I disabled dithering on Apple silicon + Introducing Stillcolor macOS M1/M2/M3

aiaf

Macbook Pro 15' Intel 2018

MacOS Big Sur 11.7.2

| |   |   | |   "CFG_USE_TCON" = Yes

| |   |   | |     "ATY,Tolten" = {"aty_config"={"CFG_USE_CP2"=Yes,"CFG_USE_SCANOUT"=Yes,"CFG_NVV"=2,"CFG_PTPL2_TBL"=<280000002700000026000000250000002400000023000000210000001f0000001d0000001b000000190000001700000015000000130000001100000006000000>,"CFG_USE_AGDC"=Yes,"CFG_USETCON"=Yes,"CFG_DIAG_LED"=2},"aty_properties"={"MM_EnableHEVCEncode"=No,"PP_SclkDpmTuning4"=2621696,"PP_SclkDpmTuning3"=1181184,"MM_EnableHEVCDecode"=No,"PP_MclkDpmTuning1"=575488,"PP_SclkDpmTuning2"=2621696,"PP_MclkDpmTuning0"=2319366,"PP_SclkDpmTuning7"=2621952,"PP_SclkDpmTuning1"=2621696,"PP_SclkDpmTuning6"=2621696,"PP_EnableLoadFalconSmcFirmware"=1,"PP_Falcon_QuickTransition_Enable"=1,"PP_SclkDpmTuning0"=2647040,"PP_SclkDpmTuning5"=2621696}}

| |   |   | |     "ATY,Palena" = {"aty_config"={"CFG_USE_TCON"=Yes,"CFG_USE_SCANOUT"=Yes,"CFG_USE_FBC"=Yes,"CFG_PTPL2_TBL"=<2800000027000000260000002500000024000000230000002200000021000000200000001e0000001a0000001600000013000000100000000d0000000a000000>,"CFG_NVV"=2,"CFG_USE_CP2"=Yes},"aty_properties"={"MM_EnableHEVCEncode"=No,"PP_SclkDpmTuning4"=3932416,"PP_SclkDpmTuning3"=3932416,"MM_EnableHEVCDecode"=No,"PP_MclkDpmTuning1"=527360,"PP_DisableClockStretcher"=1,"PP_SclkDpmTuning2"=3932416,"PP_MclkDpmTuning0"=3957766,"PP_SclkDpmTuning7"=2622464,"PP_SclkDpmTuning1"=5900302,"PP_SclkDpmTuning6"=2623488,"PP_EnableLoadFalconSmcFirmware"=1,"PP_Falcon_QuickTransition_Enable"=1,"PP_SclkDpmTuning0"=5923858,"PP_SclkDpmTuning5"=2627590}}

| |   |   | |     "ATY,Yelcho" = {"aty_config"={"CFG_USE_CP2"=Yes,"CFG_USE_SCANOUT"=Yes,"CFG_USE_TCON"=Yes},"aty_properties"={"PP_Falcon_QuickTransition_Enable"=1,"PP_EnableLoadFalconSmcFirmware"=1}}

| |   |   | |     "aty_config" = {"CFG_USE_PSR"=No,"CFG_NO_HDCP"=No,"CFG_USE_LPT"=No,"CFG_INT_SSPC"=25,"CFG_USE_CPSTATUS"=Yes,"CFG_GEN_FLAGS"=0,"CFG_NO_SLS"=No,"CFG_USE_FBC"=No,"CFG_NO_MST"=No,"CFG_FORCE_MAX_DPS"=No,"CFG_NO_PP"=No,"CFG_USE_AGDC"=Yes,"CFG_USE_TCON"=Yes,"CFG_UFL_CHK"=No,"CFG_USE_DPT"=Yes,"CFG_PULSE_INT"=Yes,"CFG_USE_HDMI20"=Yes,"CFG_USE_STUTTER"=Yes,"CFG_NO_MSI"=No,"CFG_UFL_STP"=No,"CFG_USE_FEDS"=Yes,"CFG_FB_LIMIT"=0,"CFG_TRANS_WSRV"=Yes,"CFG_USE_SCANOUT"=Yes,"CFG_PAA"=0,"DALUseUrgencyWaterMarkOffset"=0,"CFG_USE_FBWRKLP"=Yes,"DALReadDelayStutterOff"=4,"CFG_NODM"=Yes,"CFG_USE_SRRB"=No,"CFG_FORCEMAXDPM"=No,"CFG_CAA"=0,"CFG_APER_MODE"=1}

| |   |   | |     "ATY,Forrahue" = {"aty_config"={"CFG_USE_CP2"=Yes,"CFG_USE_SCANOUT"=Yes,"CFG_TPS1S"=Yes,"CFG_NVV"=2,"CFG_PTPL2_TBL"=<820000007c00000076000000700000006a000000640000005e00000058000000520000004c00000046000000400000003a000000340000002e00000028000000>,"CFG_USE_AGDC"=Yes,"CFG_USE_TCON"=Yes},"aty_properties"={"PP_DisableMCDownLoadFeature"=1,"PP_Falcon_QuickTransition_Enable"=1,"PP_EnableLoadFalconSmcFirmware"=1}}

