Paperwhite 2018 looks worse than 2013? (Picture inside)

Gametaku · 02-02-2020, 09:31 PM

My new Paperwhite 4 contrast looks worse than on Paperwhite 2. Is that normal? The text looks kinda faint and not as black. Kinda looks lower resolution too. Thinking whether to return it and get Kobo Libra instead.

All 3 devices are at same brightness. Loaded up manga so the diff is easier to spot. Left is Paperwhite 4 and middle is Paperwhite 2. Paperwhite 4 text is kinda faint/light and "shade" is not as black as the other 2 devices.

binaryhermit · 02-02-2020, 09:50 PM

Looks like the backlight on the one in the middle is lower in practice, like the brightness-to-number curve was rewritten in the meantime, if it makes any sense.

Barbara1955 · 02-02-2020, 09:51 PM

open the ebook tap on top left corner. SEE Page Display tap it when menu drops down pick the Darkest Font>Amazon Ember Bold.

Stop posting Over sized pictures!

Gametaku · 02-02-2020, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barbara1955

open the ebook tap on top left corner. SEE Page Display tap it when menu drops down pick the Darkest Font>Amazon Ember Bold.

Stop posting Over sized pictures!

Sorry about the over-sized picture. Edited post once with 50% size picture but it is still over-sized. Couldnt edit the post again.

No such option to choose font size when reading manga. Also, the text problem is a lot worse when reading normal book.

binaryhermit · 02-02-2020, 10:07 PM

Not like that's likely to matter on manga because that's pretty likely to be images and HTML code to lay out the images, not any text where a font change would matter.

Also, it is possible you got a PW2 on the good end of the contrast spectrum and a PW4 on the bad end of the contrast spectrum. I believe eInk screeens, particularly frontlit eInk screens, tend to vary somewhat on image quality between individual panels.

NiLuJe · 02-02-2020, 11:53 PM

Attachments are your friends, don't inline oversized content.

As mentioned earlier, to a large extent, the bloom from the much higher frontlight level is killing the contrast. (Also, light guides screw with photography, so, who knows).

ilovejedd · 02-03-2020, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gametaku

My new Paperwhite 4 contrast looks worse than on Paperwhite 2. Is that normal? The text looks kinda faint and not as black. Kinda looks lower resolution too. Thinking whether to return it and get Kobo Libra instead.

All 3 devices are at same brightness. Loaded up manga so the diff is easier to spot. Left is Paperwhite 4 and middle is Paperwhite 2. Paperwhite 4 text is kinda faint/light and "shade" is not as black as the other 2 devices.

Are you using the same files on the PW4 and PW2?

The image on the PW2 kinda looks like it might have been processed with KCC which, apart from cropping white space, does adjust the gamma.

Compared my PW2, PW3 and PW4 (Kindle purchased manga). The PW3 looks nicer and is around a couple shades darker than the PW4. The PW2's definitely blurrier compared to both, though. Lines and text are just sharper/crisper on PW3 and PW4.

Gametaku · 02-03-2020, 06:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

Are you using the same files on the PW4 and PW2?

The image on the PW2 kinda looks like it might have been processed with KCC which, apart from cropping white space, does adjust the gamma.

Compared my PW2, PW3 and PW4 (Kindle purchased manga). The PW3 looks nicer and is around a couple shades darker than the PW4. The PW2's definitely blurrier compared to both, though. Lines and text are just sharper/crisper on PW3 and PW4.

Yes, its the same file from kindle unlimited. Even at low brightness (high brightness too), i couldnt see some of the outline from manga drawing on the PW4. Hard to explain with photo but everything is worse than what it looks than on my previous attached image.

Sirtel · 02-03-2020, 06:42 AM

There have been many complaints about the relatively poor contrast on the PW4. So you're not alone. Personally, I would return the device.

JSWolf · 02-03-2020, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

There have been many complaints about the relatively poor contrast on the PW4. So you're not alone. Personally, I would return the device.

I agree, The light looks terrible. It's the color of very spoiled milk.

Paperbackstash · 02-03-2020, 08:19 AM

I don't have any manga, may borrow one off KU later just to look at it, but that looks about how I'd expect my PW4 to look with it. I've gotten used to the lesser contrast by keeping the bold up to 2 when reading books, but with an image that will probably revert to something softer and less clear.

Dr. Drib · 02-03-2020, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I agree, The light looks terrible. It's the color of very spoiled milk.

Just finished having some cereal for breakfast....for some reason, it didn't taste very good...

ilovejedd · 02-03-2020, 11:30 AM

Set the PW4 to "Crop Margins". You have that option enabled on the PW2 but not on PW4.

The PW4 is a couple shades lighter but the difference shouldn't be that drastic.

I tend to read manga using KOReader (jailbroken PW4 32GB) and on that one, I can adjust contrast to compensate for the PW4's display.

That said, the Kobo Libra H2O definitely has much better contrast compared to the PW4. I think the Libra H2O might be better than the PW3 as well. Caveat, no "free" manga via Kindle Unlimited. Also, it only has 8GB storage. Enough for, say, an average length complete series. Too small if you want to store multiple complete series (e.g. favorites).

Fire Force Vol. 1 from Kindle Unlimited using native Kindle reader
Brightness: 10, Crop Margins: On, Page Refresh: On, Virtual Panel: Off

From left to right: PW2, PW3, PW4

JSWolf · 02-03-2020, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

From left to right: PW2, PW3, PW4

Interesting. The PW2 looks fuzzy. The PW3 has more contrast with darker blacks and the PW4 is close to the PW3, but not as good.

