New iMacs- 20" TN 6-bit panels?

[trip1ex]

I still am happy that I chose the 20" iMac over the 24" but this shows how bad the viewing angles are on the iMacs.

Yep very well documented issue going back to last September or so when reviews came in.

My 20" iMac doesn't have good viewing angles (and really lcds in general don't have good viewing angles.) But the reality is I don't do anything with my iMac other than sit right in front of it. So I don't worry about it.

Worrying about the viewing angle for me is like worrying about what my floor looks like underneath my stove.

 

[gnasher729]

I'm new to the forum, but I read much of this thread before replacing our eMac with a 20" iMac today. I first heard about the difference in panels via headlines about the lawsuit. I do think that Apple's technical descriptions of the iMac displays are somwhat misleading. I have 1,764,000 pixels on the panel and to me "millions of colors" means each one can be a different color. I don't think users here would let a competitor off the hook quite so quickly in a similar situation.

Most laptop screens use the same 6bit + dithering technology that the 20" iMac uses. Never heard anyone complaining. 6bit + dithering also has technical advantages; these displays usually have a quicker response time than 8 bit displays, and that is why they are so common: Because gamers and people watching videos prefer them. Apple is a bit unusual in advertising this as "millions of colors"; the most common practice is to advertise 6bit + dithering as "16.2 million" and 8bit as "16.7 million colors".

However, there are quite a few monitors advertised with the wrong numbers, probably because the tech people told the marketing bloke that the monitor has 16.2 million colors, the marketing bloke sees other monitors advertised as 16.7 million colors, doesn't realize that there is actually a difference, and changes the number to 16.7 million assuming the tech guys got it wrong. There may be cases where the higher number is used not by accident, but intentionally.

So when you say "I don't think users here would let a competitor off the hook quite so quickly in a similar situation", you are completely wrong. Competitors do exactly the same thing, and nobody complains. Some actually _do_ lie, and still nobody complains. It is only with Apple monitors that _anybody_ complains.

 

[erikj999]

So when you say "I don't think users here would let a competitor off the hook quite so quickly in a similar situation", you are completely wrong. Competitors do exactly the same thing, and nobody complains. Some actually _do_ lie, and still nobody complains. It is only with Apple monitors that _anybody_ complains.

Yep, that was presumptuous of me to join a forum and then say something like that right off the bat. I totally agree that Apple – like other conspicuous companies – gets acutely criticized for tiny issues. The undeserved criticism probably outweighs what’s actually deserved. Thanks for pointing that out. What I feel bad about, though, is that my comment was loaded with a presumption that this forum is a bit of a fan club. That was also undeserved, so I’d like to forget I said it and move on .

 

[eXan]

But the reality is I don't do anything with my iMac other than sit right in front of it. So I don't worry about it.

Worrying about the viewing angle for me is like worrying about what my floor looks like underneath my stove.

The screen of 20" iMac has so bad viewing angles... to the point of when the bottom of the screen looks significantly lighter than middle and top looks darker than middle when looking at the screen at 90 degrees (straight)

 

[VoodooDaddy]

The screen of 20" iMac has so bad viewing angles... to the point of when the bottom of the screen looks significantly lighter than middle and top looks darker than middle when looking at the screen at 90 degrees (straight)

I must have gotten the super-special one-off 20" because I dont have that problem.

 

[eXan]

I must have gotten the super-special one-off 20" because I dont have that problem.

Ah you again...

ok, there's a little test:

Set a wallpaper of a single solid color, like dark grey. Now make some new folders on your desktop and place them in two rows - one at the very top of the screen, another at the very bottom. Then look at the screen from the straight angle. See the difference?

 

[ukmacmonster]

This is a circular argument going nowhere. I was a bit pissed about the cheapo 20" iMac display, so what did I do? I bought a 24" iMac instead. Nobody died. I can understand the complaint but some people seem unable to comprehend using a display larger than 20". My "space" is too small or "it doesn't fit my needs" or "it's too expensive" seem to be the common reasoning. So why not complain that there are no 15" or 17" iMacs anymore? Displays are simply getting bigger all the time whether we like it or not. Given the choice of a 20" refurb white iMac or a 24" alu iMac, the 24" was a no-brainer for me. If Apple still used the high quality panels in their 20" iMac I may have chosen it over the 24", but that would have been a close call anyway.

 

[decksnap]

Most laptop screens use the same 6bit + dithering technology that the 20" iMac uses. Never heard anyone complaining.

You've never heard anyone complain about the Macbook screen?

I don't know what you mean about preferable for watching movies. I can't even watch a movie on a macbook because you can't get an even viewing angle sitting right in front of the thing.

 

[trip1ex]

The screen of 20" iMac has so bad viewing angles... to the point of when the bottom of the screen looks significantly lighter than middle and top looks darker than middle when looking at the screen at 90 degrees (straight)

I have a 20" alum iMac bud so you're preaching to the choir there. But I really only notice the gradient issue when I do a dumb test like make my desktop color completely solid and put an icon at the very top of the screen and very bottom.

The reality is you just don't notice the gradient change in your day to day computer usage. Text looks sharp. Colors pop. Photos look great. Movies are awesome. Now I may not have the best monitor out there. It might not be suitable for color matching professionals, but it's certainly a very good monitor no matter how you try and spin it otherwise.

 

[eXan]

I have a 20" alum iMac bud so you're preaching to the choir there. But I really only notice the gradient issue when I do a dumb test like make my desktop color completely solid and put an icon at the very top of the screen and very bottom.

The reality is you just don't notice the gradient change in your day to day computer usage. Text looks sharp. Colors pop. Photos look great. Movies are awesome. Now I may not have the best monitor out there. It might not be suitable for color matching professionals, but it's certainly a very good monitor no matter how you try and spin it otherwise.

Well, its obvious that some people never notice this or just dont care.

Oh and its not "dumb" test, it just helps *some* (especially those who deny having bad viewing angles ) see the issue more clearly.

 

[trip1ex]

Well, its obvious that some people never notice this or just dont care.

Oh and its not "dumb" test, it just helps *some* (especially those who deny having bad viewing angles ) see the issue more clearly.

The fact you even have to do a test in the first place to clearly see the issue says alot about how big the issue is. And that's why it's dumb. Most people don't care or notice because it's not a big deal.

 

[eXan]

The fact you even have to do a test in the first place to clearly see the issue says alot about how big the issue is. And that's why it's dumb. Most people don't care or notice because it's not a big deal.

It helps *some* see the issue if they "cant" during normal operation.

I've seen it as well as many others without this test the moment I first saw 20" alu iMacs in person...

 

[nubero]

And the idea that you can adequately judge a monitor's quality in a few moments of dicking around with a computer in a store is simply not realistic. Generally, you don't get a real feel for the quality of the display until after a significant amount of use at home. Part of the purchasing process involves using the monitor in the store and researching the product on the computer maker's site. If Apple doesn't disclose what they mean by "millions of colors" then how can a buyer make an informed decision?

very true