Notes:

Some of the following messages have since been deleted by Apple Computer, Inc.
Email addresses have been deleted and replaced with "[email deleted]" in the interest of privacy and preventing SPAM. If you need an email address that has been deleted, check the discussions board and see if the original message still exists.

The thread as of November 15, 2004:

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On 1:13pm Aug 7, 2002 CDT, pete@mac wrote:
Subject: Half dimmed flat panel display

the bottom half of my 17in apple falt panel display is very dimm.
The power button on the display flashes 3 times and then stays un- lite for a few seconds then repeats.

Any one have any idea?
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On 07:01pm Aug 8, 2002 CDT, bob Parks wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I am having the same trouble with my display, any help would be appreciated. also the power light flashes 3 times

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On 01:27pm Aug 9, 2002 CDT, pete@mac wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Im sending mine in for repair. Its covered under the warrenty.
Its kind of a pain in the butt to have to send a 5month old flat panel in for repair.
I was told by the apple tech that the flashing power light means its a hardware problem.
Id give them a call and send yours in for repair aswell.

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On 09:53am Aug 11, 2002 CDT, Mark Alan wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

The 17" monitor uses 2 lights sources as the backlight mechanism. The flashing code tells us that there is indeed a 'hardware' issue - usually the light is out or the connections to the light are no longer working.

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On 11:31pm Aug 21, 2002 CDT, Jorge Finol wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Same here, it's only 6 months old, I think  that the video card is worth checking out too, the error message 's description ( three flashes every 5 secs.) is " faulty signal" going into the display, so it may not be the display itself , it is a pain in the butt to send it out to be repaired.

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On 05:37pm Sep 9, 2002 CDT, Wayne Decker wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I had the same problem. Sent it in for repair and it was back in a week, good as new. Repair is painless, they even send you a shipping box.

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On 11:46am Oct 13, 2002 CDT, Elton Darby Jr. wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Sort of painless.  My 17" had this problem in July, 7 months after purchase; it took (2) weeks to get it repaired -- YESTERDAY ITS BACKLIGHT FAILED AGAIN!!!

What a pain in the .....!   Now I worry that after it is repaired, it will fail again while out of warranty!

Elton

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On 07:56pm Oct 16, 2002 CDT, Txiki wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I'm having the same after just 2 weeks... I've phoned Apple and they have told me to take it to  repair. No way they are going to changed for a new one, although Spanish laws say that I should have a new one.

And then, at the local Apple Store they tell me that it can't be repaired here (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria-Spain). The display has to be sent to Ireland! And  even worse: I have to pay for the shipping! So that means that after paying 1200€ for a display I won't have it for about one month, and I will have to pay again...

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On 06:35pm Oct 19, 2002 CDT, Scott Rolls wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I have the same problem but with the upper portion of the screen.  Just started yesterday, flashing power button, dimmed screen.  Display is 11 months old.  Called Apple this afternoon and they are sending me a box to ship it in for repair.  Out of curiosity I asked the rep what this repair would have cost me if the display had been out of warranty.  His reply was $400 to $700.  Considering Elton's experience, I'm thinking about buying AppleCare just for the display.

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On 10:00am Oct 22, 2002 CDT, Hank Isaac wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Mine just made a "click" noise this morning and the lower half went dim with the power light flashing. I've had mine for 1 year and 10 days....out of warranty. I called Apple and they are not doing a recall for this common problem. I'd rather spend the $700 repair cost on a new, larger monitor (not an Apple one). This one will make a great tray for TV dinners.

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On 05:24pm Oct 22, 2002 CDT, Kevin Aiello wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I just had this problem start 5 minutes ago. It's documented in the manual and it says to take it in to be repaired. This monitor is less than 2 months old.

Kev A.

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On 12:23pm Oct 25, 2002 CDT, pete@mac wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Mine was fixed in 2days when I sent it out.
You just need to talk to a customer relations/service person and tell them how upset you are and how incovienced you are.

So far so good for me ,Knock on wood. knock knock.
Hate to say it but the apple care extended warrenty is worth it.
Ive got one for my powerbook Ti and my power Mac dual G4.
Both have been sent in for repairs before.
Had to get a new mobo for my powerbook. While it was there i had the disply replaced. I would think this amout of work would have cost over a grand to do wothout the applecare warrenty.
No problems with my PowerMac tower yet... just the 17inch display.
When you talk to a customer service person thay tell you these things never never happen with Apples. But stuff happens.......

Hardware my be one thing but............ OS X Rocks!

later

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On 03:10pm Nov 1, 2002 CDT, modellbilder wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

well, it's kinda tough to leverage a good o/s if the hardware fizzles after two months.  based on these comments (and our suddenly dimmed 17" studio display), i can't help but wonder what sort of junk apple is shipping.  sorry, it's prolly not the most... um, p.c. thing to say here, but i'm really, really, really disappointed.

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On 02:57pm Oct 25, 2002 CDT, PWehr wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Thanks for bringing this up. I had searched for days on other public sites for information about this problem.

Now I have a clue about what needs to be done.

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On 09:44pm Oct 25, 2002 CDT, Doug Mitchell wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I have just encountered this problem on a five month old unit.  It comes at a time when I absolutely can not be without the use of my computer anytime over the next two weeks.  Apple is sending me the box.  Does anyone know if the problem will get worse if I ignore it for two weeks?

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On 02:01pm Oct 29, 2002 CDT, iCare wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Doug- I have been using my original Studio Display 15 (the first LCD from Apple) with the top backlight bulbs not working for the past 9 months. The display was darker on top but still usable. Yesterday I came into work to a totally dark display. I assume that the bottom bulbs or the inverter completely failed. Fortunately it is my second display so all is not lost.

The point is that, yes, there is a risk that the other backlights could go out. My suggestion is to call and arrange for repair so that you'll have the shipping box ready and can mail it in when it's convenient for you (and still working). I doubt two weeks will make a difference, but you never know.

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On 10:07am Oct 28, 2002 CDT, John Antolak wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

The same thing happened to my 17" Studio LCD. one of our IS folks came in and fixed it. It actually wasn't the backlight, but the video card. He said that he has seen this a lot. In my case, the video card needed to be reset. I don't know how he did it, but it only took him about 5-10 minutes and I was back in business. He said that if the reset didn't work, the next thing he was going to try was a new video card. This might be something to try before sending in the display. Can you try the disply with another computer?

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On 10:52am Nov 8, 2002 CDT, David Yuen wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Me too.  Yesterday, when I woke up the computer from sleep mode, the top half of the screen was dim, and the display power light started blinking three times.  Time to call Warranty Support.  This occured after just five months of use!  Well, at least it didn't burst into flames.

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On 03:58pm Nov 8, 2002 CDT, PWehr wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Less than a week from when the shipper picked up the box to the time it was back on my doorstep. My 17" display is back in a work mode. Fortunately I had a backup monitor so my work was not seriously disturbed.

It would be hard to know how many of these slipped by quality control. Probably not enough to warrant a general alert. It is just that those of us who got failing units (who else is reading this thread?) feel put upon. It's probably not personal.

As long as the repair holds out, I'm pleased.

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On 06:46pm Nov 9, 2002 CDT, Scott Rolls wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Mine has been fixed.  Airborne picked it up on Monday morning and I had it back Friday morning.  The service description says they replaced the inverter assembly.  Works perfectly and even looks like they cleaned it for me.  Excellent turn around time, Apple paid all the freight and they seem to have fixed the problem.  All in all a very good service experience.

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On 08:05pm Nov 9, 2002 CDT, Larry Yarak wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

My "half-dimmed" display (nine months old) went in for repair, not to Apple, but a local service provider, who then sent it on to Apple.  As a result I did not have it for 10 days.  It came back in fine shape in the end, and was covered under warranty.  Like the last poster, mine did NOT have a burned out backlight, rather the "inverter board" was apparently defective and was replaced by Apple.  The question is, how long will this one last? Only three months remain on my warranty.

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On 05:33pm Nov 14, 2002 CDT, Kevin Aiello wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I have some potential bad news for those who have experienced this problem. I got my LCD in early September. In late October, the top backlight went out. It was sent in for repair and returned in about a week. I have since been using the monitor for 2 weeks and now the same backlight has failed again.

That is two failings of the monitor (same issue) in a 2 and a half month period of time. Not good.

Kev A.

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On 08:13am Nov 27, 2002 CDT, FrancisR wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Same things here...

When I start up my computer this morning, the upper part of my screen was darker. What a mess.... After have problem with OS X.2 on my new out of the box G4 and now the monitor, I'm starting to think that Apple services is not as good that I tough.

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On 05:17am Dec 4, 2002 CDT, Simon Tompson wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Me too :(

Exactly the same symptoms - top half in my case.

This monitor is literally one year and 3 days old!!!!  Imagine how relieved I am to have decided to take out Applecare after reading this thread last week!

Spooky huh!

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On 01:37pm Dec 8, 2002 CDT, Carlo Nicolaou wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

My monitor failed in 4 months and I have the shipping box standing by. Don't you think this is an exceptional circumstance and Apple should offer an explanation. There must be at least 30  people with the same problem on this board alone! What's going on? I'm furious in case you couldn't tell! (£800!)

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On 01:00pm Dec 12, 2002 CDT, David Fraser wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Best thing to do, as I did, if you can:

Find a 2nd mac to put the monitor on to determine that the problem is, indeed, with the monitor as opposed to the computer.

My hunch is that virtually every issue is monitor and NOT computer.

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On 10:32am Dec 26, 2002 CDT, Charles Campbell wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

For approximately two days, my 17" Apple Studio Display showed intermittent darkness in its lower half; then the lower half became dim and stayed that way, with the flashing power button--two short and one long.

I assumed I was seeing the problem with the backlighting. I also assumed I was out of luck, since the unit is out of warranty and, with Christmas just around the corner, my repair guy said he couldn't get to it for over a week.

I had read a few messages in which the senders thought the problem might be with the video card rather than the display itself. My video card is the NVIDIA GeForce2 MX with Twinview. Since I was stuck anyway, I downloaded the latest NVIDIA firmware update from Apple (supposedly only necessary to support the bigger screen flat panels) and installed it. My screen immediately returned to life and I have had no further episodes of dimming. It has now been three days and things still look normal.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'll post an update if the problem recurs.

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On 09:15pm Jan 3, 2003 CDT, Matt G wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

One year and four days after I began using my 17" Studio Display (two days ago), the bottom half of my monitor became dim with the corresponding problem indication found on the power light -- two short flashes and then one long. The kbase article that describes this can be found here:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=51810

If anyone knows how to reset the video card as was described elsewhere, please let me know. I'd be surprised if this works as AppleSupport has told me I must send the monitor in for a repair approx 1/2 purchase price.

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On 01:07am Jan 4, 2003 CDT, Mark Alan wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Matt,

I am assuming they used this:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=120168

The file and install instructions are all on that page.

Of course, since it is not recommended for your system, attempt this at your own risk.

Mark

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On 08:51pm Jan 13, 2003 CDT, emmaline wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I have almost the same problem-- my 17" is dimmed equally all over and the power light is NOT flashing, but the whole thing flickers, like an old-time movie. I have had it for 3 WEEKS. I bet even if the repair process is painless, they won't reimburse me for lost work time!!
so disappointed.

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On 12:48pm Jan 16, 2003 CDT, Matt G wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Problem Solved! (Nearly)
Today I brought the monitor in to work and plugged it in to a different computer (as suggested by David earlier in this thread). To my surprise, the monitor was once again bright, the power button no longer blinked, and everything seems to be back to normal.

Tonight I'll try the monitor on my old Cube and will report back.

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On 11:13pm Jan 16, 2003 CDT, Matt G wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Sure enough -- my monitor has returned to full brightness. Everything seems to be back to normal.  I strongly suggest anyone that has the partial monitor dim (accompanied with the flashing power button) try plugging the monitor in to a different computer to see if the problem is resolved. Apple -- you may want to investigate for the knowledge base.

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On 01:22pm Jan 16, 2003 CDT, kphinney wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Ouch!  Reading the messages on this post has given me concern and education.  Thank you all and I hope your problems work out.  Anyone heard any good or bad news about the Formac displays?
I've just read an article in Macworld (Feb '03 pg.43) saying that it has a higher pixel count, 3 year warranty, and is $800 cheaper than the Apple Cinema Display.  Any thoughts?

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On 06:29pm Jan 22, 2003 CDT, lo.s wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Same problem: top half of the screen's dim. Unfortunately for me, it's 14 1/2 mo. old and out of warrantee. I called Apple Germany & took it to a local repair shop and here are the quotes:

  Apple Germany:
    EUR 696 (incl. tax)
    Flat rate repair for all monitors
  Local Store:
    EUR 765 (incl. tax)

For me the decision is clear. I'm not getting it repaired. I'm not going to spend 1/2 to 2/3 to cost of a new monitor for a repair that may (or not, in the case of Elton) fix this apparent engineering fault with the 17" LCD. Neither Apple Germany or Apple US phone-based customer support have heard of this problem.

To the others viewing this list: Why hasn't there been a "recall" of sorts for this monitor?

My girlfriend's current PowerBook is coming apart 1 1/2 months after warrantee, she starting to call Apple's products "12+1"s (as in months).

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On 06:46pm Jan 22, 2003 CDT, Matt G wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Lo Shih -

I had the same problem, and got a quote of about $500 US. I plugged my monitor into a different computer, and the problem was gone. I then plugged the monitor into my computer and the problem was still gone! Some of the other people in this forum said that upgrading their firmware fixed the problem as well.

So, before you go spend so much to repair it, try plugging it into a different computer.

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On 11:27am Jan 28, 2003 CDT, lo.s wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I'll try plugging it into another box. Interestingly, my display's looks normal in the 1/2 to 1 sec just after a reset of the display, such as immediately after the screen comes back from a change of resolution or screen depth. After the 1/2 to 1 sec, the display clicks back in broken dim mode. Do others also see that effect?

So, it turns out it's a good thing that I didn't attempt to repair the monitor. A new 17" is now $699.

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On 07:59pm Jan 27, 2003 CDT, rbestor wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

My display is about 9 months old and has the same problem as everyone else's on this thread. Tried it with a Cube;  same problem. Called local Apple service who says it will have to be shipped to Apple. The repair does NOT extend the warranty for this item. Based on this forum, the problem seems widespread. So if dimming re-occurs after the warranty expires, we're all out of luck. Poor show Apple.

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On 02:21pm Jan 30, 2003 CDT, Miguel Apaza wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

First time this happened it was under warranty.  Now, post-warranty it has happened to the top section of my screen. I can see by the discussion here that this is a far more common problem than I had imagined.

Indeed, Apple is not taking responsibility for this defect and we are paying for it.  

I am  very disappointed in Apple.  I used to think it was company with a little something different from other large corporations.  Wrong!

The first thing the local shop said to me was, "they have come down in price".  So the implied solution is to buy a new one and keep pouring money into a company that does not back its product.

To £#@@ with that.  A smarter solution is to buy a non-Apple monitor which might last longer and cost far less.

Pretty is not enough to go on.  It would be nice, but too bad it's not.

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On 10:30pm Jan 30, 2003 CDT, Peter Bergsagel wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Same problem after 18 months. No help from Apple. Currently I am running a PB 1440, PB G3 500, PB G4 667, PowerMac 5400, PowerMac 9500, G4 450, G4 733. My 9500 and monitor have been running continuously (24/7) since 1995 with no problems. Am about to buy a repolacement for the 5400. No way I'll buy another Apple LCD even if the price is down to $699. With this kind of a reputation, this experience, and the lack of support, it is not worth it. C'mon Apple.

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On 06:20am Jan 31, 2003 CDT, Bob R. wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

The top 1/2 of my display dimmed one month after the 1 year warranty expired.  Apple of course is no help..other than to suggest I buy a new one at $699, rather than spend $400 on a repair.  That's very ominous in my opinion.  I have flashed the video card with no change.  I'm going to use this display until it goes dark, then buy a non-apple display.  I am searching the internet for parts so I can attempt a repair.

Any suggestions?

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On 01:58am Feb 1, 2003 CDT, Dinesh Chandra wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Same problem with my 17 in flat panel display. Just within 4 months of purchase. Does this sort of thing happen with other brands of flat panel displays.

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On 11:21am Feb 1, 2003 CDT, prauz wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

This happened to me about a week ago. Exactly the day *after* my warranty expired. How nice to read that I'm not the only one. Two short blinks, one long. The same thing when I connect it to my older G3 B&W, with which I had been using it without problems for all of last year.

So I understand the choice is between having it repaired for hundreds of dollars and running the risk of another failure a few months down the line, or buying a new one? The choice is clear.

Needless to say that new display will not be Apple's.

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On 11:54am Feb 3, 2003 CDT, Ben Weissbort wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

The top half of my display went dim after a year and a half, similar symptoms to the other posts in this discussion. I tried plugging it into another computer but this didn't help.

I phoned Apple and they said the total cost of getting it fixed would be £473.39p. The cost of a new screen is £549. Needless to say, I won't be going ahead with this repair and I won't be buying Apple displays in the future.

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On 06:47pm Feb 3, 2003 CDT, Bob R. wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Well the latest on my adventures to get my dimmed display fixed without paying Apple $500.  I called two Apple authorized repair facilities in Louisiana.  Neither would fix it.  Both said that Apple is the only one currently repairing the display..  HUH??  Neither would sell me the parts to do the repair...HUH??  Let me see if I have this right.  My display is not working properly, it's out of warranty, and Apple will not allow non-Apple repair facilities work on the display.  So, if I want the display repaired, I have to go to Apple and I have to pay $500.  I'll never give Apple another penny.  When this display dies, I will buy a non-Apple disply and when this Mac dies, I will go back to Wintel.  I'm sure apple has run the numbers on this.  They must be willing to lose the business of those of us that refuse to be raped.

I am one that refuses to be raped.

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On 01:05pm Feb 4, 2003 CDT, Miguel Apaza wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

This is the kind of frustration that's hard to shake.

I just got off the phone with an Apple tec support man.  He listened well and was courteous but not SUPPORTIVE.  

There is hope however, I would urge everyone in this discussion thread to call and complain and let them know.  One of his arguments was that Apple has not heard from any one, that I was an isolated case.  Incidentally, I will not pay them $50 for a support call which they should be making to me.  My time is worth just as much as theirs.

Of course I also was polite but stern.  Most disappointing for me is that I believed in Apple and held them to a higher standard.  Now, I am hard pressed to be proud to own a defective $1000 piece of equipment, less than 2 years old.

Will I recommend Macs again to the people around me?  How can I, in all honesty?  My Mac campaign has come to a halt.

Hope to see some action from Apple still.  It would be great to renew my faith in them.

PLEASE CALL THEM!!!!!  There are more than 40 of us already, and who knows how many more out there that are taking it without yelling.

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On 10:24pm Feb 3, 2003 CDT, Bob Lamonte wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

The top half of my display dimmed a week and a half ago, 1 month out of warranty. Not purchased at the time of my G4 (5 mos later), Apple does not allow coverage of Apple Care and will not sell a plan just for monitor. So a year ago I spent $1,000 on a machine that is going to cost me $500+ to repair. Left with the choice of a usless $1000 paper weight or the possibility of the kindness of an Apple tech, I took my Monitor into an Apple Store fingers crossed, and pleaded my case with the Tech. He was very understanding, (though it took some very dissatisfied ranting on my part in front of other customers), and he went back to discuss the issue with someone in the back room. When he came back out, he told me since my monitor was only 1 month out of warranty he would repair it under the one year warranty. Needless to say I was elated, and thanked him profusely. So moral of story, 1) I think there is a serious problem with a monitor of this caliber. to go bad in such a short tim!
 e.  2) Try taking your DEFECTIVE out of warranty monitor to your local Apple store and plead your case ....it may help.

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On 05:48am Feb 6, 2003 CDT, Lee Powell wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I've just bought a 17" screen and after reading this thread will be getting it independently insured for all risk. Then if something like this ever happens to me and its out of warranty the insurance company will pay to repair it. I thing Applecare is a bit of a scam - not being able to cover your monitor unless you buy it with your machine! I'll also be extending my insurance to cover my G4 to. I just got a quote and for the pair its only £100 a year.... come on Apple its time to live up to your promises.

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On 11:37am Feb 11, 2003 CDT, Vicky W wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

since misery loves company.....

I have a 17" flat panel, noticed the ominous flashing pattern of  fast-fast-slow, and noticed today the dimming of the bottom half of my screen.  Hooked it up to another machine, same problem.  So I reset the video card (hold down command-option-a-v on restart)  and now the bottom left hand of the screen is flickering sporadically, but the correct brightness has returned.  I am currently running 9.2.2, and will be updating to Jaguar this week, who knows  if that will make a difference.
 I looked at the update for the video card mentioned, noticed that it was only for OS X.  BTW, my system is maybe 14 or 15 months old, out of warranty, but too young to die.

As I'm writing this, the flickering has stopped, so it is possible that the problem is solved......I'll restart and see what happens.

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On 12:04pm Feb 11, 2003 CDT, Vicky W wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

OK,  my screen seems to be back to normal, and the flashing did not continue upon restart.  So one solution to this problem is to   reset the video card by holding down (command-option-a-v).

good luck all.

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On 01:49pm Feb 11, 2003 CDT, Thomas Lisney wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I too have this problem, although I took out Applecare ;-)

I've just tried the restart holding down command-option-a-v which seemed to reset the video (amongst other things), but this didn't help.

What did help though, was going into system preferences/displays and then changing resolutions and brightness slider a couple of times before putting them back to how they were (native res 1280 x 1024, max brightness).  This seems to have cured the problem and the screen is back to normal again!

Lets hop it lasts - i'll let you know if it doesn't.

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On 10:00am Feb 12, 2003 CDT, Vicky W wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Maybe I should mention that I my video card is a  NVDA GeForce 2,  as opposed to a Radeon. I also tried changing my resolution and brightness a bunch of times, to no avail, but then the "command-option-a-v " worked.  It seems that this problem may have multiple solutions, or maybe it's dependant on the video card, or maybe the God of Flat Screens has to be smiling on you that day.  Whatever it is, let's hope our solutions last and we're spared the $700.00.

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On 03:40pm Feb 15, 2003 CDT, Robert Behn wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

The same happened to my 17" Studio Display 2 days ago. I called Applecare but their suggestions did nothing. After trying on my own, this is what solved the problem:

1) I downloaded the Nvidia Graphics Firmware Updater for the Cinema HD Display located here:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=120168
After updating and a restart, the screen was still dimmed.

2) I restarted the computer while resetting the video card (holding down Command+Option+A+V), and when it finished the screen was back to normal.

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On 10:53am Mar 30, 2003 CDT, Tulkas wrote:
Subject: this thred will cost u $

OMG I seen the lights then came here
3 flashes =  1 roadtrip to apple store
                    2 the start of a swank tv tray collection

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On 10:53am Apr 1, 2003 CDT, Adam Drew1 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

We've got two 17-inchers, and one just failed yesterday.  The top half of our display was dim, and the power light was flashing two short flashes and one long one.

I tried the suggestions mentioned in this thread (Cmd-Option-A-V) and adjusting the resolution, but neither helped.

Ours is still under warranty for a few more months, so I called Apple Education (I'm at a university) and they're overnighting us a box so we can ship it to them for repair.  We should have it back by the end of the week.

I told the support rep about this thread and he was surprised--said he hadn't heard anything about failing LCD's.

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On 01:54pm Apr 1, 2003 CDT, Scott Schroeder wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

If your service rep could turn up a service manual, those of us not so lucky to be under warranty would be greatful.

Apple does not have the service manual online, nor apparently was Apple Tech support successful in finding it for me.

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On 11:24am Apr 6, 2003 CDT, Adam Drew1 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display UPDATE

I just wanted to let all of you know that the mail-in repair service is great, if you choose to go that route.

I called Apple on Monday, and they overnighted us a shipping box which I received on Tuesday afternoon.  We sent it back the same day and received our repaired monitor on Friday afternoon.

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On 12:11am Apr 6, 2003 CDT, Sharron Hedges wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Just for the record, unhappily I get to add my name to the list. While working at my computer, was shocked to see the bottom half dim, etc etc etc.
Tried all the fixes listed here (I'm so grateful this site exists--I would be flipping out even more if I had no idea of this problem)
but nothing has worked. I guess it's off to the repair shop.

I always get an extended warranty--too many things can go wrong,

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On 02:04am Apr 7, 2003 CDT, David Super wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I have the same problem as everyone else.  Lower half of screen dim and the display light blinks three times then pauses. Mine also went out of warranty just a few weeks ago. I think there is a defect in these monitors and Apple should extend the warranty to find out what the problem is. When you spend a $1000 for a monitor, it should last more than a year. If Apple cared at all about their customers, they would repair these defects for free. Lets face it, Apple computers are the most expensive on the market and if they don't hold up why should anyone buy them. I'm going to try to have my screen repaired under warranty  but I doubt they will honor it.

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On 02:08am Apr 7, 2003 CDT, David Super wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

One other thing. Does anyone know how much this repair cost?

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On 11:14pm Apr 7, 2003 CDT, Jk5912 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Well, after 8 months, mine abruptly developed the very same signs: bottom half dim, 3 blinks at the power button. I tried the reset with no luck. I even took it to an Apple dealer (not Apple Store) in town to plug it in to their floor model: same problem. I called Apple and they said the best they could do was send me an empty box. I said I'd take it to the nearest Apple Store to expedite the process. But when I got there they said they would only call Apple to get a box!  Now I'm back  home waiting for Apple to process the paperwork yet again: they can't find my "date of purchase" in spite of acknowledging that I bought this display from an Apple Authorized dealer. I had to fax the receipt to Texas this morning. What a runaround. I feel like a fool for paying a thousand bucks for this. I'm now using our cheap PC monitor that was two hundred bucks 3 years ago - and it hasn't let me down once.

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On 04:14am Apr 12, 2003 CDT, Propitiated wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I lost the top half of mine. Blinking lights and all. There are only three things listed on this line to try they are...

1.) Command+Option+A+V held down during start up. I think this is a OS 9.x thing. Cause when I did that with my computer I got to watch unix load the OS.

2.) Nvida graphics card firmware upgrade.

3.) Plug monitor into a diffrent computer and see if that helps any.

Are there any other suggestions before taking the monitor in for a possible $500 repair job? I haven't tried #3 yet but I will. 60 posts is pretty serious for this thread. I think Apple could almost consider this one of those Firestone tire recall thingys.... I love my display and it is still easy to see it, but it isn't 100%. You people that are so quick to shun Apple for this display thing are crazy. Apple computers ROCK hands down even if my computer were to burst in to flames and melt where it sits it is still a way better way to be then with the alternatives. If your upset about your monitor not working guess what these are computers and something is bound to go wrong eventually. Right? Sorry about that.... I was mad at first too, but I know I can get it fixed, or buy a new one and I will.

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On 03:53am Apr 15, 2003 CDT, DizzyPenguin wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I've got the same prob... Can't afford to repair it or get a new (not Apple) one just yet, so I'm hoping it will survive a little while!
Someone in this thread asked for the SERVICE manual...
h**p://home.earthlink.net/~gamba2/manuals.html
(replace ** with tt)

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On 03:14pm Apr 15, 2003 CDT, Scott Schroeder wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

diZZy,
Thanks, but that manual site doesn't have anything specifically for the 17" LCD. What I (we) need is a take-apart guide and a part list for the voltage regulator and the backlights. $500 is simply too much to pay (especially when the repair warranty is only 90 days)

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On 10:20am Apr 16, 2003 CDT, DizzyPenguin wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Scott,
Sorry about that, I went through the pdf manual for the Cinema Display and on the Display Assembly (back/front) page it just says *(Not Offered)*.

I've read the Formac Gallery have a 3 year (parts and labour) warranty, excluding the backlight which has one year. do they know something we don't?

I'm really annoyed, so if anyone figures out how to repair this thing on a budget, please spread the knowledge!

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On 12:37am Apr 16, 2003 CDT, Propitiated wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I called Apple and they said $509.00 for repair. Neat. Maybe I can get $100 for it on E-bay. I decided to get a CRT for my next monitor. In my opinion side by side the CRT blows the LCD out of the water. Clearer and better color depth. Unless Apple decides to help us all out and fix our monitor for us! (hint, hint) RIGHT.....

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On 08:11pm Apr 16, 2003 CDT, Bryce Polly wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

same problem as everyone else. bottom half went out... none of the listed suggestions worked... did not work on another machine.

it looks like the bottom lamp comes on for a split second at the beginning of the boot process... but i could be wrong.

the 17" formac LCD ($599) is where my $509 (!!!!) repair money is going. that is ridiculous.

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On 10:20pm Apr 16, 2003 CDT, J. Russell wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

This problem is far too widespread and too expensive to be considered a "maitenance" problem, and $500 is way to expensive for a "fix".  For that kind of money, we should get a total replacement.
  I've been on a campaign in my school to get people to realize Macintosh's strength in Multimedia, but this problem makes me and Apple look really bad.  Unfortunately, our posts may be censored out with the moderators claiming they are just "complaints" when we are actually looking for a solution to a problem that Apple has yet to take responsibility for.
If anyone has suggestions as to who we should talk to about this, it would be helpful.

-----

On 02:12pm Apr 17, 2003 CDT, Propitiated wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I turned mine upside-down then right side up again then I tapped on the top right hand corner and then I went to bed. The next morning I woke up and came downstairs bumped my mouse and the monitor worked!!! Full brightness again. I was so happy. Then I left for a couple of hours came home again and bumped the mouse and it was back to half dimmed. I did something, but I don't know what. Yeah we're just complaining.... No! We all want our $1000 monitors fixed for free. That's not really that much to ask.

