Q: MacBook Pro Retina display burn-in?

So, I just received TWO rMBP, both with LG from week 39/40. I think we can officially say that LG is the primary display for that computer and getting a Samsung is a rare exception. Both of them show retention after around 15 minutes of having Google main page opened (with dark grey wallaper as desktop). I actually don't believe that there are LGs that don't show any sign of IR for the first days/weeks.

At this point i think i will just try to live with it.

SitaCh,

not every LG display will exhibit image retention in the same way. Some are more pronounced than others. I had 6 displays total on 4 rMBPs, 4 were LG displays which varied from very ugly yellowish and terrible IR, to subtle pinkish (actually very nice looking) with very mild IR.

In retrospective, I would have kept the pinkish LG display. But I chose to try the buy-and-return circus, and I ended up with a Samsung display.

FYI folks, I really think some of you have lost perspective on that whole LG vs. Samsung displays dispute, with regards to IR.

Even Samsung PLS displays do exhibit image retention (surprise!), albeit very, very mildy so. I remember at least another user saying so on this thread, and I have tested mine with similar results. Infinitesimally small amount of IR on my Samsung rMBP. But it's there.

Also, my 2.5 years old Apple Cinema Display 27" (model before Thunderbolt) also has the tiniest and faintest of IR after 15-30 minutes of the chessboard test. It is an IPS panel, likely a LG.

You folks need to decide on your own if the IR is faint enough, under a number of different conditions, to keep or return your Mac.

Peace out.

If you get a yellowish display of any make, Locoroco, return it!

I hate yellow displays, it may well accentuate images and movies in a 'vibrant' way, but to read and work in pale grey and pale blue GUIs, it's a **** mess.

Some do like warmer display temperatures, I happen not to be one of 'em ;-)

Same here, but it also dissapears very quickly.

Tadziak wrote:

 

So, I just received TWO rMBP, both with LG from week 39/40. I think we can officially say that LG is the primary display for that computer and getting a Samsung is a rare exception. Both of them show retention after around 15 minutes of having Google main page opened (with dark grey wallaper as desktop). I actually don't believe that there are LGs that don't show any sign of IR for the first days/weeks.

 

At this point i think i will just try to live with it.

I hear what you're saying Dr but my moving overseas creates a problem. If I wasn't planning on doing that I would be more willing to fight it out here to get what I want. Right now I'm just in a holding pattern hoping something will happen with Apple's official response.

I have the 23" cinema display from June 2008. It's fantastic. No IR.

Here's the thing, everybody says the LG IR problem gets worse with time. How do you know the Samsung displays aren't going to have this problem too since none of the machines are that old and maybe the problem has not yet shown itself? Maybe the Samsungs will exhibit IR at some point down the road. Who's to say. So I could spend hours and possibly many iterations to fight for a Samsung now, move to europe and then get stuck in a year with the exact same problem the LG folks have - trying to convince Apple it's not a feature and where would I get it serviced?

It's just such a bummer all the way around.

apl235 wrote:

 

apl235 wrote:

 

Tadziak wrote:

 

And what is your production nr - according to appleserialinfo website? Mine is:

Production Nr.:

 

- This unit was number 1169 to be built that week.

Mine is

 

"This unit was number 1338 to be built that week."

 

Not sure how to interpret the information on this site. I know it's a week off from Chipmunk. But it also says it's a 2.3 GHz processor, when it's a 2.6 GHz. Maybe they lump the two speeds together as one. And it says that the OS is Lion, when it came with Mountain Lion. Maybe Lion is just the default value, and they can't actually determine what the real OS level was. But if these things are just default values or are otherwise incorrect, it makes you wonder why their build number would be correct.

 

For the replacement system coming to me, it says it was a week 41 system (Chipmunk says week 40), and it was number 325 to be built that week. That system is stuck in Newark right now, but is scheduled for delivery tomorrow. My first system was delivered a week early. It went straight from Shanghai to Memphis without the layover in Anchorage. THAT was great "logistics".

 

My replacement system got here just now. It's an LG screen. It is going right back.

 

I am now officially frustrated.

So... I called Apple Support, and after much rigmarole, decided to keep my original system and return the replacement I just got. That was pretty confusing to the advisor I spoke with, but he eventually worked out the paperwork so I wouldn't get billed twice.

In the discussion, I told him that my original system had IR, and was an LG screen. My replacement was also an LG, and since my expectation was that the same IR problem would appear on this one, I'd just go ahead and return the new system and keep the original. I then asked if there was any way I could get a system with a Samsung display in it.

He said, no. He then said, if you bring it in for repair, Apple's policy is to do like-for-like repairs, which means if you had an LG display to begin with, you'd get the same display when your system is repaired. I asked how Apple knows which display is an LG and which is a Samsung, and he said they have manufacturer labels on the back, and anyway, it's not uncommon for one manufacturer to build parts for another vendor and the vendor would just relabel the part with their own label. So, you never know if you'd get an actual Samsung display, or just one that has a Samsung label on it but was built by some other company.

