Yellow tint on Haswell rMBP 15"

[Jian001]

My screen

Hi everyone,

Some good quality discussion here.

My first display was a LG and it was terrible. The yellow tint coated at least half of the screen.

Here are some pictures of my second screen. It's a Samsung. Keen to get some thoughts on the tinting / backlight.

All screenshots were taken with 100% brightness and via an iPhone.

One image is of a white background and the other two of a black background.

 

[pendragon1984]

Based on what??

My impression is you don't have a freaking clue!

Based on the fact that I am now on my 4th replacement for screen defects and creaking cases and this one, although it has a perfect screen and does not creak, makes weird electronic, high pitched buzzing noises. Apple is now sending a 5th replacement for me for this problem.

They again have agreed to check the machine first and to let me keep this one until the send a replacement. Anyone calling Apple for a replacement should demand these things, at it certainly can be done.

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How is this thread harmful?

You either have a yellow tint problem or you don't. This thread has no baring on the quality of your display.

100% correct. At worse this threat informs someone who may otherwise not notice that they have a screen that's subpar for the price they paid. How is this a bad thing? It seems that it can only lead to Apple being forced to give us better products for our money. I guess thats a bad thing for the share holders. haha!

 

[Sandy Santra]

I created a spreadsheet to decode the serial number

bravo.ftwftw, thank you SO much! This is really helpful information that will enable me to perform a cursory assessment when I pick up my online-ordered rMBP at a store (without even opening the box!).

 

[bravo.ftwftw]

bravo.ftwftw, thank you SO much! This is really helpful information that will enable me to perform a cursory assessment when I pick up my online-ordered rMBP at a store (without even opening the box!).

You're super welcome. This may not guarantee a defect free machine, but should remove some doubt when buying or replacement unit from a physical store.

For yours, it should be "factory-fresh." If your unit has already shipped, you can go online to the Apple store now to view your order and view the invoice which has the serial number.

 

[johnnylarue]

Hi everyone,

Some good quality discussion here.

My first display was a LG and it was terrible. The yellow tint coated at least half of the screen.

Here are some pictures of my second screen. It's a Samsung. Keen to get some thoughts on the tinting / backlight.

All screenshots were taken with 100% brightness and via an iPhone.

One image is of a white background and the other two of a black background.

See now, those two pics of your black screen at full brightness are a perfect example of why it's extremely difficult to gauge the quality of these displays based on smartphone photos. The first one shows what looks like uneven backlighting on the right side of the display, whereas in the second pic--taken from just a slightly different angle--your display looks totally fine.

I can understand wanting a second opinion, but you folks posting pics of your displays should definitely take the responses you get with a grain of salt since this is not a terribly scientific way of doing things. Only the most obvious faults will show up in those pics with any degree of consistency.

 

[Orr]

Apple definitely has what appears to be increasing QC problems. No one is debating that. The amount of OCD revolving around the Samsung/LG screens, yellow tint, image retention, etc is really pretty mind-numbing though. Taking pictures of your screen via a smartphone to illustrate your screens problems is one of the most inaccurate and unscientific methods possible.

 

[got2go]

Taking pictures of your screen via a smartphone to illustrate your screens problems is one of the most inaccurate and unscientific methods possible.

And basing your determination that Apple has QC problems off an internet forum where people come to complain is just as bad.

 

[LCPR]

Since everyone is posting phone pics, here's one of mine:

Pretty bad, right? There's a noticeable yellow shift in the bottom left of the display!

However, I want to take a more quantitative approach to this, so I got out my calibrator and did a uniformity test (I had already calibrated the display before I took the photo above):

i1Profile defaults to a deviance of 250K as the threshold for failure, which works out to just under 4%. For reference, TFTCentral measured the deviance for the Dell U3014 as roughly 5%, and the U2413 as 2.6%. Seems like my screen (a Samsung replacement built in week 47 for my first Haswell rMBP which had an LG screen with a pink shift to the right) is in good company. But my eyes (and iPhone camera) seem to think otherwise. So perhaps its the bonding process used by Apple? Or more likely, our eyes have a much lower threshold for white balance deviation, which is further exacerbated by variations in viewing angle? Because judging by my colorimeter, my seemingly yellow shifting display is totally fine for colour critical work and that the yellow bits are actually far more within tolerance: the 'worst' bottom left corner has a deviation of 1%. The problem is the cooler, bluer shifts that throw everything else off! If only Apple included some kind of uniformity compensation, eh?

