So... about that Macbook screen wash-out

[GoCubsGo]

Well, Apple charges the same 15%; you only have 14 days to return, plus sales tax.

You can talk to them about this. Some are reporting that a hard fast 15% is being applied, others are saying there's a 5% discount so the restocking fee is dropped to 10%. If the bastard genius had it his way today I would have paid him to take it back! Turns out the sales staff and specifically the manager was willing to take it back for a full refund in the form of a store credit. I cannot complaint (and won't dare).

I think the key is patience and never really showing them that you're frustrated. For me, I just continued to e-mail a friend of mine all my rants and annoyances. The truth is I was overtired when I went to the store and I should have waited until tomorrow, but I had it in my mind and just did it. There was little to nothing that could be said that would have talked me out of it. In the end, I feel much better. I haven't fidgeted with my 30" display all night!!

 

[hazoomeh]

Just to chime in here.. I've been reading through all of the posts. I think aside from the sharpness of the text (which i had hoped would've been better) my new 2.0 MB's visuals are superb. I have absolutely no wash outs and my viewing angles are quite good. I should mention that my screen is a 9C8C, and that the computer had no visible manufacturing defects whatsoever. I ordered about a week after the initial release from JR.com.

I have been messing around with the color profiles and just stuck with the default. In fact, everyone here has been raving about Jessica's second profile, but I find it much too red and almost monochrome. I didn't realize the difference until I pulled up a couple HD trailers, paused on various scenes (animated films like "Bolt" work great for this), and switched the color profiles to compare. The default setting displays much truer colors. I only upped the gamma to 2.2 to provide a little more contrast for the text.

Overall I can't complain but I do feel bad for those of you that received models that look anything like Jessica's!

 

[steve31]

Just to chime in here.. I've been reading through all of the posts. I think aside from the sharpness of the text (which i had hoped would've been better) my new 2.0 MB's visuals are superb. I have absolutely no wash outs and my viewing angles are quite good. I should mention that my screen is a 9C8C, and that the computer had no visible manufacturing defects whatsoever. I ordered about a week after the initial release from JR.com.

I have been messing around with the color profiles and just stuck with the default. In fact, everyone here has been raving about Jessica's second profile, but I find it much too red and almost monochrome. I didn't realize the difference until I pulled up a couple HD trailers, paused on various scenes (animated films like "Bolt" work great for this), and switched the color profiles to compare. The default setting displays much truer colors. I only upped the gamma to 2.2 to provide a little more contrast for the text.

Overall I can't complain but I do feel bad for those of you that received models that look anything like Jessica's!

How do I check which screen I have? thnxs

 

[benjuddeffect]

I would love to send my Macbook back because the screen really is that back in comparison to the Macbook air.

The only question is...

Since it's a custom ordered model from the online Apple store, is there any way to do this?

 

[Nykwil]

Well this is interesting...

I found the scene from iron man in the previous posts and noticed the default color config the macbook ships with showed more detail in blacks

The othe color config i was using was the "JC Diplay" profile floating around here:

see for yourself the results

JC profile:

Default:

I have the 9c8c display btw

still doesnt compete with that MBA display

 

[djellison]

Is it THAT bad? I have one on order.
Am I going to look at it and think "That is at least average notebook quality"

You're prepared to pay extortionate prices, and just have average components?

I'm not.

 

[NC MacGuy]

Well this is interesting...

I found the scene from iron man in the previous posts and noticed the default color config the macbook ships with showed more detail in blacks

The othe color config i was using was the "JC Diplay" profile floating around here:

see for yourself the results


I have the 9c8c display btw

still doesnt compete with that MBA display

I've tried lots of color profiles from the standard lcd profile to JC's to making my own.
You can make it a little better but never actually good. Not sure if it's the glass, backlight, display or a combination of any or all.

My best profile for dark movies:

 

[pratap21]

Hey NCMacGuy,

Can you please post a screencapture of the IronMan shot with black background? I hope to use it as a "blackness" benchmark when my Macbook arrives.

