FlexView Brightness - is it that dim?

Can anyone comment on how bright your recent Flexviews are?
When I've received mine I thought that it looked real nice, but after recent trip to my local WorstBuy, I'm starting to have second thoughts.
The vast majority of the new notebooks on the shelf had real nice, BRIGHT displays.
Glossy screens, obviously, play a big role in improving contrast and colors, but it has on effect on the overall brightness.
So, is my FlexView defective, or the latest displays design are so much brighter that the FlexViews look dim in comparison?

 

Hi,

I just registered because i have some ideas, since by comparison i don't think my T60p Flexview was any dimmer than any of the notebooks on display in a local mall. These were all running on wall power of course.

I think the chances of a malfunctioning or defective backlight or inverter is slim, but it's a possibility afterall.

Are you running with any power settings, especially anything in the Thinkpad Power Manager (green battery symbol) which limits the backlight?
- To see if there is, click on the battery icon -> Launch Power Manager -> Power Scheme -> Select you current scheme, click on "System settings" and check "Display Brightness".

I don't remember if it was you, but someone in a thread here, said he could only see five steps on the OSD LCD brightness indicator (Fn+F9). There ought to be 7 possible steps.

 

Yea, it was me saying that I have 5 steps.
But I was wrong since my OSD brightness indicator is gone and it wasn't obvious enough that I do have 7 possible steps indeed.

Well, I've checked all settings in the power manager and also in the BIOS.
It's all maxed out.

 

Hmm ok. We could compare and see if the brightness i objectionally the same - if you got a digital camera by you?

Take a pic of the screen showing a completely white backround, and post the pic.
I'll take a pic afterwards with the same aperture, shutter speed and ISO as you use, also showing a white background.

Just so we aren't talking about an issue which seems "normal".

 

I've just pmed you asking for the same thing, before you posted this response.
Yea, let's do that!

 

Hi,

I just got mine today. When I hook it up...I'll try to give an opinion.

 

Great, thanks.

 

I think i gave you my .02 yesterday in reply to your PM.

I don't own a flexview, but the ones at work look brighter than the non-flexviews beside them. Flexviews are rated at 200 nits.

Hopefully some others who recently purchased flexviews will chime in. I'd also be interested to see whether they're disatisfied, especially because I've been a strong advocate of IPS LCD technology on this forum.

I feel bad if I influenced you to purchase something that's unsatisfactory to you. My instinct tells me your screen is defective.

 

I just came back from the WorstBuy.
This time I took my FlexView with me inside the store so I could compare displays side-by-side, under the same lightning conditions.
SkiBunny, it looks like you're right.
I've clearly gotten a bad apple.
Even the dimmest on the shelf non-FlexView 15" T60 looked brighter than my display.
So this baby will go back either to be repaired, exchanged or returned for a refund.

 

I've compared my flexview to a T60 WXGA Samsung panel... the Samsung was a notch brighter.

 

WOW!!
I'm puzzled, to say the least.

 

Well from what I was told on thinkpad forums, don't get flexview for it's brightness. To answer your PM unhooked of why I got an RMA for the T60 Flex.

1. It's bulky (personal preference)
2. It doesn't cool nearly as well as the exact configuration as a T60WS
3. I like 4:3, but I miss WSXGA+ now if it was still offered in UXGA that would be a different story
4. The viewing angles are awesome, but it is dimmer and I always use my laptop straight on, so a regular LCD is fine (the 8bit color is amazing too, but I would never notice what I'm missing and I'm not a photographer)
5. I am getting a cheaper T61WS, with a better GPU, runs cooler, WUSB, a memory card reader, and a newer chipset, so it seemed like a no brainer.

 

Thank you for your feedback chadwicktr.
I should have spend more time researching the FlexViews.
The multiple glowing reviews, combined with universally positive feedback in the forums made me believe that I was actually getting a "perfect" display.

It almost seems as if the current LG/Philips FlexView displays are not the same ones every one was raving about.
Different, cheapened manufacturing methods?
And the fact that Lenovo runs the "free to FlexViews upgrade" coupons could be a sign of the problem.

