display_errors和php 5.4

maybe someone can shed some light on this: why when I upload big image to my prestashop powered website it gives "memory exhausted error" (which is what I've expected), but only when php version is 5.3.14. When I switch to 5.4.4 - the same procedure gives blank page. display_errors is set to 'on' both times.

From php.net documentation - "Although display_errors may be set at runtime (with ini_set()), it won't have any affect if the script has fatal errors. This is because the desired runtime action does not get executed.". Maybe this is the case? But why it gives error message with 5.3 and not with 5.4?

By the way error goes away as soon as I increase memory limit. Both on 5.3 and 5.4.

Maybe you didn't set the memory limit high enough. Are you sure that you've set the error_reporting parameter correct on your 5.4.4 version?

Try this:

error_reporting(E_ALL);
ini_set('display_errors', 1);

Check php.ini file, phpinfo() for the max memory value you gave to Php.

Its possible the default value between these 2 versions are different.