Wycliffe

Q: Screen Flicker with External Monitor

I have a brand new MBP 17 inch running 2.3GHz i7 with 8GB RAM.

When I connect my 24 inch Apple Cinema Display, I get constant flickering and the screen trying to re-size on the Cinema Display (the display for the laptop is unaffected). Not sure if this is being caused by Thunderbolt (it is the same port now as what you would use to connect an external monitor in previous Macs) or not, but this is an annoying issue.

Anyone else having this problem? Apple are you listening?

17" MacBook 2.3GHz i7, Mac OS X (10.6.6)

Posted on Mar 11, 2011 4:15 AM

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Q: Screen Flicker with External Monitor

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  • by tommytboner,

    tommytboner tommytboner Sep 2, 2011 2:36 PM in response to camil.b
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 2, 2011 2:36 PM in response to camil.b

    Sounds promising... but what about an update for us Non-Lion users?? It sure is annoying

  • by Dr Sly,

    Dr Sly Dr Sly Sep 12, 2011 4:16 PM in response to tommytboner
    Level 1 (145 points)
    Sep 12, 2011 4:16 PM in response to tommytboner

    Has anyone installed the new EFI firmware version 2.1 for the MBA with Thunderbolt in conjunction with the ACD 24" and/or 27" yet?

     

    I was wondering if that fixes the issue. As soon as I get home, I'll try that.

  • by Krag,

    Krag Krag Sep 12, 2011 10:32 PM in response to Heronymo
    Level 2 (250 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 12, 2011 10:32 PM in response to Heronymo

    If it's a MacBook Pro it may have a defective logic board. My external 226BW was acting up and eventually went blank. The Store tested my mid-2009 MBP with an Apple Display and it failed there too. I have Apple Care, it didn't cost me $458.

  • by Heronymo,

    Heronymo Heronymo Sep 14, 2011 8:51 PM in response to Wycliffe
    Level 1 (71 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 14, 2011 8:51 PM in response to Wycliffe

    I just installed the Thunderbolt EFI Update that was released today (September 14 2011) on my 2011 MacBook Pro and guess what? Yes, it's still flickering! I'm using a 40 inch Samsung HDTV, model LN40B550 if anyone's interested in knowing.

     

    This is crazy! I'm going to call Apple this week again.

  • by MacUser122,

    MacUser122 MacUser122 Sep 15, 2011 4:44 PM in response to Wycliffe
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 15, 2011 4:44 PM in response to Wycliffe

    I installed the firmware update yesterday and the new Thunderbolt software update today.  I am using a 2011 MacBook Pro and a 2008-09 Cinema Display.  No flickering since the software update . . .

  • by stevenj7,

    stevenj7 stevenj7 Sep 15, 2011 6:18 PM in response to MacUser122
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 15, 2011 6:18 PM in response to MacUser122

    I've also installed the firmware update and now the Thunderbolt update today.  I've rebooted 3 times and still no flickering...  This may be the fix.

  • by Heronymo,

    Heronymo Heronymo Sep 15, 2011 8:32 PM in response to Wycliffe
    Level 1 (71 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 15, 2011 8:32 PM in response to Wycliffe

    I just installed the Thunderbolt Software Updated released today (September 15th 2011) and so far the flicker seems to have been fixed! This is awesome. I'm going to continue to use my Samsung HDTV tomorrow and see if it truly is fixed. I really hope it is.

     

    I just noticed an interesting feature. I'm not sure if this is Lion specific or if the unibody MacBook Pros have been doing this for a while, but when the computer is on and has another display connected while the internal display is active, closing the laptop lid simply turns off the internal display. My 2006 MBP would go to sleep if I did that so I'd have to click the mouse to wake it up again for clamshell mode. And the internal display turns back on when you open the lid. Pretty cool.

  • by Aimee Giese,

    Aimee Giese Aimee Giese Sep 15, 2011 10:09 PM in response to Heronymo
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Sep 15, 2011 10:09 PM in response to Heronymo

    I installed the Thunderbird update with high hopes - half hour in massive flicker and kept on flickering till it blacked out completely. So **** disappointed.

  • by MacUser122,

    MacUser122 MacUser122 Sep 16, 2011 4:53 AM in response to MacUser122
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 16, 2011 4:53 AM in response to MacUser122

    . . . not fixed.  Flickering continues. 

  • by almejia16,

    almejia16 almejia16 Sep 16, 2011 5:07 AM in response to Wycliffe
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 16, 2011 5:07 AM in response to Wycliffe

    Still flickering. With all the Engineers Apple has, they can't seem to fix this problem.Fix it once and for all Apple. How many more updates till you get it right?

  • by Menlo Park Matt,

    Menlo Park Matt Menlo Park Matt Sep 16, 2011 12:06 PM in response to almejia16
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 16, 2011 12:06 PM in response to almejia16

    I installed the Thunderbolt update yesterday and my right 24 inch Apple LED went crazy.  More flicker and digital artifacting then ever before.  However my left 24 inch Apple LED was rock solid. 

     

    So I tried performing the resolution trick I read that restting the res had some effect.  No luck.

     

    So I tried swapping the arrangement of the screens in Preferences. Moved right to left, left to right.  Then put them all back in the right configuration.

     

    So far, no flicker! 10 min strong so far!  Perhaps this isn't a real hardware issue!

     

    Perhaps this bug has something to do with the Arrangement in Display Preferences

     

    Try moving around your display arrangement preferences and see what happens.  Any better?  Same? Worse?

  • by tritoon,

    tritoon tritoon Sep 16, 2011 12:23 PM in response to Wycliffe
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 16, 2011 12:23 PM in response to Wycliffe

    Updated to the latest updates in Lion but still no luck to solv the problem, i have DELL 30'' TFT U3011.

  • by Krag,

    Krag Krag Sep 17, 2011 9:49 AM in response to Wycliffe
    Level 2 (250 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 17, 2011 9:49 AM in response to Wycliffe

    Using 22" with 2011 Mac Mini... worked fine for 3 weeks...now flickering every startup for longer periods. Used monitor for a year with MBP 2009 Snow Leopard with NO issues.

     

    Obviously a Lion problem, we'll just have to wait for Apple  to fix it. If EVERYONE with a flicker called Apple support me thinks they'd get on it sooner than later.

  • by christos_gr,

    christos_gr christos_gr Sep 17, 2011 10:53 AM in response to almejia16
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 17, 2011 10:53 AM in response to almejia16

    still flickering for me too.

     

    for the record, I am using macbook pro 13' i7 and the external tv is Philips 32pfl 5604h/12.

    It's really annoying, all these flickering-stuff...

  • by tomas_c,

    tomas_c tomas_c Sep 17, 2011 4:12 PM in response to Wycliffe
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 17, 2011 4:12 PM in response to Wycliffe

    Flickers for me also!

    Just bought a new iMac 21,5" to use with my Apple LED Cinema Display 24".

    Apple is soo slow with updates..

     

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