I agree. I would point out that we have a pretty unique opportunity with the Pro XDR to do exactly that, though. They won't be obsolete... really ever.
No. It was leading edge. While it’s longevity might take the sting out of the tail in the long run, you would’ve been effectively haemorrhaging cash in the first few years of ownership had you bought one new.
Well, not amazing. It would finally have paid after all these very long years, I guess, but the price back in the day was a staggering 3,4K That's 5 grand in today's money, which will buy you a 16 inch 64GB, 2TB SSD M1 Pro Max MacBook Pro with money to spare, or two base config M1 Pro ones! If we had new M1Pro / Pro Max iMacs already we could make even more interesting comparisons about what such amount of money will buy you. Of course, as a professional tool, it had its place and made sense there, though.
A few random points about using the 30" Apple Cinema HD Display with a modern Mac: 1. You can power the Apple mini-DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI adapter with an external power source. An iPhone USB charger would suffice. 2. However, if you don't connect the USB cable from the above adapter to your Mac, then you lose brightness control from the keyboard. (Yes, keyboard control of brightness works even in Monterey, as long as you plug the USB directly into the Mac. Brightness control is sometimes problematic through USB hubs.) 3. If you are using a Mac laptop and want to control the brightness of the 30" ACD as a secondary display, hold down the 'CONTROL' button while pressing the brightness buttons (F1 & F2). 4. If you haven't bought one yet but are thinking of getting one, look for a later 30" model with HDCP support, as the initial 30" models do not include HDCP. With HDCP support, you can stream DRM'd video in 1080p (eg. Netflix) in Safari. Also, it's easier to find USB-C to dual-Link DVI adapters with HDCP support. The ones which have HDCP support turned off (for compatibility with the initial models) are less common and are often more expensive. (I believe Club 3D sells both versions, but I bought a CableCreation one with HDCP support for cheaper, as my 2007 30" ACD supports HDCP.)
@@php4u This is admittedly inconvenient to check. If you can plug it into a Mac laptop you can bring along, if you run SwitchResX, on the Mac you can check the Product ID and the HDCP status. I'm told that the 2005 and 2006 models that have been checked so far have ID 9232 and do not support HDCP. The 2007 and later models that have been checked are ID 9221 and support HDCP. So some time in late 2006 or early 2007, Apple added HDCP support, but I don't know exactly when. I can confirm my 30" ACD was manufactured 2007 week 17 and supports HDCP, and is ID 9221. I guess the other indirect way to check is to get the serial number, and then use that to check the manufacture date online. The serial number can be found on the bottom of the display stand, or else you can run the System Information application and look under Graphics/Displays. For example, my display's serial number is CY717xxxxxx which means it was manufactured in Korea (CY) in 2007 (7) in week 17 (17). serial-number-decoder.co.uk/apple-serial-number/apple-serial.php
The owner at my old job got a bunch of these at auction for pennies because they came with no power supplies, cords, nothing. We cracked them open, found the LG panel number and bought driver boards and power supplies from the usual suppliers in China. A month later when everything arrived, we plugged in the boards, ran new power cables and bingo. Really nice picture.
Been using a NEC PA301W for a decade now. Even 27" feels small and cramped, you really get spoilt once you are use to it. I really want a 4K monitor between 34" and 39" though that seems like the perfect pixel density with no scaling. Sadly very few exist and the ones that do are low quality TV based panels.
@@laifyalif Most Apple gear is very nice, including iPad, iPhone, Macbook Pro, Pro Display XDR, etc. It's hard to think of any Apple hardware that isn't high quality and an incredible end-user experience.
@@AdamsOlympia I agree, although there are some, like the Magic Mouse or studio display, MacBook (2015 Retina, although it works very well as a email machine), iPod shuffle 3rd gen, the A12Z DTK, and so on, but most of the time they do amazing work!
I have a 30 inch, mounted to a monitor arm that I use as my main display. It's nice, but I can start to feel its age. Namely if I have a high-contrast image on the screen for a while, then switch to a flat image, there is a noticeable latent image from the previous screen.
My Dell 3008WFP does that too. I think Dell used the same panels Apple did, at least for a while. The 3008 might have a slightly later revision though, being quite a few years newer
my 23" apple display from 2005 is still going strong, use it as my main monitor for music production. Find it easier on the eyes for long periods than the retina display on my 2019 MacBook Pro
I have 5 Cinema HD displays, 3 23” and 2 30”! To this day they are amazing and I use them in my daily work as a web designer and they look beautiful compared to the monitors available on the market today.
Old tech is so interesting. I have a 19in Crt monitor from around the same era that will do 1920x1440 at 85hz and it looks gorgeous. Was a pro art monitor so it's also incredibly color accurate. Really cool stuff.
I love these old apple displays! I have a 10 year old thunderbolt, and wow it’s quality from sound, built, MATERIALS is just *chefs kiss* the picture quality does show its age a bit not being 4k, but color accuracy is perfection. Anyone who cares about monitor design, i highly reccomend going for a pre owned apple display
I have used mine for a little under 10 years now and on the high dpi setting, it’s honestly an incredible experience. Everything is crisp and clean, and you don’t even miss 4K, which honestly has a more fatiguing quality to me. Still use it with a 2012 MacBook Pro to this day. Solid piece of tech.
Bought a 30" at the same price. Went through multiple dongles and found the same Club3d that you reco'd. Works perfectly on all my Macs & PCs (Thinkpad T-series). The only issue I have is a minor nuisance of unplugging/plugging back in the monitor power cord because the screen isn't a fan of suspend/sleep modes. For those that get one - the only VESA mount usable is from Apple. Any other mount, regardless of the advertisements, confirm on their website support documentation that they cannot hold this monitor - it's a hefty 27 lbs. These VESA mounts are expensive >$100 and rare too. Lastly, after finding the mount, the only monitor arm that can carry the A1083 is the Ergotron HX (which can handle up to 42lbs). So to recap: 1. $200 for well-cared for monitor 2. $50-85 for a new-old-stock power brick 3. $45 for USB-C adapter 4. $150 for VESA mount 5. $329 for a Ergotron HX arm YMMV, but just over $775-815 for a fabulous screen setup. I'd do it again.
Seeing the clip of Steve in this put tears in my eyes. Amazing how bold he could push Apple to be, often just putting out products that the rest of the industry wasn't even considering. Making a custom GPU so that Apple users could have 2 30" displays - IN 2004! Used to love the rush I would get from Apple Keynotes. Feeling a little bit of that again these days since the release of Apple Silicon.
Picked on of these up on Facebook Marketplace yesterday for $150 (everything included). I was only looking because of your video. Good work sir. It's a beautiful display for sure. I have it next to a 4K monitor I have and it's hard to tell which looks superior. Thanks!
They are amazing. The only issues you have to be aware of (besides adaptor fun) are: if you have a unit that was heavily used, it can be faded or to the backlights can start going / die; and some units can get very hot (though the newer 27" LED and Thunderbolt Displays run way hotter). Also note that the USB ports are a 2.0 hub, not passthrough (may not be obvious to some people), and you do need to plus that USB cable in to use the ports. I also think the Firewire does't work on Apple Silicon, but I may be wrong there.
As is also stated in the box of the Thunderbolt 1/2 to USB-C adapter, you can only use that adapter to connect to Thunderbolt devices. As the cable from the ACD adapter only carries Mini DP, it won't work. You cannot use the adapter on the 24 or 27" Cinema displays either, it will only work on the 27" Thunderbolt Display.
I really like this old display. I have bought the 20" model a couple month ago without any expectation. You didn't mention that if you plug the USB in you can adjust the brightness from the monitor settings, you can disable the buttons on the display and configure what will happen if you press the power button on the display. - At least on my Mac Pro 5,1.
