MacBook Pro Retina display burn-in?

Hi retinafan,

I'd be interested to the results on the Samsung displays as well.

Wow!

With that darkest of the grays as the background, I'm really seeing the issue now. Web pages that are open for only a few minutes, the dock (I enabled auto-hide). I wonder if it's because that particular color of gray is exactly half-way between absolute black and absolute white. None of the other colors are near as bad.

Well, this is kind of dissappointing, but I still don't think I'm motivated by it enough to return my laptop. I have too much to do and the only time I see this issue is when I have my rMBP setup in a non-typical way.

So, I guess I'll keep watching though.

Cheers,

Peter

Kinda makes you think you are getting something less for the same money compared to someone who ends up with a Samsung display. Unless of course someone with a Samsung display sees the slightest of image retention with this test. Nice job nailing this one Picnaut.

All speculation:

But i'm guessing dark grey requires the least crystal shift to display and therefore when flicking back to it you are seeing the slight degrees where the crystals did not shift fully to represent the dark grey and therefore your image retention.

Other colors probably require the crystals to shift more and therefore you get less image retention as less crystals conform to their previous state to such a degree as they did when switching to dark grey.

That'd be my theory if I had to come up with one.

I got a samsung and i'm not even bothering to look for IR. As long as I dont notice it, its not a concern.

Did your test and got same results as you. After 20 minutes I saw the checkboard pattern. It did however go away after 2-5 minutes. Reading another persons post I also auto-hide the dock and uTorrent shows up REAL clear but i can see it fading fairly quickly.

In real life I would never notice this but I suppose the question is the issue is there. Should I return it or not? I have Only 2 days left of my 14 day return policy as it was delivered to me not last friday but the friday prior.

Also as its my only computer I do not want to ship it back to them and then twiddle my thumbs without a computer waiting for a new one. How to avoid?

Angelus, there is not one person at Apple that cares unless you call and they work with you. For this amount of money I don't think I am going ot keep it. I will play roulette for awhile but if/when that fails I will just wait it out until this technology gets proven a little more I guess.

Tested with a Samsung screen - 16min no trace of IR at all.

I do say, if you have 3 years of apple care, you can hope, apple will let you repair it for a samsung screen. Otherwise, if you feel, that meight never happen, call apple care and return it.

Angelus512, return it asap, they will likely swap it for a new machine if you're still within the 14 days.

I was not so lucky, having mine since June, they offered to repair it by swapping the top clamshell in-store. Says it's 730 $ CAD to repair this. Good thing I don't have to pay for it.

They have to order the part of course, because they don't have any at the store, then they will call me back, then I have to go back to drop my bloody rMBP (which I absolutely need to work, but whatever...), then it might be 2 to 3 days before I get it back...

And then what? What if it's the same garbage display? Another 3-run trip to the Apple Store, because that's obviously all I have to do with my spare time with my expensive computer, right.

Remember, this is not something that's 'normal', it doesn't friggin' naturally occurs for all displays, as some might suggest on this board. Doesn't happen to any other of my Apple products. Not the last 17 Apple laptops I have owned, nor any other PC laptops, nor any of my previous Cinema Displays...

Anyways, time will tell... Not like my money. My money didn't tell, obviously.

An angry bird.

Yeah I think i'm going to return it. Hopefully they are comfortable letting me keep it until the new one arrives. Fingers crossed for a Samsung panel. I tested the IR test on a mate's 2009 MBP and even after 30 minutes not a single IR issue.

So I figure considering this computer is double the cost then its not good enough.

Hello,

I tried my test again, but this time I used the background picture with all of the zebras.

Predictably, when I closed the checkerboard, the image looked fine with no noticable IR (at least to my eyes).

I then changed the background to the dark gray and the checkerboard was there, clear as day.

Again, I only notice this issue when I'm using the sold color backgrounds, so, although I'm dissappointed, I'm not bothered enough (yet) to do anything about it.

Cheers,

Peter

<Edited by Host>

Well slight update as Im not one to go off the deep end without genuine justification. Picnaut did the same thing as you jsut now for a 2nd test.

In the apple wallpaper options there is 3 kinds of solid grey desktop wallpapers. Apparently this test only works on the DARK grey background.

So I ran it a second time with a light grey background and sure enougha fter 25 minutes I couldn't see a single thing.
Only displays on one particular type of background. So whilst its technically there i'm more keenly aware that in order to see it you really have to do some unrealistic stuff to produce it.

So....hrm might keep it. On the fence on this one.

Hello Yet Again,

OK, this is interesting.

Using this gray square...

...I left the zebra background up for a while with no other windows open on my desktop.

Then, I opened the gray square picture (above) with Preview and then just dragged it around.

It was as if the gray square was ever-so-slightly transparent. As I dragged it over the desktop, I could see some of the zebras through the square, because their patterns are so high-contrast. Of course, what I was actually seeing was the retained image revealing itself against the gray square.

So, although I likely won't be pushing this further (although part of me really wants to), I think the smart thing for customers to do (if they haven't already bought an rMBP yet and their particular model is in stock) is to (A) buy their rMBP from an Apple Store and (B) do a few tests with the dark gray background, squares, checkerboards, zebras, whatever, before you buy.

Good luck!

Peter

P.S.
Y'know, this really is kind of crummy Apple...

I was hesitant about buying an rMBP after reading this entire thread, because I need one for school and I don't really have time to return it and wait to receive a second, or gamble about getting one with a Samsung-made screen. @angelus512: However, if you're saying the ghosting isn't noticeable unless you have a specific kind of gray set as the wallpaper (which I wouldn't do) even on an LG display, then I can consider buying an rMBP again. I would definitely love one with a Samsung display, and know that there won't be any IR. But if, for normal use, the image retention isn't noticeable even on an LG, then I would be more willing to accept it. I just wouldn't want the condition to deteriorate. 😟