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jonnyb098

macrumors 68040
Nov 16, 2010
3,990
5,496
Michigan
Only during videos.

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I received a call just now from Apple from the rep I spoke to almost 4 months ago about this problem. I hadn't spoken to him in aaaaages! The engineers seem to be a little bumbling about what's going on. He's going to try and arrange an actual engineer to speak about it with me (that would be interesting). In any case, it sounds like this is going to get escalated pretty quickly now since he's double-teaming with the other rep I'd been speaking to.

What that means? I don't have any idea, but this really has gone on quite a long time now with no resolution.

Will post updates when I have them...

Ok, this is great news but seriously, this has been proven on all iPad 4 devices. All they have to do is watch any of the videos on this thread as you already asked them to. Are they blind or something? Tell them to just turn off the lights in their office. Boot up one of the many examples here on their ipad 4, and viola! The screen goes crazy, especially during the dark knight rises. Not sure if this is a common problem with engineers lacking common sense or what. You gave them the steps to reproduce it and if they can't then they are incompetent. Not trying to be a jerk but how many times do they have to call you? Craziness!
 

WilliamG

macrumors G3
Original poster
Mar 29, 2008
9,926
3,802
Seattle
Ok, this is great news but seriously, this has been proven on all iPad 4 devices. All they have to do is watch any of the videos on this thread as you already asked them to. Are they blind or something? Tell them to just turn off the lights in their office. Boot up one of the many examples here on their ipad 4, and viola! The screen goes crazy, especially during the dark knight rises. Not sure if this is a common problem with engineers lacking common sense or what. You gave them the steps to reproduce it and if they can't then they are incompetent. Not trying to be a jerk but how many times do they have to call you? Craziness!

HEY NOW! Stop typing out what I've been thinking for months. :p

What you've said that is harsh, cruel, and ultimately - true. :)

It is a little outrageous, but I have hope we will prevail in the end. Maybe. :p
 

smoking monkey

macrumors 68020
Mar 5, 2008
2,339
1,469
I HUNGER
Just posing a question here....

If it is software based as the OP and others seem to have deduced on this thread, then why doesn't it happen with Ipad 2s or 1s? Does it happen with the mini? Does it happen on iPhones?

What is special about the 4 that it only happens or that (and maybe the 3, I can't recall)

And does anybody know if it happens in Cinexplayer? That's the player I use on my iPad 2 and I love it... more than AVplayerHD to be honest (I have both but only use mp4 m4v or AVi files). It's so hard going back to use the apple player after using Cinex.
 

Samtb

macrumors 65816
Jan 6, 2013
1,490
32
Only during videos.

-----------------------

I received a call just now from Apple from the rep I spoke to almost 4 months ago about this problem. I hadn't spoken to him in aaaaages! The engineers seem to be a little bumbling about what's going on. He's going to try and arrange an actual engineer to speak about it with me (that would be interesting). In any case, it sounds like this is going to get escalated pretty quickly now since he's double-teaming with the other rep I'd been speaking to.

What that means? I don't have any idea, but this really has gone on quite a long time now with no resolution.

Will post updates when I have them...

I honestly can't reproduce it on mine even with videos. I can see it on the iPads which have been filmed with the problem on here. This must be something which affect alot of iPads but there must be a few that aren't affected. Perhaps it's 1 of the display suppliers.
 

Samtb

macrumors 65816
Jan 6, 2013
1,490
32
I honestly can't reproduce it on mine even with videos. I can see it on the iPads which have been filmed with the problem on here. This must be something which affect alot of iPads but there must be a few that aren't affected. Perhaps it's 1 of the display suppliers.

Ok, I take it back. I can't reproduce it by pausing the video at 13 seconds but I did by pausing it on a completely black screen at the end of the trailer.

I'd advise people to try pausing trailer 4 when there's 1 second left of the video. This should be a completely black screen. Then make sure it's in full screen with the controls off. And as op suggested, wait 3 seconds & press the home button.
 
