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Blurry/Hazy screen on new MBP 14”
- Thread starter Nocturnal-G
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I've been waiting for this MBP refresh for a long time, and while I'm super happy with most of its features (magsafe, card reader, color space, sound, battery life, no touch bar, etc), when I went to check it out IRL at the Apple Store, the display really gave me pause — while photos looked positively fantastic, I found I could hardly read text at all, without it being really uncomfortable.
No matter how I set the display, text looked super blurry and like there was something wrong with it. I compared with my iPhone SE, my one year old iPad and my 15" Retina Display MBP, and none of them give me any trouble at all. I checked out several M1 MBPs at the store, and text looked similarly blurry to me on all of them.
I'm so sad I won't be able to buy this generation of MBPs unless Apple does something drastic to fix this issue/these issues... I'm a visual artist who also writes a lot, and I could never work using these displays, not even for a few minutes. It felt like text was out of focus, just like others on this thread have experienced it.
I'm surprised to see hardly any discussion about this out there on the Interwebz.
No matter how I set the display, text looked super blurry and like there was something wrong with it. I compared with my iPhone SE, my one year old iPad and my 15" Retina Display MBP, and none of them give me any trouble at all. I checked out several M1 MBPs at the store, and text looked similarly blurry to me on all of them.
I'm so sad I won't be able to buy this generation of MBPs unless Apple does something drastic to fix this issue/these issues... I'm a visual artist who also writes a lot, and I could never work using these displays, not even for a few minutes. It felt like text was out of focus, just like others on this thread have experienced it.
I'm surprised to see hardly any discussion about this out there on the Interwebz.
I can assure you they all don't have it. It's Apple's ****** choice of screen coating manufacturer... they are probably still contracting the same company to blame for StainGate, SMH.
Buying one feels dicey in the extreme - what if I have to return it several times? Even worse, what if I do return it several times, and they replacements are all just as bad?
I wonder what the good/bad ratio is - 1/10? 50/50?
N.B. I'm discussing the 16" MBP. Not sure if the 14" has this problem even more pronouncedly.
I have had same issue. Blurry vision, hot eyes, and crying eyes after using Macbook 14" i think it is not the issue of the display itself.
Because i tried to use it with external screen aswell and got same results. It has to be something digital.
Graphic card issue. I have sold that pc because i was getting terrible eye pain and blurry vision on all my other devices after using this mac. After resting a few days i got my vision back. I had also 2011 macbook pro 15" and it never gave me same issue. Also i have HP elitebook 850 g5 it never gave same problems using with external screen or directly. Also Iphone xr and tv never give me same effect as this MAC 2021 14". I have now bought Legion 5 pro 165hz rtx 3060 AMD ryzen processor. And guess what? i have same severe eyestrain again. This laptop is also from year 2021. So it must be some new technology. Both screens have dolby vision. but i dont know if that can have this effect. both screens are 16:10 aspect ratio. And high resolution. I tried changing every possible graphical option on both pcs and it never got better. Im an IT engineer BTW. This Legion pc also gives eyestrain using through external screen. Both pcs has very bright screens and text looks incredibly blurry. After playing GTA 4 hours yesterday my eyes already were affected by it and i started to see badly. My vision is 10/10 best possible i had it checked recently by medical care. Trying to find what technology gives this effect but unsuccessfully. If somebody knows what it is let me know. I know that older pcs does not give me such results I work all day every day with a pc and just have normal tiredness after whole day of work. with these new pcs working 2 days with it results with terrible damage for eyes. And its not the panels and not some coating like somebody is saying. Also i can mention that colors on these screens seems like they are over saturated too bright like on LSD or something
colors seems going a little out of border of the picture. this is the best way i can describe itHi
I have set up a mail in service for my MBP 16" M1 Pro for the issues mentioned in the thread, I have had mine a few months but rarely got chance to seriously use it until now!
My screen had the typical darker edge of mini-led but also a vignette effect over the screen with the screen being brighter in the middle, its far more apparent with True Tone. The edge of the screen also when its warmer has a subtle blue tint about 1cm in each side.
Since using the laptop more my eyes after about 10min feel dry, burning and blur in and out. I have kept my MBP mid 2012 retina up until now as a spare and find myself going back to that more for sheer comfort on my eyes.
I don't think its PWM? I have had an iPhone X and currently a 12 pro and I don't get eye strain issues with these.
I only hope Apple find and resolve something with it or I may have to sell it at a loss as its juts not comfortable to use!
Thanks Guys
I have set up a mail in service for my MBP 16" M1 Pro for the issues mentioned in the thread, I have had mine a few months but rarely got chance to seriously use it until now!
My screen had the typical darker edge of mini-led but also a vignette effect over the screen with the screen being brighter in the middle, its far more apparent with True Tone. The edge of the screen also when its warmer has a subtle blue tint about 1cm in each side.
Since using the laptop more my eyes after about 10min feel dry, burning and blur in and out. I have kept my MBP mid 2012 retina up until now as a spare and find myself going back to that more for sheer comfort on my eyes.
I don't think its PWM? I have had an iPhone X and currently a 12 pro and I don't get eye strain issues with these.
I only hope Apple find and resolve something with it or I may have to sell it at a loss as its juts not comfortable to use!
Thanks Guys
I’ve tried that a week back and tried to turn promotion and locked it 60hz. Never did a thing for me!
I really do hope so, the laptops perfect otherwise. I’d hate to give it up.
