27-inch iMac gets a firmware update to assuage your display issues
By Ross Miller 
posted December 21st 2009 5:39PM
posted December 21st 2009 5:39PM
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
posted December 21st 2009 5:39PM
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NOW with the "ultimate display"
@yulebellow
o rly?
@nigra
You REALLY need to change your avatar. You will get banned soon...
@SolidSnake
Maybe my avatar with draw the editors attention to his.
It just works... after you update the firmware and replace the cracked screen.
@yulebellow
Lol, I didn't notice that..
@yulebellow
A fix for what? There was never anything wrong with those Apple computers. They just work.
@SolidSnake why would i get banned for my avatar?
first !
@rogerhs jk it helped on my uncles 27inch. although he wasnt suffering any major problems with the screen, just slight flicker
If your screen has a problem, how could you download the update on the same monitor? This is probably a dumb question, but oh well.
@TruUnknowN Oh well it really is. This is just from Engadget's article and not the source:
"address issues that may cause image corruption or display flickering."
doesn't say:
"address issue that may cause total blank or black display"
@TruUnknowN
And if your screen completely fails this update certainly won't fix it anyway.
Ya done good kid. =,)
Still waiting on the update that fixes the mini-displayport->dual link DVI display issues :(
$99 for a cable. Thanks Apple!~
I'm wondering why the only the 27" had these problems when the 21.5" can be bought with the same hardware configurations (21.5" $1499 & 27" $1699 models)
@Jeff Kibuule
Maybe because they can't be bought with the same hardware configurations. The display is part of the hardware and it is possible they use different drivers. Maybe only the 27" driver is corrupted/buggy.
It just works! (After an update)
@ChazClout
and a new graphics board, and a new screen, and a new ...
@ChazClout
Sometimes i just think they underclock the graphics card to make it produce less heat... covering up de inefficient design/flaws which made it so hard to lead heat away from important computerparts like the GPU. a Thin computer with a i7 and a GPU like that needs more breathing air or needs to get underclocked. I bet you that that's their "solution"
can anyone do a before-and after GPU benchmark?
It's about time.
"The iMac Graphics Firmware update will update the graphics firmware on your iMac"
..shit sherlock..
@Skate It Dont Spray It - I was personally hoping that it'd update the graphics firmware on my Macbook, just ignoring the iMac altogether!
@Skate It Dont Spray It
Thats for the people who couldn't understand this:
"Updates the graphics firmware on ATI Radeon HD 4670 and 4850 graphics cards to address issues that may cause image corruption or display flickering."
For people who cant understand either of the explanations, when you click on link it goes to a page that reads "MAKE'S SCREEN NICE"
@yulebellow I was referring to the information in the quote given. All they did was re-order the first half of the sentence, into the second half.
But does this fix the issue of the lack of blu ray?
@Jordan
Yes, they did that already. You can connect other sources to the monitor.
@Jack Not so fast! It only receives input from other Mini DisplayPort devices (i.e. other Macs.)
@Jordan: But doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of the all-in-one?
@pina
Really? Is that what you think?
*sigh*. Mini DisplayPort is a 100% ratified VESA STANDARD. Just like DisplayPort, just like HDMI, just like DVI, just like VGA. That means all you need is an adapter and any device will work through it. Just like a VGA-DVI adapter. Or an HDMI-DVI adapter.
It's really not that hard to understand.
@Jack Well, I can't say for certain because I don't own a 27" iMac myself, but this is from the Ars Technica review:
"...Grand dreams of connecting an Xbox 360 (something Gaming Editor Ben Kuchera was dying to do) or a Blu-ray player are not entirely dashed—it could be possible one day if a Blu-ray player or console maker decides to put DisplayPort out on one of their devices—but it's currently impossible for the time being. No number of adapters will help; it has to be DisplayPort-out or bust."
Generally, the guys at Ars know what they're talking about.
@pina
And because apparently you're too lazy to use the search engine here, I found Engadget's article on it for you:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/15/blu-ray-comes-to-the-imac-via-an-apogee-hdmi-to-mini-displayp/
@Jack No, I'm not to lazy to type something in to Google. I know what an adapter is. Standard adapters do not work with in this case. The Apogee adapter you're mentioning is a special converter that hasn't even been released yet.
