Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Backlight bleeding
- Thread starter i eversaw
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
It's certainly NOT a big deal and the light bleed on 90 % of all iPads can NEVER be seen in normal usage (unless you specifically look for it). It's a bit annoying when a thread like this has made one aware of it, though. But again: you have to look for it to find it. Or use weird brightness settings in the dark.
Again, there are different cases. Some of the ones posting in the previous pages are probably bordering what I call the OCD-cases (no offense meant, really, I can be like that myself) in that they can't accept even the slightest bleed. Getting ANY LCD with this technology without any bleed is quite difficult, I would say.
The more normal case, and mine is like that, is that the bleed is visible in the dark at maybe >40 % brightness, and clearly visible at > 60 %. This is more annoying, but again, personally I am about 95 % confident that I would NEVER have noticed it, had I not read these threads. Of course it depends on how you use it. If you often watch movies, with black bars at the top and bottom, in the dark and on a somewhat bright screen, then you would notice it. EVEN in that case it can still be argued that it shouldn't really matter, but oh well. Personally, I don't watch movies on it (I have a perfectly fine 46" TV for that
(which by the way also has significant light bleeding)).Hm, sometimes I don't quite understand what people mean with the iPads being that costly. I am from Denmark, but a quick currency conversion tells me that you can get one for about 700$? That's NOT expensive. As someone else have mentioned, don't use the most expensive iPad model as an example because what you pay for is 3G and extra storage. The most expensive one has the exact same screen as the cheapest one.
So bottom line: there IS an issue, but it has become an obsession for some to find a perfect iPad, and in normal usage, by FAR the most people would NEVER notice any problems.
Of all the iPad 2s that I tried out and returned, light leak was the first thing I noticed.
Heck, it's the first thing you seen when you turn the damn thing on (a black screen asking you to connect it to the iTunes). Sitting in my living room couch during the day, all of my returned iPad 2s showed visible light leaks.
People who can't see it have either extremely rare 'perfect' iPad 2s or are blessed with the gift of poor visual acuity.
Heck, it's the first thing you seen when you turn the damn thing on (a black screen asking you to connect it to the iTunes). Sitting in my living room couch during the day, all of my returned iPad 2s showed visible light leaks.
People who can't see it have either extremely rare 'perfect' iPad 2s or are blessed with the gift of poor visual acuity.
I still maintain that the "you can't see it in normal usage" argument is largely fallacious and fundamentally misunderstands the point. The market price of this device is set with a tacit assumption that it is defect-free. Backlight bleed is not an advertised feature and on the most generous of possible interpretations it would at best be considered an 'acceptable' deviation from design parameters by Apple. As a consumer, you aren't obligated to accept such deviations as there is no differential pricing in place and you have a reasonable expectation that, should you so desire, the product matches the tacitly assumed form and function.
Thus, the bickering about whether or not it is visible or would be reasonably noticeable during ordinary use is your value judgment masquerading as a universal premise of rational consumer choice. You're free to have different standards, but don't confuse those standards as a categorical imperative. I probably wouldn't have even bothered to say more about this, but I honestly think people who hassle consumers for demanding quality don't help anyone in the end as they aren't going to make people who have defective products feel better about them, and they help lower accountability on companies that ship defective products. If you don't care about defects, that's fine, but don't bother with frivolous claims that other people are being unreasonable.
As a side note, the cost of a 64GB 3G is $829, which if you factor in tax in many locales is around $890-930 total. It's largely irrelevant that the screen is the same as the lower models. You pay a total, integrated price and you're still out ~$900 on a defective product.
Thus, the bickering about whether or not it is visible or would be reasonably noticeable during ordinary use is your value judgment masquerading as a universal premise of rational consumer choice. You're free to have different standards, but don't confuse those standards as a categorical imperative. I probably wouldn't have even bothered to say more about this, but I honestly think people who hassle consumers for demanding quality don't help anyone in the end as they aren't going to make people who have defective products feel better about them, and they help lower accountability on companies that ship defective products. If you don't care about defects, that's fine, but don't bother with frivolous claims that other people are being unreasonable.
