Does the 13" macbook pro use White or RGB LED's?

[student_trap]

Hello all,

have been really hunting to find the answer, but have come up with nothing. Does anyone know what apple are using in there current range of 13" macbook pro screens?

Student_trap

 

[harperjones99]

Unless I am confused the only LED is the backlighting and it's white.

 

[student_trap]

Unless I am confused the only LED is the backlighting and it's white.

yeah I am talking about the backlighting, but wonder whether it uses blue LED's with a chemical coating to give the impresion of white, or red, blue and green leds combined to give off white light.

I have been googling this and can't find anything relating to the macbook pros, but there are apparently a few windows laptops that are using this tech now.

anyone?

 

[7even]

Pretty sure they're not RGB LEDs because those normally exist as options on larger screens on higher-end machines.

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

yeah I am talking about the backlighting, but wonder whether it uses blue LED's with a chemical coating to give the impresion of white, or red, blue and green leds combined to give off white light.

I have been googling this and can't find anything relating to the macbook pros, but there are apparently a few windows laptops that are using this tech now.

anyone?

Neither. White LEDs, not blue, not RGB. As far as I know, blue LED + chemical coating is nonexistent, Mac, PC or otherwise. I do remember some of the Dell XPS laptops using RGB LED backlighting. As of now, Dell's 13" XPS offers only WLED backlight (white LED) while the 16" XPS offers a BTO of RGBLED backlighting. Dell claims RGBLED backlighting is very close to 100% color gamut but I think this is blatantly false. Isn't a display's color accuracy affected by the LCD panel? Not the backlighting? Or LCD has more affect than backlighting?

 

[student_trap]

Neither. White LEDs, not blue, not RGB. As far as I know, blue LED + chemical coating is nonexistent, Mac, PC or otherwise. I do remember some of the Dell XPS laptops using RGB LED backlight claiming better color accuracy, but color accuracy is in the panel itself, not the backlight.

thanks for the replies.

My understanding of this technology started with this wiki article (quoted bolow), which clearly states that white leds are actually blue.

I have been intrigued as I wondered whether the 60% greater colour gamut quoted by apple regarded a change from blue/white LED's to a RGB set up?

Finally, it is important to me as I have just returned a unibody (white) macbook as I could not get on with the screen, and one of the issues was that it just looked too blue. When comparing the laptop in the shops to the 13" mbp, I noticed that the white level on the mbps seemed a lot easier on the eyes. I wondered whether the backlight was partially responsible.

LED backlighting in color screens comes in two flavors: white LED backlights and RGB LED backlights[1]. White LEDs are used most often in notebooks and desktop screens, and in virtually all mobile LCD screens. A white LED is actually a blue LED with yellow phosphor to give the impression of white light. The spectral curve has big gaps in the green and red parts. RGB LEDs consist of a red, a blue, and a green LED and can be controlled to produce different temperatures of white. RGB LEDs for backlighting are found in high end color proofing displays such as HP DreamColor LP2480zx monitor or selected HP 8730w notebooks, as well as newer consumer grade displays such as Dell's Studio series laptops which have an optional RGB LED display. The LED Apple Cinema Display for example uses white LEDs.

Isn't a display's color accuracy affected by the LCD panel? Not the backlighting? Or LCD has more affect than backlighting?

I think that the answer is both, my macbook always had a bluish white even after calibration

 

[kasakka]

Finally, it is important to me as I have just returned a unibody (white) macbook as I could not get on with the screen, and one of the issues was that it just looked too blue. When comparing the laptop in the shops to the 13" mbp, I noticed that the white level on the mbps seemed a lot easier on the eyes. I wondered whether the backlight was partially responsible.

May be simply a panel specific thing. Most LCD displays sold are not calibrated anywhere near color accuracy from the factory. Even the presets tend to have a tint one way or the other so custom RGB settings are a must.

