Q: MacBook Pro Retina display burn-in?

Well I think you have made up your mind already my friend and nothing is going to satisfy you. I think even if I did that you would probably still say that yours in particular is defective. The Apple store is an hour away from me so I am not gonna go there just to prove it as well as annoy the Apple folks. You could always buy a Calibrator and use it and if it doesn't "work" then you can return the Calibrator.  Amazon does this for free.

Calibration is definitely an issue. As I have stated many times, there has been a sort of misconception that once your LG screen is replaced with the #661-7171 (Samsung), the Samsung panel you receive must look incorrect/warm/less vibrant because you had the color profile loaded for your previous display.

That is NOT the case; the 'Color LCD' profile is a generic Apple profile that I can confirm is at least shipped with all MacBook Pros with Retina displays.

PLEASE do not tell me to set the Apple software color calibrator's white balance setting to a ridiculous 9300K or even 7000K. That is inaccurate and is, as another user described quite well, like peering through a blue mist.

As a hobbyist photographer color accuracy is important for me. While an LG panel may have oversaturated, "poppy" colors, it is good to know it has a sufficient gamut. Calibration will merely reduce the saturation slightly.

Whereas the Samsung display will have less vibrant colors than are needed, and (on mine) it displays blues with a SLIGHT tinge of purple, especially when comparing the Lion Andromeda Galaxy wallpaper on both my rMBP and my iMac.

Black level is important, especially for shadow detail. On the Samsung a black screen is still bright, and my first replacement had dirty brown/yellow bleed near the bottom and purple bleed on one side. Eventually dead pixels cropped up, so I'm on my second.

It's odd but I think someone else mentioned this as well: The Apple Store I went to is small and has only one 15" rMBP on display with a Samsung, so after my second screen replacement I went to compare with the floor model. I didn't like what I saw with my screen, but loved the more full, rich colors and improved blues on the store model compared to my machine. I then checked, expecting an LG, and it was... a SAMSUNG!

Evidently there are varying degrees of quality with Samsungs (as my first screen had better color but more uniformity problems), but none of them compare with the black levels and uniformity of the LG.

I just want a screen with LG's qualities of vibrant colors, a perfect white point (neutral, about 6500K is good), and a good black level, combined with the Samsung display's lack of image retention. I thought the SJA2 might have been it, but according to a few reports even that claim is not quite true, even though the issue might have been reduced slightly.

shayster98 wrote:

 

I just want a screen with LG's qualities of vibrant colors, a perfect white point (neutral, about 6500K is good), and a good black level, combined with the Samsung display's lack of image retention. I thought the SJA2 might have been it, but according to a few reports even that claim is not quite true, even though the issue might have been reduced slightly.

So what's the solution, shayster98? Can the yellow Samsung display be calibrated to look as good as the vibrant LG or normal Samsung units? Or are we stuck with defective displays on our $2,200 computer that Apple refuses to acknowledge?

Merch Visoiu wrote:

 

I believe that the problem with this display isn't that it's yellow but rather that it's blue deficient, that it doesn't show blue properly.

YES! I noticed that as well. Deep blues on mine display as a very slight purple, but it's more obvious when I compare it with another screen.

I edited one of my photos on a different, not that spectacular display (unibody MBP 13") which consisted of icy blue water and a sky which had a gradient from blue to a slight purple.

I viewed it on my rMBP and I just noticed that the whole photograph looked more purple. There was less gradient in the sky and it was more just totally purple.

Since a hardware calibration setup would have to correct the blues, am I right in saying that the only possible way for it to get blue to appear correctly on a screen that currently shows it as purple would be to subtract purple? Obviously it can't add the capability to display rich, deep blues. That would result it washed out blues, although they wouldn't be purple.

LG's would basically be, as I stated above, be more accurate in reaching the calibration target than Samsungs.

Someone did have this experience earlier in this thread with a few LG and a few Samsung-display equipped rMBPs and a hardware calibrator. He/she actually pointed out his findings showed that LGs had a 1000:1 contrast ratio whereas the Samsungs had around 700:1.

