SR MBP LED LCD yellowish and gradients issue

[issic]

Please check how much other non pro laptops with similar processor and GPUs cost, and come back again.

That you spent $2500 on a laptop is irrelevant. The screens are excellent IMO, but whatever floats your boat, and you are perfectly entitled to your opinion.

I don't agree with you. 2500$ for brand priced laptop is a lot and what is the main advertising policy from apple? Spreadsheets? No! Creativity - Video, Photos, Graphics and Music....3 of those are dependent on your eyesight! So don't give us ******** it doesn't matter. this is not an Dell 1000$ discussion...if you want to be fooled go ahead, I want what I deserve for that money, if not then I want to change it. Not mine point of view to change but theirs. Not sure to succeed but worth of trying. And for other users who's reading it i'm not giving any resolution I'm just pointing and saying I think this is wrong...final decision is on you.

 

[Habusho]

I don't agree with you. 2500$ for brand priced laptop is a lot and what is the main advertising policy from apple? Spreadsheets? No! Creativity - Video, Photos, Graphics and Music....3 of those are dependent on your eyesight! So don't give us ******** it doesn't matter. this is not an Dell 1000$ discussion...if you want to be fooled go ahead, I want what I deserve for that money, if not then I want to change it. Not mine point of view to change but theirs. Not sure to succeed but worth of trying. And for other users who's reading it i'm not giving any resolution I'm just pointing and saying I think this is wrong...final decision is on you.

Absofreakinlutely. We're not talking about a 1K Dell or Hp laptop here. Apple promotes itself as the best of the best and is perceived that way by the consumer. Look at their pricing structure, it's priced as a "top of the line" class product. If you're paying extra expecting a quality product, it's not too much to ask for a screen that freakin works correctly. There is a noticeable yellowing at the bottom of their screens. If you're promoting a new product for a new feature... brand new LED backlit displays, don't you think they should have gone through a little bit more stringent quality control at the very feature\upgrade that they're selling their product on???

 

[Erasmus]

Then, perhaps, you should go and get it exchanged?
And stop whining. Apple is more than happy to exchange a dodgy computer.

 

[iW00t]

Then, perhaps, you should go and get it exchanged?
And stop whining. Apple is more than happy to exchange a dodgy computer.

Not really, that computer will end up on the refurb store and get sold for less than what it is worth!

 

[aliquis-]

does it count, only noticed when i view the screen from both sides.no yellowish tint when viewing in the front.
Also the gradient colours look terrible, obvious banding issue.
i'm thinking about taking it back.
damn, i've spend half day transfering data and installing softwares.

View screen from the sides: That's because of the viewing angles, and as long as it's a TN-panel it will always look that way, and it seems like there are no other panels in laptops, even thought the Lenovo T60p or whatever someone said earlier have had IPS.

You will have even worse viewing angles vertically and it you look from the top it will probably look bright and from the bottom black. This is have the technique used in them work and there is nothing you can do about it.

Straight in front of it would be another issue, but you don't have it so yours are just fine.

Banding in gradients: This is because it's an 18 bit TN-panel, no "millions of colors", only 262k of them. It will be that on all of them and thought it suck and Apple also lies about the amount of colors it can't be fixed.

Spent half a day: Obviously you haven't tried many other OSes, I've spent waaay to many weeks on annoying computer things. (No I'm not talking Windows, atleast not mainly, Windows works just fine.)

 

[aliquis-]

What? i just spend $2500 for a pro laptop, i think i have the right to be picky.

Well, of course you can take it back, but there are no reason for you to have it replaced atleast because they will all be the same, well, except many others also have a yellow tint on the bottom part of the screen, but I doubt you want one of those.

Also it seems like you would have this issue with all other laptop screens, so you shouldn't get another laptop either.

Get a desktop with NECs AS-IPS panel 20WGX²Pro or maybe some monitors from Eizo or Iiyama and your display will look as good as it can.

 

[aliquis-]

There is a noticeable yellowing at the bottom of their screens.

Well except he complains on a screen which doesn't have the yellowing at the bottom. He complains about one which have limited viewing angles and isn't 24bit.

 

[iW00t]

Well, of course you can take it back, but there are no reason for you to have it replaced atleast because they will all be the same, well, except many others also have a yellow tint on the bottom part of the screen, but I doubt you want one of those.