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Ionutg

macrumors newbie
Feb 12, 2013
4
0
Funny little update: While I discovered this issue on my own iPad 4 (before I'd found this thread) and then replicated it on others in the iStyle Store (the local Bucharest version of the Apple Store), being sure that it affected all iPad4's, last night I was back at the Media Galaxy store where I bought the iPad from. I tried it on the only iPad 4 they had on display, and bummer! The issue didn't replicate. And I followed the exact steps I did on my iPad and on every other iPad4 I tested... I tried to replicate it a few times and couldn't get the home icons to look messy, nor the dark video to look weird. So far, that's the only iPad4 that didn't do it and I don't understand what happened. I know the issue, I have it on mine, it's easy to replicate so I'm sure it wasn't just my eyes playing tricks on me. Could it be that there are indeed only a few bad batches of iPads with this thing?... I don't know. But it got confusing again.:confused:
 

smileyface

macrumors member
Jan 8, 2013
82
0
Funny little update: While I discovered this issue on my own iPad 4 (before I'd found this thread) and then replicated it on others in the iStyle Store (the local Bucharest version of the Apple Store), being sure that it affected all iPad4's, last night I was back at the Media Galaxy store where I bought the iPad from. I tried it on the only iPad 4 they had on display, and bummer! The issue didn't replicate. And I followed the exact steps I did on my iPad and on every other iPad4 I tested... I tried to replicate it a few times and couldn't get the home icons to look messy, nor the dark video to look weird. So far, that's the only iPad4 that didn't do it and I don't understand what happened. I know the issue, I have it on mine, it's easy to replicate so I'm sure it wasn't just my eyes playing tricks on me. Could it be that there are indeed only a few bad batches of iPads with this thing?... I don't know. But it got confusing again.:confused:
That's what I have been saying all along.All ipad 4's has this feature but most have this calibrated correctly so that it doesn't happen during playback of a video.There may be batches of ipad 4's that have this feature calibrated too aggressively.Not all displays are made at the same factory.It only takes a handful of disgruntled users on a chat forum and voila you have a serious problem affecting all ipads.

I had the same problem with my Samsumg Galaxy Note 1.In this case,I was one of the few with a bad unit.There was massive pixelation in dark scenes during playback of movies.Some users swear it didn't exist in theirs.Both were correct.The issue did not affect all units and the problem varied in severity from unit to unit.To date,the cause of the problem has still not been resolved and the same will happen here as well.Unless 50% of users complain,then Apple is not going to take it seriously.Right now I don't think it's even close to 0.005%.
 

WilliamG

macrumors G3
Original poster
Mar 29, 2008
9,926
3,802
Seattle
That's what I have been saying all along.All ipad 4's has this feature but most have this calibrated correctly so that it doesn't happen during playback of a video.There may be batches of ipad 4's that have this feature calibrated too aggressively.Not all displays are made at the same factory.It only takes a handful of disgruntled users on a chat forum and voila you have a serious problem affecting all ipads.

I had the same problem with my Samsumg Galaxy Note 1.In this case,I was one of the few with a bad unit.There was massive pixelation in dark scenes during playback of movies.Some users swear it didn't exist in theirs.Both were correct.The issue did not affect all units and the problem varied in severity from unit to unit.To date,the cause of the problem has still not been resolved and the same will happen here as well.Unless 50% of users complain,then Apple is not going to take it seriously.Right now I don't think it's even close to 0.005%.

Call me a cynic, but until I see an iPad 4 that doesn't exhibit this issue, I have trouble believing it. That, and the fact that it's NOT a hardware problem (in that it only affects videos using Apple's decoding software on the iPad 4), I can't fathom why some units would exhibit the issue and others not. It's a software issue, affecting iPad 4 hardware!

Color me confused. :confused:
 

smileyface

macrumors member
Jan 8, 2013
82
0
Call me a cynic, but until I see an iPad 4 that doesn't exhibit this issue, I have trouble believing it. That, and the fact that it's NOT a hardware problem (in that it only affects videos using Apple's decoding software on the iPad 4), I can't fathom why some units would exhibit the issue and others not. It's a software issue, affecting iPad 4 hardware!

Color me confused. :confused:
I sympathize with you.I hope you find a resolution with Apple as I do with my Note 1.Movies with dark scenes are unwatchable on my phone but I don't watch movies on phones so it's not that big an issue.If this happened on my ipad,I would demand a refund.
 

Samtb

macrumors 65816
Jan 6, 2013
1,490
32
Call me a cynic, but until I see an iPad 4 that doesn't exhibit this issue, I have trouble believing it. That, and the fact that it's NOT a hardware problem (in that it only affects videos using Apple's decoding software on the iPad 4), I can't fathom why some units would exhibit the issue and others not. It's a software issue, affecting iPad 4 hardware!

