Second iLiad -- loss of contrast

readingaloud · 08-22-2007, 04:35 PM

I just received my second iLiad. I'd been planning to buy another--it's just too precious to me to risk being without if I should lose it or break it. And I'll be glad to have one to lend to friends. (Yes, I do call the second one the "Odyssey".)

I was going to wait for the version with the larger battery. But my first has developed an annoying problem--horizontal lines on the screen, and I figure I'll soon have to send it to iRex for repair. (I hope it's soon--iRex support is working at a very stately pace on my request.)

A couple of notes on the new device. As reported elsewhere, it does now ship with a case, apparently the shoulder bag. This was a nice surprise. A less nice surprise was that it still ships with the incredibly silly docking connector--I was hoping that they'd started using the smaller, redesigned one.

What surprised my most, however, is how much nicer the fresh screen looks. I hadn't realized it, but over the last seven months or so my first reader has lost contrast--the light grey background has become a somewhat darker grey. I suppose this might be a function of whatever screen malady is causing my lines, but I don't think so. It appears that, at least with heavy use (I'll soon read my 100th iLiad book), the display loses contrast over time.

Have other people noticed the same thing?

Drops · 08-22-2007, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Have other people noticed the same thing?

Difficult to tell without having 2 Iliads. Maybe you can post a picture with the 2 Illiads on it for comparison? Thanks in advance!

tribble · 08-22-2007, 07:10 PM

Yes, i have. There is some normal loss of screen contrast after a couple of weeks. But it is due to the eink technology.
Hope this will change with the faster eink displays.

vranghel · 08-22-2007, 07:26 PM

The loss of contrast is definitely there! I've returned my first iliad due to this exact issue. I'm not sure if this is one of the 'side-effects' of prolonged usage or if it was a screen defect.

JSWolf · 08-22-2007, 10:20 PM

This contrast drop seems to be an effect of the first generation eink (can't say about the new vizplex) as it happens to the Sony Reader as well. People are reporting that their second readers are coming with a better contrast then the one they've been using.

Drops · 08-23-2007, 04:19 AM

Does the contrast degeneration ever stop or will it continue until the display is nearly black?

HarryT · 08-23-2007, 04:25 AM

It seems to level off. I've had my Sony Reader for about 9 months now and not noticed any on-going degradation of the image.

TadW · 08-23-2007, 04:35 AM

I got two Sony Readers, one is 7 months old, the other a couple of weeks. The newer definitely has a better contrast ratio -- but it also shows considerably more ghosting (especially around the left and right edges). I am not sure which one I prefer

HarryT · 08-23-2007, 04:43 AM

There's a variable resistor inside the Reader which can be altered to improve the contrast, at the expense of increased ghosting. From what people have said, Readers are supplied with this set over quite a wide range. It can be adjusted if you're brave enough to open up your Reader (which I'm certainly not!).

NatCh · 08-23-2007, 11:14 AM

Wimp.

HarryT · 08-23-2007, 11:16 AM

Definitely! You'd be a wimp too if you'd paid $620-odd for your Reader and it effectively had no warranty

.

NatCh · 08-23-2007, 12:13 PM

Ha! Yeah, you bet your sweet bippie I would.

Drops · 08-24-2007, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

There's a variable resistor inside the Reader which can be altered to improve the contrast, at the expense of increased ghosting. From what people have said, Readers are supplied with this set over quite a wide range. It can be adjusted if you're brave enough to open up your Reader (which I'm certainly not!).

Thats a very interesting information, do you know where this resistor is located? Maybe you can find it in the posted Illiad pictures for us?

HarryT · 08-24-2007, 08:17 AM

We're talking here about the Sony Reader, not the iLiad. There are threads about it in the Reader forum with photographs, etc, showing exactly what to do. I'm afraid that I don't know if the iLiad offers a similar adjustment capability.

readingaloud · 09-14-2007, 09:38 AM

My repaired iLiad arrived today. I saw that someone else got the new battery when they sent theirs in for repair, but if I did, iRex didn't tell me about it.

The device is apparently the same one--the MAC address sticker is the same, and the little signs of wear on the case look familiar. My books are gone from memory (but of course they were backed up). They did, apparently, replace the screen. It's now ever-so-slightly more contrasty than the one I got three weeks ago, which would make it considerably better than the screen I sent back.