 

[Quu]

Since everyone is posting phone pics, here's one of mine:
Image

Pretty bad, right? There's a noticeable yellow shift in the bottom left of the display!

However, I want to take a more quantitative approach to this, so I got out my calibrator and did a uniformity test (I had already calibrated the display before I took the photo above):

Image

i1Profile defaults to a deviance of 250K as the threshold for failure, which works out to just under 4%. For reference, TFTCentral measured the deviance for the Dell U3014 as roughly 5%, and the U2413 as 2.6%. Seems like my screen (a Samsung replacement built in week 47 for my first Haswell rMBP which had an LG screen with a pink shift to the right) is in good company. But my eyes (and iPhone camera) seem to think otherwise. So perhaps its the bonding process used by Apple? Or more likely, our eyes have a much lower threshold for white balance deviation, which is further exacerbated by variations in viewing angle? Because judging by my colorimeter, my seemingly yellow shifting display is totally fine for colour critical work and that the yellow bits are actually far more within tolerance: the 'worst' bottom left corner has a deviation of 1%. The problem is the cooler, bluer shifts that throw everything else off! If only Apple included some kind of uniformity compensation, eh?

This is a really interesting post. Can I ask, what calibrator did you use for this?

 

[LCPR]

This is a really interesting post. Can I ask, what calibrator did you use for this?

I used an i1Display Pro (which I just got today). I actually called Apple in the morning for a replacement machine before the calibrator arrived in the evening, so hopefully the replacement has a more uniform looking screen (they're letting me keep this machine while I wait though). It seems that for important work even a 'defective' looking display is technically within tolerance. I guess we're generally accustomed to cooler displays so we see the cooler bits as correct while the yellow bits are wrong to us!

 

[johnnylarue]

I used an i1Display Pro (which I just got today). I actually called Apple in the morning for a replacement machine before the calibrator arrived in the evening, so hopefully the replacement has a more uniform looking screen (they're letting me keep this machine while I wait though). It seems that for important work even a 'defective' looking display is technically within tolerance. I guess we're generally accustomed to cooler displays so we see the cooler bits as correct while the yellow bits are wrong to us!

Pretty wild stuff. Could it actually be a shift/deviation in luminosity or brightness in those areas that's making the display look yellower than it really is?

I would have expected a colorimeter almost to exaggerate what your eyes were seeing rather than downplay those deviations.

 

[NocturnalJazz]

I got my 2.3GHz 15" rMBP yesterday and checked the screen directly in the store. No dead pixels to be seen, loaded a white and a black picture full screen, low brightness, high brightness, everything looks perfect. I tried looking a few more times closely, can't see anything. Haven't heard the body creak yet when picking it up, no other faults/problems/misalignment's. Will evidently keep an eye (and ear) out for any problems, I usually see mistakes/problems very quickly (tiny bit OCD about gadgets).

Anyway, I've got till the 7th of January to return this MacBook so enough time

How did you get january 7th? I bought mine yesterday and I have December 1st.

 

[Starfyre]

How did you get january 7th? I bought mine yesterday and I have December 1st.

Ordering online gets you the holiday return period. It is not a big deal though as long as you don't plan to return it. 14 days should be plenty of time to determine whether or not you have a bad machine or not.

 

[NocturnalJazz]

The Colors of The Rainbow!

Here's my screen on my exchange from yesterday at an Apple Store outside Chicago.

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Here's my screen on my exchange from yesterday at an Apple Store outside Chicago.

Image

It kind of looks like the io7 logo

 

[Starfyre]

Here's my screen on my exchange from yesterday at an Apple Store outside Chicago.

Image

That looks like an LG display, am I right?
Mine looked exactly like that. No Samsung has looked to have that much variance in color.

 

[NocturnalJazz]

That looks like an LG display, am I right?

Yes you are!

