New iMac 27" Screen Brightness Too Dim?

[shiaulou]

Hi everybody,
New to the forum, and I have a question for you all.

I just picked up a new 2011 Imac 27" and I noticed that the screen is not very bright when compared to my 2010 Macbook pro 15". I tried calibrating both monitors and there's no doubt that the mbp has the brighter screen. At full brightness for both, it's quite drastic, almost a 30 to 40% difference (gauging by the brightness meter when you press the keyboard buttons). My Vizio 32" lcd tv is also brighter than the Imac.

To those who have experience with the Imac 27 and MBP 15, how do the screen brightnesses compare roughly speaking?

Thanks

 

[Macknife]

It seems fine on my machine. Try unchecking the box that says automatically adjust brightness as ambient light changes. That might help.

Hi everybody,
New to the forum, and I have a question for you all.

I just picked up a new 2011 Imac 27" and I noticed that the screen is not very bright when compared to my 2010 Macbook pro 15". I tried calibrating both monitors and there's no doubt that the mbp has the brighter screen. At full brightness for both, it's quite drastic, almost a 30 to 40% difference (gauging by the brightness meter when you press the keyboard buttons). My Vizio 32" lcd tv is also brighter than the Imac.

To those who have experience with the Imac 27 and MBP 15, how do the screen brightnesses compare roughly speaking?

Thanks

 

[shiaulou]

my imac doesnt even have that option, but my mbp does. doesnt really help though since im setting both to max brightness right now when im doing the comparison. both running 10.6.8.

 

[basher]

My iMac is so bright I can get a tan from it.

 

[Texran]

My iMac is so bright I can get a tan from it.

Same here, I have mine turned down to like 30 % of bar

 

[Belmana]

my imac doesnt even have that option, but my mbp does.

My iMac does have the option to automatically adjust brightness. It can be found in system preferences/display.
Even with this option ticked on my iMac if I set it to maximum brightness it is way too bright. I usually have the brightness set to around 50% and it is still very bright.

 

[shiaulou]

bummer, just put it side-by-side with my friends 2010 imac 27" and its not even in the same ballpark. mine is way dimmer at max brightness. guess ill have to return this to amazon... my imac at 100% brightness is comparable to his at 40% brightness.... bad backlight maybe?

 

[leman]

If you believe that your iMac is too dim, than its probably really defective. I can describe my iMac with many different words, but "dim" isn't there. Actually, when turning the screen to 100% I have the feeling it could burn my eyes out.

 

[iMacJunkie]

If you believe that your iMac is too dim, than its probably really defective. I can describe my iMac with many different words, but "dim" isn't there. Actually, when turning the screen to 100% I have the feeling it could burn my eyes out.

I agree. Even at 50% I feel like I can get a tan from the brightness of this thing. Incredible.

 

[iSayuSay]

So bright it could tan your skin .. nicely put .. and so true too here



Maybe OP should recheck his iMac and compare it with another unit. Maybe it's faulty or something. No way MBP has more brightness than huge gigantic iMac. You have to put more LED in there to lit iMac screen compared to MBP's screen.

Any particular reason you want to use Mac display on its full brightness?

 

[jaikob]

As other have been saying, "Dim" is not the word I would use to describe the display at 100% brightness.

 

[shiaulou]

It's not that I want to use my Imac at 100% brightness to burn my eyes out, it's that in its current state it cant even get to that brightness level. so it must be faulty because my macbook pro can even get to brighter levels.

i dont want to keep a brand new $1600 computer that has a faulty backlight...

 

[basher]

It's not that I want to use my Imac at 100% brightness to burn my eyes out, it's that in its current state it cant even get to that brightness level. so it must be faulty because my macbook pro can even get to brighter levels.

i dont want to keep a brand new $1600 computer that has a faulty backlight...

Let us know how it goes after you return the defective unit and get a replacement.

 

[TimeBandit]

Gamma

Be sure when in calibration to try the Gamma 1.8 setting. So System Prefs -> Color -> Calibrate to try the Gamma setting. Then back to System Prefs -> Display to try brightness slider at bottom.

 

[WardC]

My 27" iMac is soooo dang bright I have to turn it down a couple of notches, and my MacBook Pro is bright too.

The dimmer screens were those older MacBook Pros and PowerBooks with CCFL lit panels. The new iMacs are especially bright in my opinion. However, I use in a room with all the windows closed, with no outside light (also due to glare), and it is very bright. If I used it near a bright lit window it might be a different story, I am not sure.

 

[derbothaus]

Be sure when in calibration to try the Gamma 1.8 setting. So System Prefs -> Color -> Calibrate to try the Gamma setting. Then back to System Prefs -> Display to try brightness slider at bottom.

Why? All the elements are now created to be viewed in 2.2. 1.8 is a contrast washout. Has nothing to do with backlight power.
If anyone needs a 20"+ screen to be brighter than 250cd/m2 maybe they need a doctor visit. The macbook are brighter on average because they are mad e for multi environment and travel. Full brightness looks terrible, couple notches down should suffice.

 

[ocan71]

Universal Access

Also try to put the display in to normal on prefference-universal access-seeing (on left top)-display, then calibrate your monitor.

 

[BSoares]

My iMac is pretty damn bright too, I have it at the lowest possible and it's still too bright when the room doesn't have a light on or the blinds open.

 

[alove811]

OMG I thought I was the only person who thought their iMac was too dim... I have literary have messed with every setting known to mankind. I have even tried to re-calibrate the colors. I have even look for apps that would make my screen brighter and paid for them without any luck. I so happy I came across this forum! Thanks everyone now I know its not me going mad

 

[alove811]

Hi everybody,
New to the forum, and I have a question for you all.

I just picked up a new 2011 Imac 27" and I noticed that the screen is not very bright when compared to my 2010 Macbook pro 15". I tried calibrating both monitors and there's no doubt that the mbp has the brighter screen. At full brightness for both, it's quite drastic, almost a 30 to 40% difference (gauging by the brightness meter when you press the keyboard buttons). My Vizio 32" lcd tv is also brighter than the Imac.

To those who have experience with the Imac 27 and MBP 15, how do the screen brightnesses compare roughly speaking?

Thanks

Were you able to return your computer without any issues?