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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

reid007

Level 1

0 points

Oct 14, 2009 1:04 AM in response to Richhep

I have had a new LED ACD connected to a new 24" iMac for about 4 weeks now. The problem being discussed here started for me only a couple of days ago and as far as I can establish I have made no changes to the hardware and have done nothing to the settings save a few application installations. I have set up 2 Spaces which I didn't use before but other than that, nothing. Strangely I had another problem from day one with the ACD not waking from sleep when the iMac woke - no solution to this other than either to reboot or disconnect and reconnect the ACD power and the guys at Aplle just suggested a PRAM reset. Fortunately that intermittent problem seems to have gone away, only to be replaced by the screen blackout issue besetting us all. Fingers crossed for a solution.

Oct 14, 2009 3:29 AM in response to reid007

This has been going on for many months and no one has had am answer from Apple? Has anyone who has reported the problem through AppleCare plan had an answer, had their monitors repaired or replaced with a working unit?

Is there any news on anyone having this problem remain unfixed and then escalated up the Applecare hierarchy to someone at Apple who can take decisive action?

Like posters above I am reluctant to be the guinea-pig who sends their monitor back for testing/repair but it's looking like the only way to get started and feel that I am going to have take the plunge.

Oct 14, 2009 3:41 AM in response to mr.datsun

My "intermittently black-screened" ACD was replaced altogether yesterday at the Columbus Apple store. I'm still a bit under 24 hours since I've been using my replacement ACD but (knock on wood) so far there have been no "black screen" issues.

Oct 14, 2009 8:20 AM in response to Mike in Columbus

My 20" screen was replaced twice, the first replacement had the same problem almost straight away. A third monitor was provided, under Apple Care, and so far, one week later, no re-occurrence of the problem. I'm knocking on wood as well as I type.

Oct 16, 2009 8:18 AM in response to Steve Morris

So on day 4 I had the flash to black. So I decided since it was a temporary fix anyway to go back to my original configuration, So unplugged hub form display and back into the rear port of the computer. The flashing started immediately and was much more frequent.

So......I decided to switch back (monotonous isn't it) The absolute second I plugged the hub back into the monitor the flash occurred. As another poster suggested this really feels like a marginal power supply or some other border line component or part.

Since I switched back it's flashing a little more often, talk about leaving well enough alone.

Steve

RM8:28

Level 1

10 points

Oct 16, 2009 1:59 PM in response to Steve Morris

I am trying to see how many apple displays are affected by this problem. If you could all post to this link we should be able to get a better count. Thanks,

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=10415065#10415065

Oct 19, 2009 9:56 AM in response to Richhep

I have some good news: my monitor was tested by an Apple-certified technician at my university who seemed very competent. He discovered some low voltage readings at the test points (not sure the precise details of this, but he tested at the Apple-determined test points). After consultations with Apple, he replaced the power supply - and my intermittent blackouts seem to have been fixed!

I previously had 20-30 one-second blackouts in a full day of work - sometimes coming in rapid succession, sometimes with 30 minutes or an hour between episodes. I never had a day with no blackouts. Today, my first day back at work with the replaced power supply, and not a single blackout.

All along I suspected this was a hardware problem with the monitor itself, and my one data point seems to confirm that hunch.

Oct 20, 2009 5:45 AM in response to Matthew Hedstrom

It's been 6 days since Apple altogether replaced my ACD. Not a single "black screen" seen yet. Hooray!!!!

Nov 4, 2009 8:00 AM in response to Mike in Columbus

I guess the rest of us have given up on a solution for this? I'm still working with a product specialist...

Nov 4, 2009 9:32 AM in response to Richhep

The board has been quiet, but I am still interested. Please post what the product specialist has to say!

Nov 4, 2009 7:29 PM in response to Matthew Hedstrom

Noticed this on a different discussion board -- more hope that Apple is looking into it:

sday757 replied 9 days ago
grundum - Thank, I tried it, but no joy. I decided to call Apple. They had me reset the SMC and the PRAM. That didn't work either. They sent me up to a higher level tech. He said it is a known problem with Snow Leopard and the problem is considered hi priority by apple to fix. So until then he said to check for any Nvidia driver updates. Interesting is that when I dual boot into windows I never see the problem on the windows side. I even played a 3d graphics game (COD4) for several hours to really tax the hardware. Never blanked once on the second monitor. So I'd say it is definitely a driver problem in OSx.
from:
http://getsatisfaction.com/apple/topics/macbookpro_external_monitor_black_outproblem

Nov 4, 2009 9:47 PM in response to William Bridgeforth

Glad to hear Apple Support finally said it is a "high priority item" to fix.

But not glad to hear that they claim it is an issue with Snow Leopard...since it is also an issue with Leopard as well.

It also can't be a conflict with any one specific video card or driver, as it is happening on just about every Mac configuration out there.

I too haven't seen the problem with Windows on the same hardware...at least not yet.

Nov 5, 2009 2:23 PM in response to janericster

Agree this is not just a snow leopard issue...

Also the first thing that was tried on my ACD was to replace the combination cable. Still have the issue. I know that was tried with others in this discussion group but the product specialist says it has worked for some, and not for others.

This would usually mean that something in the design might be marginal so different things for different ACDs might work.

Steve

Nov 6, 2009 5:06 PM in response to Steve Morris

After months of thinking about it, my new 24" LED CD arrived yesterday. I experienced nearly a dozen flashes to solid black during the first day of use. MBP 13, 10.6.1, all up-to-date. I NEVER once had this problem for the four months of having my old, trustworthy Apple 20" CD hooked up to the laptop. So I figured something must be up with the new display.

I found this discussion group. And did three things: (1) Unplug all my usb cables; (2) Reset PRAM; and (3) Reset SMC. None of that solved the problem.

Called Apple technical support first thing this morning. Gave him the url to this discussion group. The tech was great. He honestly admitted not knowing much about this problem. He said I went through all the right steps. And that there is no known fix. He suggested we replace my display with a new replacement.

Got the new replacement via the Genius Bar at my local Apple Store. They were great too.

In the 4 hours I've been using the new display, NOT A SINGLE flash to solid black has occurred. I've got my fingers crossed this will continue. But wanted to get word out to the others here. The fix is simple: you got to get your Display replaced or fixed. Nothing else will solve the problem.

Nov 6, 2009 5:36 PM in response to Glen Berkowitz

Unfortunately, many users have gone back and had their 24" CD replaced with new ones, only to find out that the problem continued. So it is a gamble whether you get one that works or has the blackout issues.

It would be great if Apple is able to track down the problem to a specific range of serial numbers or lot numbers -- that way they could formally announce a recall and get this issue resolved once and for all. But it may be more complicated than that as the problem seems to affect the earliest units as well as the most recent ones.

In my case, my unit blacked out every hour for weeks...then I upgraded to Snow Leopard and did some rearranging of my cables, and the problem stopped for about 3 weeks. Then it started up again about once a day. Now, for the past 2 weeks, I haven't seen it black out at all....so it isn't consistent at all and I can't seem to detect a pattern with my setup. If it starts to happen again, I will definitely take a gamble and see if the local Apple Store will replace it.

Display flashes to solid black intermittently