Yellow tint on Haswell rMBP 15"

[anarti]

If it wasn't the screen I would've bought something like a cheaper Dell Inspiron equipped with a 750M GPU and even upgrading it with a SSD and 16GB ram it would be still way cheaper than a rMBP. Another option would be a Lenovo y510p, equipped with dual 750M GPUs (actually I need more GPU/CUDA power than CPU).

The screen was mainly a hobby bonus because I like editing pictures. I still take pictures with analog cameras, scanning them later on my Nikon film scanner. Paying an extra tax for a Retina display was a real money wasting to me.

Yes, you could get all those options but you know, it comes with Windows. This is number 1 for me to not to buy anything that runs windows. I was on Linux for several years and just can't stand Windows any more.

Macbook is not only about the hardware but the overall package including UNIX OS.

That's why problematic screen, although very frustrating, is not putting me off from the retina screens.

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I think it's crazy. The whole reason for getting a model with the retina display, is BECAUSE of the display. If the display then has variations of colours/warmth it's in my perspective a defective screen. Get a refund and wait till they solve this problem - that's what I am doing. And I have the exact same issue as you with my screen (read above).

No, as I said before, You can't buy 15" Macbook without retina any more (new of course).

Retina is something that comes into all devices whether you like it or not.

 

[psychedelia]

Hi Psychedelia, if I purchased from newegg, I'm guessing the Apple Store won't give me money back, probably just a repair or replacement. In your situation, did the apple genius ppl recognize the screen bleed as defective or did they try to tell you that your screen was within spec and you had to argue with them?

Yeah, Newegg is probably those who would have to give you your money back. The senior engineer I've been dealing with at Apple (through phone) has completely agreed with me that the screen is not suppose to look like that (I've been emailing him the pictures, he's been forwarding me to the people who does exchanges). The store I bought it in also recognized the uneven yellow ting when I made them aware of it.

Anarti, sure. Still doesn't make it alright to have a screen with uneven warmth/colours.

 

[fireflyfu]

Musings at the crossroads

So I expected this to happen before I bought my new MBPr but one can always hope he'll get a good screen. Anyways, my screen has the yellow tint but not as bad as some of the ones I've seen at the Apple store/John Lewis. The screen is uneven which is not visible under normal working conditions. When I open a black image in a dark room the lower left corner is noticeably yellow and the upper right corner pinkish. Similar to all the photos on this thread so nothing new. Dimness is not the worst I've seen out there but could be better. My cheap-o company laptop from Dell has a brighter screen and whiter whites.

I can live with the absence of high brightness levels. I can calibrate the screen to partially remove the yellowishness. Where do I get tried and tested colour profiles from? The unevenness is something which is harder to accept. But like a previous poster said, there are rarely perfect screens on the MBPr, just unobservant buyers.

I have been laptop-less for months, as I had been holding out hoping Apple would fix the display issue. But seems its unlikely to be fixed until the next iteration, which I'm sure will bring its own set of problems if history is anything to go by. As I absolutely needed a power laptop for my personal work, it was either the macbook or the XPS15/M3800. But I have a psychological aversion to Dell as I am on my company laptop all day everyday since the past 3 years. Last thing I want is for the Dell logo to keep rubbing at my face during my personal time as well. Silly I know, but hey, the human mind has its biases ala Kahnemann. I tried to be rational about it but it didn't work. Plus I wanted to work on a pleasant unix environment.

So I decided to buy the MBPr knowing full well I'd probably get a non-ideal screen. That was the easy part though - it's been harder to accept after having bought it. While I was sure before my purchase that I would just learn to deal with the screen and wouldn't want to go through 9 cycles of exchange to get a good screen, after buying it I'm not sure what to do, like many others in this thread. Given the lack of alternative options which don't involve arguing at the Apple store, waiting for screen replacements, drain your energy and increase your stress, maybe I should just condition myself to be happy with it? I have a keen eye so I will always notice the defects but learn to not be bothered by them. Give it time and anything will heal.