As a side note, the cost of a 64GB 3G is $829, which if you factor in tax in many locales is around $890-930 total. It's largely irrelevant that the screen is the same as the lower models. You pay a total, integrated price and you're still out ~$900 on a defective product.
It's certainly NOT a big deal and the light bleed on 90 % of all iPads can NEVER be seen in normal usage (unless you specifically look for it). It's a bit annoying when a thread like this has made one aware of it, though. But again: you have to look for it to find it. Or use weird brightness settings in the dark.
Again, there are different cases. Some of the ones posting in the previous pages are probably bordering what I call the OCD-cases (no offense meant, really, I can be like that myself) in that they can't accept even the slightest bleed. Getting ANY LCD with this technology without any bleed is quite difficult, I would say.
The more normal case, and mine is like that, is that the bleed is visible in the dark at maybe >40 % brightness, and clearly visible at > 60 %. This is more annoying, but again, personally I am about 95 % confident that I would NEVER have noticed it, had I not read these threads. Of course it depends on how you use it. If you often watch movies, with black bars at the top and bottom, in the dark and on a somewhat bright screen, then you would notice it. EVEN in that case it can still be argued that it shouldn't really matter, but oh well. Personally, I don't watch movies on it (I have a perfectly fine 46" TV for that
Hm, sometimes I don't quite understand what people mean with the iPads being that costly. I am from Denmark, but a quick currency conversion tells me that you can get one for about 700$? That's NOT expensive. As someone else have mentioned, don't use the most expensive iPad model as an example because what you pay for is 3G and extra storage. The most expensive one has the exact same screen as the cheapest one.
So bottom line: there IS an issue, but it has become an obsession for some to find a perfect iPad, and in normal usage, by FAR the most people would NEVER notice any problems.
You guys need to get a clue honestly this is such a bad attitude. The second you turn it on you see really bad bleeding why can't you tell from the pictures in the thread this isn't your regular back light bleeding.
Even at 50% brightness you see uneven milky splotches on any app page or movie that is dark or has a black background I mean fire up the photos app or the camera app and look at the terrible blacks you get with uneven backlight splotches.
We are being already sold outdated 1024x768 ips panels, eepad transformer comes with an hd ips panel, why in gods name should we additionally put up with poorly constructed panels. You are seriously out of line and have no basis for making these statements and you will perpetuate the problem because if everyone thought like you apple would figure they can get away with this crap.
There are units that don't show exaggerated backlight bleed and have a uniform backlight, mine is one of them. I've been through 5 iPads all with some sort of quality control issue including dents Dings and scratches on the back, bright blue stuck pixels, dead pixels, and backlight bleeding. These units all pass right through apples QC. THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR QC.
Luckily people have warranty and consumer rights and they don't listen to clowns like you and they use their rights.
Pathetic.
I am amazed at how my comments are constantly misread. I guess I should be better at writing more clearly what I mean then. The following sums it up:
1. Bleeding is not uncommon in LCD screens
2. The iPad 2 in general has TOO MUCH bleeding
3. FOR MOST PEOPLE, unless they have one of the really bad units, the bleeding will never be a bother in real use
4. If you have to strain your eyes in a dark room on 100% brightness to see the bleeding, and is still unhappy, you are just being weird. That's the problem of this thread: it's a mixture of people with genuine BAD displays and people who are simply overly perfectionists
5. If you have a medium bleeder, like most of those posted in this thread, the bleeding is quite obvious in the relative dark on higher brightness settings. If THAT bothers you then by ALL MEANS try to get an exchange. Apple should NOT make iPads with such problems. But all I am saying is don't necessary LOOK for the problem, if it will never bother you, it doesn't matter.
I am a bit tired of being accused of hurting "consumers" and even being called a "clown" which is totally out of line.
All I am saying is that people should judge for themselves if they think this is a problem or not. Lots of people here have had way too much trouble exchanging maybe as much as 10 units - and for something that, especially in the long run when the new and shininess factor wears off, is almost completely irrelevant.
