Yellow tinge from bottom to top of the screen, 27" iMac

Hi Paguyo,

That's good news!. I think it's the only positive fix heard recently, at least 100% sure because the vast majority(in this forum) still can see some colour variation and apparently there are already some week 9 iMacs with the problem.

It would be great to hear from all of you getting new machines and repairs. I know people tend to forget the forums when their problems have been solved but those posts are more than appreciated for potential buyers like me. 🙂

What happened to you Ros?? I remember you had ordered some weeks ago...

thank you all!

I've been watching this thread and decided to chime in - this is my opinion and ONLY my opinion:

I went to the Apple Store yesterday and decided to run these tests on a good variety of machines. IMO, the issue here is the size of the panel involved. EVERY PANEL in the store that was above 17" showed some degree of color tinging.

The 13/15/17" MacBook Pros all look fantastic, with the 17" showing very very slight tinging.

Most notably, the all new 24" LED Cinema Displays showed the EXACT SAME tinging on it's screen, as did every single 21.5" & 27" iMac I looked at (which was 3 or 4 of each).

What this says to me is that panel size is a factor here. The 17" MBP was clean, but the 24" cinema display was not, nor was the 21.5" iMac. So... at some point between 17" and 21.5"-24" the LED LCD panels exhibit this issue.

I'm not waiting to purchase any longer - but again, that's JUST me. When Apple calls it the ultimate display, I don't feel they're 'pulling one over on me'. Opening iPhoto on the WORST 27" machine in the store and glancing through the photo galleries is staggering. The photos look amazing... video looks amazing...

Pretty sure at this point (again, IMO) that Apple displays at these sizes just aren't perfect in color uniformity. The LED Cinema Display was the tipping point for that opinion. And, these are all using LG panels (or others) - so the quality is there. Perhaps the glass or light diffuser has something to do with it?

Either way, I feel better knowing that this exists on every display in the Columbus, OH Apple Store that is larger than 17", regardless of machine, production week, etc.

I agree with you Jeremy. I Have my i7 imac with yellow tint too. Before I panicked I took the liberty of testing a few macs and pc's too in my repair shops. They all exhibit some yellow tint with the exception of CRT displays using "Dino's" test. I've tested viewsonic, dell, sony and other LCD's from 17"-24" all with some degree of variance. I think these threads are very important and a wealth of information for many. I appreciate everyones input. Those who are returning systems for the second and third time should consider going to a friends or neighbors pc and run the test on their systems to obtain a reasonable reference point. Believe it or not, I even saw some yellow on my iphone and blackberry... I do think everyone is validated with their concerns, but it's important to look outside the box (or imac) too. Good luck and thanks to everyone who has commented.

I've got a 46" Sony Bravia LCD TV, an LG 47" LCD TV, a Samsung 32" LCD TV, and a 24" Dell LCD monitor, and none of them have any yellow or colour uniformity issues at all!

There are no excuses for this.

Apple are using inferior panels which belong in something costing half the price we are paying for these otherwise beautiful machines!

Sorry, I just don't see how that's possible. Do you have photos of these panels?

I only ask since I decided to run the test on my BRAND NEW 55" Samsung LED LCD and it had color uniformity issues and backlight bleeding based on the tests in this thread - but looks FLAWLESS during movies. It's literally 2 weeks old. I'm guessing none of the panels you listed are LED sidelit, too. This is certainly playing a part here.

For me, the super-slight tinging does not hamper any part of the experience, just as watching a movie on my Samsung isn't "ruined" because of backlight bleed or color uniformity... it's the current limitations of LED/LCD display technology.

I completely disagree that "there are no excuses for this" and that "Apple are using inferior panels" - it's simply not true. They are using premium LG IPS panels. At this point, I think it's important to realize that this is what the iMac is going to do. So is the cinema display. Make your computer/display choice going forward based on that info and you'll be happy! Whether that means getting a refund or just enjoying the machine is up to you.

Just my $.02 - not trying to be combative, just voicing my opinion and test results.

