MacBook Pro Retina display burn-in?

Move the window around? 😁 hahaha, thats the most ridiculous response i've seen from Apple in this thread so far!

I don't understand this, it's all so inconsistent.

When I reported mine to customer support, they suggested going to my local genius bar, and I said I was sure it was a hardware fault at which point she apologised it did not meet my expectations and set up a collection and a new order for a replacement. Length of call 5 minutes.

My new one is on its way, but seeing the response many are getting here, I will test it on day 1, if it has the slightest ir, I will return it and get a refund. I am not going to get stuck with a defective screen like some seem to be.

I am also surprised this dosent have a higher profile on the net, how does this come to the attention of people buying new ones ? Apple will not resolve this until they lose significant sales which needs the issue to be visible.

I just finished my phone call with Apple Care. After the standard procedure (PRAM reset, etc.) he noted that it’s definitly an hardware issue and talked to his boss.

After he talked to his boss he said that he heard about the issue just now during the smoke break from a colleague, but had not yet had a case like me before. They looked up whether this was a known issue from Apple’s side and it isn’t. So there aren’t yet any official documents from Apple out on how to handle this.

So he said it’s a half-known issue, but as long as Apple doesn’t make it official there is really no way around the standard procedure: three repairs, exchange after that if the problem isn’t fixed. So there seems to be no way to get a replacement just like that now.

I guess I will have to make the trip to Munich after all.

I sent back my16G/512 MacBook Pro RD yesterday. Build was week 31. Screen was LG. Full refund when it arrives in CA. Luckily, I was in my 14 day return period.

After reading many of the posts here I checked my screen by putting up and oversize checkerboard pattern. After about 5 min. I had an image retention issue. It seems that as I tested the screen the image retention persistence increased with the time that an image was up on the screen. Since I write software I have text windows up for hours at a time and I got very concerned that this problem would only increase. I called AppleCare regarding this issue and after being bumped from beginner to intermediate to high level assistance and listening to lovely “on hold music” I was told that the engineers report that the problem I was having would go away with use and time. I was raised on a farm and I have mucked out horse stalls, I know when someone is shoveling it at me.

I took the laptop to my local Apple store and had the geniuses evaluate it. They confirmed IR issues and opened a case. Since I had a custom build they told me that there was absolutely nothing they could do for me. back to the online Apple Store and AppleCare and I finally got a RMA to send the box back.

I will consider buying a new MacBook Pro after my refund but I won't settle for anything less than the Samsung screen. If I have to I'll just wait 6 or 8 months, I will continue to use Lapzilla (17") until Apple has resolved this problem. No way am I going to spend $3000 on a flawed computer.

I am in the UK and visited the Milton Keynes Apple store this morning. Of the three MacBook Pro retina

models on display all were the stock 2.3 GHz version. Two of these displayed image retention once the

dock was hid, one was ok. The two machines that displayed the IR both had LG panels. The other machine

had a Samsung panel and did not display any IR! The Apple guy in the store had no knowledge of the

terminal command to display the panel manufacturer and no idea that there were image retention issues on

the retina MacBook Pro's. Apple really need to get a hand on this as it is a lottery whether you receive a

Samsung or LG display. It does appear that 'all' the LG panels display IR where the effect is not apparent

with the Samsung panel. I'm just posting this for UK readers.

itsamacthing wrote:

BTW.. I got ripped by two users on the MBA thread for posting that I was having an issue with my Air's screen. https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4119502?tstart=0 Unforunately, most Air users don't seem to care about the quality of their screen.

You got ripped because you descended into un-called-for insults. Please don't bring that garbage here.

johns1 wrote:

The newest laptops using LG LP154WT1-SJA1 display seems to be getting good comments online versus Samsung LSN154YL01001.

Interesting observation - is it possible that there is more than one LG model and only one LG model is affected? Would it make sense for people with LG panels to post their exact model number in addition to whether or not they have IR so that we can try correlating IR to model number?

I don't have my rMBP with me at the moment or I'd post my model number (it has IR).

I can't seem to post my pics from my phone and am currently restoring from time machine so I will post the pics later but let me just say this. 1) if ur within 14 days then do not accept "take it to the genius bar" or anything other than an advanced REPLACMENT. Know ur rights and speak with confidence. When I was told " sorry sir all I am trained to do is authorize a repair appointment" I told em "find someone with better training then" don't wimp out.

2) I had an lg that was one of the good lg units and I can honestly say that a good lg is still sub par compared to a Samsung screen. I personally would not accept less than a Samsung screen. There is a quantifiable difference between the screens when both are "flawless".

I would recommend calling te apple care number not hte my apple number be polite but stern. Ask to speak with a manager then tell them exactly how u feel. When eventually transferred to apple online store to set up your replacement inform them that you are not in a position to wait for a refund etc. tell them directly why u need your computer and can't have down time. Accept nothing less than triumph.

Part of the problem is that there is no "official response" yet within Apple, so while the individuals you talk to may see/understand the problem, they aren't allowed to say "Yeah, that unacceptable and we should replace it for you." They may give you one replacement if you are after your 14-day window (and they sort of have to take it back if you are within your 14-day window), but they still have to toe the company's official response to all "image retention" issues, which is "use a screen saver, don't leave the same images on-screen for extended periods of time, etc." because in many cases, this will prevent image retention/burn-in on screens that only show such issues under extreme situations.

