H202 Screen Coloring

[FlyHero]

After a few days using an H202 I have realized I don't like using a front light and prefer external lighting as I've been using with non-lit readers, but the unlit screen is noticably darker/greener and with less apparent contrast than my primary device which is a cheap Kindle 4NT that has a nice very light grey background and crisp black letters. Are Kobos all a bit darker/greenish-grey or is it a bad luck with the lottery? I have no way to try them in a store locally so this was a blind purchase based on specs.

I would like a larger screen and some more features, but a light grey to white background with very dark fonts are a must. The samples of newer Kindles of various models I have seen in the local Best Buy are also darker than the older/lower spec device when the light is turned down (as it's my understanding it cannot be turned off entirely?)

[JohhnyMix]

you can use the tweak to get better fonts.

[Ansl]

Capacitative screens tend to be darker than infrared ones and, yes, most manufacturers have been using them for a good while now. I really like my H2O2 on quite a few of the lower light settings but it's not nearly as clear as the old Glo HD unlighted. Modern high-end Kindles (and the 300 DPI Clara HD) may be a little nicer-looking but probably not enough to make that much difference, especially if you like Kobo's other features or the screen size. In Kindle-verse I only have experience of the PW3, on which the light is always on, and couldn't find a combination of settings I liked enough to actually read on that one after getting used to Kobo's single-pixel font adjustments and setting the light by percentage.

[FlyHero]

Originally Posted by JohhnyMix

you can use the tweak to get better fonts.

Of course I explored the device and the settings. It's that the display background is too dark grey and the lettering is not black enough. No amount of bolding or font changing solves this.

Originally Posted by Ansl

Capacitative screens tend to be darker than infrared ones and, yes, most manufacturers have been using them for a good while now. I really like my H2O2 on quite a few of the lower light settings but it's not nearly as clear as the old Glo HD unlighted. Modern high-end Kindles (and the 300 DPI Clara HD) may be a little nicer-looking but probably not enough to make that much difference, especially if you like Kobo's other features or the screen size. In Kindle-verse I only have experience of the PW3, on which the light is always on, and couldn't find a combination of settings I liked enough to actually read on that one after getting used to Kobo's single-pixel font adjustments and setting the light by percentage.

My Kindle 4NT isn't touch or lit at all and has a beautifully whitish grey background and super black lettering. That's all I want but as you said it seems everything, even expensive high end models, are darker now and require the light for legibility. Even the cheap models in every lineup have lights now and suffer this problem. I guess I will return the Kobo and buy a few old Kindles off eBay and hope for the best. I would love some more features, but the display and lettering are paramount to me and deal breakers if not suitable.

[Quoth]

The Original Aura H2O with SD card slot is best contrast and brightest with light off of all my ereaders. I do have a PW3, new in Nov 2018. It's light is almost off at minimum.
Normally I don't turn on /up the lights.
The Kindle Touch is the worst screen I have, terrible ghosting.
The Nook Simple Touch, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle DXG, Sony T1 and Sony PRS350 are all far better than the Kindle Touch N905C.
The PW4 is slightly greyer than the PW3.
The PRS350 is maybe slightly greyer than the PW4 or PW3. With good enough light to read an old paperback, the Nook Simple Touch, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle DXG, Sony T1 and Sony PRS350 are all fine.
The ghosting on the Kobo Touch is bad. It's the worst to read.
The PRS350 is the best compromise for pocket & outdoors as the phone LCD is poor in direct sunlight.

I don't personally have the PW4 (but it's been here to compare side by side). The T1 and DXG are gone for different reasons.

[FlyHero]

Originally Posted by FrustratedReader

The Original Aura H2O with SD card slot is best contrast and brightest with light off of all my ereaders.

Thanks for all the input. I am quite frustrated as I'd really like a bit larger screen but after spending more hours reading on this H202 more things bug me despite my effort to try and adapt to it. The E-Ink is lighter in a horizontal strip toward the top and not as dark as the rest of the screen. Thought it was uneven light at first but with the light off its still there like a more faded stripe. There are a couple point of minor but noticeable light bleed (upper left corner and lower right one) Also it's a fingerprint magnet on every part of the device which isn't a functional issue but is annoying.

I just want a crisp light display with good contrast in a mid sized reader, maybe 8", simple and robust without sluggish software full of features I never use . I just want to read. But the market just doesn't have what I want. No idea if its worth the hassle of exchanging and ending up with something even worse or if I should just call it quits. So exhausted with stuff like this with every purchase and the lotteries.

[NiLuJe]

Your best bet is probably to get your hands on either an original H2O, or a Voyage (which apparently had great contrast at the time, despite a light guide + capacitive screen).

I can't vouch for the Voyage (and it is still 6"), but, yeah, the H2O had great uniform lighting, and uses an IR grid. It actually replaced a K4 as my "on the move" reader, so I never quite cared that much about contrast (as opposed to an "at home" device), but it did the job. It is hilariously slower than anything else that was available at the time, though, if that's something you care about (which you probably do, because the K4 was surprisingly snappy).