I had 2 of these beauties, sold one to a friend in Germany. I still use the one I kept. With the aid of a complex cable, I was able to bump to resolution up by a factor of four! I have this monitor connected to a MacMini (2014 - dog of a machine) because it has the 3 ports this cable requires. Hopefully, the upcoming MacMini Pro will have the right ports, or by use of adapters, to support the cable. I also have an Apple 24" display that is also in service and looks great.
I have a 30" on my desk right now along with a 23" and a couple of the small ones kicking about. Ended up finding the same dongle (with a different branding) as Luke and it works a treat. I even have my monitors hooked up to a Dual View Dual Link 4 way KVMP switch so that I can switch these two Cinema Displays between four computers! Works an absolute treat. The silver is basically the same as the current silver used by apple, they match wonderfully with my Mac Mini on my desk and I think the 30 inch especially is a quite wonderful monitor. It still looks absolutely incredible for photos and video. Sure text isn't quite as crisp as it could be, especially small text, but it is perfectly legible and the 16x10 aspect ratio is excellent, it is a delight to code on this screen.
I found a perfect example of the 30" display on a local online classified for only $210 CAD - there was a new power supply with it too! The adapter here in Canada was $70. Very thankful you posted the right model of adapter - saved me a lot of hassle. Pretty great screen setup for my desk for $280 total.
In 2001, I bought the 22” Cinema Display that you show about 90 seconds into your video. The display went blank (but the power light still came on) in February of this year (21 years later!), so I bought this 30” display that you’re showing us here. I absolutely love it! I found your video because I know that I’m going to have to add an additional computer to my old Mac Pro, so your recommendation of that adapter is really great. Thank you so much!
I just picked up the black 27" LED Cinema Display from 2010. It's the most gorgeous thing Apple has ever made. Looks super imposing on a desk and the quality is incredible.
i loved this display. it was my main monitor for about 15 years. when i finally tried to sell it i had to ask people who were interested what they planned to do with it and if they knew what they were getting into. I ended up giving it to a professor down in NYC who wanted to run 2 of these from his old mac pro. It's definitely 'good enough' to use now if you can find one, but it does get sort of hot and is really inefficient compared to a modern 4k or 5k display.
I've loved my 30" and 23" Displays over the past 17 years, and every consideration of upgrading my old Mac Pro to the 2022 MBP 16" Pro M1 was haunted by the concern I'd have to abandon my beloved monitors. None of the young guys at the Apple store were sure. After watching two YT vids I learned about the necessary dual-link adapter found on eBay and OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock with DisplayPort... but, after watching Luke's vid, I believe that may have been overkill and unnecessarily expensive. Nevertheless, they DID fire up back in December... and I almost cried! Not only are these fantastic monitors, and works of art - even when turned off - but I'm a very sentimental guy: they were the portals of a G5, and Mac Pro through thousands of design jobs over those years, plus all my personal life history of changes through losses and victories. Shedding them was unbearable. But, they work beautifully, and I'll keep using them until I absolutely cannot. Thanks, Luke. I only wish this vid had come out in November of 2021!
Thanks for the video! I have the 23” Cinema Display. The seller included a DVI to HDMI Adapter from Apple with the purchase. I have used the adapter to hook it up to my M1 Mac mini. Works great!
I’m looking at buying a 23” for my M1 Mac Mini. What year is yours? I’ve read here that the first few years of DVI don’t work with M1 because they don’t support HDHC.
Hahahah I lost my adaptor during moving and was wondering where to buy one, imagine my surprise when this video about an 18 year old display comes up showing me a wire for modern systems!!! Awesome video!!!
Cool video. I use one of these at work as my main display! I don't do creative work but we had one laying around that our creative teams used to use a long time ago and I was able to procure it before it got recycled. I think I've had it for 4-5 years now. I love the screen real estate it offers and because it's 2560*1600 I don't have to do any crazy scaling like I would with a 4k display. I liked it so much I tried to buy it from my company a couple years ago to use for my personal photo/video stuff I do at home. They wouldn't sell it because of the accounting headache. So I went on a journey of getting one. I actually bought two units that each had their own issues and combined them into one working unit. I learned a lot about the monitor while do that. Eventually I found another one near me in good shape for a good price and bought that and put my fraken-monitor in storage. Someone then broke into my unit a stole that one, oh well. For those that are interested here are some things to watch out for: The ccfl backlights can dade over time and will develop bright dim areas. They also tend to yellow the diffuser screens between the lcd panel and the backlight. As long as you have a way to color calibrate your monitor via software that's not a big issue.
Thank you. "The Club 3D CAC-1510-A - USB C a DVI-D Dual Link HDCP Off " works! Yes, just received and connected my old 30 inch 2008 Cinema Display with my m1 pro Mac book pro. It's a very good monitor. You can work for hours and I does not attack your sight. Best wishes
While these displays were really nice when they were released. Unfortunately in my experience the majority were plagued with well documented ghosting and yellowing issues. I’ve had several of these all fall victim to it over time, and there is no fix. But if you do have one that works fine, they’re definitely still great monitors, way ahead of their time.
It depends on viewing distance. Is it still considered retina since the display doesn’t need to be as close? My questions is about the ports. Does usb on the back still work and can you control the display brightness with the M1 MacBook?
Thank you for posting this video. I have one of these monitors that I have been trying to get to work with my M1 Mac. I love this display. It’s perfect for my eyes.
I own 2 of the 30" Apple hd cinema display, and I still rocking them as main monitor along with the dear old cMP 4.1, I think they are a fantastic combination, absolutely among the best of all those I've tried, it's a shame that they are few and expensive, very rare. Btw very good video, love you man
We had these in our UW Seattle Library Computer Lab on our Power Mac G5 Dual video editing stations. Students with projects for class would come and say that they had never edited before, and needed the project done by the next day... and want to use Final Cut Pro... I moved them to the G5s with 23" displays and taught them to use iMovie... Two lessons of Video Editing are: 1. Everything will take at least twice as long to do as you think it will. 2. The project is only FINISHED when you either a) Have a DEADLINE, or b) When you get too sick of looking at and listening to it.
Hard to imagine an 18 year old display that is still good enough in quality to compete with the displays today. I guess the main issue would be that the backlighting would fade over time though. But this seems fairly bright still. I bought an old 50” plasma monitor for $30 at an auction. I’m guessing that it’s from the late 00’s and it was quite expensive back then ($1800). Still an awesome monitor though. It is matte and the colours are really good.
I agree. A fews years of daily use degrades the backlightning noticeably. The newer 24" and 27" monitors used LED for the backlight which does not degrade as fast.
Just got given one of these. Power supply was dead, but once I replaced that it fired right up and looks beautiful. One of the best displays I've ever used
I’m still using 2 - 23” and 1 - 30” Apple Cinema displays! It’s April 2022 mine are about 15 years old. Bought them new! And still have the original boxes! They are still bright as ever.
Would be interesting to cover this compared to the 27" LED Cinema Display from 2010; the 30" model has a taller aspect ratio, but might be less hassle to setup than the slightly more modern LED version. But, how would that image quality compare?
