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16" Brightness discussion [merged]
- Thread starter 420benz
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I assume the backlight is driven by PWM hardware, so it is maybe just a SW tweak to make the screen brighter.
Maybe Apple also compensates for ambient light. Just guessing as I was getting low values in a dark room. I perceived the screen as very bright, but part of that was the contrast to the ambient light.
Maybe Apple also compensates for ambient light. Just guessing as I was getting low values in a dark room. I perceived the screen as very bright, but part of that was the contrast to the ambient light.
You're dismissing everyone else's perception simply because it doesn't agree with your own?
I just bought the MacBook Air 2019 base model a couple weeks ago and it has around 400nits. I cannot use this machine on full brightness because it's too bright.
Perception means a great deal - you can't please everyone.
I noticed this right after setting it up too. I had a 15 previously. It is not unusable now but I hope they can fix this later.
You might not be able to utilise all your RAM too but if you’re paying for it, you’d hope to have it right? Why pay for a 500nit screen only to end up with a 400 nit screen.
Also in some environments 500nits doesn’t even come close to being too bright.
I noticed this as well before looking at the board. My side by side screen shots with an iMac Pro (supposedly 500 nits) look identical to Checksix2x in both brightness and hue.
This is why you need to see the screen with your own eyes and not rely solely on numbers.
Sometimes it gets down to what you can live with since most things in life, especially computer screens, aren't perfect. I'm happy that my screen is not yellow and is pretty even. If it doesn't reach 500nits I wouldn't be worried about it as I never use it above 60% brightness. Now the speaker popping is more of a problem to me. I could live with that also, but I'm worried about damage to the speakers over time.
This is a screen defect, 15” MBP’s routinely got above 500 nits so there is no reason for this one not to. Even Dell manages to get 600+ nits on their 4K panels.
Same here..i think apple,like on the last iphones..do not let users get the full brightness..only with auto..i got around 477nits
i hope they will keep that 1000nits just on auto,for apple pro xdr display
in doors in low light if someone make a prank with you,it can hurt your eyes
i think apple was brilliant on the logic behind this since the displays are getting brighter
Not arguing with you and hope it can be fixed, but I won't return this computer if it isn't. I can live with it.
I have mine here still not unboxed but I don’t know if I can live with it - mainly as, especially during the summer, there are a lot more instances of using the laptop in much more brighter environments where I usually have to sometimes max it (and even then I wouldn’t say no to ~600+ nits) so I’ve emailed Apple about the issue to see if
a) they are aware
b) will this be addressed by a software fix or do I need to go through returns process?
I agree that for your use case it makes a big difference. Good luck getting an answer from Apple. Just be sure to return within the return window if that is your decision. It looks like 2 users above got 475 and 477nits. You might want to try your computer - it may have a bright enough screen. Also when comparing my 16" with my 2018 15" there was very little difference on full brightness. The 2018 is slightly brighter but hardly noticeable. I don't know how to measure nits so that is just a subjective opinion.
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Mine is noticeably dimmer. Whites on my 13" MacBook are white. The whites on the 15" are gray. It's almost like downgrading to a MacBook display prior to 2016. This issue is significant. If there's no software fix, then we're facing NitGate.
Side by side of stock 8 core 16" MBP and stock 8 core iMac Pro on identical max brightness settings (truetone and auto adjust brightness off). Look pretty comparable to me; maybe the iMac is ever so slightly brighter.
Looks great to me.
Yeah, you really have to try and use the machine first rather than rely solely on a nit number. I'm really glad I did because my 2019 MBA is great, even though it only has 400 nits, and it's brightest setting is too bright for me.. even in a well-lit room.
If you turn on auto brightness and shine your phone light into the ambient sensor, then the brightness will go way up.
Hopefully this means it’s a software issue that’ll be fixed in an update.
Hopefully this means it’s a software issue that’ll be fixed in an update.
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I double checked and verified this (and also posted the side by side above with the iMac Pro). I do find the dimness of the screen a little noticeable and a little annoying, but it appears to be a pure software issue having to do with the combination of auto-brightness and True Tone.
I measured, with a colorimeter, the maximum brightness to 475 nits and the black point to 0.093 nits.
Possibly if you look at a picture like the MBP / iMac example, differences in color calibration and gamma, may play a role in how you perceive your screen. You are mostly looking at mid-tones not at the black point or white point.
Possibly if you look at a picture like the MBP / iMac example, differences in color calibration and gamma, may play a role in how you perceive your screen. You are mostly looking at mid-tones not at the black point or white point.
If the screens are on max brightness and then you shine a light and it gets brighter, then the 500 nits is by design to be reached only with auto brightness, to go beyond the max allowable just by the buttons.
Similar to the iPhones that can do 500 with manual control but can't hit the full 625 unless auto brightness is on and you're outside.
For all we know Apple is intentionally capping brightness at 350-400 and it's only possible to hit 500 in an auto-brightness situation outside. I mean that would suck for sure, but it's exactly what they do on the phone. But I don't remember if Apple advertises it that way, I think they do? Whereas on this they just say it's 500 nits, so one would expect it to be 500 nits based on manual control, regardless of ambient light/auto brightness.
Similar to the iPhones that can do 500 with manual control but can't hit the full 625 unless auto brightness is on and you're outside.
For all we know Apple is intentionally capping brightness at 350-400 and it's only possible to hit 500 in an auto-brightness situation outside. I mean that would suck for sure, but it's exactly what they do on the phone. But I don't remember if Apple advertises it that way, I think they do? Whereas on this they just say it's 500 nits, so one would expect it to be 500 nits based on manual control, regardless of ambient light/auto brightness.
Haven't read through all of the comments so sorry if this has already been answered but make sure that this isn't checked:
