Backlight bleeding and black levels in late 08 MBP

[LemmycautioN]

I have two macbook pros right now, each with different screens so I conducted a backlight bleed/black level test to see what the screen look like blacked out. Basically I have to send one of these 2 computers back since I only ordered one (bit of a mixup I ended up with 2). In any case I'm trying to choose whether to keep the chi mei screen or the LG. Both of them look fine in everyday use, but they each have their own unique backlight bleeding issues. Anyway if anyone wants to do a similar test, (this one is almost identical to a recent post by BigGreenApple) but this test is focusing more on backlight bleeding.

Anyway, what do you guys think? Which one would you keep (considering everything else is almost completely identical)

Also, the chi mei is on the left, the LG is on the right. The blueish color at the bottom of the chi mei isn't as noticeable as it is in the photo, but the pattern is. Also, the faint bleed in the center of the LG is also visible to the naked eye. Sorry about the motion blur, I left my tripods in my office.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3244/3078650717_2797e0d17f_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3221/3079482888_2bb82a4381_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3149/3078648117_00ca58b66c_b.jpg

 

[7even]

IMO, the one on the left has better backlighting across the middle of the screen, which is where you'll spend most of the time looking.

 

[amorican]

FWIW, neither of those would be acceptable to me. Just one mans opinion.

 

[MVApple]

I would pick the one on the right. The Chei Mei looks like it has worse backlighting and a yellowish screen.

 

[LemmycautioN]

Thanks for your guys' opinions. I would be interested in seeing what other people's lcd screens look like under these circumstances (plain black desktop background, minimized dock, shot in a relatively dark room). I'm still not sure which one I'll return. The first 2 MBP's I got had defective speakers and dead pixels, these are # 3 and 4 and I'm still not totally sure which one I'll keep.

I remember back in the nineties I got a power mac 5500 for close to the same price as I dropped on this MBP; I don't remember apple having so many quality control problems back then

 

[allanibanez]

As already stated, the Chei Mei is much better where it matters the most, the centre of the screen. My Chei Mei is simialr to yours and i don't really see any problem with it. A MBP is hardly the ultimate piece of equipment for cinema viewing is it so i'd probably live with the Chei Mei. You could get a third MBP but then could have some lovely dead pixels to play with

I guess we should remember this is a production line piece of equipment - its not hand made by magical elves so i doubt there will ever be a single Mac in general that is "perfect".

 

[allanibanez]

Seeing as though you have both screens in front of you, which do you think is better by the way in terms of colour accuracy? I'm quite interested to know how they perform when both using the sRGB colour profile...the only colour profile anyone needs to even consider using

 

[EngenZerO]

seems like the one on the left is also getting pinched on the left side of the screen... also it looks like one big yellow cloud...

 

[LemmycautioN]

As already stated, the Chei Mei is much better where it matters the most, the centre of the screen. My Chei Mei is simialr to yours and i don't really see any problem with it. A MBP is hardly the ultimate piece of equipment for cinema viewing is it so i'd probably live with the Chei Mei. You could get a third MBP but then could have some lovely dead pixels to play with

I guess we should remember this is a production line piece of equipment - its not hand made by magical elves so i doubt there will ever be a single Mac in general that is "perfect".

Actually these MBP's are replacements #3 and #4, the first replacement did have dead pixels . My last laptop was a hi-res PB and that thing was made by elves, so these problems are a little tough to accept.

 

[LemmycautioN]

seems like the one on the left is also getting pinched on the left side of the screen... also it looks like one big yellow cloud...

The "pinched" look on the left side of the chimei is noticeable and annoying. The "yellow cloud" that you and a previous replier mentioned isn't really visible - it only appeared in the photos. The dark blue/purple along the bottom of the screen is visible, especially when watching a movie, and all of the bleeding is very noticeable when watching an iPhoto slideshow in fullscreen

 

[xpovos]

I knew which panel was which, from the photo, before even reading your post. Both of these phenomena seem to be fairly common to their respective panel models. My second unibody MBP had the LG (9C84) screen that looked a lot like your 84 (but perhaps a little worse). My third MBP (which is in shop for a failed SuperDrive replacement) also has the LG, though, and it's more like your 9C85 except not nearly as noticeable. I consider my current screen perfectly acceptable.

