External Cinema Display flickers when attached to MacBook

This usually shows up with an iPhoto image on the desktop. Pixels in dark areas turn green and dance around. The pattern resembles dithering artifacts, and the affected pixels move when a browser window is moved around the screen.
The flicker often devolves into flashing pink pixels and pink lines, eventually making the display unusable. Powering off/on or changing resolution has no effect, nor does "detect displays" from the Display preferences.

Took it to the local Apple Store (remember to make a reservation next time!). After about 30 minutes, the display started its flicker (hooked up to a different machine, while the MacBook was hooked up to a different display).
So it was the display that was faulty. The Apple Store promptly replaced it with a new one.

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27'' LED Cinema Display flickers when powering MBP and dimmed down

The 27'' LED Cinema Display flickers (backlight flickers) in the following situation:
* The display powers an MacBook Pro (e.g. later 2010).
* The MacBook Pro is fully charged (i.e. power is not used for charging).
* The MacBook Pro performs some GPU intense task (moving the mouse over the dock with magnification enabled).
* The brightness of the display is dimmed down to one of the lower settings (one or two "bars").
The problem disappears if the MBP is powered by an independent charger.
We reproduced the problem with two different MBPs (13'' and 15'') and two different displays.

Same problem here! I bought two brand new 27 inch Cinema Displays, one for work and one for my home office. Both showed the problem. I returned both, go replacement displays and both show the same problem. I am using them with a 13 inch MacBook Air late 2010. I use them with the MacBook's display lid closed and powered by the Cinema Display. The problem only occurs when the display brightness is at 1 to 5 bars. From 6 bars on everything is fine. I also noticed that the flickering is stronger when I USE the computer, i.e. dragging around windows, typing, etc. When I just look at the screen, the flickering occurs more sporadically. The flickering looks like a short switching off of the display light (a few milliseconds).
I just tried the hint suggested in this thread and indeed, when I open the lid and have the MacBook running on batteries (not powered by the Cinema Display), the flickering is gone! So it really seems to be dependent on that.
Please fix it, Apple! This is not acceptable for a premium-quality display! We have already done a good job narrowing down the conditions under which the problem occurs. You should easily be able to reproduce the issue like this:
- use a MacBook (e.g. new MacBook Air) and turn it on
- plug in all three cables provided by the 27" Cinema Display (power, DisplayPort, USB)
- close the lid of the MacBook and re-awake it with an external keyboard so the Cinema Display will be the only display in use
- wait a few hours for the Cinema Display to become warm (not sure if this is a necessary condition but it could be)
- then, use the computer under low-light conditions and ensure the brightness is at 5 bars or less
--> You will see the problem.
By the way, the recent Cinema Display firmware update (to address the audio issue) did NOT solve this problem.

New 27" Thunderbolt Display Flickers when attached to new 27" iMac

I'm using a new 27" iMac. I require a dual-monitor configuration so yesterday I purchased a new 27" Thunderbolt display and plugged its built-in Thunderbolt cable into the Thunderbolt port of the iMac. I now have a huge desktop space that spans two monitors. With that in mind…
At least once every few minutes the new Thunderbolt display blacks out (i.e. flickers) for approximately one second. The symptom is very similar to what a Windows-attached display does when the screen resolution is changed. A quick Google search indicates others are experiencing the same problem although most complainants are using a MacBook or Mini, not an iMac.
Apple posted a firmware update for the Thunderbolt display a few days ago. I installed it successfully but the problem remains. Any advice?

