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Richhep Author

Level 1

8 points

Display flashes to solid black intermittently

I originally posted this in the wrong category for the MacBook Pro instead of the Monitor catagory. I am wondering if anyone else has the same problem. I posted the following last night.

*Still an unknown issue with Apple Tech Support*? After 2 calls to product specialists and apparently an undocumented issue by any customers contacting tech support this seems to be a widespread worldwide issue. In one form or another with no answer after several months of the computer release displays are blinking, flickering and flashing to name a few descriptions of this problem. Mine flashes solid black for a fraction of a second and comes right back on. I have had this issue in the power saving mode as well as the better performance mode so that kills that theory. To this point there has been no pattern that I have been able to detect. I can go for weeks without a blink and all of a sudden get 2 in 5 minutes. Usually I am pretty good at troubleshooting but this problem has no pattern and is so intermittent I think it's going to be a tough one and I truly believe Apple has no clue as of yet so they are not addressing it publicly or to individuals calling in with the problem. I purchased my computer November 29th. I used it for over a month without ever seeing the issue. When the new monitor came out I still did not experience any issues with either display in the area of blinking, flickering or flashing. There is a video on Youtube that I have located showing the exact same issue as mine. Though the person on Youtube has a non-apple display and mine is the new 24" Apple display and it is the exact same issue this rules out the problem being the external display. Well, I can check that off as well. This is the link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-dQIgfIFsI Does anyone else have the exact same issue as mine? I am thinking maybe it is something in the 10.5.6 update. Who Knows?

*BTW this problem is not at all heat related.* It can happen during heavy use or very light use at low temps. I have purchased many newly released Apple Computers over the years and have actually had great luck with them. I hope this is not my first lemon.

MacBook Pro (late 2008) 2.53GHz, Mac OS X (10.5.6), Apple LED Cinema Display (24" flat panel)

Posted on Feb 10, 2009 11:35 PM

515 replies

Mar 17, 2011 1:30 PM in response to Richhep

My 24" LED Cinema Display (aug 2010) started with black fashing thing early on after instaled.

At the time I checked on the problem and concluded (probably mistakenly) that was sort of "normal" for LED displays.

The black Flashes where occasional and, even though anoying, kinda got used to them.

Today the screen went black completetly until I had to force shutdown (hold down the power button) my Mac Pro. (a courious thing was that I could still hear the music on my sound sticks but when the song ended it did not continue playing the rest of the album)

The black screen problem happened a couple of times in about 10 minuntes. One of the times was while running from the hardware test CD (kind of discards the OS theory)

Changed monitor for an old 17" Cinema Display on the DVI port and could succesfully run the "exteded" hardware test. There where no problems found.

Restarted from another disk and passed diskwarrior on the main disk just in case. there where no problems found either.

At this time I thought it was either the display card (ATI Radeon 5870) or the Monitor itself.

Pluged in the monitor again, this time on a different display port, and it's been running normaly for the last 4 hours.

While reading the whole thread I got a little preocupied about the problem comming from the monitor's power supply.

Any advice? Any ideas? I want to have this fixed before my guaranty expires.

mulhiem

Level 1

0 points

Mar 23, 2011 11:19 AM in response to Pindaro.info

If its any help, my Apple Display 24 is exactly the same.

However it only happens when my Mac Book Pro has been on for over 24 hours. Normally I let it sleep overnight, have it on for days at a time.

When I turn it off when not using - the blinking stops, its definitely an overheat problem arising from the Mac Book.

Mar 25, 2011 3:42 PM in response to Richhep

Just a helpful bump to keep this at the top of the discussions!

Mar 28, 2011 12:50 PM in response to Richhep

After my Feb 19 post the situation ocurred today again. Almost 40 days black free.

Mar 31, 2011 8:08 AM in response to Pindaro.info

Has anyone checked if the 10.6.7 update addressed their black screen blinking issues?

Mar 31, 2011 11:45 AM in response to davidb367

10.6.7 has NOT addressed the issues. In fact, some users on the sister thread are reporting that it has made things even worse. My own experience is the same. We're still waiting from Apple to come out with a formal fix/update/patch for this.

OzAl

Level 1

0 points

Apr 3, 2011 1:54 AM in response to Richhep

Also just adding my name to the list:

24" and new MBP 13" i7. Flashing this evening is every minute or so. Very annoying - I'll have to plug in the old Dell to get some work done.

Apr 7, 2011 9:40 AM in response to OzAl

Friendly bump to keep this issue on Page 1.....

Apr 7, 2011 5:38 PM in response to leesilberkleit

For those of you who aren't following the "sister thread" for this issue, this is the absolute latest word from Apple Support (after speaking to them on the phone for quite a bit today):

-Intermittent flickering issue with 24" LED Cinema Display is an *escalated engineering priority*
-Software/firmware update will be pushed soon, *check Software Update daily*
-*No repairs or replacements* are being made for this issue (they were firm on that)

So, just gotta be patient, and no new 27" for me 😟

tinbie

Level 1

11 points

Apr 18, 2011 3:39 AM in response to Richhep

I have the same problem.

After calling apple they told me to get the screen in for a repair.

Or more a testing-phase to see if it happens at the APR.

Now after reading this I just know I'm fooled. Bought the screen last week. If only I knew this be4 I bought it :/

I hope there is a solution quite fast for it.. I keep on following the discussions.

Rahabib

Level 1

0 points

Apr 19, 2011 2:59 PM in response to msinanian

msinanian wrote:

For those of you who aren't following the "sister thread" for this issue, this is the absolute latest word from Apple Support (after speaking to them on the phone for quite a bit today):

-Intermittent flickering issue with 24" LED Cinema Display is an *escalated engineering priority*
-Software/firmware update will be pushed soon, *check Software Update daily*
-*No repairs or replacements* are being made for this issue (they were firm on that)

So, just gotta be patient, and no new 27" for me 😟

lol. we have been patient for well over a year now. They are just now working on this?

sbudhram

Level 1

0 points

Apr 20, 2011 3:16 AM in response to Rahabib

I've been having this problem since I started using my MacBook Air with my 30'' Cinema Display over a year ago. The solution ended up being switching out the display port dual link dvi adapter. I haven't had a flicker since doing that, and that was about a month ago. Before that, it had been happening every couple minutes.

I recommend to anyone having this problem to (a) demo it to Apple and (b) keep requesting adapter replacements until the problem goes away.

This is a hard problem because it *only* happens with specific combinations of hardware - in my case, a Macbook Air, a 30'' Cinema Display, and a faulty adapter. My old adapter works fine for non-Apple monitors, but not with this specific combination. Also, I was previously using this Cinema Display attached to a standard PC, with no problems, for over a year. I'd also test a PC setup if possible to make sure you get no flicker.

tinbie

Level 1

11 points

Apr 20, 2011 3:11 AM in response to sbudhram

I understand.

But the 24 ACD doesn't have a Dual Link Dvi adapter :/

sbudhram

Level 1

0 points

Apr 20, 2011 3:19 AM in response to tinbie

Ah, after googling it, I see... that's.... unfortunate.

Apr 21, 2011 6:59 AM in response to Richhep

I just purchased a dual link mini DisplayPort adapter for my 30" ACD and got the typical flicker. I also got weird static, like an old TV with a weak antenna. But I noticed after I plugged in my iPhone into one of the USB ports on my machine and the flicker went away. Might be coincidence but may not.

I have a 2011 MBP 17", 8GB RAM, 128 SSD.

Apple Keyboard and Logitech Trackball connected to ACD

Display flashes to solid black intermittently