I've been through 7 MacBook Pros. I had originally decided on a base M1... went through 3 of those before I decided Jony Ive's design was poorly thought out. This new design is far better. I went through 4 M1 Pros before settling on the one I have now. Out of those 7... 5 had screen coating issues.
where are you getting yours from?
i’ve never had any issues to speak of with any of my macbooks that i’ve purchased since 2011. those are issues i’d expect or at least somewhat understand on refurbs
Add me to the list with issues. I have been going crazy thinking I was losing my eye sight until I found this thread. Just feels like I cannot focus on the text at all and oily is the perfect description. Has been driving me insane. I just powered up my 2013 15" MBP and it is so crisp / clear compared to this. Makes no sense.
Exchange it if you still can! The odds seem like 2 out of 7 will have a crisp and nice screen lol.
Do you know how long until you can exchange it? Returns are 14 days which I am past but what about exchanges? I purchased Apple care plus
It might be related to poor macOS UI scaling. Try running your MBP in true physical pixels resolution (100% scaling) using something like SwitchResX, then install Windows 10 or 11 as a virtual machine and set scaling to 200% inside virtual machine itself while it running full screen. Use it for a couple of days without switching to macOS and report here.
P.S. You can educate yourself regarding inferior scaling implementation in macOS. Long story short it upscales-then-downscales the signal to get you. Since the ratios used are non-integer all the time (no matter what you set in System Preferences, it's "by design"), you get a messy picture. The picture gets messier because of bow-like subpixels of lower quality. Even if you "don't see it" your brain processes it indefinitely and gets dizzy after a while. You can verify this by taking full screen screenshot using keyboard shortcut and double-checking image size in pixels. It will be larger than your physical pixel resolution of your MBP's display (at least it was the case previously). Notice how folks with MacBooks mostly wear glasses - ****** scaling does it's job. Even Cim Took has poor vision himself and can't even fix it with a laser.
P.S. You can educate yourself regarding inferior scaling implementation in macOS. Long story short it upscales-then-downscales the signal to get you. Since the ratios used are non-integer all the time (no matter what you set in System Preferences, it's "by design"), you get a messy picture. The picture gets messier because of bow-like subpixels of lower quality. Even if you "don't see it" your brain processes it indefinitely and gets dizzy after a while. You can verify this by taking full screen screenshot using keyboard shortcut and double-checking image size in pixels. It will be larger than your physical pixel resolution of your MBP's display (at least it was the case previously). Notice how folks with MacBooks mostly wear glasses - ****** scaling does it's job. Even Cim Took has poor vision himself and can't even fix it with a laser.
Exchanges are 14 days too. If you’re a Costco member, buy from Costco next time… they give you a 90 day return or exchange period.
I’m sending mine off this week after Apple failed to deliver the return first box. I really can’t imagine it’s the OS, I have vignette effect, tint issues on the edge and big shifts in brightness moving my head just a tiny bit.
The screen literally makes my eyes burn and I struggle to focus an hour after using it. My older 2012 retina is so much more comfortable I can sit hours in front of it regardless of scale and brightness of the screen.
I hope they are able to sort something, or I can see me selling this laptop at a loss as I can’t bare the screen after a while.
I my have to lump it and try a MacBook Air M1 that will be a big jump from a 16”
Could definitely be a different issue. I have noticed the same symptoms when I boot my 2017 MBP into Big Sur or Monterey. When I boot back into Catalina it's fine. But there's a lot of variables with screen/graphics that have changed recently. Hope you are able to resolve your issue.
Got the laptop back from the repair centre last week.
They never did a thing to it or could replicate my problem, I’ve tried it another week and it’s still giving me eye problems.
After 10-15 my eyes burn and feel dry and go blurry, the text seems softer than my 2012.
I’ve spoken to a senior technician today on the phone who is advising me to take it to an Apple store as the best action I MAY get a refund.
His first recommendation was a privacy filter, I was shocked I though why do I have to put a band aid on a £3000 laptop?
But he said he’s sensitive to the same issue as Apple have implemented new technologies.
Anyway I will do my best to try and get to one even though they are miles away, it’s ether that or selling it as it’s to uncomfortable to use.
I feel frustrated,angry and out of pocket!
They never did a thing to it or could replicate my problem, I’ve tried it another week and it’s still giving me eye problems.
After 10-15 my eyes burn and feel dry and go blurry, the text seems softer than my 2012.
I’ve spoken to a senior technician today on the phone who is advising me to take it to an Apple store as the best action I MAY get a refund.
His first recommendation was a privacy filter, I was shocked I though why do I have to put a band aid on a £3000 laptop?
But he said he’s sensitive to the same issue as Apple have implemented new technologies.
Anyway I will do my best to try and get to one even though they are miles away, it’s ether that or selling it as it’s to uncomfortable to use.
I feel frustrated,angry and out of pocket!
A privacy filter? Interesting. If you try it let us know. I wonder what the theory is behind that?
FWIW I get the same symptoms on my 2017 when I upgrade past Catalina. There's clearly something going on with graphics rendering that's changed in recent years. Maybe to accommodate the new M1 hardware?
Also, if you haven't already, try turning off keyboard backlighting. I've noticed that at some angles that can be irritating (PWM? idk), even if the screen itself isn't.
FWIW I get the same symptoms on my 2017 when I upgrade past Catalina. There's clearly something going on with graphics rendering that's changed in recent years. Maybe to accommodate the new M1 hardware?
Also, if you haven't already, try turning off keyboard backlighting. I've noticed that at some angles that can be irritating (PWM? idk), even if the screen itself isn't.
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