Widescreen Laptops - Why does widescreen make letters look blurry?

[rxblitzrx]

I just got my first widescreen laptop and I'm not impressed. It looks like all the letters are:

1. really blurry
2. not enough "ink" is being used to create the letters


Can anyone explain this?
Does it have to do with aspect ratios?
Can I fix this with Sony XBRITE technology or Dell TruLife technology?


<--------- new Thinkpad T61 14.1" WXGA+ 1440 x 900

 

[TheStu]

Is it actually at 1440*900 resolution?

Do you have cleartype turned on?

What OS are you using?

Do you have all the drivers installed?

 

[rxblitzrx]

Is it actually at 1440*900 resolution? Yes

Do you have cleartype turned on? Yes

What OS are you using? Windows XP Pro with ALL the updates

Do you have all the drivers installed? Yes

 

[TheStu]

Huh, well then I have no idea... It should look fine, try turning off Cleartype, see if that helps Or download the enhaned cleartype powertoy from microsoft.

 

[rxblitzrx]

It looks pretty darn good. Now that I look back at my old R40, I think I was making an unfair comparison. White actually looks "white" on this LCD. My old R40 actually looks red in comparison. I just wish I could fix the blurry letters.... maybe they're too small.

 

[rxblitzrx]

I think I'm definitely going to do the Pixelbright mod and then see how the image looks.

 

[VinDSL]

Woody Allen, anybody?!?!?!

 

[rxblitzrx]

Originally posted by: VinDSL
Woody Allen, anybody?!?!?!

??? I don't get it

 

[zig3695]

nah widescreen wont make blurry letters if the resolution is set to 'native'. and dell's trulife just means they sprayed a clear-coat over the screen to give a glossy effect. imo it makes things worse, at least in the daytime it does.

 

[onlyCOpunk]

How can widescreen resolution makes the letters blurry? I don't get it. Surely if the letters do look blurry it's not because of the fact the laptop is "widescreen"

 

[rxblitzrx]

I think I figured it out. The bluriness is a result of HORRIBLE viewing angles. Very disappointed with Thinkpads now.

I wonder if I can refund this thing.

 

[TheStu]

Call them and see if you can... what will you get in its place? Will you go for the MacBook like you originally thought, or start the hunt anew?

Did you go down to actual B&M Stores to look at all the machines there? Get a feel for what screen size you want/need, keyboards and trackpads?

 

[rxblitzrx]

Originally posted by: TheStu
Call them and see if you can... what will you get in its place? Will you go for the MacBook like you originally thought, or start the hunt anew?

Did you go down to actual B&M Stores to look at all the machines there? Get a feel for what screen size you want/need, keyboards and trackpads?

I think I've read that they charge a restocking fee of 10%. It will cost me less money to do the Pixelbright mod so I think I'm just going to try that. Everything else about this laptop rocks.

If I had to go with another choice, it would be a Sony. I've tried them out at Best Buy and it just felt right from the start. Keyboard was awesome, screen was awesome. Price WASN'T awesome.

MacBook is definitely off the table though. Mac OS just doesn't seem to sit well with me.

 

[Tarrant64]

Originally posted by: rxblitzrx

Originally posted by: TheStu
Call them and see if you can... what will you get in its place? Will you go for the MacBook like you originally thought, or start the hunt anew?

Did you go down to actual B&M Stores to look at all the machines there? Get a feel for what screen size you want/need, keyboards and trackpads?

I think I've read that they charge a restocking fee of 10%. It will cost me less money to do the Pixelbright mod so I think I'm just going to try that. Everything else about this laptop rocks.

If I had to go with another choice, it would be a Sony. I've tried them out at Best Buy and it just felt right from the start. Keyboard was awesome, screen was awesome. Price WASN'T awesome.
MacBook is definitely off the table though. Mac OS just doesn't seem to sit well with me.

Yeah, that's Sony in a nutshell. Great stuff for too high of a price tag. Damn do some of their laptops look sweet though!

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: rxblitzrx

Originally posted by: TheStu
Call them and see if you can... what will you get in its place? Will you go for the MacBook like you originally thought, or start the hunt anew?

Did you go down to actual B&M Stores to look at all the machines there? Get a feel for what screen size you want/need, keyboards and trackpads?

I think I've read that they charge a restocking fee of 10%. It will cost me less money to do the Pixelbright mod so I think I'm just going to try that. Everything else about this laptop rocks.

If I had to go with another choice, it would be a Sony. I've tried them out at Best Buy and it just felt right from the start. Keyboard was awesome, screen was awesome. Price WASN'T awesome.

MacBook is definitely off the table though. Mac OS just doesn't seem to sit well with me.

How does the Mac OS not sit well with you? Are you doing heavy CAD work, or something similar? Otherwise anything you can do on Windows software wise, can be done on OS X. And linux for matter, but we are talking about OS X.

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: Tarrant64
Yeah, that's Sony in a nutshell. Great stuff for too high of a price tag...

Heh! IMHO...

In a nutshell, Sony is the 'King of Miniaturization'!

I digress, a perfect example of this is my Sony digital camera.

Everybody loved the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-F717 but complained it was too big, so...

Sony put it in a smaller package - the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-V1 (my camera) - but they complained it was too small, so...

Sony put it into a slightly bigger package - Sony Cyber-shot DSC-V3 - and everybody was happy!

Sure, you gotta pay for all this crankiness, but Sony is just following the dictates of their customer base!

Back on topic, Sony could make a notebook the size of a pack of cigarettes, but everybody would complain!