Merch Visoiu wrote:

 

shayster98 wrote:

 

I just want a screen with LG's qualities of vibrant colors, a perfect white point (neutral, about 6500K is good), and a good black level, combined with the Samsung display's lack of image retention. I thought the SJA2 might have been it, but according to a few reports even that claim is not quite true, even though the issue might have been reduced slightly.

 

So what's the solution, shayster98? Can the yellow Samsung display be calibrated to look as good as the vibrant LG or normal Samsung units? Or are we stuck with defective displays on our $2,200 computer that Apple refuses to acknowledge?

A hardware calibrator could certainly correct your white balance. The color gamut, however, cannot be. The calibrator has to make do with the range of colors your panel can display. A target for color calibration can be established, and the quality of your display would determine how close it can get to that target and how accurate it will display colors.

The LG is a bit oversaturated for photographs, but a calibrator can adjust for that. What it cannot do is add in the capability to display colors that are washed out and need to be more vibrant (i.e. some Samsung panels). And with Samsung panels black levels are also an issue.

Unfortunately, I think we are stuck with what we got, but I don't want it to happen.

Some people have success stories, like this guy. Amazed me.

Euroart wrote:

"My retina story:

1. LG SJA1 (2012 model) - small retention, bad pixel afer 3 weeks, replaced screen

2. Samsung - yellow, warmer colors on one side, replaced

3. Samsung - same thing, yellow, warmer colors on one side, replaced, bad pixel again after a while, replaced

4. Samsung - same thing, yellow, warmer colors on one side, replaced whole computer, got brand new 2013 model

5. LG SJA1 - no retention, bad pixel after 3 weeks, replaced whole computer

6. LG SJA2 - no retention, no bad pixels but very yellow on one side!, replaced whole computer, got free ssd upgrade (Thank you Apple!)

7. LG SJA2 - screen slightly warmer than SJA1, a bit warmer in the corners but not really noticable without test images. This screen is more like samsung so hopefully no retention but still better blacks and contrast than on samsung. 4 weeks now, hopefully they fixed bad pixel problems with this display. Hope ...

All replacements were done on warranty basis, no 14 day return period. I am quite happy now as I got newer unit with double storage!"

UNBELIEVABLE. Happy for him; few have gotten treatment like that.

shayster98 wrote:

Unfortunately, I think we are stuck with what we got, but I don't want it to happen.

What would you have done, shayster98, if the yellow Samsung display you have now is the display that came with the machine? Would you have returned it within 14 days?

Have you tried visiting the Genius Bar to complain about the yellow display?

Can any of you guys post a link for a perfectly calibrated icc profile for (Samsung), we would be really grateful !!!

Thanks in advance

This won't work. You shouldnt "Share" ICC profiles as display can vary in manufacturing. What is good for me, can be slightly off for you.

But doesnt the OS look at the program as a neutral entity and display colors based on the program?

ok you mean to say that the color varies with production units as well!!!

(gosh) the glue, anti-reflective coating and other things which make up the display ...

Can you just post yours, I'd like to experiment with your icc data

Thanks!!!

tmathuram wrote:

 

Can any of you guys post a link for a perfectly calibrated icc profile for (Samsung), we would be really grateful !!!

 

Thanks in advance

Try searching for "icc" on the forums at macrumors.com. It won't look as good as your previous display, though. Your Samsung display is defective and Apple doesn't care because they don't think you'll notice.

Here is my ICC profile: http://cl.ly/2y0z0h0D4619

Just FYI: I run mine a little cooler than neutral.

MartyF81 wrote:

 

Here is my ICC profile: http://cl.ly/2y0z0h0D4619

 

Just FYI: I run mine a little cooler than neutral.

Put this file in ~/Library/ColorSync/Profiles, tmathuram.

Thanks a bunch guys!!!!!

OMG!!!! it looks so purple!!!! OMG!!!! So much of difference!!!! im dumbstruck !!!

MartyF81 wrote:

 

Here is my ICC profile: http://cl.ly/2y0z0h0D4619

 

Just FYI: I run mine a little cooler than neutral.

Hey Marty, your ICC is hideous. I'm going to take a picture with your ICC next to an in-store display. Yeah, yeah, I can't use your ICC on my display. But you really should set your display next to a store unit if you think your ICC is remotely what the good LGs and Samsungs look like.