Anyone have a very uniform 16" display?

[btraill]

I'm noticing some of these same 'blotches'.

I have a small spot on the lower portion of the screen to the right of where "Pro" ends. Looks like some additional light is bleeding through or something. Looks identical to some of the blotches on the screen shot posted above.

 

[Donnation]

I've been told on several occasions recently at the Apple store that all devices, even new computers, that are returned go straight to recycling and not for refurbs.

No, that's incorrect. They are rebuilt and sold as refurbs.

 

[bevsb2]

Where do they get the ones to refurb, then?

I asked that question and got some vague response about using new unopened extras that they keep around. I didn't believe the story but I had it confirmed by a couple of other more senior people I asked. Still find it hard to believe and if the cracking speaker issue isn't resolved shortly they will have a lot of near new computers on their hands to recycle or refurb. I suspect that if the issue still exists by Jan 8, a lot will be returned.
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No, that's incorrect. They are rebuilt and sold as refurbs.

Only repeating what I heard from 4 different Apple store employees on different occasions recently.

 

[SBruv]

Yes - realized the mouse pointer looked like flash in the thumbnail.

Though, what you point out looks like moiré. You can see that with your eyes (not via camera)?

Nope, definitely not that. There's no regularity to the shapes between displays – it's different with each one – and moving the background image around doesn't change it. 100% definitely not moire.

 

[_Kiki_]

wow, not impressive, quality is falling with this obsession of thinness

 

[Quu]

I feel incredibly fortunate to receive one that is extremely uniform. I cannot actually see any differences with my naked eye so it must be under 5% difference between all areas.

If you've been on the forum before you may have seen me in the MBP 2013 uniform display thread where I returned 5 different 15" notebooks due to uniformity issues (some with over 35% brightness/contrast problems from one side of the panel to the other). So if there's a problem I will for sure return it and get another.

Seems good ones are out there if you've got one you're not happy with, I got lucky this time on my first attempt.

 

[kbhooper]

I feel incredibly fortunate to receive one that is extremely uniform. I cannot actually see any differences with my naked eye so it must be under 5% difference between all areas.

If you've been on the forum before you may have seen me in the MBP 2013 uniform display thread where I returned 5 different 15" notebooks due to uniformity issues (some with over 35% brightness/contrast problems from one side of the panel to the other). So if there's a problem I will for sure return it and get another.

Seems good ones are out there if you've got one you're not happy with, I got lucky this time on my first attempt.

So when you receive a bad one you just exchange it, and keep doing so until you get a good one? My worry is I'll land a worse one then my return will be denied.

 

[Lobwedgephil]

So when you receive a bad one you just exchange it, and keep doing so until you get a good one? My worry is I'll land a worse one then my return will be denied.

Apple has a no questions asked return policy, but yeah you can't be excessive.

 

[Quu]

So when you receive a bad one you just exchange it, and keep doing so until you get a good one? My worry is I'll land a worse one then my return will be denied.

That's correct yes. In 2013, I returned it 5 times and none of them were acceptable to me. In the end I asked for a full refund which they honoured. Then in 2015 I bought one and the first one I got was perfect. I kept that until now, the new 16" model I got is also perfect.

In 2013 I went to the Apple Store with my 3rd model and they agreed it was bad. Eventually Apple said they were going to send my returns to their engineering people (whatever that means lol) and they gave me a free gift of an Airport Express for all my problems. Perhaps cause I buy so much stuff or just how they treat everyone who spends 3K on a computer I dunno.

 

[mikedit]

Quu,

When you mention your 16 is perfect, are you just referring to the screen?? Does it have that popping sound referenced in another thread here??

 

[Quu]

When you mention your 16 is perfect, are you just referring to the screen?? Does it have that popping sound referenced in another thread here??

Doesn't have that popping thing either no. I actually was in that thread and listened to the audio clip at the beginning. I've had the notebook for a couple days now and I've not experienced any of that popping so I saw the thread and was like hmmm? but I don't have it at all. My hearing is good I think, no hearing loss or damage so I think I would notice it.

There is also a thread where a guy says his 16" MacBook Pro runs with fans on full blast when he hooks it up to a 4K monitor and a bunch of people replied saying they have it too but I don't have that issue either.

I believe most people who have problems will come to the forums (as I once did) but people with no issues don't so it's going to have some bias towards problems. I am just a forum regular so I'm here regardless etc

 

[mikedit]

Doesn't have that popping thing either no. I actually was in that thread and listened to the audio clip at the beginning. I've had the notebook for a couple days now and I've not experienced any of that popping so I saw the thread and was like hmmm? but I don't have it at all. My hearing is good I think, no hearing loss or damage so I think I would notice it.

There is also a thread where a guy says his MacBook Pro runs with fans on full blast when he hook sit up to a 4K monitor and a bunch of people replied saying they have it too but I don't have that issue either.

I believe most people who have problems will come to the forums (as I once did) but people with no issues don't so it's going to have some bias towards problems. I am just a forum regular so I'm here regardless etc

Thank for the prompt reply, my screen looks good to me, no fans running that I can hear when I am using it but I definitely have that popping which can be annoying. I have the 2.4/32GB/8GB/2TB version.

 

[Quu]

Thank for the prompt reply, my screen looks good to me, no fans running that I can hear when I am using it but I definitely have that popping which can be annoying. I have the 2.4/32GB/8GB/2TB version.

Just thought I'd update you on this, I am now getting the audio popping when I scrub around inside a video being played in IINA (media player similar to VLC). But I'm not having it with the Music app or YouTube.

Seems to be some kind of software issue for sure.