TL;DR: Yeah, the K4 was a pretty neat device. Nevertheless, I'd highly recommend trying to find something newer that suits you, because both the lower ppi and the lack of touch input make it feel clunky and dated.

[koboy]

Originally Posted by hap124

Thanks for all the input. I am quite frustrated as I'd really like a bit larger screen but after spending more hours reading on this H202 more things bug me despite my effort to try and adapt to it. The E-Ink is lighter in a horizontal strip toward the top and not as dark as the rest of the screen. Thought it was uneven light at first but with the light off its still there like a more faded stripe. There are a couple point of minor but noticeable light bleed (upper left corner and lower right one) Also it's a fingerprint magnet on every part of the device which isn't a functional issue but is annoying.



I just want a crisp light display with good contrast in a mid sized reader, maybe 8", simple and robust without sluggish software full of features I never use . I just want to read. But the market just doesn't have what I want. No idea if its worth the hassle of exchanging and ending up with something even worse or if I should just call it quits. So exhausted with stuff like this with every purchase and the lotteries.

i use to have a Kindle 4NT i agree the screen clarity and sharpness was much better with a more whiter background/black text. the overall reading experience on the Kindle 4NT was the closest i've had to reading a physical book.

i have the IR screen Kobo Mini and the Kobo Touch they are both ok but not as good when compared to the Kindle 4NT. the older Kindle ereader's that needed buttons because the screens weren't touchscreen for some reason seemed to be sharper and crisper perhaps someone on here may know why that was/is the case.

for your own personal requirement's checking out eBay like you said for some decent second hand Kindle 4 NT's is probably the best idea. i certainly wish i'd have kept mine.

best wishes koboy

[FlyHero]

Originally Posted by koboy

i use to have a Kindle 4NT i agree the screen clarity and sharpness was much better with a more whiter background/black text. the overall reading experience on the Kindle 4NT was the closest i've had to reading a physical book.

i have the IR screen Kobo Mini and the Kobo Touch they are both ok but not as good when compared to the Kindle 4NT. the older Kindle ereader's that needed buttons because the screens weren't touchscreen for some reason seemed to be sharper and crisper perhaps someone on here may know why that was/is the case.

best wishes koboy

To be fair I remember having to exchange a couple Kindle 4NTs to get a good one. I could waste a lot on eBay gambling AND I want a larger screen. The screen lottery has always been a problem. But the one I have is amazingly light and clear.

I have seen people say they lit models require a diffusion layer for the light which reduces clarity a bit. But it's not so much clarity that bothers me, its the dark background and light text. The whiter the background and blacker the text the more pleasant for me. If I never saw anything better I wouldn't say the H202 is horrible or "unusable"...it's just darker and less contrasty than the lower resolution and 8yo Kindle and I notice and it bothers me.

I have a few more days to return it and don't know what to do. If I exchange and the new one is worse I will want this one back probably. So frustrating. I hate QC lotteries and the way online only ordering makes than so much more painful.

[koboy]

Originally Posted by hap124

To be fair I remember having to exchange a couple Kindle 4NTs to get a good one. I could waste a lot on eBay gambling AND I want a larger screen. The screen lottery has always been a problem. But the one I have is amazingly light and clear.

I have seen people say they lit models require a diffusion layer for the light which reduces clarity a bit. But it's not so much clarity that bothers me, its the dark background and light text. The whiter the background and blacker the text the more pleasant for me. If I never saw anything better I wouldn't say the H202 is horrible or "unusable"...it's just darker and less contrasty than the lower resolution and 8yo Kindle and I notice and it bothers me.

I have a few more days to return it and don't know what to do. If I exchange and the new one is worse I will want this one back probably. So frustrating. I hate QC lotteries and the way online only ordering makes than so much more painful.

a friend of mine still as the Kindle 4 Graphite model and when i compare my Kobo's or my 8th generation Kindle basic with it, imho all mine fall short on the points/reasons you mention. the background is much whiter on the Kindle rather than grayish looking and the text is blacker/darker.

i (always) buy my ereader's from local shops/stores i would only buy online as a last resort. i appreciate some have no choice but to buy online, good luck with whatever you decide to do.

best wishes koboy

[FlyHero]

Originally Posted by koboy

i (always) buy my ereader's from local shops/stores i would only buy online as a last resort. i appreciate some have no choice but to buy online, good luck with whatever you decide to do.

best wishes koboy

Yeah I would love to try before I buy but the few places that even have a limited Kindle selection have them locked into demo mode with the light on full blast and no ability to read an actual book on them to see how it looks.

[koboy]

Originally Posted by hap124

Yeah I would love to try before I buy but the few places that even have a limited Kindle selection have them locked into demo mode with the light on full blast and no ability to read an actual book on them to see how it looks.

that's also often the case for me but at least if i have a problem with an ereader i can easily take it back to the local shop and get a replacement or a refund. it makes the whole experience less hassle/annoying.

best wishes koboy