Issues with Apple Studio Display on XP box

[jjlawren]

I received an Apple Studio Display as a Christmas/Graduation gift today. It works great with an ADC->DVI converter hooked up to a Radeon 8500, but there are a couple problems.

1) No drivers. This really isn't a problem, since I can access all the settings from the ATI control panel, but it would be nice to have a non-generic driver.
2) Can't access BIOS. The display doesn't seem to power up until Windows starts to load.
3) Dead pixels. From a quick count I've made, I've noticed:
-Maybe 10 green or red stuck-on pixels (these stand out the most)
-LOTS of stuck-on blue pixels, mostly in the center of the screen. I can only see them on a black background, but there's probably around 30.
-Only a few stuck-off pixels. Not sure what color.

Now to me, this seems like a ridiculous number of problem pixels, even if I would only see most of them while watching a DVD where a dark background is more probable. I'm taking it back to the store tomorrow to try and get a replacement, but can either of the first two problems (or others I haven't encountered yet) be solved?

 

[jjlawren]

This fell to the bottom pretty fast. Here's another try.

 

[arsbanned]

Get a PC display is the only soulution I can think of. There are plenty of displays with similar specs for similar money.
?

 

[jjlawren]

I got it as a gift. I'd like to figure out these problems (pretty much just the BIOS issues) if I could and keep the display I have.

 

[JustMike]

I am sure with that many dead pixels, you're probably eligible for a replacement. 30 is unacceptable, IMHO.

Why not simply do an exchange at the store for a PC DVI LCD display?

 

[GonzoDaGr8]

Why not simply do an exchange at the store for a PC DVI LCD display?

They'd have to give him money back or store credit since the Apple displays are so much.
If you've got that many dead pixels, I would most definately take it back.

 

[wetcat007]

IMO 1 dead or lit pixel is not right, but 30?

 

[Anubis]

typically if you have 10 or more dead pixles its defective. i would take it back and get a refund. then i would get a PC DVI LCD

like a planar. thoes are sweet

 

[jcontonio]

Apple's monitors are pretty much the same price as any other compareable wide-screen flat panel.

 

[Snoop]

Originally posted by: jcontonio
Apple's monitors are pretty much the same price as any other compareable wide-screen flat panel.

Apple Studio display (studio display is not a widescreen) = 699 on apple site
Sony Deluxe Pro SDM-X73 = 509 from newegg

apple- 200 cd/m2 brightness, 350:1 contrast, apple does not seem to feel response time measurments are accurate so the do not give them.
Sony.- 300cd/m2 brightness, 400:1 contrast ratio, 16ms response,

I doubt the Apple display is worth $190 more than the sony, although i could be wrong.

 

[Eug]

The Apple display is a pretty good one.... for Macs. The benefits of ADC (no separate power cord needed, and built-in USB) is lost on PCs.

For a Mac, the Studio Display is a good option, but for PCs, it makes more sense to get a DVI display... unless someone give you a 23" Cinema Display.

But yeay, for 30 stuck pixels, I'd return it.

 

[jjlawren]

Originally posted by: Eug
The Apple display is a pretty good one.... for Macs. The benefits of ADC (no separate power cord needed, and built-in USB) is lost on PCs.

For a Mac, the Studio Display is a good option, but for PCs, it makes more sense to get a DVI display... unless someone give you a 23" Cinema Display.

But yeay, for 30 stuck pixels, I'd return it.

1) Yeah, but if you look at it, it's just as many cables as a normal LCD screen would have. Plus the USB hub does seem to work fine.

2) Now you see why I'd really like to keep it

3) As of now, I brought it in for a replacement, which should be here in a few days.

 

[Erasmus-X]

In my experience, it is essentially impossible to get an LCD that has at least one or two dead pixels. But 30 dead pixels is quite a bit. Most manufacturers consider anything over 8-12 dead pixels a bad display.

 

[EeyoreX]

1) No drivers. This really isn't a problem, since I can access all the settings from the ATI control panel, but it would be nice to have a non-generic driver.

That's not likely to be remedied. Apple doesn't want a whole crapload of people buying some displays without the rest of the package (ie; the Mac)

2) Can't access BIOS. The display doesn't seem to power up until Windows starts to load.

So far as I know, that's the way it is.

3) Dead pixels.

Ouch. That sucks. Glad they are replacing it.

\Dan

 

[0roo0roo]

30 = easy exchange

 

[jjlawren]

Update: I got a replacement for the display with lots of dead pixels. Opened the box and the stand was broken off. The metal piece inside the leg was just snapped off. I raised hell and they had a third display ordered and at the store within two days (when it had taken about two weeks for each of the first two).

This one is pretty much perfect, but I still can't figure out a way to make the BIOS show up. Is that signal only output in analog? And would this problem most likely be related to the motherboard or the video card I'm using? Nobody seems to know.

 

[LiekOMG]

I checked on Apple's support forums, and it seems the only way to see the POST screen is by using a Nvidia video card. I cannot validate this info, but it seems to be the case.

Read about it here

Hope that helps

 

[jjlawren]

Good detective work. I had a feeling that that could be the problem but had no way to confirm it. I was planning on upgrading to an 9800, but now I might have to consider an Nvidia card to make things easier.

My main problem now is that I'm running an ECS K7S5A board, which has an infamous problem that causes it to spontaneously lose its BIOS settings occasionally, so I'll need to go find a backup monitor to use every time it happens.