Problems with backlight - 2 new Paperwhite 3

[eschwartz]

The coloring is somewhat variable.
Some people are bothered by it, some people aren't.

Perhaps you should try getting the Voyage exchanged.


It is normal for a certain amount of shadowing, and it is normal for there to be more with the Paperwhites than with the Voyage.

[flybor]

Yes, I'm returning that Voyage. In the Voyage thread, I've seen units like this, with pink and green/blue blob at the top third of the screen. But I also see better ones, that just have a horizontal gradient from yellow to white. That would be OK with me, the question is how many units one needs to go through to find one...

[Atunah]

I guess I must have gotten incredibly lucky. My Voyage has no colors on the top. Its totally even.
And yes, I know what that looks like and I do notice these things as I had big issues with that on my PW1.
I am just glad that this time I had no issues out the gate. I know how frustrating it is though.

[disconnected]

Originally Posted by flybor

Yes, I'm returning that Voyage. In the Voyage thread, I've seen units like this, with pink and green/blue blob at the top third of the screen. But I also see better ones, that just have a horizontal gradient from yellow to white. That would be OK with me, the question is how many units one needs to go through to find one...

Oddly enough a gradient bothers me a lot more than blobs.

My PW1 was quite "blobby" all over, although admittedly mostly shades of gray rather than rainbow. Somehow my eyes got used to it easily; I think the blobs just registered as a background pattern and after a bit I just didn't notice them while reading.

The Voyage gradient, on the other hand, was distinct enough (yellow on about the top quarter or third of the screen) that it was jarring every time I turned a page because it was an abrupt change from the whitish bottom of one page to the extremely yellow top of the next page. I thought I'd get used to it and stupidly kept it past the return period but now it sits unused on the shelf.

Fortunately, I enjoy buying and using several ereaders. I gave the PW1 to my husband when I got the Voyage but I currently have a six-inch Kobo Aura , an Aura H2O and a Nook Glowlight Plus. The small Aura remains my favorite even though, objectively, its screen is not as clear as the others.

[flybor]

Originally Posted by disconnected

Oddly enough a gradient bothers me a lot more than blobs...

Thanks for sharing! The blobs were on the top of the yellow and bright white gradient as well. It is almost like a rainbow...

I used to have Kindle 4 non-touch from 2011 or so and am surprised I cannot find a replacement Kindle now. The current non-lit one is worse than K4NT in my book - bigger, heavier, no side buttons. I would agree with these drawbacks in Paperwhite because it is lighted but the bottom shadows are too distracting. Voyage is ergonomically great for me but finding an acceptable screen seems to be mission impossible. I better get some actual books from the library for my upcoming holiday travel...

[Barbara1955]

On my PW2 Refirb the lights at the bottom do the same thing But the New PW2 I had it didn't. Guess they didn't fix the lights just sent to me as is.

[JazzyJeff]

Originally Posted by hakama

I bought two pieces of amazon.de (.
On the second day I began to see a defect in backlight - not always noticed me but it bothers me - at Kobo Aura - nothing like that.

Ps: The photo effect is increased by the camera, live not so bad

Most visible at 10-12 points (in the night), at 20+ it is ok

- Is there a chance the other Kindle have a similar problem or no - I did not break the sales packaging.

1. In all there is or is defective unit? In principle, such Is backlight?
Ps2: Tomorrow I will compare my Kindle vs oldest Paperwhite 3 reader, bought a few months ago!

2. Return to the Amazon - I do not know how about logistic (hard to come back from Bulgaria to Germany, because they included bateries)
3. Sell in Bulgaria ...


Sorry for my bad english.

http://prikachi.com/images.php?images/471/8502471h.jpg

http://prikachi.com/images.php?images/475/8502475Q.jpg

Image url deleted.

That is perfectly normal for a front lit display. E-ink readers are not back lit.

[duydangle]

It depends on people' eyes. I got a pw2 which is perfect, no shadows, no blobs..., but it's very rare cause I had to contact Amazon like 3 times to get a perfect one.

I sold that perfect one and recently just order a pw3, which is not perfect. But I am satisfied with it, cause it works and I like it.

[Barbara1955]

Cones are the same as laying a Flashlight down on a book & trying to read. For me it really bothered my eyes till I turn it up so high the lights Blended & it was even. Course that killed the battery quicker.

[Barbara1955]

OP.....On the second day I began to see a defect in backlight - not always noticed me but it bothers me - at Kobo Aura - nothing like that.

I have been looking at the Kobo 1 thing I noticed is they have More lights than Kindle. I believe that's why people say they are better. Cause really they are! Extra lighting gives a better more even spread of light.
I see 3 cone lights on my PW2 & your PW3 pictures. On the Kobo in pictures I see there are 4 lights. They blend so well hard to make out.

[Blossom]

I have a pw1 and the lighting on HD Glo isn't as bright but more soft and even. It doesn't have shadows that I noticed till you turn the light way up. They are very faint. I prefer to read with the light off though.

[barryem]

I have all 3 Paperwhites and a Voyage and I also help a lot of my neighbors with their Paperwhites. I also have a Kobo Glo and a Kobo Aura.

All of my Kindles and all of my neighbors Kindles have considerably more even lighting and text than either of my lighted Kobo's. That's not a problem with the Kobos. I read with them and they don't bother me. But every lighted Kindle I've ever seen has been far more even than they are.

I think the rare thing isn't getting a good one, it's getting a bad one. My guess is we hear more about the bad ones because the ones who get them speak up. I probably would to in a discussion like this.

Barry

[Blossom]

You must not have seen a HD Glo then because the lighting is totally different on the two devices. The way Paperwhites are lit there is no way for them to be totally even. Kobo takes a different approach on how they light the HD Glo. My Paperwhite 1 which I have compared to others is a good one but the light has never been even and there is color blobs that appear when the light is on low which give me eye strain. The Kobo on low light is soft, warm and even no shadowing at all. I'd say Kobo HD Glo is superior when it comes to being front lit.

[Thijs]

Hello!

Small related question: I have these "shadows" as well, but I also have the impression that the light is a tiny bit stronger on the right under corner. Is my kindle normal?

[blue_skies]

Originally Posted by flybor

I am in California and was also unpleasantly surprised when I saw the dark shadows at the bottom of PPW3, just bought from Amazon. I am in a poorly lit environment most of the time and need some light and the shadows are visible and start bothering me from level 8 and above. They are very distracting for me for the last few lines of text.

I got another unit from Amazon. This one has a much yellower background, so the shadows are slightly less visible because there is less contrast between darker and lighter areas, but otherwise they are the same..

I had the same problem last November. I bought a Kindle Paperwhite during Amazon's sale, and had to return it because the uneveness in the screen and the shadows really bothered my eyes and gave me headaches.

I got a replacement which was yellower, and just like you said, the shadows were a little less visible but the contrast was poorer. I ended up having to return that one also. (And they charged me for return shipping even though it was defective, which was kind of annoying.)

I have a Boyue T62+ with a Carta screen and frontlight, and it is perfect - no shadows or blobs or discolorations at all. I really expected a similar quality screen from Amazon. I was thinking I would have to get a Voyage some time if I ever wanted a nice screen, but now I am starting to wonder if even those of often defective.

I wish Amazon paid more attention to quality control.

I was also very frustrated with the font size options and not being able to bold the fonts to compensate for the higher ppi... so I suppose it's best for me to stick with the open Android eReaders for now.