The Ultimate rMBP Image Retention Test

kpdillon · 07:42 PM

I have a a rMBP and it's absolutely gorgeous and it came with an LG screen. I thought I did not have any image retention on my display but I learned in another forum how to accurately test if my screen displays an image retention issue. So, following these somewhat extreme instructions I was able to finally see the issue. This test opened my eyes to the issue!

Now I am curious if others with either Samsung or LG who previously did not see any image retention issue if you see one running this test.

1. Run the command in a terminal window to see if you have LG or Samsung: ioreg -lw0 | grep \"EDID\" | sed "/[^<]*</s///" | xxd -p -r | strings -6

2. Set your desktop background to the darkest of the 3 solid gray backgrounds that come with OS X. Then, open up a picture of a black and white checkerboard with preview and blow it up until it fills the screen.

3. After about 15 minutes, minimize the checkerboard image and uncover your screen.

4. Report your results.

terraphantm · Aug 13, 2012, 07:47 PM

I don't have the patience to leave my MBP on a checkerboard screen for 15 minutes... but FWIW, my dock never "burned in" despite being up for hours, nor did any menu bars or other static UI elements. So if a checkerboard pattern for extended periods is what it takes to exhibit IR, then so be it.

Maybe I'll test later by setting it to that, disabling the screen saver, and going to sleep.

kpdillon · Aug 13, 2012, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by terraphantm

I don't have the patience to leave my MBP on a checkerboard screen for 15 minutes... but FWIW, my dock never "burned in" despite being up for hours, nor did any menu bars or other static UI elements. So if a checkerboard pattern for extended periods is what it takes to exhibit IR, then so be it.

Maybe I'll test later by setting it to that, disabling the screen saver, and going to sleep.

That's the point of this test. My dock never "burned in" either despite being up for hours too. In fact I never see image retention unless I run this test, so while I appreciate it takes some patience and is a bit of a hassle I'm curious to see if this happens with all screens or just LG.

appletwig · Aug 13, 2012, 08:09 PM

Very faint image retention here, under normal daily usage theres no way of getting it to show up. Im guessing most people who claim their samsung screens dont have image retention are similar. You really have to look closely, with the same dark wallpaper to be able to see it. The other grey wallpapers are not capable of showing the image retention. As long as your image retention is not severe, i'd say dont worry about it, put on a pretty wallpaper and forget about it.

Drask · Aug 13, 2012, 08:14 PM

15 minutes, no image retention at all, Samsung.

kpdillon · Aug 13, 2012, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by appletwig

Very faint image retention here, under normal daily usage theres no way of getting it to show up. Im guessing most people who claim their samsung screens dont have image retention are similar. You really have to look closely, with the same dark wallpaper to be able to see it. The other grey wallpapers are not capable of showing the image retention. As long as your image retention is not severe, i'd say dont worry about it, put on a pretty wallpaper and forget about it.

Which screen do you have? Samsung or LG?

appletwig · Aug 13, 2012, 08:23 PM

Samsung, you can check via the poll results.

StuLax18 · Aug 13, 2012, 08:29 PM

I only lasted 5 minutes, but I did get some burn in....on my eyes.

angelus512 · Aug 13, 2012, 08:32 PM

I got some on my LG screen. Dissapeared mostly after about 30-60 seconds although around the edges rather than the center of the screen i can still see outlines of squares very faint.

I'm still within my 14 days. Wonder if I should organise a return or just deal with it. I mean I've never seen any other IR aside from this particular hardcore test. I had my image up for about 20-25 minutes on full brightness.

retinarob · Aug 13, 2012, 08:34 PM

This UI is on my LG screen 80% of the time. Haven't had an issue yet.

kpdillon · Aug 13, 2012, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by angelus512

I got some on my LG screen. Dissapeared mostly after about 30-60 seconds although around the edges rather than the center of the screen i can still see outlines of squares very faint.