So far from what I've seen, I think the PW3 has a better screen and/or light then the PW4.

BookCat · 02-03-2020, 03:11 PM

This is why I recently bought a used PW3 from ebay. When the PW4 first came out many peeps complained about the poor contrast. I didn't need the waterproofness, so went for the PW3.

The PW2, which I've had for years, has lower resolution (212 dpi) than either the PW3 or PW4 which are both 300 dpi. This is one reason the earlier paperwhite looks a bit 'fuzzy'.

Maybe return the PW4 and buy the Libra or try to find a PW3.

02-02-2020, 09:31 PM	#1
Gametaku Member Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2020 Device: Paperwhite	Paperwhite 2018 looks worse than 2013? (Picture inside) My new Paperwhite 4 contrast looks worse than on Paperwhite 2. Is that normal? The text looks kinda faint and not as black. Kinda looks lower resolution too. Thinking whether to return it and get Kobo Libra instead. All 3 devices are at same brightness. Loaded up manga so the diff is easier to spot. Left is Paperwhite 4 and middle is Paperwhite 2. Paperwhite 4 text is kinda faint/light and "shade" is not as black as the other 2 devices. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by NiLuJe; 02-02-2020 at 11:52 PM.

02-02-2020, 11:53 PM	#6
NiLuJe BLAM! Posts: 13,506 Karma: 26047202 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Paris, France Device: Kindle 2i, 3g, 4, 5w, PW, PW2, PW5; Kobo H2O, Forma, Elipsa, Sage, C2E	Attachments are your friends, don't inline oversized content. As mentioned earlier, to a large extent, the bloom from the much higher frontlight level is killing the contrast. (Also, light guides screw with photography, so, who knows). Last edited by NiLuJe; 02-02-2020 at 11:56 PM.

02-03-2020, 11:30 AM	#13
ilovejedd hopeless n00b Posts: 5,110 Karma: 19597086 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: in the middle of nowhere Device: PW4, PW3, Libra H2O, iPad 10.5, iPad 11, iPad 12.9	Set the PW4 to "Crop Margins". You have that option enabled on the PW2 but not on PW4. The PW4 is a couple shades lighter but the difference shouldn't be that drastic. I tend to read manga using KOReader (jailbroken PW4 32GB) and on that one, I can adjust contrast to compensate for the PW4's display. That said, the Kobo Libra H2O definitely has much better contrast compared to the PW4. I think the Libra H2O might be better than the PW3 as well. Caveat, no "free" manga via Kindle Unlimited. Also, it only has 8GB storage. Enough for, say, an average length complete series. Too small if you want to store multiple complete series (e.g. favorites). Fire Force Vol. 1 from Kindle Unlimited using native Kindle reader Brightness: 10, Crop Margins: On, Page Refresh: On, Virtual Panel: Off From left to right: PW2, PW3, PW4 Attached Thumbnails Last edited by ilovejedd; 02-03-2020 at 11:34 AM.

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02-02-2020, 09:50 PM	#2
binaryhermit Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,732 Karma: 20469902 Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Lockport, IL Device: Kindle PW4, Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition	Looks like the backlight on the one in the middle is lower in practice, like the brightness-to-number curve was rewritten in the meantime, if it makes any sense.

02-02-2020, 09:51 PM	#3
Barbara1955 Non-Techy Posts: 4,455 Karma: 15499273 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: WV---USA Device: Samsung Cell Phone & Amazon Fires & Kobo eReaders	open the ebook tap on top left corner. SEE Page Display tap it when menu drops down pick the Darkest Font>Amazon Ember Bold. Stop posting Over sized pictures!

02-02-2020, 10:07 PM	#5
binaryhermit Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,732 Karma: 20469902 Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Lockport, IL Device: Kindle PW4, Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition	Not like that's likely to matter on manga because that's pretty likely to be images and HTML code to lay out the images, not any text where a font change would matter. Also, it is possible you got a PW2 on the good end of the contrast spectrum and a PW4 on the bad end of the contrast spectrum. I believe eInk screeens, particularly frontlit eInk screens, tend to vary somewhat on image quality between individual panels.

02-03-2020, 06:42 AM	#9
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,478 Karma: 239219543 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	There have been many complaints about the relatively poor contrast on the PW4. So you're not alone. Personally, I would return the device.

02-03-2020, 08:19 AM	#11
Paperbackstash Wizard Posts: 1,656 Karma: 20102554 Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Central Florida Device: Oasis 3, PW 3 & 5, Fire HD 8 & 10	I don't have any manga, may borrow one off KU later just to look at it, but that looks about how I'd expect my PW4 to look with it. I've gotten used to the lesser contrast by keeping the bold up to 2 when reading books, but with an image that will probably revert to something softer and less clear.

02-03-2020, 03:11 PM	#15
BookCat C L J Posts: 2,911 Karma: 21115458 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Birmingham UK Device: Sony e-reader 505, Kindle PW2, Kindle PW3, Kobo Libra2	This is why I recently bought a used PW3 from ebay. When the PW4 first came out many peeps complained about the poor contrast. I didn't need the waterproofness, so went for the PW3. The PW2, which I've had for years, has lower resolution (212 dpi) than either the PW3 or PW4 which are both 300 dpi. This is one reason the earlier paperwhite looks a bit 'fuzzy'. Maybe return the PW4 and buy the Libra or try to find a PW3.

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