the matte screen as one of Apple"s worst design decisions.

On July 26, 2010, the 24-inch and 30-inch Cinema Displays were replaced by a 27-inch model that supports up to 2560×1440 resolution. This model was sold for $999 USD.

On August 7, 2006, the Aluminium Cinema displays had a silent upgrade that boosted the brightness and contrast ratios to 300/400 cd/m2 and 700:1. The last Cinema displays are still desirable to professionals being the last anti-glare displays made by Apple (until the Pro Display XDR) and having a true IPS 8-bit (no dithering) fully back-lit panel and slightly higher brightness than that of the newer Apple Thunderbolt displays, which have a reflective glossy screen and an edge-lit panel. These displays (including the LED Cinema 24”) are the last Apple desktop monitors made in 16:10 aspect ratio that is also used on MacBook Pros and provides more vertical work space.

Total tilt adjustment is the ability for the monitor head to move up and down. Tilt adjustment enables a user to change the viewing position of the display, creating a more comfortable view of the screen.

Response time is how long it takes for a display to change the state of pixels, in order to show new content. The less time it takes to respond, the less likely it is to blur fast-changing images.

A nit is a measurement of the light that a display emits, equal to one candela per square meter. Brighter displays ensure a screen"s contents are easy to read, even in sunny conditions.

Bit depth is the number of bits used to indicate the color of a single pixel. The more bits, the more color range a panel displays. An 8-bit panel uses 256 levels per channel and displays 16.7 million colors, while a 10-bit one reaches 1024 and displays 1.07 billion colors.

Contrast ratio is the visual distance between the lightest and the darkest colors that may be reproduced on the display. A high contrast ratio is desired, resulting in richer dark colors and more distinctive color gradation.