Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.


I've got a new 13" MBA with a LG panel and I criticize the weak contrast (perhaps the colors are to bright; the colors don't look as strong as on my old MBP or my current iPhone 4; it could be described as a "washed out contrast") and the bad viewing angles (colors become yellowish).

In case of your side-by-side picture of a Lion I can't decide wether it's Samsung or LG. The left one seems to be more low-contrast (could be my LG panel), but the right one looks unnaturally yellowish (which could be my LG panel, too).

In case of your third post with the 3 pictures, I would definitely say that the right MBA has got a LG panel, because it's more yellowish from the side on the first picture than the left MBA is on the second picture. Plus, the right MBA on the third picture has got more yellowish colors, too.

Can you please solve the puzzle? :)
 
I think there is no question at all that the display on the right side is better with more contrast, color saturation, and viewing angle independence, than the one on the left.

I look forward to hearing your resolution!
 
I've got a new 13" MBA with a LG panel and I criticize the weak contrast (perhaps the colors are to bright; the colors don't look as strong as on my old MBP or my current iPhone 4; it could be described as a "washed out contrast") and the bad viewing angles (colors become yellowish).

In case of your side-by-side picture of a Lion I can't decide wether it's Samsung or LG. The left one seems to be more low-contrast (could be my LG panel), but the right one looks unnaturally yellowish (which could be my LG panel, too).

In case of your third post with the 3 pictures, I would definitely say that the right MBA has got a LG panel, because it's more yellowish from the side on the first picture than the left MBA is on the second picture. Plus, the right MBA on the third picture has got more yellowish colors, too.

Can you please solve the puzzle? :)
Assuming the rumors are true and the LG is more yellowish. But as far as I know nothing has been proved yet.

OP please tell us which display is which.
 
Three more images from different angles:

From the left.

From the right.

From the front but a little bit lower.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming...

The third picture helps put into perspective that the screen doesn't matter too much. These aren't made for detailed photo editing (that's what external screens are for), but both are adequate. I'll say that the LG is on the left and the Samsung is on the right, though.

Anyway, did you calibrate the screens or are they fresh out of box? If you have a Spyder3 or something similar, perhaps run it on both and then re-do the side-by-side.

Also, do you have the Core i5 or the Core i7 (or one of each)?
 
Anyway, did you calibrate the screens or are they fresh out of box? If you have a Spyder3 or something similar, perhaps run it on both and then re-do the side-by-side.

Also, do you have the Core i5 or the Core i7 (or one of each)?

No, no calibration. Straight out of the box, max brightness, plugged into AC power.

Both Core i7s.
 
Please, please don't tell.

Or lie to them first and say the Samsung is the LG and the LG is the Samsung, and then after some people start saying the Samsung does look better then you can tell them that was actually the LG. :D
 
op awesome job, excellent post and certainly puts this screen debate to bed.

This is a fair test and the differences are indistinguishable. I'm not going to guess which is which because its pointless i think i can see some minor differences but i could be over trying to find something different and imagining it.

Either way thanks for posting.

Working with high res photos i did have an initial problem with calibration on mine when i first booted up, the casting was a bit yellow and the contrast was slightly lacking but since calibrating i've got it nail on now and the photos look superb on this panel, excellent colour replication and lovely dynamic range and contrast. Better than many panels i've used in the past.


//my only concern is the ssd. I know the samsung benches faster but i would love for someone to review fairly a real world test. Like perhaps doing 3 times boot ups using a phone stop watch. Or perhaps zipping a files that total more than 2 gig on each machine, again timing it. Perhaps that is a fair test.
 
OP, thank you so much. I have the Toshiba SSD. While I absolutely love my new macbook air, there was a little feeling of annoyance about that. Thank you for reassuring me it doesn't make a difference!

Don't care about the screen. Mine is beautiful... having made the mistake in checking my ssd, I'm not going to check the screen. Ignorance is bliss? =)
 
Thanks so much for putting my mind to rest! If I wasn't such a cheap ass and had money in Paypal I would ask you for your paypal ;) But I am a cheap ass and I don't have money in Paypal :p
 
Thanks so much for putting my mind to rest!

Definitely not mine :(
If anything it just showed me that one of the 2 looks better...

EDIT after face palm: well yeah, "better" may not be the proper term, but don't you think your post made obvious that they're different?
 
Last edited:
Definitely not mine :(
If anything it just showed me that one of the 2 looks better...

facepalm.jpg
 
Last edited:
I can tell you right now THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE. None that a mere mortal can detect.
As long as mortals have an imagination, we can detect them.

I have the Toshiba drive and it really bummed me out. But when I do heavy Aperture work the drive is zippier than anything ive ever used. But that doesnt stop my brain from going "Yeah, but what if I had the Samsung..." :p
 
Is there a difference in battery life between the two MBAs? I wonder if one panel is more energy efficient...
 
good post.

in the straight on side by sides, the one on the right (EDIT!) seems a little brighter. in the best buy pic, the one on the right seems noticeably brighter and more uniform. the lion nose on the right is a bit more detailed, with slightly darker darks. (but the right nose is closer to the middle of the picture, so could be the camera?)

in the angle shots, the one on the right shifts hue more between shots, the one on the right getting very yellow when viewed from far left.

in the worm's eye view pic, the noses look different, with a bit more dark on the right.

of course, this is so dependent on angle, lighting, camera, settings, blah.

assuming they didn't change position, I would guess the Samsung is on the right, with slightly darker darks, more detail, more uniform backlighting, though weird colors happen from the sides.

anyways, very slight differences, but also hard to call from photos.

great post though, again. thanks!
 
Last edited:
Regardless of what one looks better. Put your detective cap on:roll eyes:

You said you returned your MBA and got the new Samsung. It is the one on the right, the one not fully charged. You are walking around with your computer, not your wife's. So your battery is being drained, your wife can not stand the excitement you are getting off this forum. She has not touched her computer in a few days. lol....:D
 
Maybe the image on the left looks better if you have a Samsung and the image on the right looks better if you have an LG Philips screen. :rolleyes:
 
I remember this well (I was being very anal about the whole thing, going to the Apple store, comparing different panels. Whew! It was exhausting.) :D

And what did you end up concluding in the end? Did you actually swap your machine?
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.