Color me confused. :confused:

Does every ipad 4 you've tried exhibit the issue at 13 seconds on the DKR trailer? On mine, it only happens at the end with a black screen.
 

WilliamG

macrumors G3
Original poster
Mar 29, 2008
9,926
3,802
Seattle
Does every ipad 4 you've tried exhibit the issue at 13 seconds on the DKR trailer? On mine, it only happens at the end with a black screen.

Every iPad 4 I've tried has done it in numerous locations (repeatable each time). 13 seconds in the DKR trailer was an easy test at the Apple Store on the iPad 4 display models, though.

If there really are iPad 4 devices out there without this issue, I'm curious as to how that's possible, given that it appear to be software-related. Anything's possible, though.
 

Samtb

macrumors 65816
Jan 6, 2013
1,490
32
Every iPad 4 I've tried has done it in numerous locations (repeatable each time). 13 seconds in the DKR trailer was an easy test at the Apple Store on the iPad 4 display models, though.

If there really are iPad 4 devices out there without this issue, I'm curious as to how that's possible, given that it appear to be software-related. Anything's possible, though.

Indeed. It could be to do with a combination of the calibration of the ambient light sensor and Apple's video codec. Or could be the display itself along with the codecs.
 

WilliamG

macrumors G3
Original poster
Mar 29, 2008
9,926
3,802
Seattle
Indeed. It could be to do with a combination of the calibration of the ambient light sensor and Apple's video codec. Or could be the display itself along with the codecs.

We've ruled the ambient light sensor out. I made sure that was off in all cases. And it's not the brightness that changes - it's just the contrast.
 

Samtb

macrumors 65816
Jan 6, 2013
1,490
32
We've ruled the ambient light sensor out. I made sure that was off in all cases. And it's not the brightness that changes - it's just the contrast.

Well it seems to vary depending on the model of ipad so I'm guessing its a combination of software and some hardware part which we may not be aware of. Or it could just be a software issue and the varied results are just from doing the test in different conditions.
 

thadoggfather

macrumors P6
Oct 1, 2007
15,552
16,287
One other iPad 4 but the tint was super red and it was obnoxious side-by-side with my iPad 3.

I had enough iPad 3's with multiple tint and pink bleed, etc. to not want to deal with that again.

My general take is:
LG - more uniform usually, backlight bleed is almost a given, Image Retention as well
Samsung - I suspect no IR, but multiple tint, and sometimes a hot corner
Sharp - some dudes but seems like no IR, no multiple tint more often than not, etc.

I really hope ipad 5 is sharp with IGZO because I'm pretty sure the only fairly consistent iPad retina screens are Sharp (if that is what I believe a lot of those lucky DY-serial number iPad3 owners have)

The "varying contrast" specific to iPad 4, and seemingly independent of panel (maybe because only LG made iPad 4 screens as far as I can really tell, or the vast majority) seems to be software but it's annoying. And I wouldn't have any faith in William seeking resolution even with Senior level AppleCare.

Senior level AppleCare also swapped out my iPhone 5 because on 6.0.1/6.0 you could slide up, take a pic, and hit home button and it would consistently crash no matter which iPhone 5 you use. The guy had never ever heard of it and insisted it was faulty hardware and specifically the camera as the cause. Luckily, the screen on my iPhone 5 was even better contrast and crispness than the one before it (which was the best of a handful I had to swap out, for vertical interlacing). This same replacement phone, that had camera app crash on slide up and hitting home button after a pic DOES NOT do the same on 6.1 and up. That can only mean it was a software issue..

It seems like Apple consistently has issues putting out quality displays. In this case, at the cost of Samsung disputes and low price they establish with their supply partners.

The iPad mini on display that had image retention looked noticeably crunchier with text compared to me extensively using a parent's iPad mini (which didn't have image retention).

I'd imagine the iPad mini on display is LG as well.

A parent's Macbook Air with LG display has horizontal lines on the dock, easily noticeable.

On my Samsung display MacBook Air, I do not have this issue at all. Text is crisper as well.

It's fun that I'm constantly apprehensive of "new models" for fear that it actually isn't an upgrade optically.

LG seems to be a nightmare on retina macbook pros too. Apparently most if not all have IR whereas the Samsung do not...
 
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Samtb

macrumors 65816
Jan 6, 2013
1,490
32
One other iPad 4 but the tint was super red and it was obnoxious side-by-side with my iPad 3.