Image quality is the same. Even for the thunderbolt display aswell. I have 2 30 inch displays that I use everyday. And they sure are a pain sometimes. I use the dvi to mini dp adapter, into a mini dp to full dp. And i have to constantly unplug and replug in to get picture from sleep/boot on my pc. But man its well worth it
I actually have the 27-in LED cinema display. I had to get a female mini display port to male display port adapter which I could only find a couple online. But it works perfectly fine with my Linux desktop. I can control the brightness and have USB pass through and everything. And it looks fantastic, minus the reflective screen in a west facing room :-(
@@DNdavidsonsnation the 30 inch is 2560x1600. which is higher than 2k 2560x1440. The pixel density is also virtually the same. The 30 inch also gets brighter, at least for the later revised versions. and uses 100watts less power. Both use the same TFT display tech, with marginal contrast improvements in the thunderbolt display. but compared to my much newer than either 27 inch 1440p acer monitor. the 30 inch looks way better. IMHO
Amazing looking monitors they are! I also have one but the 23 inch version. Impressive color and brightness. Still a really good monitor. I’ve hooked it up wit a mid-2012 MacBook Pro 15” with the optional higher resolution matt screen with the grey bezels that these monitor also have. And that is a great looking setup. Maybe I am looking for the 30” version later.
For those who are picking up these thunderbolt 27" displays, most that I have seen have some splitting of the thunderbolt cable at the base of the end. I've used "Sugru" (All Purpose Super Glue, Moldable Craft Glue for Indoor & Outdoor - Adhesive Glue for Creative Fixing, Repairing, Bonding & Personalizing.), on dozens of Apple white power adapter cables, which also break down at the ends from being bent. The Sugru will form around the casing (it only works if there are no shorts in the actual electrical cables), and hardens over night into a semi-flexable protection of the cable. I've also seen it used on cables that cats love to scratch on! It's really a great way to rescue cables that are still working properly, but show signs of degradation of the outer casing. It's $15 for 3 packets.
I still have my 20-inch Apple Cinema Display that I use with my 2013 MacBook Pro 15; I originally used it with my 2007 MacBook Pro 17. The mess of cables was challenging with a laptop, but made it work. I've now got an MacBook Pro 16 (M1 Pro ) and wondering how to connect the Cinema Display - thanks for the connector tip. I'm hoping (or is it wishful thinking 🤔) that Apple releases some new Cinema Display's this year 🙏 🤞
I bought my first 30" Apple display two years ago. Completely BRILLIANT! I just bought my second to increase my screen real estate. In my opinion, you can't beat the quality of the picture, the appearance, or the price.
Luke, thanks for this wonderful clip. This was one of the best displays at that time. I have never used the displays from Apple self. They are beautiful, no question. They are functional in the Apple environment. But, I would never buy an Apple display myself. Why? I've been using EIZO monitors since the mid-90s, back when they were still the big heavy thick CRTs. They were and are more expensive than, say, Dell and others, but even as they aged, rarely, in fact never, did one of these let me down. But from the look and quality are the Apples are still great. Almost like my big EIZO's? Stay safe. A loyal subscriber to your channel from Bavaria.
I got this beautiful display about two years ago because it was dumped by the previous user. Took it home because it’s such a looker, but I wasn’t sure it would turn on (let alone if I could find a way to hook it op to my 2019 16 inch MacBook Pro). At the time, there weren’t many guides on how to do it and this dongle didn’t exist, but with a few separate adapters, I managed to make it work.
Man, timeless design. I loved using that back in the day. This video also reminded me just how much I miss 's live keynotes. Not just Steve, although he was the master, but the candid, fun atmosphere that stoked excitement for the products. We'll probably never get back to that and continue with the bright, shiny, 'perfect' infomercials. Oh well.
The problem with buying an 18yr old technology is how long does it have left before the display goes bad or when there are a ton of dead pixels? It's a ticking time bomb if you ask me.
The problem with these monitors is not the panel itself, probably it will never develop bad pixel, but rather it's ccfl backlight. In fact in 2004 led monitors wasn't still a thing..
They are fairly easy to repair and modify though (if you are into tinkering with hardware). There are LED backlight mods and the power brick can be replaced by basically any 24V brick with enough amperage.
@@haramaschabrasir8662 The backlight and power can be replaced easily. Agreed. But the panel will eventually die or exhibit lots of dead pixels. Just a matter of time.
@@RunForPeace-hk1cu Yeah it could happen, but at the price range it’s definitely worth the risk. I have a thunderbolt version that came later, and truly it is a work of art. It has such an impressive visual aesthetic and it is a clear crisp image. Although it is certainly catered to graphic design or static pages and not gaming or video (refresh rate isn’t up to modern standards). But even modern monitors don’t do color like an Apple display for the same price point. They take calibration like few monitors for the price can.
Great review Luke. I bought two of those 30 inch cinema displays in June 2004 on order for my former CEO Halsey Minor at Grand Central Communications in San Francisco. I also had to get Geffen to make a prototype dual link DVI switch box so he could connect his 30 inch displays to his Mac Pro G5 that I also ordered for him, and a Alien ware Desktop for him to game with.
I love how this thing came out about as expensive as 3 M1, 24 inch iMACs… and it’s just the monitor. But even with that being said, the look aged very well.
I may be a year late but recently got myself a new Mac Mini to replace my old early-2015 Mac Book Air (Yeah it was about time!) Up until now my main monitor has been a Dell 3007WFP-HC which is pretty much the same monitor (same LCD made by LG than the Cinema Display) I tried many different DVI adapters nothing worked. I could not push the resolution to 2560x1600. I came to the conclusion that I needed a new monitor and got a 32" 4K to replace my good old Dell that I purchased at around 2k$CAD in 2007. You're making me regret my new purchase a little bit.. I'm thinking about getting the Dual Link DVI to USB-C adapter to see if it works well and find a way to return my new 32" monitor I still have my A1306 adapter.. I also tried a Mini display port to USB-C to drive it.. nothing worked. Great video, keep up the good work!
I have two of these beautiful monitors being driven by a 21” Late 2012 iMac and I couldn’t be more thrilled with them. Yes, I have all the original apple connectors/converters that Luke shows (TIMES 2)… but, so what… they WORK, beautifully. I recently purchased the second of the two for $250 on OfferUp. Best money I’ve spent. I’m a graphic designer (30+ years) and I know I must be “old school” but I still firmly believe that he who dies with the most monitor sq footage (AND fonts)… WINS! Hehehehe. Love your videos, Luke… keep up the great work!
Hi, Luke. Big fan of your channel! Would love to know if you have issues with this adapter with an M1 Mac more long-term--mainly problems with it staying connecting when the Mac wakes/sleeps. Maybe you could try it out in your setup for a week and see if everything holds up?
Was working for CompUSA when this came out, it truly was the start of our modern computing era. This, and then the iPhone and MacBook Air a few years later, and we were 100% in the modern era by 08'.
Great display! Got my 30” in 2008, it was about $1795 back then. Been using it ever since, got the same usb-c to dual link dvi as you show in the video and it works with both my 2019 Macbook Pro and my Mac Studio. Good video that will probably save people some wasted cash on other adapters and hopefully put a few more Cinema Displays into use 👍🏼
This is what I'm looking to do as well. I'm confused about the power connector though. Do you need to do something with that or can the monitor be powered via the USB-C adapter? That doesn't seem like enough power.
I'm still using a 2004 30" Apple Cinema Display today, 2560 x 1600 resolution, dual-link DVI connector. Works perfectly with Macs (with hdmi adaptor) and PCs (direct from a DVI output). Colours are vibrant, I'm able to control brightness and colour. No webcam, but I've plenty of external USB models. I use it as the control display for vMix on a PC and OBS streaming software on a Mac Pro. Love it! Also have 4 x 27" LED Cinema Displays with the Mini Display Port - still hard to beat.
I have a thing like Luke for older Apple tech. I absolutely love this monitor. Unfortunately, it didn't fit on my desk plus there were way too many wires and adaptors. It's replacement is the 27" Apple Cinema of 2011 with 2560x1440 res and thick colors. Also because of this channel my home computer is a 2012 Mac Mini with i7, 16G RAM, 1TB SSD which is paired to that Apple display. My kids laughed at first and now they use it all the time. I got the Mini with all the mods for $150 and the Cinema display for $130, Apple Magic Keyboard $99 and Apple Magic Mouse $79. An entire Apple setup for $450. I have a massive Apple setup for work, this is just a home setup which is not for heavy heavy use.
