2378FVU LCD Question/Problem

Message

daddy-o · #1 Post by **daddy-o** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 8:43 am

I have a 2 week old 2378FVU, and I'm completely happy with everything but the LCD. I'm wondering if it's my unit, or just my pickiness, because I don't see anyone else complaining about this problem.

There is no position I can put my head in, where either the top of the screen is too dark or the bottom of the screen is washed out. In other words, I cannot get to a position where the screen brightness appears uniform across the entire screen. It's starting to drive me crazy. On top of that, the screen seems quite dim, even at the highest setting.

My mother-in-law has a Dell D600, and her screen is remarkably better. I don't want a Dell, but my IBM sure doesn't seem so hot at this point.

I still have 2 weeks to return it, and I'm wondering what I should do.

Any opinions?

#2 Post by **aamsel** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 6:46 pm

I would like to hear comments on this also, especially since he is saying that the Dell D600 looks better. The horrible screen on the Dell D600 is the single reason that I am shopping for a laptop still. It (the Dell) had a brighter band on the top and bottom 3/4" or so of the screen, then normal in the middle, with an absolutely horrible viewing angle.

So, what is the deal with the 2378FVU screen??

I am considering it and the 2379DXU with Flexview.

I preferred to go for the 2378FVU because:
1.) it is a good bit less money
2.) is is smaller.

But after reading this post by daddy-o I have my doubts.

My only other option is a HP nc6000, and I THOUGHT that the Thinkpad would be higher quality, but I am having serious doubts.

Andrew
Austin, TX

#3 Post by **aamsel** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 8:25 pm

Can anyone comment on this person's questions about his notebook??

Andrew
Austin, TX

iansir · #4 Post by **iansir** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 11:06 pm

I got my FVU on Monday. Don't see this problem at all, the screen looks great.

g79 · #5 Post by **g79** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 4:16 am

There is no position I can put my head in, where either the top of the screen is too dark or the bottom of the screen is washed out. In other words, I cannot get to a position where the screen brightness appears uniform across the entire screen. It's starting to drive me crazy. On top of that, the screen seems quite dim, even at the highest setting.

I've the same problem with my T41 (2379DJU 14").
More info here: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=1690

These threads might be of interest too:
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=1127
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=1062
As you can see there are other people complaining about the problem you describe

I'd like to know if 15" flexview screens are less washed out than 14"'s...

I still have 2 weeks to return it, and I'm wondering what I should do.

If color accuracy (I'm not talking about professional color calibration, just _decent_ color accuracy) is important to you, then yes, return the unit.

G79

daddy-o · #6 Post by **daddy-o** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 8:47 am

Let me add 2 bits of information...

1) The D600 I'm comparing it to has an XGA screen. Not apples to apples, I know, but the difference between the two in terms of brightness and viewing angle is stark.

2) I also have an A31P with the UXGA/Flexview screen, and I have been using it for quite some time. I may be spoiled by that screen, since the viewing angle is huge and the screen is always uniform in brightness.

A few years ago, I had an Inspiron 8000 with a UXGA screen that had the same problem with uniformity. Yesterday, I dropped by CompUSA to compare LCD's, and aside from the Sony XBRITE, they all pretty much fell in line with my T42.

ian · #7 Post by **ian** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 3:04 pm

I can't make, as you so rightly say, an apples to apples comparison, but this screen (15" SXGA Flexview) is the bees knees compared to my 14.1" T21. I watched my first T42 DVD the other day, the colours were really fine, bright, even etc. and the fact that I could move around and STILL see the picture without having to clamp my head in a vice so as not to move, made me appreciate it even more.

I thought my T21 was good, having 'groan-up' with Dells etc (deliberate misspelling) and I like it still, but I prefer the new 'un...

Edit: forgot the reason for the post - I have yet to notice banding or other shading. Might I suggest you send it back before it drives you mad.

JASE · #8 Post by **JASE** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 3:25 pm

Yes, I have just been looking at a DELL LCD and it does seem to be more uniform in colors.

I have a T41p and it seems a bit reddish at the lower left corner - that is when I set up a completely white background (with max. brightness). Then again, its just a bit - not bad at all - might be my eyes playing tricks on me

Anyway, the DELL display is definetly better (brighter and more crisp).

JASE

bmwdavid071 · #9 Post by **bmwdavid071** » Sat Jul 31, 2004 12:14 am

I just received my IBM T42(2378FVU) yesterday.
My screen works perfectly, and I don't have any dead pixcel and any problem as you mentioned.
I think you better contact IBM directly regarding your screen issue.
Good luck.
T42 is really a nice laptop.

plucky duck · #10 Post by **plucky duck** » Sat Jul 31, 2004 1:30 am

No problems with uniformity or brightness here either. You set it to the max and it's still dim? I know things like this can be subjective, but nobody should say that the highest setting is considered dim. Under what kind of lighting environment are you using the laptop? Outdoor/indoors?

daddy-o · #11 Post by **daddy-o** » Sat Jul 31, 2004 6:56 pm

The experience was done in a fairly dark room.

