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Who else gets image persisense on their 2008-2009 iMacs?

definitive

definitive

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Aug 4, 2008
2,078
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Just trying to figure out if it's worth looking into or not. After about 15 minutes of launching any application, the screen starts to develop lines across the top of the screen, the left side, and bottom (where the dock icons end). This is on a 24" 2009 iMac with a Radeon 4850. It goes away after I shut the system down for the night (reason being is so that the lines go away).
 
definitive said:
Just trying to figure out if it's worth looking into or not. After about 15 minutes of launching any application, the screen starts to develop lines across the top of the screen, the left side, and bottom (where the dock icons end). This is on a 24" 2009 iMac with a Radeon 4850. It goes away after I shut the system down for the night (reason being is so that the lines go away).
Click to expand...

I got a clear image on my 24" with the user screen showing through.

I was surprised but I set the screen power save shut-off to 15 minutes (to prevent it sitting like that on a regular basis) and it seems fine since.

IIRC plasma screens can suffer from image burn but LCDs will only have image retention (i.e. should be no permanent residual image).

I'm sure someone more expert than will will come in and add to that or tell me to shut up tho'. :p
 
ABG said:
I got a clear image on my 24" with the user screen showing through.

I was surprised but I set the screen power save shut-off to 15 minutes (to prevent it sitting like that on a regular basis) and it seems fine since.
Click to expand...

yeah, but the thing is that whenever i leave my system, i have hot corners enabled, so i just drag the mouse to one of them, and the screen will turn off. alternatively i have it shut off on its own after about 5-10 minutes. so far the only reason for this happening that i've been able to come up with is that the system is overheating on the left side. the screen is perfectly fine on the right side because there's the superdrive slot which lets some of the hot air out, so it doesn't happen there.
 
I have it too, on my late 2008 24' maxed out iMac. First time I noticed, it was a ghost image of the dock on the left (where I keep it), and these days I get vertical lines, ghost images of the edges of safari and finder windows. Apart from that, I also get three thick shadowy dark stripes across the screen, so the machine is going back to apple again (I've got apple care still).

I sent it back to apple after I bought it again because of the screen, the problem was a bunch of dead pixels. They changed the panel but now it's this.

btw: what do you mean overheating? I rarely get temperatures over 65C
 
ppnkg said:
I have it too, on my late 2008 24' maxed out iMac. First time I noticed, it was a ghost image of the dock on the left (where I keep it), and these days I get vertical lines, ghost images of the edges of safari and finder windows. Apart from that, I also get three thick shadowy dark stripes across the screen, so the machine is going back to apple again (I've got apple care still).

I sent it back to apple after I bought it again because of the screen, the problem was a bunch of dead pixels. They changed the panel but now it's this.

btw: what do you mean overheating? I rarely get temperatures over 65C
Click to expand...

what i mean is that images tend to get "burned" (not really burned, but you know what i mean) into the screen faster when the computer is under heavier than usual load. this can be web surfing with multiple tabs open, using adobe apps, watching movies, playing games, etc. when my system is idle, it doesn't "burn in" fast, but once the system's temperature goes up, it can get "burned in" within minutes. sometimes some of these particles have colors on them (ex: red squares, green squares, etc.)
 
FearlessFreep said:
Image persistence is exacerbated by heat. The warmer the panel, the more likely you are to suffer the condition. Perhaps your fans are not performing adequately?
Click to expand...

optical: 800rpm
hd: 1600rpm
cpu: 1200rpm

sometimes when the system gets real hot, the hd fan can go as high as 3000+ rpm, and cpu 1500+
 
Got mine as a refurb a year ago today, actually. It gets pretty bad burn-in (is that it?) mostly from window shadows on the left side (where it's darker), but also from the lines of the address bar in Safari. It mostly goes away by moving windows around and using the screensaver or turning the monitor off, but comes back fierce if you happen to place the window edge back around where it is. It also happens around the whole Adium chat window sometimes, though not as much. I have the window as a little square on either edge of the screen.

To avoid this, I've started moving windows around constantly so they're not in the same place for long. This includes Safar, Adium and other things like Transmission that are open for long periods. I also keep Safari as a large square in the middle of the screen instead of expanded top to bottom, which helps the under the address bar persistence at the top of the screen.

I also discovered this tool, but the fullscreen doesn't work in any browser on mac -- though the zoom function covers most of it.
 
definitive said:
what i mean is that images tend to get "burned" (not really burned, but you know what i mean) into the screen faster when the computer is under heavier than usual load. this can be web surfing with multiple tabs open, using adobe apps, watching movies, playing games, etc. when my system is idle, it doesn't "burn in" fast, but once the system's temperature goes up, it can get "burned in" within minutes. sometimes some of these particles have colors on them (ex: red squares, green squares, etc.)
Click to expand...

yep, that's exactly what I'm experiencing too, except the colours.

I'm still under applecare, so I'm going to call them and ask them to replace the panel - I really do think I got a good case!
 