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On 04:03pm Apr 18, 2003 CDT, Traeton Garl1 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I have the same lower half black on a new display that just returned from repair.  I wacked the display and it came back on.  It ran for three days and did it again.  I hit it again and it once again went back on... I sent it to Apple for repair.  I suspect they will look at it, not be able to reproduce the problem and send it back saying there was no problem found.  This is the second time it has been sent in.  I haven't even had it in my possession for more than two weeks.  They will not replace it even after discussing my dissatification with a customer care person.  My attorney will be handling the third repair!

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On 10:55pm Apr 19, 2003 CDT, Michael Mesches wrote:
Subject: RE: backlight going out

My 17" LCD Studio display also dimmed and has the 2 short 1 long blinking light indicating that there is a problem with the backlight.  Apple wants $525 to fix it and only $690 to replace it!  Does anyone know of a way to either get the replacement parts seperately or of another repair source?  This is simply ridiculous for a formerly $1000 monitor to fail so quickly and so, apparently, often.  My wife took my ViewSonic flatscreen and doesn't want another Studio Display (fixed or new).  Apple really needs to address this issue.

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On 02:33am Apr 20, 2003 CDT, Propitiated wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Hey!  My monitor is blinking and will blink even in a court of law. I'm sure a lawer split 20 ways will be a little cheaper then the continual repair bill from the broken backlights. I'm currently using my "new" ADC studio monitor and I have to say that it blows the 17" LCD out of the water in terms of color depth and clarity. I did lose some acerage though. I wish Apple made a 21" ADC CRT. I am waiting to see what Apple will do about the poor shmucks (me included) who's monitors are out of warrenty and have failed backlights, aside from charge them the cost of a new one to get it fixed before I list mine as "BROKEN" on E-bay.

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On 08:23am Apr 21, 2003 CDT, Sharron Hedges wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I posted a few weeks ago and have been too busy to turn my monitor in for repair. One thing I noticed that's odd is that the brightness returns for a scond after monitor sleep or change of resolution, and then like clockwork, I can watch it dim. Also as of yesterday, sometimes from sleep, the whole thing looks dim. I can get it all to brighten by changing the resolution and then the bottom half dims again.

Don't know how the circuiting works on this thing but it seems strange that the full brightness is apparently possible sometimes.

I agree, we should get as many  people to post as possible, and though mine is still in warranty it makes me crazy that this is happening, with Apple shrugging its shoulders. Maybe it should be reported to Consumer Reports or MacWorld,
--or David Pogue for his newspaper column in the NY Times?
Would that get the attention of Apple?

-----

On 05:33pm Apr 21, 2003 CDT, Propitiated wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I have to write this in. I got through to a certified Apple Tech in a repair location close to where I live and he said "Only Apple has the parts and that means you can't get them anywhere else to fix these monitors". So if your out of warrenty and your monitor is dimmed you are stuck either paying $500+ to fix it, or selling it on e-bay for "parts". He suggested I sell mine for parts. Go figure.

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On 07:04pm Apr 22, 2003 CDT, James Bobalik wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I've recently had the same problem, except it's the top half that is dim.  It is not encouraging seeing so many others with this problem.  This monitor is just 6 months old.  I have to send it back to Apple for repair.  They are sending me a shipping box soon.  This is a tremendous inconvenience.

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On 06:26pm Apr 26, 2003 CDT, Jk5912 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

After a week of repeated phone calls to Apple, I finally received the box to send the display in for repair under warranty. It was returned to me in about a week and had a paper titled "Proof of Repair":
Repair Done
Part Number: 0500-0105-0171
Description: P30A Inverter DC-AC

It certainly is fixed and is as bright and crisp as before. But I can't say I'd buy another one of these.

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On 07:54pm Apr 26, 2003 CDT, jsafx wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I am in Australia and my 17 inch lcd has just gone half dimmed. it has the 2 short/ 1 long flash symptom re the backlight. I thought I was on my own until I got into this forum - what a disaster this monitor is . The costs of fixing it are horrendous if the US$500 plus figure is correct. I need to buy another but it wont be Apple unless a deal is proposed.

I agree with other writers who say Apple have got a big problem here and have a moral obligation to address it if they value the goodwill of their long term users.

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On 01:15am May 4, 2003 CDT, Steve Jamieson wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Yep, the top half of my 17" blew up too a few weeks back.  $AU800 for any repair at all.  Yikes.

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On 09:40pm May 7, 2003 CDT, Jimyyz wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

This just happened to my Studio Display as well. Only one year and three months after I bought it.

Apple's response is the warranty is over so it's my problem. But had I purchase the extended warranty...

This is not acceptable. This is not an inexpensive display. Customers should not have to pay for expensive repairs or purchase a new monitor to replace something that is flawed.

If Apple is having a problem with these monitors--and obviously they are--they should do something other then absolve themselves of any responsibility.

-----

On 07:12am May 8, 2003 CDT, Michael Egan wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Hey John,
I would be of great help if you could find out EXACTLY what your "lS" guy did to your video card so you could share it here. It seems that hundreds of people need to know how to easily do the fix in their own homes rather than go through all of the crap to send it back to apple or worse, have to pay 90% of the purchase price to get it fixed.
Thanks,
Mike

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On 07:29am May 8, 2003 CDT, FrancisR wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

NOT AGAIN!!!!!!
Now it's my other monitor that starts blinking this morning. I had the same problem a few months ago with my other screen. They are only a few months old.



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On 10:59pm May 13, 2003 CDT, SadMac :( wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

UNBELIEVABLE!  Here I thought I was the only one.  I just got my US540$ quote this evening.  The guy at the Apple store offered me 50$ for it and suggested I buy a new one.  Excuse me?  If the thing is only worth 50$ then why does it cost 540$ to repair it?  And I'm sorry, but I'm not going to buy another one after I've seen how many other people are having this problem.  And neither will anyone else I know unless this problem is corrected.
I've already written Mr. Jobs, but something tells me my letter will not get far...
If anyone has any suggestions or advice, please share!

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On 08:12am May 14, 2003 CDT, Stephen Irons wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Hello all,

I just got zapped too. My 17" Studio display is about a 20 month old. I have a question, though. Who did you all call to get a box sent for shipping? I don't have mine anymore.

Thanks.

Yours in misery.

-Stephen.

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On 06:51am May 16, 2003 CDT, Marilyn Jegerlehner wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I have had my flat screen for approximately one year with no problem.  I just reinstalled VPC and am having the same problem with the blinking  power button, but the top half of my screen is dim.  Do you suppose we will ever get help with this?  Looks like so far we are on our own.  Hope someone posts a solution.

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On 12:02pm May 16, 2003 CDT, SadMac :( wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

just so everyone knows how INSECURE Apple is about this situation, they removed my post that had the link for everyone to write and complain!  they really know how to make the situation worse instead of trying to fix it.
so let me give you that link again...
http://www.planetfeedback.com

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On 07:32pm May 18, 2003 CDT, Jimyyz wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

why are messages urging people to complain to Apple about this problem being deleted? If Apple is going to host a discussion board it should be open to all legitimate comments.

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On 11:36pm May 18, 2003 CDT, SadMac :( wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

EXACTLY!  they also deleted an entire conversation I had with one of the "helpers"  in the 20" Cinema Display thread.

His answer to our problem was this:
If the fuel pump in your car broke, would you ask the manufacturer to send you a new car?

I asked him if the repair for the fuel pump costs him as much as the car itself.  then I asked if the same pump kept breaking in 100 cars isn't it called a RECALL and the manufacturer repairs it for free?

he said that's why we have warranties.  I asked him if the life expectancy of these displays were only a year.
he must not have like that because my thread was deleted immediately.


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On 02:42am May 25, 2003 CDT, Michael Llanes wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I woke up today (its 3:30am!) and my display dimmed way down after about 30 minutes of using it. now it is doing the flash 3 times, actually Apple Document #34593 says the problem is the back light (makes sense)

I cant believe I am out $450! I am writing to apple, what's the chances the will have a recall on these POS monitors?

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On 05:40am May 25, 2003 CDT, Jeff Tanner wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I've got the same problem.  My bottom half of the display went out after the display was about 20-22 months old.  Because I can't go a week without the Mac, I ended up buying a new display.  

I have/had one of the very first 17" Studio Displays and I think that it looked better than the new one I have.  The new one seems washed out and too bright.  Ugh.  I've even played around with the calibration, but it just doesn't look as good.

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On 09:21am May 25, 2003 CDT, Michael Llanes wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Hmm, anyone know what the repair cost for this problem is? I heard $450, but now I can find where I saw that...

I think Ill buy a Formad 17" LCD...

:(

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On 01:41pm May 28, 2003 CDT, SadMac :( wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

once again:  that reapir is going to cost you 540$.

rip off.

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On 04:21pm May 28, 2003 CDT, Michael Llanes wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

hot dang :(

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On 07:42pm May 28, 2003 CDT, Beachdog wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Anyone know if this is covered with the Apple Care program?  I'm getting a popping sound (Guess it's arcing inside)  If this has happened prior to your display going dim, I'd be interested it hearing that too.

Thanks

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On 08:10pm May 28, 2003 CDT, Michael Llanes wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Yep that is what I head for about 5 or 6 months, then bam dead :(

I thought it was my sound sticks going or on a bad USB port.

Hope they will fix it!! let us know.

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On 10:39pm May 28, 2003 CDT, Beachdog wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Thanks Michael!  This is scary that such a MAJOR problem is not being addressed by Apple.

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On 12:28am May 29, 2003 CDT, Jason Kuhlman wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I had the EXACT same thing happen. It was a failed backlight and my display was replaced by Apple at no cost. (covered under AppleCare).

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On 06:13pm Jun 2, 2003 CDT, pattybay wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I am wondering if my problem is the same as yours.  The colors on my monitor all have a dark orange tint to them.  Sometimes the screen flickers and gets a little lighter or darker.  Today when I first turned the computer on, the color was fine and then suddenly it flickered to orange.  (I had thought because of the flickering that it was a power cord problem but no such luck.)  What can I do?

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On 06:47pm Jun 2, 2003 CDT, Matthew Manlove wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Add me to the list of unhappy Apple customers.  I am 13.5 months out from my initial purchase date and therefore my 17" flat panel display is not covered under warranty.  I tried the --- startup option and the NVIDIA firmware upgrade and had no success fixing the screen.  I called Apple technical support to see what they would say and Neo told me that this was not an issue that Apple is investigating (even after I pointed him to this thread) and it is definitely a hardware issue that I would need to have sent off for repair.  I am disappointed in Apple.  

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On 08:25am Jun 3, 2003 CDT, Jimyyz wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I have gotten temporary relief by changing the monitor's resolution and then changing it back. I don't know why but this corrects the problem, however, it does fix the problem... until the next slight bump or desk shake causes my monitor to go wonky again.

Of course, this is still not a permanent solution. This is an obvious defect that Apple must address. But it is worth trying.

cheers

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On 10:17pm Jun 3, 2003 CDT, Bob Chianelli wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

This is no.2 for me. Almost a year to the day and my flat panel is off to apple again for repair. Thank goodness for apple care or this baby would be in the trash.

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On 12:34pm Jun 10, 2003 CDT, SadMac :( wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Too bad Apple is not addressing this as a problem.  I finally got a response from Apple through the BBB, it was awful, Apple COMPLETELY missed my point.  All they did was basically restate the warranty and I was out of my warranty so too bad for me.  I seriously hope apple doesn't think that letter was going to shut me up now because it won't, I'm not done yet!

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On 10:04pm Jun 14, 2003 CDT, Bob Chianelli wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Airborne on Tuesday back to me on Friday and so far so good. Another inverter board problem. Keeping my fingers crossed although I do have Apple Care for almost 2 more years. Worth the investment every time I buy something. Machines break, Warranty's fix them, you do the math. Thanks again apple techs, 3 day turn around beats a PC any day.

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On 09:37am Jun 15, 2003 CDT, Jimyyz wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Sure, extended warranties can be a good thing, however, if there is a product defect, as obviously the case here, then it should be fixed, regardless.

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On 08:52pm Jun 10, 2003 CDT, Ken Miyamoto wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

looks like the back light on your display has gone out and i would suggest taking the LCD screen in for repair.

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On 10:17pm Jun 14, 2003 CDT, Peter Bornstein wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I started getting the flashing lights today--2 short, 1 long.  Tried the NVidia firmware upgrade; no go.  Tried the resolution change.  No help.

Looks like I am done buying LCD displays.  I have used CRTs for years with no problems.  Now with this LCD for 14 months, I have a problem.  Apple's cavalier attitude toward customer service on the hardware side means that I won't be buying more Apple peripheral hardware.

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On 12:18pm Jun 17, 2003 CDT, SadMac :( wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

and too bad you only have the choice of a 1 year warranty with the display when bought seperately from the machine.  you can only get the exteneded care when you purchase a machine as well.

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On 03:09pm Jul 7, 2003 CDT, pastafreak wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

This really bites! I have the same problem and we need to do something to get apple to fix or replace the monitor. Heck I will pay the shipping. It's pretty darn obvious it is a product defect and is only happening on the 17' displays. I can't believe they will not fess up to the problem.

-----

On 02:21pm Dec 7, 2003 CDT, J. Russell wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Add another unsatisfied Apple customer to this list.
I've had the problem intermittently, and I'm having it again as I type this message.  Knowing that the problem comes and goes, I don't think it can be a burned out bulb.  If Apple does post anything on their website about about a recall or a fix, please post a link to it in this thread.
[email deleted]

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On 04:57pm Jul 7, 2003 CDT, Wyn wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Throw my hat into the ring too.  Top 1/3 dim, 2 short and one long flash.  Seems that Apple has a real problem and they don't want to do anything about it except have us buy another display or fix this one for about the same price.  Real sad situation.  Come on Apple, don't you have a cheap easy fix for this?  It can't cost $540 to change a light bulb!

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On 12:06pm Jul 9, 2003 CDT, Alexandra Yerena wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Hi:
 the bottom half of my 17in apple flat panel display is very dimm.
The power button on the display flashes 3 times and then stays un- lite for a few seconds then repeats.
Macintosh need clue the problem and anwers of all people. Is important for your reputation, not for us.  I will wait for your solution, because I refuse  pay any repear for your fault.   thank you.

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On 01:47pm Jul 9, 2003 CDT, pastafreak wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Apple, I can't believe my eyes

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On 02:38pm Jul 9, 2003 CDT, pastafreak wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Well everyone I spent three days on the phone with Apple and unfortunately there is no way they will make exceptions for the monitor faliures. The fact is we are of a small percentage of 17' monitor owners that were unlucky enough to have the monitor fail outside of the warranty period and stupid enough not to buy the extended warranty. Hey, look at it this way, it's a great excuse to go to the Apple Store.

-----

On 06:22pm Jul 9, 2003 CDT, dsf wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Pastafreak,
Please post how you contacted Apple on this. My 17" just lost the top 1/3 and I, too, have the 3 flashes/pause.
Thanx,
Don

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On 02:11pm Jul 12, 2003 CDT, Propitiated wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Ok...Ok... I give.... I am selling my "broke" monitor on e-bay for "parts". Whatever.  In the long line of user and tech support this is the last thing suggested, so have it. My new 17" studio GLASS monitor is way better anyways! All you people should go back to glass much more reliable and WAY more clear. I can actually see the rebels through the mist at 300m+ away in Ghost Recon. This is when the other people in the room are saying how can you see that?!? I am announcing the death of the LCD. Why get one? 6X the price of a nice glass monitor? Ok, maybe I'm still a little bitter.... Apple's Rock! PeeCee's Drewl! :-p

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On 09:14pm Jul 12, 2003 CDT, Giovanni wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

add myself to the group.  I have, starting today, the same problem !

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On 05:16pm Jul 19, 2003 CDT, Jim Noble1 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Another one here :-(

Jim

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On 03:34am Jul 20, 2003 CDT, Steven Metz1 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

My good friend has the same problem. And I own one, should i cross my fingers of apple? Come on apple. Fess up it is obviously a defect. a monitor should last at least 5 years. Like my old pc display that lasted 6 years. Your policies are driving so many of your customers away it is incredible. If you want to stay on top you had better fess up and offer us an extended warranty.

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On 11:01pm Jul 20, 2003 CDT, dsf wrote:
Subject: Fixed 17" fp, but for how long?

Don't yell at me, but when my 17"'s top 1/3rd went dim last week, I looked on here and saw all the problems; took it immediately to my local Apple authorized guy who sent it to Apple that day; I got it back 3 working days later and it works like new. Of course, it was still under warranty... but what I wonder now is how long it's going to work for. The warranty runs out mid-November.
Thanks,
Don

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On 01:21pm Jul 21, 2003 CDT, Gerald Kelsall wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I started having the same problem a couple of weeks ago. I bought the monitor at CompUSA in order to get an extended warranty, since I didn't buy the monitor with the G4. It expires this week. I took it to CompUSA and it worked fine on a G4 on display in the store. Thought it might be the graphics card and a friend brought his Geforce2 over and put it in my machine. It worked fine. Put mine back in and it worked fine. Then 3 days later the problem came back, so I ordered a Radeon 9000. Put it in and had the same problem. Went back to CompUSA and it worked fine. My nephew has a G4 so I took my monitor, and plugged it in to his machine and it was fine. Brought it home and connected to mine and it has been fine for two days now. Did anyone have this intermittent problem before it went for good? The people at CompUSA don't want to give me a new one unless I can demonstrate the problem for them. Only 7 days left on the warranty.

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On 02:51am Jul 23, 2003 CDT, Propitiated wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Gerald,
          Previously in this post myself and another person had some similar occurrences after we had turned the display upside down and jared it a bit. So, that could be the reason why it is working sometimes and not others... You do have a problem though and you need to tell the folks in the store you bought from that the inverter board is fried and needs to be replaced.

-----

On 06:21pm Aug 4, 2003 CDT, Timothy Stevens wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I'll gladly take the title of being the millionth unsatisfied customer. yep, you guessed it, top third and funny little morse code flashing...(crap).

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On 04:41pm Aug 11, 2003 CDT, Andrew Bobyn wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

The top half of one of our office 17" Studio Displays (M76492MB) has just gone dim and the on warning button indicates that there is a problem with the backlighting lamp. This expensive unit is only 4 months out of warranty, and Apple has quoted us $559 to fix it. This seems unreasonably expensive for an already pricey monitor that I can now purchase new for only a few dollars more.

After reading all the postings I believe I'm going to recommended our office stop purchasing Apple monitors until Apple begins to own up and begin to take responsibility for these kinds of product shortcomings. 16 Month's is too short a time to have the monitor fail.

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On 09:16pm Aug 13, 2003 CDT, Dennis Quinones wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

The bottom half of my 17" Flat Panel Display has gone dim and the power switch button indicates there is a problem with the backlighting lamp.  The display is 15 months and out of warranty. Apple quoted repair fee is $500+ to fix it. The repairs are too expensive and unreasonable. Basically the LCD display is totaled.

 Sincerly,
 Another Disappointed
 Customer

-----

On 10:43am Aug 14, 2003 CDT, Rimmi Min wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Mine too. The top half is occasionally dimmed, but sometimes the display is ok. The light flashes constantly though. Luckily I'm just under warranty. I'm in the UK, but i don't know how quick Apple are over here at a repair. It really isn't good enough though, a monitor should last longer than a year.

I'm still a full supporter of Apple, because I love their computers and wouldn't want to use anything else, but this, is disappointing.

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On 07:23pm Aug 17, 2003 CDT, Doug Evanitsky wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Add mine to the list.



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On 12:43am Aug 20, 2003 CDT, Steelers wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Mine went half dim, Aug.18    R.I.P.
I have had mine a little over 2 years.

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On 01:14am Aug 21, 2003 CDT, Propitiated wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Well, I sold my "broken" LCD 17" display to some poor sap that really wanted it. Only got 1/3 of the price I paid for it new ($1000), oh well. I'm using a 17" ADC CRT Apple Display now and guess what...No problems! Go figure. Just so you people know the problem on the displays is not a failed backlight, it is a failed Inverter Board. Either way it's a raw deal.

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On 01:36pm Aug 22, 2003 CDT, Jeanne Johnson wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I see that a lot of folks are having the same problem I have with my 17" LCD.  Of course, as soon as the warranty expired, the top half of my screen dimmed and I get the short flashes.  It says that it's a backlight lamp problem, but I see some of you are saying that I need a new inverter board.  Does someone know which part it is I need and are you able to buy just that part somewhere.  I can fix the monitor myself, I just need to find the part.  I've been looking in all over the place.  I could use a techy's help if anyone knows where to get the right part.  Someone please email me!  Thanks.

Jeanne ([email deleted] or [email deleted])

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On 11:03am Aug 27, 2003 CDT, Lars Sšderlund wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

The same problem here as everyone else. The backlight lamp seems on for a second the dims down and lamp starts blinking. My display is two years old and of course without warranty. I think Apple should extend warranty on this product though it´s quite obvious that it has a flaw in its construction. As many have thought this display is far too expensive to stop working after 12-24 months. I will try ma Apple help desk tomorrow and hear what they say.

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On 11:48am Aug 29, 2003 CDT, Kevin Aiello wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I've posted a few times before. My LCD failed twice in about a two-month period. After the second repair, it has been up and running fine for some 10 months now but my warranty is about to run out in a few days. I guess I have no choice but to renew it (Applecare)...despite the high price of that renewal.

Is it wise to renew this warranty (basically to cover the monitor in case this problem recurs)? The problem is this: if the monitor issue does NOT recur in that two-year period, I've basically wasted that money on Applecare as it's VERY unlikely my G4 will need to be repaired. However, if the monitor problem does recur, it will be much more expensive to fix it outside of the warranty. This is an unfortunate situation.

Kev A.

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On 01:21am Sep 5, 2003 CDT, bruce olswang1 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

add me to the list.  16 month old.

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On 08:49pm Sep 5, 2003 CDT, Ralph  wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Another 17" Studio Display failed.   Three flashes of the light and a half dimmed screen.  From the numerous postings, there appears to be a general problem.   My display is only 14 1/2 months old.   I have had Apple systems since 1970 (Apple II plus) which amounts to over 20 systems.   This is the ONLY hardware failure in over 30 years.   I am a stockholder of Apple and I also feel that this is a unique situation on this display that Apple needs to address.   A cost over 50% of the purchase price to repair is extreme.  I have supported Apple for years and I feel that they should support their customers on the is seemingly growing problem.

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On 07:09am Sep 6, 2003 CDT, John Skinner wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Yes, mine too has done this at about 10am today. The first hardware failure in 16 years of Apple systems. An expensive monitor like this should not fail so soon. Come on Apple, help us out here !

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On 09:36pm Sep 7, 2003 CDT, Pieter Nystrom wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Wow. What an insane number of posts. This is clearly not an isolated, small percentage problem. My 17" just came down with the exact same symptoms as everyone else. Thank the lucky stars, I bought mine on Sept 15, seven days from today. For those that have been successful in getting a warranty repair, could you please post the phone number of who to call to get this fixed? Thanks,

Pieter

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On 07:59am Sep 8, 2003 CDT, dsf wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Pieter,
Mine, too, had the half-dimmed thing about a month ago. It, too, was in-warranty, like yours, fortunately. Took it to my local Apple-authorized dealer. They sent it to an Apple repair place in Ky. (I am in Pa.) and had it back to me in 5 days - no charge whatever.It works like new now, but my big concern is how long these repaired 17-inchers will work. Anyone know?
Thanx,
Don

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On 10:55am Sep 8, 2003 CDT, Pieter Nystrom wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Just called Apple Repair (800APLCARE), spent a grand total of 20 minutes of the phone and am expecting my box from Airborne. I was quoted 5-7 business days after Apple receives my monitor for repair time. While this situation is not a good one to be in, I am thankful the actual repair process has been pain-free and that dealing with Apple has been easy. My heart goes out to all those who either must trash this monitor or sell it for junk on eBay.

Pieter

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On 08:10pm Sep 8, 2003 CDT, Kevin Aiello wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Pieter,

I agree, Apple will fix this problem quickly while you are under warranty. Be forewarned, however, that the problem can recur. I had my monitor fixed and a few weeks later...the same problem appeared again! It was fixed a second time and has been fine for 10 months now.

However, my warranty just ran out: I'm really hoping that the fix will be "permanent" this time or that Apple will recognize the problem before this monitor fails again.

Kev A.

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On 02:11pm Sep 9, 2003 CDT, Lorna Hart wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

My monitor has the same problem on the upper half but guess what warranty has run out... tech support quoted me $500 for repairs plus shipping this is outrageous for a monitor thats not 2 yrs old yet! It will go on eBay for parts!  I also have 2 other 17" displays and both have different contrast this is a nightmare for a graphics art pro! I have decided to hook up my trusty old 21" Viewsonics all over 7 yrs old and no problems great color and consistency. I'm very disappointed in Apple no wonder there is only a one year warranty on these displays maybe Apple is hiding something!

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On 01:11pm Sep 11, 2003 CDT, William Rivas wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

This is really bad for Apple. I am really upset to see all these posts with the same problem.

William

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On 08:26pm Sep 11, 2003 CDT, Lou Methenitis wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Not giving you much help, but my 18 month old display just started doing the same thing.  What's so infuriating about this is that Apple denies that there is any ongoing problem with the 17" flat panel studio display.  They in effect told me to pay for the $550 fix or live with it.  It seems that they just get more and more arrogant as time goes on.

Lou Methenitis

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On 09:20pm Sep 12, 2003 CDT, William Rivas wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Lou,

I is that not really bad PR! Man my 15" Flat panel is still going strong! It is way older than my 17".

Well my solution, don't purchase a new one or pay for a repair. I got a Samsung 191T (19" Digital DVI) for 649.99 at Fry's with a 3 year factory warranty on parts, labor and the backlight. The backlight is what craps out on LCD's and most manufacturers offer a longer warranty then Apple but will not cover the backlight, Samsung is one of the few that does, they have faith in their product. I feel VERY comforatable that the monitor I have will last and if it does not it is covered!

William

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On 06:59pm Sep 12, 2003 CDT, Pieter Nystrom wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Called Apple on Tuesday to report the problem, and I just got it back (Friday, same week). Thank you Apple for the quick fix, now I hope you don't get offended if cross my fingers and hope against hope this doesn't happen again as I only have two days left on my warranty.

Pieter

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On 01:32pm Sep 13, 2003 CDT, William Rivas wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

You better cross them bud...

William

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On 09:53pm Sep 28, 2003 CDT, David Thomasson wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

So what is the fix?

I just had this problem show up on my machine today, 9/28/03 and can't find any information on fixing it.

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On 06:26pm Sep 14, 2003 CDT, Eric Siegmund wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Ditto for my 17 incher, too. Just over 14 months old. I sent Apple some "constructive feedback" via this website: http://www.planetfeedback.com/

Probably won't do any good, but it made me feel a little better.

The Formac LCDs sure look good!

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On 07:40pm Sep 14, 2003 CDT, William Rivas wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Eric,

Take a look at the warranty Formac offers, only one year on the back light.. I suggest anther brand that covers all, like Samsung 191T, three years on everything. Nice silver or black thin bezel, I got the silver to match my G5 that will arrive someday.

A note to all, I have an original 15" Flat Panel (smaller version of the 17") that is still going strong and is MUCH older...do you suspect a faulty or low quality part?

William

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On 08:16pm Sep 14, 2003 CDT, Pieter Nystrom wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Seeing as how there really is no self-help FIX to this problem, can we divert the discussion for a moment to talk about PREVENTION? My warranty expires tomorrow and I have little faith that this problem won't resurface for me. Is there anything I can do as the user to help avoid this fault? Lower the resolution, lower the contrast and brightness, turn off the computer at every opportunity? Will things like that make any difference in the lifespan of the backlight? I keep my computer on 24/7, but it goes to sleep after 10 minutes of inactivity - is this asking a lot of my monitor?

Pieter

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On 11:38pm Sep 14, 2003 CDT, William Rivas wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

My system was on 24/7 also, there is no way to prevent it from happening. It is simply a problem that has not been addressed. It is either a flaw in design or a part that needs to be upgraded to a higher standard...

You could pray!

William

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On 11:12am Sep 29, 2003 CDT, J.J.B. Oudenaarden wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

another one, my 17 inch display went half dimmed after 16 months of use. In the Netherlands apple charges a fee of 700 euro for repair, wich is more then a new screen! Ordered already a new, but after reading this thread I'm thinking of rejecting the order and buy a sony or samsung. A screen which is twice the price of almost any other monitor should last longer. Has anyone tried to bring the problem to some consumer forum? It would be a good idee that anyone reading this forum and recordnises the problem gives a reaction, the number of people replying is already much to high, which smells to constuction error, and should be fixed at a reasonable price by apple.

jjbo

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On 01:08pm Oct 9, 2003 CDT, iCare wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

J.J.B. Oudenaarden-

You mentioned that the repair fee of 700 euros exceeds the cost of a new display. How much does a new Studio Display 17 cost in the Netherlands? I live in the US and am just curious.

Did you choose to repair or replace your display? If you replaced your display, what did you buy and how much did it cost?

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On 02:22pm Oct 9, 2003 CDT, Gregory_S. Randall wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I am currently having the same problem. I guess this is what happens when Apple tries to be $ competitive, quality goes down the drain. Its a good thing for business write-offs and Apple's new insurance scams, its covered under the AppleCare warranty I purchased.

good luck

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On 02:11am Oct 16, 2003 CDT, William Rivas wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Found a place that says they can repair, they picked up the monitor today will have quote by Friday on repair and what components went bad, will update, basic quote is 150.00.

