Thanks, I just found the Sony laptops you describe. I am really hoping Apple makes a 13.3" model comparable in specs to the Sony SZ series--including the LED backlight technology and an optional discrete graphics. I don't understand why more manufacturers aren't using LED tech when it is supposed to conserve a lot of energy. Is it the price?
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Does the uneven brightness issue affect glossy screens?
- Thread starter daneoni
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Thanks, I just found the Sony laptops you describe. I am really hoping Apple makes a 13.3" model comparable in specs to the Sony SZ series--including the LED backlight technology and an optional discrete graphics. I don't understand why more manufacturers aren't using LED tech when it is supposed to conserve a lot of energy. Is it the price?
Price probably has something to do with it. The Sony SZ360 and SZ370 premium models cost a significant more amount (over the already expensive base SZ models) for that screen. For premium buyers it is worth it, and the displays are nice and bright........ although personally, when I've compared the Sony SZ330 and SZ370 side by side at the SonyStyle store, I don't think the difference is great enough to be worth it.
I think the other benefit of the LED displays is that it allows them to be especially thin (also why they are used on the TX series). This isn't as important an issue on most other laptops.
Mine does the same thing. It is difficult to get the entire screen to be even when viewing a uniform light image. I think some would think this is a flaw, but even if it is, I don't see how Apple would be willing to do such a minor fix. The blacks are really beautiful though..watching DVDs on this baby is a real treat.
In addition, I sent in my 12" PB for replacement of the upper case once, and when it got back, it developed light leaks at the bottom of the screen. I'm not sure I trust the technicians to put the display together properly such that I would get the same screen I now enjoy (but more evenly lit).
"The word going around".. Can you let us know where you've heard this, aside from various threads on the internet similar to this one? Seems a bit slanderous to say that that they are using a "much cheaper LCD.. to save costs".. The next person who reads this, goes to another forum and posts and leaves off "the word going around..." makes this a full fledged rumor with no basis of truth provided.
Maybe I'm wrong (which I am often enough to admit!), maybe you or someone you've spoken to has seen the white papers and component list stating they've changed the LCD screen, but otherwise.. sounds questionable...
EDIT: and by the way, I've got a 15" MBP C2D - I don't have any unevenness in my matte screen, if anything - I'd say its similar to Zadillo - it depends on the angle - if i look straight on its perfect.. but the same can be said of my Dell Monitor at home.. Quite frankly, I had the 'luxury' of seeing a Matte MBP CD and MBP C2D side-by-side before purchasing (in an Apple Store) and I thought the C2D looks ALOT better and brighter than the 'original' CD...
MBP C2D 15" LCD Quality Issues
Current 15" MBP C2D has the following issues after changing to the 4th units both in (Matte/Glossy) models.
* Uneven back light
* Brighter color on left compare to right side of the screen
* Darker shade on the two edge (about 1.5" from edge), darker right side of screen
* Horizontal line pattern from bottom of the edge (about 0.5- 1" from edge)
* Grainy and noisy pattern on 15" LCD which do not appear on 13" or 17" Macbook/MacbookPro model
* 15" matte LCD lacks a clear coating as found on the 17" model
* Dead pixels
The Apple Store displayed model also exhibited similar issues which are mostly W8642* (week 42 build). The one we got are both W8643* and W8644* build that also suffered the same issues listed above. Feedback has been sent to:
http://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.html
Hopefully Apple will address this issue soon on the 15" model.
Current 15" MBP C2D has the following issues after changing to the 4th units both in (Matte/Glossy) models.
* Uneven back light
* Brighter color on left compare to right side of the screen
* Darker shade on the two edge (about 1.5" from edge), darker right side of screen
* Horizontal line pattern from bottom of the edge (about 0.5- 1" from edge)
* Grainy and noisy pattern on 15" LCD which do not appear on 13" or 17" Macbook/MacbookPro model
* 15" matte LCD lacks a clear coating as found on the 17" model
* Dead pixels
The Apple Store displayed model also exhibited similar issues which are mostly W8642* (week 42 build). The one we got are both W8643* and W8644* build that also suffered the same issues listed above. Feedback has been sent to:
http://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.html
Hopefully Apple will address this issue soon on the 15" model.
Well Apple picked up my MBP today so i can reorder another machine. Was gonna get a MB but its not strong enough and i know i'll be pushing it to its limit. Also the 13" screen is just too miniscule coming from a 15".
Thinking about it now, i might just save money and buy the low end model with glossy screen. Low end because its still a better upgrade to my PB and i'll probably be upgrading when Santa Rosa debuts anyway so no point in paying the extra premium for high end models now. Choosing glossy simply because its different, afterall thats the reason i switched to the Mac platform anyway...i wanted something different. I'll deal with whatever glare i come across.
Now my fear is dead pixels. Since this is my first BTO mac in a while, i hope i dont have to send it in for repairs for a looong time. I also hope i get the Super PMR drive.
