27", 21.5" iMac Owners, test your screen for yellow tint issue here

[Kalison]

I just got done with the onsite service technician. He replaced my LCD onsite.

I must say, this LCD is head and shoulders above my last one. I now have no yellowing, and much more uniform screen. It certainly doesnt bluntly turn yellow at the bottom or the middle like my last screen.

The only thing I have noticed when I am LOOKING for it, is that the left side of the screen is cooler than the right... mind you this change is subtle as it goes from left to right, I doubt many people would have noticed it at all, and its not a blatant defect.

As I use it I don't notice any difference, so I am going to keep it.

Edit: Added Photo

 

[mdewberry]

This is really a shame.. after having this machine since Sat night the yellow tinge seems to be worse and more viewable... Last night I was debating keeping it as the hard drive is not as bad as the Seagate models, but the yellow is so darn prevalent... ugh...

I really love this screen when I have photos, movies, etc., up, but when a white page like this one is up it is so warm in the center..

I know that there is talk about thermal issues.. This is now my 5th iMac, and four of them had the yellow stain in the center.. The hard drive is also in the center of the machine, and I have to wonder if heat from the drive is causing yellowing in the center of the screen... strange the only machine that had yellow just at the bottom was my first one... All others had the yellow going down the center from top to bottom.. Left is cool, center is yellow, center to right is cool and then right is a bit warm as well...

 

[LavenderCaptain]

I just got done with the onsite service technician. He replaced my LCD onsite.

I must say, this LCD is head and shoulders above my last one. I now have no yellowing, and much more uniform screen. It certainly doesnt bluntly turn yellow at the bottom or the middle like my last screen.

The only thing I have noticed when I am LOOKING for it, is that the left side of the screen is cooler than the right... mind you this change is subtle as it goes from left to right, I doubt many people would have noticed it at all, and its not a blatant defect.

As I use it I don't notice any difference, so I am going to keep it.

I know what you mean about it driving you nuts when your'e looking for something... Worse, when you know something is there, it's impossible to ignore. Like the yellow stain across the left edge, with a particularly large blotch in the bottom left corner, on my third (or fourth, depending on how you count it) iMac... Do I have to buy into AppleCare to get them to come on site and do the screen replacement?

 

[iSamurai]

Do I have to buy into AppleCare to get them to come on site and do the screen replacement?

I'll repeat it again...
NO
You tell them to give you apple care since you're on your n-th replacement.

 

[mjsmke]

I just got done with the onsite service technician. He replaced my LCD onsite.

I must say, this LCD is head and shoulders above my last one. I now have no yellowing, and much more uniform screen. It certainly doesnt bluntly turn yellow at the bottom or the middle like my last screen.

The only thing I have noticed when I am LOOKING for it, is that the left side of the screen is cooler than the right... mind you this change is subtle as it goes from left to right, I doubt many people would have noticed it at all, and its not a blatant defect.

As I use it I don't notice any difference, so I am going to keep it.

Edit: Added Photo

Do you notice the horizontal line along the bottom in any applications? I did on 2 of 4 screens i had.

 

[Kalison]

I saw it the second we booted it up. My dock covers it. In full screen with ps, iPhoto, iMovie, etc. I don't see it at all.

 

[highflyer]

Thanks for that reply iSamurai! I've decided to send this one back, working in Pages all day has really highlighted the problem. I'll be asking for a custom built one in hope a later made one won't have the problem, but honestly I'm not that optimistic. When I was at the store last Wednesday, the latest builds they had were Week 6's, I would have thought they'd have something later?
highflyer, I saw 3 27" iMacs at retail stores last week, and to my picky eyes, they looked perfect. I looked at them from all different angles, adjusted the angle of the screen, adjusted the brightness and did the grey bar screen tests, and I couldn't find a problem. They were all built around week 40-45.

I really hope you are right, but alas I think that is very unlikely. I have also been to Apple's London store and all of there display iMacs were week 41. I initally thought they were perfect, like others have stated, but now that I know exactly what to look for on a return visit I could see the yellow tint even in store. Although it is much much harder to see it in an Apple store due to the lights.

My recent screen replacement looked pretty damn perfect in store, but when I got i home in dimly lit lighting, the problem was there again.

I do not think it is possible to judge display iMacs in stores, period. It is only at home when working at night with little background lighting that you can tell if you have the yellow tint.

