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kenofstephen Author

Level 1

71 points

Macbook 2016 HDMI output flickering

I have both MacBook 2015 and MacBook 2016,

and I've purchased the original Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter.

I've loaded both MacBooks with genuine copies of Windows 10 Pro with bootcamp, partition cut into half between Mac OS and Windows 10.

The new MacBook 2016, while doing screen cloning using the Multiport Adapter under Windows 10,

the output always flickers, and the pattern is always consistent:

1.) Waking up from sleep, always flickers once;

2.) And then will at least flickers 2-3 times more;

It doesn't happen with the MacBook 2015,

is this is hardware design flaw of the new MacBook 2016?? Or is it a software (driver) issue?

All drivers are being updated to the latest.

MacBook, Windows 10

Posted on Jul 17, 2016 9:32 PM

394 replies

Nov 16, 2016 12:14 PM in response to kenofstephen

I am testing macOS Sierra beta 3 (16C48b) too with my MacBook 2016 m7 and LG 27ud88 monitor via USB-C cable and seems to work fine...

I will keep you updated.

Nov 16, 2016 12:32 PM in response to kenofstephen

I was invited to participate in the beta. I have upgraded and I haven't had any issues with the flickering thus far. I have tested with the Apple adapter and a 3rd party adapter with success on my Dell monitor.

So far the fix looks good!

xtrem

Level 1

8 points

Nov 17, 2016 2:23 AM in response to dean.apple

I've been on all the sierra public betas and flickering has always been there. Also with the latest beta.

Apple adapter and Dell U3415W. Three colleagues with same setup and same problems. Not just flickering but whole screen just showed noise for a couple of seconds.

Nov 17, 2016 8:00 PM in response to kenofstephen

HI guys, it's been a few days. How's it going with the testing?

Nov 17, 2016 11:13 PM in response to leechicago

So far no flickering. Just random weirdness on the first couple of seconds.

Nov 18, 2016 12:36 AM in response to kenofstephen

2 days with Beta 3. No flickering on my Dell monitor. Used to be plenty - every 3-5 minutes.

Nov 18, 2016 10:49 AM in response to kenofstephen

2 days with Beta 3 also. Just random weirdness on the first couple of seconds (as Paulo Neves mentioned) with LG27UD88 monitor and USB-C cable). So far no flickering with MINIX NEO C over VGA with several monitors and projectors (just tested for 2-3 hours).

Nov 18, 2016 10:58 AM in response to Signe Maten

2 swipes during the last hours on the second day of testing. About 28 hours after installation.

Nov 21, 2016 3:58 PM in response to kenofstephen

I have a similar problem with my MacBook Pro with toucher 13 inch late 2016 (just got it) constant flickering every with a samsung 28 inch 4k monitor using - genuine Apple Multiport adaptor and HDMI. I updated the software for the Mulitport Adaptor and tried both left and right USBC ports. Monitor is running at 30Hz

Nov 21, 2016 7:10 PM in response to kenofstephen

I have the 12" Macbook 2016 too. All external displays hooked up to this laptop flickers. I've tried many adaptors, cables, monitors. All the same problems. I've brought the Macbook to the Genius Bar TWICE and was turned away because I wasn't able to reproduce the on the spot. It is really frustrating. I'm now stuck with a defected, expensive product that I cannot return or exchange.

mhohman

Level 1

4 points

Nov 21, 2016 7:54 PM in response to thehexpistols

Have you tried the latest public beta? https://beta.apple.com/sp/betaprogram/ This has fixed the issue so far for us.

Nov 21, 2016 8:23 PM in response to mhohman

Hello mhohman. Thank you for the link. I just enrolled for the beta program. I'm downloading it now. I will report back tomorrow. I hope this will fix the issue for me too.

Relin

Level 1

4 points

Nov 22, 2016 1:18 AM in response to thehexpistols

Well, after over a month of non issues and lots of calls from Ray @ Apple asking me to recreate and being unable to my screen has finally started to flicker again.

Ray, if you are reading this i have the log file now but have lost your contact details.

Nov 22, 2016 5:10 AM in response to Obsthedog

Well, Your post just confirms my suspicions...

Issue started with MacBook 12, launched in April. Users complaining, no solution. Now issue gets attention... why? Because it also impacts Apple's biggest laptop revenue model…

As for my experience with beta, na flickering but I would not call it stable by all means. Still weirdness on some situations.

Let's see what gets out as official 10.12.2.

Nov 23, 2016 10:43 AM in response to kenofstephen

Just posting an update to the status of my repair case with Apple, which I've pressed hard and finally got an interesting piece of information on.

They convened an engineering team to look at my case, but agreed to simultaneously look at the hardware in the store. Nothing has come from the engineering side and the store said they were unable to reproduce the flicker issue.

However, I got a call from the store this morning mentioning that there was a problem with the I/O board. I'm not 100% sure what that means, because the 2016 Retina MacBook does not have multiple boards...just the main/logic board.

I could swear this was a driver issue with poor memory management and tied to something USB-C-related, as I've heard this issue cropping up for Late 2016 MacBook Pro (w/ USB-C of course) users. Whatever it winds up being, I will update here on whether or not the "I/O board" replacement changes anything.

Macbook 2016 HDMI output flickering