Specifications

Because of its exceptional resolution and the need for a dual-link DVI signal, the
30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display requires the NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL
graphics card.
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This card’s advanced graphics architecture and support for the dual-
link digital signal make it ideal for driving the 30-inch Apple display. For customers
who want to configure their systems with multiple monitors, the card is designed
to support two 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Displays.
No controls required
To accommodate for the imperfections created by using an analog signal to drive
a flat-panel display, manufacturers provide a lot of hardware and/or software user
controls. But those controls are hard to use, and they can only do so much. When
driving a digital display with an analog signal, it is particularly difficult to maximize
the display’s dynamic range, and therefore its ability to reproduce a wide range of
colors is inhibited. Maximizing the range requires accurately establishing both the
black and peak white points of the analog signal and the analog to digital converter.
Often either the black point or the white point is set incorrectly, resulting in a
decreased dynamic range or clipping of colors.
The pure digital DVI connectors of the Apple flat-panel displays transmit a distortion-
free digital signal from a digital location in the graphics card to a digital location on
the display’s screen, without requiring conversion. This digital connection gives you
the full clarity and stability of liquid crystal technology—with sharp, clear pixels from
edge to edge and no flicker. Because there’s no conversion, there’s no need for special
controls. You see high-quality images every time, automatically, without having to
constantly adjust the picture. For PC users, new controls on the side of the Apple
displays make adjusting brightness a snap.
The following chart lists the controls needed for an LCD with an analog interface and
those provided with an Apple all-digital display. In this case, needing more controls is
not desirable.
User controls needed on an LCD User controls on Apple LCD displays
without an all-digital signal
Monitor startup and sleep System wake and sleep
Brightness and contrast Brightness
Fine tracking and coarse tracking (synch)
White and black balance controls
Horizontal and vertical positions
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Technology Overview
Apple Cinema Displays
The pure digital connection of the Power
Mac G5 to the Apple display ensures
maximum visual quality. The NVIDIA GeForce
6800 Ultra DDL graphics card delivers two
channels of dual-link support. By supporting
dual 30-inch displays on the Power Mac G5,
the GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL enables you to
build the ultimate widescreen canvas.