2010 MacBook Pro high res anti-glare screen light leak?

[Chansp1970]

My friend just got his CTO MBP15 i7 anti-glare hi-res and we compared it to my old Core Duo MBP15 screen. Do you think there is light leak in the new machine? It reminds me the memory of "Apple Lottery". Now I am nervous since I am going to order one.

Left: 2010 MBP15 i7 hi-res anti-glare 9CB7
Right: 2006 MBP15 Core Duo anti-glare 9C56

The new one is brighter so I adjust the brightness for fair comparison.

Should I tell my friend to replace it? I wonder if other ones have the same issue.

 

[Derekhk]

My friend just got his CTO MBP15 i7 anti-glare hi-res and we compared it to my old Core Duo MBP15 screen. Do you think there is light leak in the new machine? It reminds me the memory of "Apple Lottery". Now I am nervous since I am going to order one.

Left: 2010 MBP15 i7 hi-res anti-glare 9CB7
Right: 2006 MBP15 Core Duo anti-glare 9C56

The new one is brighter so I adjust the brightness for fair comparison.

Should I tell my friend to replace it? I wonder if other ones have the same issue.

I'm wondering about this too. Mine shows a slight glow towards the bottom of the screen as well but it doesn't seem to be as prominent as your friends here.

Is the bleed here at an acceptable level? What are other users experiencing?

 

[steveLONDON]

I have the seen this on my screen but not as visible as that, and having checked just now, the effect can't be seen - as if the screen being on for a while has made it go away.

Do you find the effect lessens over the course of a day?

 

[Bill Gates]

Some light bleed is normal. I would say that what your friend has is at the edge of the normal range, and if he finds it bothersome, he might be able to talk Apple into replacing it.

 

[wirelessmacuser]

I see it on your examples. Of the three identical 15" Hi-Res MBP's I've purchased, none have this issue. They are all perfect displays.

I'm more than satisfied with them.

 

[neversaynever]

I have an ag hi-res i7 and I have this leak, but its nowhere as bad as this. it is completely impossible to see except the grey screen at the beginning. can only be seen at dark solid grey, i think. not even visible at black.

 

[dsprimal]

replace it!

 

[neversaynever]

I can't. I'm now out of the US and will be for a long while.

 

[Jof]

replace it!

+1

It's nothing to do with AG or not, and everything to do with the quality of the panel. My first HR AG was terrible in this regard; the replacement (different panel) is outstanding.

Mroogle "Panel Lottery"

 

[neversaynever]

Well, I'm a designer and after the calibration I'm pretty happy with my screen. As good as a TN panel can be.

 

[Derekhk]

Does anyone know if the bleed is fixable?

I've just past my 14 day period so I'm worried I won't be able to get a replacement. Would be more convenient if the screen itself was replaced and not the whole machine.

 

[Chansp1970]

Does anyone know if the bleed is fixable?

I've just past my 14 day period so I'm worried I won't be able to get a replacement. Would be more convenient if the screen itself was replaced and not the whole machine.

I think so. When I bought my first generation Macbook pro, I was able to ask Apple to replace only the screen after Apple refused to replace the whole machine for the fifth time.

 

[Derekhk]

Hmm to settle or not settle?

I know mine isn't nearly as bad as some of the ones posted here but it's enough to bother the hell outta me.

 

[coldtrain123]

i've got this same "leak" at the bottom of my 15" hi res glossy i7 mbp as well.

same as Derehk, mine also isn't nearly as bad as the samples posted here.

on my machine, the "leak" can only be seen / noticed with a completely black wall paper or, with the "front row" screen. there's no way i can see or notice the "glow" on ANY other solid color wallpapers even at full brightness…

i've checked all the current 13", 15" , 17" 2010 mbp in stores and none of them exhibit this leak at the bottom of their screens (perhaps it's because of the very strong lighting at the stores.)… unfortunately, there's no 15" hi-res screen on display in any of the stores for me to do a direct comparison….

the "leak / glow" looks to me kind of like a "bad back level" effect, which means the back is not as dark or deep and more like grey-ish, especially at the bottom when i set the brightness to a pretty high level….

the "leak / glow" will completely go away when i turn down the screen brightness to the 8th step. (…which matches the anandtech.com review.)

…i can hear you Derekhk, and that's bother me for quite a few days too until my friend's 15" hi res glossy i7 arrived, which screen is exactly the same as mine plus a dead pixel as a bonus too!

i suspect many of the machines also has this "leak/glow" at the bottom but just that their owners wouldn't care much of this subtle / minor problem coz maybe they don't see this as a problem…? and if i didn't hide the dock, i think i will never notice the glow.

Chansp1970's sample photos is another story tho, i am definitely going for an exchange / refund if the leak is THAT serious.

 

[applefieddarwin]

I'm happy to have stumbled upon this thread. I have the exact same problem as you have. I have a 2.4Ghz i5 with a Glossy hi-res display. It is extremely apparent when pumping up the backlight to maximum, or viewing anything on the screen that is just a single color. The problem it, mine is a little more difficult. I'm planning on going to the Apple Store to see if they can do anything about it.

I am a little disappointed, considering my older Macbook Pro without this amazing screen did not exhibit this problem. I'll try to post some pictures soon.