I'm still within my 14 days. Wonder if I should organise a return or just deal with it. I mean I've never seen any other IR aside from this particular hardcore test. I had my image up for about 20-25 minutes on full brightness.

Angelus512, I am in the same boat as you. I have only seen IR under this extreme test. However, I am wondering the same thing given the 14 days because I have read from some other LG users that the IR progressively got worse. Not saying that will happen to yours or mine just another datapoint to consider.

angelus512 · Aug 13, 2012, 09:27 PM

Just tested this on my late 2009 MBP and it had zero IR problems at all. Even after 30 minutes not a single blemish.

Makes me feel more like returning this if a 2009 late model can have no IR issues but this one can. Even if they are somewhat manufactured.....

Orlandoech.com · Aug 13, 2012, 09:33 PM

My order for a rMBP was placed this weekend. Hope I dont have any issues or else I'll return it as well. If you spend that much money on a machine it should work out of the box. If after one or two returns I'll just get a classic mbp.

californication · Aug 13, 2012, 11:01 PM

I do have an LG screen and didn't know that I had this issue until doing this test. Will apple replace this if i bring it to the genius bar?

angelus512 · Aug 13, 2012, 11:15 PM

Bit of an update that I think is very relevant. After doing this test and getting the IR result I re-read what the original threadmaker posted about the dark grey background being picked.

So I ran it again except this time on the LIGHT grey background. After 25 minutes I can detect absolutely no IR at all.

This test only seems to work on that particular background in "such and such" a circumstance. Basically I'm saying is that IR is there but its so specific a process to make it show up that in normal life you would NEVER see it.

I've been totally happy with my flawless screen until running this test. BUt now that I realise more clearly that this test is so manufactured as to not represent real life conditions I'm starting to think I should just keep it.
BUt depends....on the fence about it.

kpdillon · Aug 13, 2012, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by angelus512

Bit of an update that I think is very relevant. After doing this test and getting the IR result I re-read what the original threadmaker posted about the dark grey background being picked.

I've been totally happy with my flawless screen until running this test. BUt now that I realise more clearly that this test is so manufactured as to not represent real life conditions I'm starting to think I should just keep it.
BUt depends....on the fence about it.

Yep, might be just a characteristic of LG screens under very limited circumstances. A characteristic that samsung screen owners don't have to worry about for certain. However some other LG screen owners have mentioned that this condition had gotten worse over time. Hopefully that doesn't happen to too many more people. I too am enjoying my purchase I just want to make sure that I will continue enjoying it hassle free.

I may exchange mine because when I look at my screen from an angle I can see 3 clouds in the top center of the screen that are not noticeable when viewing the screen straight on.

angelus512 · Aug 13, 2012, 11:40 PM

sounds not good. I only have this one issue. Everything else is fine.

alphaod · Aug 13, 2012, 11:51 PM

I have no image retention issues with my LG panel.

Snesley Wipes · Aug 13, 2012, 11:53 PM

If you have to perform this silly test to see if you actually have "image retention" issues, does it really matter?

macbook123 · Aug 13, 2012, 11:57 PM

OP, to make it a blind (i.e. scientific) analysis, you should swap 1. and 4. in your list of things to do. Otherwise people with LG will be more likely to suspect image retention.

FatGuy007 · 12:06 AM

What should be brightness?
What do you mean by uncover?

Lobwedgephil · Aug 14, 2012, 12:13 AM

Trying to create problems that don't exist under normal usage?

I did run the test though, no issues, one samsung, one LG.

angelus512 · Aug 14, 2012, 12:19 AM

Lob: Did you pick the correct SOLID COLOUR background from the apple background SOLID COLOUR choices?

Needs to be the darkest of the grey ones. It does not otherwise show up.

angelus512 · Aug 14, 2012, 12:40 AM

Also to anybody reading this thread has anybody changed their native whitepoint on their LG displays?