I have read about this in the Apple support forums. Some of them died out soon after the artifacts appear... I would suggest you backup everything if you haven't already and take it down to the Apple Store. They would swap the display, GPU and then the logic board until it gets fixed.
 
LED panel bad again?

I had my 27" LED panel replaced once for yellowish tint on the bottom third. Now suddenly I have an issue with severe image retention. This retention is present after a window is open only a couple seconds. Screen color looks washed out and a little greenish and low contrast, but slightly better around the edges for about an inch in from the sides. I upgraded latest software patches from Apple (for the backlight issue on 27" imacs with i& chip) and in a few seconds after the patch was applied the problem went away instantly. Then it was back the next morning to my disappointment. I am going to Apple Genius folks tonight to show them. I think I have intermittent hardware and the patch must have affected it somewhat. This is truly a strange problem indeed. I should get compensation for testing Apple's computers. (I had a Sony optical drive go bad also in this MAC.) All since November 09.
 
I have the same probs with my 08 high end 24" iMac so annoying, rang apple today and they will be collecting it for repair. (when I say they I mean Amsys)
 
Visit to the Genius Bar for image retention

Well they had never seen anything quite like it before. Fortunately it powered on with the problem in full force. The final decision was to order a whole new Mac for me (this is the 3rd problem I have had since November 09.) I was treated very well and with respect at the store. They said it would be 3 weeks or so before they get the new Mac for me, and they would allow me to use this one until then. If I turn the Gamma down it looks pretty good even with the problem still there somewhat. The image retention is worse some days than others. I still love the computer and plan on hanging in there until I have done enough "Quality Assurance testing" for Apple.
 
My 24" iMac (3.06 Ghz/8800 GS) had this issue. It only appeared when the computer/display was warm. Apple replaced the lcd and I did not see it anymore. Though I don't know if this machine still works fine, I sold it because it had a nasty gradient.
 
Looking for more responses from people who experienced this issue on their iMacs (4850 radeon preferred) and had it repaired. I'm thinking of eventually taking it in for repair, but don't want to waste and hour or more getting there, only to be turned away by their genius bar.

For those that did have it fixed - how long ago, and has the issue ever returned again? I get lines, text, blotches, and sometimes even discoloration at times, but it's a hit or miss, because sometimes when I turn the screen on, it's clean, but other times it isn't.
 
definitive said:
Looking for more responses from people who experienced this issue on their iMacs (4850 radeon preferred) and had it repaired. I'm thinking of eventually taking it in for repair, but don't want to waste and hour or more getting there, only to be turned away by their genius bar.

For those that did have it fixed - how long ago, and has the issue ever returned again? I get lines, text, blotches, and sometimes even discoloration at times, but it's a hit or miss, because sometimes when I turn the screen on, it's clean, but other times it isn't.
Click to expand...

It happens to me all the time but the main reason for me is because I have my iMac right up against the wall (no choice for me cos I have a small desk at uni). If you want to get rid of it, leave your iMac on all night making sure you have no display sleep prefs on, and set your desktop background to white (solid colours). It should be ok in the morning. And to stop it happening again just try and keep the machine a bit cooler or turn on display sleep if you leave your computer from time to time.
 
G-Force said:
My 24" iMac (3.06 Ghz/8800 GS) had this issue. It only appeared when the computer/display was warm. Apple replaced the lcd and I did not see it anymore. Though I don't know if this machine still works fine, I sold it because it had a nasty gradient.
Click to expand...

Same model as you happens to me, not too bad though that it annoys me, my screen is in a area with plenty of light so it doesnt bother me much, i notice it more at night. Happens with the dock and the top left hand corner of the firefox window and the address bar.

If i leave the screen off overnight it returns to normal in the morning.
 
Robert Grant said:
It happens to me all the time but the main reason for me is because I have my iMac right up against the wall (no choice for me cos I have a small desk at uni). If you want to get rid of it, leave your iMac on all night making sure you have no display sleep prefs on, and set your desktop background to white (solid colours). It should be ok in the morning. And to stop it happening again just try and keep the machine a bit cooler or turn on display sleep if you leave your computer from time to time.
Click to expand...

yeah i've done that before, but it still comes back after a while. it's especially noticeable on the left side. i'd take it to apple if i didn't have to use it for work for the next month or two. guess i'll have to live with it for the time being since i still have my applecare, so it's not a big deal. here's a pic btw. the top line is from the web browser being open for 15 minutes:

34jby1c.jpg
 
Mine's got it (again)

My last 24" iMac had image retention, so Apple sent a tech to replace the panel and the logic board, and the retention was still there. Apple then replaced my 24" with a brand new 24", and it's been fine until about a month ago when the image retention returned. Since I've still got 2 years on Apple Care, as annoying as it is, and it's been plenty annoying of late, I may wait it out a bit, though this time if they offer to replace it, they'd have to bump me up to a 27".

I reject the notion that this is any way acceptable on what was a $2500 computer at the time, since in all the years I've used LCD's with PC's I've never experienced any retention problems.

If this isn't occurring on the 27" panels then obviously Apple needs to address this with the 24" panels
 
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