Well the Apple store now shows 27" iMac's shipping within 24 hours...so I'm starting the clock! I'll wait a few weeks, try to get some user feedback here on newly produced machines, and then order direct and take the plunge. Finally, a light at the end of the tunnel! 🙂

Question - was asked before but I don't know if it was answered to my satisfaction. Being that they are replacing screens for anything that has yellow tinge is there any reason not to buy from a online reseller that I can save $150 and get free stuff with the machine? I know I could risk getting an older model. Will apple replace one not bought from them? Or will they only replace the screen? Either way if it gets fixed would it matter? Thanks for the input.

andraki01 wrote:
Apple are using inferior panels which belong in something costing half the price we are paying for these otherwise beautiful machines!

BTW, I finally found the very 'Ultimate Display'.
ABSOLUTELY FLAWLESS

EIZO ColorEdge CG303W, 29.8", IPS

You can read on their site:

http://www.eizo.com/global/products/coloredge/cg303w/index.html

"Brightness and Color Uniformity with DUE
Fluctuations in brightness and chroma on different parts of the screen is a common trait of LCD monitors. To counteract this, monitor incorporates a digital uniformity equalizer (DUE). DUE utilizes the monitor's 12-bit look-up table with an extensive palette of 4,081 grayscale tones for each R, G, and B, and internal calculation accuracy of 16-bits. This ensures a Delta-E difference of 3 or less across the screen (except in the corners) when the monitor leaves the factory."

I have seen it yesterday, it's wonderful. No need 'grey bar' testing.
Oh .... the price ?
Around 3200€ here in Europe ....

+ the MacPro.

Take it cool, it's only a computer, and a good one. 🙂
Cheers.

Backlight bleed is subjective I suppose. It bothers some people and some people are not bothered.
Using LED edge lighting with a light diffuser panel will always be a compromise to proper Back lit local dimming LED's obviously due to the cost, let alone using RGB LED's.
I do understand that no LCD screens- CCFL back lit, or LED back lit are 100%,
But the four Imac's I've had have been the worst examples of unevenness I have come across on the most expensive thing I've ever brought with an LCD attached!

P.S. 55" samsung- NICE!

I dont do grey bar tests, and my current LCD's are not 100% but I have no issues with them.
On the other hand the four Imac's did have issues.
You don't have to spend over £2500 on a monitor to eliminate issues..

Mike_Morgan wrote:
Well the Apple store now shows 27" iMac's shipping within 24 hours...

Huh! Still 2 weeks here in Europe and no sign of new Mac Pros. Should I pull the trigger and take the risk?...

I'd like to point out that I've run the gray bar tests and placed solid color backgrounds on almost every 21.5 inch iMac in my local Apple store. They were all built in the early weeks when the computers just came out. EVERY one of them had total color uniformity, whereas the 5 iMacs that I'd bought and eventually returned for refund all had yellow tinge problems (among a few other issues). This yellowing of the screens is NOT normal, and it should not be something to simply accept as normal. You may choose to accept the defect in the computer and live with it, but please, let's not pretend or rationalize that his is normal. There are iMacs (of both screen sizes) in stores that have perfect displays. And trust me, no one has a more paranoid eye towards the yellowing than I do (except perhaps Dino!! :):):)).

Perhaps you are right that this is just the way the iMacs will be for now and one must accept it or not. Sadly, I think that will be the case. But this is not normal, and Apple shoild not get a free pass.

deemer, Yes the early ones were good. So what did Apple Change or do different in the Manufacturing of these iMacs? A Customer of mine has the 24" iMac version before this & I check his screen with Grey Bar Test & his is perfect. So all you Naysayers, that don't believe there is any problem, that is fine. Your welcome to believe what you want. But you are not going to convince me or anyone on here, that this Color Variance is Normal on ALL LED backlit LCD Screens. We know better! We did the leg work & tested quite a few of these iLemons. I have suggested many times, if you think you can't go through getting 4 defective Screens in a row, than a Refund is the best. But everyone on here bought this iMac because they believe in Apple & are expecting Apple to fix this. I started out hundreds of pages ago optimistically in my thinking, but that has changed after everyone has been receiving one defective iMac after another.

Bravo!

I completely agree, deemer! I returned four total for the yellow problem. I could have dealt with it had it been a subtle uniform gradient, but when it's a misshapen area of discoloration that stands out, its completely unacceptable. It's why I'm going to wait a few weeks and take the plunge then. 🙂