Updated (20 Feb 2010):

I've replaced the LCD screen of my X200 with the HV121WX4-120 AFFS panel. This panel is the matte version of HV121WX4-100, and it comes no digitizer or touch panel needs. The installation is pretty straight forward, I was doing this for the first time and it took me only about 20mins. The view angel of this thing is awesome, and the color is warmer than the screen that came with my X200. By default, the original screen of my X200 was too blue, while this panel is a bit too yellow/red for my taste. But after calibrating it with my Sypder3 Pro, it looks perfect now! Check out the pictures below:

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_wQM8gmNZb8A/S4BpW ... C_2924.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_wQM8gmNZb8A/S4BpC ... C_3127.JPG
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_wQM8gmNZb8A/S4BpB ... C_3126.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_wQM8gmNZb8A/S4Bpv ... C_3226.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_wQM8gmNZb8A/S4Bpv ... C_3216.JPG
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_wQM8gmNZb8A/S4Bo- ... C_3249.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_wQM8gmNZb8A/S4Bo- ... C_3255.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_wQM8gmNZb8A/S4Bps ... C_3064.JPG

For more pictures of it:
http://picasaweb.google.com/iamtsekahei ... directlink

was your original x200 ccfl or led model? did connector require any modifications?

Nice work! The screen is the Achilles heel of the X200 and I cant stand it sometimes, especially trying to view the occasional video on it.

I'll definitely go this route once my warranty runs out. Since you have the matte version, is it viewable outdoors?

CCFL, no modification needed and the installation is very easy. As far as I know, there is no compatible AFFS or IPS panel compatible with X200 Led backlit screen (or people haven't found them) yet.

I will try to take some better pics when I have time.

Care to share your source for the panel? I've been trying to find one in the US but no luck! Any comparison with the glossy version (e.g., HV121WX4-110)?

My friend bought it in China and personally carried it into the US... Don't have experience with the 110 panel, but from what I've heard, the only difference between them is glossy vs matte.

Anyway, I have a few more of these panels (HV121WX4-120), which I am going to put on the marketplace section in a moment.

Any eye strain from this new panel? I have a Macbook Pro 15" and the eye strain from the screen is very bad. I like the X200 but thought the regular screen was pretty bad.

I don't have any eye strain problem with it... but I've never had any eye strain problem with any LCD panel.

How's the brightness?

About the same as the original screen I guess, can't compare them side-by-side unless I have a second X200. Both of them are significantly brighter than the screen of my X61 though.

Nice pics.

I wish Lenovo would put that screen in from day one. Better yet get a decent WXGA+ LED panel.

I am interested in a panel if you have more.

Thanks.

Just received my Spyder3 Pro today and created a calibrated profile for the HV121WX4-120 screen. The original X200 screen was too blue, and the HV121WX4-120 was a bit too red/yellow for my taste and the gamma was set to high by default. It looks perfect now after calibration. If glossy/matte is the only difference between HV121WX4-120 and HV121WX4-100, then the profile should also apply to the -100 screen pretty well. For those interested:

http://uploading.com/files/cm874m49/HV121WX4-120_AC_19Feb2010.icm/
http://uploading.com/files/918ad6cm/HV121WX4-120_battery_19Feb2010.icm/

To use it (in Windows 7): Go screen resolution->advanced settings->color management->color management...->tick "use my settings for this device"->add... and use the attached file.

Remember to go to msconfig and disable "c:\windows\system32\igfxpers.exe" on startup. Otherwise the intel color calibration will the profile on startup. Also see if there is a file called "Adobe Gamma" in the startup folder, I've read that it will also override your color management (although this didn't happen to me).

I will try to take some better pictures of the screen and post them here this weekend.

UPDATED:

It turns out that the display properties, especially gamma level, of X200's screen change depending on whether it is on battery power or AC power (the same applies to my X61). So I uploaded two calibrated profiles, one created under AC power, and another one created under battery power. These profiles were created with a target gamma level 2.2 and color temperature 6500k.

