Sony Screen Fade Over Time (1 Hour)

RWood · 11-07-2008, 11:08 PM

Building on a concept and concern of ghosting started by Dr Don in this thread, I can easily say that after almost two (2) years of use that the bottom status bar line has burned in/ghosted so that it is easily seen as a black band at the bottom of the screen. It never impacts the use of the device and I only notice it in the brief time I look at the screen as I turn the unit on. (And yes, it does return the favor.*

)

What I have noticed lately is that the screen will fade (lose contrast) if left on and ignored for perhaps 30 minutes. (Sometimes clients will call when I am reading and I will put the reader aside and pick it up after the call.) If I hit page back and page forward the contrast is as sharp as it was one day one.

I set the reader aside tonight and checked on it every ten (10) minutes and it started at about 20 minutes and seemed to get a bit worse at each observation. (And that is a highly subjective judgment.)

Has anyone else noticed this? Are my eyes going bad? Has my brain melted? (again)

(* = Joke based on US car commercial.)

Patricia · 11-07-2008, 11:20 PM

I too have noticed a loss of contrast the longer that the device is left on.

I thought at first that it was just my eyes getting tired.

RWood · 11-08-2008, 12:42 AM

For me it is not a function of how long the device is on as I can read for several hours with no contrast loss; but rather that when left on a single page that it starts to lose contrast. I remember that the device refreshes the page when it is first displayed and does not readdress the screen again until another page request is received or the unit is turned off. What seems to happen is that some of the black "pigments" exchange with the white "pigments" over time when left alone and reduce the contrast.

JSWolf · 11-08-2008, 06:56 AM

Have you tried different lighting? Are you reading in florescent lighting? This is an issue with that generation of eink screen if I remember correctly.

Valloric · 11-08-2008, 08:55 AM

The temperature affects the fading, too. I noticed that in cold weather, the screen is slow to respond and is also substantially faded. Going inside and waiting for the screen to warm up (literally), makes the problem go away.

11-07-2008, 11:08 PM	#1
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	Sony Screen Fade Over Time (1 Hour) Building on a concept and concern of ghosting started by Dr Don in this thread, I can easily say that after almost two (2) years of use that the bottom status bar line has burned in/ghosted so that it is easily seen as a black band at the bottom of the screen. It never impacts the use of the device and I only notice it in the brief time I look at the screen as I turn the unit on. (And yes, it does return the favor.* ) What I have noticed lately is that the screen will fade (lose contrast) if left on and ignored for perhaps 30 minutes. (Sometimes clients will call when I am reading and I will put the reader aside and pick it up after the call.) If I hit page back and page forward the contrast is as sharp as it was one day one. I set the reader aside tonight and checked on it every ten (10) minutes and it started at about 20 minutes and seemed to get a bit worse at each observation. (And that is a highly subjective judgment.) Has anyone else noticed this? Are my eyes going bad? Has my brain melted? (again) ( = Joke based on US car commercial.)*

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11-07-2008, 11:20 PM	#2
Patricia Reader Posts: 11,504 Karma: 8720163 Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Wales, UK Device: Sony PRS-500, PRS-505, Asus EEEpc 4G	I too have noticed a loss of contrast the longer that the device is left on. I thought at first that it was just my eyes getting tired.

11-08-2008, 12:42 AM	#3
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	For me it is not a function of how long the device is on as I can read for several hours with no contrast loss; but rather that when left on a single page that it starts to lose contrast. I remember that the device refreshes the page when it is first displayed and does not readdress the screen again until another page request is received or the unit is turned off. What seems to happen is that some of the black "pigments" exchange with the white "pigments" over time when left alone and reduce the contrast.

11-08-2008, 06:56 AM	#4
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 78,945 Karma: 144284074 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Have you tried different lighting? Are you reading in florescent lighting? This is an issue with that generation of eink screen if I remember correctly.

11-08-2008, 08:55 AM	#5
Valloric Created Sigil, FlightCrew Posts: 1,982 Karma: 350515 Join Date: Feb 2008 Device: Kobo Clara HD	The temperature affects the fading, too. I noticed that in cold weather, the screen is slow to respond and is also substantially faded. Going inside and waiting for the screen to warm up (literally), makes the problem go away.

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