 

[pragmaLT]

I've tried three 15" since 2015 and they were all worse than 13" and Ultrafine 4K. Maybe it's the cost of having a larger screen that's really thin. I can kinda see the same thing on my 13" just to a lesser extent.

I second this. I didn't like the 16" display, although it showed good white uniformity overall, there was a certain "splotchiness" and "thinness" to the backlight.

I went to the apple store today and compared the 2019 13" side by side, and the 13" definitely looked brighter and more solid. Much more pleasant to look at.

(Blowing all of them away was the iMac 27", the image was so solid leading me to think this is a symptom of very thin LED displays that have to evenly distribute light from the edges)

 

[_Kiki_]

don't buy old tech, wait for OLED

 

[Zoraka]

I must say I'am very impressed with the display. It's the first Mac display that's both uniform and has next to none backlight bleeding and I've had Macs from the last 3 generations. Think I got lucky with the display lottery.

 

[tjedora]

Mine is perfect. No bleeding or weird colors - was the first thing I tested.

 

[new16helppls]

OP did you exchange yours? I'm having a very hard time determining whether I am being neurotic, or if the uniformity on mine is no good and I should jump through the hoops of a mail in exchange.

 

[Alicia1]

The uniformity on mine is excellent however I have discovered a small bright spot, not sure if I should live with it, have it repaired or sell it. As I am a perfectionist, now that I have noticed this little bright spot, I can't not notice it and I just don't seem to love the MacBook as much as I did before I noticed the spot 😩

 

[robvas]

No LCD screen is close to perfect...phone tv laptop...no point in comparing photos since everyone has different lighting, cameras, ways of focusing...

 

[Mark_EL]

I read several comments that the 13" MBP's looked better then 15" / 16" models. I am convinced it is the size of the display that makes it look more even to some people. Think about this; the viewing distance with any laptop screen would be roughly the same. Since the displays are all LCD panels, you have to consider the viewing angle. If you are sitting further away from your display, the viewing angle will be a bit more narrow which makes it appear more even. Thats the same reason someone here mentioned that his screen looks better from a distance. A smaller display (13") with the same viewing distance as a bigger display (15" / 16") will give the same effect.
Therefore, the only way to truly check if your luminance of the screen is really any good, you need a colorimeter like the I1 Display Pro.

I've done a Display Uniformity check on my 16" MPB this morning using my I1 Display, which showed me that my display is actually pretty good even though the picture that I took of a white screen looked less perfect:

To really be able to interpret the ΔE(2000) values, I advice you to check this YouTube video:

On my display, the ΔE(2000) values are all below 4, (on white 255,255,255 and grey 127,127,127 even below 3) which is considered to be pretty good. I also did a Uniformity check on my 27" Eizo ColorEdge display (which are specifically designed for color accurate work) and the ΔE(2000) values were actually comparable to my MBP (also below 3 on white and grey and below 4 on dark grey). Go figure...

 

[kbhooper]

OP did you exchange yours? I'm having a very hard time determining whether I am being neurotic, or if the uniformity on mine is no good and I should jump through the hoops of a mail in exchange.
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I kept my original unit, but purchased 2 others for comparison. They were all about the same, and similar to what your picture shows. The lower right was always a shade darker. I also tested several other laptops people have at my work, including new Surface Laptops. None of them were perfect and some much worse.
Since originally posting this I actually got used to it and don't even think about it anymore.

 

[new16helppls]

I kept my original unit, but purchased 2 others for comparison. They were all about the same, and similar to what your picture shows. The lower right was always a shade darker. I also tested several other laptops people have at my work, including new Surface Laptops. None of them were perfect and some much worse.
Since originally posting this I actually got used to it and don't even think about it anymore.

I stopped by the Apple store and was surprised to see they all had the shade darker in the lower right too! And just like you noticed, some even worse. I'd have to mail mine back in, wait for the refund to post, then purchase another. And pray it's not worse than my display, never mind not have any of the other issues I've been reading about people having with the 16".

So I've been leaning towards keeping it, and your reply saying you got used to it in the couple months since the original post is close to sealing the deal. So thank you very much for the reply and I'm glad to hear you're happy with your machine now.

And you were right in your original post. We need better tech!

 

[kbhooper]

I stopped by the Apple store and was surprised to see they all had the shade darker in the lower right too! And just like you noticed, some even worse. I'd have to mail mine back in, wait for the refund to post, then purchase another. And pray it's not worse than my display, never mind not have any of the other issues I've been reading about people having with the 16".

So I've been leaning towards keeping it, and your reply saying you got used to it in the couple months since the original post is close to sealing the deal. So thank you very much for the reply and I'm glad to hear you're happy with your machine now.

And you were right in your original post. We need better tech!

I would keep it. Everything else about the laptop has been really great. I still appreciate the new keyboard on a regular basis, performance is solid, speakers are legit, etc.

 

[new16helppls]

I would keep it. Everything else about the laptop has been really great. I still appreciate the new keyboard on a regular basis, performance is solid, speakers are legit, etc.

Yep! It really is an incredible machine otherwise. After years of dealing with a 2016 TB MBP, sticky keys, damaged screen from setting it down ever so slightly too hard, and getting shafted on any warranty repairs because of a few drops of "liquid damage," I get giddy like a schoolgirl every time I use this machine for serious work. Like you said, especially the keyboard! The uniformity was really bothering me, but I am seeing how the eyes adjust for it when I stop focusing on it so much. I have 2 weeks left on my return window so fingers crossed I'll grow used to it as you did.

Thanks again for your input and quick reply