 

Well, if you have onsite service, the tech can replace that LCD pretty quickly and make sure it's right.

Otherwise, I'd return it and get a replacement unit. Or, get a refund and re-order it because prices apparently are a bit lower now.

 

I think that's a sign that the T60 with flexview costs hundreds more than a higher-spec'd T61. So the coupon makes it less uncompetitive.

Check out the threads at thinkpads.com on the merits of flexview, especially compared to the widescreen you're considering. There's numerous threads with pics there to visibly prove the point.

In widescreen, the NEW macbookpro (with led backlighting) looks pretty good. Better than the mediocre crop of widescreen LCD's on thinkpads, i think.

 

I'd agree with that after seeing those pictures!

EDIT: You meant LED I assume

 

First, cheaper is always good! because they depreciate so fast

The 15" is bulky, yep. But the 15.4" t61 is even more bulky. So i guess you'll go for 14.1", right?

"better" gpu?... isn't the jury still out on that? Ditto for cooler, from what I've seen at work, especially if you get the nVidia. The X3100 seems great tho for integrated graphics.

memory card reader... only if you give up express card, right? hmm... not a good exchange imo

What is WUSB ?

What wireless will you choose? I've read at thinkpads.com that the ABGN card is quite weak at finding b/g networks compared to the thinkpad abg card... I'd like to know if that was true, as you can't believe everything you read.

 

Like I said... personal preference, but I went with a 15.4 wide w/ nVidia. I know it might be marginal but the 15 4:3 looks/feels to me like a much bigger machine than the 15.4 wide.

Nope, 15.4 I didn't have to give up express. I meant wireless usb sorry. I chose Thinkpad A/G/B. After having an intel in my first t60 that dropped frequently, using this t60 flex w/ atheros is great.

 

I c, the 15.4 has 3 card slots if i recall right? Nice.

My guess is there's less likely to be a heat problem with the NVidia in the 15.4 (than 14") because of the bigger box. Certainly this seemed to be the case with the ATI's in the 15" t60 compared to the 14" t60.

Still dont know what's wireless usb? Guess i m dumb. I thought the usb ports were on the sides.

Have you compared your 15" t60 and the 15.4" t61? If not physically, at least the specs. Obviously the battery makes a difference. But I think the 15" is 168 cubic inches and 6.3 pounds (9-cell) whereas the 15.4" t61 is 165 cubic inches and 6.1 pounds (6-cell). Hmm, they appear to be the same, yes?
(the T61ws in 14.1" is 133 cubic inches and the T60 in 14.1" 4:3 is 122 cubic inches)

 

For Wireless USB see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_USB
http://www.usb.org/developers/wusb/

I've just compared the 15in Flex side by side with the 15.4 T60. Like I said, if I had the flexview UXGA it would be a different story, but the size of the 15in SXGA+ isn't worth it for me (again, personal preference). I just feel like the thicker T60 15 4:3 is bulkier than the thinner and wider T6x 15.4.

 

Heres a forum article that is a good read up on the different LCD panels out there. linky

 

I dont intend to argue or challenge your stmt, I just had impression that they were the same or that the 15" was actually slightly smaller. I've used them just casually at work, so I wasn't paying attention perhaps. I'll have to check again.

I agree the 15" is bulky. The extra 0.2" thickness compared to the 14.1" bugs me, but isn't the 15.4" just as thick as the 15"?

Do you take yours out daily? What about the 14" then? Perhaps the 14" 4:3, which has a bigger screen than the 14ws, hits the sweet spot. I do like my 14" standard screen. My 12.1" is nice to carry but i dislike the small, poor screen.

 

thanks you!

 

The 15" is also 0.2" thicker than the 15.4" wide

I take mine daily to class. I would have looked into a 14.1" 4:3, but not a 14.1" wide, but it seems like the 4:3 will never be released to the public.

 

yeah we're on the same page it seems w.r.t. priorities & wants.

I didn't know that about the 15.4" thickness. hmmm. Not sure, i wanna double-check the stats.

I'm sure you've read about those educational 14.1" standard screens. So i wont suggest those.

