Resolved Retina iMac Image Retention

[dyn]

Then you clearly missed out all the drama concerning image retention with the very first Mac that came with a retina display. That was back in 2012, iMacs only get a retina display in q4of 2014 about 2,5 years later 😉 There are even people complaining about this very same issue on their iPhones.

Clearly this is not an iMac issue, it's a very generic one. The difference is in workloads and how good you are at spotting them. It happens in companies a lot where a lot of people are only working in 1 application and on displays used for presentations. Quality differences in TFT panels (even within batches) are a reason why one panel is more prone to this than the another even within the same batch. In some cases you can even clearly tell if the company has a "always lock your computer" policy by looking at the display. Usually the lock screen is burned into the panel. Rather funny to see 😀

 

[flyinmac]

Do a Google search my friend. Even people with the new 5k models are reporting the issue. So I would say it is all iMacs.

I would say this is likely an issue with the iMac design. I had this problem on 4 separate iMac G5 screens. On those, it was so bad it actually looked like someone had traced everything on the screen with a razor blade.

I got them replaced by Apple. But the replacements had the same problem. Image retention on those units occurred within 5 minutes of use if I had the computer process audio files. Like editing an an hours worth of music and applying filters and refining the production quality.

It was very severe. And turned me away from using iMacs. It's a problem with putting the screens into a tight enclosure that generates a lot of heat. The heat essentially cooks the image into the screen.

Mine were affected so bad that you could leave the computer off for a week and the image would still be there. You could even see it with the computer off.

After that, I never got another Mac with a built in screen. My laptops are pc's. Desktops all have separate LCD screens. And, I've never seen a LCD screen show this issue, except for the ones integrated into the iMacs I had.

That doesn't mean it never happens on other screens. But my experience is that this problem has been around since the first iMac G5.

I even tried the last iMac G5 version, and it had it too.

I really believe it is a factor of hot computer internals cooking the image into the screen. Something the design of the iMac really contributes to.

 

[dyn]

It's not heat, it's TFT tech. The problem arises because pixels don't change and they get stuck in that position.
Every panel has it no matter how hot or cold the machine will become. Modern LCD TV's are even worse than computer displays. Displays can generate loads of heat on their own. It's one of the reasons I switched to an iMac: to reduce the heat and overall power usage.

There are options to prevent burn-in and there are some things you can do to resolve it if you notice the problem in the early stages. Using a separate display or buying a new one are not one of them though. TFT displays need to be treated the same way as CRT displays.

 

[kepler20b]

I cannot simply imagine using my imac at 100% brightness. And I have mine next to a window too.

100% brightness hurts my eyes and truthfully anything over 70% is actually very painful and distracting.

 

[Lava Lamp Freak]

It's not heat, it's TFT tech. The problem arises because pixels don't change and they get stuck in that position.
Every panel has it no matter how hot or cold the machine will become. Modern LCD TV's are even worse than computer displays. Displays can generate loads of heat on their own. It's one of the reasons I switched to an iMac: to reduce the heat and overall power usage.

There are options to prevent burn-in and there are some things you can do to resolve it if you notice the problem in the early stages. Using a separate display or buying a new one are not one of them though. TFT displays need to be treated the same way as CRT displays.

Every panel does not have it. Not every iMac has it. My Dell U2515H does not have image retention and neither did my U2414H. It doesn't matter how long I leave something on this screen, it won't retain the image.

I don't know what it is that causes some displays to exhibit that behavior and others to not, but it certainly doesn't happen with every panel or every iMac.

 

[dyn]

Define "long" 😉

They all do it. The only thing that is different is how long it takes. On some it's just 10 minutes, on others a couple of hours and so on. If you have a crappy display it will be the former, if you have a good one it takes really long, so long that you don't run into it. This changes over the course of time as the display ages. That's why some of us notice it and some don't.

 

[ZipZap]

Every panel does not have it. Not every iMac has it. My Dell U2515H does not have image retention and neither did my U2414H. It doesn't matter how long I leave something on this screen, it won't retain the image.

I don't know what it is that causes some displays to exhibit that behavior and others to not, but it certainly doesn't happen with every panel or every iMac.

Exactly. My monitors are 8 to 10 years old and NO retention.

 

[Lava Lamp Freak]

Define "long" 😉

They all do it. The only thing that is different is how long it takes. On some it's just 10 minutes, on others a couple of hours and so on. If you have a crappy display it will be the former, if you have a good one it takes really long, so long that you don't run into it. This changes over the course of time as the display ages. That's why some of us notice it and some don't.

