PRS-300 reading in direct sunlight - text is very faint

admdvs · 09-14-2009, 08:50 PM

anyone else notice that when reading in direct sunlight, the e-ink screen doesn't do a good job of drawing the page..?

when it is in direct sunlight the text looks very faint and washed out.. i even tried it with about 2/3 of the screen (diagonally across) in direct sun and the rest in the shade... the result was that the portion in the sun was faint and the rest was normal.

what was really strange was it only needed to be in the shade for a split second or so and the screen would draw properly again. so it didn't have to do with the screen being too hot..? i ended up turning the book sideways so the sun wasn't directly on it each time i turned the page..

anyone else notice this?

Andybaby · 09-14-2009, 09:49 PM

I have the 700 and I've never noticed this problem.

but, eink is sensitive to heat/cold. this isn't the first time I heard someone say it was faint when the screen was hot.

in the cold (below 0) page refreshes can take a couple of seconds sometimes

igorsk · 09-15-2009, 06:42 AM

A few people reported that. It seems to affect a minority of units, so there's probably a bad batch of screens.

Loose_Appeal · 09-15-2009, 07:42 AM

Can you take a picture of it? I'm curious as to what it looks like.

quillaja · 09-15-2009, 09:27 AM

i actually noticed this a little bit today. there was a post about this a day or 2 ago too.

lilac_jive · 09-15-2009, 09:41 AM

My 505 does this. I've worked around it pretty easily. I'll just hold the cover so the shadow covers it. It was a little tricky when I was in the Bahamas, but not enough to keep me from reading on the beach

dura · 09-15-2009, 11:09 AM

Strange, I got a PRS300 and when I tried in direct sunlight last saturday it looked very good, black text, high contrast.

lilac_jive · 09-15-2009, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dura

Strange, I got a PRS300 and when I tried in direct sunlight last saturday it looked very good, black text, high contrast.

It seems to be only a certain number of units affected.

admdvs · 09-15-2009, 12:50 PM

i'll try it again sometime soon.
i would guess it's not a matter of a certain batch of screens, but rather it only works under certain conditions.

It might be that when in direct sunlight the screen does get very warm and cools down within a second of being shaded.

It was a very warm day with the sun feeling warm on your skin, so, now that i think about it more.. it must be a heat thing. the fact that the screen refresh slows down in the cold is very telling too.

Next time i'm outside in the sun i'll try again and take a photo of it if it happens.

adam

igorsk · 09-15-2009, 08:02 PM

A similar problem was reported for a small number of Pocketbook 301 units (a Netronix 600 OEM). According to the people in the know, it was caused by a bad batch of LG screens, which affected not only Pocketbook but also Sony and Amazon. On the photos from nrg you can see that he got an LG screen as well (model number LB060S01, PVI screens are ED060SCx).

Patricia · 09-15-2009, 08:36 PM

Some forum members have been known to shade their readers by putting them in a baseball cap.

darylbrayman · 09-16-2009, 08:46 AM

I just spent the past hour reading my PRS-300 outside in direct sunlight. As black and crisp as ever. I actually find it a little better in direct sunlight. It was the same on my Bebook.

Regards, Daryl

JSWolf · 09-16-2009, 08:47 AM

If you have a reader that has a Vizplex screen and problems in direct sunlight, swap it out as it's defective. We've learned that LG has made some Vizplex screens that have sunlight problems. These screens are defective.

neilmarr · 09-17-2009, 03:58 AM

Yup, my 505 screen fades in direct sunlight, too. I have a leather flip jacket for it now, though, so it's easy to shade the screen using the top flap as a canopy.

admdvs · 09-20-2009, 08:07 PM

i tried today to get the text to fade in direct sunsight and couldn't do it.. i think it basically has to do with heat - not sun... it wasn't as warm today, but i read with direct sunlight on it for 15 minutes.

i think if the weather is HOT and you have direct sun.. most screens would suffer.. not just a few.]

09-14-2009, 08:50 PM	#1
admdvs Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: sony PRS-300	reading in direct sunlight - text is very faint anyone else notice that when reading in direct sunlight, the e-ink screen doesn't do a good job of drawing the page..? when it is in direct sunlight the text looks very faint and washed out.. i even tried it with about 2/3 of the screen (diagonally across) in direct sun and the rest in the shade... the result was that the portion in the sun was faint and the rest was normal. what was really strange was it only needed to be in the shade for a split second or so and the screen would draw properly again. so it didn't have to do with the screen being too hot..? i ended up turning the book sideways so the sun wasn't directly on it each time i turned the page.. anyone else notice this?

