16" MBP - Ghosting/Text Smearing - Mfg Dt/Panel Rev Database Wiki

[sat24]

Please contribute your information so we can keep a single database of what works and what doesnt.

What is Ghosting? - this is when the LCD pixels change from black->white (or reverse) slowly causing fast moving objects to create "ghosts" on screen. See https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/16-macbook-pro-ghosting-smearing.2212842/post-28069029 for a picture comparison of prev. gen MBP and the 16" MBP.

What is Text Smearing? - this is hard to capture on video, but you can try the method outlined at https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/16-macbook-pro-ghosting-smearing.2212842/post-28060845 to see if you have this. If you have this problem, you will see text on a constrasty background ooze/streak/smear as you smooth scrolling the page. Very evident in dark mode pages, code editors, etc. where text is brighter than the background.

Master thread on this issue at https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/16-macbook-pro-ghosting-smearing.2212842/. Post your experiences and discussions/questions there.

Current hypotheses is that newer panel revisions do not have this problem (SJA4 or newer). This wiki is our way of collating all information to prove/disprove this and create other hypotheses.

User	Manufacturer Date (from coconutBattery App)	Panel Revision (run ioreg -lw0 | grep "EDID" | sed "/[^<]*</s///" | xxd -p -r | strings -6 in Terminal)	Do you have the ghosting problem?	Do you have text smearing?
sat24	2019-10-14	LP160WT1-SJA1	Yes, but bearable	Yes
screensavers	2019-11-25	LP160WT1-SJA3	No	No
kssharma	2019-11-25	LP160WT1-SJA2	Yes	Yes
covedrop	2019-09-23	LP160WT1-SJA2	Yes	Yes
badsimian	2019-12-02	LP160WT1-SJA4	Yes but very slight, same as 2019 iMac	No
Andy-V	2019-11-12	LP160WT1-SJA2	Yes	Yes
Lukáš Ernst	2019-10-29	LP160WT1-SJA2	Yes	Yes
7even	2019-12-02	LP160WT1-SJA3	No (looks the same as every other MBP I had/have)	No
Donnation	2019-11-25	LP160WT1-SJA1	No, looks same as 2015 MacBook Pro	No
Nacho98	2019-11-18	LP160WT1-SJA1	No	No
Arise2B	2019-12-09	LP160WT1-SJA4	Yes, but bearable	Yes, but bearable
foldpages	2019-11-11	LP160WT1-SJA1	No	No
MightyJabba	2019-10-20	LP160WT1-SJA1	No	No
avkam	2019-11-25	LP160WT1-SJA2	No, looks same as Retina -12	No
fishmoose	2019-11-25	LP160WT1-SJA2	No	Yes, but bearable
Quu	2019-10-21	LP160WT1-SJA1	Yes	Yes
am2am	2019-11-05	LP160WT1-SJA2	No or I don't notice it (never had ghosting problems with previous MBPs)	No or I don't notice it (never had smearing problems with previous MBPs)
WickedPorter	2019-11-11	LP160WT1-SJA1	No	No
nico887	2019-10-21	LP160WT1-SJA1	Yes	Yes
xodh	2019-12-12	LP160WT1-SJA3	No	No

 

[7even]

edit: nvm will update wiki off my computer

 

[ScreenSavers]

Thanks for putting this together. Glad mines an ok one!
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[Donnation]

Not sure I understand. Your stating the current hypothesis is that the SJA4 panels are the newer ones that don't have ghosting or smearing but you list the SJA3 panel as not having ghosting or smearing.

 

[sat24]

Not sure I understand. Your stating the current hypothesis is that the SJA4 panels are the newer ones that don't have ghosting or smearing but you list the SJA3 panel as not having ghosting or smearing.

It’s just a hypothesis with whatever data we had strewn about across multiple threads/responses. Hence the attempt to collate everything in one place so we can create better hypotheses.

 

[Nacho98]

really? did we need another thread when theres already a 15 page thread about it?

 

[Donnation]

It’s just a hypothesis with whatever data we had strewn about across multiple threads/responses. Hence the attempt to collate everything in one place so we can create better hypotheses.