If you go to this page

http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/gamma_calibration.php

you would want the lighter and darker bands should blend in at the height labeled "2.2", which is the targeted gamma setting. If you are using the profile for AC power, stare at those bars, and then unplugged your charger (with battery inserted!), you will see the gamma level (the point where all the strips blend together) slides to 1.2~1.4. If instead you applied the profile for battery power, and you are on battery power, plugging in your charger and will slide the gamma level all the way to 3.7.

There is no quick way to switch between profile in Windows 7 (perhaps some software will help). But I suggest you don't bother with the profile for battery power. In fact I do not recommend using it. It seems that when the X200 is on battery power, the display card will enter battery/power saving mode, reducing the gamma/contrast/color range it can generate. My Spyder3 Pro seems to have a hard time adjusting the gamma to a level it satisfies when on battery power. Consequently, the calibrated profile for battery looks pretty crappy, no matter how many times I try, although it did calibrated the a gamma level to 2.2 (seems to be achieved by reducing brightness).

On the other hand, the profile created for AC power still look pretty good under battery power, even though the gamma level is off. So I suggest sticking to the profile calibrated under AC power.

Is the new panel 1280x768 or 1440x900?

Also is there any similar photos with same wallpaper showing the original x200 TN screen?

Cheers....

It's still WXGA (1280x800). It won't work on WXGA+ equipped X200s, or any X200/X200s with LED backlit screen.

I previously posted some photos of my X200 before & after installing the new screen, comparing between the 2 screens. Those pics were not very well taken though. I will try to put them back up here later today if you are intersted.

yes interested. thanks.

It would be nice if Lenovo offers the screen as an option on the x200 or x200s. However, given that there is only 1 (small) manufacturer of AFFS screens, it probably won't happen....

Here are some comparison.

Original screen:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_wQM8gmNZb8A/S4N2q ... C_2788.JPG
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_wQM8gmNZb8A/S4N2q ... C_2794.JPG
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_wQM8gmNZb8A/S4N2r ... C_2806.JPG

HV121WX4-120:
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_wQM8gmNZb8A/S4N22 ... C_2862.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_wQM8gmNZb8A/S4N20 ... C_2875.JPG
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_wQM8gmNZb8A/S4N20 ... C_2882.JPG
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_wQM8gmNZb8A/S4N20 ... C_2884.JPG

Not good news for the new LED screens then as one won't have the option of modifying their screens on the X201 models.

BTW, because x200 did not have LED version one year ago, I did not try to mod it on x200
But I believe the connector should be the same for LED x200t and x200

X200 uses a diff. LED connector from the LED connector of the X200t. This has been confirmed.

Thanks for the confirmation. What about x200s and x200t?

Same connector, but different position. The connector for X200t is at the top, while the connector for the X200s is at the bottom.

It's been confirmed on NBR forum that X200t use different connctor than X200 and X200s, and that Boe-Hydis's LED backlit AFFS panel is not compatible with the connector used on LED backlit display equipped X200/s.

Let's hope that X201 series will use yet another connector that would be compatible with Boe-Hydis 's LED backlit AFFS panels...

Does this AFFS screen use more power than the regular one? So basically, we have to sacrifice battery life for better image quality?

No

Nice! On a side note, are there any AFFS panels that are WVGA+ that would fit in an x200s?

Received a panel from the person selling them on this forum. It took me about 30 minutes to install and WOW. I have a couple of T60P with the UXGA screen and this swap makes the x200 look just as good. Well worth the money and time.

Steve

Would it be possible to make our own cable like we did on the X61s?

Yes, you can. In fact, that is the next step. I'm very disappointed that nobody is brave enough to pioneer the plan. Everybody just keeps replicating what I did originally and be done with it. I hoped that more people would try to get the LED screen on the X200 and X200s. I even shared all my findings, but nobody has done it at all.
Gotta keep innovating guys

I have thought about this for some time, but on the other hand, I'm quite happy with my X61s SXGA+. And I'm not too much into sacrificing 30 % of the resolution by going to WXGA. Avalon, how does it feel working on WXGA compared to SXGA+ ?

Also, which panel would be the best for this? I think the outdoor readable one would make most sence, but I have never seen any x20x display in real life.