| |   |   | |     "ATY,Sinu" = {"aty_config"={"CFG_USE_CP2"=Yes,"CFG_USE_SCANOUT"=Yes,"CFG_NVV"=2,"CFG_PTPL2_TBL"=<820000007e0000007a00000076000000720000006e000000660000005e000000560000004e000000460000003e000000360000002e000000260000000a000000>,"CFG_USE_AGDC"=Yes,"CFG_USE_TCON"=Yes,"CFG_DIAG_LED"=2},"aty_properties"={"PP_DisableMCDownLoadFeature"=1,"MM_EnableHEVCEncode"=No,"PP_SclkDpmTuning4"=1181184,"PP_SclkDpmTuning3"=787456,"MM_EnableHEVCDecode"=No,"PP_MclkDpmTuning1"=527360,"PP_SclkDpmTuning2"=787456,"PP_MclkDpmTuning0"=2319366,"PP_SclkDpmTuning7"=2621952,"PP_SclkDpmTuning1"=787456,"PP_SclkDpmTuning6"=2621696,"PP_EnableLoadFalconSmcFirmware"=1,"PP_Falcon_QuickTransition_Enable"=1,"PP_SclkDpmTuning0"=1008640,"PP_SclkDpmTuning5"=2621696}}

| |   |   | |     "ATY,Berbice" = {"aty_config"={"CFG_USE_CP2"=Yes,"CFG_USE_SCANOUT"=No,"CFG_NVV"=2,"CFG_PTPL2_TBL"=<230000002200000021000000200000001f0000001e0000001d0000001c0000001b0000001a000000190000001700000015000000130000001000000006000000>,"CFG_USE_HDMI20"=No,"CFG_USE_TCON"=No,"CFG_USE_FBC"=Yes},"aty_properties"={"MM_EnableHEVCEncode"=No,"PP_SclkDpmTuning4"=1967622,"PP_SclkDpmTuning3"=5898240,"MM_EnableHEVCDecode"=No,"PP_MclkDpmTuning1"=527360,"PP_DisableClockStretcher"=1,"PP_SclkDpmTuning2"=5898240,"PP_MclkDpmTuning0"=3957766,"PP_SclkDpmTuning7"=1968128,"PP_SclkDpmTuning1"=5900302,"PP_SclkDpmTuning6"=1968128,"PP_EnableLoadFalconSmcFirmware"=1,"PP_Falcon_QuickTransition_Enable"=1,"PP_SclkDpmTuning0"=5923858,"PP_SclkDpmTuning5"=1968128}}

Macbook Pro 14' M3

MacOS: Sonoma 14.1.2

https://pastebin.com/raw/S3KdxmdV

Macbook Air 15' M2

Ventura 13.5

https://pastebin.com/raw/n4bPKVRz

aiaf Sorry I misunderstood. Shouldn't post info for my model Was thinking that you are collecting data from all current models.

aiaf Sentiny mentioned the M2 Air model of which there is no touch bar version.

ryans

Unfortunately, those instructions for Intel Macs don't work.

I get:

Error setting variable - 'boot-args': (iokit/common) not permitted.

I'm wondering if Stillcolor would work there instead.

P.S. Read elsewhere that disabling system integrity protection can do it, so I shouldn't need Stillcolor. But 'll leave this up in case someone else has the same problem.

Ananiujitha for dither=0 you have to do it after booting into recovery mode terminal

although dither=0 has varying effects on different Intel macs…

here's my experience with it:

• 2015 MacBook 12-inch (Mojave 10.14.6, Intel HD): Best effect, it seems to have fully and successfully disabled dithering, internal screen feels still now. This screen was already pretty usable compared to other Macs, but still used to have some text shimmer — but now, it's noticeably better and the most comfortable it's ever been.

• 2015 Retina MacBook Pro 15-inch (Monterey 12.6.8, Intel Iris integrated graphics mode): It seemed to disable additional dithering on color profiles and gamma table adjustments (adjusting Software Brightness in BetterDisplay now introduces banding, which it didn't before) but didn't seem to actually fully disable it. Still looks like solid color backgrounds are moving and text is shimmering. Disappointing

• 2018 Retina MacBook Air 13-inch (Mojave 10.14.6, Intel UHD): Did not work at ALL, the log says "dither disabled" but there is no banding even when changing Software Brightness implying that dithering wasn't actually disabled (because it's still obviously showing in-between colors more precisely than the screen is capable of, even when trying to reduce color range by lowering color table brightness.) Screen feels exactly the same with an extreme amount of shimmer

(However, the 2018 Air screen can actually become fully usable with Windows and older display drivers, implying that this is still a problem at the software level, not the screen just being a low quality panel. But unfortunately, dither=0 does not make it any better while on macOS, even on an old version like Mojave)

Blooey In case it's helpful, I took a couple of pictures this morning to show the effect of Stillcolor on my MBA M2 15-inch using your test pattern: https://imgur.com/a/uIge5kx

(Ignore the haloing around the white text… that's a demosaicing artifact from my camera.)

Given how strong the banding effect is at 9-bit, 10-bit, etc. with dither OFF, I think it's fairly likely that Stillcolor turns off both GPU and TCON dither (that's assuming there is normally any TCON dither in addition to GPU dither, which I'm not sure there is).

There is a well-known bug in Apple Silicon power management that would probably allow us to investigate whether there is normally any TCON dither; I'll make a post about that in a bit.