Q: MacBook Pro Retina display burn-in?

Just for fun, I decided to run a test on my work computer with dual Samsung 23" LCD monitors (SyncMaster 213T) by cranking them up to max brightness, setting a dark gray wallpaper and leaving a window on-screen. One screen is always running my email app, so it should provide a good test for image retention. Unfortunately, the displays have a built-in energy saving feature and will turn off if I don't keep using the computer, but I'll try keeping it going for an hour and report back my results later today on whether there is any detectable image retention on a non-Retina display.

All you have to do is move the mouse around to keep the screens from going dark.

Oh and it's not the screens it is a setting in the computer to turn off the screen/s after a period of inactivity. That activity can be moving the mouse just slightly.

Message was edited by: Shootist007

JustSayNo wrote:

 

Just for fun, I decided to run a test on my work computer with dual Samsung 23" LCD monitors (SyncMaster 213T) by cranking them up to max brightness, setting a dark gray wallpaper and leaving a window on-screen. One screen is always running my email app, so it should provide a good test for image retention. Unfortunately, the displays have a built-in energy saving feature and will turn off if I don't keep using the computer, but I'll try keeping it going for an hour and report back my results later today on whether there is any detectable image retention on a non-Retina display.

I can tell you that on my Apple Thunderbolt display, as well as an older Dell U2410 I don't have any image retention issues.

If I did, I can tell you it'd be a giant pain in the rear when working with Photoshop etc. as Photoshop CS 5.5 has a grey background, and Photoshop CS 6 has a darker grey background surrounding your working area etc. and trust me, you'd NOT want to be working on an image and only 20 minutes later be able to spot toolbars, or text etc. that hasn't moved for a while up on your screen.

This issue is especially annoying for those of us that use dual-monitor setups, and like to leave a couple apps (like Photoshop, or email etc.) up on one screen for lengthy periods of time. This is not acceptable at all having image retention/image persistence within 10-20 minute periods because users who do actual work (and who should be buying the 'Pro' series machines) will for sure be coming across these usage scenarios in real-world usage. Whereas on an iPad etc. it might not be a big deal at all, on a laptop-workstation it is a big deal.

I've contacted Apple support, and let them know about my issue and that it's being discussed on these forums and around the internet - the senior advisor had a chat with Apple engineers, and they will be giving me a call back tomorrow and from what I understand anyhow, they want my machine back directly for testing which I am happy to do!

So if what I heard was correct, it seems Apple has atleast acknowledged more than just a tiny fraction of their user-base has come across this issue with these panels. I also mentioned the LG versus Samsung preference it seems most have here.

We'll see what happens, but either way... I thought I had 0 issues with my LG screen only to find IR crop up 4/5 days later so I'd like to get this sorted out.

I honestly don't have time to keep contacting Apple.

So far I have 2 orders of rMBP coming in. One this week and one next week. Will keep returning LG screens until I get a Samsung screen. That is my bottom line. I will not do any testing with the LG because I just do not have confidence in those screens. IR and the bad contrast disgusts me. I will only test the Samsung screens.

Oh, I hadn't realized you had run comparable tests on the 2 other laptops for 40 minutes...that's useful information to know.

I guess my previous comments were primarily in response to the posts related to some minor image retention with the Samsung screen under fairly unrealistic conditions (in my opinion). But what is unrealistic for me may not be unrealistic for another.

I mentioned it a while back in this thread, but the senior AppleCare guy that arranged for my first replacement later said that the hardware group was now aware of the issue and were preparing an offiial response that would be posted. He implied they had fixed the manufacturing problem with the LG screens, but it would take a while for the bad screens to work their way through the inventory system. Given the costs of repairs, I think they are taking an approach where they won't proactively replace screens (at least not yet), but they will do so if customers complain about it.

While I'm waiting to see what they say in their forthcoming Tech Note, I also went to the Apple Store to see about getting the screen replaced, but only if they can ensure they have a Samsung screen. While I had initially wanted a replacement for the entire computer, it's enough of a hassle to reinstall everything (mainly because of my Boot Camp partition) that I think I'll be satisfied if they can replace the screen assembly w/o screwing anything else up in the process (which should be possible based on the iFixIt info I've seen).

Based on what everyone has said in this thread, even if the Samsung screen has some minor image retention that only appears after having a static image for ~1 hour, I think I'll be satisifed with the screen because that sort of problem will have little or no affect on me.

Jerbz wrote:

 

I honestly don't have time to keep contacting Apple.