UPDATE:
I received a call back from a senior tech at Apple. The salient points are as follows:
(1) Apple engineers are well aware of the problem.
(2) They plan to release a firmware update for the display at some indeterminate time.
(3) The fix for this problem will not be bundled into the forthcoming 10.7.2 Lion update.
Given that the flickering problem renders the Thunderbolt monitor virtually unusable as a desktop extension for a 27" iMac, combined with the fact that Apple has no idea when a fix for the problem will be available, my decision to return the monitor for a full refund is a virtual certainty.
AppleCare objected to my conclusion that the Thunderbolt monitor is "incompatible" with the iMac. Perhaps they're right. I'm not super technical so it's possible that I used the wrong term. It's a semantic distinction though. The bottom line is that Thunderbolt displays flicker when attached to a brand new 27" iMac and my personal opinion is that one is better off not purchasing this device until Apple fixes this major flaw.
Apple asked me to make a video of the Thunderbolt display manifesting the problem. Here it is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-UCGGkSciI
Hopefully this information will be of value to someone.

27" Cinema display flickers when woken from sleep

I've noticed that my 27" Apple Cinema display flickers briefly when woken from sleep.
I have had the display for 8 months, and haven't noticed this before.
It flickers (or flashes), just once when the display wakes when the computer is woken from sleep. It only affects the bottom third of the display.
Once it has properly woken, and flickered once, it then works o.k.
Has anyone else had this?
Thanks.
Bob.

Yeah - I'm trying to verify that 100% right now. I know that I won't get full functionality from the TB dispaly (no TB, FW or ethernet on the back of the monitor) but if I can get video and USB between the Mac and the displays, that would be enough. I haven't seen any docuemtnation anywhere deatailing wether or not that TB displays will work with existing video cards / Mac Pro's, or if I'll have to do a full round of upgrades including my Mac Pro and the ATI 5770. And as you know, there are no TB video cards on the market at this time. My timing basically *****...
My plan was to return the Cinema Displays while I still can, fall back to a spare Dell 21" that I have lying around the house for a few weeks (yukkkk..), and then figure out what to do with the TB diplsay as they get closer to release. I'm contempling upgrading my Mac Pro, but if I can stick with what I have, it would save me some cash.I woudln't even mind upgrading my video card, but I just dropped $2000 on these 2 Cinema Display's last week, and I feel like they are already outdated.
PS - I am constantly selling gear, so resale value and having the "latest and greatest" are pretty important to me, hence the interest in the TB displays.
Bobby

27 Cinema Display flickers on cursor change

Hello,
I've recently purchased a 27" Cinema Display and hooked it up to my mid 2010 13" MBP. Everything works fine except for one really annoying thing: The Cinema Display flickers when the mouse cursor changes. I've done a thorough search through the community threads and haven't found anybody who's experiencing the same problem. Could anyone please tell me if they've run into this issue, and if so if there's any way of fixing it.
Thanks!

Might be related to the thread below.
To give you a quick summary, try either of the following:
- use your macbook's charger rather than the cinema display magsafe connector
- increase the brightness to 7 bars or more
- simply unplug the magsafe used by the cinema display
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2669791?start=30&tstart=0

24" Cinema Display flickering and eventually going dark

I am having a repeat of a problem with my Apple 24" Cinema Display. The symptoms are the display will go black and come back on (flicker) and sometimes it takes a few seconds for it to come back. All USB devices connected to the Cinema Display become disconnected from my MacBook Pro when this happens.
Last time this happened it started slowly and as time passed it happened more frequently. When I brought it into the store they were able to reproduce the problem immediately. They replaced the logic board in the monitor.
I contacted support again. The display is still under warrantee. They scheduled an appointment for me to bring the display in. I am seeing the same behavior where the frequency of this problem increases as time passes.
I am concerned they will be unable to quickly reproduce the problem again and not fix it, or fix it and the problem will come back again in a few months. I am afraid that I will still be having this problem after the warrantee expires.
I've purchased many displays over the years (including Apple) and this is the first time I have ever had a problem. I think I may have had a lemon.
I originally posted in these now archived threads:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=12175983#12175983
and
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=12311032#12311032

Just a quick update. I brought the display into my local Apple store. After they reviewed the records from the previous repair and my description of the problem they believe it could be a power supply problem inside the monitor. The power supply may have caused the logic board to go bad. Replacing the logic board last time fixed the problem but the bad power supply ended up causing the problem to return.
I let them know that I was concerned that this is a reoccurring problem and my warrantee expires in July. I don't want to see this problem come back after the warrantee expires.
I'm not sure what they will do if that happens. I hope this problem gets fixed this time around.

