PRS-600 prs-600 cannot page in sunlight !

jlinden · 09-14-2009, 09:10 AM

Hi,

I'm a long time lurker on this forum.
After enjoying a Cybook Gen3 very much for a couple of years, I say the new features of the Sony prs-600 and decided to get one.
After a weekend playing with it i'm astounded ! The lack of contrast I can live with, but my reader wouldn't let me page in sunlight! The new page is hardly readable. Letters are missing and there are large white areas on the screen. It is very reproducable: when I tried indoors with sunny blotches on the screen, after paging the blotches where the sunlight was are bleached out. When paging in the dark again, all is fine.
Does anyone else have these problems or is it just my reader?
(sent it back first thing this morning)

Thanks,

Jan

Seventh Son · 09-14-2009, 09:14 AM

Can't confirm. I think PRS-600 screen looks a lot better under bright light. You can get glare under certain angles though.

Riocaz · 09-14-2009, 09:19 AM

Yea, I was reading from mine in full sunlight this morning, without a problem. It actually made it a lot easier to read.

quillaja · 09-14-2009, 09:30 AM

mine is great in direct sunlight. maybe you got a defective one.

Haesslich · 09-14-2009, 11:03 AM

I think he's referring to the issue of changing pages in direct sunlight; if you search "e-ink sunlight" here, there's a thread noting the same issue on the PRS-505. It appears that the sunlight interferes with the e-ink "setting" process when the page is being drawn, perhaps due to the energetic photons in UV light.

Riocaz · 09-14-2009, 11:24 AM

Not in my experience with 18 months of owning the 505, at least not to the level the OP mentions It's a bit lighter maybe, but not "hardly readable. Letters are missing and there are large white areas on the screen."

And that includes numerous hours spent on a lounger on the solarium at my parents house in Spain. Or while "watching cricket" with the rest of my family in the summer.

(By watching cricket I mean sitting quietly reading with a drink while the rest of my cricket obsessed family watch or play, the 2nd most boring sport, to watch, in existance. The first being Baseball).

JSWolf · 09-14-2009, 12:17 PM

I have a 505 and in direct sunlight, I have no problems. I've had it for almost 2 years. October will be two years. Reading in sunlight is one of the reasons I upgraded from my 500.

Lady Blue · 09-14-2009, 12:40 PM

I've never had any problem with page turns or contrast on my 505 when reading under our intense Texas sunlight either, and I've had mine for nearly 2 years also. Can't speak for the 600 though. I would hope that problem is a defect and not the norm.

JSWolf · 09-14-2009, 01:26 PM

under thr touch layer is the same Vizplex screen as the 505 uses. So yes, I would think it would be a defect.

doreenjoy · 09-14-2009, 05:32 PM

Hmm. Probably a defective unit.

I have had problems in *hot* sunlight, but not sunlight per se.

kezza · 09-14-2009, 07:10 PM

I've had problems with the screen on my 505 appearing washed out in very warm weather, but even reading on a boat at the equator it was never a major problem. Cold weather seems to cause the opposite, the screen gets very dark and the page turns very slowly. I also vote that this is a defective screen issue, not a normal issue.

Haesslich · 09-14-2009, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I have a 505 and in direct sunlight, I have no problems. I've had it for almost 2 years. October will be two years. Reading in sunlight is one of the reasons I upgraded from my 500.

If you look at the link I suggested, it appears to only affect the reader when turning pages; it's as if, when the screen refreshes, that something interferes with the cels, causing them to not fully turn on unless the UV (or whatever else is in the direct sunlight) is blocked. It doesn't appear to be a defect, since it only showed up with the PRS-505, and Kindles also seem to have the same issue... so it's due to something with the Vizplex sheets. Given the descriptions of the electrophoretic process, the idea of energetic photons causing the cell to turn 'off' when it should be on (and only during the drawing process) seems like a likely hypothesis.

jlinden · 09-15-2009, 03:38 AM

The problem never occurred with the Cybook which is also a Vizplex screen.
I think you are right, the prs-600 unit is probably defective. I sent it back.

Thanks for all your reactions.