Was fortunate to get a 20 inch Cinema Display the other day and have done the same - linked to my M1 Pro laptop via a DVI / usb c adapter. Works really well. Really pleased.
Got 2 of these on my desk finally to match the rest of my silver/white apple products in my setup, even at their age they fit apples design language as much as ever before. I still remember how stunned I was seeing one for the first time when I was little.
I have a 23” model that I still use daily for basic tasks and gaming through bootcamp. It’s a fantastic display that I can’t really replace for the $100 I paid for it years ago. The resolution at 1920x1200 is more that sufficient for my use, the colors and brightness are incredible for a 15+ year old display, and the OS integration boggles my mind for such an old device. You can even adjust the brightness in Windows 10 through bootcamp settings. It looks fantastic playing modern titles like COD Cold War and Forza Horizon 5 and is a perfect match to my last model 15” i9 MBP. I’ve even though about buying another one to have a dual screen setup.
I bought the display with the help of a friend who worked at Apple‘s’ Family and friends discount. It’s the only monitor I’ve ever used since. I’m using it right now with my 2010 Mac Pro. I just ordered a Mac Studio and plan to use it but that as well. Hopefully that absolutely beautifully simple little gray adapter will be the key!
I got one for $100 like 3 years ago, and it was a great investment! The picture quality is as good as you say, I’ve been considering replacing it w/a Thunderbolt Display, but I don’t think it makes financial sense atm. One note, they do get hot after long use, so in the winter its good, the summer less lol only downside of this era of macs, heat management was a problem
Wow I am so happy that you made this video because I have an Apple 30 inch Cinema Display that is collecting dust....and now thanks to you I can use it with a modern Mac. Thanks Luke. Looks like I better buy that adapter for USB C before they quit making it.
Damn that monitor is gorgeous. It really is a timeless design. Apple was really onto something in 2003-2004. The Powerbook G4 has aged just as well as the Cinema Display.
From your first video about the display, I went and found one in Vancouver that someone was selling for $250 with the power and apple adapter! BUT this is hilarious cause I had to research and I found that exact Amazon DVI-USB C adapter! I'm SOOOO happy with my base model M1 Mac Mini with the 30inch display, it's soooo worth it. Especially if you are a musician working with Logic. The larger aspect of the monitor give more headroom and is perfect for mixing. This monitor looks fabulous and what a deal price wise for what was top end in its day. Thanks as always for the video and the inspiration!
I have 9 of these. All purchased at full retail in 2004. I’m happy about the adapter you found. The other adapter is no longer available. It’s a beautiful monitor.
Thank you! I was lucky enough to buy one for $100 a couple years ago, then bought the $80 adapter for my 2014 MBP. It worked perfectly, but then I recently upgraded to a new Macbook, and was racking my brain trying to figure out how to get it to work.
I’ve owned one of these displays for about 8 years, purchased second hand for $600NZ. It is on my daily driver MacBook Pro from 2012 and hasn’t missed a beat since 2014. Only things I’ve found annoying is the inability to use on a PC and occasionally it wouldn’t turn on, however this has been remedied by putting it on a UPS to stabilise the power.
I actually use this thing on the daily! It's my second monitor and it's held up really well! It definitely shows it's age with stuff like burn-in being a bit of a problem, as well as it not being 16:9, but aside from that it runs flawlessly and works great for a second monitor. If you can find this thing on the cheap definitely pick it up
For Mac users that like the look of a uniform Mac set up - this is a great deal idea for 2022! I mean a purely retro Mac look with boost performance available through the M1 chip! Great video!
I got the 23" with the power adapter for only 20€ and I love it. Together with a DVI to HDMI Adapter an a HDMI splitter, I got it connected to my M1 Macbook, my 2008 Mac Pro and a Windows machine for Work.
I was still using the 23" version as my main display until about a year ago, I just knew it was only a matter of time before it died and wanted to replace it before that happened, LOVE the picture.
I achieved it for a friend’s using DVI to mini DisplayPort adapter. Then from mini DisplayPort to usb-c adapter to his Mac mini. It’s a lot of connectors but it worked.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Imagine buying this at release and still using it today (dongles aside). What an amazing investment.
I agree. I would point out that we have a pretty unique opportunity with the Pro XDR to do exactly that, though. They won't be obsolete... really ever.
@@lucadotti2928 not obsolete for basic usage like most old/new monitors
No. It was leading edge. While it’s longevity might take the sting out of the tail in the long run, you would’ve been effectively haemorrhaging cash in the first few years of ownership had you bought one new.
Even in this video comments are people that are using it until this day 🙂 Amazing investment for sure!
Well, not amazing. It would finally have paid after all these very long years, I guess, but the price back in the day was a staggering 3,4K That's 5 grand in today's money, which will buy you a 16 inch 64GB, 2TB SSD M1 Pro Max MacBook Pro with money to spare, or two base config M1 Pro ones! If we had new M1Pro / Pro Max iMacs already we could make even more interesting comparisons about what such amount of money will buy you. Of course, as a professional tool, it had its place and made sense there, though.
A few random points about using the 30" Apple Cinema HD Display with a modern Mac:
1. You can power the Apple mini-DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI adapter with an external power source. An iPhone USB charger would suffice.
2. However, if you don't connect the USB cable from the above adapter to your Mac, then you lose brightness control from the keyboard. (Yes, keyboard control of brightness works even in Monterey, as long as you plug the USB directly into the Mac. Brightness control is sometimes problematic through USB hubs.)
3. If you are using a Mac laptop and want to control the brightness of the 30" ACD as a secondary display, hold down the 'CONTROL' button while pressing the brightness buttons (F1 & F2).
4. If you haven't bought one yet but are thinking of getting one, look for a later 30" model with HDCP support, as the initial 30" models do not include HDCP. With HDCP support, you can stream DRM'd video in 1080p (eg. Netflix) in Safari. Also, it's easier to find USB-C to dual-Link DVI adapters with HDCP support. The ones which have HDCP support turned off (for compatibility with the initial models) are less common and are often more expensive. (I believe Club 3D sells both versions, but I bought a CableCreation one with HDCP support for cheaper, as my 2007 30" ACD supports HDCP.)
Regarding #4 how can I tell if a unit I am buying supports HDCP?
@@php4u This is admittedly inconvenient to check. If you can plug it into a Mac laptop you can bring along, if you run SwitchResX, on the Mac you can check the Product ID and the HDCP status. I'm told that the 2005 and 2006 models that have been checked so far have ID 9232 and do not support HDCP. The 2007 and later models that have been checked are ID 9221 and support HDCP. So some time in late 2006 or early 2007, Apple added HDCP support, but I don't know exactly when. I can confirm my 30" ACD was manufactured 2007 week 17 and supports HDCP, and is ID 9221.
I guess the other indirect way to check is to get the serial number, and then use that to check the manufacture date online. The serial number can be found on the bottom of the display stand, or else you can run the System Information application and look under Graphics/Displays. For example, my display's serial number is CY717xxxxxx which means it was manufactured in Korea (CY) in 2007 (7) in week 17 (17).
serial-number-decoder.co.uk/apple-serial-number/apple-serial.php
Brilliant information, especially point No 3, I've got my hands on 3 of these over the last few years and never knew about the brightness shortcut.
Do you know if it can be used with the MacBook lid closed?
@@B0k3h on my 2012 & 2015 yes, would assume same for others
I have a 30", 23", and a couple 20" displays all from 2004-2009. These are quite possibly the best monitors ever... great video Luke!