William

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On 02:18am Oct 16, 2003 CDT, David Thomasson wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Looking forward to hearing how this repair work$ out.

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On 02:54pm Oct 16, 2003 CDT, William Rivas wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

OK people got my monitor fixed but not yet delivered, backlites were ok, Power Inverter was BAD. Total price for repair 175.00 bucks! Delivery is extra.

Monitor was fixed in one day. Here is the info:
 The Image
 www.monitorexperts.com
 714-995-0100
 714-995-5960
 8791 Winston Rd
 Anaheim, CA 92804

Ask for Manuel, tell him  I refered you...save hundreds!

William

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On 09:07pm Oct 16, 2003 CDT, William Rivas wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

202.06 for your 17" back in working order and beutiful display this guy is the bomb, two day turn around, of course I live just 20 miles from him, his work is impeccable. Why pay 600.00 when you can pay 202.06.

I almost through that monitor in the trash!

William

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On 01:47am Oct 18, 2003 CDT, Steelers wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Good job Mr. Rivas.  This kind of information is what I was hoping to find, so that I could have my monitor fixed at a reasonable price.   Thanks!

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On 12:12pm Oct 18, 2003 CDT, William Rivas wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Steelers,

Glad to help, as the rest of us, we work hard for our money and paying 600.00 for what I feel is outrageous is just unthinkable. My 17" shines like the day I pulled it out of the box, at a third of the requested price. And the unit arrived so clean and polished. I just had to hook it up.

Just give Manuel a chance to respond, seems the 17" monitors have him VERY busy.

William

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On 10:21pm Oct 23, 2003 CDT, David Thomasson wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I'm curious if a bad inverter is the usual underlying repair when the "backlight" goes bad?  Has anyone else had a detailed report from their Studio Display repair that stated what the exact problem was?  Was it the inverter?

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On 01:43am Oct 23, 2003 CDT, Aleksandar wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Another one in this scary statistic: 17" TFT, 22 month old, approx 7.500 h  --> top backlight gone!!!

Thats absolutely inacceptable for a 1200 EUR monitor, especially if the normal lifetime of a TFT backlight is around 50.000h ... which would be 5-10 years of usage

Regards
Aleksandar

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On 01:50pm Oct 24, 2003 CDT, David Thomasson wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

If, as the helpful post of William Rivas suggests, the power inverter is the the primary culprit, does anyone know where we can get instructions for doing a self repair of these defective devices?  I just can't justify the expense of the repair right now, but the blinking is about to trigger a seizure.

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On 02:43pm Oct 28, 2003 CDT, Jerremy Jones wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Wow... I look to see if I can find any info on my flashing power button on my 17 in - and look what I find.

This 1+ year old thead with 150+ posts about this new club I just found out I had joined...

The Studio Display, blinking power light, bottom half dimmed club.

Mine is 2 years old.

With all of us having the same issue, I can't believe Apple isn't being more understanding... It's obviously a quality issue. Fix it...

- Jerremy

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On 12:24pm Oct 29, 2003 CDT, gnehdne wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

This has got to be the fastest growing club around. I feel it an honor to be a part of this ever expanding group of ripped-off,non-suspecting poor saps caught up in this no-win war with Apple. Mine came out of the box bad. Apple repaired it and sent it back to me. 6 months later it took another dump. A very kind Apple authorized repair man took pity on me and sent it back to Apple as a warranty repair. 17 months later you will never guess what happened. Yes! Blinking light,dim lower screen. Apple wants $600 for repair,even though my apple guru says he would do it for $100. if Apple would sell him the part,which they won't. It seems that all studio displays are to be repaired by Apple only,no apple dealer is authorized to make repairs,only diagnose the problem and send them back. They claim that the environment at Apple is controlled,and therefore better equiped to handle these types of repairs. Happily I was wearing my high-water boots at the time, otherwise the excrement co!
 uld have consumed me. I hope that I don't sound bitter. Apple get a clue. I won't be a return customer.
Yours Truly,
A reformed mac enthusiast

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On 04:42pm Oct 29, 2003 CDT, David Thomasson wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I'd be really interested to see what percentage of these monitors sold has had the inverter go bad.  If it is a high enough number, I would hope Apple would step up and do something to help us get these things fixed for a reasonable price; shipping + parts sounds about right.

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On 08:17pm Oct 29, 2003 CDT, Pandazona wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I guess I'm not surprised to still see you all here.  I had to lay low for a while because Apple didn't like what I had to say and put security on my account.  STILL looking for a solution 8 months later!  Would like to hear how William's fix is doing for everyone, and if it's legit.  Please share.
Wouldn't hold my breath waiting for Apple to do anything, they don't care.

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On 04:05pm Oct 30, 2003 CDT, David Thomasson wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I've read about the possibility of a 10.2.8 upgrade bug causing this problem.  My 17" ASD went bad right after upgrading.  Anybody else?  Any ideas as to why/how that upgrade could cause the problem?

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On 09:47pm Oct 30, 2003 CDT, William Rivas wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

It's not software. it's hardware.

William

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On 09:58pm Oct 30, 2003 CDT, David Thomasson wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Absolutely, it's hardware.  I'd not have to wonder about this if I were smarter, but I'm wondering if there is anything in the 10.2.8 update that could affect the way the hardware interacts with these monitors that could cause the inverters to go wonky.

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On 06:19pm Nov 1, 2003 CDT, kevsdca wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Yes, I had the same problem too!! Right after the upgrade to 10.2.8!!

I am very disappointed by this annoying problem, I hope Apple will take a very responsible stance on this issue ASAP, don't let the prolonged argues & consumer protests on replacement program of Power Mac G4 noise issue ever happen again!!

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On 02:32pm Dec 9, 2003 CDT, Warren Huff wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I just had one of these 17" studio displays go dim, with the 2-short 1-long blinking power light.  The Apple Store said it would cost over $500 to repair it with only a 3-month warranty.  A new one costs $650, with educational discount.  What's going on here?

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On 07:45am Oct 30, 2003 CDT, Eric Siegmund wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Given the increasing frustration level evidenced by this thread, I think this is worth sharing.

Last week, while out of town, I received a message on my answering machine. It was from a man who identified himself as Robert Higgin. Robert said he worked in Apple's Executive Relations group, and was calling on behalf of Steve Jobs. He was responding to an email I sent to Jobs several weeks earlier, in which I documented my disappointment in Apple's response to the monitor-related problems we're experiencing. He asked me to call him at my convenience, but said he'd call back if he didn't hear from me.

I got busy and didn't have a chance to return the call. The next day, the phone rang and it was Robert, true to his word.

We talked for about 20 minutes, as I described the problem (again). I also pointed him to this thread, which he was not aware of. While he didn't make any commitment to me regarding my specific situation, he did promise to report the situation (and this thread) to Apple's engineering group. He said that to his knowledge, there had not been any reports of problems in sufficient quantity to make them think that there was a systemic problem either with their manufacturing or the part. He seemed particularly interested, though, in the observation that this seemed to be more a problem with the voltage inverter, rather than the backlight.

I also explained my frustration with the excessive charges by Apple for repairing the monitor. He really didn't attempt to respond to that.

He said that if their investigation revealed a system-wide problem that merited something like a recall or a change in their repair policy, they would post it on the Apple website...in effect, making it our responsibility to find out about it. Later in the conversation, though, he promised to call me and let me know if they decide to do something about this. I haven't heard anything yet.

I know this doesn't help anything. The good news is that I did manage to get someone's attention, and they did promise to follow-up on it. The bad news is that there still is no definite commitment to address the situation. Still, I was impressed that someone at Apple took the time to call, and further took the time to listen.

Now, if they will only DO something...!

I'll keep you posted.

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On 08:16am Oct 30, 2003 CDT, Eric Siegmund wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Oh, one other thing...if Apple really is starting to monitor this thread, it would seem important that everyone who is experiencing this problem post it here. One of the arguments Robert put forth is that not that many people have complained, in proportion to the total number of displays sold. I'm not sure that's an accurate assessment, as I suspect many users don't even know about this resource. So, if you know of anyone who's having the problem, ask them to post it here in order to build the documentation. Thanks.

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On 11:27am Oct 30, 2003 CDT, Pandazona wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

you are VERY lucky to have had a human response from Apple.  I have written numerous letters to Steve Jobs and didn't get a response until I  finally went through the BBB, in which a man named Patrick Ekstrand had responded to them, and in turn, I was sent a copy.
Basicly all he did was restate the warranty and tell me that they were not going to be able to do anything about it.
Cangrats on getting through to someone, and keep us posted!
Thanks!

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On 03:52pm Oct 31, 2003 CDT, gnehdne wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Also, beside posting here I would suggest calling 1 800 767-275 and ask for customer relations. Tech support will answer first,they will give you no help. Warning! Make sure that you have at least an hour of free time available for being on hold. When someone finally answers,tell them your story. They have to listen, it is their job. They will also not be able to do anything for you but your complaint will be put on record. They will give you a reference #,write it down. From then on refer to that # each time you call back. If you have enough time on your hands,don't let it die,give them a follow up reminder from time to time just to let them know that your problem has not been resolved. The only way we will get results is by being a huge thorn in their backside. Maybe then, Apple will spend more time testing their product before putting it out on the market. They used to be really good at that at one time. My first monitor purchased 15 years ago,although obsolete,still work!
 s! Until then comrades,keep up the fight! This thread is long enough to give them something to ponder.

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On 12:02pm Oct 30, 2003 CDT, Michael Pidwirny wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I too have the half dimmed 17 inch Studio display problem. My monitor is about 19 months old. I live in Canada so the repair costs are different than the ones posted on this thread. However, my repair estimate was $933.00 canadian dollars. A new 17 inch is $999.00 canadian dollars. Hardly worth to repair.

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On 01:09pm Oct 30, 2003 CDT, Scott Schroeder wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I was one of the first to post to this thread...and the problem persists. My monitor went bad 1 year and 2 months after purchase.

I had contacted Apple Tech Support before, and was given the same ~$600 repair estimate. Obviously, I'd buy a new monitor before such an expensive repair with only a 30 day repair warranty.

I'm certain the issue is the voltage regulator. The bottom half is dim, but slightly so. Upon waking from sleep, for a brief shining moment, the screen is uniformly bright.

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On 09:28am Oct 31, 2003 CDT, Jennifer Pade wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Well, if Apple is looking for numbers, I'm happy to add my name to the list. I've got one half-dimmed display that's a year and a half old. I've got another one that hasn't dimmed yet but it's only 6 months old. I figure it's just a matter of time.

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On 05:14pm Oct 31, 2003 CDT, John Lanterman wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I have the same monitor, and the same problem.  After talking with apple at length, they told me I can send it in and it will be repaired, and I need to pay.  

This was after they had be do an archive install of system 10.2, indicating maybe 10.2.8-which I was running-was the problem.  That didn't solve anything, and several hours later, after having to reinstall up to 10.2.6, (safari, and ical didn't work either), things are back to where they were, except the monitor still is dark on the bottom half.  I am not touching 10.2.8.

I did not even know this discussion forum existed until yesterday, and my guess is many other folks that may be experiencing the same problem don't know about this resource.  

Apple should step up, take responsibility for this problem, and fix the monitors-at their expense.

Steve, where are you?

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On 08:43am Nov 2, 2003 CDT, Torben Linde wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

My 20 months old 17" LCD had the dimmed lower half / flashing power button syndrome yesterday
One more among the disgruntled!

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On 12:12pm Nov 2, 2003 CDT, Jack Markham wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Top half after 20 months. Just installed Panther; but, it has to be hardware. See Apple article 51810. Two short and one long means backlight lamp problems.

BTW, I rather like the flashing light. Now this year I don't have to install that Christmas Lights screen saver.

And another thing, there's a great silver lining to all this.  Now I can buy that 23-inch Cinema HD Display I've been wanting. Heck, I was going to buy all my kids shoes for the winter, but they can wait. :)

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On 07:36pm Nov 2, 2003 CDT, Jack Markham wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel    IT'S PANTHER !!

Just installed Jaguar on my second internal drive. My 17" display stopped flashing. All is well. I plan to delete Panther from my primary drive and go back to using Jaguar.

BTW, did you know that a black panther has spots just like a jaguar?

-----

On 09:17am Nov 3, 2003 CDT, Ivan Milles wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Yep, had this yesterday, too... my monitor is three years old, and it gives the two short, one long blink. Apple told me it has to go to the Netherlands (I'm in Sweden) for repair, at the neat sum of €600, roughly equivalent of a new monitor.

I would be extremely happy if this turned out to be the inverter, but it probably is the backlight as the screen has been a _little_ flickery from time to time in the last few weeks.

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On 02:07pm Nov 3, 2003 CDT, David Thomasson wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Did you do anything different to your system prior to the monitor malfunctioning?

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On 04:39pm Nov 3, 2003 CDT, Ivan Milles wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Yes, I actually installed 10.2.8 a few weeks ago... But I don't see how that could be the trouble, and the faint flickering had been going on for a few months...

I don't think the lamp is busted, though, since when I power up the monitor/goes out of rest, it stays OK for about a split second. If the lamp was out, I don't think it would do that.

Now, if the inverter board is out, can I hurt the monitor by running it?

-----

On 12:28am Nov 4, 2003 CDT, David Thomasson wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I'm not sure of the exact life of a LCD backlight, but I'm pretty sure it should be more than 3 years.  It does sound like the inverter is your culprit.  But I'm far from being a LCD genius.

I'm not entirely sure when this wave of bad Apple Studio Display LCDs first started, but many, many of us had our inverters go wonky right after the 10.2.8 update.  I don't know if it is possible for the update to cause a hardware problem such as we are all having, but it will consider it plausible until I get information to the contrary.

My thinking is that this could be a situation where the update upset some component, signal, power, or data, of the ADC workings causing the AC/DC inverters in the displays to malfunction.  I welcome any explanation as to how this is absolutely wrong or support that I may have something here.

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On 02:45am Nov 4, 2003 CDT, Rigoletti Tikwit wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

It doesn't seem likely to be 10.2.8 since if you notice the 180 posts on this site about 150 of them were posted before that software came out. Also, I had the problem. Apple fixed it and I THEN updated to 10.2.8.

All that being said, the software could add to the problem, I suppose.

My monitor was 1 year and 11 days old, 11 days past warranty but Apple finally agreed to fix it since I was so close to the deadline.  For the others out there, let me point out that fellow poster William Rivas heroically pursued the problem. He eventually found a third party who could fix it. I attach his solution below. I think in the end his total bill came to like $215-$225 or something like that.

Apple should be fixing these monitors but if they are not, this is another route to go.
Thanks, William,
Richard

Posts: 989
    OK people got my monitor fixed but not yet delivered, backlites were ok, Power Inverter was BAD. Total price for repair 175.00 bucks! Delivery is extra.

Monitor was fixed in one day. Here is the info:
The Image
www.monitorexperts.com
714-995-0100
714-995-5960
8791 Winston Rd
Anaheim, CA 92804

Ask for Manuel, tell him I refered you...save hundreds!

William

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On 12:39pm Nov 4, 2003 CDT, iCare wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

The reports that 10.2.8 has caused some Studio Display 17 users to experience the reported backlight failure problem is very interesting to me since I wouldn't expect software to cause a problem like that. Based on all of the discussion board posts I have determined that there are two ways that a backlight failure manifests itself.

1) The top half or the bottom half of the display appears dim, probably because one or more of the 4 (2 top, 2 bottom) backlight bulbs isn't lit.

2) The power LED on the display blinks a repeating error code as documented in http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=88366

The article referenced above indicates that the display is capable of displaying two distinct error codes including:

a) A repeating sequence of two short flashes and a long flash indicate the display is detecting a backlight lamp error

b) A repeating sequence of three short flashes indicates the display is detecting input in the wrong video format.

I would expect to see users with a hardware failure to experience the 2 short flashes followed by a long flash error code. Is it possible that customers installing 10.2.8 are experiencing the other error code where three short flashes of the LED are displayed? This would be more likely with a software/driver issue that could occur with the installation of 10.2.8.

If you experienced problems after installing 10.2.8 let us know what the symptoms are? Are you getting the 2 short 1 long, or the 3 short error code? Are you using the standard video card that came with your system, or did you upgrade to another video card?

Who knows, maybe we can all work together to figure out why some users are reporting problems after installing 10.2.8. Throw out your ideas for everyone to see.

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On 03:01pm Nov 4, 2003 CDT, gnehdne wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

My problem occurred both prior to and after installing 10.2.8. I am using the standard video card that came with my system. My problem started with a D.O.A 17" studio display purchased November of 2001. On 5/13/02 display exhibited back light problem, 2 short 1 Long flashes, dimmed lower half screen. Sent in and repaired. 10/20/03 after installing 10.2.8 again, same symptoms as before. Diagnosed by Apple authorized tech as bad voltage inverter. Display no longer under warranty,$600. fix per apple. My display is still blinking 2 short 1 long and have not repaired it because of outrageous repair cost quoted by Apple. Please address this issue. Whether it be a software or hardware problem most of us feel that we are not being dealt with fairly.

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On 03:21am Nov 5, 2003 CDT, Victor Rasquin wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

My display started flickering after installing 10.2.8. Meanwhile I installed Panther, but the flickering persisted. Yesterday, for the first time the bottom half of my display (bougth 2000) dimmed and the power LED started flashing (two short flashes and one long). When I put the system to sleep bij pushing the on/off LED on the screen and then restart the system by touching the same LED the screen lights up with no problem and stays bright for the rest of the time (several hours). When I shut the system down and I restart afterwards the problem with the backlight occurs again. Restarting with the LED on the screen cures the problem (for the moment!?)

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On 12:22am Nov 5, 2003 CDT, koly wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I'm not 100% positive, but fairly certain that my monitor half dimming effect (top half, BTW) occured AFTER installing 10.2.8.

I am experiencing the 2 short 1 long blink syndrome. I don't like it.

It also occurred about 2 months after my 1 year factory warranty expired :-(

Running standard video card.

Oh yeah - when I initially boot up the machine, the monitor displays both halves (top & bottom) equally bright for a half second til the OS starts loading, at which point the top half of the monitor goes dim.

The exact same symptom occurs when the display wakes from sleep mode - full monitor brightness for 1/2 second, then top half dims.

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On 12:58am Nov 5, 2003 CDT, gnehdne wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Same symptoms as mine. Dim lower screen three flashes, 2 short, 1 long. Upon waking screen full brightness for 1/2 second or so. Bad voltage inverter! If it were a bad back light
I don't think you would see full brightness at all. Mine was actually opened up and checked by an Apple tech. Since I had this problem previous to installing 10.2.8 also, I doubt if software was the cause.

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On 07:37am Nov 5, 2003 CDT, Eric Siegmund wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I'm not convinced that the fact that the screen has full brightness for an instant after waking up should be taken as conclusive evidence that the problem is with the inverter and not the backlight itself.

I suggested this to an Apple tech and his reply was that fluorescent bulbs (and that's all a backlight is) often exhibit this behavior. Even in a home light fixture, a bad bulb will often flicker or even light fully for an instant when the switch is first thrown, before going out. You might think of it as the bulb having just enough residual capability to generate light for an instant, but not enough to stay on.

Of course, I don't know if this is an accurate assessment of the specific situation, but it does have some inherent logic.

Apple now has my monitor and when I find out what the repair consisted of, I'll let you know.

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On 07:04am Nov 5, 2003 CDT, Ben Dyer1 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Well, the other day I joined this ever popular club :-(

My Apple Studio Display 17" is 18 months old. I've got the lower part of
the display dimmed.

After finding this discussion list and reading the contents, I was pretty disgusted with Apple's stance on this. Therefore, with nothing to lose I took my display apart. I located the dual inverter board that supplies the  upper and lower backlights. Then, I turned the board over so that the backlight top supply became the bottom one. Lo and behold, the top part is now dimmed. I'm pretty sure the inverter board is the problem.

I've got a local (that's London UK for me) Apple guy looking to source the part. I'll let everyone know how I get on.

Here's my take on the problem : The inverter board contains a design fault whereby after a certain period of time one of the semiconductors stops working properly. This is either a design error with max current calculations or a batch of faulty semiconductors with reduced life expectancy.

The microprocessor board in the panel detects the problem and limits the current. Hence the backlight going dim after a short time when first powering up and or coming out of sleep mode. Then comes the delightful flashing of the light to tell me there's a problem. Strangely enough, I can see that already thanks Mr Microprocessor!

If for some reason my local guy can't source the part I will be extremely annoyed. I can't believe apple is charging so much for the repair when I would imagine that the inverter board costs $50 or so. Maybe this isn't the same problem with all our screens but it's looking a lot like that if you ask me.

I wouldn't mind so much if Apple came clean and said "Sorry guys, but we've found a problem here. Bring your screen back to the place where you bought it and it will be repaired while you wait for say $100."

Strictly speaking, we shouldn't be paying at all but I accept that it's out of it's warranty period. I don't accept that it should cost $500-600 to fix.

I'm a happy G4 and G5 owner and I'm more than pleased with many aspects of Apple's other hardware and software. However, I will think twice about Apple's displays in the future. Especially if the warranty period is only 1 year.

To Apple :
Please listen to us. Without customers, you don't have a business. If you've found a mistake, then have the business sense to reduce the damage to your reputation. You did it with the G4 fan noise. Now's the time to do it again. Thanks for listening.

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On 10:01am Nov 6, 2003 CDT, Rick Swanson1 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Good work Eric. I would like to find out what the fix is going to be. I also feel that Apple is letting us all down. First of all we buy their products because they are good. This is my 5th apple product and I have never had any problems until now, but if they cant stand by what they make that is really a shame.

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On 11:01am Nov 7, 2003 CDT, Timothy Titcomb wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I've experienced these symptoms twice: half dimmed display, power light flashing, 2 short flashes, 1 long flash, a pause and then the pattern would repeat.  The second time it was the lower half was dimmed. However, I can't recall if it was the lower half the first time.

The display was purchased in Jun 01. The first problem occurred in Jul 02.  It was repaired by Apple. The repair documentation stated that part number: 0500-0105-0170, described as "INVERTER ASSY P 30" was replaced.

The second problem occurred a couple of weeks ago.  It was also repaired by Apple. This time the part replaced was listed as part number: 0500-0105-0171 and described as " P30A INVERTER DC-AC"

I was told by Apple Support, that the problem could have been either a burnt out backlight bulb or the part supplying power to the bulb, that there was no way to tell which it was, and that there was no way to tell if the part that was just replaced was the same part replaced in Jun 02.

I'm wondering if I can expect to see this failure again in about a year?

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On 11:38pm Nov 7, 2003 CDT, Eric Siegmund wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I've posted to this thread several times, beginning back in early September, when my monitor succumbed to the symptoms described by everyone else here. However, my story takes an interesting turn. I debated whether to tell you about it or not, because I'm not sure whether it will help or just make things worse. I guess I've decided it's better that you know what's possible, whether it's something you can take advantage of or not.

A little history. My monitor began having problems about 14 months after I purchased it...2 months after the warranty expired. After finding this thread, I realized it wasn't an isolated problem. Acting on some advice provided by someone else here, I went to http://www.planetfeedback.com/ and sent a message to Steve Jobs. I really didn't expect to receive a response, so I was surprised to get a call from an Apple representative in late October. I've documented that conversation in another post. That conversation ended with the rep's promise to let me know if anything  happened that I needed to know about.

A few days later, he called me back and said that Apple would repair my monitor at no cost to me, as a "one-time exception." He put me on the line with another Apple employee, who explained the shipping and repair process. Three days later...Monday of this week, in fact...a monitor shipping box arrived at my house via Airborne Express. I packed up my monitor, called Airborne, and the box was shipped to Apple's repair facility in Kentucky that same evening. Four days later... today... Airborne delivered my repaired monitor to me and I've been using it all day.

The Proof of Repair document enclosed with the monitor showed that the following parts were replaced:

  P30A Inverter DC-AC (Part #0500-0105-0171)
  Main Logic Board P30 (Part #3170-0022-0150)

The repair has a 90-day guarantee. All repair and shipping costs were paid by Apple.

I don't know how to explain this. While I didn't ask the Apple Executive Relations representative why he decided to repair my monitor -- I think I was in shock -- I did ask the tech rep who explained the process to me. He said he didn't know; in fact, based on what he DID know of my situation, he wouldn't have agreed to repair it at no cost. But the Exec Relations guy has the last word in these situations; what he says, goes.

The tech guy said that as far as he knew, all that was wrong was a backlight, and bulbs burn out, some sooner than later, depending on how much the monitor was used. I told him that I understood that, and wouldn't expect Apple to replace a lightbulb after 14 months at no cost. But, I asked him, how do you justify charging $600 for such a repair? His reply: "I have no opinion and no comment."

You've noticed that there was no mention of a backlight replacement on my monitor. That didn't surprise me, necessarily; I've thought all along that it was the inverter. But the replacement of the main logic board was a surprise, indicating a bigger problem than I expected. (Now, I'll admit that perhaps replacing the logic board is the standard procedure when the inverter is bad; perhaps the board gets damaged when the inverter goes out. I just don't know.)

I continue to believe that Apple needs to re-examine its LCD monitor repair policy. Having a flat fee for repairs, no matter how minor, seems foolish and anti-customer. I think most of us would be happy to pay reasonable costs for reasonable repairs. I don't know if the problems we're seeing with these monitors are evidence of a systemic problem, but a more reasonable repair pricing policy would make even that easier to deal with.

As I said, I'm posting this information with the full realization that it will just make some of you angrier about what you already perceive to be an unfair situation. But, again, I decided it was more important to give full disclosure on what I experienced, in case there's something that might help you.

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On 11:14am Nov 12, 2003 CDT, Pandazona wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

well eric i would just LOVE to know what you said in your letter that made it any different than all the letters I sent and they have refused to fix my display!  please share.   i have written to  Apple using planetfeedback several times and they haven't even written me back.  
you're right, i am definately PO'd about this, but now that we know they fixed yours.... who's to say they won't fix ours?
i'm going to keep trying.

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On 07:36am Nov 13, 2003 CDT, Eric Siegmund wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

My letter was nothing special (I thought); if it helps, here's what I wrote:

"Dear Mr. Jobs,

I am writing in the hope that you will be able to address my complaint about the the reliability and repair cost of Apple's LCD monitors.

Here's why I'm writing. The backlight on my Apple 17" Studio Display LCD monitor has apparently gone out, about two months after the 1 year warranty expired. I notice on Apple's discussion board that this is happening to MANY owners of this monitor. I also see that Apple is the only company who can repair this problem, and that you charge more than $500 for the repair. Of course, I can buy a new (and better) monitor from another manufacturer for this price.

You should know that I probably won't buy another Apple monitor. Also, I will tell my friends about this negative experience, just so they know. Overall, I'm very happy with my Apple computing products; that makes this specific problem even harder to understand and accept.

If Apple knows of a widespread problem with this monitor, it should acknowledge the problem and offer repairs either for free (depending on the age of the monitor) or at competitive market value (which is about $100 for the same repair on other brands).

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I look forward to hearing from you soon."

For some reason, this letter persuaded someone at Apple to call me, and we had a long discussion about the problem, possible solutions, etc. I think that discussion (which I tried to keep on a constructive, unemotional level) probably had more to do with Apple's decision than the initial letter.

As they say, your mileage may vary. Good luck.

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On 03:22pm Nov 13, 2003 CDT, gnehdne wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Come on Apple! Fixing 1 monitor from this link is a start but the rest of us are still waiting for a solution. Maybe Eric's fix gave you in site into the underlying problem behind the numerous inverter failures reported. The rest of us are not going to give up on this issue. This monitor is defective. There are too many of us here to be ignored. At least let us know you are working on this problem.

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On 07:20am Nov 14, 2003 CDT, Geir Ottestad wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Another one bites the dust. Just the same with the top 1/3 dimming down, then the 2 short + one long flashing button.  Tried on several systems with/wo 10.2.8

Apple; We´re a crowd now!

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On 08:03pm Nov 15, 2003 CDT, Thomas Herbert wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Apparently, I'm not the only one!  The bottom of my 17" display went out today with the blinking power light!  I took it to the Apple store where I bought it 13 mo. ago.  They said that it would cost something like $509 to repair it or I could buy a new one for $599, if I have those figures right.

I took the broken monitor away and went across the street to CompUSA, where I bought a 17" Sony.  I have a Sony 18" on a Linux box and it has been wonderful, with a beautiful picture and easy to adjust front panel brightness and contrast.  The Sony cost me $549 - a $50 rebate.  So why should Apple charge more for a repair than one can buy a Sony for?

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On 09:28am Nov 17, 2003 CDT, Marilyn Jegerlehner wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Some months ago my 17" monitor began dimming on the top half and the boot light did as the rest of you describe.  For some reason it eventually corrected itself...until yesterday when the problem returned.  I needed to use Classic and when I booted Classic using the startup disk icon in preferences, I noticed that Classic was not dimmed.  I then rebooted into OS X 10.3.1 and the monitor was no longer dimmed.  

Today when I booted my computer into 10.3.1, the monitor was again dimmed.  I booted into Classic (which again was not dimmed) and then rebooted back into 10.3.1 and the monitor again was not dimmed.

The warranty for my display ran out in March of this year and I am also not willing to pay to have this display repaired.

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On 01:50pm Nov 18, 2003 CDT, Marilyn Jegerlehner wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Just wanted to add that today, the monitor's top light has been dimmed since booting the computer.  I logged into Classic and today that didn't help.  Looks as though the problem is not permanent.  I refuse to pay Apple the outrageous price to have the monitor fixed and agree with those who, unless Apple comes through on this issue, will never again purchase an Apple display.  It is obvious that this issue is a defect and Apple should recall every one of these displays.

