M2 MBP Flash/Flickering on HDR Content

[MastC]

I've been having this issue since day 1 one of owning the new M2 mbp, and I've already talked to apple support about this HDR flash/flicker issue. It happens whenever a scene transitions from a dark area to an area with a lot of light. I've tested this issue to happen on:

Apple TV
Netflix (Safari and Chrome)
HBO Max (Safari and Chrome)

Here's a recent example of the issue:

https://streamable.com/w0rjv9 (You can see it within the first second and throughout the video during the back and forth camera cuts)

Mainly the bottom left and right you'll notice the flicker. I've already contacted support with this issue, they quickly accepted a replacement that took 3 weeks to arrive and I'm still having the same issue.

Does this happen to you?

 

[Cabin]

I will be honest and say I don't see anything out of the ordinary.

I don't see any flickering

 

[MastC]

I will be honest and say I don't see anything out of the ordinary.

I don't see any flickering

Hi, thanks for the reply.

IMG_3454 2

Watch "IMG_3454 2" on Streamable.

streamable.com

I slowed it down, but it flashes green where there was darkness before the camera change. It happens frequently.

 

[MatejC]

Hi, I have the same issue... MBP 16" M2 Max.
Did Apple say it is out of spec? It's very frequent and very annoying...

But I don't feel like waiting for a replacement for a month only for it to have the same issue.

 

[bmcgrath]

Hi, thanks for the reply.

IMG_3454 2

Watch "IMG_3454 2" on Streamable.

streamable.com

I slowed it down, but it flashes green where there was darkness before the camera change. It happens frequently.

Can't see the video but I've not noticed any HDR playback issues.

 

[MatejC]

This is a video of what it looks like for me:

It is especially noticeable when the dark pixels light up. I think the root cause of this problem is that it takes a long time for the pixels to turn on.

 

[Jazzyjordz]

Did anyone ever figure this out?? Im
Having the same issue currently

 

[MatejC]

Did anyone ever figure this out?? Im
Having the same issue currently

Guess everyone is... Just some people notice it more than others.
We just have to live with it 🤷‍♂️

 

[LukasAppleFan]

6 months later and I still have this bug on latest MacBook Pro and latest macOS. I tried to watch HDR movies using Infuse and IINA and I get the same bug.
Did anyone find a fix ?

 

[okkibs]

Is there a video where we can test it ourselves? The linked Hot Ones video doesn't have any HDR playback.

 

[LukasAppleFan]

Is there a video where we can test it ourselves? The linked Hot Ones video doesn't have any HDR playback.

Thanks for your reply but they are all locally downloaded files so nothing I can share with you.
But here is a post on Firecore forums : HDR flickering MacBook Pro Retina XDR
It has screenshots of the issue.

 

[okkibs]

But here is a post on Firecore forums : HDR flickering MacBook Pro Retina XDR
It has screenshots of the issue.

I ended up following the suggested video material and recording it in slow motion and was about to reply I can't find any trace of the problem when watching it in slow motion. But then I copied the video back to the Mac and watched it on the big screen and indeed for a very short moment the color seems off and at times green artefacts are visible. Mostly when the pixels are turned on from black to flash very bright the white light has a green tint for a moment. However, even knowing this to be the case and watching out for it I cannot perceive it without the slow motion recording.

The explanation in that thread seems logical and it doesn't surprise me that it's an inherent flaw of the panel as there are other compromises as well such as smearing. In the end it was probably the best compromise to allow for the 1600 nits peak brightness where most customers will be happy. It reminds me of the flickering iPhone displays where some people just cannot use iPhones as the displays hurt their eyes. I don't think Apple is going to invest any resources into fixing this as it would require a miniLED panel v2 to be developed and Apple is probably aiming to bring OLED to the Macbooks, thus no longer being interested in miniLED. It's likely that we'll see the first OLED iPads next month, and perhaps as soon as late next year the MacbookPros could have OLED panels too.

There could also be manufacturing fluctuations between units of the same series, so perhaps your Macbook has a worse screen than mine and that's why it's more noticeable on yours. Wouldn't change anything as you already own that Mac and can't easily swap it out.

 

[Nothing Phone(2)]

6 months later and I still have this bug on latest MacBook Pro and latest macOS. I tried to watch HDR movies using Infuse and IINA and I get the same bug.
Did anyone find a fix ?

I noticed the exact same issue when watching HDR content on Infuse recently, only HDR content has this kinda flickering. But I did not notice it before 14.3, might be a pro brought by 14.3 and 14.3.1.

 

[okkibs]

But I did not notice it before 14.3, might be a pro brought by 14.3 and 14.3.1.

That might explain why it's absolutely fine for me since I have never upgraded beyond Ventura due to apps incompatibilities as well as hearing about bugs. And I have no desire to find out whether or not this is one of them. Downgrading to Ventura is possible but requires a fresh installation wiping all data and then restoring from a Timemachine backup with Migration Assistant. It's not all that seamless.