iPad I believe the iPad 4 has a serious display flaw.

[WilliamG]

So I've tested this and repeated it on two different iPad 4s from two different Apple Stores.

Here is the issue:

I use Plex and Air Video to stream video from my home server. Nothing too strange about that. I also watch trailers in Safari. Nothing too strange about that, either.

However, I've noticed that during videos where there are dark scenes, the iPad 4 contrast is constantly "pumping" itself up, and then dimming back down. It's unbelievably distracting. Even stranger, if the contrast pumps itself up and at that point you close the app/Safari, the entire home screen looks completely over-saturated until it, too, gradually brings its contrast level back down.

I know I'm probably not doing a great job describing this. This also happens when viewing videos in Safari.

Test for yourself!

e.g. if you go to this website on your iPad 4 to view The Dark Knight Rises trailer...

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/wb/thedarkknightrises/

Tap on Trailer 4:

At 13 seconds into the trailer...

Here is a screenshot of where it happens most noticeably.

Test Method:

The EASIEST way for you guys/girls to test this to simply PAUSE the video at 13 seconds, (make sure the video is FULL SCREEN and that the controls are HIDDEN) and simply watch your contrast change after 3-5 seconds. When the contrast changes, you can hit the Home button and now look at your messed up icons! After a few seconds, your Home screen icons will go back to normal (the FaceTime icon especially looks terrible until then). Make sure the video is full-screen!

I'm not sure what's going on here, but it literally makes it impossible to watch movies with dark scenes on the new iPad 4. The contrast switching is incredibly distracting, and an issue simply not present on the iPad 3.

I'm now heading back to the Apple Store with this second iPad. Is this something Apple can fix? I'm not sure. There's some very aggressive contrast management going on here it appears. But it doesn't work.

Call me a sad panda.

*edit*

Easiest method for testing is max backlight in a dimly-lit room. It's easy to see the contrast changing this way.

Here is an EXPOSURE-LOCKED video from my iPhone 5 showing the contrast pumping. This happens ALL the time when watching a video with dark scenes.

CLICK THE BELOW IMAGES TO WATCH THE VIDEOS:



And here's the byproduct of closing a video when the screen is black. Again the exposure is LOCKED. You can see how the contrast is all blown out until it calms back down. This below video is NOT a major complaint, but is happening due to the issue above.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO WATCH THE VIDEO:



EXAMPLES FROM OTHER iPad 4 users:

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/16589347/


Will add to this list above as I get more people uploading videos.

*EDIT*

List of apps this "bug" affects:

1.) Safari browse
2.) Apple's Videos app
3.) Plex
4.) Air Video

List of apps that do not experience this "bug":

1.) AVPlayer HD
2.) Netflix
3.) It's Playing

 

[Dlanod]

Tried it with mine and its fine.

 

[KeepCalmPeople]

Tried it with mine too, in a dark room. Nothing happened (cool trailer though). Demonstrate it to an Apple genius at the store.

 

[baypharm]

Well I don't believe the new iPad is optimized to watch HD videos. I know the previous models were not. I watched some HD footage and was disappointed. The new Amazon HD Fire 8.9" tablet coming later this month will be the one to watch in my opinion.

 

[WilliamG]

Tried it with mine too, in a dark room. Nothing happened (cool trailer though). Demonstrate it to an Apple genius at the store.

About to do so. Will also see if I can replicate on their display models.

 

[WilliamG]

Ok I just replicated the issue on 5 iPads in the Apple Store. I returned my iPad 4 to the store. I'll upload a video shortly of the issue.

As far as I'm concerned this affects every iPad 4. Even the staff couldn't believe it.

I tried it on an iPad 2 here and could not replicate it.

 

[Eadfrith]

As far as I'm concerned this affects every iPad 4.

Well only yours apparently.

 

[macjram]

Well only yours apparently.

And the ones he replicated in the story, as he said.

 

[l0gikb0mb]

This happens on mine as well I just got.

Seriously, the two posters who said they didn't experience it are just unable to notice it. It's obviously a defect in all ipad 4s.

I always hear of widespread problems and the "some people" that don't get it magically. Some cases it's true but mostly when I buy something I always have the problems reported, some people just can't notice things at all apparently.

This is appalling to say the least, I noticed it during a movie yesterday and thought it was just my eyes. LCD screens this far down the line should not do this. Is this most likely a hardware problem? If so it's going back.

 

[prism]

Sorry but doesn't happen on mine, backlight remains static.

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This happens on mine as well I just got.

