PRS505 dark screen

Kathy48 · 03-08-2010, 02:16 PM

I recently purchased a second hand PRS505. It is great fun and all is going well. However, even though the print itself is dark and clear, the background is also quite dark. Consequently the lack of contrast between print & background makes extended reading difficult. I feel that I am straining my eyes. There seems no way to lighten the background. Is this problem unique to me or my particular eReader? Any ideas, comments or tips would be greatly appreciated.
I guess this is why you hear so much about "backlit" screens?
Thanks in advance.

Mike_73 · 03-09-2010, 01:30 AM

I guess that your display is working within what Sony finds acceptable limits for it. There is a variable resistor in the unit which obviously is used to adjust the "lightness"/"darkness" of the background. But maybe I'm wrong here.
Could you snap a picture of the screen and post it so that we can see whether or not it looks to be within specs?

DoctorOhh · 03-09-2010, 05:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kathy48

I recently purchased a second hand PRS505. It is great fun and all is going well. However, even though the print itself is dark and clear, the background is also quite dark. Consequently the lack of contrast between print & background makes extended reading difficult. I feel that I am straining my eyes. There seems no way to lighten the background. Is this problem unique to me or my particular eReader? Any ideas, comments or tips would be greatly appreciated.
I guess this is why you hear so much about "backlit" screens?
Thanks in advance.

There were some 505s that came from the factory too dark and Sony accepted returns. It looks like you may have one of those. I attached a screen shot that is very close to what my 505 looks like. If your background is darker your screen my be one of the bad batch.

Backlit screens are nice but at my age any extended reading on a backlit screen causes me eye strain. My only suggestion for you is to ensure you are reading with adequate lighting.

You could check out a PRS-300 (non-touch) at a local store (Target or other). The 300 screen is what your 505 should look like.

Mike_73 · 03-09-2010, 06:38 AM

I agree with dwanthny. My 505's display looks like his.

Kathy48 · 03-10-2010, 07:55 AM

First I want to thank you all for the thoughtful and useful responses. I now have something to go on. I will check out the local retailer first and pay more attention to my lighting. I also read "Girl with...", dwanthny! We could talk about that - BUT that's a different forum, eh? Thanks again and I will repost if I learn anything worth sharing.

03-08-2010, 02:16 PM	#1
Kathy48 Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: sansa fuze	PRS505 dark screen I recently purchased a second hand PRS505. It is great fun and all is going well. However, even though the print itself is dark and clear, the background is also quite dark. Consequently the lack of contrast between print & background makes extended reading difficult. I feel that I am straining my eyes. There seems no way to lighten the background. Is this problem unique to me or my particular eReader? Any ideas, comments or tips would be greatly appreciated. I guess this is why you hear so much about "backlit" screens? Thanks in advance.

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03-09-2010, 01:30 AM	#2
Mike_73 Guru Posts: 750 Karma: 1323 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: PRS-505, PRS-600, iPad 16GB Wifi, Kindle Voyage, Nexus 6, Razr HD	I guess that your display is working within what Sony finds acceptable limits for it. There is a variable resistor in the unit which obviously is used to adjust the "lightness"/"darkness" of the background. But maybe I'm wrong here. Could you snap a picture of the screen and post it so that we can see whether or not it looks to be within specs?

03-09-2010, 06:38 AM	#4
Mike_73 Guru Posts: 750 Karma: 1323 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: PRS-505, PRS-600, iPad 16GB Wifi, Kindle Voyage, Nexus 6, Razr HD	I agree with dwanthny. My 505's display looks like his.

03-10-2010, 07:55 AM	#5
Kathy48 Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: sansa fuze	First I want to thank you all for the thoughtful and useful responses. I now have something to go on. I will check out the local retailer first and pay more attention to my lighting. I also read "Girl with...", dwanthny! We could talk about that - BUT that's a different forum, eh? Thanks again and I will repost if I learn anything worth sharing.

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