Also it seems like you would have this issue with all other laptop screens, so you shouldn't get another laptop either.

Get a desktop with NECs AS-IPS panel 20WGX²Pro or maybe some monitors from Eizo or Iiyama and your display will look as good as it can.

You also forgot to mention the princely sized 21" NEC 2180WG-LED backlit monitors that can be had for a measly sum of $4000

$2500 is peanuts when you are in this area. If your work is that important and worth that much (to you) shell out the bucks. Considering the C2D chip alone in the MacBook Pro probably costs Apple at least $500 (well retail pricing in units of 1000 is $650 ea, but Apple probably get a better deal) you really do not have that much headroom in terms of budget when it comes to delivering screen wise.

I am not being an Apple fanboi here, many here remember how pissed I was with the 9C60 screens, but hey... this is actually a good screen. By the way even PVA screens show colour distortion when off centre, and if you expect to see a IPS screen on a laptop you got to be fracking joking, because even the big name monitor companies like Eizo have moved away from IPS to PVA for cost saving measures.

For a laptop screen the LG (without the tint and other weirdness that is) is actually pretty damned good. I would grade it to a 86% relative to my 2080UX+, which while old is still a very good professional grade monitor (way better than the crud the ACD is by the way).

If you honestly believe there is such a thing as a laptop LCD monitor that is as good as a "pro" desktop monitor, you are insane, seriously.

Repeat after me: no matter what a laptop can never, by definition, out perform a desktop workstation.

 

[mayoko185]

Repeat after me: no matter what a laptop can never, by definition, out perform a desktop workstation.

Not true if I had the time/money I could easily build a laptop that could perform on par with a desktop. However it might weigh 15-20lbs and be able to cook a TV dinner on it though

Jokes aside I have to agree with iW00t, if you need a pro screen buy one. You will unlikely find one in a laptop.

I have another question though (and sorry if its already been asked), I wonder if there is difference between the samsung and lg panels being put in the SR MBP's.

 

[iW00t]

Not true if I had the time/money I could easily build a laptop that could perform on par with a desktop. However it might weigh 15-20lbs and be able to cook a TV dinner on it though

Jokes aside I have to agree with iW00t, if you need a pro screen buy one. You will unlikely find one in a laptop.

I have another question though (and sorry if its already been asked), I wonder if there is difference between the samsung and lg panels being put in the SR MBP's.

I think they should be about equal specs wise. Hopefully the yellowing is just an issue that plagues a limited run of monitors.

 

[unexploded]

I bought a new MBP two days ago, and the guys in the Apple Bullring store are aware of what people are saying in regards to the yellow gradient at the bottom.

In store I couldn't see the yellow gradient on the display macs... perhaps that was because they have awfully bright lights in there? I'm not sure.

Either way, I do have that yellow gradient thing going on with mine. It's not too bad at all really but it's quite prominent when looking at a white webpage for example. I have two weeks to exchange it if I feel the need to... I'm not sure what to do!

 

[iW00t]

I bought a new MBP two days ago, and the guys in the Apple Bullring store are aware of what people are saying in regards to the yellow gradient at the bottom.

In store I couldn't see the yellow gradient on the display macs... perhaps that was because they have awfully bright lights in there? I'm not sure.

Either way, I do have that yellow gradient thing going on with mine. It's not too bad at all really but it's quite prominent when looking at a white webpage for example. I have two weeks to exchange it if I feel the need to... I'm not sure what to do!

It is good that you have staff at your local store who are aware of the problem, I would try to exchange it.

 

[BlueArctos]

So how is light moved from the outside of the screen to the centre?

I'm sure Apple will just replace the whole lid of the MBP.
Pulling apart an LCD screen would be incredibly difficult with anything other than robotics, I should think.

I've intentionally (and unintentionally) separated the layers of many LCD screens while conducting various repairs. Most often I was forced to break open LCDs to replace their CCFLs (EXTREMELY DIFFICULT the first time).

To answer your question regarding lighting - a white diffusion panel allows bright light sources at the edges of an LCD panel to communicate light to all reaches of the display. You seem to be familiar with the physics of light (you theorized fiber optics earlier). Diffusion panels are manufactured using a material which allows them to facilitate the transfer and projection of light on a seemingly flat surface in all directions.