Riocaz · 09-15-2009, 05:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haesslich

If you look at the link I suggested, it appears to only affect the reader when turning pages; it's as if, when the screen refreshes, that something interferes with the cels, causing them to not fully turn on unless the UV (or whatever else is in the direct sunlight) is blocked. It doesn't appear to be a defect, since it only showed up with the PRS-505, and Kindles also seem to have the same issue... so it's due to something with the Vizplex sheets. Given the descriptions of the electrophoretic process, the idea of energetic photons causing the cell to turn 'off' when it should be on (and only during the drawing process) seems like a likely hypothesis.

What you think Jswolf doesn turn pages when he's out in the sunshine?.

And whether thats the case whats described in previous threads on the subject does not match what the original poster described.

Previous threads have indicated a whole screen change, or (for example) a hand shaped patch if you lay your hand over the screen while you change pages.

The OP said: "The new page is hardly readable. Letters are missing and there are large white areas on the screen."

Let me re-iterate from my perspective:

I own both the 505 and the 600. with the 505 I have never seen the behavior described by the OP, even when visiting my parents at the height of summer, in southern spain. I have the behavior described before (where the whole screen, or the parts that are in direct sunlight are a little lighter than they are in the shade).

With my 600, obviously being in the UK, and it's September so I can't speak for the heat of summer, but in direct bright warm sunshine as I had on my way to work yesterday (Where did it go? It's feel wintery today, and it's little above twilight outside my office window) it was very readable. Actually more so than it was this morning as bright sunshine seems to overwhelm the reflection and made the screen more readable, not less.

jaxx6166 · 09-15-2009, 11:23 AM

I want to chime in on the defective screen possibility.
Living in FL, I take my Readers out all the time. It gets HOT and SUNNY here like 99.999% of the time

Anyway - I've never noticed any issues at the pool or the beach with either the 505 or the 700. The 505 may have appeared a little bit washed out in direct sunlight, but nothing to that extent. The 700 actually became more readable in the bright light

I have noticed though, that the screens seem to get better as they warm up. By that, I mean that the page turn and refreshes are very slow at first after a cold boot or waking it up from sleeping for more than a day or two. But after about 10 - 15 minutes of use it warms back up and speeds the process a bit. I've also noticed similar issues with battery life. When the battery is really low, my 700 experiences an effect similar to that. By that, I mean half the page disappears (literally) and it looks terrifying. A recharge and a restart usually fixes the problem

09-14-2009, 09:10 AM	#1
jlinden Connoisseur Posts: 50 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: The Netherlands Device: Cybook Gen3, Kindle DX, Sony TS-1, Kobo Aura HD, Onyx Boox M96	prs-600 cannot page in sunlight ! Hi, I'm a long time lurker on this forum. After enjoying a Cybook Gen3 very much for a couple of years, I say the new features of the Sony prs-600 and decided to get one. After a weekend playing with it i'm astounded ! The lack of contrast I can live with, but my reader wouldn't let me page in sunlight! The new page is hardly readable. Letters are missing and there are large white areas on the screen. It is very reproducable: when I tried indoors with sunny blotches on the screen, after paging the blotches where the sunlight was are bleached out. When paging in the dark again, all is fine. Does anyone else have these problems or is it just my reader? (sent it back first thing this morning) Thanks, Jan

09-14-2009, 11:24 AM	#6
Riocaz Fulfilled but not by iRex Posts: 932 Karma: 286846 Join Date: May 2006 Location: London Device: Far too many	Not in my experience with 18 months of owning the 505, at least not to the level the OP mentions It's a bit lighter maybe, but not "hardly readable. Letters are missing and there are large white areas on the screen." And that includes numerous hours spent on a lounger on the solarium at my parents house in Spain. Or while "watching cricket" with the rest of my family in the summer. (By watching cricket I mean sitting quietly reading with a drink while the rest of my cricket obsessed family watch or play, the 2nd most boring sport, to watch, in existance. The first being Baseball). Last edited by Riocaz; 09-14-2009 at 11:29 AM.