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On 03:03pm Nov 18, 2003 CDT, Marilyn Jegerlehner wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I just spent an hour on the phone with 3 Apple reps, an Apple Care person, a Customer Relations person, and a Tech.  According to the Tech, I am to take the display to our local Apple repair center and they will "change the light bulb".  According to him, the 3 flashes indicate a burned out bulb.  I referred all reps to the discussion boards but they aren't very interested in what we all have to say.  I also quoted much of what you are all saying and what other repairs diagnosed.  It was like talking to a brick wall.  I told the Tech if it turns out to be more than a bulb, I am going to be P---ED!!!!!!!!

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On 12:21pm Nov 19, 2003 CDT, Marilyn Jegerlehner wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

The saga continues.  Yesterday the Apple Tech gave me the phone numbers for two businesses that do repairs for Apple.  I called CompUSA and was told that they do not repair displays, that they would send it to Apple and it would cost $600+.  I called the second business and was told the same thing.

These displays should be recalled and repaired by Apple just as a car manufacturer recalls vehicles that have a defect.

I plan to lodge a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission and suggest everyone with this display problem do the same.  To do so, go to https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/wsolcq$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU01.

My plan now is to use my old Apple monitor while shopping for another, and IT WON'T BE AN APPLE!

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On 01:14pm Nov 19, 2003 CDT, Marilyn Jegerlehner wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Excerpt from info sent to Federal Trade Commission:

Subject of Your Complaint:    Computers/Internet Services
Name of Company You Are Complaining About:    Apple Computer
Street Address:    1 Infinite Loop
City:    Cupertino
State or Canadian Province:    California
Country:    UNITED STATES
Zip Code or Postal Code:    95014
Phone Number:    (408)9961010Ext.
How Did the Company Initially Contact You?:    Unknown
How Much Did the Company Ask You to Pay?:    600
Explain Your Problem: (Please limit your complaint to 2000 characters.):    I purchased a Apple 17" TFT Display (computer monitor) in March 2002 for approximately $1000.00. In June 2003 the top one-third of the monitor became dim. It corrected itself after a couple of days. This week the top one-third of the monitor dimmed and remains dim while the start-button on the monitor blinks three times, stays off for seconds, blinks three times, etc. I went to Apple's "discussion" site and found approximately 200 messages all with the same complaint. I talked with three Apple reps yesterday (An AppleCare rep, a customer relations rep and a Technical person. Apple will not stand behind this monitor. The Tech told me that the monitor's back light needs replacing. I found on Apples http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=88366 where it states that "a repeating sequence of three short flashes indicates the display is detecting input in the wrong video format. Check that your display!
  is compatible with the video card and that supported versons of Mac OS and the display software are being used". These displays are sold with the CPU I have it connected to. My setup is the way Apple sells it. It worked fine until it was out of warranty. I have learned that the defective parts are the P30A Inverter DC-AC and the Main Logic Board P-30.

Apple should recall these monitors just as a car manufacturer recalls autos with defects.

New Complaint

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On 05:55pm Nov 20, 2003 CDT, Pandazona wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I urge everyone to please keep using www.planetfeeback.com

I've been trying to send a letter everyday, it gets tiresome, but if that's what it's going to take...

also, i have once reported them to the BBB and they said they couldn't do anyting about it so i'm not sure how effective reporting them to the FTC will be but do keep us posted!

thanks

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On 08:50am Nov 24, 2003 CDT, Daniel Reiff wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Add one more dud 17" LCD monitor to the list. (bottom half, flashing lights, 22 months old, etc.). Since this is a second monitor used mostly for palettes and files, I could almost live with it except for the insanely bright blinking light pattern which serves only to remind me of this poor quality hunk of junk every five seconds.

Thanks to all previous posters who identified the problem and suggested various avenues for repair.

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On 09:43pm Nov 25, 2003 CDT, Dirk Jensen wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

.....Here we go again! I see I'm number 204 on the this growing list - upper 1/2 of screen dimmed, 3 blinks. Can't tell you how frustrated I am!!!!!

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On 08:57am Nov 29, 2003 CDT, Ross Leung wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Add me to the list :-( Though, my display is a 20"... it's 3 months old.  This bites.

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On 05:12pm Nov 30, 2003 CDT, Andrew Watters1 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Add me to the list.  My 17" studio display is two years old.  It was great while it lasted!  I really can't be spending $1000 every two years for a new flat panel...

Yet another example of Apple f___ing its users.

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On 11:37am Dec 1, 2003 CDT, Steve Dadds wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Same thing here. 25 months old. Is it toast or can they be fixed ?

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On 04:45pm Dec 2, 2003 CDT, Benjamin Poiesz wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Mine just blew out today too...top half of the screen and i'm three months out of warranty! Dang! I was thinking of getting a 20 incher, but i don't want to get screwed again...c-ya apple.

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On 07:20pm Dec 2, 2003 CDT, Scott Schroeder wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Did anyone ever discover where the voltage regulator can be purchased or who makes it?

Come on Apple, throw us a bone here.  At least give us the option to try a self-repair. It doesn't appear that difficult provided you can solder.

What have we to loose? A $600 official repair with a 90 day repair warranty is a fool's option.

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On 03:20am Dec 3, 2003 CDT, jens francke wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

17"LCD....just dimmed down, power button is flashing 3 times:(

apple jsut lost me as costumer. first my noisy private G5 now this lcd thingy. this in no quality.

I wanted to sign for 30 G5´s today....needless to say i will not allow any investment in apple products in our company till apple goes back and check their products for quality.....

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On 05:08am Dec 3, 2003 CDT, Basasoft Sl wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Hi:

Same has happend to me. Lower part dimmed with flashing powerbutton.

Mi local repair store in Spain just called charging 600 Euro!!!!!!

Will not repair there. There must be an easy way to do it.

BTW did you notice that the vast majority of the problems have started between July, 2003 and now? (At least the posts have those dates).

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On 04:50pm Dec 4, 2003 CDT, Jim Gardner1 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I just found this thread, but my 17in apple flat panel did exactly the same thing. For me it was the top half of the screen. It's about a year and a half old.

I didn't put them together, but I believe it happened right after I updated to 10.2.8 as well.

There are way too many people here having the exact same problem for it to be coincidence.

Come on Apple ! What's going on?

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On 07:53pm Dec 4, 2003 CDT, Kristina King wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Started up my computer today and noticed a partial dimming of the upper part of the screen and the flashing indicator light. Went to the Apple.com support web site with the thought that there might be some information on the blinking indicator ligh t and dimmed screen and to my surprise found hundreds of identical problems listed on the discussion board. This system was purchased 18 months ago and I have two other Mac systems with AV monitors from 1993 and 1995 that are still working perfectly. After browsing most of the discussion board postings it would appear that this is a time-dependent defect inherent in one or more of the electrical components. Other postings indicate that the inverter board or the processor may be the problem which gives some hope that it can be repaired economically. Unfortunately Apple does not seem to be willing to stand behind taking care of these repairs beyond their flat-rate charge of $600. I will contact Apple rep to get their official respon!
 se and then follow-up if necessary with a complaint to the FTC.

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On 02:37pm Dec 5, 2003 CDT, David Perkins3 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I had same problem. Monitor 18 months old. After getting quotes for repair I was half through pulling my hair out when I found a suggestion in discussions which I tried and guess what? IT WORKED!!! All I did was to restart my G4 whilst holding down Apple/Option+A+V. This take it into system check mode and after a couple of minutes I was back to my log on screen by which time the light had stopped flashing and the screen was back to normal. My normal Apple repair agent didn't know about this when I phoned him yesterday. Is Apple keeping this a secret for some reason? Give it a try and good luck!

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On 03:37pm Dec 5, 2003 CDT, Scott Schroeder wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Apple/Option+A+V is not a secret. It simply doesn't work in most instances.

For some it does, for some the problem will reoccur, for most it doesn't help. In short, if you can take your monitor to another computer and the problem reoccurs, it's the monitor.

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On 10:34pm Dec 6, 2003 CDT, Rod Paddick wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

One more for the list. Out of warranty. Have just updated to 10.2.8 and now have the dimming effect noted by so many others.
Have checked out http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=51810 but this isn't helpful. What next Apple?

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On 09:29am Dec 9, 2003 CDT, jens francke wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

hmm just did it. ordered a new Eizo 17" display which is :
- cheaper
- better quality
- has 5 !! years of on-site warrent including the blacklight

made me around 630 €. apple wanted 460€ for the repair of my 17".

people if you are out of warrenty go and forget your old apple display and buy a new one (of course non-apple).

greetings.

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On 11:22pm Dec 9, 2003 CDT, mc wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Hi All. Read Eric Siegmund's post and thought I should chime in. I too am an unfortunate member of this club. Not much to contribute as it's the garden-variety blink, except the dimming is on the top and it's not OS-upgrade related for me.

Been Mac-based for 10+ years and never been this bummed with an Apple product. I hope you can hear us Mr. Higgin.

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On 07:07pm Dec 10, 2003 CDT, Pandazona wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

There are 22 printed pages of complaints here.  I have every intention of faxing Apple these 22 pages plus a letter of my own.  Obviously my letter is not getting into the right hands so I'll just let it eat up thier fax paper and float around the office until someone realizes this is a problem.  Anyone else who wishes to join me, here is their info:

Apple Computer Inc

Tel: 408-996-1010
Fax: 408-996-0275
www.apple.com
1 Infinite Loop
Cupertino, CA 95014-2084

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On 12:09pm Dec 11, 2003 CDT, Andrew Watters1 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I received my display back from Monitor Experts yesterday ($275 flat rate repair), and it worked well for 24 hours until now-- the _bottom_ half of the screen went dim until I rebooted and it seems to have fixed itself.  I too noticed this happened after updating to 10.2.8.  I don't think Apple is diabolical enough to put in a software check to disable the monitor if it detects a revision 1 17" display...but after certain other debacles in the past, I'm not so sure.  Has anyone's repaired display gone dim?

-----

On 11:43am Dec 15, 2003 CDT, Lawrence You wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I'm sad to say that yesterday I joined the club of owners of half-dimmed 17" monitors. I just found this thread today.

I have the 17" Studio Display and the lower half is dimmed, about 20 months old. The power button blinks two short flashes and one long flash. The Mac is running 10.2.6.

Not much more that I can say--it's all been said here before. I'm going to try to get this repaired or find the inverter board at a reasonable price.

-----

On 03:09pm Dec 18, 2003 CDT, Lawrence You wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I'm following up to my post from yesterday. I called the Apple support number and went through the usual exchange. i) yes, I have a hardware problem, ii) no, the equipment is no longer under warranty, iii) no, there is nothing else that can be done other than take my product to an authorized dealer/service center.

Because the Visa card I used to purchase the monitor has an additional one year of warranty coverage on the manufacturer's (Apple's) one year, I started a claim with them. The repair costs, whatever they might be, will be covered fully by that policy.

I also opted to buy an additional three years extended warranty coverage from Visa for $82 so now I'm covered for a while longer.

Next stop: take the monitor in to the Apple Store to get this thing fixed.

-----

On 04:11am Dec 17, 2003 CDT, Martin Aldred wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I am sorry to have to add my name to the hundreds of Apple customers suffering from dim LCD screens.  

Monitor 2 years old.

Top part of screen about as dim as bottom half on minimum brightness.

2 short and 1 long monitor power lamp flashes at approx 5 sec intervals.

100% bright screen for a fraction of a second on wake-up from sleep.

Computer used for an average of 1 hour per day.  Screen sleep set to 10 minutes.

Clearly these screens are not "fit for purpose".

What are Apple doing to rectify this problem?

-----

On 07:14am Dec 17, 2003 CDT, Martin Aldred wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I too have found using 9.2.2 as a start-up disk produces a normal bright screen.  Then using 10.3.1 for start-up the screen is still bright.

But will it last?

-----

On 11:22am Dec 19, 2003 CDT, Marilyn Jegerlehner wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Sorry to tell you, but I had the same experience; the dimmed display corrected itself when going to 9.2.2. and then back to 10.3.1.  It lasted approximately one day and then dimmed continuously.

-----

On 10:22am Dec 19, 2003 CDT, Ueli Scherrer wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

NO! Let it be not true...
This is so sad...
why?
why now?
why me?
just very sad...
:..-(

-----

On 11:10am Dec 19, 2003 CDT, Marilyn Jegerlehner wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I wrote directly to Steve Jobs, Apple, 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, CA 95014.  Just received a call from his office and the word I heard the most was "UNFORTUNATELY".  Perhaps if everyone with a half-dimmed flat panel display would write directly, it will help.  Can't hurt!

-----

On 12:12pm Dec 19, 2003 CDT, maximus wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Add one more 18 month old 17" Studio Display to the list...dim on the bottom half.

I don't think this is at all related to a Mac OS X upgrade (as previously posted by others) as I have this connected to a PC with a DVI card and a DrBott "DVIator".

This is the only piece of Apple hardware I've ever bought for my company's network (200+ users, 11 servers).  After reading this thread and Apple's lack of response to their customers, it's the only Apple product I'll ever buy...lesson learned.

-----

On 05:22am Dec 22, 2003 CDT, ROUTIER andré wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Hi guys!

One more to the list...
My 17" LCD display has the button light flashing 3 times (2 short and 1 long...). The upper part of the screen is darker. Just after awaking from a sleep, the full display is bright during a few seconds.
I'm a new Apple customer, I've switched last year...
After reading the all thread regarding this problem, I'm just wandering if it was a good idea as I see how Apple is taking care of its customers...
My old PC has still its LCD screen up since 3 years...

-----

On 04:05pm Dec 22, 2003 CDT, Gary Marvel wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Once again, Apple is removing posts that are requesting people to contact them regarding this defect.  Please everyone on this board contact Apple if you have this problem so they will offer us some sort of solution to this problem, either a cheap repair or preferably a free one.  I did not do anything to this monitor and it broke.  Sure it's out of warranty, but it shouldn't break if it is less than 2 years old!  Come on Apple, what happened to the quality?

Apple Computer Inc

Tel: 408-996-1010
Fax: 408-996-0275
www.apple.com
1 Infinite Loop
Cupertino, CA 95014-2084

-----

On 09:10pm Dec 22, 2003 CDT, suejetski wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I'm getting the same thing as of this morning with the exception that the top 1/2 of mine is dimmed. Anyone find anything out yet?

-----

On 09:23pm Dec 22, 2003 CDT, suejetski wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I just posted  - and tried Apple Care but called after hours. I then shut down, unplugged the monitor and plugged it back in and restarted - ALL IS WELL!! All blinking has stopped - I'll try Apple Care in the morning, but for now - try this and see if it helps.

Sue

-----

On 01:10pm Dec 23, 2003 CDT, Gary Marvel wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Wow Sue, that's wonderful your display is working again.  Unfortunately that did not work for me.  Please post what Apple has to say when you call applecare.

Thanks

-----

On 09:40pm Dec 30, 2003 CDT, suejetski wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Unfortunately, I experienced only temporary jubilation! The next day (and ever since) I've had the same symptoms. Aple Care sent a return box. I'm still under the extended warranty. Am I assuming correctly that everyone else is out of warranty - that's why you're not getting help?

-----

On 04:42pm Dec 31, 2003 CDT, gnehdne wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

You assume correctly.

-----

On 05:22pm Dec 31, 2003 CDT, Casey2 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

This thread certainly does cause one to pause. I have a 17 inch LCD as well as a 20. My 17 worked on my Beige G3 then was put on the PC (yes, I have one of those too). My 20" is on my G5.

Thankfully mine are working flawlessly.

-----

On 01:44am Jan 1, 2004 CDT, Daniel Van Ampting1 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Add me to the list of angry customers.

My 17 inch is is about 20 months old but it is only used with my 15" powerbook.  probably used about 5 hours a week and that is a huge over-estimation!

This should be apples problem not OURS!!

-----

On 05:06pm Jan 1, 2004 CDT, gnehdne wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Your display usage has nothing to do with the problem at hand.
This defect which manifests itself at any time from day of purchase to 20 months later, usually after warranty expiration, is why Apple is sticking by their policy so diligently. They believe that the Apple warranty will protect them from responsibility. We shall see!

My monitor was sent back to Apple 5 months after purchase due to back light problems (under warranty), the problem reoccured some months later after the warranty had expired. They refused to do anything about it. Repairs are only guaranteed for 90 days.

-----

On 01:49pm Jan 1, 2004 CDT, gnehdne wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display



Maybe we should contact King & Ferlauto
                        1880 Century Park E
                        Los Angeles, Ca.
                        310 552-3366

They just might think we have a case as well.
I'm sure that this post will be deleted pronto!

-----

On 08:33pm Jan 1, 2004 CDT, Robert Martinez wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Hey guys and gals,

Add me to the list.  I have had my 17 inch Studio for 16 months.

It started acting up last night.  I have tried all the tricks that have been mentioned here to no avail. I still get the blinking light and a dim bottom half.

This is lame.  I hope we can find a cheap fix for this soon. I was going to buy a 20 inch but I am going to wait and see what Apple does to fix this.

To top it off my 12 "powerbook Rev. B is seperating.  The palm rest is warped.

-----

On 11:09pm Jan 1, 2004 CDT, Daniel Van Ampting1 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

there was a similar situation to ours (except a much smaller problem) and Apple lost a class action lawsuit.  Our problem is much worse then the one in the link at the bottom of the first page of apples site. Here is the link. Hopefully Apple has leaned their lesson. Lets see how they handle our situation.  I am calling tommorrow and I will post what they have to say tommorrow.

Apple/MAC OS X SETTLEMENT

http://appleosx.rosenthalco.com/

Hope this link does not get deleted like the last..after all it is public recored and can help us solve our technical issues. Hope fully it won't come to that.

-----

On 02:09am Jan 2, 2004 CDT, Gary G wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Just add me to the list of one of the disgruntled.  My display also "went dark".  I will be seeking various pathways to get Apple to take care of this.  Can't believe a company which prides itself on alleged quality has NO customer service.  This should have been recognized as a problem a long time ago judging by the length of this forum.  Shame on Apple.  Better start listening to your "loyal" customers or you could wind up back around 1995.

-----

On 08:20am Jan 2, 2004 CDT, Marc Taillon wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

At the end, it was hardware.  I shipped the display, they replaced the retro back light display and this is it!

-----

On 06:58pm Jan 5, 2004 CDT, ScooterG wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I've had a 17" hooked up to my Cube for 2.5 years and it has had no problems. The Cube is on 24/7, but it sleeps when I'm not using it. I feel that it was $999 well spent.

Scott

-----

On 11:48pm Jan 5, 2004 CDT, Daniel Van Ampting1 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

scooter play the lotto your lucky

-----

On 03:30am Jan 6, 2004 CDT, Andrew Watters1 wrote:
Subject: to fix it...

Contact Monitor Experts in Anaheim, CA.

http://monitorexperts.com/

$275 shipped, 90 day warranty.  I am very happy with mine.  Beats a poke in the eye with a sharp stick from apple.

-----

On 05:08am Jan 6, 2004 CDT, Stuart Slaney wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

My monitor was purchased in Feb 2002. I t has now started going dim in the top half of the screen. The Power button does flash, Any ideas on how to fix it. Or am i reduced to replacing it.

Any help would be great.

-----

On 02:46pm Jan 6, 2004 CDT, Timothy Stevens wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

All of this stuff happened to me a little while ago. The screen's been sitting in my closet 'cause I thought there was nothing I could do. Anyone hear of anything recently whereas Apple might be doing a recall or anything? Maybe I should just send it back to them and see what happens.

-----

On 06:59pm Jan 6, 2004 CDT, Pandazona wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

How about this?  Has anyone had their post deleted by Apple?
I have!  I think it's because a bunch of us said the words 'class action'.
Go ahead Apple, delete it again.  It's still not going to go away.

-----

On 09:49am Jan 7, 2004 CDT, Stuart Slaney wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Guess what contacted apple, they said their repairs dept would have to look at the monitor for the common faults that this 17" display has, they can not assure me that it can be fixed, it will cost me £279.00 which does not include postage there and back or VAT, taking the grand total to the same amount as a new 17' Flat screen costs. Now i am a Apple fan and have now been very dissapointed in their lack of customer service for a know fault. I will not be sending it to apple for repair  i will be buying newer larger non apple monitor. I wonder if any one knows if you have enough complaints about a certain problem on a certain product, you can take legal action against faulty goods.
Another solution is make sure that every one takes out an extended warranty. As this is what i will be doing on all Apple products that i will buy from now on.

Looks like apple will end up in  the state as it was in 1995 if they carry on with bad customer services and products.

Shame on Apple

-----

On 12:23pm Jan 7, 2004 CDT, gnehdne wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Buying an extended warranty is exactly what Apple wants you to do. Pay $249. to $349. more for an already overpriced system that has proven to be unreliable in many ways. Bad dvd-cd burners, faulty power supplies, just to name a few. Besides, you cannot get an extended warranty on a display unless you buy a powerbook or powermac at the same time, and your limit is one display per system, if you buy more than one with your computer only one is covered. Remember when Apple products were so dependable you didn't even consider needing an extended warranty? That's why we never had a problem paying more for their products. We use to get what we paid for. Those days are gone, and so is our confidence in a product we use to defend to the end. Sorry Apple, as parts of my $3000. system fail they will be replaced with after market products with cheaper price tags and better warranties that I don't have to pay extra  for.

-----

On 04:48pm Jan 7, 2004 CDT, Stuart Slaney wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Any one recommend an alternative TFT rather than my no good  Apple 17" tft.

O and by the way why do most other makes of TFT's come with a 3 year warrenty unlike the 1 year apple. Makes you think that Apple know the life expectancy of the products

-----

On 08:58pm Jan 7, 2004 CDT, Daniel Van Ampting1 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Make sure you post in the other thread I started(If you have not already)

Use this thread for Disscussion only post ONCE in the other thread.  It is to get an accurate count on how many people are having the SAME problem.

Thanks

-----

On 11:26pm Jan 7, 2004 CDT, Daniel Van Ampting1 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Yes I also had a post deleted by Apple.  I put it back up and it remains one page back, Here it is again:

there was a similar situation to ours (except a much smaller problem) and Apple lost a class action lawsuit.  Our problem is much worse then the one in the link at the bottom of the first page of apples site. Here is the link. Hopefully Apple has leaned their lesson. Lets see how they handle our situation.  I am calling tommorrow and I will post what they have to say tommorrow.

Apple/MAC OS X SETTLEMENT

http://appleosx.rosenthalco.com/

Hope this link does not get deleted like the last..after all it is public recored and can help us solve our technical issues. Hope fully it won't come to that.

-----

On 06:25pm Jan 15, 2004 CDT, lips wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Add me to list. This is just stupid.

I have had my 17 for over two years but if that is all the life expectancy I can get, then I'll be $%##@# if I'm going to replace it with an Apple display!!! Anybody like any other displays out there?

-----

On 08:21am Jan 16, 2004 CDT, David Crowe wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

A week ago the bottom backlight of my 29 month old 17" Studio Display went out and the power light was blinking - 2 short, 1 long. All attempts to revive it failed (booting with Apple-Option-A-V, resetting PRAM, powering down, etc.), except I did notice a very slight flicker of light during screen mode changes.

I had tried unplugging the monitor with all the power off, but then tried with the power on and the machine booted up. After leaving the monitor unplugged for a couple of minutes I plugged it back in and the bottom backlight flickered into existence and then stayed on for over 30 seconds before flickering off!

I tried a couple more times, but although the light came on each time it went out almost immediately. I then carried on with some work with a half dim display for a couple of hours, but decided to give it another try. Left it unplugged for around a minute, put it back, bottom backlight came on, flickered a bit, but has miraculously stayed on for 7 days now!!

It has survived a complete power down and restart (as a test), and although I'm not at all confident it's a permanent fix (or indeed a fix for everyone) it may be worth trying if you haven't already.

I'm no electronics whizz kid, but the way in which this problem was solved - for me at least - would suggest a capacitor problem (maybe in the inverter) that was able to discharge/reset while plugging and unplugging the monitor.

Hope this might help someone else out.

-----

On 09:34am Jan 17, 2004 CDT, David Crowe wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Just an addition to my previous post; Apple advises against plugging and unplugging the display while the power is on. I knew this but decided to take a chance!

-----

On 03:27am Jan 19, 2004 CDT, Martin Aldred wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Hi David Crowe,

I am in the same situation as you (with a screen that is currently fully lit) but achieved by a slightly different route.

Mid December top half of screen dimmed, two short, one long warning light flashing.

Restarted in OS 9 from System Preferences OS 9 Startup Disk; screen relit fully, no warning light.

Restarted from OS 10.3 Startup Disk; screen relit fully, no warning light.

Took computer and screen back to dealer, just before Christmas.  Dealer said warning light flashing, send back to Apple, pay whatever they ask.

Rejected dealers advice and recovered computer and screen 2 weeks later.

Powered-up at home and screen fully lit.

Screen still fully lit 20 days later with one restart so far.  Afraid to shut-down!

Waiting for Apple to tell me if this is a software driven hardware fault.  It is certainly not normal wear and tear.

Martin

-----

On 01:39pm Jan 23, 2004 CDT, Benjamin Reyes wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Searching in Google I've found a couple of places that say can fix the display for about $275... includes pieces and labor and one way shipping.
Does anybody know if these places are reliable? Not that apple's monitors are...

Just adding... they say it's 175 if it's the volatage inverter..


-----

On 02:43pm Jan 23, 2004 CDT, Scott Schroeder wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

If this is in fact a design problem with the voltage inverter, you may want to reconsider.

You could be spending money to replace a "bad" card with one that is "soon to be bad". Most repair warranties cover labor only. If you have Apple fix it, you only get a 90-day warranty.

If it dies after that, you are out of luck....again.

Unless Apple issues a recall or something similar for the 17"; I'll never buy another Apple monitor again. I'll not even consider a monitor without a 3-yr minimum warranty.

-----

On 04:01pm Jan 23, 2004 CDT, gnehdne wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Good advice, Scott. No use putting more money into this monitor. Even $175. plus shipping is not worth a 90 day warranty. I'm just using mine until it completely dies. Then I will buy a samsung with a 3 year warranty incl. backlight.

-----

On 09:29pm Jan 23, 2004 CDT, Benjamin Reyes wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I just went to the Apple store at Tyson's Corner, VA and talked to the "Genius".... turned out to be a total idiot, besides rude. He was saying that he's never heard anything about a problem with the 17" flat panel... so I mentioned that hundreds of people are posting messages in the forum and his answer was "We don't censor those forums... people can say anything but they don't know what they are talking about". So I said well, there's a support document that says if the light blinks it's a problem with the backlight.. so he said "and it says send it back to apple for repair". I insisted that I understood what the document said but I was wondering if he knew something about a recall or what were they telling people that complained... he insisted "I've never heard anything... there's not a recall which means there are no problems with the product. We sell hundreds of thousands of monitors, if 100 people post messages, that doesn't mean anything. I have 4 monitors like that i!
 n my family and they are flawless.."...

I was so upset and disappointed with the treatment that the "friendly genius" gave me that I just left.  I just can't believe it.. I've given so much money to that stupid store and that is how they pay you back...

If you live in Northern VA, don't give them a dime... go to the one in Clarendon.

-----

On 10:35am Jan 24, 2004 CDT, Gerald Baes wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

You should go back to the store and have a "nice" conversation with the manager about the persons attitude. Don't give up on the whole store just because one person is rude. There is always someone somewhere who doesn't belong in a specific job and you just have to go around them and deal with someone else. Good luck.

-----

On 08:52am Jan 27, 2004 CDT, Daniel Van Ampting1 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

The guy at my apple store also fed me the line "We sell thousands of Monitors, a few hundred with problems is normal with that volume of sales".....?!?!? Well if Apple sells soooo many monitors then they would have no problem fixing a few hundred bad ones!  Using that logic there should be a thread like this in each product catagory....There is no other thread on this forum that has so many people complaining about the SAME EXACT PROBLEM.

-----

On 07:29pm Jan 30, 2004 CDT, Kyle Swisher wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Just had to add my experience to the list - you can guess the details - 17' Studio Display half dimmed and 9 months out of warranty.  Just got off the phone with a genial but unsuccessful call to the Apple service center in India.  Their instructions - "take the display to your local Apple authorized service center".  Pulled the display receipt and was shocked that I paid $999.97 for this monitor.  Musta' been outta my mind.

It's my second experience with an Apple monitor - I had a 17" CRT go bad, but it was covered under an extended warranty that Apple honored due to a batch of bad displays.

What's that contact info for the Federal Trade Commission again.....?

-----

On 08:24am Jan 31, 2004 CDT, Garner Lewis wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Sh_t ! I booted up this morning and I am having the same problem as pete@mac level 2 only reversed. That is the TOP half of my 17in apple flat panel display is very dimm.
The power button on the display flashes 3 times and then stays off for a few seconds then repeats.

Is there no fix for the problem or do we go blind with the dimness until it dies and then buy a different brand?

I am interested to know what experiences people have had with NON-Apple brand flat panel monitors.

-----

On 08:05pm Feb 2, 2004 CDT, drew arnold wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Possible "DUH" moment.
Apologies ahead of time if I do this wrong; I've never been involved in any on-line forums or chats before.
On Sunday Feb 1 I experienced the same problem - machine awoken from sleep, bottom half dim. I think I read all of the postings in this discussion and a couple of others, as well as whatever I could find in the "Articles" section of the Apple site. Over 3 or 4 hours I tried all of the suggestions to no avail. I was about to call AppleCare to arrange to have it repaired when I thought of one more thing to try. I found my CD titled "Apple Displays Software (v 2.1.1)" and reinstalled (in OS X). The problem went away; my screen is back to normal.
IF this was a true fix for the problem, why wasn't it mentioned as a possibility anywhere in many pages of discussions and technical "articles?"
I will be interested to see if anybody else finds this a solution.