My Macbook Pro display flickers when using power adapter

I purchased a new power adapter for my Macbook Pro (late 2011 17 inch) from Other World Computing and now the display flickers intermittently when attached to the new power adapter. There is no flickering when not attached to the power adapter or when attached to the old power adapter.
Any ideas on fixing the new power adapter? I would rather fix the problem if it is simple.
Thanks for the help.
Roy Patience

It doesn't affect the battery. You can use your MacBook Pro plugged in all the time without damaging the battery. You only have to be sure that you unplug it and run a battery cycle (drain the battery without letting the Mac turn off and charge it fully) at least once a month to keep the battery life.
If you want more information about your battery > http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html

External Cinema Display looks fuzzy when connected to 24" iMac...

Hey
I have a new iMac (aluminum with black rim screen) and a new 23" Cinema Display. I have connected them both together and am using the Cinema Display in extended desktop mode as the main screen. The resolution is set to the maximum but all the icons and windows look slightly fuzzy. I have no idea why and at a dead end. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Hi B Boy26
In the preference panel try setting the resoultion at 1920 x 1200 for the display, thats the (optimum resolution) for the 23"
Here are the spec's: http://www.apple.com/displays/specs.html
Also check in the "Display" section of the forum:
http://discussions.apple.com/category.jspa?categoryID=111
Dennis

Share cinema display between Mac Mini and MacBook Pro

Hello -
I am keen to get an LED cinema display to use on my new MacBook Pro - but I share my study with my children - so want to give them a MacMini to use.
How easy is it two swap between the MacMini and the MacBook Pro ? I guess there is only one input in the LED cinema display ???
Thanks in advance.
Andrew

Interesting - I have the same idea: sharing a 24" cinema display between a Macbook Pro for myself and a Mac mini for my wife.
The only problem I see is that the display doesn't have any Firewire ports. So if I want to use an external harddrive (or a mini-DV camcorder) on both computers when connected to the display, then I'd have to plug that into the computer instead of the display ...

External Cinema Display Problem

Hi,
so I have my new MacBook connected to an "old" 20" Cinema Display using the MiniDisplay port and a MiniDisplay to DVI adapter. It has been working just fine since I connected it a couple of days ago.
I have the MacBook lid closed and I am using just the external display at home.
Today I left my room for an hour or so. After coming back and waking the computer from sleep I was horrified seeing my display full of weird artifacts, randomly displayed blue and pink pixels. On top of that the display was turning off and on (going black) every couple of seconds.
I don't know if it's a problem with:
a) the MacBook
b) the display
c) the connection (adapter?)
Any ideas? Anyone experienced a similar issue?
Best greetings,
Tomasz

I talked to Apple tech support today. After initial description of the problem and basic troubleshooting, I was referred to a product specialist. She had me do an SMC reset (shut down, disconnect power cord and all external devices, remove batter, hold power button for 10 seconds, reinstall battery, connect power and start) which seemed to clear up the problem. But it returned later in the day. I called them back and was immediately sent to the product specialist again. The next step is to take it to the Apple Store to have it looked at there. I won't be able to do that for at least another 10 days, so there won't be any more progress on this problem until then.
When I talked to tech support, they had no information on any such problem in their database, which means they haven't heard it from anyone but me. So if you're having this problem, please call tech support and tell them about it. If they start getting lots of reports, then it starts to look like a real problem and not just one guy who might be doing any number of things to make this happen. Apple tech support has been very good those very few times I have had to talk to them. If you are referred to a product specialist, you might have to wait 10 minutes, but it's worth the wait. You're talking to people you can understand who can answer your questions - they're not reading off of a script. You get a case number so that if you have to call back, you can pick up where you left off - you're not stuck explaining everything all over again.

