LG 31MU97 4k Display

[darkenergymedia]

indeed i'm not using a thunderbolt cable.

i used the included mDP/DP cables, and even bought some "cable matters" gold-plated-connector versions (even though i knew better) which of course didn't help.

i figure that indeed what we're dealing with here is the displayport standard being pushed beyond its limits.

although again, at a certain point, everything "settles" and they'll be fine all day.

anyway, on to an update:

the 10.10.3 beta installed and seems to have IMPROVED things. i just got to the office and held my breath as i woke up my machine, as as i type this, both monitors are actually working. i am still seeing occasional glitches and flickers and get the lovely belches out of the speakers, but it's not as bad.

last night immediately after the 10.10.3 installation i was still seeing lots of issues, but i'm still not sure.

as i typed those last two paragraphs, my left monitor glitched, belched, and is currently flickering (presumably on its way to sleep).

i've just unplugged it and plugged it in again, and there it goes again. flicker, flicker, shut down.

things seemed fine for a second and i was halfway through typing "now it seems like it's stable" and it glitched out, and is now belching and flickering.

as far as LG's response to all this, the initial offer of sending a tech out to look at the monitors has since been changed, as apparently the local LG repair facility "doesn't do in-home repair", so i was asked if i could bring the monitors in.

since i don't plan on dismantling my office to bring my machine, monitors, and peripherals to a repair shop, it looks like these are just going to have to go back.

LG isn't telling us something, it's as simple as that. perhaps two monitors is the problem, but i've seen folks complain of these symptoms with just one as well. something doesn't work, and i don't know if it's on the LG side or the mac pro side, but these just seem like an ill-developed product to me.

i uploaded a (considerably snarky) video to youtube that documents the experience. keep in mind that what you see in this video i am today experiencing with the LEFT monitor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeiOcFCAxr4&feature=youtu.be

AS I TYPED THOSE WORDS, the right monitor glitched and died.

again, the ONLY REASON i haven't packed these up is that when they do work, they're amazing.

but they don't work, and i'm done.

i'm not trying to get on "anthony"'s case about his replies, but check this out:

"The link below is my reference for the information about the 31MU97-B monitor aside from the user’s manual; and this is the only website that we have access aside from Wikipedia.org. We can also search on Google but we don’t have access on the website’s links.

Here is the link for 31MU97-B on LG website: <http://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-31MU97-B-4k-ips-led-monitor>.'

so i'm calling a guy who has LESS experience and information about the monitors than i do. i can read a manual and google as well.

anyway, i'm waiting to hear back one more time from anthony, who kindly agreed to look around for someone to come look at the monitors with my setup, but i believe it will just be an exercise in futility.

will post a final update when all is said and done (or when i find any further info)

cheers,
c

 

[larrysing1963]

There are other "amazing" 4K monitors that won't give you NEAR this amount of problems....and the market in 2015 is going to see some Beauts.

 

[darkenergymedia]

your'e right... but these are the only true 4K cinema monitors at present, and most of what i do is shooting and editing RED footage, which matches the resolution of these monitors natively.

i'm probably going to switch to the ASUS UHD monitors. they seem to have generally better performance, and then some time down the road i can look at true 4K when something with true TB ports arrives.

of course it is possible that there's some hardware fluke with my setup, so i don't mean to fully vilify these things. there are a few folks on amazon that are having no problems. but there are a few who are. which makes this all the more frustrating.

again, i've tried removing everything from my system EXCEPT the monitors, and the problem persists. they're just not going to work for me. the only reason i'm entertaining any more correspondence with LG is to hopefully help suss out the problem.

cheers,
c

 

[rdav]

Other Options?

There are other "amazing" 4K monitors that won't give you NEAR this amount of problems....and the market in 2015 is going to see some Beauts.

Yes, there are some alternatives such as the Dell P2715Q - but it's only 27"/UHD. There's not much choice out there if you want an IPS 31" Screen, and/or true 4k(4096x2160)@60Hz. It's a shame that LG can't seem to make it work, or take the trouble to respond to problems.