 

[PresentACat]

Just recieved my Macbook in the UK.
Screen does look like *****, unless its tilted back exactly right it goes basically white/negative instantly - not good.

As I bought from the online store, am I allowed to return it to a brick and mortar apple store?

 

[Roller]

Just recieved my Macbook in the UK.
Screen does look like *****, unless its tilted back exactly right it goes basically white/negative instantly - not good.

As I bought from the online store, am I allowed to return it to a brick and mortar apple store?

I agree that the display's sensitivity to viewing angle is its biggest flaw. Straight on, it's quite good. Move your head down a little, so you're looking up at the screen, and it becomes contrasty and then posterized. Move up a little, and it begins to wash out, albeit more gradually.

This viewing angle effect makes it very difficult to calibrate, and probably accounts for the different results people are getting after creating and loading profiles. Moving your head even slightly while you're doing the calibration has a huge effect on what you see on the screen.

Despite all this, I'm keeping my MB, since it'll be fine for my needs.

 

[ibosie]

Just recieved my Macbook in the UK.
Screen does look like *****, unless its tilted back exactly right it goes basically white/negative instantly - not good.

As I bought from the online store, am I allowed to return it to a brick and mortar apple store?

Items purchased but not seen (as in online stores) - UK law entitles you to a full refund if you are not satisfied with the product - it doesn't mean faulty, you just need to be satisfied. Retail stores are not obliged to take back items purchased online though so contact the online store and arrange a pick up (within 14 days of receipt).

 

[PresentACat]

Items purchased but not seen (as in online stores) - UK law entitles you to a full refund if you are not satisfied with the product - it doesn't mean faulty, you just need to be satisfied. Retail stores are not obliged to take back items purchased online though so contact the online store and arrange a pick up (within 14 days of receipt).

Thanks.

I'm new to Mac, and I can't work out how to find my screen code (9C89 for example). I saw the instructions earlier in the thread but I can't find it. Can anyone be more explicit?

 

[richorlin]

What Macbook screen washout?

I have a new aluminum Macbook and I do not have a problem withthe screen. I took the time to calibrate the screen using the expert mode and it compares favorably to the new Macbook Pro. The only descernable difference is the verticle viewing angle could be better, but who looks at their computer from that angle anyways. The horizontal viewing angle is not as good as the MBP, but since I'm the only one using it, who cares?

As for the "fuzziness" of the screen, I don't see any. I don't know how all these people are able to compare the Macbook and Macbook Pro side-by-side at the Apple store since their display plan in every store is to set up the MB and MBP on separate tables.

Glossy is a fact of life for Apple. Of course, in the Apple Store, where there are flourescent lights on both the walls AND the ceilings, you are going to have reflections no matter what angle you change the screen to. However, in real life, the minor reflections just aren't bothersome. Stop whinging and buy the prvious gen Macbook Pro now that it's only $1349 in the refurb store.


Considering how many people are complaining about the screen on the new MB mine must be one of the few that were manufactured "correctly".

 

[pratap21]

Hey richorlin,

Do you mind telling us the display panel you got? Is it the 9C8C?

 

[PresentACat]

Hey richorlin,

Do you mind telling us the display panel you got? Is it the 9C8C?

Could you tell me very clearly how to find what panel I have? I dont quite manage to understand the instructions given earlier.

 

[pratap21]

I think this is the command to be run in terminal

ioreg -lw0 | grep IODisplayEDID | sed "/[^<]*</s///" | xxd -p -r | strings -6

Even I don't have a mac yet.. Just curious to know if certain display panels are better than the rest.

Also try this advice
Now go to ColorSync under Utilities.
Under user, find the color profile you're using and open it.
Go to #13 and report your Model Number.

 

[MacJenn]

My friend has the 9C8C (2.0 new alu Macbook) and I have the 9C89 new 2.4 alu. Macbook. Both screen are horrible. We tested it on a few movies and they were both equally as bad even after my friend (who is a computer science major--knows more than my friend and I about these things) calibrated them with 3 different programs. He said they can't be calibrated to look that good. Some of you might not have a problem with it and that is great, but my friend and I only compared it to our friends $600 Dell laptop and it stunk compared to it. It is bad when a $600 Dell has a better screen than my $1600 MB. I guess some people can live with it or it might look good to them because they aren't used to good screens, but for that much money we deserve better.

