The Ultimate rMBP Image Retention Test

[Macral]

If you are willing to pay $2000 plus shipping, I will ship my LG Retina MacBook Pro to you so that you can personally test it out.

It has absolutely NO image retention, NO dead pixel, and NO backlight bleed. So I don't think "all LG panels have this issue".

I have had many people ask if this was a Samsung screen, even.

That was what I thought before.
Mine was perfect until the 15th day. I didn't run the IR test. I noticed it right away whenever I open white windows. No need to wait for 10-15 minutes, it was instant. My 2nd rMBP started to show the IR after about 4-5 days.

 

[bill-p]

That was what I thought before.
Mine was perfect until the 15th day. I didn't run the IR test. I noticed it right away whenever I open white windows. No need to wait for 10-15 minutes, it was instant. My 2nd rMBP started to show the IR after about 4-5 days.

Well, I have had the machine for almost a week, and since owning it, I have always had white windows (Xcode, Eclipse) open for multiple hours (easily over 10 daily) continuously against a dark gray wallpaper... which is my standard work setup, and I haven't seen any image retention.

Will see if that changes next week or in the next few days, but I doubt it... unless the performance of the screen degrades so quickly.

As an aside, I have seen image retention pretty badly on many iPads. The virtual keyboard, which I pulled up pretty regularly, got "permanently" imprinted on those iPads as I used them outside under scorching heat. I can clearly see the faint marks of the virtual keyboard on them as soon as anything with a bit of gray color was open. That also happened to the iPad 3.

I'm just glad I'm not seeing it on my MBP after leaving Xcode and Eclipse open for so long.

 

[golf1410]

Someone on the Apple support forum was asking if anyone would be interested in getting behind a class action lawsuit. Apparently, a similar action caused Apple to acknowledge and address the iPhone 4 antenna issue (free cases). So, if you're interested, just email "applembpclassaction@gmail.com"

 

[zenoran]

Just got my repair back from Apple. It's another LG screen but I left it static for 30+ mins and there is no apparent retention problem.

I would also like to note that the screen just looks a lot better overall. The whites and colors are toned really well. I'm not sure if that's mainly because of the calibration settings they did or if it's a difference in the screen.

I guess I'll see if the problem resurfaces after using it for a few weeks but from an perspective; they apparently have better screens they are swapping with now. Repair vs. try your luck at getting a "good one" out of the box.

 

[neilpryde23]

Just got back my second replacement, 3rd overall display, and it's an LG again. It had slight IR after 10 minutes of using the checkered image but it was pretty faint. I'm going to keep using it til it becomes a problem but I'm hoping it won't since it is much more faint than the previous 2 screens. Keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't get worse

 

[SchuettS]

And how long have you already had this computer? Are you 100% sure it has no IR so far? I'm desperately looking for someone who has had an LG panel for more than 2 weeks and is still 100% IR-free

Mine. Bought it used but the original owner had it since the beginning. Week 23 LG. no IR whatsoever.

Update: I noticed some IR when I was doing homework and left word open for about 5 minutes without touching it. When I minimized it on the solid grey background I could see some text. Only shows up on that color.. weird.

 

[Pipper99]

My LG had IR, but I returned it, and I now have a Samsung with no IR.

 

[rockyroad55]

Thought I had IR but it was actually my eye burning in that checkerboard image that caused me to see it on the screen. Seriously haha.

 

[macbook123]

Very sad to report that the Samsung displays also have quality issues. I was delighted to see that I had a Samsung display with no image retention and no dead pixels (previous two with LG developed >10 dead pixels within the two weeks after sale), but today a month after I got it two dead pixels popped up near the center of the screen. I'm starting to think Apple has serious issues getting IPS displays to work out right. I went through 3 iPads with horrible unevenness before accepting a 6th with slight background bleed. Unfortunately it has turned progressively worse so that it is now so frustrating to use that I hardly touch it anymore (two friends and a colleague noticed it without my ever mentioning it).

I just wonder what makes these dead pixels pop up out of nowhere so early into the lifetime of a laptop? I've never had this problem with another display. My last Macbook Pro display is 3 years old and no dead pixel. My external 30" HP IPS display has no dead pixel 5 years after I got it.

 

[terraphantm]

Tried getting Apple to consider replacing it, but they're stalling me... Asking me to try things like testing under different user accounts, reinstalling osx, doing an erase and reinstall, etc... Even though I explained that there's no IR on my external displays.

I'll take care of this another day. It's not yet bad enough to effect my day-to-day working. But I do want to get a proper screen before my warranty's up. Maybe LG will have the issue fixed in due time

 

[SchuettS]

Can someone take a pic of their LG screen with IR from the checkerboard test? I would like to see how bad they get. Also which grey background are we supposed to use?

 

[toondw]

LG screen, absolutely no problems........

 

[NStocks]

LG screen, absolutely no problems........

Same here. This is my third replacement, and because I got to keep the second unit whilst the 3rd arrived, I could compare the two.

There is a HUGE difference in two LG panels. One is dull, yellowish and has IR. the other is at least 2 notches righter, a lot cooler and no IR

 

[nickbarbs]

just got my replacement RMBP on Monday

and it's been 5 days with this new one so far. I was annoyed that I got another LG, however, it has a serial number of DCN23160xxxxxxxxx vs my previous one with serial number DCN22xxxxxxxxxxxx so maybe it comes from a new batch?

VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY Slight backlight bleed in lower right.. and that is me being super picky, it really is ever so slight, it bugged me at first because these forums have gotten me into serious ocd spin mode, however i've relaxed now that i've been using the machine and watching videos dark scenes etc.. no dead pixels however, and perfect build quality with no pinholes, scratches or creaking so i'm going to just put up with the very very very very slight backlight bleed in the lower right corner..

