Returned a Macbook Pro 16" - Light Bleeding

[ruslan120]

I apologize in advance for the lack of pictures. That was an oversight.

I wanted to share an anecdotal experience - I decided to buy a 16" Macbook Pro using the Best Buy membership discount and noticed that along the entire top edge of the screen there was light bleeding. It was visible when navigating to a dark image and a bit noticeable on light images.

It was disappointing to say the least...

Has anybody had similar experiences? Did you tolerate it as a minor imperfection?
(Asking because the staff at Best Buy looked almost surprised that I'd return a laptop due to this. I knew it would bother me given how much it costs.)

Example:

It was like this but much less prevalent, just a thin bar across the top of the screen. The bottom portion of the example is what the top of the 16" screen looked like.

 

[PROFESS0R]

Please explain exactly what you did to take the picture above. My assumption is that you downloaded or created a black image, viewed it full screen, and turned the screen brightness all the way up.

It is impossible to try and reproduce your findings without more details.

Joe

 

[_Kiki_]

looks bad, I don't think it should acceptable with expensive device like MBP 16, you should ask for replacement

 

[ruslan120]

I pulled an image of a different screen to illustrate. It was much less prevalent than in the example.
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Please explain exactly what you did to take the picture above. My assumption is that you downloaded or created a black image, viewed it full screen, and turned the screen brightness all the way up.

It is impossible to try and reproduce your findings without more details.

Joe

I didn't take this one, but I that's exactly what I did to confirm the issue. At first I noticed a lighter, yellowish, off-color bar at the top of the screen during setup (the gray looked off), and then to confirm I zoomed in on a black background and set brightness to max.

To full-screen a black image I enabled Zoom using modifier keys (Ctrl + Scroll) in Accessibility and zoomed in on an image off Google.

 

[filmbuff]

Please explain exactly what you did to take the picture above. My assumption is that you downloaded or created a black image, viewed it full screen, and turned the screen brightness all the way up.

It is impossible to try and reproduce your findings without more details.

Joe

He says right in his post he didn't take any pictures. The picture in the post is just something he grabbed off the internet.

 

[junkw]

So it was more like this one? :

 

[PROFESS0R]

Good point. The next issue is whether or not he had the brightness turned all the way up.

He says right in his post he didn't take any pictures. The picture in the post is just something he grabbed off the internet.

 

[matram]

Here is a picture of my 16”. This is the extreme case, maximum brightness, black background, dark room.

Until we get OLED or some other technology, I wonder if it possible to do much better.

 

[ruslan120]

Here is a picture of my 16”. This is the extreme case, maximum brightness, black background, dark room.

Until we get OLED or some other technology, I wonder if it possible to do much better.

It looked almost exactly like this, perhaps a tad more pronounced. It was visible to my eye even without extreme conditions (extreme conditions just help capturing it IMO).

 

[matram]

With an IPS panel I think this is at good as it gets.

With 50% brightness and dim light in the room, the screen is pereceived as uniformely black. Even at 100% brightness the screen is uniform with no leakage at the edges.

With maximum backlight, it is unrealistic to assume that the LCD will be able to block all backlight for perfect blackness under extreme conditions.

if that is your requirement, you should look for a computer with an OLED screen.

 

[Donnation]

I think you took back a MacBook Pro that had nothing wrong with it if your screen looked like the last one above.

 

[torana355]

Backlight bleed is just an inherent issue with lcd panels. Micro led and oled are the future.

 

[Lobwedgephil]

It looked almost exactly like this, perhaps a tad more pronounced. It was visible to my eye even without extreme conditions (extreme conditions just help capturing it IMO).

That is normal, but I am glad you returned it if it didn't work fo you. Expensive computer to not be happy.

 

[Nacho98]

I think you took back a MacBook Pro that had nothing wrong with it if your screen looked like the last one above.