I did a calibration and all seemed fine. Said white point was 6509. But on apple forums some guy gave me some shiz about it ;-)
Anyways I went back and changed whitepoint to 8000 and it seems a fair bit whiter. 6500 does seem a shade yellow.

Adidas Addict · Aug 14, 2012, 01:52 AM

If you haven't got any issues, then the WhyTF would you go looking for them?

View Poll Results: Did you see Image retention on your rMBP with this test?
Yes, and I have an LG screen	255	40.93%
No, and I have an LG screen	154	24.72%
Yes, and I have a Samsung screen	26	4.17%
No, and I have a Samsung screen	188	30.18%
Voters: 623. You may not vote on this poll

Aug 13, 2012, 07:29 PM	#1
kpdillon macrumors member Join Date: Jul 2011	The Ultimate rMBP Image Retention Test I have a a rMBP and it's absolutely gorgeous and it came with an LG screen. I thought I did not have any image retention on my display but I learned in another forum how to accurately test if my screen displays an image retention issue. So, following these somewhat extreme instructions I was able to finally see the issue. This test opened my eyes to the issue! Now I am curious if others with either Samsung or LG who previously did not see any image retention issue if you see one running this test. 1. Run the command in a terminal window to see if you have LG or Samsung: ioreg -lw0 \| grep \"EDID\" \| sed "/[^<]</s///" \| xxd -p -r \| strings -6 2. Set your desktop background to the darkest of the 3 solid gray backgrounds that come with OS X. Then, open up a picture of a black and white checkerboard with preview and blow it up until it fills the screen. 3. After about 15 minutes, minimize the checkerboard image and uncover your screen. 4. Report your results. Last edited by kpdillon; Aug 13, 2012 at 07:42 PM.*
	6

Aug 13, 2012, 08:29 PM	#8
StuLax18 macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Dallas, TX	I only lasted 5 minutes, but I did get some burn in....on my eyes. __________________ rMBP 2.3/16/256 MacBook 2.2 C2D/4GB/320GB iPhone 5 32GB black, iPhone 4 16GB
	27

Aug 13, 2012, 08:34 PM	#10
retinarob macrumors regular Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: VA	This UI is on my LG screen 80% of the time. Haven't had an issue yet. Attached Thumbnails
	0

Aug 13, 2012, 11:51 PM	#18
alphaod macrumors P6 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: NYC	I have no image retention issues with my LG panel. __________________ Mac Pro \| 27" iMac \| 15" MacBook Pro with Retina display \| iPhone 5 \| iPad 3 \| iPad mini
	0

Aug 13, 2012, 07:47 PM	#2
terraphantm macrumors 68020 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Pennsylvania	I don't have the patience to leave my MBP on a checkerboard screen for 15 minutes... but FWIW, my dock never "burned in" despite being up for hours, nor did any menu bars or other static UI elements. So if a checkerboard pattern for extended periods is what it takes to exhibit IR, then so be it. Maybe I'll test later by setting it to that, disabling the screen saver, and going to sleep.
	6

Aug 13, 2012, 08:09 PM	#4
appletwig macrumors newbie Join Date: Aug 2012	Very faint image retention here, under normal daily usage theres no way of getting it to show up. Im guessing most people who claim their samsung screens dont have image retention are similar. You really have to look closely, with the same dark wallpaper to be able to see it. The other grey wallpapers are not capable of showing the image retention. As long as your image retention is not severe, i'd say dont worry about it, put on a pretty wallpaper and forget about it.
	1

Aug 13, 2012, 08:14 PM	#5
Drask macrumors regular Join Date: Feb 2012	15 minutes, no image retention at all, Samsung.
	0

Aug 13, 2012, 08:23 PM	#7
appletwig macrumors newbie Join Date: Aug 2012	Samsung, you can check via the poll results.
	0

