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30" Display Flickering/Dancing Pixels

I picked up a 30" display and the issues started ... This is not a dead/stuck pixels issue.

Bought the display at my local Apple store, got it home set it up and did the usual dead pixel search, OK there's three of them (two red one green), round the edges and to honest the pixel size on this display is so small that unless you have a cluster of them in one spot then the odd one here or there isn't really noticeable.

But then, after the screen has been on for a while I see green flickering or dancing pixels on the display. They disappear if you move the mouse pointer over them but reappear when the pointer is moved away, in fact this can even make them multiply.

I search here on the forums and found this :

Again 30" display with lots of green pixels

That post also contains a link to another post of the issue (and even includes an image of the issue at :

Flickering green and blue pixel problem

OK, I'm not going mad and it's not my eyes.

So, I return to the store and we can reproduce it on their G5 with GeForce 6800 Ultra. Something I am very pleased about as it proves it's not my G5 of GeForce card, and the store replaces the screen.

Screen #2: Get it home set it up again do the dead/stuck pixel search, none this time, wow OK let's leave the screen on for a while with nothing happening and ... green flicker returns.

Now, it does go away if you turn the screen off then on again. But they do come back. Sometimes not straight away, but only takes a few minutes. So screen #2 will be going back ...

It definitely would seem to be a display issue as in the threads above it happens on ATI and GeForce cards, Laptops and Desktops (though I didn't see anyone having issues on Windows).

Thanks for reading

Spencer

[EDIT : Here's a link where you can see my test image and a photo of the flickering pixels on my screen - SEE THE AMAZING FLICKERING PIXELS END EDIT]

[EDIT - Update:

I took the second display back to the Apple Store and we proved it on a third G5 and GeForce 6800 Ultra. Let me make sure that's clear. We demonstrated this to the Genius on hand with two different displays that had the issue on my G5 Dual 2.5 with GeForce 6800 at home and with two G5 2.5's with 6800 's at the store.

The staff were great, they waited until it returned (about 30 minutes) and were very interested when it happened. I made the decision not to try a 3rd screen and took a refund which the store did not give me any hassle in doing so.

I just want to say, if this mail seems to be anti-Apple it is not meant to be. The 30" screen is a great screen, the color was great and it if it were not for this one issue I would be proud to own one. The staff at the store were all polite and helpful.

Hopefully, Apple will realise this issue and find a solution for it.

Spencer

END UPDATE]

Posted on Apr 10, 2005 7:16 AM

458 replies

Dec 14, 2007 7:05 AM in response to Spencer Kirk-Jackson

I bought my 30" in November of '07, and the second day I noticed the green flickering pixels. It only happens about once every other week, but if I switch the resolution to "thousands of colors" and then back to "millions of colors", the green flickering lights are gone, for at least two weeks or so.

Contemplating returning my display, but can't live without it right now. Especially if I return it only to get a new one that does the same thing, or does it more often.

Jiinus

Level 1

4 points

Dec 14, 2007 5:10 PM in response to Spencer Kirk-Jackson

Bought a 30" Cinema HD today and immediately noticed short blue lines dancing in the black areas of the display. After trying all the hocus-pocus tricks on this thread the problem still persisted and I was getting very frustrated. But since I sold my old display just before buying this one, and am in a middle of a project with an excruciatingly tight deadline, I just don't have the time to be carrying monitors around the town let alone living a single day without a decent display.

So in this state of anger I wrote a very critical (but proper) review on Apple Store about this product. Suddenly just after pressing the submit button all problems just vanished! Also noticed that the background image displayed on 30" CHDD in Apple Store had changed from the old blue Tiger background to the new spacey Leopard -theme (yesterday it was still the good old blue one). Could this be a sign for a new version of this display?

