New screens are on the prs-500 are available

[Cthulhu]

@ Natch:

I'll let you know what my screen looks like--if I ever receive my Reader ;-

[mattgam]

I'm not complaining if I got lucky thats for sure. This screen is a major improvement over my previous reader which I was already happy with!

[rwsimon]

I just received my new Reader on the credit card offer. Without any question, the contrast between the white and black is higher than on my original Reader. Is this what everyone who added a second unit has found? In this thread, people have speculated that there is a slow degradation of the screen over time and that this accounts for this difference. I guess that time will tell.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by rwsimon

I just received my new Reader on the credit card offer. Without any question, the contrast between the white and black is higher than on my original Reader. Is this what everyone who added a second unit has found? In this thread, people have speculated that there is a slow degradation of the screen over time and that this accounts for this difference. I guess that time will tell.

Yes, I think most people here have noticed the same thing you have noticed: Contrast is better at first, but "degrades" as the unit ages.

I have two units, and in my opinion the newer unit is somewhat brighter and with less overall ghosting. This second unit came in the same packaging as the first unit. I think it's the nature of the technology at this stage of the game.

Many people have reported this, so it may be indicative of the technology.

There is, as noted, a newer color for the packaging.

In my opinion, when the newer units come out there's going to be a new advertising blitz - "Hey! it's brighter, it's improved" --; many people here also speculate that Sony is attempting to unload some backstock of unpurchased Readers, and also to determine a better price for the newer units when they are released. (I might add that this entire paragraph is my own speculation.)

Don

[starship]

I posted some side by side pictures on a Chinese reader forum here:
http://www.hi-pda.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=370734
Please check if you are interested.

[DrMoze]

Originally Posted by starship

I posted some side by side pictures on a Chinese reader forum here:
http://www.hi-pda.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=370734
Please check if you are interested.

Every image link in that first post comes up invalid.

[JSWolf]

The images do view just fine for me.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by starship

I posted some side by side pictures on a Chinese reader forum here:
http://www.hi-pda.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=370734
Please check if you are interested.

That still looks somewhat like what I have with my two Readers. There is some glare on the left side of your photos; but given that, they still seem similar in the same way to my units.

Don

[JSWolf]

Could be that Sony tweaked the contrast a bit.

[rwsimon]

It appears that all or most of us who obtained a second Reader recently (through the $50 offer) are finding it to be noticeably higher in contrast than the first unit. My first one is less than 3 months old, so I guess I won't have long to wait to see if the difference is related to an aging effect or is intrinsic. Perhaps the "red box" units are all brighter than the "purple box" units. Has anybody with one of each not seen a difference?

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by rwsimon

It appears that all or most of us who obtained a second Reader recently (through the $50 offer) are finding it to be noticeably higher in contrast than the first unit. My first one is less than 3 months old, so I guess I won't have long to wait to see if the difference is related to an aging effect or is intrinsic. Perhaps the "red box" units are all brighter than the "purple box" units. Has anybody with one of each not seen a difference?

My second unit came in the same design box as the first unit.

If it is an aging effect, as you say, then in about 6 months the 2nd Reader may be like the 1st Reader.

Don