Hell yeah. I use my 23" with my MP G5 server... Yes you read that correct, I'm still rocking my 2.0ghz dual core G5 😎🥃
@@squalley It‘s a Powermac not a Mac Pro
Would they work with a windows laptop?
@@squalley I don’t envy your electricity bill.
@@bfapple 😁
The owner at my old job got a bunch of these at auction for pennies because they came with no power supplies, cords, nothing. We cracked them open, found the LG panel number and bought driver boards and power supplies from the usual suppliers in China. A month later when everything arrived, we plugged in the boards, ran new power cables and bingo. Really nice picture.
who was your supplier in china ? Aliexpress alibaba ?
@@pokiblue5870 Once you figure out the LG panel number, the boards are easy to find. I think we got them from Aliexpress.
Using a 30" daily. Really, really love it. The simple design, white sides, and matte screen really make it for me.
White?
@@helloukw yes, the sides of the monitor are white. You can see it in the video.
I love the size/aspect ratio/resolution/color fidelity of these 30 inch panels, it's why I'm running 4 of them as my primary monitors.
Been using a NEC PA301W for a decade now. Even 27" feels small and cramped, you really get spoilt once you are use to it. I really want a 4K monitor between 34" and 39" though that seems like the perfect pixel density with no scaling. Sadly very few exist and the ones that do are low quality TV based panels.
@@helloukw what am I supposed to call it silver lol
I love these videos of old Apple gear. It shows just how well designed it is that it is still viable after all these years.
How well designed it was you mean… now you cant even remove the power cable lol
@@1111mariokart some apple equipment is still really nice
@@laifyalif Most Apple gear is very nice, including iPad, iPhone, Macbook Pro, Pro Display XDR, etc. It's hard to think of any Apple hardware that isn't high quality and an incredible end-user experience.
@@AdamsOlympia I agree, although there are some, like the Magic Mouse or studio display, MacBook (2015 Retina, although it works very well as a email machine), iPod shuffle 3rd gen, the A12Z DTK, and so on, but most of the time they do amazing work!
This display is so beautiful holy
Its hard to believe its older than most tik tok users
@@lukemiani it’s 3 years older than me lol. I was about to buy one so fingers crossed the price hasn’t gone up too much. That or a 24” Cinema Display
I have a 30 inch, mounted to a monitor arm that I use as my main display. It's nice, but I can start to feel its age. Namely if I have a high-contrast image on the screen for a while, then switch to a flat image, there is a noticeable latent image from the previous screen.
My Dell 3008WFP does that too. I think Dell used the same panels Apple did, at least for a while. The 3008 might have a slightly later revision though, being quite a few years newer
@@SterkeYerke5555 the 2011 and 2014 models from Dell do not exhibit this issue. Same LCD but LED backlight.
i have this issue, but with a late 2015 iMac. this has just been a thing with apple apparently
@@oliviasinclair1332 no, that's just what displays do with enough age and usage
@@Butterbean32 Yeah your probably right, ive gotten a lot of use out of it lol
my 23" apple display from 2005 is still going strong, use it as my main monitor for music production. Find it easier on the eyes for long periods than the retina display on my 2019 MacBook Pro
Just got one of these displays for free, and bought the adapter you recommended. Works like a charm! Great Vid!
I have 5 Cinema HD displays, 3 23” and 2 30”! To this day they are amazing and I use them in my daily work as a web designer and they look beautiful compared to the monitors available on the market today.
Wow that’s a lot of screens
@@cannerbal heh yes, but three with one mac pro and two with another mac pro :)
@@zolwixon I don’t even have an Apple computer or screen
@@cannerbal cuase you are poor.
@@pompombuuum3182 or he chooses to spend his money on things he needs?
Old tech is so interesting. I have a 19in Crt monitor from around the same era that will do 1920x1440 at 85hz and it looks gorgeous. Was a pro art monitor so it's also incredibly color accurate. Really cool stuff.
I love these old apple displays! I have a 10 year old thunderbolt, and wow it’s quality from sound, built, MATERIALS is just *chefs kiss* the picture quality does show its age a bit not being 4k, but color accuracy is perfection. Anyone who cares about monitor design, i highly reccomend going for a pre owned apple display
I have used mine for a little under 10 years now and on the high dpi setting, it’s honestly an incredible experience. Everything is crisp and clean, and you don’t even miss 4K, which honestly has a more fatiguing quality to me. Still use it with a 2012 MacBook Pro to this day.
Solid piece of tech.
Been using my 20" for around 3 years, got it from a school that was chucking out its old tech and never looked back! it's beautiful!
Nc
I had these after years drooling over them, they were (and still are) the most beautiful displays ever. Timeless design, flawless screen.
Bought a 30" at the same price. Went through multiple dongles and found the same Club3d that you reco'd. Works perfectly on all my Macs & PCs (Thinkpad T-series). The only issue I have is a minor nuisance of unplugging/plugging back in the monitor power cord because the screen isn't a fan of suspend/sleep modes. For those that get one - the only VESA mount usable is from Apple. Any other mount, regardless of the advertisements, confirm on their website support documentation that they cannot hold this monitor - it's a hefty 27 lbs. These VESA mounts are expensive >$100 and rare too. Lastly, after finding the mount, the only monitor arm that can carry the A1083 is the Ergotron HX (which can handle up to 42lbs). So to recap:
1. $200 for well-cared for monitor
2. $50-85 for a new-old-stock power brick
3. $45 for USB-C adapter
4. $150 for VESA mount
5. $329 for a Ergotron HX arm
YMMV, but just over $775-815 for a fabulous screen setup. I'd do it again.
you dissapointed me...over 500 euros for this??? (i've also wanted to use it with an arm... .) :(
Seeing the clip of Steve in this put tears in my eyes. Amazing how bold he could push Apple to be, often just putting out products that the rest of the industry wasn't even considering. Making a custom GPU so that Apple users could have 2 30" displays - IN 2004! Used to love the rush I would get from Apple Keynotes. Feeling a little bit of that again these days since the release of Apple Silicon.
Picked on of these up on Facebook Marketplace yesterday for $150 (everything included). I was only looking because of your video. Good work sir. It's a beautiful display for sure. I have it next to a 4K monitor I have and it's hard to tell which looks superior. Thanks!
This is impressive! I wasn't aware of this one 😳
Great video!
They are amazing. The only issues you have to be aware of (besides adaptor fun) are: if you have a unit that was heavily used, it can be faded or to the backlights can start going / die; and some units can get very hot (though the newer 27" LED and Thunderbolt Displays run way hotter). Also note that the USB ports are a 2.0 hub, not passthrough (may not be obvious to some people), and you do need to plus that USB cable in to use the ports. I also think the Firewire does't work on Apple Silicon, but I may be wrong there.
As is also stated in the box of the Thunderbolt 1/2 to USB-C adapter, you can only use that adapter to connect to Thunderbolt devices. As the cable from the ACD adapter only carries Mini DP, it won't work. You cannot use the adapter on the 24 or 27" Cinema displays either, it will only work on the 27" Thunderbolt Display.
yup was thinking the same thing. Ran into same issue with 27" Cinema display. Mini-Displayport adapter on amazon worked!
I really like this old display. I have bought the 20" model a couple month ago without any expectation.
You didn't mention that if you plug the USB in you can adjust the brightness from the monitor settings, you can disable the buttons on the display and configure what will happen if you press the power button on the display. - At least on my Mac Pro 5,1.
I had 2 of these beauties, sold one to a friend in Germany. I still use the one I kept. With the aid of a complex cable, I was able to bump to resolution up by a factor of four! I have this monitor connected to a MacMini (2014 - dog of a machine) because it has the 3 ports this cable requires. Hopefully, the upcoming MacMini Pro will have the right ports, or by use of adapters, to support the cable. I also have an Apple 24" display that is also in service and looks great.