Jan 2, 2008 11:05 PM in response to Jiinus

Just discovered how many posts there are online about this annoying pixel problem. Unbelievable really. This one goes back 2,5 years! Still with no apparent resolution or acknowledgement from apple that the problem officially even exists. There does appear to be a systemic problem within the company the past cple of years in this way. Uber aggressive marketing, yet failure to own up to mistakes and/or inclination to fix them. Another case in point: anyone tried Leopard yet? My advice...don't. First it doesn't solve the driver or whatever issue of the green/blue/red sparkles. I get them as much as ever. Second it won't work with any of my printers, or any of my very expensive and much needed software for work, even tho when I asked Apple about it before buying another expensive paperweight from them they said it would be perfect. It isn't.
Not to change the subject of this thread, but there is clearly an internal problem going on at the company. In their desire to compete against PC's and drive their stock pries up they have forgotten their roots. Quality computers and good customer service, mainly aimed at those in the graphics and entertainment businesses. Maybe they should just stick with iPods. All I can say is Leopard **s. Another missed boat there.
Funny they had ads showing the pc guy defending Vista when Leopard is much worse (I have both). So much so that there is a 400MB update coming out in Feb sometime to try and address it's many shortcomings. Then suddenly those ads seem to have stopped.
Meanwhile to catch u up I have exchanged my monitor 3 times in the past year. Gotten several video cards etc. And now upgraded (?) to Leopard. All to no avail. The 23" monitors have a famous problem as well as u know. I spend half the year living in Prague and at the Apple stores there they tell pple to stick with the 20's as the most reliable of the brand, or get another brand but to stay away from the Apple 23's and 30's. Wow, an honest sales team, how refreshing.
Great to see this thread and know I am not alone in this green speckled acid dream. And yet after 2,5 years still no answers or solutions, or even so much as a note from Apple in response. How long are we supposed to wait? If they have no loyalty to their customers, why should we continue our loyalty to them?
At least they are finally making a decent keyboard. But what's the deal with that crappy little mouse? Sheeeesh....

Jan 22, 2008 1:45 PM in response to Spencer Kirk-Jackson

After having a 30" cinema for over 2 years and moving to a new location in the same period of time I've come to the conclusion that the dancing pixels were due to "dirty" electricity or interference or a poor ground (created by GKW). Since moving to a new location this past six months the problem disappeared, except once or twice when there was construction in the office next door. Have not had the problem with Leopard at all.

Jan 22, 2008 8:57 PM in response to Dr. Science

got 30' cinema connected directly from my macbook pro, no problem whatsoever. I agree it could be the ground problem.

Jan 24, 2008 10:43 AM in response to Spencer Kirk-Jackson

It's not just an issue with Apple 30" Cinema Displays/Macs. I'm having this same issue with a 30" Dell display and Optiplex tower. It looks exactly the same as on the Cinema Displays.

Jan 25, 2008 8:46 PM in response to Dr. Science

I had the dancing pixel problem although my equipment was connected to a Monster Pro 3500 power conditioner

http://www.amazon.com/Monster-MP-PRO-3500-Protection/dp/B0002PZGNY/ref=sr11?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1201322467&sr=8-1

Having read this entire thread, I'm not sure what's more unbelievable- that this problem hasn't so much as been acknowledged by Apple, or that there hasn't already been a major class-action.

Jan 25, 2008 10:01 PM in response to AppleUser02

Just to add to that (don't know why the edit function didn't appear)- in my opinion, the fact that they have not even acknowledged the issue is the most reliable indication we have that the issue is a major and irremediable defect. Consider it from an economic perspective- remember that part in Fight Club where they talk about how car companies weigh the cost of a recall against the cost of settling injury claims, and decline to recall if it would be cheaper to just pay the claims? It's the same dynamic, though it's only our wallets that are being maimed and dismembered.

I'm sure Apple techs understand the cause of the issue given that they have known of it for nearly THREE YEARS. If any of the fixes discussed in this thread (drivers, video card, etc.) were effective in resolving this issue for good, Apple would have communicated this information to its customers immediately. The powers that be at Apple have probably concluded that it's cheaper to continue knowingly profiting from the sale of defective equipment, notwithstanding the costs of "individual settlements" with aggrieved consumers (read: tech support, exchanges/replacements, etc.)

This post will probably be deleted, but that only further validates my hypothesis. I eagerly await the day when a thoughtful lawyer digs up compares the Apple-moderated thread with its unedited incarnations and uses this information in the class-action. I'm sure Apple wishes it could censor web caches!

dirkx

Level 1

0 points

Jan 28, 2008 9:59 AM in response to ib80

Just to answer some of above.

- Seen the problem with both a G5 and an Intel (on the very same screen) but with 3 different type of cards

- Seen the problem on two different screens - but never at the same time.

- Seen the problem on the 'other' video card (which is not identical).

So that suggests that if it is a hardware defect it is shared by 3 screens bought over a period of 2 years. Likewise if it is the OSX drivers then the issue is in at least three different drivers from 2 vendors - and likewise for the graphics cards.

In all cases; a full powercyle will solve it.