Seriously, the two posters who said they didn't experience it are just unable to notice it. It's obviously a defect in all ipad 4s.

I always hear of widespread problems and the "some people" that don't get it magically. Some cases it's true but mostly when I buy something I always have the problems reported, some people just can't notice things at all apparently.

This is appalling to say the least, I noticed it during a movie yesterday and thought it was just my eyes. LCD screens this far down the line should not do this. Is this most likely a hardware problem? If so it's going back.

....or it could be a bat batch from one specific supplier.

 

[anubis1980]

Fine on mine too

 

[WilliamG]

This happens on mine as well I just got.

Seriously, the two posters who said they didn't experience it are just unable to notice it. It's obviously a defect in all ipad 4s.

I always hear of widespread problems and the "some people" that don't get it magically. Some cases it's true but mostly when I buy something I always have the problems reported, some people just can't notice things at all apparently.

This is appalling to say the least, I noticed it during a movie yesterday and thought it was just my eyes. LCD screens this far down the line should not do this. Is this most likely a hardware problem? If so it's going back.

I agree. I think this affects every single iPad 4. I've now tested a total of EIGHT iPad 4 devices (five in the store, and my three), and all have the same issue.

 

[CandyNJ66]

Mine is perfectly fine too

 

[xVeinx]

It's a software issue, and it can be fixed.

 

[WilliamG]

OK so here's the video of all the icons being distorted.




Again, all I did is pause that Dark Knight Rises trailer I noted above at that time stamp with that image. Make sure to HIDE the pause bar etc etc. Wait 3-5 seconds, and then hit the home button.

That is all.

I focused on the Maps icon so you can see how the icon is completely washed out, and then gradually the detail (roads in the icon) fade back in.

Of course THAT issue is minor compared to the constant backlight changes in dark movie scenes, but it's an example of a byproduct of the issue.

 

[prism]

I agree. I think this affects every single iPad 4. I've now tested a total of EIGHT iPad 4 devices (five in the store, and my three), and all have the same issue.

LOL, you generalize after sampling 8 iPads out of more than a million produced? Good thing you are not a statistician. I tested for exactly what you described using the exact same clip you used and pausing at the exact same spot and ensuring maximum blackness in the image not to mention brightness cranked to max and in a dark environment and I cannot replicate it. Ok for you?

 

[WilliamG]

LOL, you generalize after sampling 8 iPads out of more than a million produced? Good thing you are not a statistician. I tested for exactly what you described using the exact same clip you used and pausing at the exact same spot and ensuring maximum blackness in the image not to mention brightness cranked to max and in a dark environment and I cannot replicate it. Ok for you?

How many would be acceptable to you for me to sample? 100? Well, 100 out of more than a million isn't really a good sample, either.

All I have is what I have. And yes, I still believe this affects all iPad 4 devices. But I'd be happy to be proven wrong.

 

[dendkmac]

could not replicate it

 

[CandyNJ66]

No icons on mine distort at all. Tried the trailer again, normal on my iPad 4

 

[WilliamG]

And here's another video. The end part should be pretty clear:

 

[prism]

No icons on mine distort at all. Tried the trailer again, normal on my iPad 4

I also don't get the distorted icons. My guess is that it's related to a specific screen supplier.

 

[D.T.]

Odd Auto-brightness behavior? (I don't use it BTW...)

 

[WilliamG]

No icons on mine distort at all. Tried the trailer again, normal on my iPad 4

If you're watching the trailer normally, you won't see the issue. You want to follow my directions exactly. Again, I picked this trailer at random because it has dark scenes you can PAUSE on. The issue is the backlight fluctuation in long, dark scenes. If you watch the trailer as a whole, you won't see the issue.

----------

Odd Auto-brightness behavior? (I don't use it BTW...)

I made sure that was off. In any case, this is not an auto-brightness behavior.

 

[D.T.]

Tried your instructions above several times (even made sure I eventually paused on roughly the frame you showed above).

Nothing. The paused video stays absolutely static, waited several seconds, back to home, nothing. No brightness shifts, no distorted icons[?]

 

[WilliamG]

Tried your instructions above several times (even made sure I eventually paused on roughly the frame you showed above).

Nothing. The paused video stays absolutely static, waited several seconds, back to home, nothing. No brightness shifts, no distorted icons[?]

Did you make sure to hide the progress/play bar, and then wait a few seconds, on EXACTLY that frame. The reason it needs to be that frame is because it's a good example of a lot of dark material where the backlight decides to dump itself.