I have done the checkerboard test every day for the past 5 days for 30 mins at a time and no IR. I find the key to doing the test right is 1.) use the app developed by our users here and 2.) dont look at it try to cover your eyes, hit spacebar and then look.

so far nothing.

Fingers are crossed, but I"m going to just go ahead and use this machine and not worry about it.. i'm definitely not returning it as it is simply superior to anything i've had before and frankly i'm using it every day at work and at home as its so easy to drag around and lasts all day on battery. can't beat it.

If IR happens i'm going to wait a few more months then get a screen swap. not willing to play roullette again as I just did it once already.

 

[rockyroad55]

Ugh, IR has finally shown up on my panel. All after I installed Windows and tons of other stuff. Now I have to redo it all over again.

I'm going to insist on seeing a manager and will do the "multiple" returns in their face until I get a Samsung. Good idea?

 

[CedarPoint182]

Received my third rMBP yesterday. Still an LG panel... Still IR.

After doing the checkerboard test for 15 minutes, the checkerboard was clearly visible on the gray desktop. It took about 5 minutes to disappear completely. I'm going to test today to see if the issue occurs when leaving a web page open for a similar amount of time.

Is there any reason to continue exchanging this thing? Is anyone actually getting a Samsung display with their replacement? I feel like all I read about is LG, and it seems like any LG display is destined to have this problem... Ugh!

 

[mpopkin]

Picking the wrong issues to care about

I have a rMBP with an LG screen and absolutely love it. Have done extensive testing based on this forum and other forums, and have had my machine for several weeks with Adobe and FCP work.

From what I have heard in the manufacturing world, was that Apple begun producing the rMBP back in February 2012 and at the same time LG was having troubles with quality consistency(read articles regarding LG and Retina iPad) and similar issues, and that by June/July the line was up and has sustained quality and consistency.(FYI: I work in China and besides design work, do QC management for smaller producers) so this situation is normal and unfortunate. Later builds should have no quality issues with their samsung or LG display. my unit was built in August.

More Important to me was the manufacturer of the Hard Drive, I find Toshiba HD products to be utter crap, I have had 4 HD failures in my Mid-2009 15" MBP, three which were replaced under Applecare with Toshiba HD, these failures all happened in the last 8 months of the warranty and my initial drive was a Samsung. So I was ecstatic to find that my machine has Samsung Flash Memory with there controller and more, which has shown better performance in cross testing between similar Toshiba and Samsung.

My machine is also free from any other defects, problems and is breathing fire in terms of performance, it is also very quiet even in heavy workloads(I have heard varied reports of louder and/or hotter machines) and my machine is also not hot at all even when rendering FCP projects.

So to future buyers of the rMBP, would I recommend it, absolutely, and i would be more concerned about the HD, the sound and the heat, than i would be about the screen, especially if you are looking to buy it now, I would watch out for older inventory unless you are a Samsungphile and absolutely think their screen is better. There is always a tradeoff, however, I would certainly recommend buying Applecare for this machine, it always pays off.

 

[JD92]

...

 

[rockyroad55]

Went back to do an exchange yesterday and the first one they took out was a Samsung display. Woohoo!

 

[golf1410]

How can anyone talk to get replacement many times? I have no idea to win these guys in argument as they said it is in Apple specification.

 

[L-U-R-C-H]

Just got my macbook pro in the mail today! Did the image retention test and I saw no noticeable IR. I did check and I have a samsung display. Not sure if it makes a difference or not but I did order my machine with a 512 SSD, 16 gigs of ram, and the 2.6GHz CPU.

 

[neilpryde23]

I'm on my 3rd screen and it's an LG. I've had it now for about 5 days and it definitely has IR when I left up my itunes for about 10 minutes and I would definitely see the lines for each song but it isn't that bad...yet. If it continues to get worse, I'm going to get the screen replaced again but for now, I'm going to keep it. I've made more trips to the Apple store than I would have liked, as weird as that is to say lol. Hopefully if my next screen is an LG, LG will have fixed their IR issue by now because I'm sure Apple isn't happy about it, even if they aren't publicly addressing the issue.

 

[retinafan]

I'm on my 3rd screen and it's an LG. I've had it now for about 5 days and it definitely has IR when I left up my itunes for about 10 minutes and I would definitely see the lines for each song but it isn't that bad...yet. If it continues to get worse, I'm going to get the screen replaced again but for now, I'm going to keep it. I've made more trips to the Apple store than I would have liked, as weird as that is to say lol. Hopefully if my next screen is an LG, LG will have fixed their IR issue by now because I'm sure Apple isn't happy about it, even if they aren't publicly addressing the issue.

I am on my 4th, just ordered my 5th. All LG screens all IR. Still holding out hope that Apple will send me one with a Samsung. Will keep trying until they do or until they tell me I cannot return and order again. Quality control is bad with these machines. Buyer beware.

 

[zigzag801]

I just came in here to chime in as well with the IR problems. I just did an IR test and it looks like my LG monitor has the problem. School is about to start soon and I have apple care so I think I may just wait until break to replace it. At least that way I won't need to keep playing rMBP lottery on getting a good one, and maybe by then they'll have this sorted out. I should also note that I usually have a picture instead of just a plain color for the desktop so it's not very noticeable yet. I am a little worried though since I am going to school for CS and my IDE will be up for multiple hours at a time....should be an interesting quarter.

 

[golf1410]

I don't know what to do as well.