Unibody Macbook Pro Screen Flicker...test yours!

By Elektro
in Apple (macOS)

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Elektro

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Hi all,

I bought a unibody macbook pro shortly after their release. I've noticed lately that with prolonged usage I get some pretty weird eye strain that kind of reminded me of whenever i would use friends' CRTs that didn't have pleasing refresh rates. Then I saw this :

http://livescore.com/

Sites like this/ones with similar backgrounds give off a constant flicker without even scrolling the page. What I am seeing resembles low refresh rate pulsing or something like that; I believe I'm even noticing the flashing now slighty if the screen is a very bright white.

Could anyone with a Uni-MBP take a look at that and verify if they see the same sort of "problem"?

Result the same on either gfx card setting in Energy Saver.

Thanks!

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Elektro

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yea i get the same flickering u get on that website too. i have the 15 inch mpb

tho i use my laptop for hours at a time and i dont get any eye problems though

Do you think it is normal though? I've had it happen on all sorts of other sites as well; pretty much anything featuring scan lines like that...

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Grand Master

+virtorio MVC

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I had an Asus laptop that would have flickered on a page like that (as it did with other similar graphics). My current HP is fine.

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ienhz

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It depends on which LCD you have. When I had my Macbook Alu. (regular), both AU Optronics screens I had were awesome and had no flicker. When I got one with the LG screen, it flickered on lower brightness settings and ssome backgrounds. Might not be annoying for some but it annoyed the hell out of me just knowing it was there. More proof that Apple does not equal quality.

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Elektro

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Yeah. I think I might drive to the store this weekend to see if they'll exchange it or something while I am under warranty. It really bugs me, hahah

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Grand Master

Denis W. Veteran

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Don't have a MBP, but:

It depends on which LCD you have. When I had my Macbook Alu. (regular), both AU Optronics screens I had were awesome and had no flicker. When I got one with the LG screen, it flickered on lower brightness settings and ssome backgrounds. Might not be annoying for some but it annoyed the hell out of me just knowing it was there. More proof that Apple does not equal quality.

I have a Dell with a AUO3214 screen. It flickers while scrolling. Not that it annoys me much though.

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Grand Master

Eric Veteran

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Do you think it is normal though? I've had it happen on all sorts of other sites as well; pretty much anything featuring scan lines like that...

It's not normal. I browsed the site on my 22" Samsung driven by an 8600GT and I get no flicker or moire patterns at all. Just the striped background.

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NeoXY

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Its flickering slightly for me as well. I am on a old gen MacBook Pro. I wouldn't worry about it. Plus, I think you'd be hard pressed to find a screen that didn't flicker even if you got it exchanged.

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  • 4 weeks later...
Neowinian

donato

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hello guys.

i bought a 2.4 MBP beginning of Feb. since then i have kept sending back the machines. Reason: screen flickering. exactly that one on the live score site and also when its just white i can see the flicker some times and my eyes start burning after a while. never had that eye burn with another screen before.

so i did some checks, i have an old dell laptop (inspirion 14", 2004) result: no flicker

tested also my dads powerbook (g4 12" 2004) result: no flicker

asked my frd to test his 2007 MBP 15", result: no flicker

so i called up apple support withing the 14 days. quick, they said they send a new one. ok, perfect. got the new one (N? 2) a week later, same problem. called them up again and they said send a new one (N? 3). Now I just got N?3 and i see the same problem AGAIN. Called them up and said every machine is checked before it is shipped (pfffffff.. my ass).

so i went out to do some more checking. went to an apple store and checked their MB and MBP. the MBP had a horrible flicker, even worse than all 3 i had so far. Strangely enough the MB 13.3" didnt have that flicker.

for reference, the site i used to test all models mentionned:

http://www.csse.uwa.edu.au/~lucas/background.html

http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/inversion.php

source and other forum describing the same problem:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=341463

I am really ****ed off about this. i didnt pay more than 2000$ for a machine having such problem, waited for more than 1.5 months and after 3 defect units still left with no functioning machine. apple gave me a little discount, 110$ and asked me to try one more unit. if that one will not work i will just ask for my money back. its a shame cos apart from this defect the machine is FLAWLESS, but let me tell you, for 2000$++ it is simply unacceptable to say its normal, cos its not. ive tested it on many machines, especially older apple products and they are perfect what concerning the screen.

cheers, donato

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Ricardo Gil

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hello guys.

i bought a 2.4 MBP beginning of Feb. since then i have kept sending back the machines. Reason: screen flickering. exactly that one on the live score site and also when its just white i can see the flicker some times and my eyes start burning after a while. never had that eye burn with another screen before.