1. Bleeding is not uncommon in LCD screens
2. The iPad 2 in general has TOO MUCH bleeding
3. FOR MOST PEOPLE, unless they have one of the really bad units, the bleeding will never be a bother in real use
4. If you have to strain your eyes in a dark room on 100% brightness to see the bleeding, and is still unhappy, you are just being weird. That's the problem of this thread: it's a mixture of people with genuine BAD displays and people who are simply overly perfectionists
5. If you have a medium bleeder, like most of those posted in this thread, the bleeding is quite obvious in the relative dark on higher brightness settings. If THAT bothers you then by ALL MEANS try to get an exchange. Apple should NOT make iPads with such problems. But all I am saying is don't necessary LOOK for the problem, if it will never bother you, it doesn't matter.
I am a bit tired of being accused of hurting "consumers" and even being called a "clown" which is totally out of line.
All I am saying is that people should judge for themselves if they think this is a problem or not. Lots of people here have had way too much trouble exchanging maybe as much as 10 units - and for something that, especially in the long run when the new and shininess factor wears off, is almost completely irrelevant.
new additions: P-(T-sam1990-OK) L-(X-Grimes-OK) N-(6-Grimes-bad) J-(X-Brad02-bad) F-(T-aeiron-bad) N-(6-Jay858-bad) D-(X-Jay858-bad) Q-(X-Jay858-bad) Q-(X-Jay858-bad) R-(X-Jay858-OK) C-(X-Danny133-bad) Q-(X-xaldafax-OK)
Read it as: week-(factory-user-condition).
---
iPad2 BACKLIGHT BLEEDING issue from forum reports:
7 week 07 (seems none manufactured before week 7, well maybe... (X-stevejobs-OK))
8 week 08 (X-xaldafax-OK) (X-SPEEDwithJJ-bad)
9 week 09 (X-jps1012-OK) (X-Firestrife-OK)
C week 10 (X-TheMarkness-bad) (X-Danny133-bad)
D week 11 (X-danito85-bad) (X-thisisfunah-bad) (X-Jay858-bad) (X-Jay858-bad)
F week 12 (X-mvp2206-bad) (X-KevinM2-bad) (X-HardLuckStories-bad) (X-Hello-bad) (X-aerion-bad) (X-HardLuckStories-bad) (T-aeiron-bad)
G week 13 (X-kiko-OK) (X-roflc0pter-bad)
H week 14
J week 15 (X-ClairebearZac-OK) (X-boraxatude-bad) (T-spiderman0616-OK) (X-Brad02-bad)
K week 16 (X-nickbarbs-OK) (X-sword28-OK) (T-hughmann-bad) (T-jaikob-OK) (X-built-OK) (X-built-OK) (X-hughmannVendor-OK) (X-chinit0-bad) (X-Satdude-bad) (X-jbud72-OK) (X-bcterp-OK) (X-andrew.danney-bad) (X-bpd115-OK)
L week 17 (X-Tobster3-bad) (6-tehstk-bad) (6-gkarris-bad) (X-hoanganh-bad) (X-Grimes-OK)
M week 18 (6-ryxsolo-bad) (X-Jrfowlessc-bad) (6-blarivee-bad) (6-rummelx-bad) (X-iSamurai-bad) (X-HardLuckStories-OK) (X-BearsFan34-OK) (X-vicenturri-bad) (X-pinkmechanic-bad) (6-jrolson-bad) (6-headhoncho123-OK) (6-head_honcho_123-OK) (X-HardLuckStories-bad) (X-boraxatude-OK)
N week 19 (T-hughmann-bad) (X-RossMc-OK) (6-jogales-bad) (6-awjvail-bad) (6-catalyst6-bad) (6-rummelx-bad) (6-Clusty-bad) (X-jason910-OK) (6-doubledown7d-bad) (6-tYNS-bad) (6-Jay858-bad) (6-Grimes-bad) (6-Jay858-bad)
P week 20 (X-alexwai-bad) (X-dquek123-bad) (X-chaicka-OK) (X-ryxsolo-OK) (X-Tobster3-OK) (X-catalyst6-bad) (X-gusnyc-bad) (6-smokingmonkey-bad) (X-corvus32-bad) (X-satdude-OK) (6-catalyst6-OK) (P-bcterp-bad) (6-Extract0r-bad) (6-Extract0r2-bad) (P-blarivee-bad) (6-syclick-bad) (6-Hardway-bad) P-(X-HoriZonUK-bad) (X-teatang-bad) (X-aeiron-bad) (X-TheMarkness-bad) (T-sam1990-OK)