What was your total display resolution?
I would love to learn more about the cable design
These monitors still hold up really well, I use a 23” model with my main Mac Mini and it works extremely well! It’s a solid older monitor!
The 30inch was incredible at the time. 22 and 23inch were considered huge back then.
Would love to see an M1 in a design like this
I have a 30" on my desk right now along with a 23" and a couple of the small ones kicking about. Ended up finding the same dongle (with a different branding) as Luke and it works a treat.
I even have my monitors hooked up to a Dual View Dual Link 4 way KVMP switch so that I can switch these two Cinema Displays between four computers! Works an absolute treat.
The silver is basically the same as the current silver used by apple, they match wonderfully with my Mac Mini on my desk and I think the 30 inch especially is a quite wonderful monitor.
It still looks absolutely incredible for photos and video. Sure text isn't quite as crisp as it could be, especially small text, but it is perfectly legible and the 16x10 aspect ratio is excellent, it is a delight to code on this screen.
I found a perfect example of the 30" display on a local online classified for only $210 CAD - there was a new power supply with it too! The adapter here in Canada was $70. Very thankful you posted the right model of adapter - saved me a lot of hassle. Pretty great screen setup for my desk for $280 total.
Thats right, this monitor can vote!
Luke's humor is out of this world kudos to you!
2004: Still Includes the stand.
2019: Should pay $999 for the stand.
slow inflation?
@@mikivlifr
free glass of🍷with every purchase (of a stand)
In 2001, I bought the 22” Cinema Display that you show about 90 seconds into your video. The display went blank (but the power light still came on) in February of this year (21 years later!), so I bought this 30” display that you’re showing us here. I absolutely love it! I found your video because I know that I’m going to have to add an additional computer to my old Mac Pro, so your recommendation of that adapter is really great. Thank you so much!
I'm watching this on a 23" Cinema Display right now. These things are ICONIC!
I just picked up the black 27" LED Cinema Display from 2010. It's the most gorgeous thing Apple has ever made. Looks super imposing on a desk and the quality is incredible.
i loved this display. it was my main monitor for about 15 years. when i finally tried to sell it i had to ask people who were interested what they planned to do with it and if they knew what they were getting into. I ended up giving it to a professor down in NYC who wanted to run 2 of these from his old mac pro. It's definitely 'good enough' to use now if you can find one, but it does get sort of hot and is really inefficient compared to a modern 4k or 5k display.
That is insane that you got that working and that all these workarounds in the comments below work, too. Amazing.
I've loved my 30" and 23" Displays over the past 17 years, and every consideration of upgrading my old Mac Pro to the 2022 MBP 16" Pro M1 was haunted by the concern I'd have to abandon my beloved monitors. None of the young guys at the Apple store were sure. After watching two YT vids I learned about the necessary dual-link adapter found on eBay and OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock with DisplayPort... but, after watching Luke's vid, I believe that may have been overkill and unnecessarily expensive. Nevertheless, they DID fire up back in December... and I almost cried! Not only are these fantastic monitors, and works of art - even when turned off - but I'm a very sentimental guy: they were the portals of a G5, and Mac Pro through thousands of design jobs over those years, plus all my personal life history of changes through losses and victories. Shedding them was unbearable. But, they work beautifully, and I'll keep using them until I absolutely cannot. Thanks, Luke. I only wish this vid had come out in November of 2021!
STILL using 2 of these beauties from new hooked up to a Trashcan Mac Pro , they clearly are built to last .
Thanks for the video! I have the 23” Cinema Display. The seller included a DVI to HDMI Adapter from Apple with the purchase. I have used the adapter to hook it up to my M1 Mac mini. Works great!
wow...i also have an m1 mac mini and wanted this monitor...lucky you!!!
I’m looking at buying a 23” for my M1 Mac Mini. What year is yours? I’ve read here that the first few years of DVI don’t work with M1 because they don’t support HDHC.
Hahahah I lost my adaptor during moving and was wondering where to buy one, imagine my surprise when this video about an 18 year old display comes up showing me a wire for modern systems!!! Awesome video!!!
Cool video. I use one of these at work as my main display! I don't do creative work but we had one laying around that our creative teams used to use a long time ago and I was able to procure it before it got recycled. I think I've had it for 4-5 years now. I love the screen real estate it offers and because it's 2560*1600 I don't have to do any crazy scaling like I would with a 4k display.
I liked it so much I tried to buy it from my company a couple years ago to use for my personal photo/video stuff I do at home. They wouldn't sell it because of the accounting headache. So I went on a journey of getting one. I actually bought two units that each had their own issues and combined them into one working unit. I learned a lot about the monitor while do that.
Eventually I found another one near me in good shape for a good price and bought that and put my fraken-monitor in storage. Someone then broke into my unit a stole that one, oh well.
For those that are interested here are some things to watch out for: The ccfl backlights can dade over time and will develop bright dim areas. They also tend to yellow the diffuser screens between the lcd panel and the backlight. As long as you have a way to color calibrate your monitor via software that's not a big issue.
Thank you. "The Club 3D CAC-1510-A - USB C a DVI-D Dual Link HDCP Off " works! Yes, just received and connected my old 30 inch 2008 Cinema Display with my m1 pro Mac book pro. It's a very good monitor. You can work for hours and I does not attack your sight. Best wishes
While these displays were really nice when they were released. Unfortunately in my experience the majority were plagued with well documented ghosting and yellowing issues. I’ve had several of these all fall victim to it over time, and there is no fix. But if you do have one that works fine, they’re definitely still great monitors, way ahead of their time.
One of those things where they did not expect them to still be in use for 20 years. They prob figured they had a 5 year life cycle.
There is a fix, you just have to be willing to open it up and get to the diffuser, which can be whitened up with retrobright
Thank Luke. You just made my day, I have 2 of these displays in my loft and now can use them again. Thank you
Do you think the 30 inch Cinema Display is worth buying in 2022?
No for the price and the dongles I would say if you still have it then yea it's better than your average monitor but there are better monitors
Has no hdcp so not good for streaming Netflix or prime. But still good for media work and general productivity.
It depends on viewing distance. Is it still considered retina since the display doesn’t need to be as close? My questions is about the ports. Does usb on the back still work and can you control the display brightness with the M1 MacBook?
@@Davidmccombs yep, the usbs on the back work and so do the brightness buttons. Using a 14in MBP
no - it uses a lot of power compare to todays displays...you can buy an Asus Pro Art for under 300
Thank you for posting this video. I have one of these monitors that I have been trying to get to work with my M1 Mac. I love this display. It’s perfect for my eyes.
I own 2 of the 30" Apple hd cinema display, and I still rocking them as main monitor along with the dear old cMP 4.1, I think they are a fantastic combination, absolutely among the best of all those I've tried, it's a shame that they are few and expensive, very rare.
Btw very good video, love you man
I have a 4,1 as well. I feel I need the Cinema display just to complete the vibe.
My work setup is a hodgepodge of beefed up old macs & modern ones linked to thunderbolt/cinema displays thanks to this channel.
I'm still using a Panasonic CRT monitor from the 90s
We had these in our UW Seattle Library Computer Lab on our Power Mac G5 Dual video editing stations. Students with projects for class would come and say that they had never edited before, and needed the project done by the next day... and want to use Final Cut Pro... I moved them to the G5s with 23" displays and taught them to use iMovie... Two lessons of Video Editing are: 1. Everything will take at least twice as long to do as you think it will. 2. The project is only FINISHED when you either a) Have a DEADLINE, or b) When you get too sick of looking at and listening to it.
Hard to imagine an 18 year old display that is still good enough in quality to compete with the displays today. I guess the main issue would be that the backlighting would fade over time though. But this seems fairly bright still.
