Text "Fades" in direct Sunlight - Page 2

JSWolf · 06-06-2007, 05:58 PM

What I am wondering is if I was to purchase this screen protector for the Reader, would it kill the contrast too much? Would it allow me to read the Reader in direct sunlight without the text fading too much?

http://cgi.ebay.com/3-Screen-Protect...QQcmdZViewItem

Jon

lumi · 06-07-2007, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KDawg

I'm guessing the viscocity of the pixels thins as they heat and the white/black particles drifter faster than usual. My Sony gradually drifts in that direction until the one-hour shut-down. Anybody got experience with hot readers out of direct sunlight? Say, left in the car?

I've left mine in the car while shopping a couple of times recently (over 25c outside temps) and the letters look darker and sharper afterwards. The unit itself gets warm, but not too much as I tuck it away out of sight and direct sunlight. I haven't noticed how long the display takes to fade afterwards.

Andanzas · 07-12-2007, 11:25 AM

No solution for this problem, then? It's very annoying.

Vienna01 · 07-12-2007, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoCal Bob

I have increasingly been experiencing the phenomena of the text gradually breaking up when exposed to direct sunlight. This does not occur with indirect or oblique rays, but seems to occur within 15-30 minutes of direct exposure and quickly deteriorates on subsequent page turns to the point where the text is illegible. Shutting off the unit and restarting cures the situation, only for it to return shortly thereafter.

My initial thought is that the substrate must be heating up in direct sunlight (outside temperature does not seem to be a factor as this has happened in 80F and 65F). It has not happened in bright artificial light.

Any thoughts? Anyone else experience this or is my unit unique?

I find myself shading the reader while enjoying the salubrious climate at the Beach.

Just a grin for those of us able to remember thermal copying/printing technology. Yes they still use it in stores for printing some sales receipts. I guess that helps limit the time a warranty repair must be made. Maybe that is why some mail-in rebate centers are located in hot cities in Texas or Arizona-Some number of original receipts don't make it successfully. Paranoia?

reycat · 07-12-2007, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andanzas

No solution for this problem, then? It's very annoying.

What I do is taking off the cover and using it to cast a shadow over the screen... it works like a charm, I've no problems reading while sunbathing

MsAstoria · 03-15-2009, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I just had my reader in the sunlight and it starts to fade very quickly. Have a look at the attached photo to see what I mean. Anyway, is there something that can be done about this?

Pardon me for butting in, but that is exactly what happened to me with my Kindle! I even included pictures to Amazon when I returned it for a replacement.

It's my opinion that this is a weakness with the E-ink technology as both the Sony and Kindle have the exact same screen/technology. Seeing how this is coming up frequently in both Kindles and Sony forums, I would suggest that these readers should probably not exposed to direct sun if possible. My replacement Kindle seems to be OK in direct sun, but I think I will error on the side of caution and plan on reading it in the shade of my porch or least at an angle away from the sun.

thibaulthalpern · 03-15-2009, 04:56 PM

Well, geez, part of the point of e-ink technology is to be able to read comfortable in sunlight. This is a bummer!

daffy4u · 03-15-2009, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MsAstoria

Pardon me for butting in, but that is exactly what happened to me with my Kindle! I even included pictures to Amazon when I returned it for a replacement.

It's my opinion that this is a weakness with the E-ink technology as both the Sony and Kindle have the exact same screen/technology. Seeing how this is coming up frequently in both Kindles and Sony forums, I would suggest that these readers should probably not exposed to direct sun if possible. My replacement Kindle seems to be OK in direct sun, but I think I will error on the side of caution and plan on reading it in the shade of my porch or least at an angle away from the sun.

I don't think you're butting seeing as this thread is from 2007.

I'm glad the replacement is working for you. I so far have not had this problem with either K1 or K2.

dixiepeep · 06-24-2009, 01:32 PM

I live in the deepest section of Georgia and it is very hot here... It happens the second I stand in the sunlight. I was wondering how Kindle users read at the beach. I have a Kindle 2

dordale · 06-24-2009, 03:14 PM

dixiepeep--

You might want to check out the Kindle forum. I seem to remember the fading being a problem with some of the Kindle 2's. From what I remember reading, Amazon has been good about replacing the ones with fading problems.

dordale

moonlit · 06-25-2009, 05:40 AM

I got the "fading" yesterday after 15 minutes in the sun. Pretty irritating; I had to make sure my head made a shade over the reader while lying down.

The fading persists after you swap pages, so I'd guess the reason is that the black pigments don't "stick" so well to the top of the microcapsules when they get heated up by sunlight. I noticed that the antialiased pixels, which have both white and black pigments at the top, near the white/black border disappeared first.

Interesting that Amazon has replaced Kindles with this problem, would that mean that I can get a replacement model that does not exhibit this behaviour, I wonder?

AlbertaCowboy · 06-26-2009, 11:51 PM

I put my 505 in the M-Edge Leisure cover for when I spent a week in Cuba in March, and I noticed absolutely NO degredation at all. I was a little surprised to see this thread! I was in the bright sun with 30 plus degrees Celsius for about 7 hours a day with my reader. Maybe the protective screen on the Leisure cover counteracts the fading effect others are complaining about...? At any rate, I heartily reccomend the Leisure cover for poolside, beach and apparently bright sunlight.

bjornsm · 07-28-2009, 08:44 AM

I experience the same problem, but I guess I can live with it. My main concern, though, is whether it will damage the screen if this happens repeatedly? Anyone who knows?

