Display brightness changes. Is it normal?

serega · Dec 11, 2008, 11:04 PM

On my new MB display sometimes gradually getting dimmer and then brighter every few seconds even when I use it. It looks like it happened on battery power but on fully charged. I did not see this on my IMac. Does anybody have that? Is it suppose to be that way?

manuel.mx · Dec 11, 2008, 11:16 PM

isnt the ambient sensor? Have you checked the settings of it?

SelfMadeCelo · Dec 11, 2008, 11:17 PM

its a setting in system prefs -> displays -> Auto adjust brightness as ambient light changes.

it annoyed me too at first, i just had to turn it off

shady825 · Dec 11, 2008, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SelfMadeCelo

its a setting in system prefs -> displays -> Auto adjust brightness as ambient light changes.

it annoyed me too at first, i just had to turn it off

I turned it off on the macbook and my iphone!
only i choose the brightness of my displays!

serega · Dec 11, 2008, 11:27 PM

Oh, thanks. It was interesting. It helped.

richard.mac · Dec 11, 2008, 11:33 PM

isnt it "Automatically reduce the brightness… before sleep" in Energy Saver preferences? this is the annoying setting as it dims the display instantly before sleep and then pressing a key or touching the mouse will brighten it again.

the ambient light sensor will gradually dim/brighten the display to suit your background rather than instant dimming.

Carnivor · Dec 12, 2008, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richthomas

isnt it "Automatically reduce the brightness… before sleep" in Energy Saver preferences? this is the annoying setting as it dims the display instantly before sleep and then pressing a key or touching the mouse will brighten it again.

the ambient light sensor will gradually dim/brighten the display to suit your background rather than instant dimming.

Nope, its definatly what SelfMadeCelo described, i turned mine off, as the tv was causing my mb screen to change all the time when in the livingroom in the evening.

Fireproof! · Dec 14, 2008, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carnivor

Nope, its definatly what SelfMadeCelo described, i turned mine off, as the tv was causing my mb screen to change all the time when in the livingroom in the evening.

Had the same problem - either the TV would cause it to change, or when family members switched lamps on/off. Annoyed me until I turned it off.

Eric S. · Dec 14, 2008, 06:39 PM

I just noticed this yesterday when I was using my new MB in my living room. Glad to have it explained; I was wondering if it was a display problem.

aznguyen316 · Feb 11, 2009, 09:51 PM

wow did a google search and this came up, no wonder, makes sense! haha it was going crazy on me and I was like wtf.. so where's the sensor? Is it upper left w/ the small holes

Eric S. · Feb 11, 2009, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aznguyen316

wow did a google search and this came up, no wonder, makes sense! haha it was going crazy on me and I was like wtf.. so where's the sensor? Is it upper left w/ the small holes

On the Macbook the sensor is the iSight camera, or at least it's in the same place as the iSight. Try passing your hand over it. It's different on the MB Pro, but I'm not sure where.

ayeying · Feb 11, 2009, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric S.

On the Macbook the sensor is the iSight camera, or at least it's in the same place as the iSight. Try passing your hand over it. It's different on the MB Pro, but I'm not sure where.

The unibody has the sensor next to the isight, regardless if its a macbook (pro) or (air). The older generation macbook pro's sensors are in the speaker grills (both left and right).

Acorn · Feb 12, 2009, 12:15 AM

this happened to me last weekend. i didnt know it had an auto dimmer. sitting there using it and its like hmm a little to dark for some reason. so i reach up and tilt the screen back (covering the isite) all of a sudden it was like someone hammered my brightness all the way up. im like ok thats good i let go then it turned back down. its like wtf! now its too dim again. im not to bright myself so haha. yea anyway enjoy your mac

Eric S. · Feb 12, 2009, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ayeying

The unibody has the sensor next to the isight, regardless if its a macbook (pro) or (air).

Oh yeah, it looks like it's just to the left of the iSight.

Dec 11, 2008, 11:04 PM	#1
serega macrumors regular Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Seattle	Display brightness changes. Is it normal? On my new MB display sometimes gradually getting dimmer and then brighter every few seconds even when I use it. It looks like it happened on battery power but on fully charged. I did not see this on my IMac. Does anybody have that? Is it suppose to be that way? __________________ IPad 4, 32G, Verizon; IPhone 4S, 16G White, Verizon Mac Pro 2009, 8Gb Ram. Mac mini 2012 I7 fusion drive
	0

Dec 11, 2008, 11:17 PM	#3
SelfMadeCelo macrumors regular Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Tulare, CA	its a setting in system prefs -> displays -> Auto adjust brightness as ambient light changes. it annoyed me too at first, i just had to turn it off __________________ Aluminum MacBook 2.4GHz iMac 27" Core i7 iPhone4 Twitter \| PhotoBlog \| flickr
	0

Dec 11, 2008, 11:27 PM	#5
serega Thread Starter macrumors regular Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Seattle	Oh, thanks. It was interesting. It helped. __________________ IPad 4, 32G, Verizon; IPhone 4S, 16G White, Verizon Mac Pro 2009, 8Gb Ram. Mac mini 2012 I7 fusion drive
	0

Dec 11, 2008, 11:33 PM	#6
richard.mac macrumors 603 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: 51.50024, -0.12662	isnt it "Automatically reduce the brightness… before sleep" in Energy Saver preferences? this is the annoying setting as it dims the display instantly before sleep and then pressing a key or touching the mouse will brighten it again. the ambient light sensor will gradually dim/brighten the display to suit your background rather than instant dimming. __________________ http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/4894/haxe.png If you can't innovate, I guess you just imitate, but it's never quite as good as the original.
	0

Dec 14, 2008, 06:39 PM	#9
Eric S. macrumors 68040 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Santa Cruz Mountains, California	I just noticed this yesterday when I was using my new MB in my living room. Glad to have it explained; I was wondering if it was a display problem. __________________ laptop: 2011 MBP Core i5 2.3GHz/8GB/750GB/Intel 3000/10.6.8 desktop: Core i7 920 2.66GHz/4GB/640GB/XFX GeForce 9600 GSO/10.6.3 previous: Mac Plus, IIci, PB 100, Quadra 840av, PowerMac G4, etc.
	0

Dec 11, 2008, 11:16 PM	#2
manuel.mx macrumors member Join Date: Nov 2008	isnt the ambient sensor? Have you checked the settings of it?
	0

Feb 11, 2009, 09:51 PM	#10
aznguyen316 macrumors 68000 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Tampa, FL	wow did a google search and this came up, no wonder, makes sense! haha it was going crazy on me and I was like wtf.. so where's the sensor? Is it upper left w/ the small holes __________________ iPhone 5, 32GB \| Early 2011 13" MBP My Channel for MBP videos
	0

Feb 12, 2009, 12:15 AM	#13
Acorn macrumors 68000 Join Date: Jan 2009	this happened to me last weekend. i didnt know it had an auto dimmer. sitting there using it and its like hmm a little to dark for some reason. so i reach up and tilt the screen back (covering the isite) all of a sudden it was like someone hammered my brightness all the way up. im like ok thats good i let go then it turned back down. its like wtf! now its too dim again. im not to bright myself so haha. yea anyway enjoy your mac
	0

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