I ended up being rather unproductive in the last few months by holding out on buying the MBPr and now I just want to go ahead and move on with my work. I got the 15" with 750m option with a student discount for £1869 (RRP:£2199). The student option includes Applecare support. If 2015 reveals a Macbook with the perfect screen, I'll sell my current one and get that. Can I get at least £1000 for it (which includes applecare support) in a year's time? That would mean I lost £869 over one year. Assuming most people are happy for a £2000 laptop to last for four years, that's a depreciation of £500 per year. So I would be effectively be writing off £369. I think I can deal with that. If I can get more than £1k, even better.

My screen details:
LP154WT1-SJE1
Manufacturer: 00000610
Model:0000A019
Manufacturer date: CCD71000

The fifth letter in my serial number is W. I think this translates to 16-22 Dec. Are screens more likely to get better after that? If so I will definitely exchange. I don't know how quick the inventory turnover is here in London though.

Apologies for my rambling bit I felt like I had to let it out somehow and share my thoughts with you gentlemen and ladies.

 

[accountforit]

As for my own opinion, I definitely notice the backlight bleed and it @$#% me off when I'm watching youtube or netflix, however, based on what everyone else seems to be going through and a few comments that there are no good screens, I'm starting to think I should just hold on to what I have.

Thanks all!

There are good screens actually. I recently picked up a current model 15" on ebay for $1,130 and the screen looks perfect. No yellow tint, seems to be uniform, and passed the image retention test. Besides the small ding on the top, and a few minor nicks on the side, the computer is perfect.

FYI - I am picky as hell and put the screen through tons of scrutiny.

 

[psychedelia]

There are good screens actually. I recently picked up a current model 15" on ebay for $1,130 and the screen looks perfect. No yellow tint, seems to be uniform, and passed the image retention test. Besides the small ding on the top, and a few minor nicks on the side, the computer is perfect.

FYI - I am picky as hell and put the screen through tons of scrutiny.

I'd love to see a picture of this. Dark room, full brightness, completely black image. Even though a picture of the screen is not exactly science, it will show the variable difference between a screen with yellow tints and a screen without it.

Thanks,

Psych

 

[Kariya]

Are the 13" retinas still a no go because of the LG screen?

My gf is in the market and she's leaning towards an Air. But for 30 bucks extra she can get a similarly specd retina and I'm pushing her towards that.

But I don't want her to be slapped with image retention later.

 

[Basilfawltyone]

Good screen and rMBP15. 2.6/1TB/16

I have now used my new rMBP 15 for three weeks. Screen is good. It is a LG

Color LCD
LP154WT1-SJE1

And I have a slight yellow tint, but actually exactly the same as my old 2012 same computer. It is 100% even and I have tested for retention but no problem at all even after 30 min with the chess board pattern.

I have just imported some profiles and when I change the Display profile to a slightly bluer (6800-7000) my screen is perfect.

The ONLY thing that annoys me a bit is that the screen is a bit more dim than I want. But the "old" 2012 is exactly as dim. Just remember my wifes NON-retina MacBook AIR was slightly brighter at max. Again, during the day I am using "APPLE Generic RGB" profile, during the evening/night if it is very dark around me I use a profile with a bit less contrast.

I have had the screen on max, totally black pic, no bleeding what so ever.

No dead pixels and no problem with the automatic light sensor.

So I am very happy with my Retina and after all the most important for me is evenness, I was so annoyed with mu new iPad AIR that was uneven yellow but that is changed by Apple for a good one too.

I LOVE Apples "eco-system" and if there is a perfect laptop I think this is it or better "As good as it gets".

Hopefully Apple will raise their QC so we can know what we are getting when buying an Apple-product. But again - for me it is 50% software and compability and 50% hardware that make me go for Apple.

I get sad reading all of your stories here on this forum how dissatisfied you are with Apple and their products but it also makes me mad and angry to hear how responsible persons in their own stores just ignores the problem and pretend that a product/screen is perfect when it is obvious that it should not have passed the QC.

 

[accountforit]

I'd love to see a picture of this. Dark room, full brightness, completely black image. Even though a picture of the screen is not exactly science, it will show the variable difference between a screen with yellow tints and a screen without it.

Thanks,

Psych

You ask and you shall receive. After taking the all black picture, I had to raise the exposure on the image just to be able to see it which made it look worse than in person (not that it looks bad anyways). Otherwise, it looked like a black picture with nothing there. Both photos are at full brightness. The pixel dots are from my camera.

