New iMac darker at top

[4now]

Is anyone having the issue of there monitor being darker on top.

A solid colour field show quite a difference between the top and the bottom.
Which is challenging when graphic designing

Is this a defect?

[JayLenochiniMac]

If it's the 20", it's the nature of the TN film panel and not a defect.

[4now]

it is the New Penryn 20"

Is there any way to correct this?

[JayLenochiniMac]

Is there any way to correct this?

Return it and get the 24", which uses H-IPS panel.

[kappaman210]

Return it and get the 24", which uses H-IPS panel.

And then all you'll have to deal with is a very noticeable left to right gradient!

[JayLenochiniMac]

And then all you'll have to deal with is a very noticeable left to right gradient!

Not necessarily, if you happen to get a good unit (which plenty of us got).

[Leon Kowalski]

If it's the 20", it's the nature of the TN film panel and not a defect.

It' NOT the nature of TN film panels, in general.

It IS the nature of the world's crappiest TN film panel.

...is crap a "defect" ?

LK

[JayLenochiniMac]

It' NOT the nature of TN film panels, in general.

It IS the nature of the world's crappiest TN film panel.

...is crap a "defect" ?

LK

Name a TN film panel that doesn't suffer from limited viewing angle in the vertical direction.

The OP has a NEC MultiSync 90 monitor hooked up to MBP, so that's what the OP is comparing the 20" iMac to.

[kappaman210]

Not necessarily, if you happen to get a good unit (which plenty of us got).


Then I just must have awful luck. All four of my units have had a noticeable gradient shift from left to right. Don't really know if I should just keep the one I have now or go for a complete return. Or just keep trying my luck.

[Sun Baked]

Not really, choose a non solid desktop picture to reduce the chance of noticing it.

And for god sakes, nudge the contrast a bit to deepen the colors on the screen.

Standard contrast will look washed out, at this level it'll magnify the TN issue a lot.

[doug in albq]

Just squint your eyes, and back up about 4-5 feet, then you will not notice it.

Or do what I did, attach a second display to it.

[SaSaSushi]

Then I just must have awful luck. All four of my units have had a noticeable gradient shift from left to right. Don't really know if I should just keep the one I have now or go for a complete return. Or just keep trying my luck.

I had minor gradients on the first two panels in my 24" aluminum iMac (both replaced by Apple for other problems, scratch and flickering backlight) but this third one is a keeper. It has minimal backlight bleed and no noticeable gradient.

[Leon Kowalski]

Name a TN film panel that doesn't suffer from limited viewing angle in the vertical direction.

Ain't talkin' about "limited viewing angle." The 20" ALU iMac panel is
horrible at 0.0° dead-center. There's NO acceptable viewing position:

http://picasaweb.google.com/TheLooby/20IMacScreenPhotos


..."a wondrous widescreen performance from every seat in the house."

LK

[JayLenochiniMac]

Ain't talkin' about "limited viewing angle." The 20" ALU iMac panel is
horrible at 0.0° dead-center. There's NO acceptable viewing position:

http://picasaweb.google.com/TheLooby/20IMacScreenPhotos


..."a wondrous widescreen performance from every seat in the house."

LK

Again, for the 16.2 millionth time you're making the erroneous assumption that all Alu iMacs suffer from the gradient issue of that sort.

We'll need 4now to clarify whether the gradient issue described in the OP is the kind shown in your photos (which would be a defect) or the kind caused by the design of the TN film panel. If your eyes are just above the top of the screen and you're looking at a TN film panel, it's very easy to reproduce the gradient exactly as shown in your photo, with the top being darker especially on a solid color background.

[Leon Kowalski]

Again, for the 16.2 millionth time you're making the erroneous assumption ....

Again, for the 16.2 millionth time, NO ONE has managed to post
even ONE photo of an unafflicted 20" ALU iMac. Zero, zip, nada.

...I guess Apple owners aren't into cameras and suchlike,

LK

[queshy]

lol @ Apple QC (or lack thereof). Maybe it's not QC...maybe Apple was trying to save a few bucks. We have a 24" Alu iMac and perhaps there is a slightly left right gradient, but personally I wouldn't have returned it for that. It wasn't as bad as people make it out to be. Maybe we got a "good" one and it's not noticeable. I can only see the gradient sort of on the Apple start up white screen.

Hands down, though, the best panel I've ever used is that on my 24" WHITE iMac (previous gen). Matte.

The second best display is that on the MacBook Air (even though it's glossy it's super bright and the colors are good).

Go check out the display models in the store, see if they do the same thing.

[G-Force]

If it's the 20", it's the nature of the TN film panel and not a defect.
Not true. None of my TN panels (including my 17-inch Core 2 Duo iMac) suffer from these kind of viewing angle problems, at least not as bad as the new 20-inch iMac...

[Petoz]

I think i'm having the same problem. I'm don't do anything graphical on it though, so am not affected by it too much. It would be nice if it wasn't a problem at all though. It shouldn't be. Apple need to sort it out.

[Sir Tony]

Again, for the 16.2 millionth time, NO ONE has managed to post
even ONE photo of an unafflicted 20" ALU iMac. Zero, zip, nada.

...I guess Apple owners aren't into cameras and suchlike,

LK

Same here. I have two 20" in my house, both have gradient problems, EVERY single one of my friends that have a aluminum iMac suffer from the gradient problem. All the 20" I have seen at 3 different Apple stores have had the gradient problem, along with all of them at Best Buy. The 24" that I have seem have some sort of gradient issue, not nearly as sever as it has been on the 20"

[JayLenochiniMac]

Not true. None of my TN panels (including my 17-inch Core 2 Duo iMac) suffer from these kind of viewing angle problems, at least not as bad as the new 20-inch iMac...

I can easily reproduce the top to bottom gradient by leveling my eyes at the top of the screen of my daughter's G4 iMac (on a solid color background).

[G-Force]

Yes, but that's not the problem with the 20-inch iMac. You will see the gradient when you are sitting right in front of it... That behaviour is not normal, not even for a TN-based LCD.

Image of the problem:
http://www.bassandee.nl/imac.jpg

And that is not from the top! I do not have this problem with my 17-inch iMac.

[JayLenochiniMac]

Yes, but that's not the problem with the 20-inch iMac. You will see the gradient when you are sitting right in front of it... That behaviour is not normal, not even for a TN-based LCD.

Image of the problem:
http://www.bassandee.nl/imac.jpg

And that is not from the top!

OK. Bear in mind that some people (myself included) like to keep the top of the screen at or below the eye level (I think too many people place the monitor too high relative to their head), in which case we will always see the top to bottom gradient when looking at a TN panel even without the aforementioned defect. This is "right sitting in front of it" for those of us who prefer this way. It's of course not a problem on laptops because you can easily adjust the screen angle.

[inkswamp]

Yes, but that's not the problem with the 20-inch iMac. You will see the gradient when you are sitting right in front of it... That behaviour is not normal, not even for a TN-based LCD.

Image of the problem:
http://www.bassandee.nl/imac.jpg

And that is not from the top! I do not have this problem with my 17-inch iMac.

There's a way to settle this.

G-Force, will you take a series of photos of that same screen and post them? Photograph it looking straight-on. By that I mean, center yourself as best you can, taking a photo straight at the screen pointing at the middle. Then take a shot from the top, left, right and bottom. If we see a top-down gradient like that in all photos, then it's a problem with the screen, but if we see the gradient moving around from edge-to-edge or diminishing in various positions, then we know it's a perception thing based on where a user is putting their eyes.

[iVersa]

EDIT- Don't want to hijack the thread, see my request [here] (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=489036)