2018 MBP Screen Color Uniformity

[pendragon1984]

Okay guys. Good news! I got my third machine today and so far so good. The screen is not perfect. People who are striving for perfection with LCD screens are never going to be happy with what Apple offers. However, the screen is noticeable better and this is particularly obvious when I take a photo. If you compare the top right corner on pic 1254 to the same area in pic 1255, you can see that in the former the purple/dirty color is noticeably attenuated. Now, keep in mind these photos make the screen look much worse than it looks to the human eye, but the photos do interestingly capture the problems and can be compared. It just makes all the problems look worse than they look to the eye.

What I'm going for is a screen uniform enough not to notice in normal use. I don't care than I can see issues with the special image when taking a photo. However, the better the screen does on the test the more likely I won't be able to notice the issues when browsing the web or working on a Word document. It's really annoying being able to see a purplish left compared to a much whiter right when you're using your 3 GRAND FREAKING LAPTOP FOR GODS SAKE!!!!!

Well, I spoke too soon perhaps. This screen has a weird effect where the bottom looks warmer than the top.

So it's official now for me. I've gone through 3 computers and none could display a uniform white that was uniform enough not to notice when simply using the web or writing word documents.

I know for a fact that other computer companies can achieve a uniform white, because I own a Dell and an Asus monitor. They can both display a uniform white with discrepancies too small to notice. It took zero returns to achieve this too. I just wish I could run MacOS on a PC laptop!!!!

Apple's screens are crap and they have a serious quality control problem.

 

[pendragon1984]

new screen. Remember picture makes it look worse but it dos capture the overall issues.

 

[thadoggfather]

new screen. Remember picture makes it look worse but it dos capture the overall issues.

Looking pretty yellow on left side and wide

 

[pendragon1984]

Looking pretty yellow on left side and wide

Yea, it's worse in the photo but it looks kinda yellow towards the bottom and left.

So, 3/3 bad screens. I give up. Going to just get an air or something. Not paying 3 grand for this.

I'll just stick with PCs for high end work.

 

[Gamer-Dad]

Sorry your having bad luck at getting a quality screen you can live with.

Here is my 2018 MBP 13. Pictures make it look dim and yellowish but it's not. Screen is at about 75% brightness

This 1 is with rec 709 profile which I use 24/7




This 1 is with the generic color profile

 

[makemake]

Well, I spoke too soon perhaps. This screen has a weird effect where the bottom looks warmer than the top.

So it's official now for me. I've gone through 3 computers and none could display a uniform white that was uniform enough not to notice when simply using the web or writing word documents.

Ugh that’s crazy!

I ordered a space gray 2.2GHz 15” with the flash upgraded to 512GB on new year's day. It took a few days to arrive for the in store pickup. I picked it up yesterday. I can uncross my fingers now, my screen’s pretty good. I’m pleasantly surprised because of this forum and because I'm so gosh darn picky. Hopefully everything else is A-ok, ya know?

The only oddity I’ve come across so far is that the computer came with High Sierra installed. The coconut battery app says this computer was built October 13, 2018. Weird! So I erased it & installed Mojave.
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This 1 is with rec 709 profile which I use 24/7

Wow I'm just noticing that profile now in the list. I think I like it! Why do use that over the "Color LCD" one?

 

[Gamer-Dad]

Ugh that’s crazy!

I ordered a space gray 2.2GHz 15” with the flash upgraded to 512GB on new year's day. It took a few days to arrive for the in store pickup. I picked it up yesterday. I can uncross my fingers now, my screen’s pretty good. I’m pleasantly surprised because of this forum and because I'm so gosh darn picky. Hopefully everything else is A-ok, ya know?

The only oddity I’ve come across so far is that the computer came with High Sierra installed. The coconut battery app says this computer was built October 13, 2018. Weird! So I erased it & installed Mojave.
[doublepost=1546733509][/doublepost]
Wow I'm just noticing that profile now in the list. I think I like it! Why do use that over the "Color LCD" one?

I think it looks more natural and the colors look really nice

 

[pendragon1984]

All my models were Vega 20. I wonder if the current screens are worse than normal. Maybe getting a older model or a different model. I don’t know. Kind of surprised they can get away with this. These problems aren’t hard to see under normal use.

 

[makemake]

These problems aren’t hard to see under normal use.

Yup!! And even in a brightly lit Apple store, it's noticeable.

I was thinking about the Vega but I didn't think I'd need it for what I intend on doing at this point. And the whole flickering issue with the Vega is off putting. What's up with that? It's irksome... as are so many of the other issues posted on here. This place can kind of drive you crazy.

 

[Gamer-Dad]

Definitely luck of the draw and hope for the best. Not the Apple of old...

 

[crawfish963]

I definitely see it. I would exchange it.

 

[pendragon1984]

I don't understand how Apple can have such bad screens. People are really okay with their 3 grand MacBook Pro's looking pink on one side of the screen or yellow at the bottom or whatever? They don't mind that?

 

[makemake]

I don't understand how Apple can have such bad screens. People are really okay with their 3 grand MacBook Pro's looking pink on one side of the screen or yellow at the bottom or whatever? They don't mind that?

This is the part where you should contact executive customer relations and/or email Tim Cook. They need to hear your situation.

 

[thadoggfather]

This is the part where you should contact executive customer relations and/or email Tim Cook. They need to hear your situation.