My new screen is certainly better than the first one I had, and in bright daylight it is hard to see the tint. But at night it is clearly visible on full screen finder windows with white background.

Also I am convinced it is a left to right gradient tint and not top to bottom as the problem originally seemed to be. All the iMacs I have seen seem to suffer more from left to right than top to bottom, or a top to bottom stripe somewhere to the mid-right to far-right section.

Try this test. Open TWO copies of the same Word document or a PDF file with black text on a white background. Position one window top to bottom on the extreme left hand side of the screen, and the other copy on the right. NOW carefully scan your eyes quickly from one side to the other.

I find this is the best way to see a tint and the severity for day to day use, better than the grey bars test.

Regards

 

[mikesaysno]

I posted earlier about having 3 units with the yellow tinge. Well eventually I went and got a 4th iMac, this unit had probably the worst yellow tinge of them all, and it was a week 6. Fed up, I went back to the store immediately and swapped it out for a Mac mini/24" ACD. The stupid ACD ended up having the yellow tinge too! It was much less severe than on the iMacs but was still noticeable. I don't expect LCD's to be perfect, but when you pay such a premium for Apple products, this is just not acceptable.

I know I'm not crazy. I had a few family members verify the yellow discoloration on the ACD. They all did the same with the iMac screens too.

I returned my ACD for a cash refund last night and I'm just going to go a completely different route for a screen for my new mini. I love Apple products, and will continue to be as loyal as I have been, but the fact that people are going through this many returns, and still not getting the issue resolved, is just too much.

 

[mdewberry]

I posted earlier about having 3 units with the yellow tinge. Well eventually I went and got a 4th iMac, this unit had probably the worst yellow tinge of them all, and it was a week 6. Fed up, I went back to the store immediately and swapped it out for a Mac mini/24" ACD. The stupid ACD ended up having the yellow tinge too! It was much less severe than on the iMacs but was still noticeable. I don't expect LCD's to be perfect, but when you pay such a premium for Apple products, this is just not acceptable.

I know I'm not crazy. I had a few family members verify the yellow discoloration on the ACD. They all did the same with the iMac screens too.

I returned my ACD for a cash refund last night and I'm just going to go a completely different route for a screen for my new mini. I love Apple products, and will continue to be as loyal as I have been, but the fact that people are going through this many returns, and still not getting the issue resolved, is just too much.

NO!!!!! Really?? That is extremely frustrating to hear, as the mini/ACD is my fallback option... Interesting as it has been out for a number of years, and I believe uses a different patent than the new 27" iMac screens..

Very, very disappointing to hear...

EDIT: Where on the ACD screen is it appearing?

 

[ascender]

Has anyone here from the UK or Ireland had a replacement iMac shipped to them? Just wondering what the turnaround time is as my machine is back in Cork but there's no ETA for a replacement and whenever I ask I get silence....

 

[mikesaysno]

NO!!!!! Really?? That is extremely frustrating to hear, as the mini/ACD is my fallback option... Interesting as it has been out for a number of years, and I believe uses a different patent than the new 27" iMac screens..

Very, very disappointing to hear...

EDIT: Where on the ACD screen is it appearing?

It was on the lower right half of the screen on the ACD. I'm betting the odds of me being able to get a working replacement would have been higher but I was just done with the whole deal after 5 returns. Like I said this one wasn't nearly as bad as the tinge on the iMac units that I went through, but I'm in school for graphic design and any color variation that is out of the norm like that is just too much for a $900 screen.

Like someone said earlier it was very obvious if you open a word doc or text edit screen and move it from one side to the other, or compared 2 of them placed on opposite ends. I tried multiple calibrations, viewing angles, lighting in my house, everything. Going from a normal white color on one side to a very noticeable off white/yellowish was something that I couldn't deal with.

 

[mjsmke]

Has anyone here from the UK or Ireland had a replacement iMac shipped to them? Just wondering what the turnaround time is as my machine is back in Cork but there's no ETA for a replacement and whenever I ask I get silence....

I live in the UK and had 4 screens and 2 units. Originally Purchased on the 10th Feb and gave up and got the refund on 25th March. I was told it would be between 2 - 3 weeks for a replacement so i kicked off in store. I said "theres no way i'm waiting 2-3 weeks for a replacement when it only takes 7 days to buy a new one. Get me your area manager while i phone trading standards". They replaced my screen within 4 days.