Ok, well this won't help your hypothesis but I have the SJA1 panel and I absolutely don't have ghosting or text smearing.
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really? did we need another thread when theres already a 15 page thread about it?

For real. The funny thing is this Wiki doesn't accomplish anything. Let's take an example here:

Someone who says they have ghosting takes theirs back and buys another one. They turn it on and it looks great. But then they run the terminal command and its an SJA2 panel. Uh oh, that means it has ghosting and text smearing. Have to take it back. Rinse and repeat until you get an SJA4 model or newer? Its absolutely ridiculous.
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Also, that's not the right terminal command. You have to have Xcode installed to run that command you listed above. This is the one that needs to be ran:

ioreg -lw0 | grep "EDID" | sed "/[^<]*</s///" | xxd -p -r

 

[redheeler]

LP160WT1-SJA3 panel here. The smearing might be a little worse than my 5K iMac, but I wouldn't call it an issue. Have to purposely look for it to notice a difference.

 

[ScreenSavers]

I say if you have smearing that really bothers you return it, otherwise enjoy it like I am. Not sure if you'll ever be able to narrow it down to "All SJAx panels are worse than SJAxx" or similar.

 

[redheeler]

I say if you have smearing that really bothers you return it, otherwise enjoy it like I am. Not sure if you'll ever be able to narrow it down to "All SJAx panels are worse than SJAxx" or similar.

I got a decent later-revision panel which I am happy with. Little to no backlight bleed and plenty bright / vibrant.

 

[sat24]

I say if you have smearing that really bothers you return it, otherwise enjoy it like I am. Not sure if you'll ever be able to narrow it down to "All SJAx panels are worse than SJAxx" or similar.

Yes, I definitely am going to. But also going to try to see if I can be data-oriented about this!

 

[Nacho98]

you guys dont even know if A1, A2, etc are revisions or something completely different.

 

[shardey]

you guys dont even know if A1, A2, etc are revisions or something completely different.

Gathering data points will help determine that.

 

[redheeler]

The problem I see here is there is a lot of objectivity / variance with this issue. Not only is the data collected here affected by the "display lottery" (AKA variances between panels of the same revision and batch), but someone might perceive smearing and someone else might not perceive smearing on the very same panel.

@Nacho98 has a point. Now that I think about it, these are probably batch numbers rather than revision numbers. And because of this, it's unlikely these numbers imply any conscious effort being made to fix smearing or other issues.

 

[Lukáš Ernst]

I have LP160WT1-SJA2, 2019-28-10, i have little ghosting (worst then my old 13" 2016) and for my big text smearing (im a sensitive to this and on my old 13" i dont see nothing)

Please add to tab i cant edit it.

 

[Donnation]

Out of curiosity OP, how are you going to go out and purchase one of these magical new "revised" panels from Apple? Its not like you can get online or walk into an Apple store and say "Yeah I'll take this MacBook Pro and I want the SJA5 panel please."

 

[Lukáš Ernst]

Out of curiosity OP, how are you going to go out and purchase one of these magical new "revised" panels from Apple? Its not like you can get online or walk into an Apple store and say "Yeah I'll take this MacBook Pro and I want the SJA5 panel please."

You must return old and buy new and hope its a newer revision, i solving same problem with iphones X, i buy firt and displey have yellow tint and strange colors, i change 6 times and on the end i buy good one with nice colors and nice white distribution. Apple make iphones in many manufactures and have several supplier to display and evry factory line and supplier have different quality i see this when i changing iphones and every have different quality of displays and build quality...

 

[Donnation]

You must return old and buy new and hope its a newer revision, i solving same problem with iphones X, i buy firt and displey have yellow tint and strange colors, i change 6 times and on the end i buy good one with nice colors and nice white distribution. Apple make iphones in many manufactures and have several supplier to display and evry factory line and supplier have different quality i see this when i changing iphones and every have different quality of displays and build quality...

Oh believe me, I'm well aware of those who exchanged their iPhone half a dozen times and found a magical display that was different than all the others lol.
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Gathering data points will help determine that.