@pina
You're ignoring the fact that Ars said it COULD NOT BE DONE. Don't make me quote it back to you. Maybe you'll think twice about using Ars as the ultimate source of information next time.
@Jack Let me do that for you: "...for the time being...", there. What that Apogee adapter is doing is probably actively converting the HDMI signal into Mini DisplayPort signal (rather than passively like traditional adapters that you were referring to earlier.) There's nothing there that says there's absolutely no way no how there will ever be a possibility of ever getting a non native Mini DisplayPort signal on to the iMac. What they did say was that no amount of adapters will help; and to that effect they are correct because the signal needs to be converted -- using a converter. GET IT?
I never said Ars was the end all be all of information, but it is a good source. Now quit being a dick.
@pina
Jesus christ. Your selective reading skills are not helping you here. Allow me to finish that quote:
"No number of adapters will help; it has to be DisplayPort-out or bust."
Your hair-splitting about whether a signal converter can be called an adapter is worthless because it says right there, very clearly, that it HAS to be DisplayPort. HAS TO BE.
I don't think it can possibly be made any clearer that this particular definitive statement from Ars is WRONG. And as for you, the fact that you're till defending Ars at this point is ridiculous. They were wrong. Fucking accept it. And next time do more research first.
"Generally, the guys at Ars know what they're talking about."
How is that a valid argument? They're obviously wrong this time, so it really doesn't matter if they're "generally" right, does it? Seriously. Stop sucking Ars' nutsack please.
my imac has an issue trying to play blu ray disks
wait i thought all the microsofties were on here telling us how Apple would ignore this problem and never come up with a fix for it...
Now, they patch it, and they're all in here with some other whininess... pathetic.
@Nicnac: But I thought Macs just worked out of the box?
@Jordan
Yes, because Apple claimed that Macs have a 100% operability rate with zero manufacturing defects.
Oh wait, no they didn't. Anything else you'd like to claim that Apple said?
@Jordan
You almost had me at "I thought"
@Jack:
"Apple claimed that Macs have a 100% operability rate with zero manufacturing defects"
That's not what I said, what I said Apple claims is that "Macs just work out of the box."
Care to put any more words in my mouth?
@Jack: Besides, one Mac arriving defective is different than ALL Macs arriving defective.
@Jordan
And your intent was to say that ALL Macs work out of the box? I.E. a 100% operability rate? Or are you smart enough to know that there's always a small percentage that won't work due to manufacturing errors?
I have my doubts.
@Jordan Well, they do work right out of the box. You just need to plug them in. And be happy with a big beautiful screen that can display up to 1080p, but only really plays regular DVDs and itunes store videos. Sigh.. But It's a really pretty screen though.
@Jack
If one (or a small sampling) computer leaves the factory with a problem, you don't put out an update for all computers, you just fix the one.
Software does not indiscriminately decide to work on some computers, but not on others. So since this is not an anomaly as shown by the fact they are updating all computers, this does, in fact, affect 100% of all 27" iMacs.
@Steve Jobs Is My Gimp
Except for the fact that it's only a tiny percentage of the 27" iMacs that are actually presenting this problem. Take note that this is a firmware upgrade to the VIDEO CARDS in the iMacs. Are you going to try to tell me that there is no possibility that some of those video cards had a problem that the rest of them didn't?
The fact that the majority of 27" iMacs aren't having any problems would seem to disagree with you on this.
@Jack:
"Except for the fact that it's only a tiny percentage of the 27" iMacs that are actually presenting this problem. "
Except that, that's wrong.
You're right, it is a firmware update. But you don't think Apple pushed this firmware update as soon as it was available? You think they began using it in the factory a month ago and just dicked around getting it out to people? This update JUST became available, maybe JUST made Macs already contain it, but all of those shipped already, all of those in peoples hands, are faulty until updated.
@Jack
You are sure about that? You have data to back up your assertion that only a small portion of people have this problem? Or are you going by the typical Apple excuse that accompanies their bug fixes of "This is to fix a problem a small number may encounter"? Or are you going by anecdotal evidence that you and or friends don't have this problem, so it is not really a problem at all?
While we can say that all 27" iMac computers, if they contain the same firmware version, have this bug, the inverse cannot be said.
@Jordan That's right. Macs just work. What's so hard to understand about that? Ever used a Mac before?