 

[mjsmke]

I posted earlier about having 3 units with the yellow tinge. Well eventually I went and got a 4th iMac, this unit had probably the worst yellow tinge of them all, and it was a week 6. Fed up, I went back to the store immediately and swapped it out for a Mac mini/24" ACD. The stupid ACD ended up having the yellow tinge too! It was much less severe than on the iMacs but was still noticeable. I don't expect LCD's to be perfect, but when you pay such a premium for Apple products, this is just not acceptable.

I know I'm not crazy. I had a few family members verify the yellow discoloration on the ACD. They all did the same with the iMac screens too.

I returned my ACD for a cash refund last night and I'm just going to go a completely different route for a screen for my new mini. I love Apple products, and will continue to be as loyal as I have been, but the fact that people are going through this many returns, and still not getting the issue resolved, is just too much.

Have a look at HP screens. They do a 22" (HP 2229h) that you can rotate into a portrait view. HD ready, DVI-D/VGA inputs £169.

 

[ascender]

I live in the UK and had 4 screens and 2 units. Originally Purchased on the 10th Feb and gave up and got the refund on 25th March. I was told it would be between 2 - 3 weeks for a replacement so i kicked off in store. I said "theres no way i'm waiting 2-3 weeks for a replacement when it only takes 7 days to buy a new one. Get me your area manager while i phone trading standards". They replaced my screen within 4 days.

Thanks for the info. When the guy at Apple explained the process to me it sounded like an immediate swap, so they receive it on Monday, new one sent out to me on Tuesday.

Not going to be so straightforward I guess. Wouldn't be so annoyed if they said it was going to be a week or so, but to just blank my question is very annoying.

Just fed up with the whole thing tbh. Lost track of how long I've been without a machine over the last 8 weeks while the screen swaps and tests have been going on.

 

[SoCalRich]

Do you notice the horizontal line along the bottom in any applications? I did on 2 of 4 screens i had.

Glad you're happy with your replacement LCD. How did you get the tech out to your house to do this to begin with???

Believe me THAT would be a defect if you're doing photo editing. Maybe not for office apps, games or surfing the Internet.

I still waiting for Rev 2 or a new MBP with a HUGE monitor...

 

[jjahshik32]

NO!!!!! Really?? That is extremely frustrating to hear, as the mini/ACD is my fallback option... Interesting as it has been out for a number of years, and I believe uses a different patent than the new 27" iMac screens..

Very, very disappointing to hear...

EDIT: Where on the ACD screen is it appearing?

I wonder if the 24" LED ACD started using the same manufacturer for the LED backlighting as the 27"?

I have a 24" LED ACD that I bought the first month it was released and it has no yellow tinges and very consistent backlighting. This is one of the reasons why I'm keeping this 24" forever!!

I can understand why the yellow tinge is there from the led backlighting (as this was never an issue with CCFL backlighting as fluorescent lighting has more of a blue push to it) because it reminds me of the led flashlights.

I'm into flashlights and ever since the led flashlights were implemented people are getting the same company/model led flashlights with different color.

Some are getting a blue/white push (where it is generally not favored as it doesnt look as bright and make colors not as accurate) and the yellow push is the one that people really want as it brings a warmer color and makes viewing in the dark much more pleasant and brighter.

I remember I read an article in one of the surefire flashlight forums a while back stating that developing led lights is hit or miss kind of thing when it comes to the push/color from the lighting.

Perhaps the led lights that are being manufactured (the process its using) is giving out certain yellow tinges or blue/purplish tinge) on either side of the display.

For example most people are used to the blueish tinge since its been around since the CCFL days but now led backlighting has made the displays more warm and so more people are not used to it and take it as looking "pissy".

Anyway, I believe some people are just lucky in getting a led backlighting that has matured in even color all around while other led backlighting have uneven colored lighting all around (thus showing yellow to blue from left to right or top to bottom).

 

[Kalison]

Glad you're happy with your replacement LCD. How did you get the tech out to your house to do this to begin with???

Believe me THAT would be a defect if you're doing photo editing. Maybe not for office apps, games or surfing the Internet.

I still waiting for Rev 2 or a new MBP with a HUGE monitor...

