Monitor flickering advice

[michail]

I am considering upgrading to MacBook Pro from my current white MacBook, as I really like the new unibody design and I do need a firewire for my video cam. I really like the new pros but my only hesitation is the LCD screen flickering. I went to two local macstores and I loaded the following web side http://www.csse.uwa.edu.au/~lucas/background.html . All MacBook Pros monitors where flickering like hell (some more and some less). I tried the same on the new MacBook and on the MacBook Pro with the 17 inch screen and no flickering at all. I also do not get the flickering on my current White MacBook. I also read some topics on the forum here regarding that and some people say that is only some monitors that do that (The 9c84 the 9c85 are not doing the flickering).
I really want a Pro because of the extra resolution and because of the firewire port but I scared of having that flickering. What I would like to know from the current unibody users is if indeed all monitor flicker like that or if only a few have that defect.
Thank a lot and sorry for the long post

 

[Aea]

It's in your head, well, sort of. It's a moire pattern, it'll flick on any monitor and if you print it out it will still flicker (although it won't be as noticeable).

It flickers on both my MBP display and my two ACDs, read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moiré_pattern

 

[fteoath64]

Hmmm,

I immediately tried the link on my UniBody MBP 2.4. The native screen has mild flickering, but the connected external AOC 22inch screen was flickering like crazy! It was running 1680X1050 in 60Hz. Funny thing is for normal web pages an images, my eyes cannot see the flickering.

My MBA Gen1 has very mild flickering on its native LCD, I got to be almost 3 inches from the LCD to really see it. Again under normal usage, I don't get eyestrain, like on CRT's that had interlaced mode. I would not worry about it.

 

[Warranty Voider]

I got the uni-body MBP on October 16th. I didn't experience any flickering at all, however I exchanged it for another one because of another problem. The second one didn't have any flickering at all either, but I had to exchange it for the same exact problem as before. The third one didn't have any flickering, and I haven't had to return it, but I think that screen flickering will be the least of you worries. However, it is highly unlikely that you will have any problem with your new MBP. Most people only come to macrumors to complain. Nobody ever comes to macrumors because they haven't had a problem.

 

[InLikeALion]

I got the uni-body MBP on October 16th. I didn't experience any flickering at all, however I exchanged it for another one because of another problem. The second one didn't have any flickering at all either, but I had to exchange it for the same exact problem as before. The third one didn't have any flickering, and I haven't had to return it, but I think that screen flickering will be the least of you worries.

So, I built a third one. That burned down, fell over, then sank into the swamp, but the fourth one... stayed up! And that's what you're gonna get, lad: the strongest castle in these islands.

 

[michail]

Thanks a lot for the replies so far

The flickering has nothing do with the moire pattern. I was reading on the web and I found out that a strong flicker indicates that the voltages in the monitor are misadjusted. For further tests and information read at the link below.

http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/inversion.php

 

[Timur]

The 9C84 one on my MBP does not show any background light flickering (I've seen that on another LCD with very low brightness settings once).

But it flicker mildy with pattern 2 of that inversion test and medium to heavily with pattern 4. It doesn't show up noticeable with day to day work though.

There is also a light FRC (dithering) flickering with certain color gradations, but you have to watch closely and know what to look for to notice them.