Flickering/Strobing Display at Futureshop Too

i posted this on apple discussions too:

Went to Futureshop today and tested their 15" mbp display model. Changed to 9600gt and put a load on the CPU (started a bunch of apps, screensaver etc). Walked around 5-10 minutes then came back to the mbp, put brightness level to 1ow and it 'wavered, pulsed, strobed'. It was subtle but was there. It looks like most if not all the new macs have this issue.

 

It's absolutely normal. It's common for laptops with cheap LCD controller to have wavered, pulsed, strobed screen at lowest brightness. Try playing loud music through non-powered speakers, and you'll notice more flickering/strobing. Only the more expensive laptop have better LCD circuitry to regulate power more precisely to achieve a non wavered, pulsed, or strobed screen at lowest brightness.

 

but why would apple use a cheap lcd controller when we're paying such premium prices? The Mbp are practically the most expensive laptops out.

 

When you're paying a premium for Macbook, not all of that premium goes towards the hardware. Some of it goes to hardware, some of it goes to the "apple" brand, quite a bit goes into apple's advertising, some of it goes into customer support ..etc. A macbook is about as cheap if not cheaper to manufacture compared to some of it's competitions.

 

crappy isnt it

 

Can't be all, I don't have that problem.

 

check again, with my little test above.

 

I have before, Mine does not have that problem.

 

You must be in denial then.

 

I hope that's a joke.

 

maybe deathbringer has seen this problem too. Some people have gone through 7 or 8 of these and they all have the same problem.

 

Just because he has had the problem doesn't mean I have and that I am in denial.

 

are u denying u are in denial? just kidding.

 

Yup its absolutely normal that the Nvidia GPUs are defective.

 

I guess not everyone can "see" this flickering because not everyone's eyes are that sensitive, but I believe that this flickering you're talking about do exist. However, note that this is just my opinion.

Yeah, just look at the profit margin Apple retains on each MB/MBP & you get the idea. I agree with jackluo923 that not every single penny you pay on your product (be it a MB/MBP or any other products by Apple or other companies) always mean that it'll be used towards every single component.

 

I don't really understand what the problem is. Could you describe it again? Put the brightness to the lowest, and it will pulse, flicker, flash....?

 

please look at this video, its from a 2007 model but illustrates the same problem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20-NEgXUk5o&feature=related

 

looks like they both flickered to me.

Lynn

 

my MBP using the 9400 or the 9600 doesn't flicker like that video at any brightness setting...

 

The flickering is due to the inconsistant power regulation for the LCD backlight.

 

do you think this normal or a defect which can and should be fixed?

 

It's normal for laptops with "cheap" LCD controllers. There's nothing you can do about it. I guess you can call it a defect if you wanted, but it cannot be fixed very easily. The best solution is to turn up the brightness and the symptoms will go away. If you're looking for permanent fix, you'll have to crack open the laptop, either hardware mod the LCD controller with better component or replace with a custom built LCD controller. Either way, it's very complicated and not worth the trouble.

If you can't get over the fact that there's flicerking and strobing at the lowest brigness, You can either buy HP, Dell or whatever you like besides the ones that have problem with flickering. A Mac PC and a Windows based PC are 95% the same on the hardware aspect (almost the same hardware). It all comes down to preference. Mac is just another brand of PC like dell, HP..etc. It's nothing special. If you like Mac buy it, If you don't like it whether that you can't stand the flickering or the mac OS itself, don't buy it. Mac won't make everything better.

 

get my new Unibody MBP, and the screen doesnt flick at low brightness.