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Mister Bumbo

macrumors 6502
Apr 30, 2012
391
0
My screen WAS perfect when it came... however now, more than a month after I got it, the screen is horribly yellow. I have calibrated this and can live with it, but it is very weird that it used to be completely white (and I have a second screen I've been comparing it too) and now (with default calibration) it has a light mustard hue all over.
 

R3DH3R0

macrumors regular
Apr 27, 2010
125
11
What do you guys think about this? I think it's decent, I can notice it's warmer at the bottom. But not bad like someone took a giant piss on my screen like my last one. That red hue doesn't exist on the screen, at least I don't see it.

http://i49.tinypic.com/25f38yq.jpg(full size)
oubj9f.jpg
 
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martinm0

macrumors 6502a
Feb 27, 2010
568
25
My screen WAS perfect when it came... however now, more than a month after I got it, the screen is horribly yellow. I have calibrated this and can live with it, but it is very weird that it used to be completely white (and I have a second screen I've been comparing it too) and now (with default calibration) it has a light mustard hue all over.

I've also found all the 2012 iMacs I've received (3 total) are very warmish and yellow looking compared to my last gen iMac and iPad 4 (using Air Display). I'm also noticing they don't seem to be a bright as the last gen iMac either.

Are you noticing any image retention in yours? Mine all seem to have it, and it comes on stronger when using a second display (or Target Display Mode). Apple won't send me any more replacements and I'll have to take a refund. I'm thinking I'll go with a 2.6 i7 Mini and TBD for now, but I'd really like this iMac to work properly...
 

Mister Bumbo

macrumors 6502
Apr 30, 2012
391
0
I've also found all the 2012 iMacs I've received (3 total) are very warmish and yellow looking compared to my last gen iMac and iPad 4 (using Air Display). I'm also noticing they don't seem to be a bright as the last gen iMac either.

Are you noticing any image retention in yours? Mine all seem to have it, and it comes on stronger when using a second display (or Target Display Mode). Apple won't send me any more replacements and I'll have to take a refund. I'm thinking I'll go with a 2.6 i7 Mini and TBD for now, but I'd really like this iMac to work properly...

Nope, no image retention on mine whatsoever. As I said - it was perfect when it was new and I didn't notice anything odd the first month of usage, but now after soon 2 months it's yellow and the brightness is somewhat lower (though still very bright).
 

Calipad

Suspended
Mar 16, 2012
117
11
I am almost embarrassed to admit that I have gone thru 8 replacements. None have had image retention all have yellowing on the bottom of the screen. Some yellowing worse than others. My latest one has the least amount but it does have yellowing on the bottom half.

I or the Apple Genius can figure out why. If I hadn't already sold my old Mac I would have just stayed with it. Do I regret my purchase... probably. Do I have the energy for another replacement... No.
 

akbarali.ch

macrumors 6502a
May 4, 2011
800
681
Mumbai (India)
iMac 2013 Screen blotch

Here's my imac screen, I don't recall when it happened, noticed while restarting, that's when the whole screen goes white an i spotted it. its been 3 months with imac, its a beautiful machine and works great and then this happened.
I'll be taking to the store, let see what happens, but anyone has any idea whether they'll repair it exchange it?
 

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Mac32

Suspended
Nov 20, 2010
1,263
454
I shake my head sometimes reading posts in this forum. Someone actually went through 8 iMacs?! Man, Apple support employees are a patient bunch. If I was the owner of a business, I would be furious over costumers like that. Computers with real defects should obviously be replaced, and we should all demand better technology in future products, but...
First off all, all iMacs will have some glow, esp. in the corners, that's the IPS technology. All iMacs will produce a certain degree of yellow/orange hue in the lower half, which is related to viewing angles (again IPS limitation). The fact that the late 2012 iMac screen has an overall slightly warmer hue is a good thing! I have to use f.lux on my older MacBook Pro and MacBook Air because they have screens with a harsh, blue-ish hue, which is hard on the eyes.
Jeez!
 