Q week 21 (X-corvus32-bad) (X-GadgedtAddicted-OK) (X-spazer-bad) (6-Extract0r-bad) (6-Extract0r-bad) (L-Jay858-bad) (T-ZoomLens-OK) (X-Jay858-bad) (X-Jay858-bad) (X-xaldafax-OK)
R week 22 (X-Macdude2010-bad) (X-lavrishevo-OK) (X-Jay858-OK)
T week 23
V week 24
W week 25
X week 26
Y week 27
(*) X-user-bad, means 'X' is factory DLX, '6' is factory DL6, 'T' for factory DQT and 'P' for factory DMP, all taken from the first 3 of the serial.
(**) 4th character is half of the year. Will be 'F' for first, 'G' for second half.
(***) 5th character is week of manufacturing from previous table.
ps.- If your serial# starts with DLXFP. You have an iPad2 made at (DLX) factory, is made in the first half of the year (F) and on week 20 (P)
ps2.- post your first 5 characters of your serial and if you have a good backlight or the bleeding problem.
ps3.- any error in the table?, let me know.
Read it as: week-(factory-user-condition).
---
iPad2 BACKLIGHT BLEEDING issue from forum reports:
7 week 07 (seems none manufactured before week 7, well maybe... (X-stevejobs-OK))
8 week 08 (X-xaldafax-OK) (X-SPEEDwithJJ-bad)
9 week 09 (X-jps1012-OK) (X-Firestrife-OK)
C week 10 (X-TheMarkness-bad) (X-Danny133-bad)
D week 11 (X-danito85-bad) (X-thisisfunah-bad) (X-Jay858-bad) (X-Jay858-bad)
F week 12 (X-mvp2206-bad) (X-KevinM2-bad) (X-HardLuckStories-bad) (X-Hello-bad) (X-aerion-bad) (X-HardLuckStories-bad) (T-aeiron-bad)
G week 13 (X-kiko-OK) (X-roflc0pter-bad)
H week 14
J week 15 (X-ClairebearZac-OK) (X-boraxatude-bad) (T-spiderman0616-OK) (X-Brad02-bad)
K week 16 (X-nickbarbs-OK) (X-sword28-OK) (T-hughmann-bad) (T-jaikob-OK) (X-built-OK) (X-built-OK) (X-hughmannVendor-OK) (X-chinit0-bad) (X-Satdude-bad) (X-jbud72-OK) (X-bcterp-OK) (X-andrew.danney-bad) (X-bpd115-OK)
L week 17 (X-Tobster3-bad) (6-tehstk-bad) (6-gkarris-bad) (X-hoanganh-bad) (X-Grimes-OK)
M week 18 (6-ryxsolo-bad) (X-Jrfowlessc-bad) (6-blarivee-bad) (6-rummelx-bad) (X-iSamurai-bad) (X-HardLuckStories-OK) (X-BearsFan34-OK) (X-vicenturri-bad) (X-pinkmechanic-bad) (6-jrolson-bad) (6-headhoncho123-OK) (6-head_honcho_123-OK) (X-HardLuckStories-bad) (X-boraxatude-OK)
N week 19 (T-hughmann-bad) (X-RossMc-OK) (6-jogales-bad) (6-awjvail-bad) (6-catalyst6-bad) (6-rummelx-bad) (6-Clusty-bad) (X-jason910-OK) (6-doubledown7d-bad) (6-tYNS-bad) (6-Jay858-bad) (6-Grimes-bad) (6-Jay858-bad)
P week 20 (X-alexwai-bad) (X-dquek123-bad) (X-chaicka-OK) (X-ryxsolo-OK) (X-Tobster3-OK) (X-catalyst6-bad) (X-gusnyc-bad) (6-smokingmonkey-bad) (X-corvus32-bad) (X-satdude-OK) (6-catalyst6-OK) (P-bcterp-bad) (6-Extract0r-bad) (6-Extract0r2-bad) (P-blarivee-bad) (6-syclick-bad) (6-Hardway-bad) P-(X-HoriZonUK-bad) (X-teatang-bad) (X-aeiron-bad) (X-TheMarkness-bad) (T-sam1990-OK)
Q week 21 (X-corvus32-bad) (X-GadgedtAddicted-OK) (X-spazer-bad) (6-Extract0r-bad) (6-Extract0r-bad) (L-Jay858-bad) (T-ZoomLens-OK) (X-Jay858-bad) (X-Jay858-bad) (X-xaldafax-OK)
R week 22 (X-Macdude2010-bad) (X-lavrishevo-OK) (X-Jay858-OK)
T week 23
V week 24
W week 25
X week 26
Y week 27
(*) X-user-bad, means 'X' is factory DLX, '6' is factory DL6, 'T' for factory DQT and 'P' for factory DMP, all taken from the first 3 of the serial.
(**) 4th character is half of the year. Will be 'F' for first, 'G' for second half.