 

[larrysing1963]

Yes, there are some alternatives such as the Dell P2715Q - but it's only 27"/UHD. There's not much choice out there if you want an IPS 31" Screen, and/or true 4k(4096x2160)@60Hz. It's a shame that LG can't seem to make it work, or take the trouble to respond to problems.

Well, needing/wanting "True 4K" is a little bit picky in this early stage of 4K monitors and hardware. There is VERY VERY little difference between 3840 and 4096, when working in the real world. Trying to use this monitor now is really living on the "bleeding edge" and when you do that, you shed blood. Relief will come soon, in multiple options and size, from multiple companies.

It's like going to a Bentley dealer and getting told, "THIS Model is available TODAY, and is our most luxurious and fastest model. It only breaks down ONCE a week !! But if you want a RELIABLE model, just wait a few months and come back !!" Which would YOU do?

There are going to be many, many more options for true 4K once DP 1.3 and HDMI 2.0 become ubiquitous and the software drivers catch up.

I'm just saying if it were ME having all these issues, then no WAY I would keep it. Life's too short to deal with that sort of frustration.

 

[darkenergymedia]

well to be fair, LG is responding, their responses are just amateur, misdirected, and generally unhelpful. i have asked to speak to someone higher-up who is more 'technical', but i think i'm just getting the runaround. if LG mans up and actually gives me any info, you guys will be the first to know, but i've already initiated the amazon return (and updated them with my experience as well).

i look forward to not being so angry.

and yes, life is too short to deal with this stuff, but it seems as though LG could be misrepresenting what these things can do, and that's nasty business. so i'm just doing what i can to get as much information on what's going on, but perhaps that's just futile.

these things indeed are pretty bleeding-edge and on the fringe of what's possible with the tech, but that doesn't justify selling products that don't work as they say on the tin!

cheers,
c

 

[rdav]

Changing Bus?

..of course it is possible that there's some hardware fluke with my setup, so i don't mean to fully vilify these things. there are a few folks on amazon that are having no problems. but there are a few who are. which makes this all the more frustrating. c

Long shot, but have you tried various combinations of Tb-Bus on the nMP(6)? And/or placing one of the two monitors on the HDMI port (@30Hz)? Just to see if that makes any difference.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202801

And do Apple Support have anything to say? Since they list the LG-31MU97 as an approved monitor.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202856

 

[darkenergymedia]

Long shot, but have you tried various combinations of Tb-Bus on the nMP(6)? And/or placing one of the two monitors on the HDMI port (@30Hz)? Just to see if that makes any difference.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202801

And do Apple Support have anything to say? Since they list the LG-31MU97 as an approved monitor.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202856

i have tried about every combo of TB2 bus that you can possibly imagine, including removing ALL other TB devices so that the 31MU97s are the ONLY thing plugged in. i've even done this with just ONE of the monitors, and i still see the problem.

i think the trouble is that apple claims compatibility but they don't specify resolution. i'm not sure that the full 4096x2160 resolution is officially supported. it's nebulous. in any event, it doesn't work on my system.

that said, there are lots of reports in the wild (in this thread as well) where people aren't having this problem with a similar or indeed identical setup. so who knows.

 

[rdav]

Amazon - Reviews & Comments.

If LG mans up and actually gives me any info, you guys will be the first to know, but I've already initiated the Amazon return (and updated them with my experience as well).

If this is not your review of the monitor, then it seems others have similar problems on the nMP.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/review/RMBH0D0TH2MD3/ref=cm_cr_pr_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00OKSEVTY

With such a big audience & market, LG will occasionally respond to such posts on Amazon - Especially if there are a LOT of responding comments and "found it helpful" clicks (Hint).

