Surface Pro 4 Backlight Bleed - Microsoft aware and apparently fixed the issue

[Narathan]

Sorry to hear you're suffering from light bleeding. It's a pretty common issue with IPS panels from what I understand... Had the same on my Asus Zenbook UX302, LG monitor and other IPS panel using hardware. I even have it on my iPad.

I guess I'm pretty lucky with my SP4, which has almost no light bleed at all with the exception of one tiny yellowish spot at the bottom corner. But I only see it if I turn the lights off in the room and set the screen at 100% brightness with a black background.And I'm pretty anal about this sort of stuff as well since I was a designer! Honestly, a dead pixel is a much bigger problem to me, for example. :winktongue:

I do have the M3 variant, maybe those suffer less from the issue. But IPS ALWAYS has light bleeding, there's just no way you can expect a panel with zero light bleed. Just check the internet. "ips panels light bleed common". something to do with the backlight and pressure from what I remember. At one point, I just accepted it. Let's just hope OLED becomes good/cheap enough to use in laptops at some point.

But I agree, if you see the light bleed during "normal use" (personal), then definitly get a replacement. My Asus for example turned half the screen yellowish at some point. thats pretty extreme bleeding.

 

[decider]

So then, Narathan, severe light bleed can cause a yellowish hue to show on the screen? I am making these posts cause just want to make sure I am not over reacting. I know some folks say there should be zero light bleed, many of the posts I read here... By the way, is a dead pixel readily apparent? How can I easily check for dead pixel. From all the discussion and from comparing other's light bleed examples given, I may be in pretty good shape then and sounds like the amount of light bleed I have is quite similar to yours. But if you could elaborate on the dead pixel thing. Thank you

 

[decider]

I just finished a chat session with MS Support regarding light bleed and I was told that they have units there without any light bleed at all and that I should expect the same and they encouraged me to replace the device. The units support made reference to without light bleed are their own support units they use for troubleshooting. So it looks like I will be going back to Best Buy on or about January 15 to get my SP4 replaced and hopefully I will get a unit as good as MS support uses.

 

[ryankelsey7]

I've had the light bleeding at the bottom edge since day one, but I now have a new spot that is bleeding ABOVE the bottom left edge. This has me worried. Has any one else noticed a change in light bleeding?

 

[decider]

Well after my online chat with support, I know exactly what I am going to do about it. Get me a new device. MS Support says there should be no light bleed.

 

[bradleyj]

I had 3 SP4's which I returned for various reasons. All of them had bad lightbleed but it was really only noticeable on the boot screen. I wouldn't recommend returning a SP4 to try to avoid light bleed. They ALL have light bleed.

 

[decider]

Well then the solution, for the money spent on this device I would only be disappointed if I did not return it considering the defects. Matter of fact MS called me again today and I told them, if on the replacement I receive still is bad with light bleed, I will be returning it, no need to send me another replacement. I don't mind paying money for a nice device like I feel the SP4 is, I really like how fast it is and the display really grabs my attention, but I won't keep something that they expect big money for but yet they cannot give in return a good quality product.

 

[Thomas Apostolou]

same problem here, mostly obvious during boot, but also in a dark screen background.
SP4 i5 256GB bought on 10th of May 2016
I have send a return form to the retailer, after chat with MS sales person, just now.

MS says that they cannot guarantee what the retailer will do, even within the guarantee period...

 

[Thomas Apostolou]

Sorry to hear you're suffering from light bleeding. It's a pretty common issue with IPS panels from what I understand... Had the same on my Asus Zenbook UX302, LG monitor and other IPS panel using hardware. I even have it on my iPad.

I guess I'm pretty lucky with my SP4, which has almost no light bleed at all with the exception of one tiny yellowish spot at the bottom corner. But I only see it if I turn the lights off in the room and set the screen at 100% brightness with a black background.And I'm pretty anal about this sort of stuff as well since I was a designer! Honestly, a dead pixel is a much bigger problem to me, for example. :winktongue:

I do have the M3 variant, maybe those suffer less from the issue. But IPS ALWAYS has light bleeding, there's just no way you can expect a panel with zero light bleed. Just check the internet. "ips panels light bleed common". something to do with the backlight and pressure from what I remember. At one point, I just accepted it. Let's just hope OLED becomes good/cheap enough to use in laptops at some point.

But I agree, if you see the light bleed during "normal use" (personal), then definitly get a replacement. My Asus for example turned half the screen yellowish at some point. thats pretty extreme bleeding.

so microsoft is bul#@^$*@&^ing when they say there should be NO backlight bleed, right?

sorry to say that but seems you do not appreciate your vision health, we did not come all the way here to have a monitor worst or similar to CRT, regarding our health
also a 2000K device is not supposed to have this kind of childish problems of quality control

with best regards, always

 

[Thomas Apostolou]

https://twitter.com/panos_panay/status/732728784336519168

pure irony?

 

[anon(5327127)]

For years... and years and years and years so many devices have had back-light bleed which, as is often the case, has gone more or less ignored. The SP4 appears and, after a few articles, the world goes insane for SP4 back-light issues.

I just don't get it.

Why do people write 'worst' instead of 'worse'? Example: The worst the day of my life. Which is worse, using worst or worse when writing worse...?