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jdavis7998

macrumors newbie
May 26, 2013
1
0
2012 iMac

Guys, listen to what you are saying talking about dealing with it and settling, imo you should not have to settle for a ding, scratch or yellow screen on a computer you pay over 2000 for, it should be perfect and i wouldnt settle for anything less. quality control for many companies has gone down hill

----------

it also appears the yellowing still persists after several years and the claims that it has been fixed are false. i havent owned a 2012 imac but this is reason not to, i had a 2011 that i had to return 3 times and the 4th time they wouldnt do another return they instead said it had to be repaired. i wound up selling it and building a custom pc with the money, was thinking of going back to mac but may go a different route than imac now
 

jmhart

macrumors regular
Jun 14, 2012
127
0
I seem to recall some previous reports of yellowish screens having something to do with the material they use to "glue" the screen to the glass and that it goes away over time. I can see it in your pics but it seems pretty mild.

Just bear in mind you're unlikely to get a perfect unit. For instance, how's your backlight bleed? That's another common flaw with these screens. If you have little to none now you might want to decide which problem would bother you more. You may find the issue with this unit bothers you less than what you may find on a replacement.

My rule of thumb is 3 swaps after which I figure I'm just too picky and need to give up, get my money back and look elsewhere. I went through 2 swaps when I bought my Epson 1080p projector, 2 swaps on my Ipad 1, 1 swap on my iPad 3, 3 swaps on a Dell monitor, and gave up after 3 swaps of the Samsung Epic 4G (and now refuse to buy their products anymore as a result) so trust me, I feel your pain. Quality control just isn't what it used to be or it's just not possible to manufacture enough quantity of these products without the variations from unit to unit.
 

mlody

macrumors 68000
Nov 11, 2012
1,587
1,216
Windy City
I shake my head sometimes reading posts in this forum. Someone actually went through 8 iMacs?! Man, Apple support employees are a patient bunch. If I was the owner of a business, I would be furious over costumers like that. Computers with real defects should obviously be replaced, and we should all demand better technology in future products, but...
First off all, all iMacs will have some glow, esp. in the corners, that's the IPS technology. All iMacs will produce a certain degree of yellow/orange hue in the lower half, which is related to viewing angles (again IPS limitation). The fact that the late 2012 iMac screen has an overall slightly warmer hue is a good thing! I have to use f.lux on my older MacBook Pro and MacBook Air because they have screens with a harsh, blue-ish hue, which is hard on the eyes.
Jeez!

I went through 4 2012 iMac's (1x 27" and 3x 21.5") and all had various problems with screen. The last one was the best out of bunch, but I was already upset with Apple and was really concerned if my machine would had to be replaced for some other warranty reasons down the road, I could potentially ended up (again) with the one with busted screen.

I like the iMac design and was ready to accept the fact that upgradability is non-existent, but I couldn't deal with the fact that screen quality is a gamble on those, so the 4th iMac went back and I didn't get another one. I will wait for the WWDC conference to see where the Mac OS is heading and if I still like it, I will most likely end up getting a new mac mini and a screen of my choice that wont be yellow or with busted corners.

As far as the IPS panel technology, I am not sure if I agree. It is my understanding that the IPS panels have the best viewing angles and color reproduction and the only area that they are behind other technologies is the response time, so I am not sure if I buy the statement that every iMac will have problems with screen because of the panel characteristic
 

jmhart

macrumors regular
Jun 14, 2012
127
0
As far as the IPS panel technology, I am not sure if I agree. It is my understanding that the IPS panels have the best viewing angles and color reproduction and the only area that they are behind other technologies is the response time, so I am not sure if I buy the statement that every iMac will have problems with screen because of the panel characteristic

Not all IPS panels have this corner light refraction problem, but this particular 3-4 generation old LG they continue to use in the 2012 iMac does as does my 3 generation old LG 32" IPS TV that I use for a monitor--and is why I refused to buy an iMac yet. My guess is they knew they were going to have yield problems at first with the new screen laminating process introduced in the 2012 so they stuck with cheap panels to keep costs down. I've got my fingers crossed that they've got it figured out now and will upgrade the panel for the 2013. The yellowing problem is likely a result of the laminating process as the original iPad had the same problem. I went through 3 of them before getting one that didn't have a terrible yellow/warm cast on the right side, finally settling on a unit that also had the problem but it was much less noticeable than the first 2.
 