 

[darkenergymedia]

If this is not your review of the monitor, then it seems others have similar problems on the nMP.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/review/RMBH0D0TH2MD3/ref=cm_cr_pr_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00OKSEVTY

With such a big audience & market, LG will occasionally respond to such posts on Amazon - Especially if there are a LOT of responding comments and "found it helpful" clicks (Hint).

yeah that actually is my review.

i don't know, now i'm thinking maybe i'm the only one experiencing this issue to this degree.

LG has found a guy who is coming out on tuesday (a TV repair shop... umm...) so that should be interesting. the amazon return is already initiated, but i'll hold off until whatever transpires on that day. i don't expect any progress, however.

for what it's worth, both displays are up and running beautifully and stable as of this exact moment. who knows.

c

 

[lisagurl]

From my experimenting it makes a difference what buss and what port you use.

Buss 1 and 2 with ports 1 and 2 seem to be the best for 2 screens.

 

[Darby67]

From my experimenting it makes a difference what buss and what port you use.

Buss 1 and 2 with ports 1 and 2 seem to be the best for 2 screens.

If this hasn't been asked or tried in the past, this is really an excellent point (made by rdav as well above). Have you tried using different busses? It could just be a bandwidth item of plugging into 2 ports that share the same bus. take a look at the graphic on this Apple tech note:

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5918

Note: just saw it appears you have tried the bus route. Have you tried one at a time? What other items do you have on TB?

 

[jkg4]

I received my second 31MU97 today, and have both connected and working with my 2013 Mac Pro (D700 graphics, 10.10.3 beta). I've got them on two separate Thunderbolt busses, and there's enough bandwidth leftover for several external drives (including an SSD RAID) and the HDMI output for my Oculus Rift DK2. I did experience glitches and tearing with a single display under 10.10.2, but those have all gone with the latest 10.10.3 beta despite adding a second display. Both are running at 4096x2160 @ 60Hz using the included Mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort cables, but the USB connection back to my Mac Pro doesn't work on either display.

The second display is a new production, has a monochrome LG logo on the front (as opposed to a color logo on the original unit), and came with a color calibration report from the factory.

AMD FirePro D700:

  Chipset Model:	AMD FirePro D700
  Type:	GPU
  Bus:	PCIe
  Slot:	Slot-2
  PCIe Lane Width:	x16
  VRAM (Total):	6144 MB
  Vendor:	ATI (0x1002)
  Device ID:	0x6798
  Revision ID:	0x0000
  ROM Revision:	113-C3861J-687
  gMux Version:	4.0.11 [3.2.8]
  EFI Driver Version:	01.00.687
  Displays:
31MU97:
  Resolution:	4096 x 2160 @ 60 Hz
  Pixel Depth:	32-Bit Color (ARGB8888)
  Main Display:	Yes
  Mirror:	Off
  Online:	Yes
  Rotation:	Supported
  Connection Type:	DisplayPort
  Television:	Yes
31MU97:
  Resolution:	3008 x 1586 @ 60 Hz
  Pixel Depth:	32-Bit Color (ARGB8888)
  Mirror:	Off
  Online:	Yes
  Rotation:	Supported
  Connection Type:	DisplayPort
  Television:	Yes

 

[larrysing1963]

I received my second 31MU97 today, and have both connected and working with my 2013 Mac Pro (D700 graphics, 10.10.3 beta). I've got them on two separate Thunderbolt busses, and there's enough bandwidth leftover for several external drives (including an SSD RAID) and the HDMI output for my Oculus Rift DK2. I did experience glitches and tearing with a single display under 10.10.2, but those have all gone with the latest 10.10.3 beta despite adding a second display. Both are running at 4096x2160 @ 60Hz using the included Mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort cables, but the USB connection back to my Mac Pro doesn't work on either display. The second display is a new production, has a monochrome LG logo on the front (as opposed to a color logo on the original unit), and came with a color calibration report from the factory. Image
Image

