Bought new iMac 20" Faded Screen

The previous iMac did in fact have a professional quality display. So,falling back on the excuse that this is a consumer machine so one shouldn't expect color accuracy will not work for Apple. Every customer had the right to expect at least as good a display as the last generation.

Just wanted to add my voice to the list. I got a 20" iMac a week ago and have exactly the same problem with the display as all of you: The bottom is very noticeably faded... so much so that it is a severe distraction. The thing is almost unusable. I really hope they fix this; if they don't, they won't get my business again.

I just purchased a brand new 20 inch silver iMac and almost immediately noticed that all images and colors are significantly washed out at the bottom of the screen. Why is Apple releasing such an obviously defective product from their factory?

Because of many posts on the Apple discussions pages, I decided to purchase an Apple-reconditioned 20" white iMac. To my surprise, Apple "ran out" of them after I had placed my order. They shiiped me a brand-new white iMac from Shanghai, China, same price as reconditioned.

I am extremely pleased with my Apple purchase(s). The screen quality on the white iMac is very bright, sharp, with no signs of distortion or fading.

Thank God I read the forums and trusted my judgement to go with the slightly older white iMac. I am also very pleased with the Apple customer service. Perhaps that's why I have been a loyal customer for so many years; I have endured my share of expensive junk.

I hope Apple takes care of the iMac AL users, also.

Good luck, all.

doug in albuquerque wrote:
I feel duped. I feel like this computer was mis-represented in its marketing/advertising.

macnation wrote:
Apple has no excuse whatsoever in representing these machines as suitable for professional work as they did during launch.

Exactly!

For those who suggest that we should expect and accept inferior quality displays from Apple's "consumer-grade" mainstream desktops, I would suggest reviewing the video of Mr. Jobs' keynote presentation introducing the new "aluminum and glass" iMacs. The first eleven minutes are all pertinent, but if you're pressed for time, at least watch the 96-second segment starting at 00:03:12. (The 40-second segment at 00:10:20 is worth a look, too.)

http://www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/specialevent07/

If you can't spare 96 seconds, here's an executive summary of Mr. Jobs' key product-positioning points:

... even better ... professional ... phenomenal ... most professional ... professional ... professionals ... pro ... very elegant ... higher-end ... pro ... pro ... most expensive ... pros ... pro-line ... upgraded ... stunning .... just gorgeous!

_score card:_
"aluminum" ................................................. 10
"glass" / "silicon" .......................................... 8
"pro" / "pro-line" / "professional" ................. 8
"elegant" / "higher-end" / "expensive" .......... 3
"phenomenal" / "stunning" / "gorgeous" ....... 3
"even better" / "upgraded" ............................ 2
"consumer" ................................................... ZERO

elapsed time: 96 seconds

...so, if "aluminum and glass" is the answer, WHAT was the question?

Looby

I checked tftcentral.co.uk. I don't see where that information is coming from. The only iMac I see listed is the 17" model. Where should I be looking?

As you've discovered, the tftcentral.co.uk database doesn't say much about iMacs; however, they do list specs for the LCD panels used in iMacs. It just took a bit of research, on my part, to figure out which panels Apple is/was using. I didn't/don't/won't have time to cite specific URL's, because the information I posted is a compilation of bits-n-pieces gleaned from dozens of web sites.

I encourage anyone/everyone to google-up some of the original sources and pass independent judgement on their accuracy/reliability. I'd suggest google-ing one panel part-number at a time, (with or without suffixes), and narrowing the search with various combinations of "iMac", "display", "SwitchResX", etc.

...BTW, a little reading knowledge of German wouldn't hurt,

Looby

I hear ya. And I've seen other refernces to how it's 6-bit now, but it wasn't in the past. However, I have yet to find any specific information anyone can reference that shows that the iMac used to have an 8-bit display. As I mentioned in a previous post, Apple lists "16.7 Million" as the number of colors only for their Cinema Displays. For everything else, it's "Millions of Colors" which is typically an indication in the industry that dithering is used and it's not 8-bit. And that's what the old iMac listed on its spec sheet as well. That's available on the Apple Web site. Why wouldn't they explicitly state "16.7 Million" if it was, in fact, 8-bit?

Hey, if it was 8-bit, great. That just points out that Apple is cheapening things with the new 20" iMac. However, I have yet to see any indication that it was.

Also, was the old 17" 8-bit then? If it was 6-bit, then I'd have less reason to be mad at Apple. The low-end iMac would be 6-bit (17" then, 20" now) and the high end, 8-bit (20" then, 24" now). However, was/is the 24" model 8-bit? It still says "Millions of Colors," not "16.7 Million."

I found a good picture of the problem online:



He split his screenshot and moved them side by side. The right Finder image is the bottom, the left is the top. Here's the site:
http://www.silvermac.com/2007/imac-colours-washed-out/

I've seen one user reporting that his previous version 20" iMac was 6-bit, not 8. Another user points out that the new 24" may be 6-bit as well:

"The 24" quite possibly uses a 6bit panel too as LG Phillips make a 24" model with the exact same specs as the 20", the LM240WU3(TN)."

The panel in my 24" is positively an 8-bit LG.Philips LM240WU2-SLB1 -- according to SwitchResX.

If you follow my google suggestions, you will find several SwitchResX printouts, as well as a few iMac "take-apart" articles -- complete with photographs of LG.Philips part-number labels on the backs of panels.

Apple's "millions of colors" spec leaves them the option of silently downgrading the product without attracting attention -- exactly as they did with the recent 20" iMac downgrade. It also allows them to conceal significant performance differences between "sibling" products -- exactly as they did with the current ALU iMac "twins."

Hey, if it was 8-bit, great. That just points out that Apple is cheapening things with the new 20" iMac. However, I have yet to see any indication that it was

Last Friday, I did a side-by-side comparison of white vs. ALU 20" iMacs at the local CompUSA. Maybe you should try it sometime....

...I guarantee that's all the "indication" you will ever need.

Looby

To anyone that has contacted support, what was the result?

I called last week and was told that they have never heard of the issue, that it isn't normal, and that I should take the machine to a service center.

Is it even worth it to lug this thing to an apple store (or some other service center)? I'm not going to bother if I'm going to be told that they either don't see the issue or if they don't think the issue warrants a repair/replacement. It would be even more upsetting to have them take it and replace the screen with yet another defective one.

All I have to say in response to that is...OK, I'm convinced 😉 Thanks for persevering.

I contacted support as well and was told they didn't have any records of this being a problem. The store I bought the iMac from is also a certified Apple repair shop and they even commented on the screen but chalked it up to being a low-quality display and that nothing was wrong with it. That's when I took it back for a refund and got dinged on a 10% restocking fee.

Good luck.

Good play! Last Friday, I saw the 20" white and ALU iMacs side-by-side at the local CompUSA. The difference was like day and night. The white iMac's screen was flawless -- with perfectly uniform brightness, contrast, and color saturation. Its viewing angle was vastly superior to 20" ALU, and nearly indistinguishable from the 24" iMacs (of either vintage). It's clearly NOT a bargain-basement TN panel.

Also, the backlight brightness controls have a very generous adjustment range -- so you won't have any need for screen-dimming apps such as Shades. BTW, Shades is a wonderful app for those of us who need it, but it does (and must) adversely affect the display's dynamic range.

...good luck with the new toy.

Looby