So far I have 2 orders of rMBP coming in. One this week and one next week. Will keep returning LG screens until I get a Samsung screen. That is my bottom line. I will not do any testing with the LG because I just do not have confidence in those screens. IR and the bad contrast disgusts me. I will only test the Samsung screens.

I don't know how you managed to check that your new replacement is coming with LG, but I called Apple Support twice and they claimed that they have absolutely no possibility to check whether my MBPR is being shipped with Samsung or LG screen...

Also most people on this forum would have checked it a long time ago, instead of waiting for ages untill the actual unit is delivered...

Tadziak wrote:

 

Jerbz wrote:

 

I honestly don't have time to keep contacting Apple.

So far I have 2 orders of rMBP coming in. One this week and one next week. Will keep returning LG screens until I get a Samsung screen. That is my bottom line. I will not do any testing with the LG because I just do not have confidence in those screens. IR and the bad contrast disgusts me. I will only test the Samsung screens.

I don't know how you managed to check that your new replacement is coming with LG, but I called Apple Support twice and they claimed that they have absolutely no possibility to check whether my MBPR is being shipped with Samsung or LG screen...

Also most people on this forum would have checked it a long time ago, instead of waiting for ages untill the actual unit is delivered...

Well I don't know. A lot of the are incapable and don't know how to work the system. The first apple tech person I called told me straight away after 30 seconds of searching. Then I wanted to make sure that it is indeed a LG screen and I called again, then he couldnt do it. Then again x3, and all of them didnt know how to do it.

EDIT: so either the first person lied to me or the rest are incapable.

for my first laptop, the tech person said I had an LG. And i checked when it got here and it was an LG.

This is my second incoming laptop and first person said LG, i just hope she is wrong.

codydhorner wrote:

 

JustSayNo wrote:

 

Just for fun, I decided to run a test on my work computer with dual Samsung 23" LCD monitors (SyncMaster 213T) by cranking them up to max brightness, setting a dark gray wallpaper and leaving a window on-screen. One screen is always running my email app, so it should provide a good test for image retention. Unfortunately, the displays have a built-in energy saving feature and will turn off if I don't keep using the computer, but I'll try keeping it going for an hour and report back my results later today on whether there is any detectable image retention on a non-Retina display.

I can tell you that on my Apple Thunderbolt display, as well as an older Dell U2410 I don't have any image retention issues.

 

If I did, I can tell you it'd be a giant pain in the rear when working with Photoshop etc. as Photoshop CS 5.5 has a grey background, and Photoshop CS 6 has a darker grey background surrounding your working area etc. and trust me, you'd NOT want to be working on an image and only 20 minutes later be able to spot toolbars, or text etc. that hasn't moved for a while up on your screen.

 

This issue is especially annoying for those of us that use dual-monitor setups, and like to leave a couple apps (like Photoshop, or email etc.) up on one screen for lengthy periods of time. This is not acceptable at all having image retention/image persistence within 10-20 minute periods because users who do actual work (and who should be buying the 'Pro' series machines) will for sure be coming across these usage scenarios in real-world usage. Whereas on an iPad etc. it might not be a big deal at all, on a laptop-workstation it is a big deal.

 

I've contacted Apple support, and let them know about my issue and that it's being discussed on these forums and around the internet - the senior advisor had a chat with Apple engineers, and they will be giving me a call back tomorrow and from what I understand anyhow, they want my machine back directly for testing which I am happy to do!

 

So if what I heard was correct, it seems Apple has atleast acknowledged more than just a tiny fraction of their user-base has come across this issue with these panels. I also mentioned the LG versus Samsung preference it seems most have here.

 

We'll see what happens, but either way... I thought I had 0 issues with my LG screen only to find IR crop up 4/5 days later so I'd like to get this sorted out.

I can definitely see IR after using Photoshop CS6. After closing the panels, the IR is bad enough to be visible on a photographic background, not just a solid gray screen. Replacement rMBP arrives Friday. Fingers crossed for no stuck pixels and a Samsung screen.

Jerbz wrote:

 

Well I don't know. A lot of the are incapable and don't know how to work the system. The first apple tech person I called told me straight away after 30 seconds of searching. Then I wanted to make sure that it is indeed a LG screen and I called again, then he couldnt do it. Then again x3, and all of them didnt know how to do it.

 

EDIT: so either the first person lied to me or the rest are incapable.

for my first laptop, the tech person said I had an LG. And i checked when it got here and it was an LG.

This is my second incoming laptop and first person said LG, i just hope she is wrong.

Thanks for your insight, that seems a bit odd. I called two times and both guys claimed they have absolutely no detailed information about the display, except for the general specifications...Maybe in US it's better with that.

did the replacement units on the order status page says ships immeadietly or did it say in 5-7 days and just shipped before that?