 

[psychedelia]

You ask and you shall receive. After taking the all black picture, I had to raise the exposure on the image just to be able to see it which made it look worse than in person (not that it looks bad anyways). Otherwise, it looked like a black picture with nothing there. Both photos are at full brightness. The pixel dots are from my camera.

Wow, very nice. Thank you!

 

[Helical-dNTP]

You ask and you shall receive. After taking the all black picture, I had to raise the exposure on the image just to be able to see it which made it look worse than in person (not that it looks bad anyways). Otherwise, it looked like a black picture with nothing there. Both photos are at full brightness. The pixel dots are from my camera.

Is it just me or does anyone else notice the yellow spot about dead center of the screen? Obviously in the left image of the forum. Still one of the better screens I've seen. Definitely better than the 3 I received before deciding to return

 

[accountforit]

Is it just me or does anyone else notice the yellow spot about dead center of the screen? Obviously in the left image of the forum. Still one of the better screens I've seen. Definitely better than the 3 I received before deciding to return

That is the problem with taking a picture. There is no yellow spot dead center. I assume it's just the way my camera took the photo or has to do with the light reflecting from my camera.

An LCD screen will shift slightly in color just by moving your head up or down.

 

[Helical-dNTP]

That is the problem with taking a picture. There is no yellow spot dead center. I assume it's just the way my camera took the photo or has to do with the light reflecting from my camera.

An LCD screen will shift slightly in color just by moving your head up or down.

Thanks for the explanation. The yellow spot didn't look like the ones i had seen on my previous 2 15"ers. Nicely rounded and too uniform. The camera causing the image makes since. I'm glad you got a quality display. These computers are way too pricey to accept a dirty screen.

I have to say I finally received my 3rd 15" today and am a bit happier with the screen. I had bought the 750m model in late October and replaced it once with both displaying non-uniform yellowing and one with "murras". Both being samsung. Decided to give up for a while in hopes the issues would be resolved.

I recently snatched one up from the refurb store that doesn't have the dGPU. It's an LG display and looks much more white. Theres a slight magenta tint in the upper left corner but it's really only noticeable if I move a white screen over it, being more visible in a dark room. Otherwise it seems like a decent display. I'm going to play around with it for a few days and decide if I want to return it. The magenta tint doesn't seem to bother me as of yet but once I put it through its paces i'll have a better idea of whether it will be a problem or not. With no apple store anywhere near me I have less than a week to make my decision but I have to admit I'm a bit happier this go around

 

[shadow82x]

Thanks for the explanation. The yellow spot didn't look like the ones i had seen on my previous 2 15"ers. Nicely rounded and too uniform. The camera causing the image makes since. I'm glad you got a quality display. These computers are way too pricey to accept a dirty screen.

I have to say I finally received my 3rd 15" today and am a bit happier with the screen. I had bought the 750m model in late October and replaced it once with both displaying non-uniform yellowing and one with "murras". Both being samsung. Decided to give up for a while in hopes the issues would be resolved.

I recently snatched one up from the refurb store that doesn't have the dGPU. It's an LG display and looks much more white. Theres a slight magenta tint in the upper left corner but it's really only noticeable if I move a white screen over it, being more visible in a dark room. Otherwise it seems like a decent display. I'm going to play around with it for a few days and decide if I want to return it. The magenta tint doesn't seem to bother me as of yet but once I put it through its paces i'll have a better idea of whether it will be a problem or not. With no apple store anywhere near me I have less than a week to make my decision but I have to admit I'm a bit happier this go around

I'm telling you all the new LG displays have a very slight magenta tiny at the top right. It's how there made. If you shift the angle or look it up close the magenta tint goes away. I went through 6 replacements (yes..I know finally I have a good one though..) and 5 of them had LG displays. They all had that magenta tint. I'd take that anyday over major bleed. My last model had a Samsung screen which didn't have any magenta in the corner however the whites were definitely not as pure as this LG one.

I read somewhere that the magenta might be there be design to prevent IPS glow, but again, who really knows.

