Fading found on 20in iMac screens

Posted on 11 Sep 2007 at 10:21

Apple's support forum has been inundated with complaints about the screen quality in the new 20in iMacs.

The Bought new iMac 20" Faded Screen thread identifies a problem with uneven brightness from top to bottom.

"From the time I turned it on, there was an obvious gradient from dark to light from top to bottom," according to Lor411. "It even looks vignetted. It is not a slight change it's quite apparent."

His observations are typical of the posts on the thread. The problem can clearly be seen in this video.

While calibrating the screen using the System Preferences' Display pane can minimise the fading effect, it appears that the problem is caused by the inexpensive twisted nematic (TN) screens used in the first shipments of 20in iMacs. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the problem has been corrected in later shipments.

The issue does not affect 24in iMacs, which use a higher-quality in-plane switching (IPS) LCD panel.

Apple has yet to respond, though it has replaced some affected machines.

The 20in iMac is reviewed in the next issue of Macuser, out on Friday, 14 September.

Author: Simon Aughton

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