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Level 2

186 points

24 inch iMac aluminum - Screen irregularities - (Photo!)

Is anyone else seeing this? My 24" iMac Aluminum screen is a full f-stop dimmer on the right side! I am a photographer and so I took a light meter reading of the screen, with desktop image set to light gray solid background.

I took my trusty light meter to the Apple store and checked 2 more 24" iMacs on display... both had the same problem, but not quite as bad as mine. (see photo below)

Local Apple store manager says that if the iMac screen is not "professional" enough for me, they'll be happy to take it back and sell me a pro unit and separate monitor. I say there is something very wrong with these units. I would not be happy with this machine even just for web browsing, email and casual photos, let alone attempting anything even REMOTELY professional!

I advise anyone reading this to do the same test... set the background desktop image to a "solid color" and evaluate before buying! You don't need a light meter, anyone can see it immediately.

24" iMac Aluminum, Mac OS X (10.4.10)

Posted on Aug 19, 2007 8:51 PM

321 replies

cbadland

Level 1

16 points

Sep 3, 2008 6:10 AM in response to Peter Mars

Just got my 24 iMac. The exact same issue with uneven illumination as described here. Exactly as seen in the first pic posted... over a year ago!
After skimming through the almost 300 posts, I assume it will do me no good to get the iMac replaced. Am I correct that the best solution so far is to raise contrast/brightness, re-calibrate then use freeware "Shades" to control screen brightness?
Very disappointing.
My only concern prior to getting the 24" iMac was potentially distracting reflections on its glass screen. But this extreme illumination variance (over 1-stop from edge to middle) is much worse.

CB

cbadland

Level 1

16 points

Sep 6, 2008 4:30 PM in response to cbadland

Followup:
Well, I re-calibrated and installed Shades. Although I like Shades, the uneven illumination is still quite apparent. The 24" iMac screen, I'm sure, is fine for non-critical work. It's bright lush and glossy.
I was hoping that it could fit my bill and I could save a few hundred bucks. Too bad.

Laximus

Level 1

5 points

Sep 21, 2008 4:09 PM in response to cbadland

I am from Hungary/Budapest.
I just bought an iMac 24" on last wednesday, and at home i noticed same gradient issue: right side is darker and it's yellowish in the middle third part of the screen.
With 10.5.4 Leopard install dvd-s, so it has to be the latest one machine.

And the problem still there.

I wrote about it here too:
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=8133254#8133254
because it seemed all the topics with this theme has closed.

I found this topic finally.

I will go back to the service tomorrow, but i'm affraid of i will get even worsth screen, but i will try.

Wish me luck!

Sep 24, 2008 7:53 PM in response to Laximus

IMHO, you are all wasting your time and the Apple reseller where you bought your computer by going back and forth trying different iMacs and screen sizes. Unless you are prepared to shell out thousands of dollars/pounds/whatever for a professional quality screen you are complaining about something that is common to ALL LCD monitors at the lower end of the production spectrum. I have this on pretty good authority from someone who is a digital photo-retoucher who spent around NZ$8,000 to get an LCD that was up to the level required for his work. He spent countless hours talking with experts before purchasing his screen and they all gave him the same answer. There is no form of hardware calibration inbuilt into lower end LCD monitors (like the iMac) to take care of the type of calibration you want for your screen.

Laximus

Level 1

5 points

Sep 25, 2008 1:03 AM in response to Kevin Welsh1

You are right!
I didnt waste my time, i asked my money back in the shop, and i will NOT buy any Apple product anymore in the future. (I used iMac since more than 2 years.) Also i will NOT offer to anybody to buy! I had dozens of hardver problems all my 4 iMacs, mainly its screens.
If a screen not proffesional, it DOESNT mean that it could be "TRICOLOR" or could be BacklighBleeding as ****!
I saw many NOT professional LCD screens without this kind of annoying things.
The screens in the Alu iMac 20"/24" what the Apple uses in these products, are the WORST and cheapest screens, what you could find on the market.
All my friends saw this Alu 24" screen and everybody noticed this "left side brighter, yellowish in the middle" effect, and their opinion its terribble, except one, but he has colourblindness...

