Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
It's really not different. You're talking about light intensity and yes, looking at a 40W bulb can be uncomfortable because it's essentially a point source of light. Spread that same amount of light out over a larger area, and it's no longer uncomfortable to look at, because the light intensity per unit area is lower.
There's no reason to have an LCD screen emitting more light than the frontlight of an eInk reader does, and if both are set to emit the same amount of light, they will be equally comfortable to use.
As I said at the start of this thread, the problem is that many people have LCD backlights set far too high.
|
An LCD isn't spreading light out though. It's literally got a layer of tiny-ass lights behind it. That's how it works. On older models it was basically a CCFL light box instead of LEDs. There's no "spread". It's still all a single point of light. Some models don't even dim, they just refresh less frequently and it appears less dim. It's always the same intensity of light for those, just strobing faster than the eye can see.
A backlit LCD always has to be emitting light to be seen. Even to achieve the same visible brightness as a frontlit eReader it has to be putting out more light because it has to compete with the ambient brightness in the room. A frontlit eReader can use the ambient light to appear brighter as it's reflective.
Unless you are reading in a completely dark room, an LCD is going to be putting out more light directly even if it appears just as bright.