Q: MacBook Pro Retina display burn-in?

Hey guys and girls,

I recently took my iPhone 5s in for a screen repair (loose top left corner), and on my replacement, I noticed a colour cast across the screen.

Long story short; I'm going insane and seeing similar casts on every device I use – my iPad (third-gen), the 2009 27" iMac I use at work and finally, my 15" 2013 MacBook Pro with Retina display.

I can see there's more than a handful of display threads out there, and just want to boil down what is normal, what isn't and what the success rates are of getting the display swapped for you that works as intended.

I purchased my rMBP on release day last year, and have since never noticed this cast, it's subtle.  I only noticed it when I went looking for it after seeing it on my other devices (urgh!).  Other than having the IPS glow and backlight bleed towards the bottom of the screen (which seems normal on rMBP), the left side of the screen shifts towards a warmer/yellower/pinker hue, specifically noticeable on greys; such as the Safari bar, or the background on here.

(It also has the "pink Apple logo" – but I can't work out if that actually *means* something like other threads suggest, or whatever...)

Other than this slight cast (which now I've seen, cannot unsee), the display is fine.  White is white.

It's an LG (I believe), A019.  LP154WT1-SJE1.

I read in another thread that people had similar issues down the left hand side, similarly, the 27" iMac I use at work is the same.  Is it possible to get a totally, perfect, uniform screen on a consumer device?  Has anyone been through the replacement lottery and actually won? I don't want to end up taking a lead and making it worse – some people seem to believe that replacement screens are inferior still to those used on new ones.

Regards,

Jamie

jamie.shaw wrote:

 

Is it possible to get a totally, perfect, uniform screen on a consumer device?  Has anyone been through the replacement lottery and actually won?

Many people in this thread report replacing the display on their 2012 Retina MacBook Pro due to image retention or other problem like with the hinge or the camera or bad pixels and getting a replacement display with a noticeable yellow tint whereas their original display was indeed totally perfectly uniform.

 

I read in another thread that people had similar issues down the left hand side, similarly, the 27" iMac I use at work is the same.  Is it possible to get a totally, perfect, uniform screen on a consumer device?  Has anyone been through the replacement lottery and actually won?

 

Here is my experience:

The original display (replaced due to dead pixels) on my machine was great. I did not notice ghosting, and whites were indeed white. I do not know what type of display it was.

My second display (replaced due to loose hinge) was also great. I noticed no difference between this first replacement and the original. Again, I am unsure of the manufacturer and model of this display.

My third display was horribly yellow -- to the point where it blows my mind that it left the factory. That being said, it was perfectly uniformly yellow. There was also no backlight bleed or image retention. This display was an SJA2, what I understand to be one of the newer LG displays for the mid 2012 15" retina macbook pros (I am not sure of the number of iterations).

My current display is also pretty badly uniformly yellowed, although not as badly as before.  Again, it doesn't seem to suffer from any other issues. It is an SJA2 as well.

I don't have a hardware calibrator, but using the profiles Merch Visoiu posted (thanks!) I can get something that isn't absolutely horrible to look at.   Perhaps with proper calibration I could get something close to my original two displays. I am too stubborn, however, to spend I sizable chunk of money on a hardware calibrator when I don't feel that I should have to (those that can calibrate at arbitrary white points are more expensive).

Unfortunately, there isn't really any way to tell how likely it is that you get a good replacement display. For every poster here, there might be another who got a good replacement the first time. Without numbers, we just can't say.

If you have time to commit to ongoing display changes, then it might be worth it to go ahead and complain about it. You can probably keep getting your display changed if you approach the right technician in the right way. Perhaps it would be useful to "probe" this issue with a  local technician to see how they feel about it. It they sympathize with you (agreeing that the "to-specificaiton" displays actually look like poop), you will have a much easier time swapping panels. While I didn't have problems getting my first yellow display replaced,  others most definitely have.

Otherwise, I don't think there is really anything else to do. I have sent a letter to Tim Cook, called multiple technicians, and even spoken to a "supervisor" in customer relations. They all say something like this:

"That does seem to be a problem. If you take it to a technician or mail it into us we can replace your display."

I have requested that they keep replacing displays until they get one that looks identical to a good one, but they would have none of it as the replacement displays meet "apple specifications." Because I don't have time to continuously play the lottery, I am probably going to stick with the panel I've got.

I empathize with the psychological stress, though. I cannot seem to move past the fact that I have an inferior product. I even work right next to individuals who have perfect retina displays on their MacBooks -- I can simply turn my head and see what my display should look like. It is absolutely maddening.

This whole experience is really just ridiculous. To sell a 2000+ dollar machine that is marketed on the basis of its superior display with such an obvious lack of quality control makes my blood boil. I have literally received a prohibitively expensive lemon.

I should note that a VP of the company that I work for just had the display in his retina macbook pro replaced. He noticed that the new display was yellow and has proceeded to delve into the issue as we all have. In my conversation with him, he mentioned that he probably won't bring any more macs into the company because of our collective experience (we are on the cusp of a large hardware refresh)  ...Justice?

So this is what my image retention looks like. I'm showing it on the Login Window because it's more easily seen against certain colours as the background. You can see a bizarre pattern of pixels in the lower left corner and spreading upward and rightward. If you look carefully you will see that it's actually the OS X dock you're seeing. A little higher up you can see the word "Google" because I've been watching the Google I/O videos on YouTube so that's a YouTube window you're seeing. Has anyone experienced image retention that looks like this? The other image retention examples I've seen look different. This is an LG display on a 2013 15" Retina MacBook Pro. The display also has an overall yellow tint and a yellow blotch in the lower left and a blue stripe in the lower centre. This is the fourth display I've had with the two previous ones also being yellow tinted after an amazing first display.

