YouTube (German) PW2 and PW3 - Shows contrast when both set to Caecilia

[Richard529]

There several places in the video (after 8:55) when the PW2 and PW3 are both set to the Caecilia font.
This seems to confirm that the Paperwhite 3 has less contrast.

[Sirtel]

Yes, the contrast on the new PW seems much worse. So, no PW3 for me, unless they fix the contrast issue.

[SCION]

That is disappointing. Wonder if less contrast was intentional, to not detract from the voyage.

[dordale]

Originally Posted by SCION

That is disappointing. Wonder if less contrast was intentional, to not detract from the voyage.

If that's the case, why bother to release the new PW3 at all. I would think that Amazon would just stick with the PW2 if that was their concern.

I'm waiting for some real world reports on the PW3.

[dickloraine]

Please be aware that the pw3 has 300dpi and the font is rendered more delicate and thinner. Therefore it of course looks like it has less contrast, but that is an optical illusion. The tester says that the contrast is good. To really know, we have to wait until someone measures it.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by dickloraine

Please be aware that the pw3 has 300dpi and the font is rendered more delicate and thinner. Therefore it of course looks like it has less contrast, but that is an optical illusion. The tester says that the contrast is good. To really know, we have to wait until someone measures it.

The Voyage has 300dpi as well and far better contrast than the PW3, at least in the few videos we've seen here. But I agree, we should wait until it's really out before deciding.

[SCION]

Originally Posted by dordale

If that's the case, why bother to release the new PW3 at all. I would think that Amazon would just stick with the PW2 if that was their concern.

...

To compete with the Kobo Glo HD, perhaps.

[dordale]

Originally Posted by SCION

To compete with the Kobo Glo HD, perhaps.

I agree. I'm sure that the release of the PW3 at the price point it is at is in response to the Kobo Glo HD.
But I don't think they'd intentionally reduce the contrast to make the Voyage seem like a more premium device. From everything I've read the screen contrast of the Kobo Glo HD is very similar to the Voyage contrast. It doesn't make sense that Amazon would expend the effort to design a new PW3 to compete with the Glo HD and then intentionally make the screen inferior by reducing the contrast.

[SCION]

Originally Posted by dordale

I agree. I'm sure that the release of the PW3 at the price point it is at is in response to the Kobo Glo HD.
But I don't think they'd intentionally reduce the contrast to make the Voyage seem like a more premium device. From everything I've read the screen contrast of the Kobo Glo HD is very similar to the Voyage contrast. It doesn't make sense that Amazon would expend the effort to design a new PW3 to compete with the Glo HD and then intentionally make the screen inferior by reducing the contrast.

I see what you're saying. Thanks for the follow-up.

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by dordale

I agree. I'm sure that the release of the PW3 at the price point it is at is in response to the Kobo Glo HD.
But I don't think they'd intentionally reduce the contrast to make the Voyage seem like a more premium device. From everything I've read the screen contrast of the Kobo Glo HD is very similar to the Voyage contrast. It doesn't make sense that Amazon would expend the effort to design a new PW3 to compete with the Glo HD and then intentionally make the screen inferior by reducing the contrast.

I think they could intentionally do that and get away with it because the average consumer isn't going to be aware of the lower contrast. All he'll see is that the PW3 has the same resolution as the Voyage and the Glo, and since it is in the lower price range (and within the Amazon ecosystem), he'll go for it.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

I think they could intentionally do that and get away with it because the average consumer isn't going to be aware of the lower contrast.

Perhaps they technically could do it, but why on earth would they want to? There's always been some variation between individual eInk panels - perhaps it's just that this particular one had a slightly darker background than the PW2 it was sitting alongside. If that's the case, the effect could probably be eliminated by turning up the light a little.

[Richard529]

In another Paperwhite 3 video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4Ek_O1RaGw

Len Edgerly mentions that he is using a "review copy", which is loaded with an early version of the software. Amazon had warned that there could be some bugs in it compared to the final release.

I assume that the reviewer in the German video is also using a "review copy".

Perhaps the font weight will be tweaked in the final release version to increase the contrast. However, this will be of limited use if the screen contrast is inferior to the Paperwhite 2.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Richard529

Perhaps the font weight will be tweaked in the final release version to increase the contrast. However, this will be of limited use if the screen contrast is inferior to the Paperwhite 2.

There's no reason to suppose that it will be, though. It's the same screen that the Voyage has, and the Voyage certainly doesn't have inferior contrast.

[howyoudoin]

We don't know that it has the same screen as the Voyage. There can be different grades of screens with the same resolution.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

We don't know that it has the same screen as the Voyage. There can be different grades of screens with the same resolution.

Do you have any reference for the fact that eInk produce different grades of screens? There's no mention of it on their web site, that I can see; there's simply a spec sheet (which specifies the contrast) for each type of screen: Pearl, Carta, etc.