File formats

[phaeton]

I'm curious if anyone has compared the same ebook one multiple devices? There is ample commentary on the pros and cons of each device but little if any on the quality and formating. I'm specifically interested in the differences in appearance between Amazon Kindle azw and B&N Nook epub formats.

Is the appearance of an ebook relatively consistant (taking into account differences in hardware) regardless of the device; like comparing a GIF photo to a JPEG photo? Or is there a innate difference between the two along the lines of 4:3 video recording compared to a 16:9 recording of the same event?

[HarryT]

Although in theory the ePub format is capable of more complex formatting than the Mobipocket format used by the Kindle, in practice this is irrelevent for the average eBook, and they look pretty much the same on all readers.

[Strolls]

In this comparison the poster is remarking about the contrast, but I assume the layout differences are inherent in the device software, too: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96601

[HarryT]

The layout differences are simply due to the fact that one of them is a 5" and the other a 6" screen, so the smaller screen is displaying less text.

[Strolls]

On the Sony the book title is larger and underlined. On the Kindle the "General Intro... HAMILTON" is centred. Margins look wider on the Kindle; justification seems better on the Kindle, if you like justification.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by phaeton

I'm curious if anyone has compared the same ebook one multiple devices? There is ample commentary on the pros and cons of each device but little if any on the quality and formating. I'm specifically interested in the differences in appearance between Amazon Kindle azw and B&N Nook epub formats.

Is the appearance of an ebook relatively consistant (taking into account differences in hardware) regardless of the device; like comparing a GIF photo to a JPEG photo? Or is there a innate difference between the two along the lines of 4:3 video recording compared to a 16:9 recording of the same event?

How ebooks look is going to depend a lot on the rendering *software*.
So its more a matter of what the reader device/app lets you do and less a matter of what the ebook/format *thinks* it does.
Remember, true ebook formats are inherently reflowable. The reader app usually lets you choose settings for things like font face, font size, margins, line spacing, alignment, etc.
*Which* of those settings, if *any* the reader/app allows you to change and the degree of flexibility it offers is what you should be mostly concerned about.

eBooks aren't digital microfiche or pretend-paper, they are dynamically rendered information, so the exact same file is going to look different on two different renderers. Conversely, on some readers, you can make two different files look exactly the same.

The question is what do you want it to look like?
Do you prefer to take control of what greets your eye or leave it to others?