Aug 13, 2012, 08:32 PM	#9
angelus512 macrumors member Join Date: Jul 2011	I got some on my LG screen. Dissapeared mostly after about 30-60 seconds although around the edges rather than the center of the screen i can still see outlines of squares very faint. I'm still within my 14 days. Wonder if I should organise a return or just deal with it. I mean I've never seen any other IR aside from this particular hardcore test. I had my image up for about 20-25 minutes on full brightness.
	0

Aug 13, 2012, 09:27 PM	#12
angelus512 macrumors member Join Date: Jul 2011	Just tested this on my late 2009 MBP and it had zero IR problems at all. Even after 30 minutes not a single blemish. Makes me feel more like returning this if a 2009 late model can have no IR issues but this one can. Even if they are somewhat manufactured.....
	0

Aug 13, 2012, 09:33 PM	#13
Orlandoech.com macrumors 68020 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Salt Lake City, UT	My order for a rMBP was placed this weekend. Hope I dont have any issues or else I'll return it as well. If you spend that much money on a machine it should work out of the box. If after one or two returns I'll just get a classic mbp.
	0

Aug 13, 2012, 11:01 PM	#14
californication macrumors newbie Join Date: Jun 2012	I do have an LG screen and didn't know that I had this issue until doing this test. Will apple replace this if i bring it to the genius bar?
	0

Aug 13, 2012, 11:15 PM	#15
angelus512 macrumors member Join Date: Jul 2011	Bit of an update that I think is very relevant. After doing this test and getting the IR result I re-read what the original threadmaker posted about the dark grey background being picked. So I ran it again except this time on the LIGHT grey background. After 25 minutes I can detect absolutely no IR at all. This test only seems to work on that particular background in "such and such" a circumstance. Basically I'm saying is that IR is there but its so specific a process to make it show up that in normal life you would NEVER see it. I've been totally happy with my flawless screen until running this test. BUt now that I realise more clearly that this test is so manufactured as to not represent real life conditions I'm starting to think I should just keep it. BUt depends....on the fence about it.
	2

Aug 13, 2012, 11:40 PM	#17
angelus512 macrumors member Join Date: Jul 2011	sounds not good. I only have this one issue. Everything else is fine.
	0

Aug 13, 2012, 11:53 PM	#19
Snesley Wipes macrumors regular Join Date: Jun 2009	If you have to perform this silly test to see if you actually have "image retention" issues, does it really matter? __________________ RMBP 512GB/16GB
	20

Aug 13, 2012, 11:57 PM	#20
macbook123 macrumors 68000 Join Date: Feb 2006	OP, to make it a blind (i.e. scientific) analysis, you should swap 1. and 4. in your list of things to do. Otherwise people with LG will be more likely to suspect image retention.
	3

Aug 13, 2012, 11:59 PM	#21
FatGuy007 macrumors 6502 Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: New York	What should be brightness? What do you mean by uncover? Last edited by FatGuy007; Aug 14, 2012 at 12:06 AM.
	0

Aug 14, 2012, 12:13 AM	#22
Lobwedgephil macrumors member Join Date: Apr 2012	Trying to create problems that don't exist under normal usage? I did run the test though, no issues, one samsung, one LG.
	0

Aug 14, 2012, 12:19 AM	#23
angelus512 macrumors member Join Date: Jul 2011	Lob: Did you pick the correct SOLID COLOUR background from the apple background SOLID COLOUR choices? Needs to be the darkest of the grey ones. It does not otherwise show up.
	0

Aug 14, 2012, 12:40 AM	#24
angelus512 macrumors member Join Date: Jul 2011	Also to anybody reading this thread has anybody changed their native whitepoint on their LG displays? I did a calibration and all seemed fine. Said white point was 6509. But on apple forums some guy gave me some shiz about it ;-) Anyways I went back and changed whitepoint to 8000 and it seems a fair bit whiter. 6500 does seem a shade yellow.
	0

Aug 14, 2012, 01:52 AM	#25
Adidas Addict macrumors 65816 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: England	If you haven't got any issues, then the WhyTF would you go looking for them? __________________ The phrase is: "Couldn't care less"
	15

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