How to connect my old 20in Cinema Display to my thunderbolt new MacBook Pro?

Hi everyone, I just brought a new MacBook Pro to replace a older model(brought earlier 2010), and a new thunderbolt Cinema Display. I have a old 20 inch LCD Cinema Display all the way from 2005 and brought a mini display port for my old MacBook Pro, worked just fine. However with the new Thunderbolt Display, I noticed there's another thunderbolt port behind and was thinking to connect my old Cinema Display as a secondary monitor. I've brought a thunderbolt port from amazon (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007KB0EGC/ref=pe_175190_21431760_M3T1_ST1_dp_1 ), but my old monitor still shows black. What did I do wrong here? Thanks!

So currently there are two displays and you expect there to be three?
Can you swap the displays just to make sure there is nothing else wrong?
That is confirm:
1) MBP -> Display A works
2) MBP -> Display B works
Then try:
MBP +-> Display A
|
+-> Display B

How do i connect apple cinema display a1082 to my new macbook pro

I have a macbook pro intel core duo2 and i'm trying to connect my apple cinema display a1092 to my computer, there is an adapter available, but it does not seem to address the fireware cable coming out of my cinema display

the apple display that i see online has a mag safe, usb and mini display port...connect all three to your laptop so you can charge your laptop as you use the display as well as use the USB ports on the back of the monitor.. i didnt see anything about firewire...

How Can I Get an 23" Cinema Display to work with a MacBook Pro 15"?

A 23" Cinema Display (M8536) will not display with and adapter connected to a MacBook Pro 15" (mid 2010). Adapter used is Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter. What's wrong?

They removed the audio input, starting from your model, you will need an USB interface, there are may, and it depends on how high of quality you need.
This works for most applications, unless you are trying to record "music quality"
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=griffin+imic+usb+adapter&tag=googhydr- 20&index=electronics&hvadid=19014779847&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=777870 5971251328924&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_5gt435btej_b

23" cinema Display flickers and goes to black

Hey all,
I am running two 23" cinema displays and one of them is flickering and going to black. Here is a video of it.
http://larskoerkemeier.com/MVI_0972.MOV
The curved bands arent there thats just from the filming but what happens is the entire image shifts up very quickly and what you see flash on the bottom is actually the top. It repeats this a couple times and then turns off and then it repeats and after a couple times the display just stays off.
System:
Model Name: Mac Pro
Processor Name: Dual-Core Intel Xeon
Processor Speed: 2.66 GHz
Memory: 6 GB
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT
Thanks,
-Lars

Hi-
Try switching the power adapters to see if the problem moves to the other display.
Of course, reconnecting/double checking all connections is a good idea.
Other than that, any references in Console/Logs regarding graphics driver errors?

24" cinema display flashes when plugged to an imac

Hello,
I have a 24" cinema display and a 20" apple display connected to an iMac 2011 27" with an ATI Radeon HD 6970M 1 GB. The 24" Cinema display starts to flash quickly after the boot of the computer. Apple technician told us however that this configuration should work without problems.
I plug the 24 "cinema display on my Mac Pro rev 1.1 with an ATI Radeon HD 4870/512 MB. I have no problem of display even after a long time of use.
I plug the same screen on a MacBook Air late 2010 with a NVIDIA GeForce 320M 256MB using it as the main screen, the laptop cover down. I also have no problem. I have not tested this configuration with the 24" as a second screen.
The iMac motherboard has been changed once. Whenever I talk about this problem to Apple, I have no answer. Does anyone has experienced this kind of situation or know enough about this kind of problem tell me from where it may come?
Thank you

Hi there tomchr9
According to the technical specifications for the 24-inch LED display, the display is compatible with MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro systems with Mini DisplayPort. Use of these displays with non-Mac hardware is not supported by Apple.
LED Cinema Display - Technical Specifications
http://support.apple.com/kb/sp502
Hope that helps,
-Griff W

External Cinema Display flickers when attached to MacBook

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