'MacTel' Users Report Video Problems'MacTel' Users Report Video Problems

Some of Apple Computer Inc.'s latest iMacs based on an Intel processor have problems in displaying video, a Mac enthusiast site says.

In playing video on Apple's Front Row media browser, some iMacs showed random horizontal lines, ghosting, video tearing and other problems, ConsumerMachine reported.

Apple was not immediately available for comment.

"The issue is best described as faint and intermittent ‘patches’ of whatever graphics are on the screen appearing in random locations (tearing)," the site said. "Aside from the Front Row menu system, these problems also persist when viewing movies or DVDs through the Front Row interface."

The problems did not appear when playing video through Apple's Quicktime Player, but users reported that the display troubles occurred when "alt-tabbing between apps or during certain tasks in iMovie."

"Numerous user software reinstalls have established that the problem is likely not software related, placing the blame on the ATI Radeon X1600 video card," the site said.

ATI Technologies, maker of the video card, was not immediately available for comment.

Apple introduced an Intel-based iMac and notebook in January during the Macworld conference in San Francisco. The company is moving its computers from PowerPC chips from IBM and Freescale Semiconductor to the Intel platform.