-----

On 02:12am Feb 3, 2004 CDT, Martin Aldred wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Thanks for your report Drew.
My own experience suggests software changes may be a factor in these screen failures. I have suffered from a dim screen (3 times) immediately after a games program has initiated a screen resolution change.  Shutting down and starting from the OS 9 disk has restored the screen twice.  Leaving the computer switched off, without power, for 10 days over Christmas worked the third time.   The screen is still going 34 days later (a third of the way into a repair warranty?) but I am afraid to shut the computer down.
Am I wasting my time hoping for an explanation from Apple?

-----

On 06:13pm Feb 4, 2004 CDT, Steve Dadds wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Same here, I still use it that way.

-----

On 07:38pm Feb 4, 2004 CDT, Mark Delgrosso wrote:
Subject: Half dimmed flat panel display-switch screen

My monitored died too so I bought a new one. Does anyone know how easy it would be to switch my LCD screen from the new case (silver apple logo) to my old case (grey apple)? I like the grey apple better!

-----

On 11:07pm Feb 4, 2004 CDT, Joseph Bergum wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Add me to the list.  I am looking for the CD with Apple Displays Software on it from my original G4 software but I am not sure what CD it is on.  Any ideas?  If this is a backlight issue,  does anyone know where I can get the parts to fix it myself?   Thanks

-----

On 06:25pm Feb 9, 2004 CDT, Wandibiri wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Another victim here! My display in under 2 yrs old. This morning the lower half is dim. I checked out this forum prior to calling Apple Care and was dismayed by a substantial number of posts related to the same issue. I don't know what the denominator is here, but nevertheless this does not appear to be an unusual occurrence. What a disappointment! I am one of a few Mac users in a large Wintel world at work and everyone was always drooling at my LCD, not anymore!

The funny thing is that a $250 small LCD (unknown brand) I bought at the same time at Costco is still working great!

I am fortunate to have an extended warranty and will hopefully get it taken care of but it seems to me that this issue needs some attention.

-----

On 03:46pm Feb 10, 2004 CDT, Robert Cates wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Glad or actually dismayed to see I am not the only one suffering from this problem. My 17in is 2 years old and I recently began having the dimming problem on both the lower and upper third of my screen. A few days ago I began getting the flashing power lights. Found a document in support regarding 2 short flashes and 1 longer flash indicating backlight problem. I'll try the Apple Display software though before I take it to my local Apple Store.

-----

On 06:25pm Feb 12, 2004 CDT, suejetski wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Sorry to not respond sooner! I called AppleCare and they had me send it in and I got it back in 2 days. I did have the extended warranty. I did, however, find it interesting that the instructions for packaging the monitor did say "Instructions for packaging your defective monitor" (something similarat least - may not be the exact wording).

I usually don't believe in extended warranties on products but for computers, it's a must, especially on new models. It's paid off on my monitor and my TiBook.

-----

On 12:56pm Feb 14, 2004 CDT, Dan Welter wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Well another one bit the dust  -- it's rather annoying to work with color with any accuracy but projects have deadlines.  
I hope Apple addresses this problem soon or can we expect to find all of the 22" and 23" displays dimming out in 2 years too?

I did read in one of these previous messages where the diplay can be repaired for slightly less than what Apple is charging but I can't find the message again... anyone know where it is?

Thanks

-----

On 10:49pm Feb 17, 2004 CDT, Benjamin Reyes wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

There's another thread called "Repair shop for dimmed displays" or something like that...
http://monitorexperts.com/

-----

On 10:42am Feb 24, 2004 CDT, Gerald Baes wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I purchased two 17" LCD in Dec 2001. First one went out within the first few months of purchase so had a warranty to fix that one. So far it is still working. It was a voltage inverter. The second one went half dimned last Thursday the 19th of Feb. It was acting a little flaky and now this. Not real surprised. Very dissapointed in Apple. The fact that they won't even recognise this problem. Of course it seems that other problems haven't been addressed by them until a class action law suit is filed. I love my Apple computer. Have had one since the Mac Plus days. Come on Apple fess up to the problem and do something about it. We have supported you since day one how about supporting us for a change.

-----

On 10:53pm Feb 25, 2004 CDT, lips wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Hey All,
I just had my 17" display repaired by Monitor Experts in Anaheim CA. for $175.00 flat. That's right $175, he's lowered the flat rate price.  Great service and a one day turn around to boot. Don't send it to Apple send it to these guys.  
http://monitorexperts.com/
I promise you won't be sorry.

-----

On 01:47am Feb 27, 2004 CDT, ROUTIER andré wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Hey Mark, .

it's great for you...
Unfortunatly for me, monitorexpert are located in USA. In France there is no such shop repairing for this price. I think I'll be obliged to keep my 17" LCd half dimmed til it completly dies...
Anyway, I'm happy to see that some Mac users could repair for a good price...
Maybe if Apple intend to do something...
I'm still dreaming...

-----

On 09:39am Feb 28, 2004 CDT, David Stamm wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Add one more to the list. Happened less that 1 hour after updating software to 10.2.8. Customer relations woman ( Shawn ) was sympathetic but can do nothing for me as that would be unfair to the others who did purchase the extended service plan. 17"... 22 months old. What a crock ! And she acted like she never heard of this problem before me. After reading this board... I see that I'm not alone and surmise that Apple is ignoring the issue. I was close to buying another system for the kids so they would not be fighting over the Imac we have.... LOOKS LIKE A PC IS COMING TO OUR HOME. I AM ANGRY AT APPLE NOW. (5) new Macs over the last ten years and $16,000 later. Never thought I'd buy a PC. Too bad for Apple. They just lost a HUGE Mac fan.

-----

On 04:24pm Feb 28, 2004 CDT, Marilyn Jegerlehner wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I spoke with a customer servic rep quite some time ago.  Regarding those who have extended warrantys, what about us who couldn't get extended warranty because we didn't buy our display with the computer.

The whole thing comes down to the fact that we all have defective displays.  Think about those who don't venture to this discussion site.  Would be interesting to know exactly how many of us there are.

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On 06:12pm Feb 28, 2004 CDT, sirius wrote:
Subject: Now left button apple17" LCD is also flashing

I have a half dimmed apple 17" lcd for 5 month now, I m getting used to it!! but now I have a new problem, the left button of the display, the brightness control one, is also flashing and every 5 seconds the window system preferences/apple studio display opens!! Anyone knows how to disable it?

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On 06:36pm Mar 2, 2004 CDT, Tario Cham1 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Well add me to this glorious list...

17" Studio display 2 years old. Top half dimmed, power button blinking 3 times...  sigh.... my love hate relationship continues....

-----

On 01:06pm Mar 4, 2004 CDT, Katy Kuhn wrote:
Subject: Half dimmed and jittery flat panel display

Feels like throwing good money after bad. I've had my 17" display for over two years, and just when I'm ready to sell my whole system, these exact problems arise. Except that, I get a "pop" sound, a reduction in monitor image size, then a dimmed monitor, and THEN the display starts JITTERING as if someone blasted a radar gun on it. (Electromagnetic interference? Whatever that is, after two+ years of the same usage in the same place.) I can wait it out (it lasts 20 seconds to 5 minutes) but I want to scream.

-----

On 07:25pm Mar 4, 2004 CDT, WWJD wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed and jittery flat panel displa

You've got an LCD display or CRT?

-----

On 04:58pm Mar 8, 2004 CDT, Katy Kuhn wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed and jittery flat panel displa

RE the below, I have a CRT (I think; it's not a flat panel...)

Feels like throwing good money after bad. I've had my 17" display for over two years, and just when I'm ready to sell my whole system, these exact problems arise. Except that, I get a "pop" sound, a reduction in monitor image size, then a dimmed monitor, and THEN the display starts JITTERING as if someone blasted a radar gun on it. (Electromagnetic interference? Whatever that is, after two+ years of the same usage in the same place.) I can wait it out (it lasts 20 seconds to 5 minutes) but I want to scream.

-----

On 08:32pm Mar 8, 2004 CDT, WWJD wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed and jittery flat panel displa

Looks like your monitor is on its last "legs."  Is it still under warranty?  This thread is for 17" LCD displays.

-----

On 10:35pm Mar 5, 2004 CDT, David Stamm wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Please:

Does anybody know if it is possible to turn off the dang
blinking lights. Every 5 seconds it make me angry.

Thank you

-----

On 05:34pm Mar 7, 2004 CDT, D.J. Ross wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I don't see what the problem is. I just moved my lamp to point directly at the monitor and put a couple post-its over the blinking light and my monitor's good as new.

Seriously, though, the top of my monitor dimmed out this morning and I've already tried a couple of the rebooting tricks suggested here. None of them worked, so I guess it's a hardware issue. I wonder what my options are as far as local repair places go.

This all happened just as I was getting ready to buy a gaming rig PC... hmm.

-----

On 08:33pm Mar 11, 2004 CDT, Grace Arbizo wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

last week the top half of my 17" apple display dimmed and i got the 3 lights flashing, so i took it to the apple store and they said it would cost me $435 to ship it out for repair.  and i said no thanks.  so instead they gave me the # to a local authorized dealer/repair shop in town and i brought it in; it would cost me $55 for them to look at it.  i explained to them that i wasn't the only one having issues and that everyone else here had the same problem; they said they would look into what and if apple was doing anything about it, because like all of you, mine is 2 years and 2 months old and out of warranty, how convenient.  well yesterday the repair shop called me and said that it would cost me $589 to get it fixed and basically i was S.O.L. with apple.  i said no thanks again.  i would rather wait 'til the whole thing dies and i'll buy another brand monitor.  so i hang up frustrated!  but wait! 10 minutes later he calls me back again and says he fixed it!!!  all he had!
  to do was run a utilities disk or something like that and it reset my monitor!!  now the blinking light has stopped and my screen is back to normal!  and all i had to pay was the $55!!  and so now i am typing all this on my fixed monitor!  i hope it does not revert back to the problem, i have my fingers crossed.  but i think it's pretty crappy that apple is not recalling these displays.

-----

On 10:36am Mar 12, 2004 CDT, koly wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Grace A wrote:
but wait! 10 minutes later he calls me back again and says he fixed it!!! all he had to do was run a utilities disk or something like that and it reset my monitor!! now the blinking light has stopped and my screen is back to normal!

Grace - Any chance you could find out what utility your repairman ran and post it to this list??

-----

On 10:54am Apr 8, 2004 CDT, Grace Arbizo wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

hi everyone, sorry i haven't gotten the name yet of that utility disk that fixed my 17" display. (ref: my message #201).  i've been having a hard time trying to get a hold of the service technician that helped me.  anyways i am still trying and as soon as i find out what disk it was, i will post it here!  thanks for waiting, i want to help all of you out!!

-----

On 09:48am Apr 29, 2004 CDT, Grace Arbizo wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

well it doesn't matter anymore what that utility disk was that fixed my monitor a couple of months ago, because my monitor just went bad AGAIN the other day!!!!!  top half dim with the 3 flashing lights.  i'm over it.  i'll just wait for it to die and i'll buy a new *non* apple monitor!

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On 11:56pm Mar 12, 2004 CDT, Mr J Spoons wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Add me to the list. A longtime evangelist. I am very bummed about spending a fortune to fix this monitor. If anyone determines the utility that someone used to reset this problem, I hope you will post!

-----

On 08:06am Mar 13, 2004 CDT, Mary Nesset1 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

One more dissatisfied customer! I guess I should consider myself lucky since mine lasted about 2.5 years. Same symptoms, same solution proposed by Apple --- send it in and pay as much as a new display would cost! I'm calling the Monitor Experts tomorrow (1-800-499-777) who can fix it for $175. My next display certainly won't be an Apple!

-----

On 02:08pm Mar 13, 2004 CDT, Gerard Zasuwa wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Add me to the list too.  3 year old 17in LCD,  blinking power light and a half-screen dimmed display!  The lamp isn't bad, since I swapped power cables on the lamps (there's one on top and one on the bottom) and the dimmed half then lit nicely.  It's the inverter board that converts DC to 1000 V AC for the bulbs.  I imagine it's a two dollar power transistor that pooped out.  Amazing HOW MANY of these are appearing.  I can't imagine a screen utility can reset this.  Perhaps.  I do notice upon booting both lamps light up with the same intensity and then the bad half goes dim right away.

-----

On 01:54am Mar 15, 2004 CDT, SusieB wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Well, this is depressing.  I've been suffering in silence with mine for 4 or 4 months now - it was 2 yrs old this past January.  I've read the threads - did Grace ever post what utility her repairman used?  I'm off to try the other suggestions.

-----

On 11:09pm Mar 15, 2004 CDT, Melvin Harris wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Add me to the list. I had my display 2 years last month. Today when I woke my computer up from sleep, the power light started flashing and the top of my display was dimmed. I could not find any info until I came here. I should have known it was something that a reboot or an adjustment wouldn't solve. I bought cpu and display together, but I did not by a warranty. My older machines, Power Mac 9500 and original ibook are still going strong with no problems. Not only is this display giving me grief, the G4 933 that I bought with it had to be replaced because of a mother board or processor after 16 months. With no warranty the repair would have cost more than a new G4. I want to replace my iBook with a 15 inch Power book, but I've lost confidence in Apple's hardware lately. I have an original iPod, so yes my battery is dying. Oh, yes I bought a warranty on the new G4. One thing Apple has in its favor is this sight. Thanks to all for being there.

-----

On 09:12am Mar 16, 2004 CDT, Mr J Spoons wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I too am frustrated by the failure of my Studio Display after 2.5 years. However, I would add that the the next generation LCD display allegedly does not have this problem any more. I am trying to determine the best solution for me, and I think it might be getting the display repaired. I am using my G4 with another monitor now, and it is painfully apparent how great the performance of the Apple display is, compared to other options.

-----

On 04:09am Mar 17, 2004 CDT, sven schänzler wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

same here.

Read nearly all the thread. In my opinion it is a software problem (it does not occur with booting in OS9). Apple does not recognise this problem. And this is the *real* problem.

-----

On 01:37pm Mar 17, 2004 CDT, Barry Burke wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I work in a predominantly Mac office - for now. We have now had six of these exact  cases- all just a couple of months after warranty expired.

Apple Support is as helpful as Microsoft support.

We will not be buying any more Apple displays - and after fighting the good fight for many years, and as spiteful as it may seem over just this issue, I am ready to give in and start converting to a Microsoft environment and not put any money into another Apple system period.

For as often as this happens, Apple should make finding information about this a little easier. It took me 45 minutes just to get here so I could vent.

-----

On 03:35pm Mar 18, 2004 CDT, Barry Burke wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Regarding my post yesterday: getting to the discussion board yesterday added to my frustration with Apple. It was much faster today than yesterday so Apple has fixed that problem - yippee.

The number of 17" displays that have now succombed to this problem is 7. We had bought approximately 30 so I'm anticipating another 23 duds. I had read that one person was very satisfied with their purchase - so being optimistic, maybe only 20 more will go out.

-----

On 06:53pm Mar 18, 2004 CDT, Kyle Swisher2 wrote:
Subject: Half dimmed flat panel

After nearly a month (I'm serious) of "phone tag" with Apple corporate executive offices over a letter I sent regarding my just-out-of-warranty Apple 17" flat panel display going "half-dimmed" their "exec" finally called me at my office only to inform me that Apple sees no reason to address the growing issue of these displays going bad.  

It's incredible.  I must have been out of my mind to spend nearly $1,000 on this display only to be treated like this.  I've been a staunch Apple supporter, but after this, I feel like a lot of you do - why bother?

Wake up Apple - keep your current customers - it's easier than recruiting new ones.

-----

On 01:31am Mar 19, 2004 CDT, Patrick Marchand wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Hello, Fellow dim monitored apple users.
Add me to the list of the dim screens

My 17" has fallen prey to the inverter problem in which the top half of my monitor only wants to shine at 1/2 capacity, While the little light at the bottom makes up for the top half by blinking just enough to distract me from noticing how lame the top half of my monitor is by making me go nuts! (hey that is kinda like Apple's customer service) Their new motto should be "Here at the Apple Flat Screen Department, We are not happy until our customers are not happy."

Kind of makes me want to start a inverter repair business though!

Good luck everyone!

Patrick

-----

On 05:28am Mar 19, 2004 CDT, Patrick Marchand wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

BTW My 17 " is just about 2 years old.
I have been doing a lot of negative publicity with my friends that were (past tense) looking at the nice ADC displays. My next monitor was going to be a 20" so I will now have to reconsider that purchase.

It would be nice for Apple to look after us though!

Cheers!

-----

On 01:15am Mar 22, 2004 CDT, Samuel Eames wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Much like everyone else, my monitor has now decided to join the club. Top portion is dimmed... Warning light is flashing...

Has anyone noticed a problem with their USB ports on the back of the display, associated with this problem?

Before my monitor decided to half-die, I had my keyboard plugged in the monitor and I noticed it would stop working, then start working again... and so on.

So now, nothing is plugged into the monitor, however, I'm assuming there is just not enough power going to the USB ports. ?

I'm calling Monitor Experts (www.monitorexperts.com) in the morning. Fortunately, they're about 4 blocks from my apartment..

-----

On 04:58pm Mar 22, 2004 CDT, Casey2 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Here is a question for this thread....

I have a 17" LCD that has never been hooked up to a Mac it was made for. It was used with Dr. Bott's DViator on an old beige G3 tower and now it is hooked up to my PC with that.

Does anyone else have a monitor problem that has only used it through a DViator/adapter?

My monitor, by the way, has not had any problems at all.

-----

On 01:49am Mar 25, 2004 CDT, lips wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Hey Casey,

I have a G4 500 (upgraded to a 1.4) running a 17" through a DVIator since I bought it for $1000 two and a half years ago. My monitor had the bad display problem and I had it fixed by Monitor Experts. I watched the guy change the part. It literally took him 15 min. and cost me $175. Way better than Apple, but if I'd bought a Sony or just about any other brand I'd have had a 3 year warranty. Like they say, buyer beware! I love my Display, and I love Apple, but I will never buy another Apple display unless they up their warranty to match the competition.

Any way, the DVIator was not an issue.

-----

On 09:31pm Mar 25, 2004 CDT, Casey2 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Thanks for responding. I am hoping/thinking I must not have the problem.


-----

On 06:54am Mar 22, 2004 CDT, sven schänzler wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

no news.

just want to keep the thread growing.
maybe some senior managers will be informed if a thread reaches 1000 messages.

-----

On 05:01pm Mar 23, 2004 CDT, C2R wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Today my display flashes and dimmed etc.
Same problem Same story Same period of purchase? I bough it two years ago...but in France.

-----

On 04:18pm Mar 25, 2004 CDT, Brian Sack wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Well, guess I'm a new member of the Half-Dimmed Monitor Club. Mine is around 2 years old. That seems to be a common time-frame based on the posts here that I have read.

I'm not sure what's more annoying - the half-dimmed monitor or the totally distracting flashing light.

-----

On 10:52am Mar 26, 2004 CDT, Ed James wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

"My monitor had the bad display problem and I had it fixed by Monitor Experts. I watched the guy change the part. It literally took him 15 min. and cost me $175." - MarkFeliciano2

Q: Did it involve any soldering?

Q: Where can the necessary part be purchased from?

-----

On 05:48pm Mar 28, 2004 CDT, lips wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Hi Ed,

What he changed out was a simple plug in board. He actually had to replace it twice becuase the first part he replaced did not work. The "card" was no larger than a business card. He told me that he sometimes gets bad parts directily form Apple. So I assume it came from them. It only took him 15 min because he had to open the case twice. When he was putting back together a screw stripped so not wanting me to have to wait an hour while he went to a supply house to get a tool to remove the screw he offered to overnight the monitor to me. I had it in my hand by noon the next day.

 If you want to try to get the part number from him you can find him at http://www.monitorexperts.com/. though I gotta tell you, if I was making my living fixing these things I wouldn't want to give out part imformation.

mark

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On 11:22am Mar 27, 2004 CDT, Dan Welter wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I bought another lcd to fill in for the crappy 17" apple problem child ...
still waiting for apple to post some form of response!

-----

On 01:28pm Mar 27, 2004 CDT, WWJD wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I've got a 17" Apple LCD monitor that was purchased late 2001 but it has not "died" yet.  What are people's serial numbers?  Are they related to certain manufacture dates?

Mine is: W51392DTKPW

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On 03:48pm Mar 27, 2004 CDT, David Rawcliffe1 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Ok it seem apparent to me that this is a major issue with the 17" LCD screens made 1-2 years ago. I am experiencing the same problem and it occurred just TWO WEEKS after the 1 year warranty ran out. Cynical? Me?

As has been mentioned here, it is a small problem and can be easily solved. I'd not too bad at opening things up and having a tinker, and seeing as the warranty has run out I might as well give it a go.

But where do I go for information? I'm pretty sure it's just a matter of replacing a particular faulty part, but which one, and where do I get a replacement part. Does anyone have any ideas?

Once one of us has managed to do it we can write a step-by-step guide to help everyone else do it. We just need a little info, and it looks like Apple aren't going to get off their ars*s and help.

-----

On 01:38pm Mar 29, 2004 CDT, Kola Ogundipe wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

hmmm.... it may sound odd but..you lucky people..at least you got 1 year's use out of your display. I bought a new 17" with a dual 2GHz G% last december. First one of the processors on the G5 burnt out, then when that came back from Applecare, i discovered my monitor light doing the 2 short flashes and a long one.

The best Applecare could offer is for me to send the display all the way to the Netherlands, which is odd if it's just an inverter board or some other faulty part.

So UPS deliver a box for me to send the display off in. Guess what. Apple managed to specify the wrong box, so i got one for a 17" laptop....

This should not be happening - definitely not after a few months and certainly not after a year.

maybe I will make a sculpture too...

-----

On 04:12pm Mar 30, 2004 CDT, Wysz wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Add me to the list as well. I paid $999 for my 17" in March 2002 (exactly 2 years ago like most people in this thread.)

The problem started occurring when I woke my monitor from sleep this morning (the computer wasn't asleep, but I have it set to turn off the display after 20 minutes). 2 short, 1 long just like everyone else. My entire display still has a uniform brightness (unlike some people who say the top or bottom is dim) but the overall brightess is about half of what it was before the problem began. Same problem when booting into OS 9, so it is probably hardware. I will see what happens after this weekend when I can get to my Apple Display CD.

How long are these backlights supposed to last? I always let my monitor sleep after 20 minutes idle, so it is never left on all night or anything.

My real question:
For anyone has actually gone through the out-of-warranty repair with Apple, what number did you call, how long did it take, and how much did it cost?

-----

On 08:06pm Mar 30, 2004 CDT, Wysz wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Sorry I'm replying to my own post but it won't let me edit it anymore.

I said in my original post that it was uniformly dim — This actually isn't the case. It looks like my top backlight is out, as the bottom of the screen is brighter. As for my attempts to ensure the longevity of the display, not only do I always leave it on a 20 min sleep, I usually run it at only half brightness.

I'm trying not to become frustrated or angry and spray paint warnings on iPod ads (ha ha), but if the repair cost is really expensive, I'll be signing up when the class action comes along. This is my second Apple monitor problem. I had a MultiScan 15" display several years ago and the red tube gave out. Apple eventually agreed to fix a certain range of serial #'s for free, but I couldn't be without a monitor at the time and was unable to take advantage of the offer. Hopefully Apple will come up with a similar solution with this problem.

-----

On 12:00am Apr 11, 2004 CDT, Wysz wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Just an update for those of you thinking about getting yours repaired:

I went into my local Apple Specialist and explained the problem. The service guy just shook his head and then told me exactly what I was expecting. "It's not worth it." He didn't even bother to give me a price. I'll call Apple in the next couple of days just to see what they say, but we know it's not going to be good news.

Any word on whether or not Apple has fixed this problem in the newer models?

-----

On 05:56am Apr 1, 2004 CDT, paul williams wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Horrah! I'm not the only one!
Sorry to seem a bit happy about it, but I've been thinking it was me or something!  
I too have this problem, but my screen now goes off completely and flashes the little white button of destruction!  If I put it to sleep for a little while its fine again for a day or two, but it inevitably come back.
I've had the screen now for almost three years, didn't get the extended warantee, and have another 4 that haven't gone this way (yet).
I've had a quick scan, but can't find it, but does anyone have the part number so I can get it from my friendly local apple centre?
Cheers my dears!

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On 12:18pm Apr 1, 2004 CDT, gwp wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Apple 17" Studio Display

Detailed Symptoms:
On power up, 2 tubes light on the bottom, and 1 on top.
The one on top after about 1/4 sec. goes out and
the short-short-long power button flash begins.
Swapping which tube is powered by which of the 4 inverters
showed that the problem was in the board, not the tubes.

What I know:
I have a bad inverter board: AMBIT Rev:7 U041063.00
It has 4 inverters for 2 tubes at the top, 2 at the bottom.
One of the inverter transformers is bad: open secondary.
The transformer ferrite frame is 9.8mm x 24mm x 3.75mm
The transformer is marked "22.0415.11 151D"

What I want:
A source for replacement transformers.
A source for replacement inverter boards (Apple has no Part#)
A company to repair the board for a fair price.
Apple to fix it's faulty design and make good with free repairs using reliable inverters.

-----

On 12:10am Apr 9, 2004 CDT, ed CHEW wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Hey gwp, how do you know that part is bad?  I have a burned transistor .  Give me a holler

e-mail [email deleted]
or AOL SN: usadaytrader1

-----

On 01:33pm Apr 1, 2004 CDT, Isaac Robbins wrote:
Subject: Blink Blink Blink... Is that Morse Code?

Just thought I'd chime in here, too. My company, a small architectural firm in Maine, has two of the 17" flat panels for our more publicly visible machines and cheapo Corneas for the 8 drafting stations. We had planned move all the machines to the Apple displays when we next upgraded but now, of course, one of the Apple Monitors has gone on the blink - literally. We've had a frustrating experience with Apple Tech on this one issue. So we've canned our planned purchase of 8 new Apple monitors. That's about $5600 not going into the Apple pipeline on my part. So there.

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On 11:22am Apr 2, 2004 CDT, koly wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Any chance someone who has this problem and lives near Monitor Experts, go there and get part numbers and watch the repair and document it for the rest of us?

Yes, $175 to repair isn't terrible when compared to Apple's option, but with shipping both ways and down time w/out my monitor, it's cheaper to buy a new one.

I can't imagine it rocket science, or even basic computer science for that matter.  I know a majority of us would be MORE than happy to repair the out-of-warranty monitor ourselves. You'd think Apple would post a fix and part numbers since all these things are OUT OF WARRANTY - why would they care if we knew the part numbers and the repair procedure??? They'd rid this forum of loads of us who just want to fix our monitors. Heck, I'd even forgive Apple for the fault.

I. just. Can't. Stand. The. Blinking. Anymore!

-----

On 06:22pm Apr 3, 2004 CDT, Dan Welter wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

What a great idea Koly.
Just like the battery problem with the i-pod, all they have to do is sell us the repair part.
HERE THAT APPLE, HOW DO WE FIX THESE THINGS??????????

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On 06:51pm Apr 3, 2004 CDT, Fragomatic wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I just got my 17" display back from apple canada after a month long fight to
get it repaired. The apple reseller was kind enough to give me a loaner until mine returned. My problem was "dull cluster of pixels" and isnt the same issue you guys are having. During 45 minute conversation w/ the apple rep on the phone, he told me the 17s LCDs are made by Samsung. I dont know if they make the backlight but they make the LCD. I hope that Samsung has better parts cataloguing than apple does.

-----

On 10:34am Apr 4, 2004 CDT, Mat wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Today my 17" Apple LCD dimmed the bottom half and started the 2 short 1 long blink. Yea!!! It almost made it 2 years. Wut do I win?

-----

On 06:08pm Apr 4, 2004 CDT, James Scolari wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

somebody at Apple chucked my original post, despite its lack of profanity or incendiary tone -- so I'll post again.

I bought my display at the same time as everyone else here -- clearly, we have a bad batch of hardware.  The argument that they sell thousands of monitors, so a few hundred bad ones are expected is hogwash.

How many monitors do you suppose Apple sold in Q4 '01 through Q1 '02?  How many without extended warranty?  How many whose owners are dedicated enough to find this board?  How many who would post their own story?  Three hundred and some, obviously -- more obviously, these three hundred-some represent a significant percentage of a widespread problem.  Do the math, and I think you'll agree that the three hundred posts here probably represent just a fraction of the overall defective population -- and that that population likely represents a very large percentage of all the displays sold in the timeframe.

-----

On 10:16pm Apr 4, 2004 CDT, Fragomatic wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I got that same 1000s of monitors speech from the apple rep on the phone about my display only a few days ago. I explained to him my grievances and all he could say is "i understand where your coming from". So i gave him the keep your customer happy speech. I am not a brand loyalist, I am a quality loyalist. I WILL SWITCH TO GET A BETTER PRODUCT if I am treated poorly.

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On 07:25am Apr 5, 2004 CDT, Robert Merrill1 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I wish I had checked this site before I got a new 17" LCD to replace the one with the dark backlight.  Does any one know if  Apple has updated its design for this monitor since this problem showed up?

-----

On 04:49am Apr 7, 2004 CDT, sven schänzler wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

First I was shure it is a software problem. Well, it seems to be more difficult to say:

observation:
when I start my cube or wake up from sleep the monitor is all right for the first second. The the lower part of goes dark and stays dark. The light is now blinking as discribed.

question #1
is it possible that a defect part works for just a second and than refuses to work?

