Screen Flicker with External Monitor

I am so sad after spending all this money to set up my dream computer of a 27 inch iMac and 2 24 inch Apple Cinema Displays. One display is rock solid while the other is now unusable due to extreme flickering / blackouts.

Apple, I love you and all, but look how many people are having issues! Work with Intel and get this problem fixed ASAP or at least refund me the $4500 I spent and let me know when this is fixed on the new models.

No flickering so far. Looks like the firmware update for the 24 inch display worked!🙂

Just an update. I still have no flickering problems. I did notice that if I touch the cable that I'm using - a Kanex mini DisplayPort to HDMI cable - it flickers once. So I suppose that's just a connection issue, which is fine.

I also noticed that it does flicker once every couple of days, but it's just one flicker. So I'm thinking maybe the cable just moved somehow, or perhaps the problem still persists at a very tiny amount.

I really wish Apple would release a Thunderbolt monitor with a matte option.

WHy have apple only address the flickering issue with the 24" apple display? I get this all the time after i wake my computer up from sleep, Screen flickers, dims, picture on/off quickly..... my second monitor is a Dell 21". To be honest my issue is definately something to do with the wake up after sleep, but the 27" screen doesnt always feel 'solid' even now that ive stopped using sleep

One day one and still no flicker with the 24 cinema display. I think the firmware worked this time. Thanks 

Same here! Had to take my 24 inch Cinema Display to the Apple store, but they updated the firmware and its working great (Well as normal).

So for those of you with a 24 Inch Cinema Display that flickers on Thunderbolt. You will need to take you display to an Apple Store for firmware update. They no longer provide in online.

Still the same problem with my 23" HP external screen ...

Apple really needs to do something. What can a professionnal do when he needs an external screen and can't use it with his 3000$ computer ?

*** !!??

still no flickerings to me too. These last thunderbolt updates seems to fix everything.

But now I have no sound through thunderbolt-to-dvi adapter > hdmi cable.

Can somebody try to send audio through thunderbolt >> hdmi (or dvi) cable?

So he tell us the result, or it's only at my setup ?

Even with all the latest updates on my 2011 Macbook Pro 13" running Lion my 24" Samsung external display flickers off and back on randomly when I am working. I have the right accessories and am setup the same way I was on my old Macbook which never had a problem. Seems to be a driver issue to me.

Hopefully this will be fixed soon.

since it required a firmware update to the 24" Apple Cinema Display (not the Mac itself) to fix the flicker, wouldn't it imply that Samsung is who has to issue the firmware update for you? Even as I type that it sounds weird...installing a firmware update through a Mac to affect a monitor...

Allison Sheridan

NosillaCast Podcast at http://podfeet.com

A technology geek podcast with an EVER so slight Macintosh bias!

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Thanks Allison. I do not believe this to be true because if I use the samsung with another computer I do not experience this issue.

You've got me there, I guess I really don't understand firmware...

I just updated to 10.7.2.

I have a 20" Cinema Display and now am getting the screen spasm non stop.

Never had this problem before this update.

Mac Pro 2.8ghz and using Apple DVI to ADC adaptor.

Anyone have a fix yet?

I have the problem as Jeff Miller2 -- and the same configuration!

I also just updated to 10.7.2.

I also have the 20" Apple Cinema Display.

I also have a Mac Pro 2.8 GHz (2 x 2.8 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon processors)

I also have the Apple ADC to DVI adapter.

I have an ATI Radeon HD 5770 1024 MB.

At 1680 x 1050 the flicker is constant.

At 1600 x 1000 the screen bounces.

At 1280 x 800 about 5 rows of pixels at the top of the menu bar flicker.

I called ATI tech support and they said it's a driver issue and I should get a new driver from Apple.

If you're reading this because you have the same issue, PLEASE reply with a post to help document the issue so we might get some attention from Apple!

So after a day of the flickering, and trying everything to solve it, I have fixed mine at least for now.

I took the monitor cable from the Apple DVI/ADC adaptor out my MacPRO while it is on, right out of the video

card. Then I waited about 10 seconds and plugged it back into the video card.

Problem solved. I have not rebooted, no sleep mode and I have not logged out since doing this, so I do not

know if this fixed it for good.

So far it is back to it's good old self. Let me know if this works for anyone else.

You know the strange part. When it was flickering, exact same issues in same resolutions as the poster above with my configuration.

When I performed a software update to check for new software, the monitor was fine and the second it was done checking for new software, the flickering

camer back. Strange.

But right now it works. Maybe I'll reboot in a few days and be back to update this.

Thanks