 

[wirelessmacuser]

I've just finished scrutinizing the three 15" MBP Core i7 models I purchased. Thankfully none of them have this issue.

While I did a very extensive inspection of each of them upon the initial setup, this thread called my attention to the issue, so I went back and double checked.

This forum is very useful to all of us due to the excellent sharing of information practiced here.

Although I've been a long time (decade long) Mac user, I've largely avoided the various forums in the past. Upon visiting them, i found so much juvenile flaming of users. This forum on the other hand is refreshing, as it's largely populated with responsible adults that share experiences instead of attacks.

Cheers...

 

[MacNut]

Isn't it more an issue of the back light rather than the screen itself.

 

[doktordoris]

I am about to spend a small fortune on an 8gig i7 17inch MBP so I'd like to know what pitfalls there may be. But what is a "light-leak"? What am I looking for in those photo?

Thanks in advance

doris

edit.
I think I get it, I just zoomed in and I think you mean the excessive brightness around the periphery of the screen?

 

[banalelectric]

+1

It's nothing to do with AG or not, and everything to do with the quality of the panel. My first HR AG was terrible in this regard; the replacement (different panel) is outstanding.

Mroogle "Panel Lottery"

+1 again. I would at least take it to Apple and see what they have to say. My screen has no issues and I would imagine that's the case for the majority of units being sold. The light leak on yours is definitely noticeable enough to warrant a replacement if you ask me...

 

[Chansp1970]

After all I decided to go to Apple Store and buy an i7 High-res AG. If the screen is not good enough, I think I just return it in the store.

Last night I went and FINALLY found a great Apple guy who can see the problem I was talking about. I showed him this thread. He said he had the same issue with his first MBP and had to fight with the manager for replacement. It seems that he is on my side so I took out my credit card.

Then I opened the box in the store. The light leak is there but not as bad as my friend's. I can even count the number of LED. So I returned it immediately.

Then I opened the second box. The light leak is still there but is better than the first one. Still noticeable. I almost convinced myself to live with it but the Apple guy didn't want me to. He insists to find a perfect machine for me. That's really rare I must say. Probably a new guy. Since the store is closing, he just returned everything (MBP, free iPod, free printer, cables) to the back room and gave me full refund. I plan to visit the store next week when that guy is there then we can go through more machines. I am lucky because the store has a (near) perfect i7 high-res AG on displace, it won't look ridiculous to ask for a good machine like that one.

 

[Reapur]

I went through two 17" i7 MBPs, 3rd one seems to have even lighting on the bottom edge where the first two machines had the same issue as your friends 15 inch. Do your self a favor and buy it from the Apple store so you can exchange the machine easily if the problem is there.

 

[Chansp1970]

I went through two 17" i7 MBPs, 3rd one seems to have even lighting on the bottom edge where the first two machines had the same issue as your friends 15 inch. Do your self a favor and buy it from the Apple store so you can exchange the machine easily if the problem is there.

Consider yourself lucky! I went back to the store tonight and the Apple guy said he wished he could contact me before I drove an hour to the store. He said after my last visit when I opened two MBPs and returned them, he got yelled by the manager that night. So he said the only way to do it is I buy another one and if I think the screen is not good enough the genius will take a look. If the genius and the manager agree there is indeed a light leak problem, which they probably are not be able to see, they will order a replacement screen for the brand new machine.

So this time I would not able to get my money back. If the screen is bad, I have to go to the repairing track.

Then a manager was kind enough and decided to open another one without payment. He said "let's see if you will like this one!". It is better than the previous two but the light leak is still noticeable. To be honest, I was on the boarder of accepting it. The Apple guy was hoping I can take it so no one will yell at him again. I put it side-by-side with the demo machine that is almost perfect and had a hard time to decide. I told the Apple guy that I want to open another one (with payment) and will definitely pick one from these two.

The kind manager (manager A) left and here came a not-so-kind manager (manager B). B was angry about A agreed to open the box without my payment. He just grabbed the machine and said he can not sell this to me since it was opened. If I still want one, pay and get another one and go home. If I am not satisfied, call Applecare or let the genius decides if it is really defected.

I had almost convinced myself to live with that one we just opened but the manager B wouldn't let me buy it. From his angry words I figure out he must think I am crazy.

So I left. I am sure someone must be yelled at tonight.

 

[iSpoody 1243]

light bleed is the most annoying thing ever!
lucky mine doesn't have any.

 

[cryer]

Damn this thread scares me with a 17" on the way now from the online store... Argh

 

[pyramis]

This issue is nothing new. The OP is showing what we all suffered when Apple switched display technologies a couple years back.

When I first upgraded from a pre-LED backlit MBP to the current display technology, I was totally pissed. To my photographer's eyes, it was an undeniable step backwards, visual quality-wise. Overnight my photos dropped suddenly in apparent light and color quality. Yes, the new displays are much brighter and more power-efficient, but in return you get uneven lighting, light leaks and much less-saturated colors.

I bought and returned about 4 different machines with help from the Genius bar, because I could demonstrate immediately with a specially-created test graphic the light leaks and discoloration. They were as baffled as I was and took them back instantly. Eventually though, when I bothered to examine a bunch of floor models with my test graphic, it became apparent that it was simply an unavoidable consequence of the shift to LEDs.

I gritted my teeth and eventually learned to accept it.