AMD FirePro D700:
  Chipset Model:	AMD FirePro D700
  Type:	GPU
  Bus:	PCIe
  Slot:	Slot-2
  PCIe Lane Width:	x16
  VRAM (Total):	6144 MB
  Vendor:	ATI (0x1002)
  Device ID:	0x6798
  Revision ID:	0x0000
  ROM Revision:	113-C3861J-687
  gMux Version:	4.0.11 [3.2.8]
  EFI Driver Version:	01.00.687
  Displays:
31MU97:
  Resolution:	4096 x 2160 @ 60 Hz
  Pixel Depth:	32-Bit Color (ARGB8888)
  Main Display:	Yes
  Mirror:	Off
  Online:	Yes
  Rotation:	Supported
  Connection Type:	DisplayPort
  Television:	Yes
31MU97:
  Resolution:	3008 x 1586 @ 60 Hz
  Pixel Depth:	32-Bit Color (ARGB8888)
  Mirror:	Off
  Online:	Yes
  Rotation:	Supported
  Connection Type:	DisplayPort
  Television:	Yes

That is one sweet-azz setup !!!

 

[SaxPlayer]

The second display is a new production, has a monochrome LG logo on the front (as opposed to a color logo on the original unit), and came with a color calibration report from the factory.

Really nice to hear some positive news after the experiences of darkenergymedia who's been having a pretty sorry time by all accounts. Will be interesting to hear whether his monitor is the new production or the previous one - I wonder if that's got anything to do with his problems?

Feeling much more positive now. Had held back from purchasing and had actively started considering other options.

Your setup looks sooooo nice, by the way!!

 

[Reality4711]

D300?

Having read most of this I am still stuck with - "Will this display work properly with my cMP using D300 GPUs"???

An answer from someone who has actually seen/used/possesses that set up would be wonderful!!!

Thank you.

 

[SaxPlayer]

Having read most of this I am still stuck with - "Will this display work properly with my cMP using D300 GPUs"???

An answer from someone who has actually seen/used/possesses that set up would be wonderful!!!

Thank you.

I'd be interested too as I'd also be using D300's.

For what it's worth, I spoke to Apple about this very point a couple of weeks ago and their advice was that the nMP with D300's will be fine (even at scaled resolutions). They recommend any 4K monitor on their "tested" list - which includes the LG 31MU97.

 

[Reality4711]

That is the trouble

I'd be interested too as I'd also be using D300's.

For what it's worth, I spoke to Apple about this very point a couple of weeks ago and their advice was that the nMP with D300's will be fine (even at scaled resolutions). They recommend any 4K monitor on their "tested" list - which includes the LG 31MU97.

That is the trouble.

There are all sorts of spoken bits and bobs from Apple and others but I have been caught so many times an 'No Escape' situations over the last ten years I really have to see proof on this one. Finance and age are great at concentrating the spending!

Sad situation I know but no matter how much respect you have for these companies they really are not interested in the longevity of their products. I suppose thats why we revere the bits of kit out there working well past their expected life span.

Regards

 

[darkenergymedia]

just wanted to chime in with an update... even though it won't help bring any clarity!

i've been shooting all weekend for the most part, but i've come in to the office a few times this weekend for various errands, and...

i haven't had a single instance of glitching and shutting off yet this weekend.

i haven't changed anything at all, i literally walked away from this thread on friday in frustration as one of the 31MU97s was having its little fit, but now they both seem to be fine after multiple sleep / wake cycles.

i dare not reboot yet, however.

LG is indeed sending someone from a TV repair company out on tuesday. i'm hoping i am able to recreate the problem then (actually have one of my buddies meeting the guy as i'm booked, but he's aware of the problem to walk the guy through it.) amazon is standing by to take the return and have been frankly more apologetic and sympathetic than LG.

if i can get things to stay like this, i'll be happy, but i remember what last week was like...

oh wait... there goes the left monitor. so much for stability. yep. it's happening again.

more to come...