The best way to understand the concept is to crack open an old LCD and separate the layers.

 

[PDE]

You also forgot to mention the princely sized 21" NEC 2180WG-LED backlit monitors that can be had for a measly sum of $4000

$2500 is peanuts when you are in this area. If your work is that important and worth that much (to you) shell out the bucks. Considering the C2D chip alone in the MacBook Pro probably costs Apple at least $500 (well retail pricing in units of 1000 is $650 ea, but Apple probably get a better deal) you really do not have that much headroom in terms of budget when it comes to delivering screen wise.

I am not being an Apple fanboi here, many here remember how pissed I was with the 9C60 screens, but hey... this is actually a good screen. By the way even PVA screens show colour distortion when off centre, and if you expect to see a IPS screen on a laptop you got to be fracking joking, because even the big name monitor companies like Eizo have moved away from IPS to PVA for cost saving measures.

For a laptop screen the LG (without the tint and other weirdness that is) is actually pretty damned good. I would grade it to a 86% relative to my 2080UX+, which while old is still a very good professional grade monitor (way better than the crud the ACD is by the way).

If you honestly believe there is such a thing as a laptop LCD monitor that is as good as a "pro" desktop monitor, you are insane, seriously.

Repeat after me: no matter what a laptop can never, by definition, out perform a desktop workstation.

Abosolutely agree. All I ask for in a laptop display is that it's:

- evenly illuminated so that it's consistent corner to corner
- no tint anywhere - again, for consistency
- no grain
- enough viewing angle that the display doesn't get in the way when using it under ordinary circumstances. you should be able to move a little to the side without distortion.
- 8 bit would be great, but for most purposes 6 bit works too.

When I need something more accurate I use a desktop LCD. I think we need to accept that technology for notebook displays is what it is right now.

I agree that the LG display is excellent - unless it has the yellow tint like mine does.....in which case it's not so excellent.

 

[dcv]

More like color banding. Check the image below. Is that what appeared on your screen?

I'm confused. Is it supposed to look like that image with the horizontal line through the green or not?

 

[Erasmus]

I've intentionally (and unintentionally) separated the layers of many LCD screens while conducting various repairs. Most often I was forced to break open LCDs to replace their CCFLs (EXTREMELY DIFFICULT the first time).

To answer your question regarding lighting - a white diffusion panel allows bright light sources at the edges of an LCD panel to communicate light to all reaches of the display. You seem to be familiar with the physics of light (you theorized fiber optics earlier). Diffusion panels are manufactured using a material which allows them to facilitate the transfer and projection of light on a seemingly flat surface in all directions.

The best way to understand the concept is to crack open an old LCD and separate the layers.

Cheers!

Unfortunately, I don't have an LCD panel I'm willing to "sacrifice to the God of Knowledge" just yet. But we'll see.

I still don't see how a diffusion panel wouldn't result in a dark centre with bright outside... Maybe if its diffusion properties varied or something it would work?

Thanks anyway.

 

[BlueArctos]

Cheers!

Unfortunately, I don't have an LCD panel I'm willing to "sacrifice to the God of Knowledge" just yet. But we'll see.

I still don't see how a diffusion panel wouldn't result in a dark centre with bright outside... Maybe if its diffusion properties varied or something it would work?

Thanks anyway.

Have you ever handled one of those LightWedge LED book lights? The technology is not exactly similar, but it might help to think of the panel as a lens... save that the diffusion layer is white.

Are you a photographer? Have you ever used a lightbox/softbox/light diffusion box? Those tools generally use a white fiber to bounce light in all directions internally to produce, literally, a box of light.

 

[Erasmus]

Have you ever handled one of those LightWedge LED book lights? The technology is not exactly similar, but it might help to think of the panel as a lens... save that the diffusion layer is white.

Are you a photographer? Have you ever used a lightbox/softbox/light diffusion box? Those tools generally use a white fiber to bounce light in all directions internally to produce, literally, a box of light.

Nope. Although I think I'm getting an idea as to how it works. Obviously light is capable of bouncing around inside the diffusion panel/optical fibres for quite a while, averaging out any dark patches, before being "diffused".

I use lights all the time in Physics, except they are usually conceptual point sources, so not much help.