I had enough iPad 3's with multiple tint and pink bleed, etc. to not want to deal with that again.

My general take is:
LG - more uniform usually, backlight bleed is almost a given, Image Retention as well
Samsung - I suspect no IR, but multiple tint, and sometimes a hot corner
Sharp - some dudes but seems like no IR, no multiple tint more often than not, etc.

I really hope ipad 5 is sharp with IGZO because I'm pretty sure the only fairly consistent iPad retina screens are Sharp (if that is what I believe a lot of those lucky DY-serial number iPad3 owners have)

The "varying contrast" specific to iPad 4, and seemingly independent of panel (maybe because only LG made iPad 4 screens as far as I can really tell, or the vast majority) seems to be software but it's annoying. And I wouldn't have any faith in William seeking resolution even with Senior level AppleCare.

Senior level AppleCare also swapped out my iPhone 5 because on 6.0.1/6.0 you could slide up, take a pic, and hit home button and it would consistently crash no matter which iPhone 5 you use. The guy had never ever heard of it and insisted it was faulty hardware and specifically the camera as the cause. Luckily, the screen on my iPhone 5 was even better contrast and crispness than the one before it (which was the best of a handful I had to swap out, for vertical interlacing). This same replacement phone, that had camera app crash on slide up and hitting home button after a pic DOES NOT do the same on 6.1 and up. That can only mean it was a software issue..

It seems like Apple consistently has issues putting out quality displays. In this case, at the cost of Samsung disputes and low price they establish with their supply partners.

The iPad mini on display that had image retention looked noticeably crunchier with text compared to me extensively using a parent's iPad mini (which didn't have image retention).

I'd imagine the iPad mini on display is LG as well.

A parent's Macbook Air with LG display has horizontal lines on the dock, easily noticeable.

On my Samsung display MacBook Air, I do not have this issue at all. Text is crisper as well.

It's fun that I'm constantly apprehensive of "new models" for fear that it actually isn't an upgrade optically.

LG seems to be a nightmare on retina macbook pros too. Apparently most if not all have IR whereas the Samsung do not...

I think Sharp make ipad 4 displays as well but probably not many. I think I might have a Sharp display. I don't have any IR or tints.
 
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thadoggfather

macrumors P6
Oct 1, 2007
15,552
16,287
Wow that's awesome, good for you.

Hold onto it like there's no tomorrow !

I don't think there was a of Sharp panels floating around with iPad3 either, but I'm pretty sure some people got lucky with certain runs of certain serial #'s.

What are the first two letters of your serial #??? Curious.
 
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Samtb

macrumors 65816
Jan 6, 2013
1,490
32
Wow that's awesome, good for you.

Hold onto it like there's no tomorrow !

I don't think there was a of Sharp panels floating around with iPad3 either, but I'm pretty sure some people got lucky with certain runs of certain serial #'s.

What are the first two letters of your serial #??? Curious.

Its DM. How bad are these yellow tints? My screen is slightly yellow but I thought this is just the way the display is as I've seen varying screen hues on different LCD panels.
 

thadoggfather

macrumors P6
Oct 1, 2007
15,552
16,287
It's not so much the yellow tint, or any tint (as long as it doesn't impact the color saturation negatively) it's more the fact that the screen has image retention, a noticeably darker side (in my case), and left backlight bleed that looks like yellowing.

That and text isn't as crisp as my 3 was. Dark scenes in movies don't reveal detail as well. It's probably just my 3 has a Sharp screen that's not defective in any way, and my 4 has an LG with typical LG characteristics.

If Sharp lands most LCD's for the iPad 5 it will be a victory for us all.
 

Samtb

macrumors 65816
Jan 6, 2013
1,490
32
It's not so much the yellow tint, or any tint (as long as it doesn't impact the color saturation negatively) it's more the fact that the screen has image retention, a noticeably darker side (in my case), and left backlight bleed that looks like yellowing.

That and text isn't as crisp as my 3 was. Dark scenes in movies don't reveal detail as well. It's probably just my 3 has a Sharp screen that's not defective in any way, and my 4 has an LG with typical LG characteristics.

If Sharp lands most LCD's for the iPad 5 it will be a victory for us all.

True, it is quite unfortunate. I've just looked around and some people seem to be having severe backlight bleeds.
 
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