I agree with whoever wrote that it's funny to think of old-time copies/prints. When I experienced the "fading" at first, I thought "Wow, is it fading to imitate paper which has been in the sun too long?"

carlobee · 07-29-2009, 09:35 PM

a friend of mine told me of this problem and that was mainly the reason why from that moment on, i tried avoiding the use of my reader under direct sunlight.

heatherc · 07-29-2009, 09:45 PM

I've noticed that mine changes pages slower when I'm reading in direct sunlight, but if I put it in the shade and let it cool down it's fine.

06-06-2007, 05:58 PM	#16
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,778 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	What I am wondering is if I was to purchase this screen protector for the Reader, would it kill the contrast too much? Would it allow me to read the Reader in direct sunlight without the text fading too much? http://cgi.ebay.com/3-Screen-Protect...QQcmdZViewItem Jon Last edited by JSWolf; 06-06-2007 at 06:12 PM.

07-28-2009, 08:44 AM	#28
bjornsm Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: Sony PRS-505	Does sunlight damage the screen? I experience the same problem, but I guess I can live with it. My main concern, though, is whether it will damage the screen if this happens repeatedly? Anyone who knows? I agree with whoever wrote that it's funny to think of old-time copies/prints. When I experienced the "fading" at first, I thought "Wow, is it fading to imitate paper which has been in the sun too long?"

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Sony PRS-505-Text fades in direct sun	rayma1	Sony Reader	4	03-06-2010 09:59 PM
How to make text "darker" and a bit smaller in conversions to LRF?	Teddman	LRF	2	02-10-2010 06:04 PM
"PK": Only text when I open in Sigil an ePub file generated with Calibre	Terisa de morgan	Sigil	3	12-14-2009 11:24 AM
PRS-300 reading in direct sunlight - text is very faint	admdvs	Sony Reader	45	11-19-2009 08:09 PM
Zune eBook Creator (RTextAsImage) - "Convert" text to images	oleg.shastitko	Reading and Management	10	01-28-2008 01:18 PM

07-12-2007, 11:25 AM	#18
Andanzas Out of print Posts: 487 Karma: 1549538 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Madrid, Spain Device: Sony PRS-500 (recycled), Pocketbook Inkpad X Pro	No solution for this problem, then? It's very annoying.

03-15-2009, 04:56 PM	#22
thibaulthalpern Evangelist Posts: 478 Karma: 451808 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: California, USA Device: my two eyes, KLiiK, Sony PRS-700	Well, geez, part of the point of e-ink technology is to be able to read comfortable in sunlight. This is a bummer!

06-24-2009, 01:32 PM	#24
dixiepeep Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2009 Device: kindle 2	I live in the deepest section of Georgia and it is very hot here... It happens the second I stand in the sunlight. I was wondering how Kindle users read at the beach. I have a Kindle 2

06-24-2009, 03:14 PM	#25
dordale Wizard Posts: 1,731 Karma: 3472866 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Sony PRS-650 & 350; Kindle Voyage; Kobo Aura HD, Aura One, and Forma	dixiepeep-- You might want to check out the Kindle forum. I seem to remember the fading being a problem with some of the Kindle 2's. From what I remember reading, Amazon has been good about replacing the ones with fading problems. dordale

06-25-2009, 05:40 AM	#26
moonlit Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Oslo, Norway Device: Sony PRS-505	I got the "fading" yesterday after 15 minutes in the sun. Pretty irritating; I had to make sure my head made a shade over the reader while lying down. The fading persists after you swap pages, so I'd guess the reason is that the black pigments don't "stick" so well to the top of the microcapsules when they get heated up by sunlight. I noticed that the antialiased pixels, which have both white and black pigments at the top, near the white/black border disappeared first. Interesting that Amazon has replaced Kindles with this problem, would that mean that I can get a replacement model that does not exhibit this behaviour, I wonder?

06-26-2009, 11:51 PM	#27
AlbertaCowboy Guru Posts: 819 Karma: 171672846 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Alberta, Canada Device: PRS-350, PRS-650, iPhone 6, NVIDIA Shield K1	I put my 505 in the M-Edge Leisure cover for when I spent a week in Cuba in March, and I noticed absolutely NO degredation at all. I was a little surprised to see this thread! I was in the bright sun with 30 plus degrees Celsius for about 7 hours a day with my reader. Maybe the protective screen on the Leisure cover counteracts the fading effect others are complaining about...? At any rate, I heartily reccomend the Leisure cover for poolside, beach and apparently bright sunlight.

07-29-2009, 09:35 PM	#29
carlobee Fanatic Posts: 535 Karma: 972 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: The new iPad	a friend of mine told me of this problem and that was mainly the reason why from that moment on, i tried avoiding the use of my reader under direct sunlight.

07-29-2009, 09:45 PM	#30
heatherc Enthusiast Posts: 42 Karma: 20 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Alberta Device: Sony PRS505	I've noticed that mine changes pages slower when I'm reading in direct sunlight, but if I put it in the shade and let it cool down it's fine.

Advert

Advert