I bought an old 50” plasma monitor for $30 at an auction. I’m guessing that it’s from the late 00’s and it was quite expensive back then ($1800). Still an awesome monitor though. It is matte and the colours are really good.
I agree. A fews years of daily use degrades the backlightning noticeably. The newer 24" and 27" monitors used LED for the backlight which does not degrade as fast.
Love the deep dives you've been doing into older mac tech ❤ The value for this monitor is definitely there!
I love these displays! Thanks Luke for all this coverage!
Just got given one of these. Power supply was dead, but once I replaced that it fired right up and looks beautiful. One of the best displays I've ever used
Great stuff Luke! I love your videos that are focussed on how to utilize older Apple tech.
I’m still using 2 - 23” and 1 - 30” Apple Cinema displays! It’s April 2022 mine are about 15 years old. Bought them new! And still have the original boxes! They are still bright as ever.
Would be interesting to cover this compared to the 27" LED Cinema Display from 2010; the 30" model has a taller aspect ratio, but might be less hassle to setup than the slightly more modern LED version. But, how would that image quality compare?
Image quality is the same. Even for the thunderbolt display aswell.
I have 2 30 inch displays that I use everyday. And they sure are a pain sometimes. I use the dvi to mini dp adapter, into a mini dp to full dp.
And i have to constantly unplug and replug in to get picture from sleep/boot on my pc.
But man its well worth it
I actually have the 27-in LED cinema display. I had to get a female mini display port to male display port adapter which I could only find a couple online. But it works perfectly fine with my Linux desktop. I can control the brightness and have USB pass through and everything. And it looks fantastic, minus the reflective screen in a west facing room :-(
@@chloedegurechaff1941 quality of 27" cinema/thundrbolt display is higher sitting at 2K instead of 1080p.
@@chloedegurechaff1941 jup that’s a pain in the ass to get video. But it’s indeed all worth it
@@DNdavidsonsnation the 30 inch is 2560x1600. which is higher than 2k 2560x1440. The pixel density is also virtually the same.
The 30 inch also gets brighter, at least for the later revised versions. and uses 100watts less power.
Both use the same TFT display tech, with marginal contrast improvements in the thunderbolt display. but compared to my much newer than either 27 inch 1440p acer monitor. the 30 inch looks way better. IMHO
Still running 2 of the 30” models into my 14” MBP M1 Pro. Still my favorite monitor.
Amazing looking monitors they are! I also have one but the 23 inch version. Impressive color and brightness. Still a really good monitor. I’ve hooked it up wit a mid-2012 MacBook Pro 15” with the optional higher resolution matt screen with the grey bezels that these monitor also have. And that is a great looking setup. Maybe I am looking for the 30” version later.
For those who are picking up these thunderbolt 27" displays, most that I have seen have some splitting of the thunderbolt cable at the base of the end. I've used "Sugru" (All Purpose Super Glue, Moldable Craft Glue for Indoor & Outdoor - Adhesive Glue for Creative Fixing, Repairing, Bonding & Personalizing.), on dozens of Apple white power adapter cables, which also break down at the ends from being bent. The Sugru will form around the casing (it only works if there are no shorts in the actual electrical cables), and hardens over night into a semi-flexable protection of the cable. I've also seen it used on cables that cats love to scratch on! It's really a great way to rescue cables that are still working properly, but show signs of degradation of the outer casing. It's $15 for 3 packets.
I still have my 20-inch Apple Cinema Display that I use with my 2013 MacBook Pro 15; I originally used it with my 2007 MacBook Pro 17. The mess of cables was challenging with a laptop, but made it work. I've now got an MacBook Pro 16 (M1 Pro ) and wondering how to connect the Cinema Display - thanks for the connector tip. I'm hoping (or is it wishful thinking 🤔) that Apple releases some new Cinema Display's this year 🙏 🤞
I bought my first 30" Apple display two years ago. Completely BRILLIANT! I just bought my second to increase my screen real estate. In my opinion, you can't beat the quality of the picture, the appearance, or the price.
Luke, thanks for this wonderful clip. This was one of the best displays at that time. I have never used the displays from Apple self. They are beautiful, no question. They are functional in the Apple environment. But, I would never buy an Apple display myself. Why? I've been using EIZO monitors since the mid-90s, back when they were still the big heavy thick CRTs. They were and are more expensive than, say, Dell and others, but even as they aged, rarely, in fact never, did one of these let me down.
But from the look and quality are the Apples are still great. Almost like my big EIZO's?
Stay safe. A loyal subscriber to your channel from Bavaria.
I got this beautiful display about two years ago because it was dumped by the previous user. Took it home because it’s such a looker, but I wasn’t sure it would turn on (let alone if I could find a way to hook it op to my 2019 16 inch MacBook Pro). At the time, there weren’t many guides on how to do it and this dongle didn’t exist, but with a few separate adapters, I managed to make it work.
I saw one of these at goodwill for $15 and I am really kicking myself for not getting it.
Yeah when was new it costed over a thousand dollars
Huhhhh $15?! Time to go digging then…
Man, timeless design. I loved using that back in the day. This video also reminded me just how much I miss 's live keynotes. Not just Steve, although he was the master, but the candid, fun atmosphere that stoked excitement for the products. We'll probably never get back to that and continue with the bright, shiny, 'perfect' infomercials. Oh well.
The problem with buying an 18yr old technology is how long does it have left before the display goes bad or when there are a ton of dead pixels?
It's a ticking time bomb if you ask me.
The problem with these monitors is not the panel itself, probably it will never develop bad pixel, but rather it's ccfl backlight.
In fact in 2004 led monitors wasn't still a thing..
They are fairly easy to repair and modify though (if you are into tinkering with hardware). There are LED backlight mods and the power brick can be replaced by basically any 24V brick with enough amperage.
@@mndx89 nah ... there's no such thing as no dead pixels. It's bound to happen. Nothing lasts forever ...
@@haramaschabrasir8662 The backlight and power can be replaced easily. Agreed. But the panel will eventually die or exhibit lots of dead pixels. Just a matter of time.
@@RunForPeace-hk1cu Yeah it could happen, but at the price range it’s definitely worth the risk. I have a thunderbolt version that came later, and truly it is a work of art. It has such an impressive visual aesthetic and it is a clear crisp image.
Although it is certainly catered to graphic design or static pages and not gaming or video (refresh rate isn’t up to modern standards).
But even modern monitors don’t do color like an Apple display for the same price point. They take calibration like few monitors for the price can.
Great review Luke. I bought two of those 30 inch cinema displays in June 2004 on order for my former CEO Halsey Minor at Grand Central Communications in San Francisco. I also had to get Geffen to make a prototype dual link DVI switch box so he could connect his 30 inch displays to his Mac Pro G5 that I also ordered for him, and a Alien ware Desktop for him to game with.
I love how this thing came out about as expensive as 3 M1, 24 inch iMACs… and it’s just the monitor. But even with that being said, the look aged very well.
I mean the PDXDR is like 5x the price of an m1 iMac so
I may be a year late but recently got myself a new Mac Mini to replace my old early-2015 Mac Book Air (Yeah it was about time!)
Up until now my main monitor has been a Dell 3007WFP-HC which is pretty much the same monitor (same LCD made by LG than the Cinema Display)
I tried many different DVI adapters nothing worked. I could not push the resolution to 2560x1600. I came to the conclusion that I needed a new monitor and got a 32" 4K to replace my good old Dell that I purchased at around 2k$CAD in 2007.
You're making me regret my new purchase a little bit.. I'm thinking about getting the Dual Link DVI to USB-C adapter to see if it works well and find a way to return my new 32" monitor
I still have my A1306 adapter.. I also tried a Mini display port to USB-C to drive it.. nothing worked.