 

[dusk007]

They are not even not perfectly calibrated, usually the standard produces wrong, much too bright, colors on purpose so they look better in retail stores. Switched to sRGB they are often closer to what it should be.

There are only 2 or 3 Notebooks out there with RGB LEDs an none of them is from Apple. Apple has only WLEDs.
But they only thing RGBs offer is a wider color range.
If your problem is too much blue that is only because it is poorly calibrated. You can change that by software.
That is no reason to return a notebook. If you told the staff, they should have told you that.

PS: My 19" LCD was also much too blue, although I didn't have equipment for accurate calibration I just changed it to a way warmer picture which is a lot better for my eyes, although I am pretty sure it is too red for accurate colors now. But I like it this way.

 

[nullx86]

LED backlighting is white. End of story.

 

[student_trap]

If your problem is too much blue that is only because it is poorly calibrated. You can change that by software.
That is no reason to return a notebook. If you told the staff, they should have told you that.

software calibration will always be limited by the panel and backlight, and in my case, there was a definite blue hue from the backlight itself (I calibrated the screen to various different settings to no avail).

I think the point for me is that if you look at the light from an LED torch for example, the light emitted has a blueish quality. This can be seen on video from camcorders that have an led back-up light, or indeed on images taken with camera phones that use LED flashes.

This blue tint was unavoidable on the macbook I returned, but was not present in numerous mbp's that I have looked at in various stores. This, coupled with the 60% greater colour gamut that apple is quoting, makes we wonder whether the mbp's use RGB LED's rather than WLED's.

Can anyone offer any definite info?

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

software calibration will always be limited by the panel and backlight, and in my case, there was a definite blue hue from the backlight itself (I calibrated the screen to various different settings to no avail).

I think the point for me is that if you look at the light from an LED torch for example, the light emitted has a blueish quality. This can be seen on video from camcorders that have an led back-up light, or indeed on images taken with camera phones that use LED flashes.

This blue tint was unavoidable on the macbook I returned, but was not present in numerous mbp's that I have looked at in various stores. This, coupled with the 60% greater colour gamut that apple is quoting, makes we wonder whether the mbp's use RGB LED's rather than WLED's.

Can anyone offer any definite info?

An LED torch uses white LEDs. How do I know this? Because I built one and the color it emits is the same as the one I bought for reference. And the LED package was clearing labeled "white LED".

Stuff in bold is wrong. Apple used better LCD panels not backlighting. While backlighting has some effect on color gamut, the LCD panel makes a much bigger difference. Maybe you just got a lemon MacBook, because the ones my Dad bought for his company (about 5 of them) have perfect displays. Although not as good as the MBP, it's not emitting a blue hue.

Another tip, I find that the default Apple "Color LCD" display profile gives the best results. I haven't messed around with any calibrators but that's what I'm experiencing. Finally, why would anyone use blue LEDs for backlighting? It ruins the color accuracy of the panel above it, no matter how good the panel may be. Remember Wikipedia can be edited by anyone, never trust any technical information from them.

 

[harperjones99]

Sometimes I get the idea my MBP is bluish but really it's just that most other light I am around and have used is more yellow. I tried making a custom profile etc and all I ever did was muck it up. The default profile always have the best look in my eyes.

It is definitely "different" looking compared to non LED and older displays but I can't decide if it's better or worse. I do notice that when I look at an older laptop now it just looks washed out and less "nice" however I never had complaints about my old display when using it. I have decided the double glass glossy is not my bag (though at first I liked it) and I am on the fence about LEDs if the flickering/voltage/frequency thing is an innate issue. I would have been fine with the display from my 7-8yo laptop being on this computer...it was great.

 

[Azathoth]

LED backlighting is white. End of story.

Ignorance must be bliss, right?

Look up CRI...


The OP raises an interesting question. Not sure, probably manufacturer dependent. I wouldn't worry about the exact technology being used: most of the MBP screens are pretty good (for TN technology).