Cinema Display

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.^[1]

The 22-inch model was upgraded in July 2000 with the Apple Display Connector (ADC), which ran DVI, USB, and 28V power through a single connector.^[2] It did not require an external power brick when it was connected to a computer with an ADC port on it.

It was eventually replaced by a 20-inch model on January 28, 2003, that also used an ADC connector and sported a widescreen display with up to 1680×1050 resolution and a brightness of 230 cd/m2.^[3]

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.^[4] Apple continued to sell this display with no further changes until October 2008.

Cinema HD Display

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.^[5]

LED Cinema Display

On October 14, 2008, the 20-inch Cinema Display and the 23-inch Cinema HD Display were discontinued and replaced with the 24-inch LED Cinema Display. Its chassis is made with aluminum and glass, reflecting the appearances of the current iMac, unibody 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 and provides 85W of charging for MacBooks. 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.

The 24-inch LED Cinema Display is only officially compatible with Macs that have a Mini DisplayPort port. A third-party converter must be used in order to use the display with older Macs.

Newer MacBooks that only have USB-C (or Thunderbolt 3) ports can connect to the 24-inch LED Cinema Display using a USB-C to Mini DisplayPort adapter. However, Apple's Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter cannot be used even though it has the same physical connections. Due to differences in the electrical signaling of Thunderbolt 2 and Mini DisplayPort, a generic USB-C to Mini DisplayPort adapter must be used instead.^[7]

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.^[8] Matte screens, like matte-surface photographs, diffuse reflected light and cannot provide the same black levels as glossy screens, which are required for working with HDR images and videos and thus are disadvantaged in this area. However, the matte screens have a far lower level of reflectivity, which improves ease-of-use.

The Wall Street Journal referred to Apple's removal of the matte screen as one of their worst design decisions.^[9]

On July 26, 2010, the 24-inch LED Cinema Display and the 30-inch Cinema HD Display were replaced by a 27-inch model that supports up to 2560×1440 resolution. This model was sold for $999 USD.^[10]

On July 20, 2011, the LED Cinema Display was discontinued and replaced by the Apple Thunderbolt Display.

LCD models

• 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.

LED-backlit LCD models