Chippy99

macrumors 6502a
Apr 28, 2012
989
35
I have never understood all the hype about IPS panels. They are pretty crap in my view, with very poor screen uniformity, terrible black levels, clouding and other horrors.

Consistent colour at different viewing angles, yes. But at the expensive of poor performance in every other parameter.

Samsung PVA, S-PVA, MVA and whatever derivatives are to my eyes much better. For sure, my EIZO S-PVA panel outclasses my iMac screen in every measurable way. And I have a "good" iMac screen!

Still, the whole industry seems to disagree with me so there you go.
 

snapdragonx

macrumors regular
Oct 31, 2012
141
1
So does anyone have a late 2012 iMac that doesn't have this yellow cast problem?

I'm trying to decide if it's worth returning mine.
 

Chippy99

macrumors 6502a
Apr 28, 2012
989
35
It happens, regardless of pay. Most people have "flawless" iMacs.

I REALLY doubt that.

Based on my sample variation of 2 units (ok not a sensible sample, I know) I don't see the quality control required to achieve you claim.

My first one had crap behind the screen that was so obvious it demonstrates that Apple don't check the screens beyond a "is it on?" test, if that. Oh, and yellow on the left of the screen too - I forgot that.

The second one has a fan that sometimes makes "helicopter" sounds, a stand that leans to the left and a sticking power button. But the screen is OK, ish. Again, proper QC would have spotted the power button and stand, and maybe the fan.

I kept it because honestly I had no confidence a third machine would be an improvement. I can live with the imperfections I have been dealt this time around and the next one might have more intrusive problems.

To anyone who wants their new Mac replaced with another new one, I would say think about what else might be broken with the replacement machine! If your Mac is perfect apart from the screen, I would ask to have just the screen replaced personally.
 
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WilliamG

macrumors G3
Mar 29, 2008
9,920
3,800
Seattle
I REALLY doubt that.

Based on my sample variation of 2 units (ok not a sensible sample, I know) I don't see the quality control required to achieve you claim.

My first one had crap behind the screen that was so obvious it demonstrates that Apple don't check the screens beyond a "is it on?" test, if that. Oh, and yellow on the left of the screen too - I forgot that.

The second one has a fan that sometimes makes "helicopter" sounds, a stand that leans to the left and a sticking power button. But the screen is OK, ish. Again, proper QC would have spotted the power button and stand, and maybe the fan.

I kept it because honestly I had no confidence a third machine would be an improvement. I can live with the imperfections I have been dealt this time around and the next one might have more intrusive problems.

To anyone who wants their new Mac replaced with another new one, I would say think about what else might be broken with the replacement machine! If your Mac is perfect apart from the screen, I would ask to have just the screen replaced personally.

You can doubt it all you want. I quoted the word "flawless" because nothing is perfect. But if you asked the average person whether their iMac is acceptable to him and whether he perceives it as "flawless," you'll find that he does.

I had to go through several iMacs myself. Remember the average person here is quite a bit pickier than the average person NOT here.

My current iMac has no dirt under the screen, no noticeable yellowing etc, and works just great.
 

Chippy99

macrumors 6502a
Apr 28, 2012
989
35
You can doubt it all you want. I quoted the word "flawless" because nothing is perfect. But if you asked the average person whether their iMac is acceptable to him and whether he perceives it as "flawless," you'll find that he does.

I had to go through several iMacs myself. Remember the average person here is quite a bit pickier than the average person NOT here.

My current iMac has no dirt under the screen, no noticeable yellowing etc, and works just great.

Fair enough. If in putting quotes around "flawless" you want to change the meaning of the word to be "of acceptable quality", then yes most are "flawless".

Back on earth, the word "flawless" means without flaw. Not, "with flaws, but heck nothing's perfect".
 