AND, he said that I should hold on to my original system because the LG displays will dissipate from stock, and Apple will eventually be forced to replace broken displays with Samsungs, anyway. He said there's no way to bring the system into a store and specifically request that the LG display be replaced with a Samsung, because of this like-to-like policy. I told him that I've read online that many people have done just that, and he said, oh, those are just internet forum people, not Apple store people. You might get an exception to get a Samsung, but that's up to each individual store to decide, and if you can find one which will do that, go for it.

I have to give the guy credit for creativity. But, he was supposedly a "Senior" advisor. He sure didn't sound like he knew a lot, honestly. I was on hold for many long periods while he consulted with the sales team, or this team, or that team, or some other team.

Not a very gratifying experience. I just hope this IR doesn't get too bad with my system. I really like the system overall. But I'm not real thrilled with Apple support right now.

SitaCh wrote:

 

I hear what you're saying Dr but my moving overseas creates a problem. If I wasn't planning on doing that I would be more willing to fight it out here to get what I want. Right now I'm just in a holding pattern hoping something will happen with Apple's official response.

 

I have the 23" cinema display from June 2008. It's fantastic. No IR.

 

Here's the thing, everybody says the LG IR problem gets worse with time. How do you know the Samsung displays aren't going to have this problem too since none of the machines are that old and maybe the problem has not yet shown itself? Maybe the Samsungs will exhibit IR at some point down the road. Who's to say. So I could spend hours and possibly many iterations to fight for a Samsung now, move to europe and then get stuck in a year with the exact same problem the LG folks have - trying to convince Apple it's not a feature and where would I get it serviced?

 

It's just such a bummer all the way around.

IR may or may not get worse over time, but take one which has the mildest, faintest IR to begin with, and play it by your subjective judgment whilst still covered under your warranty, maybe?

A Samsung display means an entirely different implementation of the LCD LED-backlit experience you have, and so far, fingers are pointed at LG when it comes to poor quality.

So if you do get a LG rmBO, make sure it has no aggravating IR over the two weeks period for returns, or try to get a Samsung :-)

I don't know where you are from, but if you do wait to buy one once you get to Europe, they have far better warranties in Europe than in most of the rest of the world. Better than what we have here in Canada, and it's not that bad here.

good luck !

hi

i had an LG screen with IR ,so i went to change it and now i have a samsung one

but when i go http://www.appleserialnumberinfo.com/Desktop/index.php it shows my old screen info

can you please tell me which week is this one? (my samsung screen )

Color LCD

LSN154YL01001

DLM2371001DF49GB6

Just after bringing my rMBP to have the display replaced I played around with some of the rMBPs in the store to see what panel they have.

I've checked three machines which were all LGs and showed veeeeeeeery mild IR. I can assume it is very mild because it could barely be seen after 5-10 minutes of testing. If I did that to my LG panel you could clearly see IR after one ( ! ) minute.

Checking the serial number turned out they were one of the earliest models possible. They were manufactured in may (or november... err, do the maths). Which leads me to the conclusion that there is a batch of LG panels in the middle of the production cycle that has a very strong IR effect while some of the first may be not that bad. I like to stick with the explanation of a contaminated production where charged particles have entered the production process and are still charged after showing a picture and then create the IR effect. This sounds like the most logical conclusion to me...

Nonetheless this confirms AGAIN that all LG panel suffer from IR one day or another and some more and some less.

Well, I really really hope and cross my fingers to receive an Samsung panel next week when my screen is replaced.

As far as I know the website does not show you infos about your panel, only about the production date of your machine (which should be the same if only your screen was replaced).

Have you returned the whole computer or have you had your screen replaced?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_persistence

"The cause of this tendency is unclear. It might be due to accumulation of ionic impurities inside the LCD, electric charge building up near the electrodes,^[1][2] parasitic capacitance,^[3] or "a DC voltage component that occurs unavoidably in some display pixels owing to anisotropy in the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal".^[4]"

ColdDevil wrote:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_persistence

 

"The cause of this tendency is unclear. It might be due to accumulation of ionic impurities inside the LCD, electric charge building up near the electrodes,^[1][2] parasitic capacitance,^[3] or "a DC voltage component that occurs unavoidably in some display pixels owing to anisotropy in the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal".^[4]"

Of course! It's all so clear to me now!

BTW, who wrote that Wikipedia entry anyhow...an LG engineer? Talk about CYA.

lol okay okay, I did not feel quite happy to quote Wikipedia BUT the cited part refers to papers from Philips and Elo (haven't heard before)

http://www.elotouch.com/Support/TechnicalSupport/pixels_image.asp

http://www.business-sites.philips.com/shared/assets/3dsolutions/downloads/LCD_te chnology_and_image_retention_white_paper.pdf

Well, it just sounds very logical

Guys, I have a small favour, especially to those who have good hearing I experience with both of my current rMBP a quiet (but hearable in a silent room) kind of electic static noise only when doing heavy disk operations.

Especially noticeable during 'verify disk permissions' or 'repair disk permissions'. Can you please check if yours make any noise too (it's most prominent if you listen the bottom of the case or around top of the keyboard)? I don't really mind it, just would prefer to know whether it's standard for all or just some have that 'feature'...

Can't test it right now but maybe you can verify my experience: If I press on the spot right next to the trackpad (where your wrist usually lies) and release it I can hear the sound of an adhesive tape being removed. I assume it is the glue of the battery pack... I don't really mind either but it would be nice to know if someone else hears that too.