The faq says the blinking stands for communication errors.

question #2
how does the display know that something isn't right?

I remember problems with my ram when switching to OSX. It turned out that OSX was more picky about the ram quality.

question #3
is it possible that apple changed there hardware requirments  that their old product (or just a batch) does not meet?

-----

On 11:17am Apr 7, 2004 CDT, Scott Schroeder wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Sven,
I and many other have had exactly the same observation.

The consensus is a faulty voltage regulator. If you read this thread carefully, you'll see that nearly every monitor repaired by Apple had this component replaced.

To answer your questions:
#1: Yes
#2: Something is out of spec in the self-diagnostic (a voltage level, etc)
#3: Unlikely. Take your monitor, find another Mac, and plug it in. I'll bet your problem persists.

-----

On 03:10am Apr 8, 2004 CDT, sven schänzler wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

thank you
try to sort things out during eastern.
I'm not really optimistic, though.

-----

On 06:15pm Apr 10, 2004 CDT, ed CHEW wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Does anybody want to sell their bad inverter to me for like 10 bucks, even if its not working.  One maybe albe to salvage parts off one board, to make another work.  e-mail me if your intrested.

[email deleted]

Or if anybody went to moniterexperts to get it fixed, open your LCD up and see which part he repaired, to make it cheaper for all of us!

-----

On 05:47pm Apr 11, 2004 CDT, J. Charles Holt1 wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Praise Be to the Internet.

I'm the IT guy at a design firm, and some our of CRTs were approaching end-of-life, and we were considering ordering Apple flat-screens. I was also considering getting one for myself, which is why I came here (to see what people thought about them). Now I know better than to plunk down the money. Heck, for the price of the Apple monitor I can get two 15" LCD monitors elsewhere and tile them.

Sorry to hear about all of your troubles, but I appreciate everyone letting the rest of us know. Good luck with tracking down (or repairing) your inverter boards! Isn't anyone out there comfortable enough to take a good inverter and a bad one and try and track down which part is going bad? It could be as simple as resoldering a $3 part from RadioShack.

-----

On 08:44pm Apr 12, 2004 CDT, Claire Boge wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

After following this discussion, I feel lucky indeed. My Apple Studio Display lasted a full two years and 11 months before sending out its "SOS"! My display is half dimmed on the top. The Apple Dealer in Cincinnati said $600 to fix! New display is $599... hmmm, do the math. FYI,  I bought in May 2001, one of the first ones out... It's nice to know that I am not alone (although also not that special!). ;-) At least I won an i-tune with Pepsi cap.

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On 01:37am Apr 13, 2004 CDT, Dana Mckissick wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Add my name to the list of people with bad a bad monitor. Spent the last few hours looking over the numerous posts. I am amazed that Apple still hasn't admitted they have a problem. I have been a Mac nut for 10 years. I've defended my choice of a mac over a PC to hundreds of friends. I've never minded paying more because I knew I was getting quality product and service. If this is how Apple is going to treat its loyal customers, then I have no choice but to replace any defective Apple part with a non-Apple part. Shame it has come to this ...

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On 02:15am Apr 13, 2004 CDT, starground wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Well, guys, add me to the list. My screen went dimmed an hour ago. Just over two years of running. Very precise engineering IMHO...
 And no, I'll never buy an Apple LCD again. Question is: should Apple produce hardware at all?

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On 08:52am Apr 13, 2004 CDT, gwp wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I want your bad inverter boards...

The only way I think I can get any parts is to scavenge from other monitors.  If you have a bad inverter board from the Apple 17" Studio Display (probably AMBIT Rev:7 U041063.00) I want it.  I'll even pay something nominal for it.  

[If you have a whole display sitting broken, I think I might want that as well.]

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On 07:37pm Apr 17, 2004 CDT, Jason Close wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

whoever has the chalk, make another tally.

my 17" woke up with a dim top backlight and a blinking light.  at least it was wounded while asleep, so it didnt have to feel anything.

so sad, it almost made it to its 5 MONTH BIRTHDAY!!!

I dont think its a problem with '01 and '02, because i bot mine in January of '04, and it just broke.

at least apple will fix this one.

-----

On 01:04pm Apr 19, 2004 CDT, Jason Dutcher wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Same has happened to me now, ugggghhh!  Half dimm on top part of screen.  Apple should address this problem the same way they address they fan problem for the G4's.  For a limited time( 6 months) they should offer to fix for free.  It only makes ssense because the problem is so widespread.  I am a lifetime mac user but something like this makes me think other wise for sure.
 I see some of you used the disc utility to fix.  I will try that and repost if it works.

-----

On 01:56pm Apr 19, 2004 CDT, Scott Schroeder wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

This thread really serves only one purpose: To reassure 17" owners that their problem is not unique, and that a repair is nearly pointless.

Historically, Apple's response to flawed products is directly related to wide exposure. This thread is seen by a small group, therefore it is not cost effective for Apple to make any remedy.

-----

On 02:17am Apr 20, 2004 CDT, Wysz wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I agree. That's exactly what this thread has turned into. Any suggestions as to how we give this problem wide exposure?

-----

On 06:57pm Apr 20, 2004 CDT, Scott Schroeder wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

What to do?
1) Get a sampling for how widespread this is.
I see a similar thread for the 20". Does this affect ALL Apple LCD's for that time period? Do they all use the same faulty voltage regulator card??
2) Make a public stink: Send an email to Apple Customer Support indicating (based on your experience) that you will NEVER AGAIN buy another Apple monitor that does not have a free 3-year warranty. Tell them why and ask for a remedy.
3) Make an even more public stink: Macintouch, MacFixIt, letter to MacWorld, etc.
4) The "next step".....

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On 04:54pm Apr 21, 2004 CDT, Mark Singer wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Yet another one. Two years, four months, and the AASP in Las Cruces, NM won't even touch it. They said not to buy another Apple LCD display as they have a limited life. AppleCare says "we'll send you a box yadda yadda" before telling me what it will cost to repair.

Did I mention that I'm a college student in the middle of writing papers for the last semester of my senior year? I did mention it to the Apple"Care" rep, who said, "I can see the pickle you're in." Nice.

This on the display I bought new to go with the Quicksilver that had two IBM 40 gig Deskstar drives fail the first year, the second one of which I replaced at my own expense with a Quantum rather than deal with continued failures.

My solution - I'm getting a discontinued 17" CRT display from another vendor for 1/3 of the cost of fixing this one. I think I'll also stick black electrical tape over the blinking light until the new monitor arrives.

Sure hope Apple sells a lot of iPods, because after 8 years I don't think I'm gonna buy another Mac. As always: great design, failed execution, and imperious customer service that fails to take any responsibility for the fact that no $1000.00 piece of equipment of *any* sort should fail in less than three years.

- Mark (who is ashamed to say that he should have known better years ago after two years of working for the outsourcer who then did the Apple Resistance Center "support")

-----

On 02:16pm Apr 22, 2004 CDT, Jay Soffian wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Well, my display went dim about 9 months ago - it was about 16 months old at the time. I just had it repaired by Manuel at The Image - http://www.monitorexperts.com/

$210 w/shipping, turn-around was 2 days. I just want to commend them on the excellent service. For me, $210 is a reasonable risk to take on this monitor.

j.

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On 10:42am Apr 23, 2004 CDT, John Verne wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I'll risk a "metoo".

17 in. Studio Display, about 2.5 yrs old.  Top half of the display dimmed last evening. The power light flashes the 2 short 1 long flash sequence constantly.  I've tried a variety of resets and such with no love.

If the problem is a flaky inverter for some people, it is possible that a short rest or number of resets might cause it to work again (explaining the one report that running a "utility" repaired the problem).  It will eventually fail again.

My local reseller will not repair the unit.  They have been instructed by Apple to have me go directly to Apple Support.  I have not called (yet) as I'm sure they'll ask me for details I don't have at my fingertips.

I was hoping to save up some cash and buy a second monitor, but it looks like I'll be stuck spending nearly 50% the cost of a new monitor on repairs for the first one; this is decision I did not want to have to make.

-----

On 10:58am Apr 23, 2004 CDT, Jeff Meadows wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I just got off of the phone with Apple Canada support and man am I happy.

I purchased my 17" Studio Display 1 year and 22 days ago and last night I was visited by the very same flashing power light syndrome (2 short and 1 long). Based on this thread of posts it indicates that the voltage regulator is the problem. After having to escalate the call to a "Product Specialist", I was berated for not having purchased the AppleCare Extended warranty and told that it wouldn't matter if the display was 1 day past warranty, they wouldn't touch it. At that point I could see that further conversation was pointless (If a company is not interested in responding to the numerous posts here, they certainly are not going to deal with my individual concern). I am currently in the market for a new LCD display and it WILL NOT bear the Apple logo. Anyone have any recommendations?

Thank you Apple. As an individual who influenced purchasing for not only my clients, but also the school division that I work for I can now officially say that the higher price that you pay for a Apple is NOT warranted. There are a number of manufacturers out there who provide not only better stock warranty, but also better customer care when problems do arise.

-----

On 11:19am Apr 23, 2004 CDT, John Verne wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Jeff, I feel your pain.  It looks like out-of-warranty displays will cost about $900 (US, I think) to repair, according to the AppleCare Displays page.

I found the following 17 in. monitor that is a DVI replacement for the Apple Display, and half the cost of a new one from Apple:

http://www.idparts.com/lcd_monitors1.html

I gave this "price grabber" link a brief look, as well: http://ca.pricegrabber.com/search_gen.php/form_keyword=apple+display/topcat_id=1/mode=googleca/ut=c6496a81c1280444

I was really hoping to have a second monitor by now.  I might take the $$ I was saving for an Apple Cinema Display, and invest it in two non-Apple branded displays for nearly the same cost.

-----

On 12:40pm Apr 23, 2004 CDT, John Verne wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Correction: According to http://www.info.apple.com/support/applecare_products-ca/service/display_service.html, it looks like any real repair of an Apple 17 in. Studio LCD display will cost CAN$680.

-----

On 02:32pm Apr 23, 2004 CDT, Jeff Meadows wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

John,

Thanks for the reply - but I am not going to throw good money after bad on this. I looked at the link to the company that is doing a lot of repairs for people (displayexperts I think it was) and it was $240 (US) plus shipping - basically the price of a new monitor once it is all said and done and I would still have the same parts and possible problems down the road.

Right now I am looking at the ViewSonic and Dell flat panels, but will need to scrape up the cash for either (I was not counting of having to replace a display after only a year - especially considering the CRT's that I am using have all been running non-stop for 3 years plus without a hiccup).

-----

On 04:25am Apr 24, 2004 CDT, Wysz wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Looks like some lucky guy got his fixed for free after emailing Steve's office:

http://www.ericsiegmund.com/fireant/archivesmt/000607.html

Guess it can't hurt to give it a try...

-----

On 07:32pm Apr 25, 2004 CDT, Jeremy Zschau wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

2 years after purchase same problem. Just today the top of my monitor dimmed and the typical flashing sequence on the power light is going. I had to tape over it. I have heard from a Apple Repair Shop near me in Boston that to keep up with demand, Apple has cut corners with its manufacturing.
My only options seem to be to check with the repair shop on costs
or http://www.monitorexperts.com.

I wonder how the G5 form looks.

-----

On 04:26pm Apr 26, 2004 CDT, Jeremy Zschau wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

My earlier class action lawsuit coment was deleted. I was asking if anyone
had heard anything about a class action lawsuit being done about this monitor problem.

-----

On 04:29pm Apr 26, 2004 CDT, Jeremy Zschau wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Is anyone interested in a class action lawsuit about this monitor problem?
I wonder if this will get deleted, and how soon.

-----

On 04:56pm Apr 26, 2004 CDT, Wysz wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I'm afraid I have to say that I am interested. People sue about anything these days, and I am not thrilled about being a part of that, but unfortunately it seems that recently it is the only way to get Apple to respond to a widespread hardware issue.

I completely understand that my display is out-of-warranty, and am not looking for a free replacement. However, Apple has done a couple of things wrong here.

First, the repair cost is simply unacceptable for a problem that occurs after 1-2 years of normal use, especially with a product that many of us purchased for $1,000.

Also, by not publicly acknowledging the voltage inverter issue as a known problem, consumers have no way of knowing if this flaw has been fixed in newer models. Even if I forget about the expense of simply buying a new monitor, I hesitate to spend money on another Apple display without a confirmation that this issue has been addressed by Apple's engineers.

If anyone has worked with a law firm to begin a lawsuit, please post the appropriate information on this forum.

As suggested by other members in this forum, another thing we can do to get Apple's attention is make this a public issue. While spraypainting iPod posters is not the most polite or civilized way to go about this, there are ways to let others know about the problem.

PlanetFeedback is a great resource for contacting corporations with complaints. In fact, one 17" Display owner reports that Apple fixed his display for free after sending a letter to Steve Jobs via PlanetFeedback.

Another member suggested that writing in to popular Mac-based sites may also be a solution, as right now they are working on getting Apple to solve the iPod mini headphone jack problem.

For the benefit of possible future customers, you may want to review the display on Amazon or other sites that sell the display, but please be fair. In my review on a certain site, I was careful to control my frustration and note that the display is otherwise perfect without the reliability issue.

Anybody else have suggestions?

-----

On 06:17pm Apr 26, 2004 CDT, Jeremy Zschau wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I have no problem paying for repairs but according to Apple $550 seems unreasonable for a minor screen lighting problem. It's just $150 shy of a brand new monitor. I guess I'll caution people on Amazon and PlanetFeedback and refer to this message board.

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On 06:26pm Apr 26, 2004 CDT, Pieter Nystrom wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Agreed about paying for repairs. 80% of the cost of a new product is off the charts. Can you imagine paying $16000 to fix a $20000 car?

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On 10:00am Apr 28, 2004 CDT, Chuck Rohmann wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I too just woke up to this problem this morning, the top half of screen dim, with two short blinks and one long blink on the power LED. AppleCare quoted me $1000.00 for the repair, I only paid $750.00 for the display. The worst part is, it's only 13 months old. The CSR was really nice and said she understood how I felt, but it's still a sad deal. Apple makes such wonderful products, I couldn't really do my job if it wasn't for them. I just wish that they would look more closely at the customer issues of this volume and nature. My 17" has sat in the same place since I purchased it, I can't believe 13 months is all I get out it.
-CR

-----

On 10:58am Apr 28, 2004 CDT, starground wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Worst thing about this is the environmental issue. One faulty component and the monitor goes in the bin (as no sane person will repair at current cost). That is value being thrown away!
That value could have been put to use somewhere else... Think of it in a greater perspective.  Substandard parts has no place in a sustainable world. As an industrial designer I'm not impressed by Apple.

-----

On 12:03pm Apr 28, 2004 CDT, Fatire wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I JUST had this failure too, bottom half for me!
My display was purchased  on 11/2001 making it 2.5 years old.

THIS REALLY STINKS!

Seems like the $175.00 "Apple bad inverter repair" offered by monitor experts.com which someone else posted is the only sensible way to go.

It REALLY burns me that Apple won't offer the AMBIT inverters which probably cost them under $10.00.

My company sells ceramic chip capacitors to AMBIT for these very LCD backlight inverter products, perhaps I can get one that way!

As far as a new LCD, I will never buy an Apple again.

FYI: Those considering replacement, I just replaced my 20" crt with Samsung's Syncmaster 192MP which is also a fully functioning stand-alone 19" LCD TV (HDTV capable) and lets you watch PIP while you work.

The thing's awesome and has a three year warranty which is the defacto standard for MOST DESCENT monitor makers these days.
BestBuy for $899.00

-----

On 12:53pm Apr 28, 2004 CDT, Fatire wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

UPDATE: I just opened my display and removed the two inverters which are located under the black plastic bezel the surrounds the back of the unit..
They appear to be made by a company called "Quantum" not Ambit.
I will try and search for this company and also post a picture of the problem circuit if the forum allows.

-----

On 02:46pm Apr 28, 2004 CDT, Fatire wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Forget What I said above, these were not the inverters but the control boards behind the 'glowing" lights on the front of the display. You have to dig deeper for the inverter by sliding down the metal shield. And there I did find the Ambit Rev 7  U041063.00 it's located just above the usb ports abd has five plug connections, presumably 4 for the lights and one for the control wires.

It would really help if someone with a repaired unit could tell us if they replaced this with the same p/n.

-----

On 09:25am Apr 29, 2004 CDT, koly wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

A snippet from a post of someone who sent their monitor in for repairs - includes a part number:

"After a week of repeated phone calls to Apple, I finally received the box to send the display in for repair under warranty. It was returned to me in about a week and had a paper titled "Proof of Repair":
Repair Done
Part Number: 0500-0105-0171
Description: P30A Inverter DC-AC "

Not sure if that part number is Apple-centric or what.

Any chance you've taken some pix and can do a quick write up on the repair steps you've taken so far? If so, I'd be happy to host a "how to fix your apple monitor" page, especially if you're able to get the part and repair the monitor. I'd love to be able to fix mine without having to ship it off somewhere and pay 1/3 of what it cost me to purchase in the first place.

I think I'll email monitor experts and ask them if they a) can give out the part number, and b) can sell just the part.

-----

On 03:54pm Apr 28, 2004 CDT, Wysz wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Just giving you an update on my progress...

I am now in direct contact (via telephone) with Apple on this issue, and they are having their support engineers look into it. They promised to get back to me by Monday, May 3rd. I will post any updates on this forum.

During our first call, I explained that I was concerned that Apple has not addressed this issue, and therefore don't know if the problem exists in new models, which makes me hesitant to get the display repaired or replaced with another Apple monitor.

I'm not looking for a free fix out of this; I will simply be satisified knowing that Apple is investigating the problem.

-----

On 10:40pm Apr 28, 2004 CDT, Jeremy Zschau wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Beautiful.
SAMSUNG 172X-Silver 17" LCD Monitor
By the way I chose to ignore the ghosting problems
my Apple monitor has. newegg.com has some good reviews
on the Samsung monitor.

-----

On 12:00pm May 3, 2004 CDT, Marilyn Jegerlehner wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I have a solution to your 17" display problem if you live in New Jersey.  Please contact me ([email deleted]) and I will send you the information.

-----

On 03:42pm May 3, 2004 CDT, iCare wrote:
Subject: Parts now available to service providers?!

I just received a call from the service tech at my local Apple dealer. He said that he received a notice earlier today from Apple stating that he can now service the Studio Display 17, Cinema Display 20, and the Cinema HD Display in his shop. I asked him about the availability of inverters for the Studio Display 17 and he said that the inverters appear to be available along with a lot of other parts for each of the displays.

Has anyone else heard this and checked to see how much a repair would cost?

-----

On 08:21pm May 3, 2004 CDT, Wysz wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

And the saga continues...

Apple called me back today as promised, and told me that there is "no known issue" with the 17" display. Yeah right! How can this not be a known issue if so many of us have called Apple? Look through the thread, and you see the same story over and over, except for one lucky guy. The average story goes something like this: Quoted ridiculous repair fee, email to Steve Jobs, followup call from Apple saying they will look into it, and then concluding with a call from Apple saying that it's not a problem.

When I got the call today, I asked a couple times, "Apple says there's no known issue?" and each time I was assured that was the case. They then proceeded to provide me with a list of authorized service providers in my area who offer "competitive pricing." When stores open tomorrow, I will make some calls and find out exactly what "competitive pricing" means.

I don't feel like putting more money into this display, either by repairing this one or getting a new one, since there is a good chance I will run into another problem later. I considered buying another display with AppleCare, but I can't justify paying for AppleCare when Samsung's monitors (and other companies' I'm sure) have a free 3 year warranty on parts, labor, and backlight. If you buy from one of these companies, you basically pay the same price for a similar product, but get their version of AppleCare for free.

I do have some good news, however. If anyone out there is in New Jersey, Marilyn's solution ([email deleted]) might work for you. Unfortunately I'm in PA and can't take advantage of the offer, but it's a great deal if you're lucky enough to be in New Jersey. Hmm... "lucky enough to be in New Jersey." Never thought I'd be saying that! :-) (Never thought I'd be using smilies either.)

Good luck everyone. Hopefully Apple will start doing something about this soon.

-----

On 10:25pm May 3, 2004 CDT, Marilyn Jegerlehner wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Further to the above message, when Apple referred me to their authorized service provider in my area, I contacted them and was told that the display would have to be sent to Apple and it would cost me $600 to repair.  I GUESS NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-----

On 10:30pm May 3, 2004 CDT, Marilyn Jegerlehner wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Another followup to the above...Apple does not offer extended warranty on a display unless it is purchased with the computer (CPU).  I am paying the same amount for extended warranty on my computer as I would for both had I purchased them together.

-----

On 03:42pm May 4, 2004 CDT, iCare wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Marilyn,

After reading your posting I called the service tech I spoke to yesterday to ask for more details.  He said that he received a notice from Apple stating that as of April 30th parts for the 17, 20, and 23 inch displays are available for ordering.

I asked him to verify that he can obtain the inverter and he said it is listed in the Apple parts ordering system and is currently in stock. He said that he can order a wide variety of parts for the 17, 20, and 23 inch displays that weren't previously available to him. Although he hasn't taken the Studio Display 17 apart yet, he believes that he can replace an inverter for between $100-$200 dollars depending on how long it takes him. Has anyone else been given a different quote from their service tech using these new parts from Apple?

Ask your service provider to recheck whether he can order the parts. Based on what my service tech told me the  parts were only made available as of April 30th. If you spoke with your service provider prior to that then that might explain why you were quoted $600.

-----

On 03:58pm May 4, 2004 CDT, Wysz wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I spoke with 5 authorized service providers today, May 3, and asked if they were able to fix the 17" display or had to send it out to Apple. 4 out of the 5 told me that they were not able to service the displays, and simply have to send them out to Apple for the flat-rate repair and then add their own service fee. One store, however, said that they could service it, but the price would be $390 for most parts, and that if it was the LCD itself, it wouldn't be worth a repair at all. In fact, he told me I shouldn't even go through with the $390 repair, as it only has a 90 day guarantee. I did mention to the providers that I heard Apple changed its policy, but none of them seemed to know anything about it.

Calling your local Apple Store is no help either; if you ask for service you are simply directed to the AppleCare support line.

-----

On 11:21pm May 4, 2004 CDT, alex merino wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

So I´m not the only one. Sad to knot that Apple does not care about customers like customers care about the company.
I live In Chile, there is not to many Apple computers around here, because the cost of the computer plus the Taxes are too high compared to a PC. Anyway. I have an 17 LCD studio display with the same problem you post. I took to the Tech  service and they just says "this has nor repair at all  you need to change the display"
I don't know what to do.
do I have to trash this Beautiful display? after 1,5 years?
that is not a very good direction for someone who used to buy just Apple products.

-----

On 04:58pm May 5, 2004 CDT, Wysz wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I'm already on the list of people with bad monitors, but put another mark on the "deleted posts" tally. Today at about 1 PM, I received an email from Apple telling me that one of my posts in this thread had been removed. I also lost 40 points. I was not the only one. As I write this, there are 370 replies in the thread. Yesterday, there were 378. I'm sure you can guess what my post was about.

Since messages that don't deal with technical issues or messages that are only complaints are subject to deletion, here is a technical solution to the blinking light problem:
Several users have noted the use of Post-it notes (you know, the real-life version of Stickies) to cover up the incessant blinking. I have found that even two Post-Its are not enough to block the light. Last night, I used a Sharpie to color in one of my Post-its, and then placed it over the light. A second Post-it was used to secure the bottom half of the darkened one to the display, to prevent the light from exiting at the bottom and reflecting off the keyboard.

Here's an AppleWorks tip for you number-crunchers out there:
Create a new database document with the following fields: User ID, Number of affected displays, Age of display at time of failure (in months), a "Contacted Apple" checkbox, and finally a "Comments" field. Make sure that the User ID field only accepts unique names, so you don't have any duplicate reports. Then, go through this thread, and create a new record for each user that reports the half-dim problem, and fill in the other appropriate information. The Contacted Apple checkbox should be checked if the user says that they have contacted Apple regarding this issue (got it repaired, spoke with AppleCare, talked to Customer Relations, etc.) In the comments field, you may note other information, such as if the customer's display failed again after a repair.

Once you have entered all of this data, you can have AppleWorks do some calculations. You may wish to insert the database into a spreadsheet if it makes it easier. Here are my numbers, as of yesterday:
- 172 unique users reporting the half-dim problem
- 180 total displays
- 75 users claim to have contacted Apple regarding this specific issue
- Average age of display at failure is 18 months, many displays failed within the first year.
- Some users reported additional failures after having the display repaired by Apple.

I gave this information to Customer Relations, and asked just how many people had to contact Apple before this was a "known problem." Of course, she was unable to comment as she is not an engineer. If you have this problem, please contact Apple. Hopefully if enough of us report the problem, they will acknowledge it.

Here is some contact info to get you started:
Apple Customer Relations (800) 767-2775
PlanetFeedback: http://www.planetfeedback.com/consumer/

Good luck with your displays, everyone. And Alex— welcome to the club! Remember to tell your service providers that they now have access to the parts. Hopefully they will be able to get you a good deal, but remember, you only get a 90-day guarantee.

-----

On 3:38am May 6, 2004 CDT, Wysz wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

This post will probably be deleted, but here we go:

The PowerBook users have a petition, so I thought we could have one too. Sign it. It probably won't help, but it might make you feel better.

-----

On 12:22pm May 6, 2004 CDT, John Verne wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

For what it's worth, I've signed this petition and submitted one of those nutty PlanetFeedback emails.

I will be calling Apple this week and let them know that I can get a brand-new Samsung 17" digital LCD monitor with a three-year warranty for CDN$705. How can I justify $999 for a new Apple display or $680 for a "repair"?

I don't want a free lunch. I think it's fair to ask for better "tiered" pricing for problems that are a result of obviously failing components.

Apple, you need to help your customers that regularly buy Apple software and hardware from throwing away good equipment. People who use Macs are used to seeing older equipment in use several years after they've been officially end-of-lifed.

We need to stop filling up landfills with stuff that contains all kinds of dangerous metals, and can still be put to good use.

Monitors are not consumables!

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On 02:56pm May 7, 2004 CDT, Viktor Mayer wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I had the same happen to me two days ago and yesterday (G5 with 20" Cinema Display, about 6 months old). After updating to latest Panther version backlight of top half of screen would go off when waking from sleep. In fact I get the two short and one long blink of the display light, indicating that it is a backlight problem.

The Support Notes say that this might require service (yeah, right!) but recommends that I switch everything off, unplug and replug, and restart. It sounded realkly weird, but when I tried it it has now worked for me twice in a row. Really odd. I think I probably don't have to plug/unplug - only need to shut down and boot up again.

In any event your mileage may vary - but it certainly worked twice for me....

Cheers,

V

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On 11:27pm May 8, 2004 CDT, alex merino wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I signed the petition yesterday.
www.petitiononline.com/17inchsd/petition.html
and I tried to send a letter to Apple at :
www.planetfeedback.com/consumer/
but this get me errors the three times I tried.
well I guess I have to be waiting more..... I hope not too more

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On 02:54am May 9, 2004 CDT, Mat wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I put Macaroni back on my 10.3.3 system and let it run it's repair permissions before I shut down last night. When I powered up my recently dimmed bottom was fully lit and my power light was solid :) :) :) Once I restarted again it dimmed. I don't know if it was the Macaroni that temporarily fixed it but it does seem like this is an intermittent problem and maybe a software one at that and not something in our monitors.

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On 05:21am May 11, 2004 CDT, Richard Clayton wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

YA disappointed Apple customer to add to the list.

The bottom half of the display dims after a fleeting split second of full brightness when woken/powered up. The power LED flashes the usual error code.

This panel is long out of warranty and I'm not expecting any freebies, but a reasonable repair rate should not be difficult for Apple to arrange.

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On 08:01am May 20, 2004 CDT, Ivar Hagendoorn wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

For whatever it is worth. Same problem over here (bottom half of screen dimmed and two short one long flash of the powerbutton on the screen). Screen is 2 years and 2 months old. Problem just surfaced and I instantly looked here. What I read I find disconcerting. I live in The Netherlands so that monitor repair service in California is not an option...

Samsung offers 3 years warranty on its monitors (which is reasonable and any product should live longer). Anyone recommend a good model which connects to a G4?

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On 09:02am May 20, 2004 CDT, DizzyPenguin wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I just purchased a LaCie photon20vision (3 years warranty) and am very happy with it.

You can look up the thread DizzyPenguin, "Which is the better 17" LCD display?" #18, 03:53am May 9, 2004 CDT

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On 11:31am May 14, 2004 CDT, Greg Shirey wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I just upgraded to v10.3.x from v10.1.5.  I've had no problem with the monitor until today.  I seem to have the same issue with the blinking light as describe in this thread.  I'll try the unplug/re-plug steps this evening.  The long-term resolution doesn't sound too good!

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On 05:14am May 19, 2004 CDT, Michelle Nelson wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I'm a bench-tech with about 25 years of experience at component-level troubleshooting and repair of electronic equipment.  I'd love to take a crack at solving this problem, so if anybody would like to donate a dead unit or two "to the cause" I'd be happy to post the results for everyone to see...

Typically, DC-DC converters fail by way of the semiconductor component(s) and/or the capacitors.  I haven't been able to look at one of these failed units yet, but would suspect this would be a pretty typical failure mode.  If we can identify $5-$10 in parts that need to be replaced, this would make the process a whole lot more economical than any of the other solutions I've followed!