(***) 5th character is week of manufacturing from previous table.
ps.- If your serial# starts with DLXFP. You have an iPad2 made at (DLX) factory, is made in the first half of the year (F) and on week 20 (P)
ps2.- post your first 5 characters of your serial and if you have a good backlight or the bleeding problem.
ps3.- any error in the table?, let me know.
Last edited:
hey lavrishevo, you came to that conclusion just watching at the table and that's exactly the purpose of it, that you can get that kind of conclusion instead of having a bunch of meaningless posts saying just 'I have bleeding... or I have not'.
Agreed. If my 5 iPad 2 units that I've returned looked like that I would be first in line to see a doctor about my problem.
If you expect LCD technology on any level to be 'perfect', then your expectations are not reasonable. Virtually every LCD panel has some imperfection to it. Manufacturers would be out of business if they only allowed the 'perfect' ones through, as they are few and far between. You regard it as a flaw, but if every LCD device has this 'flaw' to a certain degree, then it is no longer considered a flaw but an inherent characteristic of the panel. You either accept it or go buy something else, but to sit around, exchange a couple hundred times only to be back where you were initially, or worse, it ridiculous.
would you apple defect apologists prefer a rebranding of this issue? Maybe call it White splotches on black backgrounds to make yourselves happier?
Yes. LCD Tech is not perfect and backlight bleed is expected to some degree.
No. The Backlight Bleeding apparent in these units is not normal. It does not exhibit the signs of regular backlight bleeding found in other units, there are inconsistent and irregular and overly pronounced amounts of bleeding, or blotches if you will, with pinched characteristics in many of these units.
If you had a unit in front of you with the issue, and you simply open the photos app which has a black border, you would see terrible white splotches on this black background which is far from regular LCD backlight bleeding spec. It really makes the display look like a cheap defective display.
Yes. LCD Tech is not perfect and backlight bleed is expected to some degree.
No. The Backlight Bleeding apparent in these units is not normal. It does not exhibit the signs of regular backlight bleeding found in other units, there are inconsistent and irregular and overly pronounced amounts of bleeding, or blotches if you will, with pinched characteristics in many of these units.
If you had a unit in front of you with the issue, and you simply open the photos app which has a black border, you would see terrible white splotches on this black background which is far from regular LCD backlight bleeding spec. It really makes the display look like a cheap defective display.
Yeah, I guess so. But it has to be turned all the way up to 100% to see even that much. I don't like it at 100%, so I don't care.
What I DO care about is that I returned my first one for dust under the screen, and the second one (the one in my picture) has some residue from the factory stuck to the under side of the glass. It's on about a dime sized area and you can only see it in direct light when the screen isn't on, but it does bother me.