 

[Branskins]

I'm telling you all the new LG displays have a very slight magenta tiny at the top right. It's how there made. If you shift the angle or look it up close the magenta tint goes away. I went through 6 replacements (yes..I know finally I have a good one though..) and 5 of them had LG displays. They all had that magenta tint. I'd take that anyday over major bleed. My last model had a Samsung screen which didn't have any magenta in the corner however the whites were definitely not as pure as this LG one.

I read somewhere that the magenta might be there be design to prevent IPS glow, but again, who really knows.

This is why I ultimately got a refund. It had a magenta cast in the top right and it was very noticeable while working in Xcode since I keep the sidebar hidden most of the time. Other than that, the screen had a nice white tint. If only it didn't have that magenta cast

 

[alexmadison]

That is the problem with taking a picture. There is no yellow spot dead center. I assume it's just the way my camera took the photo or has to do with the light reflecting from my camera.

An LCD screen will shift slightly in color just by moving your head up or down.

I'm getting a head ache and seeing red blotches (no make that yellow) reading this post.

 

[shadow82x]

This is why I ultimately got a refund. It had a magenta cast in the top right and it was very noticeable while working in Xcode since I keep the sidebar hidden most of the time. Other than that, the screen had a nice white tint. If only it didn't have that magenta cast

It's actually kind of weird..some screens have the magenta worse than others but I haven't seen a LG without it. I can't notice it on anything but a black screen in a dark environment.

 

[Branskins]

It's actually kind of weird..some screens have the magenta worse than others but I haven't seen a LG without it. I can't notice it on anything but a black screen in a dark environment.

I noticed it on light grays mostly. On a black screen it looks like the typical light bleed but in a reddish color in the same area. I'm assuming it's the light bleed coming through?

 

[Helical-dNTP]

I'm telling you all the new LG displays have a very slight magenta tiny at the top right. It's how there made. If you shift the angle or look it up close the magenta tint goes away. I went through 6 replacements (yes..I know finally I have a good one though..) and 5 of them had LG displays. They all had that magenta tint. I'd take that anyday over major bleed. My last model had a Samsung screen which didn't have any magenta in the corner however the whites were definitely not as pure as this LG one.

I read somewhere that the magenta might be there be design to prevent IPS glow, but again, who really knows.

Your right on the magenta disappearing when shifting views. I noticed this yesterday. If I moved my head to the left the magenta would disappear. I've decided to keep it. It's barely noticeable and other than that the machine is perfect. No reason to get worked up over a small area of off color, especially when it isn't visible from all angles. One thing I have noticed from my previous samsung displays is that the LG has much better whites. The samsungs colors seemed more vivid however. LG seems like the contrast is a little washed out but I'll take that over toilet yellow any day. It's still a beautiful display.

 

[Helical-dNTP]

I noticed it on light grays mostly. On a black screen it looks like the typical light bleed but in a reddish color in the same area. I'm assuming it's the light bleed coming through?

It is more noticeable on a gray background. This forum shows it a lot better than a pure white screen. Mine is ever so slight, i've pretty much forgot about since I first noticed it. This is my first mac so I was being a bit more critical. Decided to just go with the flow and enjoy my new tool/toy. I have an old alienware desktop from 2004 that still works well but was progressively getting slower, needed a quality laptop for grad school, decided to get me something that would last me with the portability to carry around campus. Being grounded to the uni computers can really get to you!

 

[thekev]

Is it just me or does anyone else notice the yellow spot about dead center of the screen? Obviously in the left image of the forum. Still one of the better screens I've seen. Definitely better than the 3 I received before deciding to return

There is no yellow spot. I wanted to test your statement, so I downloaded the image and measured the RGB values. Blue actually clips in some places around the center (meaning the photo can't go more blue within that gamut). If you see that as yellow, it is on your end. His is an unusually excellent sample.