Thinking about it now, i might just save money and buy the low end model with glossy screen. Low end because its still a better upgrade to my PB and i'll probably be upgrading when Santa Rosa debuts anyway so no point in paying the extra premium for high end models now. Choosing glossy simply because its different, afterall thats the reason i switched to the Mac platform anyway...i wanted something different. I'll deal with whatever glare i come across.
Now my fear is dead pixels. Since this is my first BTO mac in a while, i hope i dont have to send it in for repairs for a looong time. I also hope i get the Super PMR drive.
Cool, good luck. For what it's worth, at least from anecdotal evidence, it seems like your odds of getting a laptop without dead pixels is pretty high.Of all the "got my new mbp" threads, seems like almost all of them reported no dead pixels.
Christ, I really should just stop reading posts like these because I think my display is fine but youve all got me looking real hard for imperfections..kinda spoiling my mbp experience. Then again....every now and then Im thinking; yeah it looks grainy and unevenly lit and I glance to my 20" Samsung standing next to the MBP and it looks pretty much the same....
What about the model# I posted in my earlier post? Is that the better screen or the problematic one?
What about the model# I posted in my earlier post? Is that the better screen or the problematic one?
Not sure. I think in the Apple Discussions thread linked here, they mentioned it as one of the models that did have a fair amount of problems, but here it has been said to be OK.
If i understand it correctly, none of these model numbers always indicate a problem or always indicate a perfect screen; it's more about the likelihood of having a problem. Personally I have the same model number as you and haven't noticed a significant problem with the display (other than a shade darker in the lower left hand corner at certain viewing angles).
EDIT: Btw, I know what you mean....... this thread has also really had me scrutinizing my display and really trying to find a problem. It's specifically had me loading up all sorts of different solid colors, taking white backgrounded folder windows and moving them from one area to the other to try and see how much darker one area appears, etc.
As I've written previously, I have been able to notice at my typical viewing angle that with certain full solid color backgrounds (usually all white or all grey), I can see that shade darker. But it is otherwise almost impossible for me to notice; when watching a movie or playing a game for example, with a wide range of different colors, etc. I can't see any uniformity problems.
But the problems as shown in some people's photos here are much more severe, and definitely those people should look into getting fixes or replacements, especially if it bothers them significantly.
What about the display appearing "grainy"? Have you noticed that at all?
ALL the 15" MBP displays, new and old, matte and glossy, have uneven backlighting and "grain". I did a comparison test for this just the other day with several units. It's tough cheddar, you just have to get used to it.
And as for people saying the new and old displays are different - I couldn't see that at all.
What about the display appearing "grainy"? Have you noticed that at all?
No, I haven't, although I've been able to notice some slight grain if I get really really close to the monitor. But in normal viewing distance I can't notice any real grain, and in fact I've been impressed with how smooth the display appears in general.
I'm really not sure it's the backlighting that is uneven, at least not on all models. I've had plenty of laptops with backlight bleeding, etc. and those are really easy to see just by displaying a black screen. I had this with my Toshiba P105-S9722, my Vaio S360, and recently with a regular MacBook. When displaying a black image on my C2D matte 15" MBP screen, it is perfectly evenly black, which is more than I can say for even my Dell 2005fpw desktop LCD or my 23" Samsung LCD HDTV, both of which have significant backlight bleeding.
At least from my own display, the problem as it is seems to be with the viewing angle, not an actual unevenness in the backlighting itself, which seems to be pretty consistent as far as I can tell.
All?
Pretty gross generalization for a product that's been out one week!
Not mine! (BTW, my screen is the 9C60 in a glossy - is there a link between the two? If so, another good reason to "go glossy!" wOOt!)
iBorg
Pretty gross generalization for a product that's been out one week!
Not mine! (BTW, my screen is the 9C60 in a glossy - is there a link between the two? If so, another good reason to "go glossy!" wOOt!)
iBorg
They've been out since January. The displays are the same. Same grain, same backlight, same resolution, same with glossy, same with matte, same good points, same bad points. I've seen 'em all kid. Stay happy with yours.
Chill it mate, you have just provided the very definition of a rumor. No truth is needed for these obviously.
Similarly he didn't provide any substantiation to his "words", hence it is not his fault that you mistake it for fact. It is entirely of your own negligence.
How can I find out the number on my screen?
If they are truly the same then I guess Apple knows about it and figured that it is a great screen.
The colour shifts on these are insane though, definitely cheap TN LCD panels.
Golly, gee, mister, guess I got a prototype "perfect" screen that no one else got?
Or ..... perhaps you're wrong, and you haven't "seen 'em all?" I don't know if different screens are being used from CD to C2D MBPs, or if there may even be different screens used within different batches (my Acer Travelmate 8200 CoreDuo last February was notorious for 2 vastly different screens supplied by two different manufacturers for the "same" notebook!) ..... and I'm guessing that perhaps you don't really know either at this early point in the C2D production cycle.
Whatever!
iBorg ("the kid")
I heard that the Macbook Pros stopped production briefly earlier this week or last week. Perhaps this was connected with the LCD issue? Perhaps they got a bad shipment of LCDs and QC kicked in? Any idea? Has anyone recieved a Macbook Pro manufactured after the production started up again? How is your backlight?