I have decided not to do another exchange because I got such a good screen on my second one. (To be fair, my first one had almost no bleed as well.)
Check the bleed in the store with this tool
You may want to take a tool with you to be able to check light bleeding in the store right away. I made a little howto video on making a simple paper tool, with which you can do just that even under lighting conditions in the stores. Take a look: http://megmondja.hu/lightbleed
Hope it helps, cheers Fishgen
You may want to take a tool with you to be able to check light bleeding in the store right away. I made a little howto video on making a simple paper tool, with which you can do just that even under lighting conditions in the stores. Take a look: http://megmondja.hu/lightbleed
Hope it helps, cheers Fishgen
I agree--some people on here need to just return their iPads. They have gotten trapped in this vicious cycle and are never going to be happy.
Interesting, I got a bleed / defect free one and I'm very happy with it. 5 returns.
I do as well, but I don't expect the black screen on 100% brightness to have pure uniformity. I don't think any LCD device I've ever owned has that. Some of these people are taking this to unhealthy levels. If you're worrying about your stuff more than using it or more than you're worried about REAL LIFE problems, there is a serious issue. In that case, I would say refund your iPad and move on.
But I know the feeling. We tend to put Apple products on a pedestal of perfection, when in reality, it's just another company that manufactures stuff in China. It looks pretty, but it's going to have its problems. My bleed free iPad 2 has a dead pixel and also has a little residue stuck to the underside of the glass. Neither of them is noticeable when the iPad is in use, and I would rather not trade this unit for one with really bad bleeding that I would notice during normal use.
A guy at work had a defective Ipad 2 for a long time and finally had it returned.
I looked at it and it has a 2 tiny spots on the bottom near home and one on upper part of screen to the right. So I would say almost perfect and good.
It is a White 32G WiFi with serial: DLXFQ
I looked at it and it has a 2 tiny spots on the bottom near home and one on upper part of screen to the right. So I would say almost perfect and good.
It is a White 32G WiFi with serial: DLXFQ
DN6FQ bad bleed, dead pixel, this is my 4th iPad and that's it I'm done.
Its off back for a refund.
Its off back for a refund.
DN6FQ bad bleed, dead pixel, this is my 4th iPad and that's it I'm done.
Its off back for a refund.
I am curious how bad yours is and where ours stands across the same model # although having a hard time understanding the compiled list, were there any of this model that were marked OK?
Lastly how can you check for dead pixels and can you please post a picture?
I know mine has some bleed along the left edge but I'd say it's decent and am thinking of keeping it. I will make a follow up post with some pics for your guys judgement.
Dead pixel you just have to have a good look for them this site is useful:
http://www.theipadguide.com/content/ipad-dead-pixel-test-how/7171269
Save each of the images and view them in the photo app in the dark.
As for the bleed, the iPad only came today and in each corner its noticeable in the dark and in the daylight, even with the brightness slider at the bottom you can still see the yellow in one of the corners and one of the sides. It also has bleed down the side where the home button is and right across one of the other sides.
Cant take a picture of it now its all boxed up and they are collecting it tomm.
Don't care what anyone says for a £600+ gadget this is unacceptable.
Will now leave it a few months or wait for the next one.
Post a picture of it and let us see...
On second thought don't...if you are happy with it...then stay that wayThis is ridiculous. DN6FN just bought at Best Buy. Took it straight from the box, just like the last one. Turned it on in a room with the light off but light still coming through closed blinds. Terrible bleeding. It is going back just like my last three. Note to all who get so furious at the people who want what they pay for...I did NOT adjust the brightness, I did NOT go into a closed off dark room. I want an iPad2 but, as this will serve lots of time as a movie viewer, refuse to accept a streaky bloody screen. All I'm asking for is Apple to deliver to me what they are supposedly selling, or knock off $100 and maybe I'll be willing to accept an inferior product. Oh well, they get another opened box back. Now if they would just pay me back for my wasted gasoline!