MacBook Pro 15" Grainy Matte Display

Question

MacBook Pro 15" Grainy Matte Display

The matte display on my new MacBook Pro has a grainy look to it. It's very noticeable. I'm curious if this is a defect or if all MacBook Pro displays are like this. To better describe the look... it looks like someone took a screenshot and applied the noise filter to it. It also looks like as if there's a lot of dust on the screen. Please let me know if anyone else sees this because if it's not right, I need to return it and get a replacement. Thanks.

2.33GHz - 15" MacBook Pro - 2GB RAM - 256MB VRAM, Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Posted on Nov 7, 2006 6:30 AM

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Answer 1

Joshua

Level 2

251 points

Nov 7, 2006 6:32 AM in response to Jayson Allyson1

Is your resolution maxed out?

Try setting it to the max resolution...

1440 x 900 in the Display preference and see if that helps?

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Answer 2

Nov 7, 2006 6:34 AM in response to Joshua

Yes. I am running the native resolution. Also, Millions of colors. It's not a blurry look, it's simply grainy. I don't think it's a software issue. I believe it's only on Matte displays because I talked to a friend who has a glossy MBP and his is crystal clear.

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Answer 3

Joshua

Level 2

251 points

Nov 7, 2006 6:44 AM in response to Jayson Allyson1

hmm. that's annoying... are you near an apple store that you could bring it in to contrast and compare?

i did struggle with which display to get and ended up w/ the matte one...

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Answer 4

Nov 7, 2006 6:53 AM in response to Joshua

Okay, so you have the matte display and it looks nice and clean. Then it must be an isolated problem. I will go to my local Apple reseller and check their computers. If this is not how it's supposed to be, then I need to return it because it's annoying.

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Answer 5

zwarbo

Level 2

160 points

Nov 7, 2006 7:50 AM in response to Jayson Allyson1

I have the new Macbook Pro 15" with matt screen.

I am looking at my screen trying to see if I would class what I am looking at as grainy, & I am not sure.

I can only say that my matt screen looks the same "grainy" if not better than my iMac 17" matt screen.

If I turn up the brightness to full, its better.
As this is all sounding a bit vague, as others suggest you are only going to get an idea if you compare against others in the Apple store. If it is the same then it must a "feature" of the matt screens.

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Answer 6

Nov 7, 2006 8:02 AM in response to zwarbo

I guess all I can say is that the screen itself looks dirty... like one giant fingerprint smudge (you know how fingerprints make the pixels diffuse a little?) That's how it looks on the entire screen. Almost as if I have it on Thousands of colors or something (note: it's on Millions of colors).

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Answer 7

Nov 7, 2006 1:43 PM in response to Jayson Allyson1

It looks like this:

http://homepage.mac.com/justspaztik/noisescreen.png

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Answer 8

Nov 8, 2006 6:17 AM in response to Jayson Allyson1

Update: I went to my local Apple Reseller last night and I looked at another MacBook Pro and it was the same way. The guy at the store said that's how they come and it's just the nature of the matte display. So at least I know that my computer's not defective. Do you think Apple will trade me a glossy screen MBP for mine? I only bought it Saturday.

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Answer 9

jimitha

Level 1

0 points

Nov 8, 2006 8:23 PM in response to Jayson Allyson1

All 15" matte AND glossy displays exhibited this exact problem in the Chicago store when I was there on November 5 to complain about this very issue. It is certainly not a "normal" thing for LCD displays to look like they're displaying a noise filter, except if by "normal" you mean "present in many C2D 15 inch screens". I guess if you send it back it's a crapshoot if you get a fixed display or not.

At least I know I'm not crazy now--the Genius swore there was nothing wrong, totally normal, it was not an "emerging issue" and no complaints had been posted on the discussion boards.

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Answer 10

jimitha

Level 1

0 points

Nov 8, 2006 8:25 PM in response to Jayson Allyson1

Dude, that picture really hurts when you look at it on a display that already has this problem 🙂

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Answer 11

Nov 9, 2006 11:06 AM in response to Jayson Allyson1

Do you think it could be the ATI graphics card causing the problem? I think the MacBooks have a different graphics chip in them. I don't see how it could be the problem though.

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Answer 12

Nov 9, 2006 11:12 AM in response to Jayson Allyson1

Topic is not answered

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Answer 13

Nov 9, 2006 11:22 AM in response to Jayson Allyson1

Somehow my other posts got deleted. Is Apple secretly deleting my posts... I posted a link to this website: http://www.screentekinc.com/pixelbright-lcds.shtml

But, now my posts are gone.... what the...?

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Answer 14

Nov 9, 2006 11:33 AM in response to Jayson Allyson1

I was using my MacBook Pro last night and I decided just to use it without staring at the bumps and I started to forget they were there. I think that if I just give it time, I won't even care or notice anymore. It's just weird for me right now because I upgraded from a 12" PowerBook and it just looks different now. I also noticed that the same effect is on my Samsung LCD monitor here at work but, the pixels are large enough that it doesn't diffuse as much. That's the main problem on the MacBook Pros. The pixels are so small that it doesn't take much to distort them such as a scratch or a fingerprint and obviously the matte finish.

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Answer 15

Nov 10, 2006 7:21 AM in response to Jayson Allyson1

Jimitha, my email address is justspaztik@mac.com. Send me your iChat screen-name so we can talk. I'm really interested in your points that you posted here and I would love to talk one on one. Give me a buzz. Thanks.

If anyone is interested in chatting me up on iChat, feel free. My screen-name is "justspaztik" (not a .mac name).

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