PRS-T1 T1 screen compared to Kindle Touch

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by BlackVoid

Is that still the case with the latest firmware? Has Sony acknowledged this problem?

As far as I'm aware the latest firmware made no attempt to fix the fonts problem. I would say that Sony have acknowledged the problem because it is referred to in the T1 User Guide (page 61)

Note
The font size and font of some content with embedded fonts may not change.
When you select other than the [Original] font, performance may be slightly lower when opening books or turning pages.
When you select other than the [Original] font, boldface/italics/italicized boldface may not be displayed correctly.

Whether this means they are working hard to fix it is another matter entirely...

There are currently two known workarounds, outlined in one of my previous posts.

[DirkGently]

Originally Posted by feenix1363

Pick yourself up a PRS600, use it for a month and you'll be happy with the T1 for the rest of your life.

Thanks for the cheerful comment. I guess I'd feel better to have a few other models to compare with.
I'm still crossing my fingers Sony will attempt to do some kind of magic with another firmware. I know Sony and firmwares, they probably exhausted themselves with the freeze fix.. but maybe someone should try to convince them that it's really good for business. Even better than lowering prices.

[Ripplinger]

Originally Posted by rashkae

The contrast settings on the T1 won't really change the actual contrast of black and white. All you'll do to text is reduce the anti-aliasing and end up with text that has more visible jagged edges (and therefore appear less blurry) if you prefer to read that way.

Is that really true for the T1? On the x50s adjusting the brightness and contrast while reading a book makes a noticeable improvement if you select custom and adjust it yourself. Their other preset options didn't give me any improvement for reading, usually made it worse, but the custom settings most definitely did and could increase the contrast quite nicely.

Did they totally remove the choice to manually adjust your brightness and contrast or is it just broken or very badly implemented? (Afk a min to go hug my 350s.)

[Extragooey]

I have a T1 and it really doesn't look like the picture posted. In fact, the picture looks like the T1 when you first wake it up from sleep. I also have a PRS-650 and both the T1 and the 650 have an "issue" where the 1st screen displayed after you wake it up from sleep, the text is very very light. Refreshing the screen (ie advancing the page) will show the correct contrast.

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by Ripplinger

Did they totally remove the choice to manually adjust your brightness and contrast or is it just broken or very badly implemented?

Neither. The T1's 'Adjust View' function looks exactly the same as the x50's 'Adjust View', (but obviously without PRSPlus's rather nifty ability to set your own default values for Brightness and Contrast on the x50)

[seajewel]

Originally Posted by DirkGently

PRS-T1 is my first reader and I can't compare with anything at all but annoyingly enough I find the screen quite dark. I have no idea how I'm going to get used to this.
Damn if only I had known about panel lottery in the devices beforehand.

It may just be because you're not used to e-ink readers, which are really dependent on external light sources (better light always makes the screen look lighter/better contrast ime).

It may also be, if you haven't played with it- that the Adjust View contrast settings are set to something other than Default. I played with a T1 at a Sony Style store that for some reason was set to a Dark background.. it looked terrible. I don't recall exactly how to get there. Maybe Options in a book and then Adjust View?

[ersott]

It´s strange.

When I got the sony prs T1, the screen looks bit better than the kindle 3, and looks better than T1 show in picture.

[dr1ver]

Originally Posted by rashkae

The contrast settings on the T1 won't really change the actual contrast of black and white. All you'll do to text is reduce the anti-aliasing and end up with text that has more visible jagged edges (and therefore appear less blurry) if you prefer to read that way.

Unfortunately, Sony released the T1 with a broken font rendering engine. Changing the default font (to Amasis for example, whcih does look very good) is a good way to ensure that text formatting (such as Italics) doesn't always (I find, often doesn't) work. To improve the visual rendering of ebooks on the Sony without glaring flaws, you pretty much have to embed the font in th epub.

exactly. i played with the contract/brightness settings for a while, but it didn't help much. you either stick with the washed-out and "fuzzy" original font, or you get a bolder font with more aliasing.