Unless your photo really exaggerates the issue on the 85, I would say neither is acceptable. But if pressed to select one of the two, I would go with the left.

 

[LemmycautioN]

Seeing as though you have both screens in front of you, which do you think is better by the way in terms of colour accuracy? I'm quite interested to know how they perform when both using the sRGB colour profile...the only colour profile anyone needs to even consider using

They both look pretty similar with that color profile. I would be hard pressed to pick one over the other, but I would say that the chi mei probably has better color accuracy (although it's a little over saturated). I can always make a new color profile, but black levels and backlight bleed aren't something that color profiles could fix easily.

 

[LemmycautioN]

Unless your photo really exaggerates the issue on the 85, I would say neither is acceptable. But if pressed to select one of the two, I would go with the left.

The photo exaggerates the yellowing at the bottom of the screen, but the mostly the screens do look like that with black screens and in the dark. So you're saying that NEITHER would be acceptable for you?

 

[xpovos]

So you're saying that NEITHER would be acceptable for you?

I'm saying that if the photos are representative of what you're seeing with the naked eye, I would be inclined to accept neither, because there are significantly better screens to be had.

Like I said, though, my most recent 9C84 (I've never had a 9C85) has an ever-so-slight bleed at the bottom like the machine on the left in your photo---but not anywhere near as visible. (Completely invisible except under same background and lighting circumstances you describe, and almost invisible even under those circumstances.) I consider it acceptable, because I've never, ever seen a LCD that, to my eyes, had absolutely zero bleed or other lighting imperfection. So it's just a question of how much imperfection one considers acceptable.

 

[PDE]

I've had early 2008 MBPs with all displays and it looks like they're still using some of the same displays. The CHimei is exactly the same as the one I had - pinched on the left and alternating light at the bottom, not to mention yellowish cast. The LG looks better than all the LGs I've had, but all of them had one thing in common: significant bleed (or dark areas depending on how you look at it) in and across the middle. I used to be bothered by the dark spots more when I was watching DVDs, but all unevenness is undesirable if it's visible.

I was thinking that the new displays are much better than the old ones, but it seems they're using the same ones but that the glossy finish makes a huge difference in perception. When I saw these in the store they looked fantastic, but you can't really evaluate a display in the store since all these issues only become visible in everyday use when lighting varies.

I wouldn't accept either of them, but if I were to choose I'd keep the LG any day. Good luck!

 

[allanibanez]

They both look pretty similar with that color profile. I would be hard pressed to pick one over the other, but I would say that the chi mei probably has better color accuracy (although it's a little over saturated). I can always make a new color profile, but black levels and backlight bleed aren't something that color profiles could fix easily.

Thanks for doing this side by side comparison Backlight bleeding is a bitch but not the end of the world. Good luck with choosing your MBP from the two you now have, i'd just want to keep them both and marvel at them side by side all day

 

[LemmycautioN]

I wouldn't accept either of them, but if I were to choose I'd keep the LG any day. Good luck!

I'm thinking of doing one of those two options.

ALSO, A SIDE NOTE FOR SOME PEOPLE TO MULL OVER:
MY GIRLFRIEND'S $800 DELL ISPIRON HAS NO BACKLIGHT BLEED .

There's also another thread out there with many people posting their bleeding screens, why is it so hard for apple to find screens that don't have awful bleed?

 

[xpovos]

MY GIRLFRIEND'S $800 DELL ISPIRON HAS NO BACKLIGHT BLEED .

I can believe that. I've seen MBP displays side-by-side with much less expensive machines' displays and, in some cases, the cheaper machines were marginally better.

[W]hy is it so hard for apple to find screens that don't have awful bleed?

Because they're not looking. On the whole, I believe the current crop of MBPs have the best screens of the model line to date, but Apple is well known for cheaping out on notebook displays. The matte screens on the second gen MBP 15" (late 2006, first iteration of Core 2 Duo) were absolutely revolting regardless of price. Subsequent iterations of the "classic" MBP screens were only slightly better, and certainly not the kind of quality one would hope for on such an expensive notebook.

The current screens, on the whole, are the first (IMO) to make the model seem to be even remotely worth its price---assuming one can stand the glass overlay---but there's still way too much inconsistency from unit to unit.