Different screen manufacturers on matte & glossy SR MBPs?

[Xquizit]

Now I already know that there isn't supposed to be a manufacturing difference between the glossy and matte displays before everyone tries to bring that to my attention.

But when I bought mine 2 weeks ago I was wondering to myself when I was opening it about how the 'Genius' tells the two types apart? Is the box labeled with it or what? There was nothing that I could find on the box that showed I bought the Matte version. I got to thinking about it a little more and did some research. Obviously when theyre being manufactured, something has to be done logistically to seperate the two types of screens. I was thinking they might allocate LCDs for each on the assembly line (glossy and matte), put the coating on, and then LCD's are attached last and packaged accordingly.

People reported earlier that the 15" LED screens came in two versions... one with a LG screen (Product code 9C67), and the other with a Samsung screen (Product code 9C68). I personally own a matte screen & I checked my Color LCD Profile through the dispay preferences, and I have the LG screen (with no discoloration issues btw)..

My main question is I guess if glossy owners only have the 9C68 Samsung screen?

Maybe theres some sort of pattern... Like maybe they started with making the matte screen MBPs and then they ran out of stock on the LG LCDs. Subsequently, they were able to get LED-backlit LCDs from Samsung faster than from LG, and continued production with those. That would mean people with the 9C67 are the very first batch of MBPs that came off the assembly line, AND are also ONLY matte screens. However their next set that came off the assembly line had the Samsung screens and finished up the Matte stock quota, and then continued the rest of the MBPs (glossy screens) with Samsung. I'm going on these assumptions based soley on the fact that I have the 9C67 LG screen, and wanted to clarify if apple seperated two different types of screens on the assembly lines for the two different finishes..

Sorry if this sounds confusing, but hopefully you guys will understand what I'm saying.

 

[AbsenceOfTruth]

How do you check to see which screen you have?

 

[Xquizit]

Open up system preferences and go to Display.. Then go to the Color tab, select the Color LCD profile, and then click on Open Profile.. The information is displayed on line 13..

Also, I wanted to compare the following part numbers with someone that has the box for the glossy 2.4 15" SR MBP if someone could be so kind..

My Part No. is MA896LL/A.
The SKU above it is: 8 85909 17630 4
A little lower, the Model No: A1226

 

[NYRngrs24]

hmm

I know sony and samsung make laptops w/ led lcds. i wonder if samsung owners have a yellow tinit issue?

 

[iW00t]

Now I already know that there isn't supposed to be a manufacturing difference between the glossy and matte displays before everyone tries to bring that to my attention.

But when I bought mine 2 weeks ago I was wondering to myself when I was opening it about how the 'Genius' tells the two types apart? Is the box labeled with it or what? There was nothing that I could find on the box that showed I bought the Matte version. I got to thinking about it a little more and did some research. Obviously when theyre being manufactured, something has to be done logistically to seperate the two types of screens. I was thinking they might allocate LCDs for each on the assembly line (glossy and matte), put the coating on, and then LCD's are attached last and packaged accordingly.

People reported earlier that the 15" LED screens came in two versions... one with a LG screen (Product code 9C67), and the other with a Samsung screen (Product code 9C68). I personally own a matte screen & I checked my Color LCD Profile through SwitchResX, and I have the LG screen (with no discoloration issues btw)..

My main question is I guess if glossy owners only have the 9C68 Samsung screen?

Maybe theres some sort of pattern... Like maybe they started with making the matte screen MBPs and then they ran out of stock on the LG LCDs. Subsequently, they were able to get LED-backlit LCDs from Samsung faster than from LG, and continued production with those. That would mean people with the 9C67 are the very first batch of MBPs that came off the assembly line, AND are also ONLY matte screens. However there next set that came off the assembly line had the Samsung screens and finished up the Matte stock quota, and then continued the rest of the MBPs (glossy screens) with Samsung. I'm going on these assumptions based soley on the fact that I have the 9C67 LG screen, and wanted to clarify if apple seperated two different types of screens on the assembly lines for the two different finishes..

Sorry if this sounds confusing, but hopefully you guys will understand what I'm saying.

That hypothesis does not really hold because I got my MacBook Pro fairly late compared to you guys (was actually mulling over it for 3 whole days before I ordered) and yet some of the "earlier" guys got Samsung screens. Also mine is BTOed, so it is pretty much a unit from the back of the queue.

I think it is simply random luck of the draw.

 

[Xquizit]

I forgot to mention I exchanged mine last week for a newer one, because of my paranoia about the lid gap. I didn't check the screen on that one however.

That still doesn't affect the hypothesis though, because I have a matte screen and the I'm asking if all the mattes are the LG screen and the Samsung are glossy.

And as for the LCD stock issues for apple, they could have run out of LG screens prior to the release of SR laptops. You have to calculate transit time from the manufacturer, so laptops available on the day of 6/5 must have been completed at least a day before, more likely the week before.

