Light/thin character block on opening a book

trampas · 09-14-2010, 01:58 PM

I have had my Kindle 3 for about a week now and am very pleased with it after many years of reading on my pda. Even the black flash on page change seems to be no problem but there is an issue on opening/reopening a book. If I go to a collection then move down to the book and choose it the book title line in the collection goes black for just a moment, the screen flashes black as expected, and a page of the book appears. There is a small block on this page where the characters are slightly lighter/thinner and it is where the book title line had flashed to black. Next page then previous page or Alt G to refresh fixes this and it is hardly noticeable - but is it expected?

Tiersten · 09-14-2010, 02:02 PM

Its normal. It is how eInk works. Unless they completely reset the screen to black and then white each time, you end up with a very faint ghost image.

TallMomof2 · 09-14-2010, 02:14 PM

You can press Alt-G and the screen will refresh. This should get rid of the ghosting.

TheKindleWorm · 09-14-2010, 02:51 PM

Yes it's pretty normal and you do tend to get used to it over time. It's usually worse with things like titles as they might be bigger and in bolder text so they do tend to "ghost" through onto the next page a bit more.

If it happens that you get this "ghosting" from multiple previous pages - then it might be considered to be a problem with your Kindle. But just the last page is pretty normal.

pen_sq · 09-15-2010, 01:29 AM

I can barely, BARELY see the difference left by that black bar after I've opened a book, but it is there on my K3. I have to open a book to a page that happens to have a big blank paragraph break at the same spot, it's impossible to pick out amongst any text.

It is possible that your unit has bad calibration data for its screen. I read somewhere that every screen is a little bit unique, and the display controller has to be programmed for the differences. If the teeny ink capsules in this batch are a little larger than the last one, it takes longer for the titanium dioxide flecks to swim across.

The data sheet for the first Epson e-ink controller google result is Here (may not actually be the Kindle's). The external "waveform flash" chip makes me think that the reader has to have a setting for every last pixel, or they'd just put a single setting inside the controller. The thermometer sensor is interesting, the e-ink must get a bit thicker when it's cold. One other fun point, the controller gets its own video memory, so it can diff between screens. It might use that to also preload the next book page, so the CPU doesn't always have to be woken up for a redraw.

09-14-2010, 01:58 PM	#1
trampas Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Libra 2	Light/thin character block on opening a book I have had my Kindle 3 for about a week now and am very pleased with it after many years of reading on my pda. Even the black flash on page change seems to be no problem but there is an issue on opening/reopening a book. If I go to a collection then move down to the book and choose it the book title line in the collection goes black for just a moment, the screen flashes black as expected, and a page of the book appears. There is a small block on this page where the characters are slightly lighter/thinner and it is where the book title line had flashed to black. Next page then previous page or Alt G to refresh fixes this and it is hardly noticeable - but is it expected?

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Book Designer not opening?	jhempel24	Workshop	0	09-01-2010 09:07 AM
Strange Â character appearing throughout e-book text	mag1	ePub	21	02-01-2010 07:01 AM
problem with opening book on Kindle2	alcina	Amazon Kindle	10	07-13-2009 12:25 PM
Scotch and Soda Time- The MR Book, Film, and Chowder Society watches The Thin Man	Greg Anos	Lounge	16	05-22-2009 07:55 PM

09-14-2010, 02:02 PM	#2
Tiersten Guru Posts: 987 Karma: 8641 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: Kindle 3G+WiFi	Its normal. It is how eInk works. Unless they completely reset the screen to black and then white each time, you end up with a very faint ghost image.

09-14-2010, 02:14 PM	#3
TallMomof2 Kindlephilia Posts: 2,017 Karma: 1139255 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Snowpacolypse 2010 Device: Too many to count	You can press Alt-G and the screen will refresh. This should get rid of the ghosting.

09-14-2010, 02:51 PM	#4
TheKindleWorm Guru Posts: 860 Karma: 177868 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: East Anglia UK Device: Kindle 3G, iPhone 3G, iPod 4G, PB 360, Sony 600 sold, Kindle 2i sold	Yes it's pretty normal and you do tend to get used to it over time. It's usually worse with things like titles as they might be bigger and in bolder text so they do tend to "ghost" through onto the next page a bit more. If it happens that you get this "ghosting" from multiple previous pages - then it might be considered to be a problem with your Kindle. But just the last page is pretty normal.

09-15-2010, 01:29 AM	#5
pen_sq Enthusiast Posts: 23 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: none	I can barely, BARELY see the difference left by that black bar after I've opened a book, but it is there on my K3. I have to open a book to a page that happens to have a big blank paragraph break at the same spot, it's impossible to pick out amongst any text. It is possible that your unit has bad calibration data for its screen. I read somewhere that every screen is a little bit unique, and the display controller has to be programmed for the differences. If the teeny ink capsules in this batch are a little larger than the last one, it takes longer for the titanium dioxide flecks to swim across. The data sheet for the first Epson e-ink controller google result is Here (may not actually be the Kindle's). The external "waveform flash" chip makes me think that the reader has to have a setting for every last pixel, or they'd just put a single setting inside the controller. The thermometer sensor is interesting, the e-ink must get a bit thicker when it's cold. One other fun point, the controller gets its own video memory, so it can diff between screens. It might use that to also preload the next book page, so the CPU doesn't always have to be woken up for a redraw.

Advert

Advert