I'm getting a new Pro today. I have a Genius appt. at 4 today and they said they would swap me out without charging me the return fee. The guy I talked to told me that they are being lenient with returns because of the high number of complaints people are having with these new ones. He said he hasn't seen an Apple product in his 2 years working there get returned so much. Hopefully Apple will fix these and make them better for those who buy them in the future.

 

[Ryffie]

After looking at the screenshots my first impression is that the screen is defect! It's really bad and I would never accept paying a restocking fee if it looks like that.

And btw who came up with the restocking fee anyway??!! Is it an american thing or apple thing? I've never ever been charged money for returning a product, but on the other hand it's not a habit of mine. It's my consumer right to return products that didn't live up to my expectations, free of charge. Kinda ironic to punish the buyer when the seller is at wrong

 

[Nykwil]

I've tried lots of color profiles from the standard lcd profile to JC's to making my own.
You can make it a little better but never actually good. Not sure if it's the glass, backlight, display or a combination of any or all.

My best profile for dark movies:

thanks that profile is definitely better for dark movies the top and bottom bars look black and i can see the details within the shadows now.

 

[ptsube]

After looking at the screenshots my first impression is that the screen is defect! It's really bad and I would never accept paying a restocking fee if it looks like that.

And btw who came up with the restocking fee anyway??!! Is it an american thing or apple thing? I've never ever been charged money for returning a product, but on the other hand it's not a habit of mine. It's my consumer right to return products that didn't live up to my expectations, free of charge. Kinda ironic to punish the buyer when the seller is at wrong

The first I remember seeing it is at Best Buy. I don't think they were the first, but certainly one of the first big chains to start it all.

 

[tfstone]

Does anyone in fact have a 9C8C panel or beyond one person, know they actually exist? I've been given until Wednesday to return it without restocking fee and I don't really want to lug around a MBP.

I have one. Received it today. It would describe the quality of the display right in between the Air and the old Macbook.

It's ok not great. If this is the better one I do not want to see the other model...

I have the 2.4 ghz model in case someone wants to know.

 

[PresentACat]

I have one. Received it today. It would describe the quality of the display right in between the Air and the old Macbook.

It's ok not great. If this is the better one I do not want to see the other model...

I have the 2.4 ghz model in case someone wants to know.

Haha, same here. I checked my code and it gives:

P.00.6
B133EW04

Is this the better screen?

 

[leman]

So, I have been to an Apple store right now, and have compared the screens of a new Aluminium MacBook (it was a 9C89) and the one of a MBA. It is true, that the new MB has big problems with black. It appears to be unable to display true black, there is always some glow in the background. My current (last gen) MB has the same problem. The MBA display showed black
very well. But aside of black, and the viewing angle, the new MB has very nice colors, and when watching some movie previews with high amount of dark scenes (I took Max Payne), there was no significant quality difference between the new MB and the MBA, at least to my eyes. The display is at least as good as the old MB (but brighter/better colors), and I think it is ok. I woudln't call the new display "horrible" or "unacceptable". Of course, I've never owned really good displays, so maybe you are right in saying that over-average priced MB should have a better panel.

 

[mac jones]

I'm glad that this issue has come up and been examined as I haven't recieved mine yet, so when I finally do,

I won't have great expectations

 

[NC MacGuy]

Haha, same here. I checked my code and it gives:

P.00.6
B133EW04

Is this the better screen?

The B's seem to be better than the L's. I've been playing quite a bit because I really am trying to talk myself into not returning it. First pic is standard Color LCD setup from Apple. Second is my best attempt at making darks look better. I see the standard untouched profile from Apple being pretty bad. If you take the gamma to 2.2 it gets much worse. I used the standard calibrator in expert mode and didn't quite follow the directions and there was a vast amount of trial and error here.