LG admits premium display fails near wi-fi

[AdmiralAsshat]

"Changing the location or positioning of either the router or the display should resolve the issue," it said.

"Doctor, it hurts when I do this!"

"Don't do that!"

---

The article said future models will include additional shielding. Will the people who bought the earlier models be allowed to exchange, or is the above non-solution all they get?

[oddevan]

The buzz on the Mac web is that they can retro-fit old displays. Don't know if it'll be an exchange or what.

From MacRumors: https://www.macrumors.com/2017/02/03/lg-27-inch-5k-display-r...

> Owners affected by the issue are advised to get in touch with Apple, LG, or their reseller to arrange for a repair.

[Kluny]

I see this label on most electronic devices I own:

"This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation." [1]

If the display comes with that label, shouldn't that be enough to make LG subject to a class action suit, or at least a huge fine from the FCC? Or is the FCC another agency that's lost its teeth this year, along with the FDA and the EPA?

[1] https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/47/15.19

[panda88888]

I think LG is in the clear.

My understanding is that as owner of the LG display, you simply cannot sue your WiFi router manufacturer for messing up your monitor, hence the "must accept any interference ... including interference that may cause undesired operation."

Part 15 doesn't guarantee that the monitor will continue to operate under interference.

[delecti]

I'm not sure why you'd have grounds to sue on that basis. Isn't this just an example of undesired operation caused by interference received? It's warning you that it must accept that interference.

Shouldn't this mean that all wifi devices are causing harmful interference in violation of that text?

I'm not trying to be snarky either. Am I just completely misunderstanding the meaning of that FCC warning?

[mark_l_watson]

That seems like a bad flaw they should have detected during product testing. Rushed to get to market.

I bought their smaller 4K monitor last week and so far, except for a not perfectly fitting usb-c socket, all is great so far. I love it.

[grenoire]

Wasn't this front page just the other day? Users basically mentioned that the monitor itself was great except for this interference issue.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13530709

[finid]

Aha!

I observed the same thing late last year when I use a foldable wristpad with magnets inside that I got from an AT&T booth at a tech conference.

So this is not limited to that specific LG display. Mine is an LG 24MA32D that I bought about 3 years ago.

[joecool1029]

One wonders if the 2.4ghz USB3 interference [1] also messes with it, keep your external drives away!

[1] http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/io/universal-serial-b...

[panda88888]

This isn't new. Honeywell monitor used inside Boeing 737 cockpit failed near WiFi as well. They discovered this defect when in-flight WiFi was introduced.

http://aviationtroubleshooting.blogspot.com/2014/10/display-...

Edit: added link and clarification that the display is used inside the cockpit.

[halomru]

I assume this slipped through because the required certifications don't include rigorous requirements for electromagnetic interference on unlicensed bands? Or was this supposed to be caught in required testing?

[tzs]

I believe the required testing for FCC Part 15 certification only covers what your device emits, not how it responds to the emissions of other devices.

[coldpie]

How fucking hard is it to make a competent display? I feel like the A/V market is ripe for disruption. Sell a quality line of displays with no "smart" crap and a relatively low-cost receiver with no "smart" crap, a usable front-end with tons of A/V features and a dozen inputs of different types.

This must be harder than I think it is, because no one is doing it.

[delecti]

My understanding is that you're overestimating the cost to manufacture the "smart" crap. The basic hardware is so inexpensive that they don't really lose much to just cram some extra crappy software (crappy software that is extra, or software which is extra crappy, your pick) onto the hardware that already has to go into the TV.

[swingbridge]

This. I am endlessly frustrated with display manufacturers think that I want to do all sorts of "smart" stuff with my display. No. I want it to display a nice image for the stuff I want to plug into it, that's it!

Setup a new TV for a family member recently and the instructions basically wanted me to Bluetooth pair my phone to the TV so I could set it up. I was like you have to be $&@!ing kidding me. Power, volume, input select. Just give me 4 buttons and that's it and I'm happy.

[rb808]

I dont understand how you can get a 40 inch 4k TV for $350 but a 32 inch 4k display is $900.

Seems the 32 inch space prices are way too high.

[maxxxxx]

I think "smart" stuff can be produced cheaply but sold expensively. It may be hard to make money on a basic display.

[dan1234]

I think thin margins for a product not replaced too often, and a heavily patented technology makes it pretty unattractive market to new entrants.

[DavidPP]

The Vizio P65-C1 might be what you are looking for. The "smart crap" is actually in the remote which is a 7" Android tablet.

[bitwize]

Indeed.

If I wanted a smart TV I'd attach a brain to the VESA bracket on the back.

[chrisper]

LG is just a bad company. Most of their products are faulty in some way. I had issues with their monitors and phones. I stopped buying anything LG since then.

[stdclass]

Slightly offtopic: can somebody recommend me a 4K display for programming (around 28-32inches)?

[tfe]

This is the biggest bummer with Apple existing the display business. Say what you will about them but at least the engineering is competent.

[gldalmaso]

Competent but not flawless (antennagate, bendgate). So maybe not so different from LG.

[bitmapbrother]

LG has been plagued with quality control issues. Their Android phones are known to suffer from boot loop problems.