I have faith, most days, that someone out there knows about these issues - I see LED street signs coming down and being replaced with less damaging ones. I see car dashboards that I can tolerate replacing ones I can't. Is my tolerance building? Maybe. I had to put an LED light on my stove, and it's... manageable. I will buy a real incandescent next time I'm out, but for now this will do.

I was at Microsoft Ignite this week and saw displays I could look at. Maybe not for long periods, but some. They were all running the VERY LATEST hardware and software. I saw an XBox One X that was ... tolerable. It was running on an HP monitor.

I also saw things I couldn't tolerate. Horrible blue LED revolving shapes, just general bullshit all around. The giant screens outside a sports bar in Universal's City Walk? Utterly dreadful. But the LED TV's all over the inside? Just fine.

So in short, I think we're going to get there eventually. It might just take a while. And having to tough it out will take some doing. But hey, marijuana is legal in MA now recreationally, so I should be able to get the tinctures that should relax me enough to be functional. And I need to get back to karate, lose these pounds I've packed on, because sinking into my martial art always helps.

I'll soldier on, best I can, as long as I can.

Gurm I know dude, it's really tough right now.

It's slowly encroaching in all areas of life as you mentioned, Video Games, Cell Phones, PC's, Televisions, Household lighting...

I'm using a 2010 machine which i'm sure will bite the dust in the next 18-months and have stockpiled a few spares from eBay, but it's incredibly slow and frustrating I can't just buy a killer rig and enjoy technology again.

Gaming: I've had most of the home consoles since the early 90's and haven't had any issues until ~late PS3 and above. I've also had the Nintendo handhelds, DS-lite circa 2006? Perfectly fine... the Switch over a decade later... headache inducing and had to be returned.

Cellphones: Avid iPhone user since 2010 and after iPhone 5 issues ranged from mild to >iOS11 severe, convinced iOS is now using harsh dithering or something similar.

PC's: I can't use Apple products, period. Until a temporal dithering fix is found fingers-crossed it will be the magic bullet that makes it usable. I can't move forward in my creative pursuits as everybody uses Mac in that industry (Logic X, for example).

Unfortunately due to the effects caused by these devices, I almost get pangs of fear when trying a new device, the uncertainty if you're going to be OK in 30 minutes. It is not normal for this to happen and we the consumer should not tolerate this.

In the last 4 years I have ordered and returned almost a dozen computers, ranging from 2009 to present day. With an exception to the older machines, every single one was intolerable. I've lost money having to return and re-sell this equipment.

If I can't find a modern PC to use even in a casual home environment, why should I believe it will be any different in the modern workplace?

The one silver lining is thanks to AHK we know there are legit dithering-disable tools for OSX and Windows - but they're not out in the wild yet.

  • JTL replied to this.

      I know just what you're talking about.

      Fortunately I seem to have settled in with a bunch of gear that works for me:
      Macbook Pro (late) 2013 - reckon I'll be working on this thing for years to come. No strain at all, and is coupled with a couple of old CCFL 23" Dell monitors.
      iPhone 6S - not perfect but very tolerable for day to day use
      Panasonic 54" Plasma TV
      My gaming PC has a 1.0 version Gigabyte 970 card and Dell 2407 monitor. Both great.

      But man, I live in fear of any of these devices going 'pop'. Hence I bought a second 970 video card, have a spare 2407 and 2410 monitors. Still the problem remains. As an IT guy and an avid simmer/gamer this stuff is as you say rather depressing - doubly so that we just don't know what causes this exactly. Hell I cannot use my favourite flight sim because it's one of those 'bad apps' that give problems. I won't mention the new Chrome browser... still if Firefox seems bad still I might be forced to use Edge :-o

      Don't give up.

        AgentX20 Macbook Pro (late) 2013

        Is that the 15'' version with Nvidia chipset? And if so, do you use the Nvidia GPU or integrated Intel one?

            deepflame Yes, I have an idea it's the 650. I'm pretty sure it runs on the intel chip unless the machine is taxed say running a game.

            • Gurm replied to this.

                AgentX20 THAT is my magic Macbook. Mine is not very loaded up - only 8GB of RAM, and the screen is pretty badly scuffed. And it's got a non-standard keyboard. But it WORKS. I need to find a loaded one.

                    AgentX20

                    This issue seems to have turned us all into hoarders.

                    I have a stack of new CCFL monitors. Stacks of GPUs, stacks of motherboards so I can at least keep using win7 for media for time to come. More light bulbs than I'd like to admit

                    It makes you look like a crazy person. it's annoying finding somewhere to keep all this stuff too.

                        Soreeyes At least I have the luxury of living in a house with a garage.

                        Ironicily for all that space I don't have as much as I'd like for my "home office"

                          4 days later

                          I can confirm my good MacBook Pro is an early 2013 model. Absolutely PERFECT for all day usage.

                            AgentX20 Could you please confirm its macbook pro 15in early 2013 with nvidia gt650m 1gb video memory?
                            Ill try to get it here. Also please what version of OS do you have.

                              Here are the details.

                              Sadly, I've been unable to find out how to get at the low level details to confirm the panel manufacturer. I know I've done it in the past, but I just can't find the right syntax/commands.

                              The only downside to this laptop is the screen anti glare covering has started to erode following screen cleaning but that's a small price to pay for comfort - and is largely invisible during everyday use.

                                AgentX20

                                ioreg -lw0 | grep "EDID" | sed "/[^<]*</s///" | xxd -p -r

                                    Sunspark I've tried that command before it just returns Color LCD with my 2015 MBP running 10.11.6

                                        Sunspark Thanks, I get the string "LP154WT1-SJA2", which I believe denotes an LG panel.

                                          Guys, are you now implying that a specific app on a phone or a browser on a computer can cause eyestrain!?!?
                                          I thought the problem resided solely on OS updates. I ask because after factory-reseting my Android phone last May and never re-updating the app which I thought takes care of the graphics I have been experiencing again terrible eyestrain. Actually pain behind my eyes and in my neck. Crazy how seconds can trigger neck discomfort...
                                          The only thing I did has been adding apps and updating apps except Chrome and Android WebView.
                                          Like hpst, I start feeling desperate. Every day there is something new and worse, and I never come to a conclusion :-(

                                          • Gurm replied to this.

                                            I cannot comment on Android, but I am convinced that certain applications on Windows 10 can cause me problems (significant discomfort) ie Firefox, the newest Chrome and also Lockheed Martin's V4 of Prepar3d (flight simulator). Why them and nothing else I have no idea at all...

                                            • Gurm replied to this.
                                            • KM likes this.
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