 

[SaxPlayer]

just wanted to chime in with an update... even though it won't help bring any clarity!

i've been shooting all weekend for the most part, but i've come in to the office a few times this weekend for various errands, and...

i haven't had a single instance of glitching and shutting off yet this weekend.

i haven't changed anything at all, i literally walked away from this thread on friday in frustration as one of the 31MU97s was having its little fit, but now they both seem to be fine after multiple sleep / wake cycles.

i dare not reboot yet, however.

LG is indeed sending someone from a TV repair company out on tuesday. i'm hoping i am able to recreate the problem then (actually have one of my buddies meeting the guy as i'm booked, but he's aware of the problem to walk the guy through it.) amazon is standing by to take the return and have been frankly more apologetic and sympathetic than LG.

if i can get things to stay like this, i'll be happy, but i remember what last week was like...

oh wait... there goes the left monitor. so much for stability. yep. it's happening again.

more to come...

jkg4 mentioned that he has a "new production" version of the monitor denoted by a monochrome LG logo on the front, as opposed to a colour one. I know there are model numbers circulating of LG-31MU97 and LG-31MU97-B so presumably the "B" versions are those with the monochrome logo on the front and, presumably, more up to date components inside the case.

Going by jkg4's description do you know what version you have? It might be something worth mentioning to the LG guy on Tuesday?

 

[rdav]

LG/LA: Specialist Technician?

LG is indeed sending someone from a TV repair company out on Tuesday. I'm hoping to recreate the problem then.

Seems odd that LG cannot field a specialist technician to review the problems with you. Especially since you seem to be based in a major city, with huge media impact. Chances are that s/he'll know less than some of the expert punters on this site (but who knows). At least you'll have independent verification.

Since you have the pro camera equipment available, it may be worth shooting some more video of the glitching. Just in case it decides to take Tuesday off.

Not trying to make light of your frustration, but some of those visual artifacts recall a great little App: "Cathode" (particularly the "Rough Slate" theme) - Vintage Terminal emulator.
http://www.secretgeometry.com/apps/cathode/

 

[SaxPlayer]

Me again.

Just found this on YouTube. A Windoze user with the same problem as darkenergymedia:

https://youtu.be/9Ah3DOL0hhg

 

[Darby67]

I received my second 31MU97 today, and have both connected and working with my 2013 Mac Pro (D700 graphics, 10.10.3 beta). I've got them on two separate Thunderbolt busses, and there's enough bandwidth leftover for several external drives (including an SSD RAID) and the HDMI output for my Oculus Rift DK2.

I'd be curious to see what would happen if they were on the same bus if you'd be willing to give it a shot. Great news though!

 

[hardcore310]

I have a 2012 macbook retina and I seem to be limited to 3840x2160. I cannot for the life of me coax the full resolution out of this monitor. Right now I'm running at 1:1 pixels so the left and right hand sides are black. Any ideas? Is my macbook retina too old to get the full resoulution?

Thanks!

 

[darkenergymedia]

hey guys!

i have the monochrome LG logo, so presumably the newer edition. i've only had them just about 14 days so they're probably pretty fresh.

i am planning to set up a camera and record my full daily morning routine tomorrow to document exactly what happens. and i'm going to try to stay calm and objective throughout. it might be challenging.

i've ordered a pair of the startech cables from B&H, but soon after ordering i saw that B&H's description indicated displayport 1.1 and the ~8 Gb/s throughput rather than the 1.2 / ~21 Gb/s stats that startech themselves give (as well as amazon). the model number is the same, so i'm guessing (and hoping) that this is just an error in the description by B&H.

these will be the third set of cables i'll be trying (i have a pair coming from monoprice as well as they cited a more robust AWG, but after reading the specs, they're no different from the Cable Matters ones i picked up.)

i'm not giving up just yet. all signs do seem to point to cables, but with so many people reporting no problems with the included cables (which i presume are displayport 1.2) i'm not holding my breath.

by tuesday evening i'll have a final verdict (i think).

i'm jealous of those who have no problems. as of this moment all is well and it's a happy place to be!