08-22-2007, 04:35 PM	#1
readingaloud Enthusiast Posts: 34 Karma: 55 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Switzerland Device: iRex iLiad; Sony Reader; Amazon Kindle	Second iLiad -- loss of contrast I just received my second iLiad. I'd been planning to buy another--it's just too precious to me to risk being without if I should lose it or break it. And I'll be glad to have one to lend to friends. (Yes, I do call the second one the "Odyssey".) I was going to wait for the version with the larger battery. But my first has developed an annoying problem--horizontal lines on the screen, and I figure I'll soon have to send it to iRex for repair. (I hope it's soon--iRex support is working at a very stately pace on my request.) A couple of notes on the new device. As reported elsewhere, it does now ship with a case, apparently the shoulder bag. This was a nice surprise. A less nice surprise was that it still ships with the incredibly silly docking connector--I was hoping that they'd started using the smaller, redesigned one. What surprised my most, however, is how much nicer the fresh screen looks. I hadn't realized it, but over the last seven months or so my first reader has lost contrast--the light grey background has become a somewhat darker grey. I suppose this might be a function of whatever screen malady is causing my lines, but I don't think so. It appears that, at least with heavy use (I'll soon read my 100th iLiad book), the display loses contrast over time. Have other people noticed the same thing?

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08-22-2007, 07:10 PM	#3
tribble iLiad Maniac Posts: 1,382 Karma: 2369 Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Germany Device: Bookeen Opus (i love that thing) and iPad (what an irony)	Yes, i have. There is some normal loss of screen contrast after a couple of weeks. But it is due to the eink technology. Hope this will change with the faster eink displays.

08-22-2007, 07:26 PM	#4
vranghel Addict Posts: 285 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Vancouver, Canada Device: Proud Iliad owner	The loss of contrast is definitely there! I've returned my first iliad due to this exact issue. I'm not sure if this is one of the 'side-effects' of prolonged usage or if it was a screen defect.

08-22-2007, 10:20 PM	#5
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,752 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	This contrast drop seems to be an effect of the first generation eink (can't say about the new vizplex) as it happens to the Sony Reader as well. People are reporting that their second readers are coming with a better contrast then the one they've been using.

08-23-2007, 04:19 AM	#6
Drops Connoisseur Posts: 65 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2006	Does the contrast degeneration ever stop or will it continue until the display is nearly black?

08-23-2007, 04:25 AM	#7
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	It seems to level off. I've had my Sony Reader for about 9 months now and not noticed any on-going degradation of the image.

08-23-2007, 04:35 AM	#8
TadW Uebermensch Posts: 2,583 Karma: 1094606 Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Italy Device: Kindle	I got two Sony Readers, one is 7 months old, the other a couple of weeks. The newer definitely has a better contrast ratio -- but it also shows considerably more ghosting (especially around the left and right edges). I am not sure which one I prefer

08-23-2007, 04:43 AM	#9
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	There's a variable resistor inside the Reader which can be altered to improve the contrast, at the expense of increased ghosting. From what people have said, Readers are supplied with this set over quite a wide range. It can be adjusted if you're brave enough to open up your Reader (which I'm certainly not!).

08-23-2007, 11:14 AM	#10
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Wimp.

08-23-2007, 11:16 AM	#11
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Definitely! You'd be a wimp too if you'd paid $620-odd for your Reader and it effectively had no warranty .

08-23-2007, 12:13 PM	#12
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Ha! Yeah, you bet your sweet bippie I would.

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08-24-2007, 08:17 AM	#14
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	We're talking here about the Sony Reader, not the iLiad. There are threads about it in the Reader forum with photographs, etc, showing exactly what to do. I'm afraid that I don't know if the iLiad offers a similar adjustment capability.

09-14-2007, 09:38 AM	#15
readingaloud Enthusiast Posts: 34 Karma: 55 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Switzerland Device: iRex iLiad; Sony Reader; Amazon Kindle	My repaired iLiad arrived today. I saw that someone else got the new battery when they sent theirs in for repair, but if I did, iRex didn't tell me about it. The device is apparently the same one--the MAC address sticker is the same, and the little signs of wear on the case look familiar. My books are gone from memory (but of course they were backed up). They did, apparently, replace the screen. It's now ever-so-slightly more contrasty than the one I got three weeks ago, which would make it considerably better than the screen I sent back.