Apple Cinema HD Display (30-inch, DVI) vs Apple Studio Display (2026)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleCinema HD Display (30-inch, DVI) | AppleStudio Display (2026) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | October 2004 | March 2026 |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 29.7″ | 27″ |
| Resolution | 2560 × 1600 (WQXGA) | 5120 × 2880 (5K) (better) |
| Sharpness | 102 pixels per inch | 218 pixels per inch (better) |
| Panel | IPS (TFT active-matrix LCD (Apple June 2004 Technology Overview); S-IPS identification from PRAD’s exact aluminium 30-inch datasheet. Main brightness and contrast describe the original published generation.) | IPS (5K Retina) |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Brightness (typical) | 270 nits | 600 nits (better) |
| Colour range | – | Wide colour (P3) |
| Contrast ratio | 400:1 | – |
| Screen finish | Matte | Glossy |
| Shape | Flat | Flat |
| Colour depth | Up to 16.7 million colours; Apple does not specify panel bit depth | 1 billion colours |
| Colour modes | – | Apple Display (P3-600 nits), HDTV Video (BT.709–BT.1886), NTSC Video (BT.601 SMPTE-C), PAL and SECAM Video (BT.601 EBU), Digital Cinema (P3-DCI), Digital Cinema (P3-D65), Design and Print (P3-D50), Photography (P3-D65), Internet and Web (sRGB) |
| Response time detail | Original June 2004 Apple Technology Overview specifies typical 16 ms without identifying grey-to-grey transitions, so main grey-to-grey response is omitted. Original brightness is 270 cd/m² and contrast 400:1. Archived support table later gives 400 cd/m² and 400:1; Japanese specifications give 400 cd/m², 700:1 and 14 ms. These later figures are not substituted into the original main fields. | – |
| Viewing angles | Original archived Apple specifications give 170° horizontally and vertically; a later Japanese sheet gives 178°. | – |
| Pixel pitch | 0.250 mm | – |
| Connections | ||
| Video inputs | DVI | Thunderbolt 5 |
| USB-C charging | None | Up to 96 W (better) |
| USB ports | 2 × USB-A | Thunderbolt 5, 2 × USB-C |
| Ethernet | – | No |
| Speakers | – | Yes |
| Webcam | – | 12MP Center Stage with Desk View |
| USB-C detail | – | Upstream Thunderbolt 5 (up to 120 Gb/s) with 96 W host charging |
| Daisy chaining | – | Downstream Thunderbolt 5 port daisy-chains more displays; up to four Studio Display models with a MacBook Pro with M5 Max |
| Other connections | Captive DVI, USB 2.0, FireWire 400 and DC power cables; two downstream FireWire 400 ports and Kensington security slot | – |
| USB hub detail | Two-port self-powered USB 2.0 hub; upstream USB cable must connect to computer | 1 × Thunderbolt 5 downstream (up to 120 Gb/s), 2 × USB-C (up to 10 Gb/s) for peripherals, storage and networking |
| Speaker detail | – | Six speakers with force-cancelling woofers; wide stereo; Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos |
| Webcam detail | – | Three-mic array with directional beamforming; camera features and firmware updates need a Mac |
| Design | ||
| Stand adjusts | Tilt | Tilt |
| VESA mount | Yes | Yes |
| Weight with stand | 12.5 kg | 6.3 kg |
| Height adjustment | – | 105 mm with the optional tilt- and height-adjustable stand |
| Tilt | – | −5° to +25° |
| Pivot | – | Landscape only on either stand; portrait with the VESA mount adapter |
| VESA pattern | Optional Cinema Display VESA Mount Adapter Kit; VESA FDMI MIS-D 100 C | 100 × 100 mm (VESA mount adapter option) |
| Size with stand | 688 × 543 × 215 mm (width × height × depth), from Apple's archived technical specifications | Tilt stand 62.3 × 16.8 × 47.8 cm; tilt- and height-adjustable stand 62.3 × 20.7 × 47.9–58.3 cm and 7.6 kg (W × D × H) |
| Size without stand | – | 62.3 × 3.1 × 36.2 cm with VESA mount adapter (W × D × H) |
| Weight without stand | – | 5.4 kg with VESA mount adapter |
| Controls | Side power and brightness buttons; resolution and colour settings through Mac OS X Displays preferences | – |
| Colours | Aluminium enclosure | – |
| Power and support | ||
| Power use | Maximum 150 W; energy saver mode 3 W or less | – |
| Power supply | External A1098 150 W adaptor; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz; 24.5 V DC output | 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz, single phase |
| Software | Apple's June 2004 UK press release promised August sale, but delivery slipped into autumn (Computerworld/Macworld). Main release month follows MacRumors' October 2004 shipping report. At launch Apple specified Power Mac G5 with NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL for native resolution; a dual-link DVI graphics connection is required. Original manual explicitly specifies 2560 × 1600 at 60 Hz and 29.7-inch viewable diagonal. Main weight follows June 2004 maker Technology Overview (12.5 kg); original manual gives 12.31 kg and archived support table 12.47 kg. No basis for the discrepancies is stated. | Needs an Apple silicon Mac with macOS Tahoe 26.3.1 or later, or an iPad with iPadOS 26.3.1 or later |
| Certifications | – | ENERGY STAR |
| Warranty | – | 1-year limited warranty and 90 days of complimentary technical support from Apple |
| In the box | Display with captive connection cables, power adaptor, AC cord and cleaning cloth | Studio Display, Thunderbolt 5 Pro cable (1 m) |
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