Trust me I am still debating with myself right now.

I told them this was my 3rd iMac and an apple store is over two hours away. Which is all true. He said he would send a local tech to replace it.

 

[SoCalRich]

Trust me I am still debating with myself right now.

I told them this was my 3rd iMac and an apple store is over two hours away. Which is all true. He said he would send a local tech to replace it.

I have decided NOT to buy any ACD's at this time. Don't need the problems.

I've been looking at the Samsung p2770h for $350 at Costco and the Dell U2711 for about $1,000.

 

[Kalison]

I have decided NOT to buy any ACD's at this time. Don't need the problems.

I've been looking at the Samsung p2770h for $350 at Costco and the Dell U2711 for about $1,000.

Yeah that Dell U2711 looks reaaaally nice... I was thinking about getting that and the mini until I see what else Apple cooks up.

 

[iSamurai]

Do you notice the horizontal line along the bottom in any applications? I did on 2 of 4 screens i had.

That screen is considered acceptable... that's where usually the dock is and it shouldn't be a problem in Photoshop... from what I can see the yellowing looks non-existent...

the grey bar pretty much appeared on all of my replacements and on all apple store demo computers so I think this screen is probably one of the best out there...

 

[SuX0rz]

Got back from the Apple Store (had to drive three hours to get there) and the genus at first said the gray marbling was just dust trapped behind the screen. After a few hours of waiting the tech comes out and says that it isn't dust but the LCD is defective.

So now I have to wait for them to order parts and then drive three hours back to the store to get it repaired. I asked if I could get it exchanged or if I could be refunded and they said, "No."

So I'm just going to get the repairs done and see what happens. If there are more problems though I'm just going to demand a return. I'm not going do the third, fourth, and fifth machine thing. I love Apple but not that much.

 

[Batmac]

Just bought a new 21.5" iMac today. I was extremely wary, but I needed something immediately, and I've been holding off ever since the new iMacs launched. It was a case of trying one now and hoping for the best, or picking up a MacBook Pro, which wouldn't have been quite what I wanted - especially what with the imminent update.

iMac is week 49, and I'm very happy so far - though I've only had it a few hours. it DOES display a hint of yellow tinge in the middle of the bottom fifth of the screen, but it's not at all noticeable during normal use.

I was extremely skeptical about buying now given the plethora of issues, and have been hunting for problems. It continues to defy my expectations. But I won't rest easy until a couple of months have passed. If the yellowing increases I'll report in. No sign of screen flicker (is this still an issue?) or noisy hard drive - I'm actually amazed by how silent it is.

In all honesty, I'd never have noticed the yellow tinge if I hadn't looked for it. Knock on wood I'll continue to be impressed, because this is a stunning machine.

 

[ascender]

Just don't understand it, Apple can't give me any sort of idea as to when my replacement iMac will ship, or a reason for the delay. They have machines in stock but they can't refund my faulty one and let me order a new one from the store. Meanwhile our business is a machine down.

 

[mdewberry]

So the yellow tinge is definitely more prevalent in rooms with low light (right now in my office with no lamps on and cloudy morning outside)...

I am really struggling with this, as this i5 (my 5th iMac) has the Western Digital drive, and it is running very quiet (not silent, but not as obtrusive as the Seagate drives)... I hate to give this mac up and either wait for the next iMac revision (where there is no guarantee that the screen issue will be resolved) and get a noiser iMac or get a mini/24 ACD and have yellow tinge issues on the mini (another poster here stated that the ACD has yellow tinge..)

I plan to stop by the store this evening and see if they can do an LCD panel swap, and if it is still yellow I can get a refund?

Honestly I could live with yellow tinge if it was just on the bottom of the screen, mine is down the center of the screen and the bottom, so every time I have a webpage stretched across the screen I hit the yellow...

Don't notice it in iPhoto, iMovie, etc., but am not in those as much as on the web...

Decisions, decisions...

 

[SoCalRich]

Just don't understand it, Apple can't give me any sort of idea as to when my replacement iMac will ship, or a reason for the delay. They have machines in stock but they can't refund my faulty one and let me order a new one from the store. Meanwhile our business is a machine down.

Why no refund??? You have a defective product. Insist on it...

I don't understand why we are willing to put up with this kind of BS. If everybody returned the defective product and demanded refunds that might get Apple's attention real fast.