Horrendous screen lottery on these retina laptops have been going on for some time. I guarantee you tim is aware and Tim doesn’t care

 

[makemake]

Horrendous screen lottery on these retina laptops have been going on for some time.

This has been going on before retina. This goes back to the PowerBook G4 days. This is not new at all.

 

[thadoggfather]

This has been going on before retina. This goes back to the PowerBook G4 days. This is not new at all.

For sure but. I feel retina took it to a new level trying to find a uniform one. Wasn’t as rare before retina with TN displays

 

[pendragon1984]

My Alienware has a visibly perfect screen. It's a UHD Super Retina display. My Asus 27" is almost visibly perfect. It's QHD. So, it's entirely possible to produce more uniform panels for reasonable prices. So, is the reason we have non-uniform screens a conscious decision by Apple to save money and increase their profits? Or is something else going on? Someone mentioned Apple's displays are too thin and this is causing the problem. So, maybe it's a limitation of the technology in these thin computers? That would make me less angry than if I thought Apple was charging way more than the competition put putting is worse screens.

 

[makemake]

Shoot. I’ve noticed a brighter area near the middle of the screen while scrolling on web sites because it doesn’t move. Minor problem? If it’s not color uniformity, it’s brightness uniformity. Oh god, part of me is like F it. You be the judge.

 

[pendragon1984]

Shoot. I’ve noticed a brighter area near the middle of the screen while scrolling on web sites because it doesn’t move. Minor problem? If it’s not color uniformity, it’s brightness uniformity. Oh god, part of me is like F it. You be the judge.

Yea, it doesn't surprise me. Apple needs to switch suppliers or something. I bet every single screen, or almost every single screen, would be below my standards. It's sad cause I think MacOS is much better than windows.

I like the new keyboards too. I can type 80wpm on them.

You can try to return game. I've gone through 3. Tempted to go through more. I wonder if they'll stop me eventually?

 

[makemake]

You can try to return game. I've gone through 3. Tempted to go through more. I wonder if they'll stop me eventually?

I don't know if I can keep doing this. I need to move on with my life.

 

[makemake]

I don't know if I can keep doing this. I need to move on with my life.

I think the thing that's most irksome is if I break my computer & need to get a new one it isn't a simple as picking up a replacement. You have to deal with this B.S.

 

[pendragon1984]

I think the thing that's most irksome is if I break my computer & need to get a new one it isn't a simple as picking up a replacement. You have to deal with this B.S.

I hear you. I went through 5 in 2013. I kept the computer 5 years in part cause I didn't want to go through the experience again. I kind of hoped after 5 years screen tech would have improved or Apple would have.

I guess not!!!!!

 

[pendragon1984]

Update. I decided to give up the idea of a Mac being my high end machine, because I could not fine a screen I thought was good enough for the 3 grand price tag. So, I decided to just pick up a 13" machine.

Strange that the 13" came with High Sierra and is obviously an older build. This screen is the best so far with much less noticeable uniformity issues, although they are still present and still clearly worse than on my non-mac machines.

But my last screen (image 1260) had a rather noticeable yellow blotch on the bottom and the new one (1264) does not to the same degree (still there a little but not very easy to see in a normal use case).

The orange tenge at the top of the pictures is I think due to the anti-reflective coating and isn't noticeable in person. The yellow you see at the bottom thought is noticeable in person.

Anyway, I can now stop this exchange game. Although I think this screen is still not as good as it should be, the computer is at least half the price.

 

[EDS66]

I am in the same boat with my i9/1TB/Vega 20. The screen is not terrible, but there is definite pinkish to greenish/blue shift from left to right. Nothing too terrible, but annoying when working on white backgrounds. This is a BTO and it was built 1 week ago. The screen shows no IPS glow whatsoever, however; so at least that's good. I am in greater Washington DC area, and we have a passel of Apple stores around here. I've been to several, and all of the 15 inch MPS have this issue, albeit, some are worse than others. Consequently, I am not sure that replacing displays would lead to desired results.

On a brighter note, my 13 inch MBP 2018 (2.7/1TB) has an incredible screen. It shows absolutely now tint/IPS glow/dirty screen issues. It's as perfect as I've seen. Color uniformity issues aside, it seems to be brighter than the 15 inch screen and have higher contrast (blacks look blacker on it against pure white backgrounds than on the 15.)

My 15-inch screen is the A040. The 13-inch screen is A03E.

Cheers,
[doublepost=1548364878][/doublepost]By the way, I've discovered that one of the best ways to display screen uniformity issues is to open a new Excel document in full screen view. The spreadsheet grid really brings out backlight uniformity aberrations.

 

[SDColorado]

Update. I decided to give up the idea of a Mac being my high end machine, because I could not fine a screen I thought was good enough for the 3 grand price tag. So, I decided to just pick up a 13" machine.

Strange that the 13" came with High Sierra and is obviously an older build. This screen is the best so far with much less noticeable uniformity issues, although they are still present and still clearly worse than on my non-mac machines.

But my last screen (image 1260) had a rather noticeable yellow blotch on the bottom and the new one (1264) does not to the same degree (still there a little but not very easy to see in a normal use case).

The orange tenge at the top of the pictures is I think due to the anti-reflective coating and isn't noticeable in person. The yellow you see at the bottom thought is noticeable in person.

Anyway, I can now stop this exchange game. Although I think this screen is still not as good as it should be, the computer is at least half the price.

Is it really better than the 15”? Or just not as evident across a smaller screen? Curious why it would be better otherwise. Different panel in the 13”?