Q: OSX Lion + 2011 iMac 27'' + Video = Freeze

I'm all OWC and still have the issue as well.  Based on many responses in the thread, we have a mix of both Apple and third-party RAM all experiencing the same. 

So you're saying you removed the Apple RAM and added OWC RAM? Why would you do this? Did you buy 4 OWC sticks?

Also, is there a manufacturer on the RAM? My Apple RAM, which seems to be the cause, is Samsung.

Yes, I bought 4 OWC sticks.  My specific setup aside, there are dozens of responses in this thread with Apple-only, 3rd party only, or mixed RAM setups.  I see no consistency in memory manufacturer or configuration in the reports thus far.  It seems safe to rule out RAM as the culprit.  Or, every memory vendor shipped bad RAM in the past 2 months, but only to us new iMac and MacBook Pro purchasers running Lion. 

Never mind, I just had a freeze. And there I thought, after all I forced the iMac today, that it was working correctly. Sigh.

Trying to summarize what I've read here and experienced. The lockup occurs with:

1. Lion
2. newer iMacs with Radeon cards
3. after sleeping
4. when playing Flash video

It would perhaps help if people who are experiencing the problem would REMOVE Flash from their systems and try playing the videos that have been causing them problems.   It's not always easy to identify Flash videos (e.g., a YouTube video might be Flash, or it might be HTML5, an add might be Flash even if you don't recognize it as a "video" - the only sure way of tying this to Flash is to not have Flash on the  system.   Remember that the Chrome browser (and other apps???) has Flash built-in.  Best to remove Flash and point Safari at the problem content.

My guess based on a lot of computer experience (but not much Mac experience) is that the Flash player is doing something that triggers a bug in the video driver.  This would explain why a user-level program (the browser with Flash plugin) can have system-wide consequences.   It might also explain why Adobe, who presumably have had Lion for months, didn't find the problem: they weren't testing with the new video hardware and drivers.

If the problem (lockup specifically - not "artifacts") only happens with new 27 in. iMacs this would also indicate video hardware/driver issues, since I think the 27 inchers have different Radeon cards than the smaller iMacs.

Sorry, but it's not only Flash. It's any kind of video.

He longhighway, please read this topic, and you will find out that:

1. It's NOT only flash, but also quicktime and other video that causes a crash

2. 21.5 inch iMacs also have the problem

3. Deleting flash isn't a solution

4. It's NOT only flash

5. Did i mention it's not only flash that causes the crashes?

Its not just flash, as stated several times in the thread. Video in itunes, quicklook, VLC or quicktime will cause the problem too.

edit:

LOL, rapid fire "Its not just flash"

longhighway wrote:

 

 

If the problem (lockup specifically - not "artifacts") only happens with new 27 in. iMacs this would also indicate video hardware/driver issues, since I think the 27 inchers have different Radeon cards than the smaller iMacs.

Not correct - the bigger small  and  the smaller big iMac both have  Radeon HD 6770M graphics. I have the "everything freezes but the mouse"-bug on my 21.5" with exactly this configuration. Like some others in this thread, I think.

Tested.com picked up the story:

http://www.tested.com/news/2011-imac-owners-reporting-freezing-in-mac-os-x-lion/ 2648/

For me it's just Flash.  I've run the same sleep/wake/play scenario with Flash and non-Flash video in Safari, Firefox, and Chrome.  The HTML5 video works fine, the Flash locks up.  

It might help if people would post URLs to video that's causing problems.  Phrases like "YouTube videos" aren't very specific. 

That said, non-Flash programs are just as likely to be invoking the (notional) video driver/hardware bug as are Adobe's products.

The newest 21.5 inch and 27 in. iMacs are the ones with the new (to Mac, I believe) Radeon hardware. It'd be interesting to know if the problem happened with Intel or Nvidia graphics hardware or with older Radeon video cards.

Clearly the state of the video system after waking is different than the never-slept state.  The problem is so consistent that a fix should be relatively easy.

(Wouldn't surprise me of Lion's ASLR feature was involved, too.)

I have the same issue as everyeone here, I have called apple support twice and have had nothing fixed. They had me reinstall Lion os and that did nothing. Im thinking about reinstalling Leopard since i had NO F*icken troubles with that. I am getting very frustrated. Definately a flash/adobe problem.

Please read the entire thread. I believe you meant, "Definitely NOT a Flash/Adobe problem." QuickTime and VLC also cause the same problem even after Flash is disabled/uninstalled, as reported a number of times.

Let's stop crying wolf on Flash/Adobe here, please.

Indeed, this is _NOT_ restricted to flash, let's be clear on that.

I've spent two hours on the phone to apple support today, no joy.

The Town Fool wrote:

 

I've spent two hours on the phone to apple support today, no joy.

So after they clutched at straws and told you to 'reinstall Lion', what did you chat about for the other 115 minutes?