There was a nice barely-used 2623D6U 14.1" 4:3 sxga+ for only $800 at thinkpads a week ago. It sold within 3 hours. Maybe there will be another. Maybe ask scott at thinkpads. But those are all T60. Though some ppl, particularly at thinkpads, would rather have the t60 anyway. LOL

 

I agree with chadwicks assessment. Beautiful colors (I don't edit photos either but even I can appreciate that upgrade), though it's definitely not very bright. I knew this going in because I read just about every review on the internet I could find. I was more worried about sparkle, so luckily none of that.

Whole reason I went flexview was because the display on my t 61 was complete garbage- I only use mine straight on too, so I never considered that viewing angles could even be a problem, much less not even have a (ONE) good viewing angle. No matter where you put that thing, it'd have a sheen either at the top or bottom depending on the position. My z (wsxga+ LG) had superb viewing angles, almost as good as the flexview, and that one was quite a bit brighter than flexview (I think it was a "maxbright"), though it's colors were definitely off compared to this panel.

Other problem I had with the t 61 display was enormous amounts of leakage at the bottom- flexview solved this too. Of course I have to consider the possibility that this (or both complaints with w/61 anyways) is merely a matter of lg vs samsung, since I've been happy with both LG's, and only the samsung disappointed. BUt I've seen videos and pics of the 61 LG too, and it looks similar if not quite as bad as mine- viewing angles, leakage, uneven color and brightness etc. First two being my main (only returnable) complaints.

The flexview basically was a cheaper option that guaranteed me an LG display. Luckily mine doesn't run hot (but lowest specs possible- 1.6ghz, 5400rpm, x1300), and doesn't seem bigger than a 15.4" to me. In fact it's smaller (insignificantly) by volume vs 15.4 61 (14.1x10x1.2-1.4 vs 13x10.6x1.2-1.4; 179 vs 182cu in). FTM the 14.1w seemed not to save since it's actually slightly wider than 15.0, especially considering the resolution loss. Speaking of, I do miss the extra 280 horizontal going from wsxga+ to sxga+, but not nearly as much as I missed the 150 vertical going from wsxga+ to wxga+ on the 14.1. So for me wsxga+ > sxga+ >> wxga+.

I think I'm keeping this one. I've had brighter displays, but I can't say much better. I can get used to less brightness more than I can unacceptable viewing angles and leakage, especially with an upgrade in quality. Wouldn't have paid $250 more for it, but at negative $13 it was a no brainer imo. So are you past the point of no return unhooked? If you are, I wouldn't be too worried about it. Not like you're going to be using it next to those glossies at bestbuy, and I submit that once you do get used to flexview, you might notice its advantages when you move back to tn panels. If you like everything else about, I'd say keep it.


BTW thanks to skibunny, and jull for the coupon. Loving the flexview!

 

i cant take credit for something from ibmfan (well i could but i wont )

 

don't forget any reps if you like my find

 

Hi,

I just setup my T60 Flexview. My screen seems fairly bright. I certainly don't have any complaints about it being dim. The viewing angles are great. I would agree that the screen is not as bright as the glossy screens - but as a matte wide viewing screen, I'm very satisfied.

The only odd part about the screen is that I am not sure that mine is "centered" properly in the case of the t60 - the black outline (if one can call it that) that surrounds the actual pixels (on the actual lcd panel - NOT the plastic rim border of the T60 case) is greater on the left side of the screen than on the right side. Strange, huh?

 

Yes, it is.
Mine is perfectly centered.

 

Yes, mine is slightly off centered in the case...arg! Otherwise, its really a great screen...this is a bummer!

 

Is it something you would notice if you weren't looking for it?

 

Not really. I think I'm just obsessing about it. If you look for it, it's there, but not REALLY noticeable. I notice that there is some flex in the plastic case border around the screen and if I look into the lcd from the side, I can see illumination. When I close the lcd there seems to be a little creak. I don't know if any of this is normal - or if I'm just nitpicking. This is my first laptop in ages. Otherwise, I must say the screen is absolutely beautiful. It's actually quite bright, I had to turn it down a notch from the brightest setting.

 

lol no you didn't.

Aaah my eyes! Too bright... must reach dim switch.