Great video, keep up the good work!
What's crazy is that it still looks great today, and most monitors are just as thick today.
...and they have the power supply integrated.
I use three 30" Apple Cinema Displays with my 2010 Mac Pro running Catalina. These monitors are awesome!
This was great! Would love to see similar videos on the Thunderbolt Display and the Mini DisplayPort Cinema Displays!
I have two of these beautiful monitors being driven by a 21” Late 2012 iMac and I couldn’t be more thrilled with them. Yes, I have all the original apple connectors/converters that Luke shows (TIMES 2)… but, so what… they WORK, beautifully. I recently purchased the second of the two for $250 on OfferUp. Best money I’ve spent. I’m a graphic designer (30+ years) and I know I must be “old school” but I still firmly believe that he who dies with the most monitor sq footage (AND fonts)… WINS! Hehehehe. Love your videos, Luke… keep up the great work!
Hi, Luke. Big fan of your channel! Would love to know if you have issues with this adapter with an M1 Mac more long-term--mainly problems with it staying connecting when the Mac wakes/sleeps. Maybe you could try it out in your setup for a week and see if everything holds up?
Was working for CompUSA when this came out, it truly was the start of our modern computing era. This, and then the iPhone and MacBook Air a few years later, and we were 100% in the modern era by 08'.
Great display! Got my 30” in 2008, it was about $1795 back then. Been using it ever since, got the same usb-c to dual link dvi as you show in the video and it works with both my 2019 Macbook Pro and my Mac Studio.
Good video that will probably save people some wasted cash on other adapters and hopefully put a few more Cinema Displays into use 👍🏼
This is what I'm looking to do as well. I'm confused about the power connector though. Do you need to do something with that or can the monitor be powered via the USB-C adapter? That doesn't seem like enough power.
I'm still using a 2004 30" Apple Cinema Display today, 2560 x 1600 resolution, dual-link DVI connector. Works perfectly with Macs (with hdmi adaptor) and PCs (direct from a DVI output).
Colours are vibrant, I'm able to control brightness and colour. No webcam, but I've plenty of external USB models.
I use it as the control display for vMix on a PC and OBS streaming software on a Mac Pro. Love it!
Also have 4 x 27" LED Cinema Displays with the Mini Display Port - still hard to beat.
These are still so fantastic even today, I use one as a second monitor for my unibody MBP, works a treat.
I have a thing like Luke for older Apple tech. I absolutely love this monitor. Unfortunately, it didn't fit on my desk plus there were way too many wires and adaptors. It's replacement is the 27" Apple Cinema of 2011 with 2560x1440 res and thick colors. Also because of this channel my home computer is a 2012 Mac Mini with i7, 16G RAM, 1TB SSD which is paired to that Apple display. My kids laughed at first and now they use it all the time. I got the Mini with all the mods for $150 and the Cinema display for $130, Apple Magic Keyboard $99 and Apple Magic Mouse $79. An entire Apple setup for $450. I have a massive Apple setup for work, this is just a home setup which is not for heavy heavy use.
Was fortunate to get a 20 inch Cinema Display the other day and have done the same - linked to my M1 Pro laptop via a DVI / usb c adapter. Works really well. Really pleased.
Got 2 of these on my desk finally to match the rest of my silver/white apple products in my setup, even at their age they fit apples design language as much as ever before. I still remember how stunned I was seeing one for the first time when I was little.
I have a 23” model that I still use daily for basic tasks and gaming through bootcamp. It’s a fantastic display that I can’t really replace for the $100 I paid for it years ago. The resolution at 1920x1200 is more that sufficient for my use, the colors and brightness are incredible for a 15+ year old display, and the OS integration boggles my mind for such an old device. You can even adjust the brightness in Windows 10 through bootcamp settings. It looks fantastic playing modern titles like COD Cold War and Forza Horizon 5 and is a perfect match to my last model 15” i9 MBP. I’ve even though about buying another one to have a dual screen setup.
The only thing that shows it’s age is that it takes a minute or so warm up the backlight completely.
I bought the display with the help of a friend who worked at Apple‘s’ Family and friends discount. It’s the only monitor I’ve ever used since. I’m using it right now with my 2010 Mac Pro. I just ordered a Mac Studio and plan to use it but that as well. Hopefully that absolutely beautifully simple little gray adapter will be the key!
I bought 4 of these for $50 each on FB marketplace a couple years ago. I still have 2 of them. They work great.
Paid around 80 for my 30” about a year ago. I use it with my 5,1 Mac Pro. Fantastic display for its age!
I got one for $100 like 3 years ago, and it was a great investment! The picture quality is as good as you say, I’ve been considering replacing it w/a Thunderbolt Display, but I don’t think it makes financial sense atm. One note, they do get hot after long use, so in the winter its good, the summer less lol only downside of this era of macs, heat management was a problem
Wow I am so happy that you made this video because I have an Apple 30 inch Cinema Display that is collecting dust....and now thanks to you I can use it with a modern Mac. Thanks Luke. Looks like I better buy that adapter for USB C before they quit making it.
My dad's coworker gave one of these displays to me for free when I built my pc about 9 years ago. I still use it. It is an incredible display.
Yo, what a fab video, ty for posting this, Luke. WOW.
Damn that monitor is gorgeous. It really is a timeless design. Apple was really onto something in 2003-2004. The Powerbook G4 has aged just as well as the Cinema Display.
From your first video about the display, I went and found one in Vancouver that someone was selling for $250 with the power and apple adapter! BUT this is hilarious cause I had to research and I found that exact Amazon DVI-USB C adapter! I'm SOOOO happy with my base model M1 Mac Mini with the 30inch display, it's soooo worth it. Especially if you are a musician working with Logic. The larger aspect of the monitor give more headroom and is perfect for mixing. This monitor looks fabulous and what a deal price wise for what was top end in its day. Thanks as always for the video and the inspiration!
I have 9 of these. All purchased at full retail in 2004. I’m happy about the adapter you found. The other adapter is no longer available.
It’s a beautiful monitor.
I keep a stock of these as much as i can, 7 30", 6 23" and a few 20" im so glad i kept em all in good shape
Thank you! I was lucky enough to buy one for $100 a couple years ago, then bought the $80 adapter for my 2014 MBP. It worked perfectly, but then I recently upgraded to a new Macbook, and was racking my brain trying to figure out how to get it to work.
I’ve owned one of these displays for about 8 years, purchased second hand for $600NZ. It is on my daily driver MacBook Pro from 2012 and hasn’t missed a beat since 2014. Only things I’ve found annoying is the inability to use on a PC and occasionally it wouldn’t turn on, however this has been remedied by putting it on a UPS to stabilise the power.
I still use a 20" cinema display from 2004 as my main display, it's great!
I actually use this thing on the daily! It's my second monitor and it's held up really well! It definitely shows it's age with stuff like burn-in being a bit of a problem, as well as it not being 16:9, but aside from that it runs flawlessly and works great for a second monitor. If you can find this thing on the cheap definitely pick it up
16:10 is still desirable today.
For Mac users that like the look of a uniform Mac set up - this is a great deal idea for 2022! I mean a purely retro Mac look with boost performance available through the M1 chip! Great video!
I got the 23" with the power adapter for only 20€ and I love it. Together with a DVI to HDMI Adapter an a HDMI splitter, I got it connected to my M1 Macbook, my 2008 Mac Pro and a Windows machine for Work.
I was still using the 23" version as my main display until about a year ago, I just knew it was only a matter of time before it died and wanted to replace it before that happened, LOVE the picture.
I achieved it for a friend’s using DVI to mini DisplayPort adapter. Then from mini DisplayPort to usb-c adapter to his Mac mini. It’s a lot of connectors but it worked.