Jan 28, 2008 6:42 PM in response to Spencer Kirk-Jackson

I had this exact problem with a 30 in Cinema Display.Flickering picels. When I switched to an intel Mac Pro Tower, the problem went away. I have had no problems at all with the display, until recently after upgrading to Leopard. Now I don't have the blinking pixels problems, but intermittent usually horizontal glitches in the display often in Safari. My display card is a Radeon X1900 card. I don't think the problem is the monitor. It is is either the firmware on the graphics card or Leopard. That is just an opinion. But I wish either Apple or ATI would fix it. Actually the horizontal glitch is much less intrusive than the flickering pixels problem.

ib80

Level 1

0 points

Jan 29, 2008 4:11 PM in response to Gary Dickey

Gary Dickey wrote:
but intermittent usually horizontal glitches in the display often in Safari. My display card is a Radeon X1900 card. I don't think the problem is the monitor. It is is either the firmware on the graphics card or Leopard. That is just an opinion. But I wish either Apple or ATI would fix it. Actually the horizontal glitch is much less intrusive than the flickering pixels problem.

A yellow like band, that only shows up in a quick millisecond...? If so I get it too, and thats on a NVIDIA card. So I'd say its a Safari issue perhaps...

Feb 1, 2008 5:45 AM in response to ib80

I have two 30" displays the one on my MAC Pro worked perfectly from the start, both the MAC and the CD are about four months old.

However, the one on my G5 running a 6800GT video card had the problem out of the box. Since I had Apple Care this is what happened over the next few months

1 replaced video card - still had the problem
2 sent the CD to Apple for repair - still had the problem
3 upgraded to leopard - still had the problem
4 updated firm ware - still had the problem
5 returned the CD to Apple for a "New one" Walla!!! the problem wen away and everything works perfectly

Based on my extensive experience with this I really think it is a problem with "some 30" cinema displays.

Also, I highly recommend purchasing Apple Care on any Apple product.

That my cut and good luck

Fotoarts

Level 1

0 points

Feb 1, 2008 7:26 AM in response to Spencer Kirk-Jackson

I read the thread and I'm still undecided. Some say the Pixels got fixed, others the problem went away, others never had it....guys overall, if you didn't have a Cinema display; would you buy one? Would you buy something else? Would you go to Lacie or go to something more pleasing to the eye? The apple would fit my overall future office look, but is it worthy? I peaked the specs of others and liked what I saw.

ib80

Level 1

0 points

Feb 1, 2008 10:26 AM in response to DJKFISHER02

DJKFISHER02 wrote:
*5: returned the CD to Apple for a "New one" Walla!!! the problem wen away and everything works perfectly*

Based on my extensive experience with this I really think it is a problem with "some 30" cinema displays.

Also, I highly recommend purchasing Apple Care on any Apple product.

That my cut and good luck

This has been said many times on this thread. The major problem is, certain people have had from 5 up to 7 displays replaced. Can you possibly imagine the time and hassle sending these displays back and forth to Apple, to have another display replaced and it has the same problem (including the shipping costs). That could go on for months... and as some have said, there's been that many replacements all they ended up doing was getting their money back.

It would be great if a replacement would sort it, but the sad thing is other people have also had 3 replacements one after another, and they were no better of.

Another thing that makes this worse, you're not the first to say a replacement got sorted, then 3 - 6 months later on or so, it is back.
Or... the DVI noise happens on one machine but not another, nobody seems to know how why what where and when causes this. It's totally intermittent, which makes it worse. Plus its been happening with the Dell 30"s as well, since at one time both the Apple 30 and Dell 30 used the same panels, by LG. Apple still uses LG, as if I remember correctly, the newer Dell 30's use Samsung panels.

Then there's the other sad thing to gamble with, when it comes to LCD's. Just say for example you get a new replacement with this problem sorted, but it arrives with backlight problems. Or worse actual dead pixels.
It seems to be a hit or a miss with the DVI noise problem, and 9/10 its always a hit.

The only way I've seen how to solve this problem when the screen goes into standby (well its more of a workaround than a remedy), power off the display via the power button on the side before awakening the screens out of its standby state. Then power the screen back on.

tbien

Level 1

0 points

Feb 4, 2008 11:03 PM in response to Spencer Kirk-Jackson

I have done some experimenting and have found that I can re-create the blue pixel problem and get rid of it at will. I don't know if any one else will have these same results, but for me it is the screen saver setting. I get the pixels when i use the screen saver and do not get them when I turn the screen saver settings to none. I do not get them when I just have the monitor turn off after a few minutes. The brightness settings that others have suggested do not seem to effect me. I would love it if you all that are having these problems could share your screen saver and energy settings. Thanks

30" Display Flickering/Dancing Pixels