That's just what Sony customers do... However, they seldom complain about price!

That's what Sony haters do!

 

[rxblitzrx]

Originally posted by: TheStu

Originally posted by: rxblitzrx

Originally posted by: TheStu
Call them and see if you can... what will you get in its place? Will you go for the MacBook like you originally thought, or start the hunt anew?

Did you go down to actual B&M Stores to look at all the machines there? Get a feel for what screen size you want/need, keyboards and trackpads?

I think I've read that they charge a restocking fee of 10%. It will cost me less money to do the Pixelbright mod so I think I'm just going to try that. Everything else about this laptop rocks.

If I had to go with another choice, it would be a Sony. I've tried them out at Best Buy and it just felt right from the start. Keyboard was awesome, screen was awesome. Price WASN'T awesome.

MacBook is definitely off the table though. Mac OS just doesn't seem to sit well with me.

How does the Mac OS not sit well with you? Are you doing heavy CAD work, or something similar? Otherwise anything you can do on Windows software wise, can be done on OS X. And linux for matter, but we are talking about OS X.

I think one of the biggest factors for me was that I use my Treo as a modem to get internet access anywhere I can't pick up a signal... like right now, in class. The program I use is only compatible with Windows.

I agree that OSX can do everything Windows can... but I don't really need anything that OSX has to offer. Therefore, the learning curve would be a waste of time with nothing more to gain.

 

[TheStu]

Fair enough, though I will say that I was told that my Verizon RAZR could only work on Windows to connect to the web, but the OS X client was available, and had I used bluetooth to connect, that would have worked natively with the built in bluetooth on my MacBook.

Past that though, your point is fair. If you are comfortable with Windows, and you can save some money by getting Windows, then that is what you should do.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

Originally posted by: rxblitzrx

Originally posted by: TheStu
Call them and see if you can... what will you get in its place? Will you go for the MacBook like you originally thought, or start the hunt anew?

Did you go down to actual B&M Stores to look at all the machines there? Get a feel for what screen size you want/need, keyboards and trackpads?

I think I've read that they charge a restocking fee of 10%. It will cost me less money to do the Pixelbright mod so I think I'm just going to try that. Everything else about this laptop rocks.

If I had to go with another choice, it would be a Sony. I've tried them out at Best Buy and it just felt right from the start. Keyboard was awesome, screen was awesome. Price WASN'T awesome.

MacBook is definitely off the table though. Mac OS just doesn't seem to sit well with me.

umm... what's the Pixelbright mod ???

 

[rxblitzrx]

Pixelbright is just the name given by Screentek to their glossy upgrade. Basically, they can make any matte LCD into a Dell TrueLife or Sony XBRITE screen.

It made a HUGE difference to my LCD. Reasonable viewing angles went from about 5 degrees to about 40 degrees before washout. For some reason the T61 LCDs suck major arse. Yes, you will get the reflection of a typical glossy, but the other benefits far outweigh the ONE con.

 

[illusionm8]

i just got my t61 and have been messing with it

my eyes get tired really fast using it. it reminds me of using my old CRT monitors at 60hz refresh rate. i tried cleartype on and off, 120dpi on and off. nothing really helps.

i suppose its the same issue as you, poor viewing angles on this screen.

sounds like your pixelbright mod solved the problem for you? do your eyes get tired?

 

[rxblitzrx]

Originally posted by: illusionm8
i just got my t61 and have been messing with it

my eyes get tired really fast using it. it reminds me of using my old CRT monitors at 60hz refresh rate. i tried cleartype on and off, 120dpi on and off. nothing really helps.

i suppose its the same issue as you, poor viewing angles on this screen.

sounds like your pixelbright mod solved the problem for you? do your eyes get tired?

EXACTLY. I couldn't look at the LCD for longer than twenty minutes before my eyes went crazy. After the pixelbright mod, I can't stop looking at the screen. It's my first glossy LCD, so I had to get used to the reflections, but they weren't that bad since I'm indoors mostly. Therefore, glossy > matte with ideal lighting.

1. I would highly recommend the glossy mod. Contact ScreenTek in Houston.

2. Calibrate the LCD because factory settings make the screen too blue. Just use the built in color calibration with the integrated graphics drivers. There's a review here that shows how they calibrated the LCD. I just used the picture and tried my best to match it with the integrated graphics calibrator.

Combine these two improvements and the T61 LCD ends up being a winner.

Reminder: I think the glossy mod voids your warranty. Hopefully just the LCD though.

 

[illusionm8]

yeah man this really is bad. i have the 15.4" wsxga+ at 1680x1050.. i guess the problem spans the whole lineup. im very disappointed. i passed on the macbook pro with superb screen becuase of the mushy keyboard, only to get the thinkpad with a shiity screen.

def gonna try the mod you suggest

 

[rxblitzrx]

yeah the mod only costs $100 plus shipping. Probably the BEST solution since you can't really return these things. But I guarantee (if you can live with glossy reflections) that your LCD will come out MUCH better.

Also, you need to pick the right fonts for your browser. I noticed that Arial works best. I use Segoe UI as the default font for my desktop and it doesn't work as well on my laptop. The letters come out looking grainy.

So there it is. That's actually 3 things you can do to improve the visual experience on your Thinkpad.

Good luck!!

 

[VinDSL]

Um...

Have you had your eyes checked yet?

Maybe this only works for guys with messed up vision, like Woody Allen...

None of my business, but are you required to wear corrective lenses when you drive, et cetera, or do you have 20/20 vision?