Apple Cinema HD Display (30-inch, DVI) vs Apple Thunderbolt Display

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Cinema HD Display (30-inch, DVI) compared with Thunderbolt Display

	AppleCinema HD Display (30-inch, DVI)	AppleThunderbolt Display
Overview
Released
Released	October 2004	September 2011
Display
Screen size
Screen size	29.7″	27″
Resolution
Resolution	2560 × 1600 (WQXGA) (better)	2560 × 1440 (QHD)
Sharpness
Sharpness	102 pixels per inch	109 pixels per inch (better)
Panel
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
Refresh rate
Refresh rate	60 Hz	60 Hz
Brightness (typical)
Brightness (typical)	270 nits	375 nits (better)
Contrast ratio
Contrast ratio	400:1	1,000:1
Screen finish
Screen finish	Matte	Glossy
Shape
Shape	Flat	Flat
Colour depth
Colour depth	Up to 16.7 million colours; Apple does not specify panel bit depth	Up to 16.7 million colours; Apple does not specify panel bit depth
Response time detail
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.	Apple specifies 12 ms without identifying the transition; omitted from the grey-to-grey row
Viewing angles
Viewing angles	Original archived Apple specifications give 170° horizontally and vertically; a later Japanese sheet gives 178°.	178° horizontally and vertically
Eye care
Eye care	–	Ambient light sensor automatically adjusts brightness
Pixel pitch
Pixel pitch	0.250 mm	–
Connections
Video inputs
Video inputs	DVI	Thunderbolt
USB-C charging
USB-C charging	None	None
USB ports
USB ports	2 × USB-A	3 × USB-A
Ethernet
Ethernet	–	Yes
Speakers
Speakers	–	Yes
Webcam
Webcam	–	FaceTime HD camera with microphone
Thunderbolt detail
Thunderbolt detail	–	Captive first-generation Thunderbolt input cable; two bidirectional 10 Gbps channels. Requires a Thunderbolt-equipped Mac, not a Mini DisplayPort-only Mac.
Other connections
Other connections	Captive DVI, USB 2.0, FireWire 400 and DC power cables; two downstream FireWire 400 ports and Kensington security slot	Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000Base-T), FireWire 800 with up to 7 W power, downstream Thunderbolt port and Kensington security slot
Daisy chaining
Daisy chaining	–	Downstream Thunderbolt supports compatible devices and a second Thunderbolt Display where the Mac permits it. The port does not directly support Mini DisplayPort, DVI or VGA displays or adapters.
USB hub detail
USB hub detail	Two-port self-powered USB 2.0 hub; upstream USB cable must connect to computer	Three powered USB 2.0 Type-A ports; device charging can work without a host attached
Speaker detail
Speaker detail	–	Built-in 2.1 speaker system with 49 W output
Webcam detail
Webcam detail	–	FaceTime HD camera and microphone; Apple does not publish a megapixel figure in the specifications
Design
Stand adjusts
Stand adjusts	Tilt	Tilt
VESA mount
VESA mount	Yes	Yes
Weight with stand
Weight with stand	12.5 kg	10.8 kg
Tilt
Tilt	–	Tilt adjustment only; no height, swivel or pivot adjustment (Macworld)
VESA pattern
VESA pattern	Optional Cinema Display VESA Mount Adapter Kit; VESA FDMI MIS-D 100 C	Requires the separately sold Apple VESA Mount Adapter Kit
Size with stand
Size with stand	688 × 543 × 215 mm (width × height × depth), from Apple's archived technical specifications	Current UK support specifications give 650 × 491 × 207 mm (width × height × depth). The original manual gives 651.7 × 488.1 × 208.13 mm and 10.7 kg rather than the support page's 10.8 kg.
Controls
Controls	Side power and brightness buttons; resolution and colour settings through Mac OS X Displays preferences	Brightness and colour profile through macOS Displays preferences; no on-screen menu or physical image controls (Macworld)
Colours
Colours	Aluminium enclosure	Aluminium enclosure with black glass bezel
Power and support
Power use
Power use	Maximum 150 W; energy saver mode 3 W or less	Maximum 250 W while charging a MacBook Pro; energy saver 2 W or less. Apple environmental report at 230 V gives 108 W on at full brightness, 1.9 W sleep and 0.75 W off.
Power supply
Power supply	External A1098 150 W adaptor; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz; 24.5 V DC output	Internal power supply; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz
Laptop charging
Laptop charging	–	Captive Universal MagSafe connector supplies up to 85 W separately from the Thunderbolt cable; no USB-C power delivery
Software
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.	Original requirement OS X 10.6.8 or later and a Thunderbolt-equipped Mac. Announced 20 July 2011 with availability within 60 days; September sale month follows contemporary MacRumors reports of customer shipments, rather than the announcement date.
Certifications
Certifications	–	ENERGY STAR 5.1; EPEAT Gold in the US and Canada
Warranty
Warranty	–	One-year limited warranty and 90 days of telephone support
In the box
In the box	Display with captive connection cables, power adaptor, AC cord and cleaning cloth	Thunderbolt Display, AC power cord and printed documentation