Originally Posted by BlackVoid

The comparison is invalid, because you are not using the same font.

they may different fonts, but the problem lies in the screen itself. the T1's background is just darker and the fonts aren't as crisp.

Originally Posted by BlackVoid

Is that still the case with the latest firmware? Has Sony acknowledged this problem?

yes, i'm on the latest firmware: 1.0.03.11140

Originally Posted by Pomtroll

I just compared my Kindle Touch to My T1. The background on my T1 is a bit (not much) darker than on my KT. The fonts on the KT are bolder than the fonts on the T1.

I guess I hadn't really payed any attention till OP brought it up.

thank you. that's exactly what i'm seeing. i knew i wasn't crazy.

there is a definitely a noticeable difference btw the screens. it is there regardless of angle to light source or state of refresh. i can see it in the pic i posted, but i have both devices to compare. it's something that's not going to be readily apparent unless you have both devices in front of you.

i'm going to try to embed the Caecilia font inside an epub file. will report back

[lkkmaths]

Just follow the instructions in another thread on changing fonts without hacking.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=161620

It works. Though it is not as easy as changing fonts in PRS+, it's a big step forward.

If you find the font choice in T1 limited, you may try it.

[dr1ver]

the T1 is closer to the light source. pic taken with after refresh on both.

i got the caecilia font working. it looks a bit better, but the font on the T1 still looks faded and the background is still darker than the kindle touch. you can see how faded the letters are on the T1 if you view the pic at full size (clicking once only shows it at about 50%). even if they get the font to render better in a future firmware update, they can't change the background so the contrast will always be worse than the kindle touch's.

it's not as noticeable in bright daylight, but i read mostly at night, and the difference is definitely noticeable then. oh well, i guess i'll continue to use them. still haven't decided which one i like more

[vxf]

One thing I noticed, there is HUGE variation among SONY ebook readers. I have had two 900s and the screens were very different. One was darker, but also had a bit of a greenish tint, and it faded completely in the sun. The second one had a much lighter and whiter background, no fading, but the letters were also not as dark.

I have compared my 950 to that of an office-mate, and the screen I have has greater contrast.

My 350 has a whiter background than my 950 and darker letters (but the latter is probably due to resolution).

But I have held my 350 next to a T1 in a Best Buy store and the screen on the T1 was superior - darker letters, whiter background.

I am starting to be convinced there is just a lot of noise in the process. Not sure if it is the same with other manufacturers.

But I saw a Kindle Touch yesterday at Target next to a T1 and the T1 screen had a whiter background, similar darkness in font.

Frankly, it did not look as 'hazy' as what you are posting. I suspect, if there is so much noise, your unit might just have a screen towards the lower range of the spectrum.

Now, that probably does not do much to console you. And I am the first one to say such huge variation in quality should not happen - I am not trying to cheer for SONY here.

But there is a thread on the Kindle forum, with plenty of people complaining that the T1 screen is better. And the consensus seems to be that the KK has a better screen than the newer KT. Go figure...

[Bookworm_Girl]

Most of the threads that I have read are similar to what vxf posted. Maybe you should exchange the T1 for a different one?

[dr1ver]

i guess i'll try that. i ordered from the Sony Store online. not sure if i can exchange it in a B&M store.

[ersott]

In this video, the screens look similar...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLYfVNWqEwQ

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by vxf

I am starting to be convinced there is just a lot of noise in the process. Not sure if it is the same with other manufacturers.

There is only one screen manufacturer - eInk. All the brands of eInk reader: Sony, Kindle, nook, Kobo, etc. - they all use the same screens made in the same factory on the same production like. As you very rightly say, there is considerable variation from one eInk display to another; this is true no matter what device you buy.

But there is a thread on the Kindle forum, with plenty of people complaining that the T1 screen is better. And the consensus seems to be that the KK has a better screen than the newer KT. Go figure...

I have both a Kindle Touch and a Kindle Keyboard. To throw a spanner in the works, I'd say that my KT has a better display than the KK.