PRS-350 Screen degraded over time

wheelybird · 08-26-2011, 04:36 AM

Hello.

I've had my PRS-350 for about six months now. Recently I felt that the screen contrast wasn't as good as when I bought it, but put it down to my imagination, or the gloomy weather we've been having lately.

However my I bought my wife her own PRS-350 the other day, and with a side-by-side comparison there's no doubt that the white (well, grey) isn't as bright as it once was, and the black not as black. I suspect that somehow some of the eInk particles have lost their charge and are getting a bit mixed up.

I started the repair request via the Sony site, but they say they need the receipt which I can't find anywhere.

Has anyone else noticed a reduction in contrast? Is this a known problem with eInk screen? If it is then I feel I'm in a stronger position to attempt to get a repair without the receipt.

HarryT · 08-26-2011, 05:00 AM

No, eInk screens shouldn't degrade over time. I have a number of readers which are several years old, and which are just as good as when they were new.

wheelybird · 08-26-2011, 05:38 AM

Thanks for the reply. It must be a defective screen then. Hopefully Waterstones will be able to find some proof of purchase on their till system so I can get it repaired/replaced.

HarryT · 08-26-2011, 07:01 AM

You honestly shouldn't need proof of purchase. The PRS-350 was only released in September 2010, so every PRS-350 is still within its 1 year guarantee. I'd suggest reminding Sony of this fact!

elcreative · 08-26-2011, 07:11 AM

True, from a guarantee point it has to still be covered but they will probably check on the system for when purchased... after all, it isn't as though Waterstones are the only retailers of 350s and it's only reasonable to check they actually sold it rather than someone else... Having said that, they're usually pretty good about handling problem items of whatever sort...

HarryT · 08-26-2011, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elcreative

True, from a guarantee point it has to still be covered but they will probably check on the system for when purchased... after all, it isn't as though Waterstones are the only retailers of 350s and it's only reasonable to check they actually sold it rather than someone else... Having said that, they're usually pretty good about handling problem items of whatever sort...

Yes, but the OP is planning to return it to Sony, not Waterstones. Sony really shouldn't care where it was bought from; no matter where it was, it has to be cover by the 1 year guarantee still.

elcreative · 08-26-2011, 07:24 AM

Why... in the UK, your responsible point for guarantee (regardless of what anyone tries to get away with) is the retailer... you didn't buy the device from Sony, that's the retailer's problem, your contract is with the retailer...

HarryT · 08-26-2011, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elcreative

Why... in the UK, your responsible point for guarantee (regardless of what anyone tries to get away with) is the retailer... you didn't buy the device from Sony, that's the retailer's problem, your contract is with the retailer...

Very true, but I think the OP would struggle to get Waterstones to do anything about a 6-month-old device, no matter what the law might say

.

elcreative · 08-26-2011, 07:38 AM

And so another one gets away... other retailers try this because they know they can get away with breaking UK consumer laws as long as customers let them... make a fuss, be very polite, be firm and go in on a Saturday morning... do a Google on consumer law, print out a couple of relevant pages... it works...

HarryT · 08-26-2011, 07:47 AM

You are absolutely right.

I would sound a note of caution over issues like the one described. From the sound of it, it's not an obvious fault, but a subjective opinion that the screen contrast has degraded (I'm not suggesting that the OP isn't correct in saying that it has). If you return it to Sony, they will, I suspect, very likely say that the screen is within spec, and not take any action. If you make a warranty return and the result of their inspection is "no fault found", Sony will make a £30 charge (I speak from experience!). Although it's sometimes possible to get this charge waived, it can be a lot of hassle.

There is quite a lot of individual variation between individual eInk screens. At one point I had two PRS-600s, and one of them had distinctly higher contrast than the other. At a minimum I'd suggest that the OP provide a photograph showing a side-by-side comparison of his and his wife's PRS-350s to illustrate the contrast difference.

vxf · 08-26-2011, 02:39 PM

I have owned multiple e-readers and never seen a screen decade. But I did notice brand new readers, especially SONY ones, being very inconsistent. You can buy two brand new 350s, put them side-by-side, and see differences.

anjirlly · 08-26-2011, 10:35 PM

Have you tried powering all the way down from within Settings? I was getting some serious ghosting, and powering down gave me nice clean page changes.

wheelybird · 08-27-2011, 07:14 AM

Thanks for all the responses.

You're right - it is a subjective issue. I compared it with my old PRS-300 yesterday and the contrast is better than that, though not as good as my wife's reader - about halfway between the two I'd say.
I've tried soft & hard resets, and of course played with the constrast and brightness. It's just not as good as when I bought it.

I phoned Waterstones and they managed to find the transaction in their till which they've sent to me. They also gave me a Reader helpline to call, and the chap on that gave me a returns number and told me to take the reader back to Waterstones who will then send it to Sony.
My concern is that Sony will have a problem with the printout that Waterstones sent - it doesn't specifcally mention that it was a purchase of a Reader.
I must say that so far Waterstones have been pretty helpful.

HarryT · 08-27-2011, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheelybird

My concern is that Sony will have a problem with the printout that Waterstones sent - it doesn't specifcally mention that it was a purchase of a Reader.

Don't worry - mine didn't either when I returned my faulty PRS-600 and Sony had no problem with it.

BUT - as I say, I strongly suspect that Sony will say "no fault found", and present you with a £30 bill. Please let us know the outcome!