Drop me an eMail at [email deleted]

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On 01:57pm May 22, 2004 CDT, xmiinc wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

When I woke my (now 4+ yr old) G4 with 17" Studio Display this morning, for the first time I encountered the dreaded "dimming"--in my case the top half--of my panel with the 3 short blinks.  Immediately googled, came up with this thread, and after reading through most of the posts, began trying some of the posted fixes, and can report SUCCESS!...so far, fingers crossed.  Basically, I powered down, disconnected the DVI connector and left it for a few minutes.  Plugged back in, booted up and, except for a transient memory anomaly, my panel seems fine again.  

I must say, particularly in connection with the "memory anomaly", I've had odd things happen between the panel and the cpu over the years, so I wasn't shocked, shocked, by the panel acting up per se, just hadn't seen this problem yet.  Basically (in the past) I found that until I physically unplugged the DVI connector, I could/would have trouble rebooting from a cold start.  (In the pre-OSX days, I think that also included some simple reboots.)  As I normally, keep my cpu on 24/7, this isn't a problem.  But it *does* involve the display.  So I seem to be back up...so far so good.  I never had a problem with 10.2.6 and jumped to 10.3.2.

From reading a majority of these posts, it seems that the "3-blinkers" most often return to normal by removing/reinserting the DVI connector, OR have the inverter problem, which can be fixed relatively cheaply ($180-250).  The "2-blinkers" seem to be the ones with the back-light bulb problem; I haven't seen any posts indicating a recovery from that without the Apple (expensive!) repair.

Hope this helps...

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On 05:55pm May 22, 2004 CDT, John Verne wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

In response to those reports of cases where a restart or basis system tweaking (like perm repairs) fixing this problem, we should remember that problems like this are hardly ever absolute.

That is, if the problem is hardware, hardware often fails in very non-deterministic ways.  The part or parts that are failing may just be "flaky", or in an odd state where they could fail (or work) again at any time.

Of course, since there is some kind of firmware in the monitor, and there is intelligence to drive the firmware via the OS, it is certainly possible that the problem could be fixed via software.  Unfortunately, in my case, this is not the case.  I'm guessing this is so for many others, as well.  By all means, try the usual hail-marys!  You can't lose by trying.  Just keep in mind that a reset of the display may solve the problem now; unfortuantely, if it is flaky hardware, it will fail eventually.

I've noticed that when my Mac switches resolutions (i.e., when ending a 3D game) the backlight sometimes flickers on.  It never sticks, though, and the power switch continues to flash it's morse message.  This looks like hardware issues to me.

I've found a simple hack to make the monitor more useful, though: I changed my dark background to a lighter, gradient background that is very light at the top and the bottom (I've chosen "Water" which is installed with Panther).  This makes the problem livable until I can buy a new (non-Apple, sorry) digital display.

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On 02:14pm May 23, 2004 CDT, xmiinc wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

"In response to those reports of cases where a restart or basis system tweaking (like perm repairs) fixing this problem, we should remember that problems like this are hardly ever absolute. "

Therefore, I assume John Verne is saying, neither is the solution.  He may be right.  However, I'm happy to report that 24hrs after my first incidence of "dimming" on my LCD--with a sleep/wake cycle--everything still appears normal.  I hope I'm not tempting fate by writing this(!), but sometimes what appears to be failing hardware can indeed just be confused "intelligence" between the firmware and the hardware.  As I intimated in my first post, the interaction between the display and the OS has always been suspect in the 4 years I've had this system.  It just happened to manifest itself infrequently and (luckily) in a predictable manner--until the screen-dimming yesterday.  Because of my prior annoyances, however, I was unwilling to concede a hardware fault.  And, thanks to the suggestions by others on this thread, my hunch (as a "3-blinker") has thus far been borne out.

-----

On 04:29pm May 23, 2004 CDT, John Verne wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

No, what I'm saying is that we have a set of symptoms that may or may not be solved by manipulating the operating environment.  Flaky hardware can be very frustating to diagnose because it's success or failure can have very little to do with what we do to attempt to isolate the problem; at least directly.

For example, the act of letting the monitor power down completely, resetting all the circuitry and such, may yield decent results now.  However, a number of other things could cause a near-functioning complex circuit to start working again.  I imagine if you graphed the failure rate of these monitors, it might start to look like a "bathtub" curve.  The real problem is that the flat part of the curve is quite short compared to other hardware.

I just want to make it clear that many of the things people have mentioned in this thread -- resetting the perms and such -- probably only made a change as a side-effect.  If the problem is hardware, it will likely fail again, as a side-effect of some other usage pattern.  If the problem was a driver or firmware setting, then likely the problem will never happen again.  However, we still have identical symptoms for at least two different causes.

Again, by all means try these easy things, but I'm concerned they might be offered as a general solution, or evidence that the problem is related to the OS.  In my case, the problem is 100% hardware, and will never be fixed by simply running fixpermissions or resetting the display.

-----

On 08:37am May 24, 2004 CDT, Gerald Baes wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I had the same thing happen to one of my monitors. When it initially went have dimmed I took it into the Apple store and the minute they plugged it into another PowerMac it worked just fine. Took it home and it worked for a couple of months. It finally went half dim again and we could not get it back no matter what we did. This was the second of two monitors that I had fail within the first year and a half of purchase. I hope that yours continues to work for a long time. Just don't hold your breath. Good luck.

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On 11:28am May 24, 2004 CDT, Sam Milford wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Adding my voice to the many. Yesterday my 2 year old 17" screen failed with lower-half-dim problem and the blinking power light.

Although I've been quoted £364 for the repair by Apple I think I'll be waiting until someone comes up with a cheaper solution and buying a £240 new (non-Apple) 17" flatscreen in the meantime. I'm horrified that my screen may now only be fit for the scrap heap.

I'll be putting it in the corner of my room to rest with my out-of-warranty failed disposable Airport basestation. Oh dear.

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On 04:43am May 25, 2004 CDT, Matthew Gillard wrote:
Subject: RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I manage a studio of some 20 Macs in the UK, 11 of which have 17" Apple flat panel displays. In the last 6 months, three of these have failed with this backlight problem. One recoved temporarily by leaving powered down and unconnected for a day but subsequently re-failed. With a failure rate of over 25%, I would like to add my voice to the many requesting Apple initiate a special repair program for this fault.

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May 28, 2004 10:28:03 AM EDT, jean-Luc Evrard:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Same problem on my 17" flat screen that is one and half year old here in France... A compilation of the faulty screen serials may be of interest :

N52092YBKPW

Still looking for a cheap repair solution as I strongly suspect capacitor problem...

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June 1, 2004 5:07:42 AM EDT, melle broeksma:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Yes, also here in Holland I know some people with problems with their 17" studio displays. I've had contact with two people and I have a Half Dimmed Flat Panel myself (I have glued a sticker over the blinking light).

Hope so much Apple resolves this error quickly!

Melle

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June 1, 2004 6:55:51 PM EDT, Jonathan Lincoln-Gordon:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Add another disappointed 17 inch owner. Just 2 years old. I thought I might be able to get some help on the Apple support site. I didn't think I would find all these other owners with the same problem. Come on Apple we are the ones that made you back into a successful company in the last 2 years. This is not good enough these screens are not fit for purpose!!!!!!!!!

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June 2, 2004 8:34:49 PM EDT, Matt Garlinghouse:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

The bottom half of my monitor failed in January 03, 13 months after purchase. At the time, I was quoted an outrageous repair price.

I'm happy to announce that I just spent $133.55 getting it fixed, 18 months after it failed. In San Francisco, California, USA, I went to Eaton & Associates. The part was $77 and labor was $50 -- they did it on the spot while I waited - 30 minutes.

Strangely, now the bottom half of my monitor is notably brighter than the top half. I'd guess this is because the top half has been used 150% longer than the bottom.

Anyway, I encourage everyone to fill out the petition - www.petitiononline.com/17inchsd/petition.html and report their serial number, so we can look for some sort of correlation. Mine: N514224PKPW.

I kept the old inverter board, in case someone wants it. The markings indicate AMBIT REV:7 U041063.00 Whatever that means.

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June 3, 2004 11:53:21 AM EDT, koly:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Any chance you watched the procedure and could provide a brief description of what they did?

Also, could you take a digital picture of the old inverter board and email it to me?

I'd really like to be able to fix this problem myself, and if I'm successful, I would post a how-to article on my site.

tia

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June 5, 2004 9:09:18 AM EDT, walid hassan:
Dear Pete,

I just encountered this ugly problem a week ago... The half dimmed screen unfortunately means that a backlight lamp has fried itself and needs replacement (The LCD screen has two backlight lamps - one top, the other bottom).

My 17" Studio display has a fried lamp that needs replacement but i live in Egypt and there are no replacement parts here; If u could provide me with a contact email or address of a certified apple service provider (wherever), i'd be very thankful.

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June 7, 2004 4:57:49 AM EDT, N.T.J. Kossen:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Bottom half of 17 inch Studio Display dimmed as well. A friendly guy of Dutch Apple customer support told me that repair would cost as much as about 350 Euro's !!!

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June 7, 2004 3:14:42 PM EDT, Matt Garlinghouse:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Unfortunately I didn't watch the procedure (though they did do it while I waited). I heard a lot of power screwdriver use, so I suspect that most of the monitor was disassembled. The inverter board appears to have been attached with three screws. There appear to be four plugs on the board to attach wires. No soldering appears necessary.

I have taken pictures and will send to whomever wants them. A resourceful reader has already asked for the board. I'm sending to him on the condition he reports back to everyone with his findings.

[email deleted]

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June 8, 2004 12:16:56 PM EDT, Jonathan Healey1:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Yesterday, I visited this thread when my 17" display dimmed and the light began blinking (2-short/1-long). Disapointed with the responses I read, I covered up the light and moved on. About 8-hours later, the monitor returned to full brightness and the blinking ceased.

I consider myself very lucky, but I wanted to report this as it way help determine and easier fix.

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June 10, 2004 3:08:04 PM EDT, Daniel Butler2:
Sadly, my monitor has the same problem. I'd like to urge everyone to sign the

I have the display back and running and wow, I had forgotten how much better it is than the old CRT I had put back into service.

http://www.moniserv.com/doc/inverter.htm

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July 7, 2004 11:07:45 AM EDT, jeremy cox:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I contracted the morse code power button / half dimmed 17" flat panel disease after I woke my computer up this morning. Nice little surprise considering I purchased this monitor less than 4 months ago. Though my display is still under warranty, I am a little concerned that having Apple fix this problem or even replace the monitor will not prevent this problem from reoccurring.

Does anyone know if this problem has been fixed in the newer models???

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July 12, 2004 8:23:39 PM EDT, Scott Shroeder:
RE: Repair Success

The listing for the U041063.00 Inverter at http://www.moniserv.com/doc/inverter.htm notes this: Substitute Model of inverter will be available at end of August 2004.

Anyone know what this means? Is this a modification that eliminates the "go poof" problem these boards seem vulnerable to?

Heck, I might not even bother to fix it. I'm so accustomed to that blasted flashing power-light, I'd likely freak if it actually worked properly ;)

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July 13, 2004 1:37:27 PM EDT, daniel rucci:
Half dimmed flat panel display - software?

Add another 17 incher to the list my friends.

lower half backlight fails after about 10 seconds of being plugged in... It works fine for about 10 seconds and then just dies... If I unplug it, and replug it, it works for 10 seconds... then dies... over and over this is making me think its a (programmed) software failure???

This is so strange, I think its a software issue since it works, and then shuts off, rather than never working... any ideas?

the failures began after i had this monitor unplugged from the g4 for about 1 week. upon replugging it, the lower half failures start to occurr.

-----

July 13, 2004 6:03:20 PM EDT, Scott Schroeder:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display - software?

Daniel,

Sure seems like a fault voltage inverter card.

If your monitor is still under warranty, run-don't walk to get it repaired. If it's older than one year: You have just joined our special club....

Now for better news: Moniserv claims to be making a substitute inverter board. They claim it will solve the problem associated with the original Ambit cards used by Apple. The Ambit card uses 4 transformers to regulate voltage to the backlight areas. Seems these transformers are not as reliable as they should be. One dies -> instant dimmed top or bottom display

Moniserv hopes the substitute will be available at the end of July 04. You may want to contact them directly.

I have no direct experience with Moniserv, but everything they told me makes sense. It corresponds to the problems I've had and that other people have seen.

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July 14, 2004 10:24:45 PM EDT, Dean Larue:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

One more - 17", almost exactly 2 years old. I'll start trying to see if I can fix the problem using these fixes... annoying.

I'm a huge apple fan, but this isn't the first widespread but unacknowledged problem I've had with one of their displays - I also had the dreaded 'multicolored vertical line' problem on my 15" PB Ti... at least that one I was able to foist off on apple on one of their 'trade in' programs...

grumpy.

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July 21, 2004 3:44:13 PM EDT, Daniel Brookes:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

And yet another. My 17" display is about 26 months old and the top half is now dim. I get the same flashing error code. I'm somewhat dissapointed as I've been preaching Apple quality to everyone for the past few years. But I also suppose the failure rate is probably still very low. I plan on using the comments in this thread to order the part and repair it myself. Thanks for all the good info...PERHAPS Apple will take some action on our behalf?

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July 21, 2004 3:48:35 PM EDT, Daniel Butler2:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display - software?

Has anyone actually replaced the inverter board themselves? I'm curious how difficult it is.

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July 21, 2004 7:59:12 PM EDT, Melissa Grams:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I'm so disappointed.

This morning I woke up and I was subject to the blinking power button (two short/one long) and the lower half of my display quite a bit darker than the top. I have owned the monitor for 14 months.

I am, as I'm sure most of the people reading this are, a huge mac advocate. I am constantly praising everything Apple and encouraging friends/relatives/total strangers to "switch". I'm almost embarassed to tell anyone what has happened to my monitor for fear of being subject to "I told you so's". I was a student when I purchased this monitor. I saved over a year to pay for it. Now, barely out of college, I don't have the $600 that I was quoted today for a "replacement" with only a 90 day warranty from an Apple Authorized Service center.

Come on Apple. Give me a reason to keep praising you. Help us out.

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July 21, 2004 8:10:24 PM EDT, Melissa Grams:
RE: Repair Success

Mr J, How quickly did they get the monitor back to you? Is it still working well? I was subjected to "the blink" this morning when I woke up and I am considering sending it to Moniserv per your recomendation.

Thanks, Melissa - Wisconsin

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July 22, 2004 9:46:02 AM EDT, Mr J Spoons:
RE: Repair Success

Hi Melissa.

The monitor is working well indeed. Moniserv was "waiting on the part" so it took about two weeks. Best of luck!

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July 22, 2004 12:34:27 PM EDT, Gilbert-Pls Use This Record Rivera:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Wow, Thanks Matt. This is Gilbert from Eaton & Associates. This is the third time I've come to this board. I need to come more often. Your post was pointed out to me by Melissa Grams who is having issues with her Display.

For Melissa - I received your email and will respond to it today.

Gilbert

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July 22, 2004 3:13:42 PM EDT, Gilbert-Pls Use This Record Rivera:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Hi Melissa,

I received & replied to your email today.

Gilbert

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July 23, 2004 9:49:17 AM EDT, iCare:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Melissa,

If you live near an Apple Retail Store take it to there for servicing and let them know that you think you need a new inverter board based on the information in this discussion thread.

Back in May the service tech that I work with told me that Apple sent out a notification that parts for the 17", 20" and 23" LCD displays were now available for ordering so that he now had the option to perform the repairs himself rather than send them in. He figured he could install a new inverter for well under $200. Matt Garlinghouse posted on June 2nd that he went to a service provider and they charged him $50 labor, and $77 for the replacement part to fix the problem.

If it's of any help, I asked my tech for the part number of the inverter that he can get from Apple and he said it is 922-5534. He didn't say how much it costs him, but it sounds like it must be less than $77 if that's all that Matt's tech charge for the part.

Hope that helps. Please! let us know what happens.

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July 23, 2004 1:14:15 PM EDT, Melissa Grams:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Thank you for your suggestion.

I called the nearest Apple Store, which is about an hour and a half away, and spoke to one of the techs there. He said that if the inverter was in fact the problem, the part generally costs less than $50 and the labor is $88/hour. They don't always have the part in stock, so I would have to leave the monitor there with them for up to a few days. But, all in all, not a bad option.

I am planning to head down to Milwaukee next Friday anyway, so I'll drop it off then. I'll post when I get back to let everyone know what happened.

Thank you to everyone who has contacted me and posted regarding this issue. I appreciate the help so much.

Melissa

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July 23, 2004 4:18:15 PM EDT, Gilbert-Pls Use this Record Rivera:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

That's about what we charge. We have two boards in stock. Which seems like I may more based on this post.

Gilbert

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July 26, 2004 10:28:54 AM EDT, Robert Peters2:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Count me as another "victim"". The top half of my 2+ year-old 17 inch LCD got very dark about a month ago. Tried all the "magic" suggested here and nothing worked. The repair quote from Apple is absolutely ridiculous! So while trying to find a repair source I bought another 17 incher, NOT what I planned to do at all! I think Apploe could try a little harder!

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July 27, 2004 9:48:16 AM EDT, iCare:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Mark,

What price were you quoted? Jump up about 5 posts and read my comments from July 23rd where I suggested that Melissa try an Apple Retail Store to find out how much it would cost to replace the inverter. I even provided the part number to avoid any confusion.

In case you missed my previous posts, Apple authorized service providers were notified that they now have the option of repairing some of the LCD displays in their shop rather than sending them out for repair. As a result you might find that the repair costs less than you think. When calling be sure to have the part number handy so they can provide an accurate quote. Please share what you find.

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July 27, 2004 11:47:50 PM EDT, Daniel Brookes:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Gilbert -

Any chance you can provide any info on how to "do it yourself" and if it's complicated to fix? I was planning on buying an inverter board replacement from a company I found online for about $110 US.

Perhaps YOU have parts to sell? Can you take orders? Perhaps there's a way to help out all these poor people who have this problem? Any knowledge of any online, step by step photos of the repair process?

Any knowledge of how to bad the problem is in most monitors? I know there are 4 inverters/lighting zones and the upper portion of my display is dim but not dark...it's tolerable but noticable.

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July 28, 2004 12:09:46 PM EDT, Gilbert-Pls Use This Record Rivera:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Hi Daniel

I wish I could provide information on how to take it apart. As service providers we cannot give that information out. Also Apple has a policy in place where we cannot sale parts unless they are CIP ( customer installable parts ). I haven't seen any take-apart on line but I'm sure it's out there.

If you repair the display, please use caution.

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July 28, 2004 12:13:38 PM EDT, iCare:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Daniel,

Call an Apple store and see what they charge. You may be able to get the repair done by an authorized tech for about the same price you are planning to spend on the part based on the prices paid by others individuals. (I'm assuming you'll have some shipping and handling charges too.

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July 28, 2004 10:19:03 PM EDT, Daniel Brookes:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

ICare & Gilbert,

Thanks for the info and advice. I live in the DC area and called 3 different stores and got 3 different answers. They won't allow me to speak with a tech, one store said it had to ship it back to Apple, while another told me to bring it in and see if their techs can fix it. One of you mentioned that they've been informed of the issue and are authorized to fix the problem in-store... but if they still say they have to send it in is there a message, email or something I can refer them to or something one of you can pass along to me to show them? Feel free to contact me at [email deleted]

Thanks again

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July 29, 2004 7:20:41 AM EDT, Jim Noble:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I bought a "spare" 17" display with a cracked screen, whipped the back off the case, unplugged and unscrewed the inverter board, did the same in my original display (with the top half dimmed), swapped the boards over, put it all back together, and now I have a fully working display again.

From memory, the dismantling procedure is:

With the display face down on something soft/protective, undo the three allen head screws in the support leg and remove it. Undo the four allen head screws in the back of the clear case (one in each corner). Carefully remove the rear of the clear case. Behind is the plastic backing; remove that as well, taking care to thread the video cable out through the aperature it passes through.

You will now be able to see the metal shield that protects the electronic doodads inside. You will need to gently lever up the tabs that hold it in place with a sturdy flat bladed screwdriver. There's a couple of screws as well IIRC.

Carefully removing the metal shield will reveal several circuit boards (take suitable precautions to avoid killing your display with static electricity!!).

Looking at the back of your display from the "top" (ie legs farthest away from you), the inverter board is the one nearest you on the right (ie when looking at the display when it's in use, the inverter board is behind the top right of the screen).

It can further be identified by the cables connecting to it. (All from memory remember) There is a cable connecting the inverter board to! another board with several multi-coloured strands on the left (when viewed from "top"), and four two-wire connectors on the right.

*Before disconnecting any wires, make detailed notes about how these are connected. Specifically, the order and orientation of the connectors. I found that my original and the broken display used different colour schemes for the individual wires...

Assuming you have a replacement board to hand (either supplied new, or salvaged from another display), carefully unplug all of the cable connectors from the inverter board, making absolutely sure you have notes on how to reconnect them afterwards, as you go.

There are three screws holding the inverter board down which you should now remove. You should now be able to lift the broken inverter board up, and replace it with your new/working board.

Make sure the replacement board is lined up correctly, and put the three screws back in. Plug in all the cables making sur! e to connect them the same way as they were before you removed the old board.

Now replace the metal shield - you have to slide it back on under the tabs. Put the screw(s) back in to hold it steady, then use your screwdriver to bend the tabs back into place.

Replace the plastic inner back cover, then the clear back cover (make sure you thread the video cable back through its aperature!). Screw the four allen headed bolts back in, and the replace the support leg mechanism.

Hopefully your display will now work again...

Don't blame me if it doesn't though - do this at your own risk!

I still have the broken display, so I could take some pictures of the procedure if there's demand...

HTH,

Jim

-----

July 29, 2004 3:27:34 PM EDT, Gilbert-Pls Use This Record Rivera:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

That's Correct Icare. Service Providers were informed that they can repair Cinema Displays now which is great. There was a post that mentioned a site that you can purchase the invertor board.

The repair process is very simple and does not take that much time. If your good with your hands it should be very simple. The part itself is less than $100.00 and takes about 30 minutes to install.

Again it's simple but of course I've done it many times so it's simple to me. Try a search on google on how to take it apart and locate that site so they can send you the part. I'll see it I can locate them but I know it's in this topic. There are differences between service providers. Not all can repair them. There are some that are only approved for facilitation. They are called ASP. Then they are some that are AASP+ which means they can almost fix everything Apple related. That's what we are.

So it's very possible they are ASP only. Locate an AASP+ provider in y! our area. I'll do some research for you and find someone local and get you some rates. I'll post later

Gilbert

-----

July 29, 2004 5:48:13 PM EDT, Gilbert-Pls Use This Record Rivera:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Hi Again Daniel

http://wheretobuy.apple.com/locator/service.html

This will help you find a service provider in your area. I hope this helps.

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July 31, 2004 7:04:10 PM EDT, Peggy Schneider:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Add me to the victims list to this problem with my 17-month old 20" display that started 3 weeks ago. I have a feeling it is the inverter board in my case because the dimmed part alternates at the bottom or the top. It's mostly on the bottom though.

I have a dual display set up and I temporarily solve the problem by powering down, switching the cables for the displays around, powering on, then repeat the sequence one more time in order for the affected display to be fully lit again. I normally get about 2 - 3 days use out of it before I have to do the whole sequence again.

I didn't purchase Apple Care at the time I bought the computer. This is so frustrating as these screens aren't cheap. I will call a local Apple retailer in town to see if they'll be willing to fix it.

I'm hoping they can fix the problem, since I don't want to pay the exorbitant price that Apple wants to replace a defective part that is plaguing so many of their screens.

-----

August 1, 2004 2:29:14 PM EDT, Mr J Spoons:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Peggy:

Look at http://www.moniserv.com/doc/pricelist.htm I had my 17" repaired for $165 plus shipping - it's working great. If you check out the rest of the Moniserv website, you will see that LCDs are a specialty of theirs. Best of luck.

AppleCare is definitely in my future!

-----

August 2, 2004 2:55:45 PM EDT, Peggy Schneider:


-----

RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Thanks, Mr. Spoons. I will have to give them a call.

Just to add my monitor to the list, I called Apple to tell them about my problem. I was patched to their product specialist and he had informed that since the monitor is a discontinued model, engineering will not be doing any more research on it with the issues. They are only concentrating on known issues with the newer displays they had just released.

I asked him what the price will be to fix. He couldn't find the current price list on his system as he mentioned that all the links are down at the moment. He managed to give me an authorized repair center in my neighborhood that should be able to fix on their premises. I gave them a call and they mentioned that the display will have to be sent back to Apple and it would cost me about $450 + shipping because they won't be able to order the parts. I mentioned to them that Apple has made available the parts for them to order, but they have no knowledge o! f it and still insisted that they'll need to send the monitor to Apple anyway.

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August 3, 2004 7:24:14 PM EDT, Gilbert-Pls Use This Record Rivera:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Hi Peggy,

Try to locate a Service Provider instead of calling Apple. Service Providers can repair & receive parts for these models. I'm not sure why Apple isn't aware of this but don't go through Apple. Look for a local service provider.

A person nambed Matt even mentioned the company I worked for within this post and how we repaired his display for $133.55 We replaced his invertor board which is the fix (most of the time) for the issues mentioned. Again, don't go through Apple. Find a service provider

Gilbert Eaton&Associates...

-----

August 5, 2004 10:10:20 AM EDT, Paul Matsuda:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

 Just a twist on what has been happening, but a couple of days ago I experienced the top half of my Cinema Display going dim with the 3 blink syndrome. I found this post and of course thought that my inverter had blown. I unhooked my display and took it into the Genius Bar. When the tech there hooked it up to one of their computers, it was fine.

I got it home and re-hooked it up to my computer and the display had gone back to normal (maybe it wanted to get out of the house and go for a ride >:-)

Anyway, the tech mentioned that I should reset the PRAM / VRAM on my G4 if the display was still funky when I got home.

At the same time I was having problems with my iPod not mounting, which in the end turned out to be Firewire related. So in a post this morning, one of the suggested fixes was to reset the VRAM, with the suggestion being that the PRAM / VRAM had gotten corrupted by the latest iPod updater.

 Ron T!  aylor, "Ipod not mounting, taking a poll" #113, 08:05pm Aug 4, 2004 CDT

Anyway, don't know if the two are ultimately related, but hopefully it will save someone from having a repair done needlessly. I was set to ship out my monitor...thankfully there is a Genius Bar only a few miles from my house, so I was able to see that the problem was not the display (at least for the time being..knock on wood).

btw: my display is only one month out of warranty, so having to pay for a repair would have chapped my a**.

Instructions for resetting PRAM / VRAM here:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=2238

Cheers, Paul

-----

August 8, 2004 8:30:21 AM EDT, Richard Davis6:
Jim Noble, could you post pics?

Jim, I like your idea of taking pics. If you have a digital camera could you take some and post them where folks who have this problem could get the pics?

Thanks,
Mistermac

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August 8, 2004 8:32:55 AM EDT, Richard Davis6:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Pics would be a great help to everyone here, I'm sure. Thanks for figuring these things out.

Apple should do better than this.
Mistermac

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August 15, 2004, 7:21:18 PM EDT, Connie G:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I went to genius bar and got a quote of $500 to repair my display (Apple Studio 17in) that was bottom-dimmed before and finally became completely dark two days ago. This was it for me.
Went to Circuit City and bought silver 17in Sony HS74P for $549. It has 3 year warranty and has both VGA and DVI connectors. Very bright and beautiful monitor. The alternative was to buy another apple 17in, with just 1 year warranty. However, with previous bitter experience, it was not a valid option.
Bottom line: it is OK to charge premium for premium longer lasting product, but it is completely uncool to charge extra $$ for monitor that dims out 14 mo after purchase.

-----

August 16, 2004 10:12:36 AM EDT, iCare:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Connie,

I posted this back on July 23rd, but based on what you were quoted at an Apple store it is worth reposting the information so that you can go back and tell them to try again with a repair quote, not a quote to mail the display into the central repair center for repair. Based on what other people have paid since Apple made repair parts available to service techs, your $500 quote could probably be lowered significantly. Be sure to bring in the part number of the inverter so that they know what to quote on. Please share what happens.

Copy of July 23rd posting...

If you live near an Apple Retail Store take it to there for servicing and let them know that you think you need a new inverter board based on the information in this discussion thread.

Back in May the service tech that I work with told me that Apple sent out a notification that parts for the 17", 20" and 23" LCD displays were now available for ordering so that he now had the opti!  on to perform the repairs himself rather than send them in. He figured he could install a new inverter for well under $200. Matt Garlinghouse posted on June 2nd that he went to a service provider and they charged him $50 labor, and $77 for the replacement part to fix the problem.

If it's of any help, I asked my tech for the part number of the inverter that he can get from Apple and he said it is 922-5534. He didn't say how much it costs him, but it sounds like it must be less than $77 if that's all that Matt's tech charge for the part.

Hope that helps. Please let us know what happens.

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August 17, 2004 1:08:18 PM EDT, Guido K?rber:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

 Has anyone yet gone to the electronic reasons why the inverters fail?

I have just found out that replacing the CCFL tubes did not bring my display back to life. So something in the inverter circuit is definitely the cause.

This reminds me a lot of the original Airport base where Apple used electrolytic caps at a too low voltage and temperatur rating. In my base they looked like blowfish when I had to replace them. Same story there: Repair at Apple would have cost almost as much as a new base. Doing it myself kept the material cost at a dollar or two...