I am starting to wonder how widespread this issue is. I am planning on buying a rMBP soon and now I'm nervous. I understand that this forum is mostly people who have had a bad experience, but do you guys think this issue really represents a large proportion of the rMBPs being sold? If so, I am going to hold off. I am looking for a subjective opinion, not a hate column from someone who has had a bad experience. I'd really appreciate it.

I posted this before but got no response. Anyone who is willing to answer, I would really appreciate it. Thank you.

lafazman wrote:

 

I am starting to wonder how widespread this issue is. I am planning on buying a rMBP soon and now I'm nervous. I understand that this forum is mostly people who have had a bad experience, but do you guys think this issue really represents a large proportion of the rMBPs being sold? If so, I am going to hold off. I am looking for a subjective opinion, not a hate column from someone who has had a bad experience. I'd really appreciate it.

 

I posted this before but got no response. Anyone who is willing to answer, I would really appreciate it. Thank you.

I understand your concern.

Honestly I don't think Apple will address this issue publicly. They will likely fix the issue by their own means. Like an individual had said above that they are waiting until the bad screens ran out so they can use their good screens that they have gotten rid of the issues. If you are passionate about this computer I suggest you buy it now. If you have a problem the replacement process really isn't one that requires much effort if you have a fedex center near you or a local apple retail store.

am starting to wonder how widespread this issue is. I am planning on buying a rMBP soon and now I'm nervous. I understand that this forum is mostly people who have had a bad experience, but do you guys think this issue really represents a large proportion of the rMBPs being sold? If so, I am going to hold off. I am looking for a subjective opinion, not a hate column from someone who has had a bad experience. I'd really appreciate it.

From my own experience and what I've read here, I'd guess a significant percentage of the rMBPs manufactured to date have the image retention problem. Based on the number of people that have noticed the problem and have received a replacement that also has the problem, I think there's a pretty good chance (~50%?) that you could get one that has the problem.

If you can wait, I'd suggest waiting a few more weeks to see how things play out. If it is a manufacturing problem at LG (which, based on information on the Samsung screens sounds likely), then maybe they can fix the problem and models produced after that point will be fine. But if it is an inherent problem with the current retina display design that affects both LG and Samsung (to a lesser degree) screens, then that should be clearer in a few weeks. Hopefully Apple will put out a public statement on the matter once they have a clear plan of action, but until then, I'd suggest waiting unless you really need a new computer now.

For myself, I've been waiting to replace my 2008 (non-Unibody) MacBook Pro for a long time and I really didn't want to wait any longer, so I ordered on Day 1. I'm thinking there is a pretty good chance I'll get this resolved to my satisfaction at some point in the future. Until then, while the problem is annoying and distracting, it doesn't prevent me from getting things done 95% of the time (based on my type of usage). But I am working under the assumption that the problem with my rMBP will (not may) be fixed. For others, it may be much more of a distraction/problem, so they may want to return their rMBP until they can be assured of getting one that doesn't have this problem.

I have a rMBP now for over a month. after following this thread for a while I discovered that I also have an LG screen that suffers from the same image retention problem.

I went to the Apple store today and the guy knew about this problem right away and told me a small amount of rMBP's got that issue and he ordered me a new screen right away. It should arrive in 3-5 days and I can keep my computer till they call me. Lets see if Apple actually replaces my screen with a samsung or an improved LG screen.

Before I leave the store, i tested most of the rMBP on the floor and all had the image retention problem.

As I mentioned above, I did some image retention tests on my 23" SamSung SyncMaster 213T monitors I use at work. Set background to dark gray, brightness to max and left some windows in the same positions on the screen for about 1 hour.

For one of the monitors I noticed no image retention (or if there was some IR, it was very slight and went away almost immediately).

For the second monitor, there was some very noticable IR after I minimized the window, but it faded away in less than a minute.

Both montors are the exact same Samsung model, so I think this demonstrates the following key points:

1) IR is not limited to retina displays

2) IR is not limited to LG displays

3) The occurance of IR (how long it takes for it to become noticable) and the duration of IR (how long it takes for it to go away) can vary between monitors, even from the same manufucturer.

Is the LG rMBP display more susceptible to IR? Almost definitely yes...at least in most recently produced rMBP displays

Does getting a Samgsung display gaurantee you won't have IR problems? Probably not, but it appear to greatly reduce both the liklihood you'll have IR problems as well as the severity of the problems if you do have them.

Is this an inherent problem with the rMBP display? Almost definitely not, but it is possible the higher pixel density may make the problem more likely, though that's not been proven.