No it won't. Someone with an SJA4 panel has already stated they see some ghosting and smearing so this theory is completely shot, unless that "data point" is just ignored. Someone else with an SJA4 panel says they have no ghosting or smearing. What does that data point show?

I have a SJA1 panel that has no ghosting or smearing but oddly its not been added to the list because it doesn't fit into the narrative that these "revised panels" exist. If it had it like and it was like wet paint when scrolling I can promise you I'd return it in a heartbeat. I see absolutely no difference in mine and my 5K iMac and my wife's MacBook Air.

 

[Lukáš Ernst]

Oh believe me, I'm well aware of those who exchanged their iPhone half a dozen times and found a magical display that was different than all the others lol.

When a apple cant watch his production quality, this is a only way. He has a very overpriced products and i accept this price but i want TOP quality product...not only good, with ghosting on computer or bad color calibraton on phone...

And its a not "magical different than all others" i see big differents over the world markets, i buy one iphone in US and one in Czech (small country) and the US verions is soo better in quality. Apple have quality classes and sending better quality product to a biggest and important markets. Its a fact...

 

[Donnation]

When a apple cant watch his production quality, this is a only way. He has a very overpriced products and i accept this price but i want TOP quality product...not only good, with ghosting on computer or bad color calibraton on phone...

And its a not "magical different than all others" i see big differents over the world markets, i buy one iphone in US and one in Czech (small country) and the US verions is soo better in quality. Apple have quality classes and sending better quality product to a biggest and important markets. Its a fact...

Lol it’s not a fact and absolutely ridiculous.

 

[Marzel]

One of the problems is that ghosting/smearing is highly subjective and hard to verify. I think that if we were to 100% verify that the issue exist, we should limit opinions (data points) to the ones coming from people that had a previous MacBook Pro model as well. It’s the only way to mitigate subjectivity (unless people are willing to run more scientific tests).

 

[Lukáš Ernst]

Lol it’s not a fact and absolutely ridiculous.

Oky it my personal opinion, but i see on my eyes big differents on same apple product from differents markets/shops/batchs...

I dont have reason to lie about this, i love Apple and his product but this problem i see and feel in many last years.

 

[Donnation]

Oky it my personal opinion, but i see on my eyes big differents on same apple product from differents markets/shops/batchs...

I dont have reason to lie about this, i love Apple and his product but this problem i see and feel in many last years.

I’d be interested to know where the OP and others that are complaining about ghosting are from. I’d gather that a majority of them are from the US. Your argument is yes, your opinion, and one I don’t personally buy into.

 

[Lukáš Ernst]

One of the problems is that ghosting/smearing is highly subjective and hard to verify. I think that if we were to 100% verify that the issue exist, we should limit opinions (data points) to the ones coming from people that had a previous MacBook Pro model as well. It’s the only way to mitigate subjectivity (unless people are willing to run more scientific tests).

Notebookcheck measre 16" display and its have 53ms response time, for example my old macbook pro 13" from 2013 have on notebookcheck in measure 30 ms, its almost 2x worst response. 50ms its not as bad but still its worst.

Next evidence when this problem exist for me is now after one month since to launch is 4 revisions of display on market, apple apparently solving any problem in manufacture, maybe not ghosting...

 

[Nacho98]

You guys are trying to turn a specification into a problem.

There are NOT 4 revisions of this panel floating around within 3 weeks, sorry. I'm a manufacturing engineer, so might actually know what I'm talking about. You can't just grab a new version of something off the shelf and toss it in without significant process and product validation activities and a ton of statistical data analysis and all the gate reviews that go with it. And the supplier sure hasn't done a DOE (Design of Experiment) multiple times to create 3 additional panels, validate them, test them, build them, ship them, and have Apple put them in a product and blindly send it out the door. It just doesn't work that way guys, sorry.

One tiny, insignificant change to a production line is a tremendous and arduous activity, and this would not be a tiny, insignificant change.

I have an A1 produced two months after other A2 panels, so there goes that whole revision theory.