It would only make sense for Apple to have some sort of allocation system when manufacturing these laptops. Say theres a 35% demand for Matte (M) and 65% demand for Glossy (G). I don't think the assembly line will just "randomly" take a screen and put it on a laptop. It obviously knows which ones are Matte and which are Glossy in order for them to be packaged seperatly and correctly. In this scenario, Apple's assembly line would have a stock of 35% Matte screens and box labels, and 65% Glossy screens and labels. BTO machines would be built to necessary specs and THEN the screen would be put on according to your selection (M or G). Since there are two default configurations, maybe only 2.4 MBPs (and not the 2.2) were lucky enough to get the last batch of LG screens. Once the machines are built and packaged, I think the random part comes in when they start putting shipping labels to different Apple stores. An LG matte shipment could have gone to one Apple store, and the Apple store in the neighboring city may have 'randomly' gotten a Samsung shipment.

They might even have 2 seperate assembly lines for each type, and maybe Matte happened to get the last batch of LG, and ALL others were made with Samsung. That's the point of this thread.. We need a little more data collection before stating the hypothesis is not correct. It just wouldn't logistically make sense for the whole process to be 'random'.

 

[powerocool]

I used a program called SwitchResX to check my Color LCD Profile.. I uninstalled it after I checked.. That's the only way I know how.. (Tip: I had to download the uninstaller for some Enhancer app also after I was done.. not hard, just google it)

Also, I wanted to compare the following part numbers with someone that has the box for the glossy 15" SR MBP if someone could be so kind..

My Part No. is MA896LL/A.
The SKU above it is: 8 85909 17630 4
A little lower, the Model No: A1226

Interesting... My glossy, with yellow tint, 9C68, is MB075LL/A, A1226.

 

[Xquizit]

Interesting... My glossy, with yellow tint, 9C68, is MB075LL/A, A1226.

Do you have the 2.2 or 2.4 model?

 

[mayoko185]

Ordered mine that day they were released online and it was shipped on the 8th, gotta glossy 2.4 here /w a 9C68 (I guess samsung...) screen and no yellow tint at the bottom.

 

[powerocool]

Do you have the 2.2 or 2.4 model?

2.4 that is.

 

[Xquizit]

It seems like that, so far, I am partially correct with my hypothesis.

I've been digging through these and the .com forums to collect whatever data I could find... Including powerocool, mayoko185, and iW00t, so far there were:

4 people with the 9C67 screen had the matte finish
6 people with the 9C68 screen had the glossy finish

Updated as of posting time, and I haven't found anyone that has posted information saying they had the 9C67 screen w/ glossy or the 9C68 screen w/ matte.. Hopefully we can get more feedback from you guys.

 

[powerocool]

It seems like that, so far, I am partially correct with my hypothesis.

I've been digging through these and the .com forums to collect whatever data I could find... Including powerocool, mayoko185, and iW00t, so far there were:

4 people with the 9C67 screen had the matte finish
6 people with the 9C68 screen had the glossy finish

Updated as of posting time, and I haven't found anyone that has posted information saying they had the 9C67 screen w/ glossy or the 9C68 screen w/ matte.. Hopefully we can get more feedback from you guys.

One of the matte I saw in the apple store was 9C68, I compared it side by side with the 9C67 matte. That's how I came to the theory that 9C67 look normal, and it doesn't matter glossy or not. I guess the majority of the panels are 9C68, but few of the matte has 9C67.

I'm not sure what to do at this point. Came from the older MBP that looked fine, it's a little disappointing looking at a new computer I just bought for $2800 that actually doesn't look as good as my old one. I don't really want to be too annoying and go replace it and might get the same thing again, but don't really want to live with it either...

 

[iDive]

Updated as of posting time, and I haven't found anyone that has posted information saying they had the 9C67 screen w/ glossy or the 9C68 screen w/ matte.. Hopefully we can get more feedback from you guys.

I have a 9C68 matte w/ yellow tint

Part Number MA895LL/A

Model Number A1226

 

[Xquizit]

I know what you mean powerocool.. especially because Apple charges a premium for their quality. Hopefully Apple can address this issue on their own and not leave all these early LED MBP adopters out in the cold. I originally had 1 that didn't give a yellowish hue, but the lid gap bothered me so I exchanged it and got another one, luckily, without the yellow problem..

So here's the current count..
5 people with the 9C67 screen had the matte finish (maybe 1 with yellow issue.. unclear)
2 people with the 9C68 screen had the matte finish (both had yellow issues)
6 people with the 9C68 screen had the glossy finish (3 or 4 had yellow issues)

Now to prove my hypothesis wrong, someone with a glossy 9C67 screen speak up.. there must be a logical explanation.

 

[dcv]

I have a 9C68 display, matte.

The very bottom maybe 20% is a little yellowish but not a majorly noticeable thing. The bottom corners look slightly lighter.


Part number is MA896B/A

Model number A1226

 

[aliquis-]

Except whatever people have glossy or matte, have anyone the LG-screen together with the yellow tint?

Also isn't this Apples issue to check up and fix? Not the communitys =P

 

[other]

I have a glossy screen:

Product Code........26524 (679C) (9C67)
Descriptor #2 is ASCII data:
LP154WP2-TLA1

Am I lucky or something?