Message was edited by: Laximus

Sep 25, 2008 8:27 PM in response to Peter Mars

I really think you guys are over reacting to the monitor issue. It's not a defect. It is what it is. If you set your desktop to 18% and geek out about the shade variance, you need to go to more expensive hardware that's DESIGNED to hold those tolerances. If the iMac monitor doesn't look fabulous to you, move on to something else. The iPod's included headphones suck, but they're not defective. Kick in the bucks to satisfy your scrutiny. Your Hasselblad tastes aren't going to be satisfied at the iMac level.

cbadland

Level 1

16 points

Sep 29, 2008 6:23 PM in response to Paul Threatt

There is a full stop difference from the edge to the center. That is TWICE as bright from edge to center on the display. This is hardly “Hasselblad taste”, but ****-poor quality on Apple’s part.
Apple has no (published) designated tolerance for the iMac display as far as evenness of illumination. How can they design a display to hold or not hold tolerance if none are prescribed? The fault is with Apple for not having a codified tolerance for their iMac display.

GCASS

Level 1

0 points

Sep 30, 2008 2:42 PM in response to Peter Mars

My imac 20" just started displaying weak colors and jumping graphics. Like its 256.
What ***** is you cant really see how ****** up my screen really is. I edit HD video and am busted until I get this fixed.
I have owned this for about 2 or 3 months now. ???????????? OSX 10.5.5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8G2_DhgiT8

Nov 3, 2008 6:19 PM in response to Peter Mars

Yes, same thing happened to mine. They replaced the LCD (under warranty), I got it home, plugged it in, SAME THING! I'm a photographer as well and this is UNUSABLE! Come on Mac, what's up. I am going to return the unit and i guess get a mac pro with separate monitor.

Nov 3, 2008 6:29 PM in response to Paul Threatt

I'm sorry, Mac is supposed to be associated with graphics. My $200 acer monitor is more accurate than this. What I'm seeing is not a minor difference.

Nov 3, 2008 6:35 PM in response to Kevin Welsh1

Not true. My $200 acer monitor is very even side to side. I also bought a Lacie 319 for $600, very even illumination. This imac screen is whacked! You don't have to be a pro to see it!

wheel

Level 1

4 points

Nov 11, 2008 12:13 AM in response to Laximus

I picked up a 24" 3.06ghz iMac a couple weeks ago and had the same problem you describe - dark on the right, yellowish in the middle. Definitely more noticeable with the brightness lowered down for photo work (±120 Lumens). The "Geniuses" at the Apple Store today assured me it was an anomaly and gladly replaced the unit. Got home, fired it up and sure enough, same exact problem. Certainly not the "perfect pixel experience" Apple advertised and I believed I was paying a premium for.

Nov 22, 2008 8:56 PM in response to DougGingerich

I find it amazing that this issue is still continuing well over a year later. I guess Apple never fixed the issue.

I exchanged 2 back in mid/late 2007 and then 2 more again in early 2008. All had the exact same gradient issue. I've never seen screens like this before and I knew I'd never be happy with it, as editing B/W photos was annoying since it was even more obvious (the middle of the photo almost looked sepia!!).

I gave up on macs, went back to the PC world, and my 22" LG monitor is pixel perfect, has perfect brightness on each side, and has none of the corner "spotlight" backlight bleed, only a very soft halo glow on the top and bottom edges. I'm very happy with the purchase.

Nov 23, 2008 11:52 PM in response to rpeters83

Here's hoping the unconfirmed 24" LED Backlit iMac will replace all the problems found with the dodgy backlighting on the current revision.

If its anything like the new 24" Macbook add on display it's going to be gorgeous 🙂

Melodyman

Level 2

215 points

Nov 24, 2008 12:39 PM in response to Mac Adict

I bought the new 24" 3.06 intel iMac a week after they came out. The screen it shipped with had a dark horizontal band about 3 inches high across the middle of the screen. I decided to use it for awhile to see if it went away but after a few months was getting worse. I called up Applecare's extended warranty line and they had a serviceman come to my house with a replacement 24" screen. To my dismay, it was not a new screen but an older refurbished one. It too had a dark 'stain' on it but it also had bad pixels and looked like it had a layer of canvas over it. Horrible. I called Apple back, told them I needed a new glossy screen for the new iMacs, not the older ones. Today they came back with a new 24' LG Phillips screen and all is now as should be,. No shadows and crisp clear in focus no pixels out. It can be done, you just have to be persistent.

24 inch iMac aluminum - Screen irregularities - (Photo!)