so i did some checks, i have an old dell laptop (inspirion 14", 2004) result: no flicker

tested also my dads powerbook (g4 12" 2004) result: no flicker

asked my frd to test his 2007 MBP 15", result: no flicker

so i called up apple support withing the 14 days. quick, they said they send a new one. ok, perfect. got the new one (N? 2) a week later, same problem. called them up again and they said send a new one (N? 3). Now I just got N?3 and i see the same problem AGAIN. Called them up and said every machine is checked before it is shipped (pfffffff.. my ass).

so i went out to do some more checking. went to an apple store and checked their MB and MBP. the MBP had a horrible flicker, even worse than all 3 i had so far. Strangely enough the MB 13.3" didnt have that flicker.

for reference, the site i used to test all models mentionned:

http://www.csse.uwa.edu.au/~lucas/background.html

http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/inversion.php

source and other forum describing the same problem:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=341463

I am really ****ed off about this. i didnt pay more than 2000$ for a machine having such problem, waited for more than 1.5 months and after 3 defect units still left with no functioning machine. apple gave me a little discount, 110$ and asked me to try one more unit. if that one will not work i will just ask for my money back. its a shame cos apart from this defect the machine is FLAWLESS, but let me tell you, for 2000$++ it is simply unacceptable to say its normal, cos its not. ive tested it on many machines, especially older apple products and they are perfect what concerning the screen.

cheers, donato

I know what you feel. I'm on my second MacBook because of that problem. The first one was fine for 3 days before it started flickering. Never had that problem before with any laptop (iBook and Dell's). So I got a new one and so far it's OK.

I don't understand how anyone can think this flicker is normal. It's not even a constant flick:( :(. I advise anyone with this problem to get a replacement ASAP.

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Neowinian

donato

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I know what you feel. I'm on my second MacBook because of that problem. The first one was fine for 3 days before it started flickering. Never had that problem before with any laptop (iBook and Dell's). So I got a new one and so far it's OK.

I don't understand how anyone can think this flicker is normal. It's not even a constant flicker :(. I advise anyone with this problem to get a replacement ASAP.

thanks for the reply. i tested a few of the latest macbook (non pro) and i must say there was less if no flicker at all, which is great. i use my mac for music production and djing, have a second screen at home, so when the new replacement (N?4) of my MBP gets in tmrw i will see if any difference. If not i guess i will go for the macbook (couldnt decide when i bought anyways) i dont need the higher graphics performance of the pro, however i might need firewire in the future.. but i m sure i could pass on that..

many forums describe the macbook screen inferior to the pro one. i tested it side by side and i came to the conclusion that as long as you dont do heavy photo editing or graphics its not a big issue as mostly stated at all.. (if you do heavy graphics youll have a much better ext. screen that in any laptop anyways)..

so a lot of hassle, but i m still optimistic.. otherwise ill just have to keep returning machines.. grrrrr..

ricardo have you had any onther issues so far with your macbook?

cheers

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Ricardo Gil

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thanks for the reply. i tested a few of the latest macbook (non pro) and i must say there was less if no flicker at all, which is great. i use my mac for music production and djing, have a second screen at home, so when the new replacement (N?4) of my MBP gets in tmrw i will see if any difference. If not i guess i will go for the macbook (couldnt decide when i bought anyways) i dont need the higher graphics performance of the pro, however i might need firewire in the future.. but i m sure i could pass on that..

many forums describe the macbook screen inferior to the pro one. i tested it side by side and i came to the conclusion that as long as you dont do heavy photo editing or graphics its not a big issue as mostly stated at all.. (if you do heavy graphics youll have a much better ext. screen that in any laptop anyways)..

so a lot of hassle, but i m still optimistic.. otherwise ill just have to keep returning machines.. grrrrr..

ricardo have you had any onther issues so far with your macbook?

cheers

Luckily none so far. I'm loving the laptop, it's a really good replacement for the iBook I had.

My only wish was a few more usb ports (maybe 2). Gonna have to use a Hub instead.

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  • 7 months later...
Neowinian

columbosoftserve

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Hey,

Hoping this thread isn't dead... donato, does your screen flicker on all of the boxes at that website:

http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/inversion.php

or is it just 4a and 4b? I have a macbook pro as well and i'm getting the same issue but only on 4a and 4b. also have you tried this website:

http://livescore.com

my screen flickers big time on this site. what happened in the end? have you finally been able to replace it with one that does not have this problem?

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