I guess I'll take it in to the Genius Bar sometime soon. I've lost count how many times I've been in to the Genius Bar for this one purchase complaining about the displays and the creaking case.

I've had image retention on my laptop as well which was negligible at first. But it got worse and as soon as I couldn't take the matter anymore considering that I have the world's most expensive non gaming laptop, I took it to the store where I bought it from and they created a report and said that they'll ship the item to apple and it would be the latter's decision as to whether my complaint was legitimate. Prior to bringing my macbook back to the store, I had a chat with an apple support rep who prompted me to bring the item back to the store. At first, I spoke to one sales guy who said that the problem isn't really worse. Then, I challenged him by asking if he'd be willing to take my mac for the price I bought it for. He then referred me to the manager who had the final say. So they shipped the item to apple who found the screen to be defective. After two weeks I got my macbook back. Now it's the 2nd generation LG screen. Everything is just perfect. This is what this machine ought to do for its price.

+1 I have the display burn in problem too. 15" original MPB Retina with display model LP154WT1-SJA1. Way out of 1-year AppleCare warranty. I purchased from Amazon (directly, not a 3rd party seller) and I am the original owner. Any stories of Apple fixing these this far outside of warranty? If not, I figured posting more evidence of another affected model couldn't hurt...

I have a mid 2012 Pro retina with all the toys, cost a small fortune. Unfortunately I had the Ghosting issue appear just out of its guarantee, I bought mine from a third party (brand new) who supply apple products, who now say it's apples problem as it's clearly a defect (they kind of have a point). So....apples response is..."go back to your supplier its their problem". So I am now left with cost to pursue the supplier or get a paid replacement from apple due to a known defect, it's not acceptable. 

I have in the past bought an Alienware M17x and the customer service is second to none. If it's broken they fix it, to be clear that was repaired 2 months out of its guarantee. So apple, if you're going to get into the high end market of consumer sales (which you charge for) and you clearly know you've got a defect, why the heck are you not sorting it out and recalling them? O yes you must be short of cash, you only have a few billion pounds in the bank?

My next point of contact with evidence is to watchdog and lets muddy you there. I might have a pop at naming and shaming you with the 1200 plus contacts I have on FB and other social media sites, it's surprising how fast crap sticks. I can't believe they let this happen to supposed high end spec products! We've got your money now do one! Funny IBM got complacent and where did they end up? You're never to big to fall and from what I've read on here it will come to you!

Disgraceful apple, if you look after you're consumers they return!

my story:

- 2012, ordered maxed out 15" rMBP on the day of the keynote. LG. lovely crisp whites + blacks, good brightness.

- within two weeks, severe IR showing, after a week or two back'n'forth with Executive Relations, was issued a replacement.  replacement was LG, dimmer and less contrast, slightly more yellow.  replacement also has severe IR.

- after several more weeks back'n'forth with Executive Relations and Genius Bar, given a refund.

- waited several months without a laptop, hoping for improvements.

- tried again, bought another maxed out 15". this LG display was dimmer again, and more yellow.

- within a week, bad IR started showing again.  this time, i decided to accept a screen replacement on my week old machine.  replacement is first Samsung display. yellower than any LG so far, but decent brightness and no IR at all. i was happy with this screen (relatively speaking!)  tended to run this screen at one or two bars over the centre brightness where it was nice and readable and battery was ok.

- about a year later, pixels started dying in batches of four or five, all over the screen. almost too scared to get a replacement (for IR / dimness / yellowness), but realised i couldn't live with it (and the decreased resale value of dead pixels)

- went for my replacement (including great moment where the genus carried my open laptop in his thumb and forefinger right in the corner, with a bunch of iPhones / iPads in the other hand, to which i said 'two hands please!' and his reply was 'hey bro, forget about it, if i break it, you get a new one, it's all good!' and swanned off happily)

- this time i got a second gen LG. so far no IR discernible, but **** (goodness me! - apple swear filter) if this isn't the yellowest (the windows look like cream coloured) and dimmest display i've ever had on an Apple laptop (on the setting i had my Samsung screen on, it's barely readable any more, which means i can kiss my battery life goodbye). the video game I'm working on is no longer visible on dark areas, even on the brightest setting. this is just depressing at this point. i know they'll say it's within spec (and it is uniform, but...)

but... what should i do? i think this might be my last Apple laptop. almost feel like just voting with my feet at this point, selling it, and switching back to PC, for the first time since 2002.

I Just took my retina macbook in for image retention issues.  And it failed their test and then they wanted 600+ dollars to repair the screen.

I take it you don't have Applecare?

My display is so bad that it even retains colors.  That's supposed to be gray next to the browser window.  To make matters worse.  They wouldn't replace my screen because I waited too long to bring it in.  They wanted 600 dollars to replace something that's clearly a manufacturers defect.  Pretty disappointed. 

TThat is roughly the same as mine was which was replaced under the AppleCare warranty.

No. I don't have apple care on the laptop.  And i guess I should have came in earlier to have it checked out.    It wasn't bad when it started, and I didn't have time to bring it in.  And I figured it probably wouldn't get worse.   Well, it did get worse.

graigsmith wrote:

 

No. I don't have apple care on the laptop.  And i guess I should have came in earlier to have it checked out.    It wasn't bad when it started, and I didn't have time to bring it in.  And I figured it probably wouldn't get worse.   Well, it did get worse.

Just be aware that if you decide to pay Apple more money to fix the broken computer they sold you your replacement display can have its own set of problems: yellow tint, colour gradients or regions, dimmer, stuck pixels (muras) or image retention all over again.

I Didn't opt to replace it.  I'll probably end up getting another computer.  probably not going to get a retina display.