WilliamG

macrumors G3
Mar 29, 2008
9,920
3,800
Seattle
Fair enough. If in putting quotes around "flawless" you want to change the meaning of the word to be "of acceptable quality", then yes most are "flawless".

Back on earth, the word "flawless" means without flaw. Not, "with flaws, but heck nothing's perfect".

I'm sorry, but back on Earth there's no such thing as flawless. I've never owned such a thing.
 

Geekazoid

Suspended
Sep 20, 2012
154
52
Gamma Control utility

Hey guys,
I myself are looking to possibly purchase and iMac, as I've mentioned in previous posts it'll be next year sometime, and I myself don't want to end up with the iMac display problem you all seem to be having. With this problem in mind I thought I would share a utility that I have found helpful, I use it on my 2012 13" MBA. It's called Gamma Correction and I used it on my MBA's display because I found whites seem to be on the yellow side as well. It doesn't create an ICC display profile but overrides it. Some of you may not like this approach to correcting your display but I have found it quite good. You CAN set it to load on startup. It's a very little utility at only 176KB in size and I use it everyday on my MBA and can adjust the settings as needed if I feel they need it at any time.

If you do prefer to calibrate your iMac's display and create an ICC display profile fare enough but for those of you who want a easy-to-use utility to correct those nasty yellowing screen iMacs this tiny utility may be just the thing you were looking for.

Please note: I do not benefit financially if you download this utility because it is free, I'm just recommending it because I've found it tremendously helpful.

https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/11545/gamma-control
 
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Arfdog

macrumors 6502
Jan 25, 2013
377
0
I do see this on my 2012 iMac. It's ever so slight yellowishness in the bottom half.

Let's get real. If i'm not paying attention, I can't notice it. Given everything else that is right on this machine, i certainly won't take it back for such a minor nitpicky "problem". I'm trying not to be OCD about it. If you're displaying anything other than a big solid blank white screen, you won't notice it.
 
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Ambulater

macrumors member
Dec 14, 2012
87
78
Needs Calibration

My late 2012 iMac arrived with a noticeably yellow tint. I was a little surprised since Apple claims that every iMac is factory calibrated. Whatever, they're calling factory "calibration" is pretty poor because I have since seen this phenomena in Apple stores, Best Buy, and in complaints all over the web. I'm sure they're probably doing something with hardware calibration (good), but not so sure they're bothering with additional software tweaking (unlikely).

I am fortunate enough to own a colorimeter and calibration software. After calibrating my iMac is dead on for reference colors and represent the most beautiful screen I've seen anywhere. I have a 61" TV that I've spent countless hours trying to calibrate to perfection; my calibrated iMac blows it away. I'd rather watch movies sitting close to my 27" iMac than on my large screen TV. It's an awesome screen that comes out of the factory in very disappointing shape. Considering the price point of an iMac, it's probably worth buying calibration equipment or paying for professional calibration. You will be impressed. It's just too bad that Apple doesn't get things closer to standard spec straight from the factory.
 

lg251

macrumors 6502
Dec 3, 2009
369
126
Canada
I have similar issues with mine. Just thought I'd carry on but it bugs me too much now.
What would Apple do at this point considering I'm under Apple care extension. Do they still have 2012 in stock to replace mine? Or do they go with equivalent current 2013 model?
 

ventuss

macrumors 6502
Oct 9, 2011
369
10
I have similar issues with mine. Just thought I'd carry on but it bugs me too much now.
What would Apple do at this point considering I'm under Apple care extension. Do they still have 2012 in stock to replace mine? Or do they go with equivalent current 2013 model?

They'd probably replace the screen for a new one. Every iMac I've seen had the problem, some better than others, still, chances of getting another screen same as yours or worst is pretty big.
 

lg251

macrumors 6502
Dec 3, 2009
369
126
Canada
Yes that is my main concern, getting a screen with yellow issues again. And being a guinnea pig at the store because, to be honest, with the population where I live and the size of the store, I doubt they ever replaced one...

But if I was to require a replacement, do they still have 2012 models? How does this work since I'm a year later in terms of model replacement?
 
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