 

[iamMacPerson]

I never know there was such an issue with the late-2013 models. I got mine after $2000+ worth of repairs done to my base line 15" 2012 Retina (yes, the first Retina) including a horrible LoBo replacement (5-6 Kernel Panics in 36 hours after getting back due to a bad discreet GPU), a ghosting screen display, an SSD replacement due to KPs, and a top case replacement thanks to careless Geniuses. The 2013 model has been the most rock solid machine I have ever had from Apple. All the MBPs I have owned have had problems (totaling 5, 3 of which were replacements) mainly due to careless Geniuses with fans left unscrewed, cables unplugged, pinched SATA cables, uneven LoBo install causing it to ground out on the bottom case every time I tried to do something processor intensive, etc, etc.

Anyway, back on topic. I got mine the 3rd week of November of 2013, with a build date of the 1st week of Nov 2013. (If someone can give me the Terminal Command, I'll list the display maker). No problems with the display. Whites are white, blues blue. No ghosting, no light bleeds. Nothing. I can post pics if anyone wants.

 

[Helical-dNTP]

There is no yellow spot. I wanted to test your statement, so I downloaded the image and measured the RGB values. Blue actually clips in some places around the center (meaning the photo can't go more blue within that gamut). If you see that as yellow, it is on your end. His is an unusually excellent sample.

Must be just my eyes then. I have to admit I can see it from any angle, with and without zooming or enlarging the image. I first noticed it on my iPad 2, after reading your post thought I'd check on rmbp, still visible. You have me worried I should have my eyes checked haha, although its only been about 6 months since my last visit, maybe my contacts are playing with me, or maybe it's my brain playing tricks, who knows.

 

[thekev]

Must be just my eyes then. I have to admit I can see it from any angle, with and without zooming or enlarging the image. I first noticed it on my iPad 2, after reading your post thought I'd check on rmbp, still visible. You have me worried I should have my eyes checked haha, although its only been about 6 months since my last visit, maybe my contacts are playing with me, or maybe it's my brain playing tricks, who knows.

Well some of the variations could make you think that due to context, but I used photoshop and compared quite a few point samples. The clipping can distort it slightly, but this looks like a really good unit. Having owned some very expensive displays I can tell you almost none of them are 100% perfect. CG211s were the closest thing to that I can remember, and they were around $2800 for a 21" display. The viewing angles on the rmbps are imo pretty decent. If it's that uniform, he got an excellent unit. The only thing I've really cautioned against in this thread is expecting one white point to match another. I was also skeptical that any would be that perfect. There's one point of skepticism down. On the white point thing, Apple has used display panels over a pretty wide range of color temperatures. They don't all align well with D65, and displays do shift over time. Because of that I find the straight comparison to declare something yellow or not yellow to be a bit flawed. It assumes the other unit is of reference quality, which is never provable. With the ones that say "slight yellow tint" and uniform, I suspect they're used to a different white point color temperature. It's also possible that the greys don't track well.

 

[NovemberWhiskey]

On my ipad air, the yellow tint goes away/becomes worse at different viewing angles, leading me to suspect it is the glass (or some intermediate layer) causing the yellow tint.

 

[shadow82x]

So for the sake of it I'll, post my observations with these screens...I went through 6 replacements and have experienced 6 different screens. Maybe it will add some insight somewhere.

Samsung (had 1 screen)
- White's aren't as white as white as LG (but still really white )
- The fonts seem a bit smoother, I haven't heard anyone compare this yet but if I look closely the fonts on my Samsung definitely have an edge
- More vibrant(?)
- Pretty uniform backlight bleed +- small areas
- Bottom right seemed to look a bit dirty/yellow
- In comparison to the LG it appears to have a yellow tint, but standalone you don't notice it
- SLIGHTLY brighter but just about on the same level as the LG screens
- Better viewing angles

LG Screens (had 5)
Surprisingly there was a big range in my LG screens. All of them were the same model too, LP154WT1-SJE1 but generally:
- Whites were whiter
- They have the magenta right hand corner when viewed at a certain angle. Some screens were worse than others
- Some screens had some bad backlight bleed, some didn't
- Contrast is slightly better and colors seem more accurate

Right now on my laptop that is practically flawless, the whites have been the whitest I've seen in any LG or Samsung display. I've attached some photos comparing the two. You can be the judge.

<<Samsung on the left || LG on the right >>





<< LG on the left || Samsung on the right >>


ETA - for some reason it makes both screens look a bit duller than what they are, sorry that's my camera.