My 2012 27-inch iMac has image retention

Next time you see image retention feel behind the back of the imac where the retention is and see if it feels warm. I had this problem with my 2008 Mac and everyone it was hot in the back.

DerekS said:

Here's my thinking...

1. Right now these machines are impossible to get.
2. The problem may go away on its own as the panel wears in.
3. You have a warranty for 1 year.

So what I would do? Run it as is for now and see if it improves. If not, schedule a repair w/ Apple. I also highly recommend AppleCare on iMacs, as the LCD panels are prone to issues over time. (You can get AppleCare any time within the first year)

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You're right about issues over time, but the panel doesn't really wear in. Typically image persistence problems get worse with time. I'm not sure what changed or if this is just a bad batch. With the rMBP it was a new level of pixel density. I was under the impression that they just changed the the outer screen treatment on this generation, so it's a bit puzzling.

Lava Lamp Freak said:

It is still doing it, but it takes longer for it to retain the image. It seems as if lowering the brightness buys a little time before it sticks.

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In my personal experience Apple displays don't perform that well at lower brightness settings. They seem to be optimized for at least 75% brightness levels.

richard371 said:

Next time you see image retention feel behind the back of the imac where the retention is and see if it feels warm. I had this problem with my 2008 Mac and everyone it was hot in the back.

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I'm not sure whether that affects it over the longer term. It's possible if it's not within the appropriate thermal spec.

ozlow said:

I purchase a MBPr the first day it came out. The first thing I did when it was delivered... check to see which screen it had Samsung or LG. I was hit with the LG, which seemed to work pretty good for a couple months. Then I noticed little white dots, which started growing after that I started also noticing IR. I took it to Apple and they immediately said their was a problem. Had my machine over night to replace the screen. As, soon as I got it back, I check to see what screen they replaced it with — They blessed it with the Samsung. I'd have to say that the Samsung screen seems MUCH CLEANER. I'm waiting for my 27 inch to show up. I hope they get some of the bugs fixed before it arrives.

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It dont surprise me at all...hopefully this crap doesnt happen eventually with these new iMac's. The new iMac's are all LG panels right?

Gonna do some more testing tonight to see how much of a problem I truly have.

Hi guys, i think you should quickly check with apple regarding this issue, be it said, i think many of us would like to know the outcome of this issue being solved.

Lava Lamp Freak said:

Something else I'm noticing is that on a completely grey screen I can see a faint vertical lines at all times, even after the image retention has faded. I've never noticed that on displays before. You can clearly see the lines in the right side of the picture below.

I will definitely be exchanging it, but I sure hope that this isn't a problem that every one of them will exhibit. If this is the new normal for iMacs then I will have to figure something else out.

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I haven't seen the vertical lines you're talking about on mine, but the image retention is just as bad no matter what settings I use.

The 'good' news is that running a screensaver for a few minutes seems to remove most of the image ghosts, but I can't live like that.

A friend of mine said this happened to him on his 2009 iMac (i hadn't heard of it before) and he said he tried to live with it hoping it would go away - and it never did go away.

I sure don't want to go thru the return process, but since I edit video and photos as part of my career, I don't think I can live with this imac working like this.

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By the way, it seems to me that the only things 'burning in' are windows that are pure white... even grey things or icons (like on the dock) don't seem to be retained.

the grey screen in iPhoto seems to be the perfect way to test by the way!

"Today the image retention was very bad, which is strange because yesterday I never noticed it. Today browser and email windows are being retained very quickly. Even keeping a web page open for 5 minutes results in a phantom of the window I closed. With the difference between yesterday and today, it makes me wonder if it is heat related. I don't feel any heat when I touch the back of the iMac, though."

Others are reporting this, too. It looks to be a serious problem with the new type of "laminated" display used in the new iMacs, something that cannot be easily dismissed.