I am a fool for exchanging my first machine (Samsung) due to creaking. 2nd Machine was Solid but LG.

This Machine is Also LG... and even worse!

 

[johnnylarue]

Yes you are!

I am a fool for exchanging my first machine (Samsung) due to creaking. 2nd Machine was Solid but LG.

This Machine is Also LG... and even worse!

Have you checked the build date on it for fun?

Educated guess: the fifth character of your serial number is an L or an M.

 

[NocturnalJazz]

Have you checked the build date on it for fun?

Educated guess: the fifth character of your serial number is an L or an M.

#1 Samsung Screen that Creaked: H
#2 LG Screen "Yellow/Purple" But Solid Build: L
#3 LG Screen Colors of the Rainbow Solid Build: M



So what do I do? Go back to the store and exchange, or make a genius appointment? Or try a different retail store?

 

[umbilical]

at this point I feel that just a low quantity of macbook pros and ipad air's https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1665350/ are good... the big majority sucks...

 

[johnnylarue]

#1 Samsung Screen that Creaked: H
#2 LG Screen "Yellow/Purple" But Solid Build: H
#3 LG Screen Colors of the Rainbow Solid Build: M

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So what do I do? Go back to the store and exchange, or make a genius appointment? Or try a different retail store?

Honestly, this is all pure conjecture so take it for what it's worth, but after going through so many machines, my advice would be to try one of the following:

1. If you're going back to the retail store, ask for a machine that's an 'N' or later. Or,

2. Return your machine and order online if you can handle waiting a week for delivery.

My subpar display was an 'M' model Samsung, and every one of your flawed units was also an M or earlier. This might just be a mix of wishful thinking and educated guessing, but after striking out on several early production machines, I would go out of my way to try a "fresher" unit and see your luck improves.

Any evidence to suggest that Apple have tightened up QC since early November is purely anecdotal, but several people from this thread have received good machines in the past week after a going through a series of subpar MBPs. Read into that what you will! But hey, it's worth a shot.

 

[mashinhead]

Question: Did anyone here solve there screen issue through calibration? I received a new one, and it is definitely 'yellow' I calibrated it and now I'm not sure..... It's better... but I don't know if it's 'right'

 

[aiyaaabatt]

Question: Did anyone here solve there screen issue through calibration? I received a new one, and it is definitely 'yellow' I calibrated it and now I'm not sure..... It's better... but I don't know if it's 'right'

If you're "not sure," then stop reading this god awful thread and enjoy it.

 

[albertdros]

I have my maxed out 15 inch retina for a few days now and I am quite happy with the screen. I have an LG screen and when i compared to the screen of my 17 MBP it does indeed look a little bit yellow. Also, my 17 inch MBP can go a little bit brighter. This is only noticable when i put the 2 computers next to each other. However, the retina screen has much deeper colors and is more vivid. Also, the screen is perfectly uniform.

So, I'm quite happy as i see all the horrible screens in this thread. Also i have no creaking. I guess it's a keeper

 

[jcmendes]

Don´t know what to do, my second one come like this:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/28f1rpmtnp7zus7/20131118_182526.jpg


Left sido worst, but right side has yeloow too


Email, apple they will talk with quality control.

For me i do the last change, for another one, if not ask the money back

 

[zI INFINITY Iz]

How did you get january 7th? I bought mine yesterday and I have December 1st.

I bought it in an Apple Store (Amsterdam). The guy first said it's 14 days. Then I said I read something about an extended period for anything bought between 1st of Nov and 25th of December. He looked it up and I was right. Basically I can test the machine for free for 52 days. Not that I plan on returning it.

Update on screen quality: So I still can't see anything wrong with my screen. Just checked a white image on different brightness levels, this time in a dark room. Nothing to be seen. Black image looks fine too.

I used terminal yesterday to find out if I have a LG or Samsung screen: it's an LG screen. And the rMBP itself is produced in week 44, letter "M".

At this point I'm pretty much done "looking" for problems with the screen. Maybe my eyes aren't what they used to be, but I usually spot these kind of problems instantly. If I don't see anything bad with the display it's fine anyway, since I can enjoy my machine.