 

[SandmanTR]

Talked to Apple yesterday and they forced me to go through stupid troubleshooting. They had 'never heard of this problem' and said there was no engineering review of the displays. Since I have the yellow tint and a non-functioning right arrow key, they told me it would be silly to send it in for repair if I can just return it for a replacement. I agree. It's going back to amazon and I'm going to get another one at the Apple Store on Monday just so that it would be easy to replace if something is wrong again.

The yellowish tint IS a noticeable and my choices are either to use the default ColorLCD profile and have the whole screen be yellowish, or to use a calibrated profile and have one third yellow at the bottom of the display. . I have been trying to get used to it but, quite frankly, why should I? I'm hoping that this is not the beginning of another display fiasco. I was very excited when I first got the computer because apple had dealt with both the grain and the uneven illumination, but it's not acceptable to me that there is a yellow hue. I wish Apple could use the same displays as many other manufacturers. When I look in stores, they mostly look great and I'd be satisfied with most of them. I'm asking for: even illumination, no grain, good contrast, little edge bleeding, white whites and black blacks. It's not like the technology doesn't exist, but for some reason apple is having trouble using it.



I'll report back when I get the new one. I'm hoping it will be fine.

I spent a couple of hours at the Newport Beach, CA store. The place where I bought my new MBP. I do have the matte 9C68 display. I had a couple of the Genius crew looking at the screen, as well as (2) of sale folk, and ALL of them saw the problem immediately. I'm glad to see that they didn't blow it off...

...however, after booting up (3) new MBP's all with 9C68's screens, I figure I'll wait a bit, see how things play out and go the AppleCare route. My laptop is flawless, albeit the screen and (2) of the MBP's we booted out of the box had KP's.

I will get this screen fixed!

 

[danerz]

Is there any way to tell before opening the box what model the screen is 9C67, 9C68 etc. Would rather get a good one first time.

 

[mayoko185]

Is there any way to tell before opening the box what model the screen is 9C67, 9C68 etc. Would rather get a good one first time.

From what Iv read around here there are both good and bad screens for both 9C67 and 9C68, I personally have a 9C68 in mine with no color issues.

 

[PDE]

From what Iv read around here there are both good and bad screens for both 9C67 and 9C68, I personally have a 9C68 in mine with no color issues.

I was by the NYC SOHO store today and looked at some more screens. It really seems that there are good and bad ones among both. I saw very uneven illumination on a 9C68 and yellow on 9c67, and then I saw two almost perfect ones of both. There's no reason to it - just luck! Time to play the apple quality roulette again....argh!

 

[SandmanTR]

Is there any way to tell before opening the box what model the screen is 9C67, 9C68 etc. Would rather get a good one first time.

There is not. You need to boot into the machine to check.

 

[iDive]

I spent a couple of hours at the Newport Beach, CA store. The place where I bought my new MBP. I do have the matte 9C68 display. I had a couple of the Genius crew looking at the screen, as well as (2) of sale folk, and ALL of them saw the problem immediately. I'm glad to see that they didn't blow it off...

Interesting, I spent an hour at our Apple store here today and the "genius" was telling me that the gradient (yellow cast) was because of the viewing angle. He wouldn't allow me to exchange and we called the manager. The manager immediately brought me another one (also with 9C68, I found out after I booted it up). The one I have now has a much less pronounced yellow bottom, so I think I will keep it.

I kinda wanted to ask for another one until I got a 9C67, but they had two 9C67's on display that were worse than my 9C68. It is pretty subtle though, I think 90% of the buyers are not aware of this problem (and will never be), so I think Apple will never acknowledge it either.

Has any of you guys brought this issue up at the official Apple Support forums?

 

[otispunkmeyer]

damn i almost had a heart attack when i switched my 15inch MBP on for the first time

i had small ripling waves travelling down the screen from both upper coners!

thankfully once OSX had set itself up it cured itself, and now it only happens ever so slightly on only one website i visit and even then its just the front page.

www.finalgear.com

the dark grey design that uses patterned squares i get that moving wave effect, oddly it travels right to left for the left hand side and left to righ on the right hand side.

if i put that part of the web page in the screens center though it goes away. pretty odd. but its only one website and on a page that gets displayed for as long as it takes the forums to load up so its not a big deal.

my concern is the colours....rather washed out. but i guess i have been spoilt with my 8bit IPS panel in my dell 2005FPW