I'm wondering -- one of the reasons for the initial delay in the production of the new iMacs (as reported here on MacRumors) was that the builders were having problems getting "good yields" from the lamination process.
- Could the image retention problem have been one of the criteria for their definition of "good yield"?
- Could image retention (in general) be a "by-product" of the new production design, with all of the finished units exhibiting this characteristic?
- Could whether a particular production unit's "passability, inspection-wise" be based less on whether there was image retention or not, and more on -how much- of the image was retained?

As Mr. Drudge would say, developing....

Three questions:

1) Are there people here with 27" screens that aren't having this problem?
2) Has anyone with the problem spoken to Apple, and what was their response?
3) Let's assume all the displays are the same make. What video card is in the machines experiencing the problem?

uptownnyc said:

Two questions:

1) Are there people here with 27" screens that aren't having this problem?
2) Has anyone with the problem spoken to Apple, and what was their response?
3) Let's assume all the displays are the same make. What video card is in the machines experiencing the problem?

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I have a 27" and no image retention. I also have the 675MX GPU, not the upgraded 680 like many here.

DerekS said:

Take the video again and this time turn the phone landscape.

Vertical Videos - not even once.

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Drives me wild too. I actually find it distracting from what I'm trying to watch.

I am very concerned about this. I have ongoing projects that were waiting for this machine, and I cannot wait longer for a replacement. And what if the replacement does the same?

Mine has pretty bad retention:
i7
Fusion
680mx.

Seems worse on the left side of my screen so far. My symptoms are basically the exact same as the OP.

Any other folks with my popular BTO build having NO image retention?

Hmm. So anybody with the 675MX and burn-in? So far I think everyone that's reported it has the 680MX.

I also received a 27" that was having image retention issues. It was an i5 3.2GHz with the GTX 675MX video card and 1TB fusion drive.

Here is an example pic:


I took it to the apple store and they ran tests on the display, which failed. They couldn't replace it with another item, so I ended up returning it and reordering another one.

Now I have to wait until January to get the replacement, hopefully the next one won't have a faulty display.

Lava Lamp Freak said:

I will definitely be exchanging it, but I sure hope that this isn't a problem that every one of them will exhibit. If this is the new normal for iMacs then I will have to figure something else out.

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That is terrible. I'm not normally in favor of using grid pattern checks, but you shouldn't see issues like this on a new display. They were sometimes problematic on aging displays. You'd see it first with things like application names and other lettering at the top. I'm glad I don't need one.

uptownnyc said:

Hmm. So anybody with the 675MX and burn-in? So far I think everyone that's reported it has the 680MX.

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I definitely would not count on this if you're debating what to order.

thekev said:

I definitely would not count on this if you're debating what to order.

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Nope - no reason why it'd be tied to the video-card, and now we've got confirmation that it's happening with both.

l only seem to see issues with the 27 inch machine...anyone with a 21 have the same problem?

I havent seen any retention on my 27".

I just received my 27"/i7/680MX today. When I get home I'll run the test and post my results.

really?

12dylan34 said:

Drives me wild too. I actually find it distracting from what I'm trying to watch.

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this is so important you have to post? Who cares what the format is? Geez

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treysdown said:

I took it to the apple store and they ran tests on the display, which failed. They couldn't replace it with another item, so I ended up returning it and reordering another one.

Now I have to wait until January to get the replacement, hopefully the next one won't have a faulty display.

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So they won't bump your replacement up in the cycle? I think I'm going to have to return mine as well... good thing I still have my old one to work with - tho I'm already so used to the speed the old one will be torture!

27-inch iMac has image retention

I have a 21.5" iMac and No kind of image retention...

Lava Lamp Freak said:

Would one of you who don't have image retention keep up the grid pattern for 10 minutes and then take a picture of your screen and post it here?

http://www.marco.org/rmbp-irtest.html

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I have a 27" with the 680MX. I just tried the grid test for 10 minutes and couldn't see any image retention. I saw your post too late, but will do it again and take a pic when I get a chance. (The grid was retained in my retina and/or visual cortex, though.)