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09-14-2009, 09:14 AM	#2
Seventh Son lurker Posts: 123 Karma: 356 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: EU Device: I should probably stop	Can't confirm. I think PRS-600 screen looks a lot better under bright light. You can get glare under certain angles though.

09-14-2009, 09:19 AM	#3
Riocaz Fulfilled but not by iRex Posts: 932 Karma: 286846 Join Date: May 2006 Location: London Device: Far too many	Yea, I was reading from mine in full sunlight this morning, without a problem. It actually made it a lot easier to read.

09-14-2009, 09:30 AM	#4
quillaja Connoisseur Posts: 79 Karma: 42 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: sony reader touch (prs-600)	mine is great in direct sunlight. maybe you got a defective one.

09-14-2009, 11:03 AM	#5
Haesslich Fanatic Posts: 567 Karma: 1138182 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: Kobo Touch,Glo,Mini,Aura/HD/One,H20, Sony PRS-300/600, Kindle 3-PW	I think he's referring to the issue of changing pages in direct sunlight; if you search "e-ink sunlight" here, there's a thread noting the same issue on the PRS-505. It appears that the sunlight interferes with the e-ink "setting" process when the page is being drawn, perhaps due to the energetic photons in UV light.

09-14-2009, 12:17 PM	#7
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,169 Karma: 144284184 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I have a 505 and in direct sunlight, I have no problems. I've had it for almost 2 years. October will be two years. Reading in sunlight is one of the reasons I upgraded from my 500.

09-14-2009, 12:40 PM	#8
Lady Blue the snarky blue one Posts: 6,001 Karma: 3877825 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: deep in the heart Device: PRS500, 505 & 600, PRST1 & T2, Kindle PW, Moto Razr, Galaxy Tab 2-10"	I've never had any problem with page turns or contrast on my 505 when reading under our intense Texas sunlight either, and I've had mine for nearly 2 years also. Can't speak for the 600 though. I would hope that problem is a defect and not the norm.

09-14-2009, 01:26 PM	#9
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,169 Karma: 144284184 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	under thr touch layer is the same Vizplex screen as the 505 uses. So yes, I would think it would be a defect.

09-14-2009, 05:32 PM	#10
doreenjoy 01000100 01001010 Posts: 1,889 Karma: 2400000 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Polyamorous	Hmm. Probably a defective unit. I have had problems in hot sunlight, but not sunlight per se.

09-14-2009, 07:10 PM	#11
kezza Lowlife of the Party Posts: 266 Karma: 4038 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: seattle Device: nook, iphone	I've had problems with the screen on my 505 appearing washed out in very warm weather, but even reading on a boat at the equator it was never a major problem. Cold weather seems to cause the opposite, the screen gets very dark and the page turns very slowly. I also vote that this is a defective screen issue, not a normal issue.

09-15-2009, 03:38 AM	#13
jlinden Connoisseur Posts: 50 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: The Netherlands Device: Cybook Gen3, Kindle DX, Sony TS-1, Kobo Aura HD, Onyx Boox M96	The problem never occurred with the Cybook which is also a Vizplex screen. I think you are right, the prs-600 unit is probably defective. I sent it back. Thanks for all your reactions.

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09-15-2009, 11:23 AM	#15
jaxx6166 Wizard Posts: 1,222 Karma: 769316 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Eternal summer Device: 350, iPad, PW	I want to chime in on the defective screen possibility. Living in FL, I take my Readers out all the time. It gets HOT and SUNNY here like 99.999% of the time Anyway - I've never noticed any issues at the pool or the beach with either the 505 or the 700. The 505 may have appeared a little bit washed out in direct sunlight, but nothing to that extent. The 700 actually became more readable in the bright light I have noticed though, that the screens seem to get better as they warm up. By that, I mean that the page turn and refreshes are very slow at first after a cold boot or waking it up from sleeping for more than a day or two. But after about 10 - 15 minutes of use it warms back up and speeds the process a bit. I've also noticed similar issues with battery life. When the battery is really low, my 700 experiences an effect similar to that. By that, I mean half the page disappears (literally) and it looks terrifying. A recharge and a restart usually fixes the problem