 

[Xquizit]

I have a glossy screen:

Product Code........26524 (679C) (9C67)
Descriptor #2 is ASCII data:
LP154WP2-TLA1

Am I lucky or something?

lol you're only lucky for proving me wrong..

hmmm can you give some details on your MBP? is it 2.2ghz or 2.4 when did you buy it? BTO? online or in the store? also maybe any other details that you think might prove useful...

this issue is really annoying me for some reason.. maybe because my expectations from Apple were a little higher than they should have been..

 

[other]

lol you're only lucky for proving me wrong..

hmmm can you give some details on your MBP? is it 2.2ghz or 2.4 when did you buy it? BTO? online or in the store? also maybe any other details that you think might prove useful...

this issue is really annoying me for some reason.. maybe because my expectations from Apple were a little higher than they should have been..

It's the 2.2 GHz model, with a 160 GB 5400 RPM harddrive (so, BTO). I ordered it online on the 6th (only because I screwed up my order that I placed the 5th ).

I don't know what else might be interesting for you to know. Let me know.

 

[Xquizit]

are you experiencing any of the yellow issues that other users are reporting?

 

[Tigerpaws]

Powerocool you state "One of the matte I saw in the apple store was 9C68, I compared it side by side with the 9C67 matte. That's how I came to the theory that 9C67 look normal, and it doesn't matter glossy or not. I guess the majority of the panels are 9C68, but few of the matte has 9C67. " How did you know the screen type in the store ? Is it within the Mac ? If so, how does one navigate to see it? Or did you download the program in the store?
I believe it is manufacturer dependant and not a matte/glossy issue because each manufacturer has there own manufacturing process which determines how the screen looks. LG and Samsung lcd tvs look slightly different. No two products are made exactly the same by different companies. Products from different companies will look different when placed side by side. As an aside - IBM/Lenovo has 3 manufacturers for their keyboards and people prefer an NMB keyboead to an ALPS keyboard. Also Hydris lcd panel are preferred over the other suppliers of lcds that they use.
Companies utilize many suppliers of components to ensure a constant supply of parts for manufacturing. If one supplier goes on strike, they still have a supply of components. Its not good to put all your " " in one basket.

One note - screens do have a slightly different tint/colouration to them depending on the ambient lighting in a room. Sometimes my screen looks white/white and other times it looks yellowish when the sunlight is streaming in from the window. This may account for the 9c67 with a yellowish to it.
Great summary of the topic so far. These are my thoughts as a long time Thinkpad owner soon to be switching to a SR MBP .

 

[PDE]

Except whatever people have glossy or matte, have anyone the LG-screen together with the yellow tint?

Also isn't this Apples issue to check up and fix? Not the communitys =P

I have the LG screen and a yellow tint. If we add our production week to the equation we might be able to establish more of a pattern.


The production week for mine is 22 (just check your serial number - it's the number after the '7', eg W8722XXXXXX

 

[other]

are you experiencing any of the yellow issues that other users are reporting?

I'm not sure actually. If I look at an all white screen (I use the color profile someone posted somewhere on this forum), I don't believe the lower 1/3rd of the screen is more yellow. But there's some difference at the very bottom, where it seems to be unevenly lit or something. I'm not being bothered by that though, I've been through too much trouble with Apple to return this computer too.

I'm not too good with colors, I'm sorry for leaving you with a crappy review of the screen.

 

[powerocool]

Powerocool you state "One of the matte I saw in the apple store was 9C68, I compared it side by side with the 9C67 matte. That's how I came to the theory that 9C67 look normal, and it doesn't matter glossy or not. I guess the majority of the panels are 9C68, but few of the matte has 9C67. " How did you know the screen type in the store ? Is it within the Mac ? If so, how does one navigate to see it? Or did you download the program in the store?
I believe it is manufacturer dependant and not a matte/glossy issue because each maufacturer has there own maufacturing process which determines how the screen looks. LG and Samsung lcd tvs look slightly different. No two products are made exactly the same by different companies. Products from different companies will look differnt when placed side by side. As an aside - IBM/Lenovo has 3 maufacturers for there keyboards and people prefer an NMB keyboead to an ALPS keyboard. Also Hydris lcd panel are preferred over the other suppliers of lcds that they use.
Companies utilize many suppliers of components to ensure a constant supply of parts for manufacturing. If one supplier goes on strike, they still have a supply of components. Its not good to put all your " : in one basket.

One note - screens do have a slightly different tint/colouration to them depending on the ambient lighting in a room. Sometimes my screen looks white/white and other times it looks yellowish when the sunlight is streaming in from the window. This may account for the 9c67 with a yellowish to it.
Great summary of the topic so far. These are my thoughts as a long time Thinkpad owner soon to be switching to a SR MBP .

Thanks for the reply, very insightful.
You can check the model by going to System Preference -> Display -> Color, select Color LCD and click "Open Profile". In this window, you will see the model info under "13 mmod".

 

[other]

For what it's worth: the production week of my computer is 23.