The more I look at it, the less I like it. It's not even in the same league as the Flexview right next to it. Either I received a bad 14.1" lcd, or...well, everyone received a bad 14.1" lcd.

So would you guys/gals think the best option would be to ship it back or take it in for warranty?

B-school starts in 3 weeks and I need something by then.

rideDPU · #12 Post by **rideDPU** » Sat Jul 31, 2004 8:35 pm

aamsel-
I just recieved my 2379-DXU with Flexview last week and couldn't be happier. The screen is absolutely beautiful. My dad was just commenting on how much he likes my screen compared to his 14" T41. Compared to my sister's HP, the Flexview is definitely brighter and fair more crisp and sharp.

Mark

darrenf · #13 Post by **darrenf** » Sat Jul 31, 2004 10:16 pm

daddy-o,

FWIW, I was pulling my hair out over the screen brightness on my 4378-fvu also until I realized (with the help of the forum) that the maximum brightness on battery is a good bit darker than the max brightness on AC.

Apparently I hadn't used it on AC because once I changed the BIOS setting (to allow max brightness on battery), it looked very good on max. Of course, on battery, I try to turn it down as low as I can stand so as to get as much time as I can, but now when someone else walks up and wants to look at the screen I can crank it up to 7 and impress them with the bright screen.

It's a shame that max brightness takes 2:20 off my normal operating time of 8 hours.

There was also some mention of banding. Be sure to set your color depth to 32-bit. You will still get 16-bit color (the max a TFT can display) but when the card is putting out 16-bit, one gets substantially less color depth on the screen.

-darren

#14 Post by **aamsel** » Sun Aug 01, 2004 1:21 am

daddy-0:

Can you try what darrenf is suggesting here, A/C power settings and 32bit, and see if it makes any difference to your screen??

Please advise.

Andrew
Austin, TX

bigbillyt · #15 Post by **bigbillyt** » Sun Aug 01, 2004 10:47 am

Just got a T42 2378FVU and a T41P both with the 14.1" SXGA and both seem quite nice as far as the screen goes.

I have a Dell D400 and use a Dell D800 for work. Both are great and have very nice screens, a little brighter than the IBM screen. Although the extra brightness is surperflous. The Thinkpad never needs the brightest setting for my taste, so the fact that the Dells can be set to a level that is way too bright is meaningless. The SXGA is also MUCH sharper than the 12" or 15.4" XGA/WXGA respectively. I also have two friends at work that have the D600 with the SXGA and it seems like a nice system but for overall fit and finish, design and features the IBM T series machines are IMHO much nicer. If nothing else the human interface devices (keyboard, trackpad, pointer stick and buttons) are MUCH, MUCH nicer.

I would call and see about getting a replacement if your screen seems that bad.

daddy-o · #16 Post by **daddy-o** » Sat Aug 14, 2004 1:20 pm

Just thought I'd post a follow-up.

I reinstalled a fresh non-IBM copy of WinXP and SP2. After messing around with windows power settings, I noticed the screen was significantly brighter than it was with the original installation.

I'm not sure I could recreate the issue, but at full brightness, the screen looks beautiful now. I'm very happy.

Oh, and Doom 3 is very playable at High Settings 800x600, I sit at about 50fps at all times.

Nabeel · #17 Post by **Nabeel** » Sat Aug 14, 2004 3:24 pm

You have an FVU and its 50fps? Whooaaa on my FVU it rarely stays at 30...
What drivers and things?

darrenf · #18 Post by **darrenf** » Sat Aug 14, 2004 10:04 pm

Is that a timedemo demo1 time? With a FVU at 8x6, high, no AA, no sync, OC a bit, Omega drivers, patched shader, I get in the low-30s. 50 is incredible!

-darren

Conmee · #19 Post by **Conmee** » Sat Aug 14, 2004 10:36 pm

daddy-o wrote: Oh, and Doom 3 is very playable at High Settings 800x600, I sit at about 50fps at all times.

**cough**[censored]**cough**.... lol...

Seriously, you better double-check your fps... I hit 50fps during gameplay only occasionally and during low activity scenes...

Try running the Doom3 timedemo from the Doom3 console to get an accurate benchmark number... check the Post Doom3 FPS thread... the FireGL T2 in ThinkPads is incapable of sustained 50fps at 800x600 with High Detail... even with overclocking and Omega drivers... hell, even a large number of desktop cards can't do that....

In fact, take a look at Anandtech.com and the Doom3 video deathmatch benchmarks... ATI Radeon 9600 XT only gets 37.4 fps at 800x600 with High Quality and the nVidia Geforce FX 5700 Ultra only gets 38.5fps at 800x600 with High Quality. And both of these cards are faster than the MR9600 and FireGL T2, regardless of drivers, in the ThinkPads....

Daniel.

2378FVU LCD Question/Problem

2378FVU LCD Question/Problem

T41p Display quality

No problems here with two T series 14.1 SXGA screens

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