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August 18, 2004 9:22:18 AM EDT, Tario Cham1:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

As I posted a few months ago how I shared your pain since I had the half dim panel as well.... As of a few weeks ago the screen went totally black.... I'd like to get it repaired if possible... I've seen a few of the recommendations on this thread for repair but I'm looking for something in then Toronto area or even in Canada if need be. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

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August 18, 2004 9:56:33 AM EDT, Guido K?rber:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Does anyone have the datasheet for the O2Micro OZ965 chip?

Those are the controllers on the inverter board. I hope to be able to find what the trouble is when I know how exactly these chips work. It seems like the problem is not coming from the chip, at least in my case. The backlight goes on for a few seconds and then is obviously switched off by the controller. So my guess is that something in the fault sensing circuit is fouled up. Possibly something as expensive as a 0.50$ capacitor or a 0.02$ resistor...

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August 18, 2004 6:02:51 PM EDT, Peter Penner:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

 Add another one to the international community with a half dimmed 17".

Interesting to know, that it first showed up about a half year ago and then was fine after a restart. This time it seems to be forever.

In my case it is the lower half.

# N51190KEKPW

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August 23, 2004 1:35:26 PM EDT, Alan DuBois:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Just to chime in. I had the same problem with my 17" Studio Display. Thanks to the info I found in this forum, I was able to get it fixed pretty easily and inexpensively. I called my local Apple authorized service center, TenPlus Systems in Raleigh, NC. At first, the tech said they couldn't work on the monitor and that it would have to go back to Apple. However, based on info I found here, I told him that Apple now authorized service centers to do the work and even gave him the part number he would need for the repair. He looked up the part number, found it was available, checked with his supervisor and agreed to take a look at it. I took it in the next day and got it back the day after that working as good as new. So while the problem is a drag, at least it was relief not to have to buy a new monitor. BTW, if you are in NC, I would highly recommend TenPlus. They were friendly, communicative and very professional.

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August 25, 2004 9:54:48 AM EDT, jSite:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Odd. This happened to me (too) last week, but a search of the forums didn't find this lengthy post. Maybe I seached wrong. Anyway, I guess the half-dim Monitor syndrome is not just me. The Apple Store (Cambridge Mass) still has it, so hopefully it'll work out.

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August 26, 2004 7:41:05 AM EDT, Dave S-o-A:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

And yet another screen this time in the UK. Has anybody in the UK found a reputable (and reasonably priced) repairer of screens that suffer from this fault?

-----

August 28, 2004 6:44:26 AM EDT, Dave S-o-A:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

For all you other potential sufferers in the UK here's what I've found out.

You can buy the replacement part from a store in the States for $120 + shipping (and no doubt VAT) - except they have no stock and will not have any until October. Apparently fitting the part is not difficult (hmmmmm).

Apple UK quoted (gasp, feel faint) £270 + VAT plus shipping for the repair i.e. I guess they mean "don't bother with us". Still the very nice man I spoke to wished me a "nice day" after the call when I said next time I'll buy a Sony as they come with a 3 year RTB warranty.

There is a company in the UK that offers fixed price repairs (Omni-monitor in Stevenage) and seemed to know what they were talking about when I called (price is £110 + shipping).

However I bought my G4 and display from John Lewis in Solihull. They had told me that the screen had a two year warranty (but the assistant was wrong, it's only 1 year) and I thought I was in BIG trouble. But.!  ..they have loaned me a screen, are going to find out a price from their repairers and, if it's a big cost, perhaps come to an arrangement over a new screen. That's what I call customer service.

Moral in the UK;
Always buy from John Lewis wherever possible - they care about customers and offer excellent after sales service.
Buy Apple Care for your monitor - there is a potential problem
Don't bother with Apple UK for repairs out of warranty, the cost is abnormally high.

-----

August 29, 2004 11:03:45 AM EDT, koly:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I've been trying to find a way to fix this problem myself, and have gotten nowhere.

I've called 2 Apple Specialist retail stores in my area. The first one said they would have to ship the monitor back to apple for a minimum cost of $450. The second one told me it was more likely the bulb and NOT the inverter that was bad, and would cost $590 minimum to repair (which he seemed to find funny, explaining to me I'd be better off buying a new one for that price, but, in the meantime, he'd be "happy to give you $100 clams for the parts of your old one!"). Gee thanks.

I then visited an actual Apple Retail Store in Chandler, AZ. They informed me it would probably cost about $160, but they'd need the monitor for a week, minimum. A week? For what I'm guessing is, at most, a 2 hour repair? And they can special order the inverter overnight for my monitor - they just can sell it to me outright. Gee, thanks again.

At each of these places, I asked if I could just p!  urchase the inverter board myself, since my monitor is no longer under warranty, why should they care if I try to fix it?

"Uh, we don't sell that part" was the common answer.

Does anyone know of a company willing to sell these inverter boards? You'd think these things were made of gold they're so hard to get.

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August 30, 2004 9:17:53 AM EDT, jimhere:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Since I seem to have Apple Care, I took my half-dim to the local Apple store. They kept it, and 4 days later it returned (fixed) in the mail. Luckily I also have a laptop to I wasn't idle for 4 days.

(I bought the G4 and monitor in 2001 so the fix was free nder Apple Care)

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September 8, 2004 7:49:08 AM EDT, thomas brus:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I have the same problem, and i think that apple should do anything for the owners of this monitor because this is a mistake from the production, and not normal.

I have my monitor since Sep 2002

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September 11, 2004 4:06:07 PM EDT, Wysz:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I'm trying to compile a public list of serial numbers for the broken displays that will hopefully be submitted to Apple for their records, and we can use it to make our own observations. The list is here.

By the way, I recently had to get an IBM ThinkPad repaired (don't worry, it's not mine) because the screen was buzzing. When it was returned, the repair document noted an "inverted card." I seem to be cursed by inversions in the LCD world.

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September 11, 2004 4:56:34 PM EDT, alex:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

This is what they did for the thousands of ibooks with faulty logic boards.... THEY SHOULD DO THE SAME HERE.

And considering i was an owner of a few of those busted iBooks, I AM NOT HAPPY WITH APPLE'S TRACK RECORD.

I love Apple, but there is no excuse.

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September 14, 2004 3:06:05 PM EDT, Jason Olson:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Anyone know the procedure/schematics to take apart the display? I have an inverter board (actually a few) on the way and need to know how to put this thing in when I get them.

Thanks!
Jason

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September 15, 2004 11:36:44 AM EDT, David Stamm:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Jason:
Message # 286 by Jim Noble notes the procedure to replace the circuit board.

You also mention having a few ( on the way )... where did you order them from ?

Also... SIGN THE PETITION so we can get a read on the number of units affected.

http://www.petitiononline.com/17inchsd/petition.html

Good Luck

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September 15, 2004 8:26:09 PM EDT, koly:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Jason - yes, where were you able to get a hold of a few of the inverter boards!?

I've been trying to locate them for a looong time - I don't have schematics or a procedure to take apart the display, but I know it's not too difficult and was going to figure out how to do it myself, document the procedure, and post how to fix the half-dimmed display problem...

Please - any source information for the inverter board appreciated.

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September 16, 2004 9:11:05 AM EDT, Jason Olson:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Thanks for the replies guys, actually I was very persuasive in talking with my Apple tech friends and he is ordering a few for me to "have on hand for my other 5 displays"

Maybe I should have him order me 100 and I could post them here and sell them off, since it seems there are a lot of people needing them!

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September 17, 2004 2:48:31 PM EDT, Jason Olson:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

So my buddy called and told me to drop the monitor by, he installed the new inverter board, said it took a little over a half hour, and charged me nothing for the labor! So my monitor is back working again!

Told him about all the people here inquiring about where I got the inverter board and he said "get a count, I'll order as many as you need, if you make a little profit I'll split it with you!" So if anyone is interested I'll get some ordered through him and ship them out to you. Email me at jason_4u2nv at hotmail dot com.

Jason

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September 20, 2004 5:23:16 PM EDT, alex:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I have seen the service manual for the 20"...

does anyone know if there is difference with the inverter board?

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September 24, 2004 12:21:34 AM EDT, Gerard Zasuwa:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Just ordered the inverter board replacement from ( Look at http://www.moniserv.com/ )
NOW IN STOCK AND SHIPPING - 110 dollars US plus 8 dollars shipping. Let you know how well the replacement functions. It's actually quit esay to install yourself, they even have installtion instructions on the site.

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September 25, 2004 4:42:24 PM EDT, Heather Lindsay:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Happy birthday to both me and my monitor; as of today it's two years old exactly and guess what - the top half has gone dim!! Are there any new developments to this thread, or are we still being shafted by Apple when it comes to repairs? What's the current cost of repair in the UK?

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September 25, 2004 5:02:08 PM EDT, David Fielder:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

My two year old just dimmed as well - top half. Not impressive given cost and lack of complexity (CRT etc). Attempts to obtain service advice from Apple/stores has been fruitless - poor customer support!

I've submitted my display info to the growing list. May wait for some posted repair successes to attempt my own, but given price and few alternatives that seems to be the way to go.

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September 26, 2004 1:28:42 PM EDT, koly:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Moniserv has written up a pdf on how to perform the inverter board replacement. It appears to be a simple process from their write-up.

They also offer the inverter board replacement part for $110 + shipping.

Here's the link to the instructions:
http://www.moniserv.com/images/Apple_Inverter_installation.pdf

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September 26, 2004 5:21:03 PM EDT, Jason Olson:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

As noted in a post above, I have gotten some inverter boards from a friend that works for Apple. If anyone is interested in getting the Apple inverter I have 3 left, note this is NOT a substitute, it is the actual Apple part.

Email me at [email deleted] with questions.

Thanks!
Jason

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September 28, 2004 9:43:55 AM EDT, Andrew Wolczyk:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Add me to the list of faulty display owners. Top half is dark and green light blinks.

There has to be some kind of extended warranty coming on this. I've never seen a forum with this many people having the same problem.

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September 28, 2004 1:10:09 PM EDT, John Bicht:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I have just fixed my display! I spent months and months waiting for Apple to do something - tolerating the blinking light and dark lower half. By the time I gave up and went looking for a new inverter board off the internet, they seemed to have dried up. So more months waiting. Anyway, Moniserv (see URL above in someone elses post) finally got more of their replacement boards in. Their part looks a great deal better designed and made than the original. Twenty mniutes later I was in heaven. Always did like the monitor.

I have used Macs since 1991. And I have been a strong supporter of them, until recently. With this latest machine, now a year and a half old, I have had my share of problems, all of which were basically ignored by Apple. At first I got the "blue screen" problem after installing the CD ROM software that came with the monitor. Apple had just realized the problem yet was not contacting the dealers warning them to save their customers some trouble!  . Then the MDD fan noise. That took a great deal more time. Then the monitor. On top of all this, the amount of time I spend watching a spiining "beach ball" on a 2x867Mhz machine is a joke. OS X may be the best small computer os, but it is pretty flawed still.

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September 29, 2004 9:54:03 AM EDT, Heather Lindsay:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

So - now that we can do our own repairs - since Apple won't, or not cheaply at any rate - can anyone supply the ID or model number of the inverter board so I can search for them myself?
And by the way - can anyone give me the statistics of the actual backlight so I can lay in a spare bulb or two? Make, model number, part number, length, wattage etc would all help as i've spent two days trawling the Net with no success! I might find one cheaply if I knew what I was looking for!!

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September 29, 2004 12:57:58 PM EDT, John Bicht:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Go to:
http://www.moniserv.com/doc/MONISERV_U041063.00MSS.htm
That is the part. They also have instructions, but if you look back about 10-30 messages you will find instructions also.

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October 1, 2004 6:30:08 PM EDT, Lance:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Thanks to this group I was able to get my hands on a Inverter (Part # 922-5534) and it only took 5 minutes to put in. It works like a charm and fixed the problem. My top half was dimmed.

They should at least make these parts available easily so everyone can fix these on their own.

Thanks again to this group forthe solution and source for the part.

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October 1, 2004 7:02:17 PM EDT, Larry Brown:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

After experiencing the bottom half of my screen dimmed and getting an estimate of $550 from an Apple authorized service company, I found Eaton and Assoc (415.282.1188) in San Francisco (I live nearby) who replaced the inverter board for
 $150 - ($77 for the board). What a rip off from Apple.

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October 3, 2004 9:16:28 AM EDT, Bernhard Schmid:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I think we top dimmers are much better off than the bottom dimmers. The view reminds me of those stylish seventies sunglasses. And the morse code raises memories of those happy boy scout days. Thank you, Apple!

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October 5, 2004 4:09:14 AM EDT, shirn:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Ok, over 6 months ago I had the same problem like all of you.... Blinking light, half dimmed screen and all... Due to a lot of projects that were going on I was unable to take care of the problem, so, I used a spare CRT monitor.

With some time on my hands and the availability of the inverter from moniserve, this week was time to fix my beloved monitor.

I ordered the inverter from Moniserve this last Friday and received it on Saturday! So, I went off to dismantle my monitor and replace the inverter.

All went well with the operation procedure. After going through all the steps and finally reassembling it, I plugged my monitor back into my G4 and things looked better. the dimming was gone.

BUT......... The blinking light on the power button was STILL blinking!!!!
Okay, when I was installing the inverter into my monitor, I was following the instructions from the Moniserve website. At the end of the instructions it says: "Note: On some versions of this 17" monitor, the power light may still keep blinking, you may want to disable the power indicate lamp."

I was like, GREAT, I don't know how the rest of you do it, but I could not survive a minute with that blinking light at the corner of my screen. No matter what I would cover it with, I could still see it.

So I searched and searched for a solution. (Remember it was Saturday... I could not ever call Moniserve about it!) I didn't mind taking a temporary solution at that point so I looked up how to manually disable the button, so that it would just stop blinking.

It worked. That problem is solved for the time being. It would have been nice to have been able to still use the button but, what can I do, this monitor is a piece of sh*t!

So, as I thought all was!  better and I was able to compute in peace, I start to realize that the left edge of the monitor is kinda yellowish. I know it is not that my monitor is dirty. It's something else.

NOT ONLY THAT, after I noticed the yellowish edge and just decided to ignore it for the time being, my monitor would randomly turn black on me, every few minutes. It just did it now as a matter of fact.

This is incredible! EVERYTHING is going wrong with this piece of crap!
While I am browsing the net, writing a letter or anything else, the screen suddenly turns black, then goes back to normal and then within seconds goes back to black and then normal again. It repeats that 4 to 5 times and then for a while I have no problems. Then, 2-5 minutes later
 it does it again.

I can't believe it. Does anyone have a clue what is up with these things??
Does anyone else have an after story that isn't perfect? Anyone else with similar symptoms after the inverter replacement?

-----

October 5, 2004 8:51:20 AM EDT, Jason Olson:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

shirn,

That is what is wrong with getting a "substitute", not the actual Apple part. The Apple part that I had replaced in mine, as well as others that have gotten it from me have told me their light has not flashed. Maybe others that are on this forum that got the board from me can post their results as well.

Jason

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October 5, 2004 10:22:18 AM EDT, Jason Olson:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

shirn,

After reading your thread a few more times, I talked to that tech friend of mine and he said he hadn't heard of any yellowing or blinking off and on the the monitor after boards being replaced. He's not aware of a whole lot of people getting the substitute inverter (obviously) but he's willing to speculate it is the replacement board that is causing your problems.

Jason

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October 5, 2004 12:09:47 PM EDT, William Rivas:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

It was not the update, believe me. Seems the life of the back light is about one year or 16 months. Had mine replaced by these people:

The Image
 8791 Winston Rd
Anaheim, CA 92804
714-995-0100 Tel
714-995-5960 FAX
www.monitorexperts.com

About 300.00 dollars. Less than a new monitor purchase at the time for me.

William

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October 5, 2004 12:17:47 PM EDT, Jason Olson:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Hi William,

Thanks for clearing that up, didn't know how the board would cause yellowing!? How long ago did you get your monitor fixed? I ask because the board can be had for less than half what you paid and it's so easy you can do it yourself.

Jason

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October 5, 2004 9:31:23 PM EDT, John Johnson14:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Okay, my two cents.

I have been holding my breath and crossing my fingers for about a week. After developing this seemingly common problem I talked to a local authorized sales and service place I frequent. I had hopes they could do the repair for me as I didn't want to be without the monitor for weeks. I had already talked to the local Apple stores and they would only ship it to Apple. Well, this place 1) was busy and 2) hadn't yet done the repair so they were evasive about when they could help me out. After living with the dim top half and the infernal blinking power light for about a month, I picked up a nice little CRT (figured I would need something for the duration of the eventual repair process). So I now had dual monitors, pretty cool!

After another month, the service place was still dragging their feet so I found another. They ordered the part and received it almost immediately. I took in the monitor and they had it repaired in a matter of a few days!  . The process took longer than it should have due to some confusion with AppleCare (Yes, I actually had Applecare), but I have now had the monitor back for about a week and, knocking on wood, it seems as good as new.

FWIW, the service tech mentioned a price in the range of $50 for the part and an hour or hour and a half labor - less than $150 total - without AppleCare. Nice people to do busines with. They are:

Linographics
770 N. Main Street Suite J
Orange California 92868
714-639-0511
www.linographics.com

Good luck all,
John

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October 6, 2004 10:33:02 AM EDT, Andrew Wolczyk:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Maybe if I photoshop my background picture of my desktop so the bottom half is dimmed, my monitor will look normal again!

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October 10, 2004 9:29:15 PM EDT, Revenge:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I have been working quite some time with the "famous" 17 inch display which has been half-dimmed at the top. I had upgraded my OS-X system as upgrades became available, the last being OS-10.3.5. Today I encountered problems with my computer so I reinstalled OS-10.3. Guess What, my monitor is no longer dim...the blinking light is no longer blinking. In fact, It's almost blinding because I'm not used to the display being all lit up! I am now going to upgrade and I'll bet I encounter the half-dim display again. Come on Apple. Let's get this fixed.

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October 11, 2004 2:49:05 PM EDT, Heather Lindsay:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Funnily enough I had noticed that my display is fully on until the software loads, then the top half darkens, and thought it might be a software problem rather than hardware! I too upgraded to the most recent version of OSX by download. I'll try reloading 10.3 rather than the latest upgrade and see what happens. If this is a software problem then I'm definitely NOT impressed by Apple!!

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October 12, 2004 1:26:25 PM EDT, Daniel Cohen:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Heather,

Is it possible something is wrong with your display card, and not the display itself? Have you tried the monitor with another computer?

I've got a friend who had his 17" display repaired, twice. And recently he installed a 23" and it too has now gone bad. I'm beginning to think something is wrong with his display card. As these are ADC displays, and getting power from the computer, there could certainly be something wrong with the power regulator on the display card.

-Daniel Cohen

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October 14, 2004 8:46:07 AM EDT, Jason Olson:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

If anyone else is interested, have 2 Apple boards left,same price as Moniserve's, but you WILL NOT continue to have the blinking light issue after replacing with this board as some have noted with the replacement email: jason_4u2nv at hotmail dot com.

And thank you to those who have gotten the Apple board from me, I'm just happy helping users get their monitors back up and running.

Jason

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October 15, 2004 3:20:25 PM EDT, Jason Olson:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

1 left!

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October 18, 2004 5:58:22 PM EDT, Andre Marion:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I too have the lower half dimmed flat panel display on my 2001 17inch LCD Studio Display.

About 1 year ago, it was the top half that went and since I was still under the Apple Care Protection, Apple told me to mail it in. I did that and about 1 week later it came back all fixed!

Now, it's the bottom half that's died and I'm about 2 weeks beyond my 3 year Apple Care Protection! Arrrghhhh!!!!

So, now I need a replacement and I hope this inverter board is all that's required and not those CCFLs (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp) as those look much more difficult to replace.

Jason, I've e-mailed you at your Hotmail account. I hope I can get that last board you have! Thanks.

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October 19, 2004 12:19:08 AM EDT, Ross Leung:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Well, my 20in failed after 3 mos and was repaired. 10 mos after that it happens again, but this time is the top half. Guess I gotta send it in again. It is a good thing I have applecare but I don't trust the quality of this monitor.

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October 19, 2004 8:30:12 AM EDT, Stephen Cleaves:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I have a 17" Studio Display from 2001 that has worked great up till yesterday. In the morning I noticed a small grey vertical line on the right edge of the monitor. Then last night the screen dimmed noticeably. Now the line has moved out from the right edge about 3 inches, is more pronounced, and there is an area of lighter grey about an inch and a half wide to the left. This line goes from top to bottom. No power cycling, resolution change, or anything else seems to change this. Reading this thread it seems that the inverter fixes either a wholly darkened bottom or top of the LCD. Does anyone know about just a vertical bar?

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October 19, 2004 1:55:35 PM EDT, Debbie Saunders:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I TOO am having the blinking light and top half dimmed problem. And Heather, I notice the same thing re: when I first boot up, the monitor is normal, then one second later and the top half is dimmed. It makes me wonder....

There are a great number of Apple owners who are spending $$$ trying to fix their monitors. I cannot afford to replace this monitor or even repair it.

I signed a petition http://www.petitiononline.com/17inchsd/petition.html complaining about the flaw in these displays. Has anyone tried to force Apple to remedy this problem?

Here is where I located the problem on Apple's site: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=88366

I replaced a battery that supposedly is needed to keep PRAM settings thinking this was the problem. Of course it did not work...I am very frustrated with Apple and beli!  eve they owe us replacement parts and an apology for this flaw. I am about to lose my only client because of the delay and cost of this problem. Very, very stressed.

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October 21, 2004 5:52:48 AM EDT, Dave S-o-A:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

UK owners of affected displays - there may be a legal remedy.

I have spoken to my local Trading Standards Office about this problem as I have been quoted over £400 for the repair by Apple. An Apple dealer will sell me the part for £200. Compare that to the prices for parts and repair in the States. The Trading Standards office say that the seller has a legal obligation to repair the display even though it is out of warranty under the 1979 Sale of Goods Act as it clearly has a manufacturing fault ( as evidenced by these forums)and this obligation can last up to 6 years from purchase. Therefore I have told the seller that I expect the unit to be repaired at their cost or I will take the case to the Small Claims court. They are considering their response. I will post the result back to the forum.

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October 21, 2004 1:19:39 PM EDT, KBitar:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I just started experiencing this problem today. My display is fairly new and was purchased on 03/20/2004 which means it's still under warranty. Hopefully Apple will promptly fix it and well!

Karim

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October 21, 2004 1:27:25 PM EDT, Wysz:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

You're lucky to be under warranty—get it fixed for free while you still can! Also remember that you can purchase AppleCare at any point during the warranty if you think it's a wise investment, although I'm pretty sure the display has to be purchased with a computer to qualify.

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October 21, 2004 1:47:33 PM EDT, KBitar:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Well, guess what?

I turned my computer off and on. Problem still persisted. I then turned my computer off, disconnected my display, reconnected it, turned my computer on. Both lights (display and computer) flickered fast like a strobe light then stayed on and the display now works fine.

I turned to computer off and on again to be on the safe side. The computer and display lights where normally lit and the display is back working as it should. Weird, isn't it? I'm still a little nervous though and thinking about calling it to Apple and open a case with them just to be on the safe side in case the problem happens again.

Karim

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October 23, 2004 6:43:51 AM EDT, James Clover:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Hi there,

I have replaced my back-light inverter with one from Moniserv today and my screen is now fixed. Unfortunately I'm still getting the flashing, you said you were able to manually disable the button to stop it - how do you do that?

Many thanks

Jim

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October 27, 2004 2:29:03 PM EDT, Maurice Long:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Just fixed 17in flat panel with Moniserv board but light still flashes.
Im in the UK and have some more Moniserv boards email me at
        [email deleted]

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October 30, 2004 3:45:48 PM EDT, Michael Griffin1:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I'm having the same problem, and being as it's so wide spread, I can't believe that Apple isn't owning up and fixing these displays. I'm going to do the legwork and call Apple to see what they have to say about it... It's funny, I've always been a PC user (cause of work), got convinced to go Apple cause they don't have the same problems PC users do. This, however, speaks strongly against that idea. In fact, if what I've read here is to be believed, this type of thing is much more costly than any PC repair.

Don't get me wrong - I love my G4. But, I can't afford this kind of a repair every 18 months or so....

I googled and found wysz's page about what he's gone through, I'm concerned that I will have to get a new monitor, and that I shouldn't buy a studio display (or any Mac flat panel display).

Any thoughts on better displays to buy? I can't spend too much, I don't own a mint...

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November 8, 2004 7:28:55 AM EST, Dave S-o-A:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

For UK owners of the defective display, Omi-Monitors in Stevenage fixed my monitor and replaced a defective lamp for £150 including shipping there and back. It took two weeks and so far all looks good. The monitor does not have the blinking power light problem. They repaired the inverter board not replaced it. They give a 90 day warranty. I hope I get a few more years work out of it.

After speaking to my local Trading Standards Office they advised me to take the supplier of the monitor to the small claims court to recover the costs (the monitor failed after 22 months). The supplier has paid in full. It's worth getting the legal advice.
Dave

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November 8, 2004 12:33:31 PM EST, Heather Lindsay:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

You're exactly right - my top monitor backlight stopped and I got the three flashes immediately after the latest download to 10.3.whatever; today I took it to a repair shop who hooked it up to another G4 running 10.2 and it worked perfectly. I had suspected a software problem since both backlights work on startup or after sleep mode until the drivers load then it suddenly goes dim. I'll be returning to OSX 10.2 as soon as I can erase the disc!! I updated using software update and believe something has caused a glitch. Come on Apple - sort it out!!

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November 8, 2004 9:13:55 PM EST, KBitar:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Hi everyone,

An update to my previous posts # 328 and # 329.

I started to experience the problem again a day after my last post here. I took my Display to a local Apple Store yesterday for repair. Glad it's still under warranty!!

My concern was whether or not Apple permanently fixed the problem. The Tech. said that the replacement part, which is the Inverter Board, looks different than the original one and that they haven't heard any complains from customer that had their Displays repaired for the same problem. So let's hope this is true.

I was told it'll take about a week for the repair due to parts shortage. I'll keep you posted on the outcome.

Karim

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November 9, 2004 1:23:21 PM EST, JCabaniss:
a parts shortage, huh?

 " I took my Display to a local Apple Store yesterday for repair. Glad it's still under warranty!!...I was told it'll take about a week for the repair due to parts shortage."

I suppose this continuing parts shortage has nothing to do with the "normal" failure rate of the 17 inch studio display, right?

Joe

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November 9, 2004 10:54:07 PM EST, Mike Rousseau:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Well might as well tell my story. My 17" connected to my G5 is about 3 years old. Just upgraded to OSX.3.6. Here are the symptoms:
 -Light on lower right blinks on 2 times followed by a 3rd longer on light then goes out for about 5 seconds. Kinda like oompa oompa ooooooooooompa.
 - top half of the monitor is dim.

What do I do????

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November 10, 2004 12:34:29 PM EST, iCare:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Mike,

I posted the information below way back on July 23rd, but it is worth reposting. Apple made made many of the LCD display parts available for ordering by Apple service techs which means that you can take your display to your local shop and have it repaired. Some of the previous postings have reported repair costs using Apple parts and an authorized service tech at under $150. My previous posting includes the Apple part number of the most likely part you will need (inverter).

Copy of July 23rd posting...

If you live near an Apple Retail Store take it to there for servicing and let them know that you think you need a new inverter board based on the information in this discussion thread.

Back in May the service tech that I work with told me that Apple sent out a notification that parts for the 17", 20" and 23" LCD displays were now available for ordering so that he now had the option to perform the repairs himself rather than send them in.!  He figured he could install a new inverter for well under $200. Matt Garlinghouse posted on June 2nd that he went to a service provider and they charged him $50 labor, and $77 for the replacement part to fix the problem.

 If it's of any help, I asked my tech for the part number of the inverter that he can get from Apple and he said it is 922-5534. He didn't say how much it costs him, but it sounds like it must be less than $77 if that's all that Matt's tech charged for the part.

Hope that helps. Please let us know what happens.

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November 10, 2004 9:44:52 PM EST, Jerzy Galecki:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

I started to experience the same problem today - for the first time. 3 blinks - short short long - darker bottom. I went to preferences > displays and changed resolution to lower and back to 1280 x 1024 and things went back to normal. So far so good. I will keep you posted but let me know if it works for you.

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November 13, 2004 5:44:56 AM EST, Heather Lindsay:
RE: Half dimmed flat panel display

Ok - latest update for this problem; as the monitor works fine on another factory standard G4 it must be a software update I have performed and I've remembered that not only did I use Apple software update but I also went to ATIs website and downloaded what they stated were the latest drivers for the G4 standard video card. Is it possible this software update has caused the glitch? If so how can I roll back the driver without having to erase the entire OS from my harddrive and reinstall? Has anyone else tried the official ATI updater and had problems? I've also tried changing the resolution but to no avail. Does anyone know where to obtain an adaptor which will permit me to use the Studio Display on my PC running a standard graphics card; how do I get power to it? I'm clutching at straws here now!!

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November 15, 2004 11:27 PM EST, Wysz:
Hi everyone,

I was hoping that someone out there wouldn't mind printing out a hard copy of the petition signatures: http://www.petitiononline.com/17inchsd/petition.html and actually mailing it to Apple. As of this posting, 322 people have signed it, and almost all of them have one of the bad displays.

I would send the petition myself, but I have already contacted Apple with statistics before (gathered from this thread) and they ignored me and closed my case. I am hoping that someone else will have better luck. If you do send it, please email me or post back here so I know Apple has it.

Their address:
Apple Computer
1 Infinite Loop
Cupertino, CA 95014

Oh, and for those of you going crazy because of the incessant blinking, buy some black electrical tape: http://homepage.mac.com/wysz/iblog/C47259402/E1403215791/Media/mod.jpg


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