901hw · 08-29-2011, 05:45 AM

I am really wondering about this too as my readers screen (sony 650) also has become significantly darker over time but I dont really want to be without the reader for even a short amount of time

08-26-2011, 04:36 AM	#1
wheelybird Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2011 Device: PRS-350	Screen degraded over time Hello. I've had my PRS-350 for about six months now. Recently I felt that the screen contrast wasn't as good as when I bought it, but put it down to my imagination, or the gloomy weather we've been having lately. However my I bought my wife her own PRS-350 the other day, and with a side-by-side comparison there's no doubt that the white (well, grey) isn't as bright as it once was, and the black not as black. I suspect that somehow some of the eInk particles have lost their charge and are getting a bit mixed up. I started the repair request via the Sony site, but they say they need the receipt which I can't find anywhere. Has anyone else noticed a reduction in contrast? Is this a known problem with eInk screen? If it is then I feel I'm in a stronger position to attempt to get a repair without the receipt.

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08-26-2011, 05:00 AM	#2
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	No, eInk screens shouldn't degrade over time. I have a number of readers which are several years old, and which are just as good as when they were new.

08-26-2011, 05:38 AM	#3
wheelybird Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2011 Device: PRS-350	Thanks for the reply. It must be a defective screen then. Hopefully Waterstones will be able to find some proof of purchase on their till system so I can get it repaired/replaced.

08-26-2011, 07:01 AM	#4
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	You honestly shouldn't need proof of purchase. The PRS-350 was only released in September 2010, so every PRS-350 is still within its 1 year guarantee. I'd suggest reminding Sony of this fact!

08-26-2011, 07:11 AM	#5
elcreative Wizard Posts: 2,888 Karma: 5875940 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: PRS505, 600, 350, 650, Nexus 7, Note III, iPad 4 etc	True, from a guarantee point it has to still be covered but they will probably check on the system for when purchased... after all, it isn't as though Waterstones are the only retailers of 350s and it's only reasonable to check they actually sold it rather than someone else... Having said that, they're usually pretty good about handling problem items of whatever sort...

08-26-2011, 07:24 AM	#7
elcreative Wizard Posts: 2,888 Karma: 5875940 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: PRS505, 600, 350, 650, Nexus 7, Note III, iPad 4 etc	Why... in the UK, your responsible point for guarantee (regardless of what anyone tries to get away with) is the retailer... you didn't buy the device from Sony, that's the retailer's problem, your contract is with the retailer...

08-26-2011, 07:38 AM	#9
elcreative Wizard Posts: 2,888 Karma: 5875940 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: PRS505, 600, 350, 650, Nexus 7, Note III, iPad 4 etc	And so another one gets away... other retailers try this because they know they can get away with breaking UK consumer laws as long as customers let them... make a fuss, be very polite, be firm and go in on a Saturday morning... do a Google on consumer law, print out a couple of relevant pages... it works...

08-26-2011, 07:47 AM	#10
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	You are absolutely right. I would sound a note of caution over issues like the one described. From the sound of it, it's not an obvious fault, but a subjective opinion that the screen contrast has degraded (I'm not suggesting that the OP isn't correct in saying that it has). If you return it to Sony, they will, I suspect, very likely say that the screen is within spec, and not take any action. If you make a warranty return and the result of their inspection is "no fault found", Sony will make a £30 charge (I speak from experience!). Although it's sometimes possible to get this charge waived, it can be a lot of hassle. There is quite a lot of individual variation between individual eInk screens. At one point I had two PRS-600s, and one of them had distinctly higher contrast than the other. At a minimum I'd suggest that the OP provide a photograph showing a side-by-side comparison of his and his wife's PRS-350s to illustrate the contrast difference.

08-26-2011, 02:39 PM	#11
vxf Guru Posts: 944 Karma: 1490348 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Norman, OK Device: Sony PRS 350, 900, 950; Kindles (ALL of them!); Kobo Aura One	I have owned multiple e-readers and never seen a screen decade. But I did notice brand new readers, especially SONY ones, being very inconsistent. You can buy two brand new 350s, put them side-by-side, and see differences.

08-26-2011, 10:35 PM	#12
anjirlly Groupie Posts: 155 Karma: 58410 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: SE Michigan Device: Kindle on Android phone; PB360; Sony 950	Have you tried powering all the way down from within Settings? I was getting some serious ghosting, and powering down gave me nice clean page changes.

08-27-2011, 07:14 AM	#13
wheelybird Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2011 Device: PRS-350	Thanks for all the responses. You're right - it is a subjective issue. I compared it with my old PRS-300 yesterday and the contrast is better than that, though not as good as my wife's reader - about halfway between the two I'd say. I've tried soft & hard resets, and of course played with the constrast and brightness. It's just not as good as when I bought it. I phoned Waterstones and they managed to find the transaction in their till which they've sent to me. They also gave me a Reader helpline to call, and the chap on that gave me a returns number and told me to take the reader back to Waterstones who will then send it to Sony. My concern is that Sony will have a problem with the printout that Waterstones sent - it doesn't specifcally mention that it was a purchase of a Reader. I must say that so far Waterstones have been pretty helpful.

08-29-2011, 05:45 AM	#15
901hw Connoisseur Posts: 54 Karma: 2178 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: germany Device: Trekstor Pyrus Mini, PB Touch Lux 2, Onxy Boox C67ML (maybe))	I am really wondering about this too as my readers screen (sony 650) also has become significantly darker over time but I dont really want to be without the reader for even a short amount of time