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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

Sep 3, 2009 6:30 AM in response to titusm

This is happening to me too. About 20 times each morning. Sometimes the black-outs are separated by intervals of 5 minutes or more, and sometimes they occur in quick succession. Oddly, my monitor doesn't do it when connected to another computer, and my computer doesn't do it when connected to another monitor. The problem only occurs when my specific monitor is hooked up to my specific computer. Also, it never happens in the afternoon.

titusm

Level 1

26 points

Sep 3, 2009 7:11 AM in response to misserint

I wonder, if these blackouts and flashes are caused by some interferences in the electricity mains. Maybe the Mini Display Port is very touchy and misserents neighbour is just using his coffee machine every morning.

Sep 3, 2009 11:08 AM in response to titusm

It's also not just the MBP...as many of us have this problem with mac minis and iMacs as well...

Seems like the only common denominator is the actual display.

Happens with different computers.
Happens with different versions of OSX (including 10.6)
Happens with single and/or dual monitor setups.

And a much wider issue than Apple will apparently admit as some have replaced their monitors and have the same problem!

imranm

Level 1

0 points

Sep 4, 2009 5:01 AM in response to Richhep

I'm having the same problem after install SL

h.frank

Level 1

0 points

Sep 8, 2009 4:45 PM in response to Richhep

Ok first of all my setup is MBP 2.8GHz (latest) + Cinema Display 24", and i have the flicker problem, not the blackout. Meening I don't get blackouts lasting a second i get flickers lasting nanoseconds but clearly noticeable and quite often like once or twice a minute when it gets going. But not all the time just occasionally whenever, beeing pretty bad when it starts doing it.

So i tried lots of things and read other peoples reports and solutions finding that non of thees work, like switching from n9400 to n9600 makes no difference in the long run. What i found though is that many people claim it to be related to what time during the it is. People claiming it's ok during the afternoon but gets bad in the evening. This is exactly true for me to, i was thinkin to myself that maybe i just dont notice it during daylight but that's not the case.

For me I found that there is no problem as long as i keep the brightness setting on six (6) or more dots, if i turn down the display to say 5 4 or 3 dots the flickering starts. I don't now if this is true for users who have the 1 second balckouts but hope it will atleast help others with the nanosecond flickering problem.

Nevertheless i think this i unacceptable for a display in this price range to behave like this and hope for a solution that makes it possible to run the display dimmed down even further without problems. And Apple to make some kind of statement about the problem.

Sep 10, 2009 9:02 PM in response to Richhep

I wonder if this has to do with power surges or voltage spikes. I had my setup plugged straight into the wall (bad, I know). I assume most all of you have surge protectors. (Is that right?)

Has anyone tried a more sophisticated voltage regulator?

Sep 10, 2009 9:24 PM in response to Richhep

Add me to the chain, glad to see im not the only one. pretty annoying. seems like some sort of graphics card problem. more frequent with snowy.

Rupe

Level 1

10 points

Sep 13, 2009 3:06 AM in response to Richhep

Hey there, I have the same problem with the unibody Macbook Pro 2.4ghz and 24 inch display...But in my opinion it is not the display...it is the mini display port. I can go for 8-12 hours at a stretch and not see one flicker or black out on two different 24 inch LED displays, but if I just touch the cable of the mini display port connector, I get the black out. IT IS THE MINI-DISPLAY PORT CONNECTOR! When I hook up an external TV to the apple adapter I get the exact same problem...I can replicate this repeatedly. The mini-display port is poorly designed and is far too twitchy. If I leave everything alone and don't touch the cable or the computer..in any of my scenarios, either 24 inch cinema display, or an external TV via the apple DVI adapter..no black out issues whatsoever. This happens in both video card modes (9400 or 9600) The only problem I do have with the actual 24 inch displays is that I have seen several of them with dead pixels...usually one per every monitor I have seen thus far...

Alvises

Level 1

0 points

Sep 14, 2009 2:33 PM in response to Richhep

Hi, I have the same problem too. I have a macbook pro 15" unibody and there is this problem when I switch to 9600 GT. If I use the mbp with the 9400 all goes fine...
Any one has solved this huge trouble ?

kjhealy

Level 1

0 points

Sep 15, 2009 8:44 AM in response to Richhep

I'm having this problem, too. I bought the 24" cinema display on Monday and today (Tuesday) I'm getting these black flashes intermittently. I have the display hooked up to a 24" iMac 3.06GHz, which has an NVIDIA GeForce GT 130, so it's not just an issue with the MacBook video chips. Very annoying.

Sep 16, 2009 11:51 PM in response to kjhealy

Same problem here. 20" display connected to Mac Pro - it's been fine for the last 10 months but has now developed the intermittent blinking to the point where the set up is barely usable at times. To their great credit Apple have replaced the monitor, the monitor power brick and the Mac video card without hesitation but still the problem persists. If I connect a Dell 20" digital monitor to the Mac Pro the problem disappears. I've had to stop using the Apple screen. When connecting the (replacement) monitor to my G4 the blinking returns. It seems to be a monitor issue with me but on a replacement and with a new power brick? Apple Care are considering the next steps. It is not resolved with SL either.

Sep 18, 2009 6:20 AM in response to Richhep

I have the same issues. I am running a 15" MBP 2.93 with 4GB of RAM connected to a 30" Apple Cinema Display connected via the mini display port with the Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter. Since moving to this MBP from my older one with DVU directly on the side I get black flashes on the external display throughout the day. I am running with the lower graphic settings as I take the machine with me to lots of meetings and home each day and need the battery life. The display on the MBP itself never flashes, only the external. I know it isn't the display as it has worked perfectly for me for 18 or 24 months.

Anyone getting this fixed by Apple? I wonder if it is the MBP or the Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter?

Sep 22, 2009 1:29 PM in response to Richhep

Same problem here. MacPro 4.1 with ATI Radeon 4870 and 24" LED Cinema Display. System running 10.6.1

The blackouts do not occur every day. And I never touch the cable.

Really annoying when you buy this expensive products and you have to deal with such problems...

Sep 22, 2009 1:36 PM in response to Richhep

I think it might be a voltage issue. At least that's my theory of the moment. The fellow I am working with at a local authorized service center tested the voltage inside the monitor (not sure where, precisely) and found it was 15volts, whereas Apple told him it should be 24volts. I am returning the monitor tomorrow and he will try to correct this problem.

I'll let everyone know what happens.

Sep 28, 2009 12:13 AM in response to Richhep

Same problem here Mid 2009 2.8Ghz MBP 15"(MacBookPro5,3), Brand New 24" Cinema Display. Happens more when MBP is closed I have found.

Display flashes to solid black intermittently