Agreed, if it had a screen like that one in post #8 AND the rest of the computer had no QC issues, OP just returned basically a perfect one. IPS panels don't get much better than that, there's barely even any IPS glow on it.

My 2010 MBP was better than anything on earth in terms of backlighting, but I think that was a TN panel?

 

[jerryk]

Agreed, if it had a screen like that one in post #8 AND the rest of the computer had no QC issues, OP just returned basically a perfect one. IPS panels don't get much better than that, there's barely even any IPS glow on it.

My 2010 MBP was better than anything on earth in terms of backlighting, but I think that was a TN panel?

The brightness on those screens was so low you could not see them very well. I still have one and think I am going blind or in a tunnel every time I look at the screen.

 

[ruslan120]

I appreciate the information and the input - good to know for future reference and to manage my own expectations.

Thanks everyone!

In conclusion: I am willing to admit that I returned the Macbook Pro over this (given how much it costs + my iMac doesn’t exhibit this even on maximum brightness). However, for future purchases, I will manage my expectations better.

 

[esaelias187]

Please explain exactly what you did to take the picture above. My assumption is that you downloaded or created a black image, viewed it full screen, and turned the screen brightness all the way up.

It is impossible to try and reproduce your findings without more details.

Joe

well yes that is maybe what he did and he should have if your paying such a premium price everything should be perfect. When you buy a fast car you will speed to see if it matches its description, same with a MacBook, you spend money it needs to be perfect.
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I have backlight bleed on my MacBook in the right hand corner, I did get a black screen and turn the brightness all the way up. yesterday I went to the store and returned it, the new one is literally perfect no bleed what so ever, so I would promote anyone having this issue to go and return

 

[filmbuff]

well yes that is maybe what he did and he should have if your paying such a premium price everything should be perfect. When you buy a fast car you will speed to see if it matches its description, same with a MacBook, you spend money it needs to be perfect.
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I have backlight bleed on my MacBook in the right hand corner, I did get a black screen and turn the brightness all the way up. yesterday I went to the store and returned it, the new one is literally perfect no bleed what so ever, so I would promote anyone having this issue to go and return

It’s more like buying a fast car, driving over a pothole on purpose, then returning the car because it has a “bumpy ride”.

 

[esaelias187]

It’s more like buying a fast car, driving over a pothole on purpose, then returning the car because it has a “bumpy ride”.

Incorrect because your logic we are opening the MacBook hitting it and cuasing the backlight bleed.

My logic is correct buying a car which states it goes from 0-60 in 4 seconds and when you test it it is only 7 seconds which we return

e.g MacBook no one uses full brightness but we test out at full brightness because it has to be perfect.

 

[robgendreau]

Tough decision: 1) return the laptop with an IPS display because of perhaps a bleed or unevenness (since it is not going to get completely black. Or 2) return the laptop with an OLED display because about the same amount of screen has a burn-in due to say a persistent menu bar (or the Dock, if they come to MBPs).

But I don't think burn-in is covered by warranty:

Burn-in is (usually) not covered under warranty ​

In their warranties, LG and Sony explicitly state that image retention and burn-in are not covered on their OLED TVs. When CNET reached out to LG to ask why, a representative replied:​

"There is generally no warranty coverage for image retention by TV companies and display manufacturers. Image retention may result when consumers are out of normal viewing conditions, and most manufacturers do not support warranty for such usage regardless of the type of display," said Tim Alessi, director of new products at LG.​

Sony's reply was similar: "Our warranty covers product and manufacturing defects. Burn-in is not covered as it is caused by consumer usage and is not a product defect."​

The iPhone X's warranty, and by extension AppleCare, does not apply to "normal wear and tear," and Apple's support page above makes clear that it considers burn-in "expected." Even the Pixel 2 XL phone's warranty, now extended an extra year, may not cover burn-in. In CNET's in-depth report, Google said the warranty issues would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis -- which is basically a "maybe."​

​

Per https://www.cnet.com/news/oled-screen-burn-in-what-you-need-to-know/