09-16-2009, 08:46 AM	#12
darylbrayman Connoisseur Posts: 76 Karma: 1944308 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Nova Scotia, Canada Device: Kobo, Mini, Glo, Aura and Aura H20	Reading in the sun I just spent the past hour reading my PRS-300 outside in direct sunlight. As black and crisp as ever. I actually find it a little better in direct sunlight. It was the same on my Bebook. Regards, Daryl

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09-14-2009, 09:49 PM	#2
Andybaby Wizard Posts: 1,279 Karma: 1002683 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: New York Device: PRS-700	I have the 700 and I've never noticed this problem. but, eink is sensitive to heat/cold. this isn't the first time I heard someone say it was faint when the screen was hot. in the cold (below 0) page refreshes can take a couple of seconds sometimes

09-15-2009, 06:42 AM	#3
igorsk Wizard Posts: 3,442 Karma: 300001 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Belgium Device: PRS-500/505/700, Kindle, Cybook Gen3, Words Gear	A few people reported that. It seems to affect a minority of units, so there's probably a bad batch of screens.

09-15-2009, 07:42 AM	#4
Loose_Appeal Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiish? Posts: 85 Karma: 162 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: Current: PRS-650, Previous: Books	Can you take a picture of it? I'm curious as to what it looks like.

09-15-2009, 09:27 AM	#5
quillaja Connoisseur Posts: 79 Karma: 42 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: sony reader touch (prs-600)	i actually noticed this a little bit today. there was a post about this a day or 2 ago too.

09-15-2009, 09:41 AM	#6
lilac_jive Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,870 Karma: 27376 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Device: PRS-505	My 505 does this. I've worked around it pretty easily. I'll just hold the cover so the shadow covers it. It was a little tricky when I was in the Bahamas, but not enough to keep me from reading on the beach

09-15-2009, 11:09 AM	#7
dura Groupie Posts: 174 Karma: 1062434 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Netherlands Device: Kobo H2O (2th edition), Kindle PW11	Strange, I got a PRS300 and when I tried in direct sunlight last saturday it looked very good, black text, high contrast.

09-15-2009, 12:50 PM	#9
admdvs Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: sony PRS-300	i'll try it again sometime soon. i would guess it's not a matter of a certain batch of screens, but rather it only works under certain conditions. It might be that when in direct sunlight the screen does get very warm and cools down within a second of being shaded. It was a very warm day with the sun feeling warm on your skin, so, now that i think about it more.. it must be a heat thing. the fact that the screen refresh slows down in the cold is very telling too. Next time i'm outside in the sun i'll try again and take a photo of it if it happens. adam

09-15-2009, 08:02 PM	#10
igorsk Wizard Posts: 3,442 Karma: 300001 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Belgium Device: PRS-500/505/700, Kindle, Cybook Gen3, Words Gear	A similar problem was reported for a small number of Pocketbook 301 units (a Netronix 600 OEM). According to the people in the know, it was caused by a bad batch of LG screens, which affected not only Pocketbook but also Sony and Amazon. On the photos from nrg you can see that he got an LG screen as well (model number LB060S01, PVI screens are ED060SCx).

09-15-2009, 08:36 PM	#11
Patricia Reader Posts: 11,505 Karma: 8720163 Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Wales, UK Device: Sony PRS-500, PRS-505, Asus EEEpc 4G	Some forum members have been known to shade their readers by putting them in a baseball cap.

09-16-2009, 08:47 AM	#13
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,851 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	If you have a reader that has a Vizplex screen and problems in direct sunlight, swap it out as it's defective. We've learned that LG has made some Vizplex screens that have sunlight problems. These screens are defective.

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09-17-2009, 03:58 AM	#14
neilmarr neilmarr Posts: 7,216 Karma: 6000059 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Monaco-Menton, France Device: sony	Yup, my 505 screen fades in direct sunlight, too. I have a leather flip jacket for it now, though, so it's easy to shade the screen using the top flap as a canopy.

09-20-2009, 08:07 PM	#15
admdvs Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: sony PRS-300	i tried today to get the text to fade in direct sunsight and couldn't do it.. i think it basically has to do with heat - not sun... it wasn't as warm today, but i read with direct sunlight on it for 15 minutes. i think if the weather is HOT and you have direct sun.. most screens would suffer.. not just a few.]