I do believe they are still gathering information on the issue and trying to come up with a plan, but they haven't finalized the plan yet. First off, they need to get the issue resolved at the screen manufacturer to stop the bleeding and because they really can't be stuck with a single supplier.

They they have to figure out how to clean the bad screens (both shipped and unshipped) out of the system and replace them with good screens. Right now they only way is for customers to play the lottery, and that's not something Apple wants to encourage. Also, many customers may have a screen that could potentially exhibit the problem, but they don't use their computer in a way that they ever notice the problem, so from Apple's standpoint there's really no need to replace those screens since those are already satisfied customers (and it isn't a safety issue like a problem with the battery).

Looking that last version of the list of good/bad screens and production dates earlier in this thread, it would appear that there are still late-production units with LG screens that still demonstrate the problem. This could imply that LG is still producing bad screens, so we are still in the early stages of Apple coming up with a solution to the problem.

Yes, it ***** for everyone affected, including Apple, but for now you really have two options that I can see:

1) Keep buying and returning your rMBP (within the 14-day window) until you get one that doesn't have the problem, potentially running the risk that they may not let you return your latest unit if you are out of the 14-day window when the problem occurs.

2) If you have a rMBP with the problem, return it and wait to buy a new one until there is some information indicating the problem has been resolved so you can increase your chances of getting a good one.

Also keep in mind that there's always the chance that Apple may end up taking the final position that the image retention issue is "not severe enough to justify repair/replacement". I can understand that they might take this position as a stop-gap measure while still figuring out what to do, but I'd be VERY disappointed if that was their final position on the matter.

Can someone reply to me?? Because I'm wait to know so I could by the last piece of MacBook Pro Retina till they get more stock after ONE MONTH???!? That toooo long!

This is my second retina, first was exchanged in BestBuy within 30 days, IR issue, just after ML upg, LG screen. My new LG panel one is only 10 days old - no issues. Works really well (maybe I should not brag about it) no issues at all. I have enquired today about BB exchange policy and was told that it is extanded to 30 days after replacement, not bad policy at all. I will keep watching this thing closely and hopefully it stays flawless.

Apple is the best there is, they will work it out.

I do think it would be very useful if someone could take over the previous post (or create a new one) that tracks the LG screens in more detail to see if there are two different LG screens (one with the problem and one without) and if the good one is starting to replace the bad one in frequency with new production units. That would help the people in this thread decide whether to wait until the bad ones are out of the system or we should keep playing the lottery.

"Move the window around"!?

Are you f--king kidding me?

Jeebuz!

Apparently, people with Parkinson's desease are not experiencing this problem at all.

That sounds almost exactly like "You're holding it wrong"!!!

These are complex products. Most people, especially early adopters, are somewhat understanding if there are issues, but to give us lame B.S. excuses is beyond the pale.

Apple, be straight with us! Own up to the issue and let us know that you're working on it and will remedy the problem. If you could do that, we'd probably calm down about this.

Listen, I've had a part recalled on my car before. It was no big deal. I drove to the dealership's service centre in the morning, they drove me to work, fixed the problem, and picked me up at the end of the day. It was easy! I wasn't mad at the manufacturer, because I know that sometimes mistakes are made and I thanked them for taking care of it, even though I was a bit inconvenienced. Most people are reasonable.

All Apple needs to do is ask us to to give them a couple of weeks to ship a big whack of known good display assemblies (i.e. with Samsung LCD panels installed) to their repair centers or warehouses. Then, they need to notify the customers who've complained that they should bring their faulty rMBP to their nearest repair center to get it replaced. How hard can it be? Expensive? Maybe, but they're the most valuable company in the world. I'm sure they can probably take the hit.

The reality is this: a lot of customers are not going to notice this, because they don't know what to look for. If we (the subscribers to this thread and others on the subject) are placated, this will all die down and a lot of people will happily continue using their crummy LG-display-carrying rMBPs in blissful ignorance. However, if this issue starts getting more press in the wider media, a whole bunch of people are going to start checking their machines and complaining, and Apple will have an even larger, more expensive problem on their hands. Nip it in the bud now Apple, if only for the sake of your bottom-line.

Regards,

Peter

Yesterday I went to the Apple Store, and ran a simple test on the only Retina model they had on the floor. I looked closely, and even on the default Mountain Lion wallpaper I could see some uneven areas in the color, which was not a backlight issue but just ghosting from windows that had been moved around previously. Then, I changed the background to the darkest grey, but I didn't even use a checkerboard pattern. I simply opened up this discussion in Safari, and left it there for five minutes. Ironically, the title "MacBook Pro Retina display burn-in?" was visible. Not as clearly as some of you have made it seem, but still way beyond the point of acceptable. Then I checked and it was an LG display. I asked an employee there and she acknowledged seeing the problem, which was good. However, she didn't know about it before and the only thing she could say was I should just return it before that 14 day policy if it has the issue and they'll take it and ask no questions.

Since I need a laptop for school, and I don't have time to order multiple over and over again before school starts, I think I might order two or even three today, and then hopefully at least ONE can be a Samsung. I can then return the others.

My story: I ordered mine in mid June, arrived in about a month, and I noticed IR after less than two weeks. As the nearest Apple store is several hundred miles away, I just called and said I wanted to replace it. They didn't argue at all, just sent me a shipping label. I sent it and the replacement (Samsung screen) got here this week. I didn't check the manufacturer of the original.