But therein lies the problem. Some panels don't seem to have image retention during normal or even heavy use but others retain images very quickly, but Apple won't admit that there is an issue.

On the several iMacs I exchanged in 2012, as soon as I would close a browser window I could see the outline of where the window was when I closed it, and the dock was so well retained that I could see the icons when watching videos or using iPhoto or iMovie. On my current display I can leave a browser window open all day long in the same place -- and I do that all of the time -- and I see no retention at the end of the day.

 

[redheeler]

Update on Original Post

It seems to be getting worse. This is what I now see the the upper-right corner entering Mission Control after sitting on a page for a little while on low brightness. I will definitely be getting the display replaced sometime this month.

 

[redheeler]

Exactly. My monitors are 8 to 10 years old and NO retention.

I have several older displays with no visible image retention as well, but one 17" LCD Studio Display that does have it.

 

[dyn]

But therein lies the problem. Some panels don't seem to have image retention during normal or even heavy use but others retain images very quickly, but Apple won't admit that there is an issue.

Exactly but Apple doesn't admit it because it is not that widespread and common for the technology. What they do is look at it 1 to 1. Doesn't really matter how Apple does it as long as things are fixed for the person perceiving the problem. Since it is a hardware issue the only thing you can do is go back to Apple and get them to fix it.

On my current display I can leave a browser window open all day long in the same place -- and I do that all of the time -- and I see no retention at the end of the day.

Same here with my iMac and several other displays just like I've seen other displays have burn-in. It just depends. Consistent quality when producing TFT displays still doesn't exist although quality has increased a lot over the years. The same goes for things like stuck pixels: some panels have them, others don't, sometimes it takes a long time, some times only a few days.

 

[macmee]

- This doesn't happen until the computer has had a chance to warm up.
- The after-images are most visible on a dark gray background, and are invisible against a very bright or completely black background.
- When the problem first starts to kick in as the system warms up, blue after-images show up first, followed by green.
- Certain white or yellow colors result in green after-images.
- Certain blue, magenta, or white colors result in blue after-images.
- Green after-images are far more common than blue after-images.
- Green after-images are much more noticeable/distracting/annoying.
- After system is warm, it takes about two minutes for an after-image to become noticeable, and it becomes strongest after about 5 minutes.
- It takes about 20-30 minutes for a strong after-image to fade away after switching to a dark gray background.
- Rebooting doesn't clear an after-image.

holy s#*% this perfectly describes the issue I have been having with several different panels in my retina imac

omg I am the now the proud owner of a $4,000 paperweight made in china

 

[macmee]

The third display in a row also is beginning to show signs of retention after just 1 day of mild use

I am pretty much ready to confirm now that image retention exists in every single iMac

 

[Taz Mangus]

The third display in a row also is beginning to show signs of retention after just 1 day of mild use

I am pretty much ready to confirm now that image retention exists in every single iMac

I have used my 2015 27" iMac for several weeks now. I don't see any retention issues. So it could be the case that not all iMacs have the retention issue.

Curious, this thread is marked resolved but I don't see a post indicating what the resolution was such as the OP got a replacement panel that now does not have the retention issues.

 

[IngerMan]

I have used my 2015 27" iMac for several weeks now. I don't see any retention issues. So it could be the case that not all iMacs have the retention issue.

Just curious Taz did you get the i5 or i7? Comments about heat related retention and maybe the i7 is more acceptable to this problem vs the i5 because of heat. I am not sure if anyone has put together a chart on heat difference between the 2.

 

[Taz Mangus]

Just curious Taz did you get the i5 or i7? Comments about heat related retention and maybe the i7 is more acceptable to this problem vs the i5 because of heat. I am not sure if anyone has put together a chart on heat difference between the 2.

Mine is a i5. The m295 GPU does run hotter from what I have read, the m395 (maybe even the m390) does not.

 

[macmee]

Mine is a i5. The m295 GPU does run hotter from what I have read, the m395 (maybe even the m390) does not.

The 2015s also have retention, several users here have reported it.

Not sure if your machine will reach internal core temps high enough with the i5 to damage your screen

I can consistently produce image retention on any imac but to be fair as I pointed out earlier I'm only testing on imacs with i7's so I cant comment on machines with weaker / cooler CPUs