U2713HM - Image noise when moving items / flickering / thin diagonal lines

Hi domburgess,

I will be glad to help you. Request you to answer the below questions:

(1) Do you hear the sound from the system or from the monitor?

(2) Also send me a picture of the screen where the diagonal lines are seen.

(3) If possible, try connecting the monitor to a different system and check if the same issue happens.

Do reply with your answers.

Hi Kiran,

Thanks for your reply - Here are my answers to the questions, not amazing useful though Im afraid!

(1) No noticeble sound coming from system or monitor.

(2) I have tried to take a photo and video of both the diagonal lines and noise but Im struggling to get the clarity needed to show it. Very frustrating!

(3) I should be able to check this with my friends Mac tomorrow, so will get back to you on that.

domburgess,

You should check the apple Discussions Forum for help from other apple users with our products:
https://discussions.apple.com/index.jspa

Concerning the thin diagonal lines, run the U2713HM Self-Test Built-in Diagnostics
* Turn off both your computer and the monitor
* Unplug ALL monitor cables from the computer and the video card (USB, VGA, DVI, DP, HDMI, etc.)
* Turn on the monitor
* The floating "No cable" box appears and moves around the screen
* Do you see the issue?

* Press and hold Button 1 and Button 4 on the monitor simultaneously for 2 seconds. A gray screen appears
* Press Button 4 on the front panel again. The color of the screen changes to red
* Press Button 4 on the front panel again. The color of the screen changes to green
* Press Button 4 on the front panel again. The color of the screen changes to blue
* Press Button 4 on the front panel again. The color of the screen changes to black
* Press Button 4 on the front panel again. The color of the screen changes to white
* The test is complete when the white screen appears. To exit, press Button 4 again

* During all of the colors, did you see the issue?

Thanks Chris. I did everything you suggested.

The lines still appear on the different coloured screens. It seems to be easier to see on the grey and white screen, but I can also see them on the red and green. Dont think I can see them at all on the black screen. So that problem, at least, appears to be the monitor. I this something that has been reported before?

Thanks!

I have not seen this issue in any reports. Contact Technical Support http://dell.to/gQN2N . They will need the following data -
Email Address:
Name:
Shipping Address:
Phone Number:
Monitor Service Tag number:
Monitor 20 digit PPID number:
Reason: Monitor Fails Self-Test, lines

I have exactly the same display artifacts Dom is describing on a u2713hm purchased last week.

I am on a MacBook Pro (non Retina) connected through Mini Display Port to DIsplay Port.

I will run the diagnostics as suggested.

Thanks, Barney.

Hi Dom, I ran the diagnostics and got the same results as you. I see the fine grain noise when moving objects on screen and the diagonal lines are present all the time (including during the diagnostics test).

Here's a thing though: I can see the fine grain noise by moving my head from side to side while everything onscreen is still! Do you get this, or am I going crazy?

I ordered my display through Amazon last week so I might take it up with them. It's somewhat distracting once you know it's there, but the noise and lines are so fine, it's borderline as to whether I can live with it :-S

A shame really as everything else about the display is great.

BCaulfield, domburgess,

Can you post pictures or a video showing this issue? Also, what are your monitors 20 digit PPID numbers?

Diagonal Lines: This is an area from the bottom of the screen where it is most pronounced. You can see the 'cross-hatching" effect. The lines are quite faint and just noticeable enough to be distracting.

I can't capture the fine noise. It only happens as a kind of sparkly haze in and around the moving item (most noticeably Finder windows) and is very fine. It is most noticeable in the centre of the display. Again only just noticeable enough to be distracting.

I plugged the display into another MacBook I have here and it still showed the same issues. I also tried a Mini Display Port to HDMI connector with the same results.

Both these issues are very 'fine' and almost look like they could just be part of the display's performance? But my MacBook Pro screen with the same pixel density used as an extended desktop doesn't exhibit any of this behaviour and my Dell WPF2408, which this display replaced, didn't either.

I don't see a "PPID" only a Service Tag, Express SVC Code or Serial Number. Any suggestions would be welcome.

The PPID is on a label. It looks like this, CZ 0F525M 73608 13S 0ATL. The sticking point for us is the apple hardware, we do not test/validate on it. Can you post pictures of the issue when running the color self-test which takes the non-supported hardware out of the troubleshooting equation?

Hi Chris,

Ive tried to take a photo of the lines but it only comes out unclear due to possibly camera quality but also mainly because of Moiré patterns. As I said before, its quite subtle, but noticeable and often distracting. However, it does appear that BCaulfield has captured what Im seeing in the photo they have uploaded.

Regarding the noise artefacts, because nothing is moving during the colour self test, I am unable to see the effect.

I also contacted tech support, before putting this up on the forum. They said until I can verify whether it is the screen at fault or something else (eg cable) then they cant help. Due to seeing what I saw in the colour test, I guess this verifies that it is, at least partially, the screen at fault.

BCaulfield - I also bought my monitor from Amazon. I would take it up with them, but until identifying the problem I don't see the point in getting a new one sent out if it just a general issue with every U2713HM display. Its good to know (if good is the right word!) that someone else is experiencing the same thing. Have you tried using a different cable? Have you tried using the Apple Dual Link cable? I would have tried that straight away if it didn't cost almost £100!

Also, I haven't tried moving my head to see the noise - will try it tomorrow. But if that is the case, do I need to trade in brain for a newer model?!

Thanks for all your responses!

Dom

* Open the monitor OSD (On Screen Display) by pressing the Menu button

* Go to Color Settings- Preset Modes

* Test each option to see if the issue is on all presets

It's definitely the monitor, I've been through all the settings, 3 cables (Display Port, HDMI and VGA), two MBPs and my wife's ThinkPad and I still get the diagonal lines and moving image noise.

Having done a bit more googling, it looks like it might just be the way it is.

This Cnet review mentions the 'crisscrossing': www.cnet.com.au/dell-ultrasharp-u2713hm-339341226.htm and I can definitely see the noise pattern when moving my head, leading me to think the noise is due to the anti-glare coating. I think the screen image moving under the anti-glare coating causes it to refract or 'sparkle' through the coating.

The Cnet article also mentions the 'sparkly' antiglare coating.

As I have said, it's a distraction once you know it's there, but as I don't work with a lot of moving images onscreen and the fact it's probably just a 'feature' of this particular display, I'll just deal with it.

Shame really, the colour accuracy, brightness, sharpness, light weight, low temperature and adjustability are all great, I just feel let down the LED IPS image quality is worse then the LCD WPF 2408 I 'upgraded' from.

Hi Chris - sorry for delayed response. Tried the different colour presets and yes, the noise and lines are present on all.

If it is just a general issue with the model, what can Dell do?

Hi there! Ive just realised exactly what you meant by seeing the noise when you move your head! Validation that you are not crazy!

Out of interest, what have you done about your monitor? Have you/are you going to send it back to Dell? Im just concerned that if I get a replacement I will have exactly the same issue.

Thanks!

Dom