Upgraded 15" T60 to UXGA... nice!

[Bart77]

I also bought BOE-hydis HV150UX1-100 LCD panels sold by cgsplcd and I'm more than happy. Very fast shipment by Fedex, however I had to pay some additional fees and taxes

[Norway Pad]

Troels: Thanks for the tip on identifying the Idtech panel, I will try this the next time I use my T43.

I replaced the CCFL lamps myself... Result: excellent SXGA displays. So the problem was the subpar CCFL supplier for LG-Philips.

So this means that a LG Philips with a new CCFL can be as good as new, and probably last much longer than id did the first time around? Does any companies do the CCFL swaps anymore, btw? I might look into repairing my old SXGA+ panel, in case I buy another T60 with a dim panel and/or the Boe Hydis UXGAs one day become unavailable. I don't dare try myself, in case I leave dust inside or break it.

[wild_bill]

you can also use the PC wizard program (very lightweight) to identify your panel's make & model (from the makers of CPU-Z)

also, I am not sure that the sealed area where the dust gets under the screen has to necessarily be violated in order to replace a backlight on this panel

[Norway Pad]

Ok, that makes it different. I might dare to try myself then. Hopefully beeblebrox can confirm if this is the case, since he has apparently done a couple of those swaps.

[wild_bill]

I hope he can tell us the model number of the Samsung panel who's backlight is the correct one, or even better, the part number of the Samsung backlight itself!

[RealBlackStuff]

The manufacturer of the LCD is (relatively) unimportant when swapping CCFLs.
I buy mine from www.lcdparts.net (a.k.a. Moniserv).
They sell most every length of CCFL.
I've done I don't know how many CCFL replacements.
The worst to work on are 14" Hitachi screens, and the easiest are the 15" IDTech screens.
All you need really is a small Phillips #00 screwdriver, a soldering iron (25W is enough) and a small wire cutter
(such as http://www.amazon.com/Cutter-Jewelers-B ... B000RB3V2Q).

[Norway Pad]

Thanks for the reply.

I know we discussed this once before as well, and you linked me to a page showing a step by step CCFL replacement. I don't have this link available right now, but I do believe this article showed the different layers being separated, and I believe that's where the dust gets into the picture here, literally speaking. Even though there is no dust in the room, there can be particles of dust hidden around the edges, and these will fall in between the panel parts once they are separated.

Correct me if I am wrong, I trust your (RBS's) level of skills and advice here. The soldering part is no concern, it's the dust part and too much handling of the fragile panel parts that I am worried about.

[wild_bill]

even if dust is a possibility, you could get a dim, yellow, SXGA+ panel from someone for free or nearly free to practice on, so there is really nothing risked except your time!

besides, this is not like building chips in a clean room, it takes a pretty large piece of dust to show up on a screen, surely you can give everything a final wipe and inspection when you are finished with the job before sealing it up

I had to replace the mirror on my HDTV, and I managed to do it without any major pieces of dust.

[Norway Pad]

Good advice, I think I will try a WTB. If it's totally defective is no problem either. There is no way for me to test this panel, except opening up my laptop, which I am not interested in doing for this purpose. The clue is for me to get some experience in opening it up to the degree where the CCFL can be taken out without getting dust in, pretend to swap it, and wipe/reassemble the panel.

[wild_bill]

My new 15" UXGA panel came today and I swapped it for my dimming, yellowing SXGA+ screen. The procedure was pretty easy - it took me around 30 minutes and only required removing the LCD bezel.

Not trying to be a killjoy here or rain on your parade, but if you replaced out your SXGA+ panel with a UXGA in 30 minutes then you didn't do some things correctly. I have done this job over 100 times and I can't beat an hour on a bet! (and do it correctly)

[westsailor]

Not trying to be a killjoy here or rain on your parade, but if you replaced out your SXGA+ panel with a UXGA in 30 minutes then you didn't do some things correctly. I have done this job over 100 times and I can't beat an hour on a bet! (and do it correctly)

Do you follow the T60 maint manual procedure or just remove the bezel ala the youtube video?

I curious since I'll be replacing my flexview LCD soon and I want to make sure I do it right.

[wild_bill]

to do this correctly, you need to use the videos at www.lenovoservicetraining.com/ion/T60_T60p/index.html and go into the FRU Removal section and watch the LCD video and then the LCD assembly videos

[RealBlackStuff]

Just wondering what you guys do to get dust inside the panel layers!
I never take the layers apart, just the metal frame around the LCD, and that only just far enough to free up both sides of the CCFL.
Then I unsolder the wires, slide out the old CCFL, slide in the new CCFL, attach the wires, trim the metal ends of the CCFL with a wire cutter, and reassemble the thing.
No dust!

[wild_bill]

Just wondering what you guys do to get dust inside the panel layers!

that is why I said that I don't think that replacing the backlight should violate the original seal - it was just a worry of Bjorn's

the only people that seem to get dust inside these panels are some of the factories that made them!

my LG/Philips SXGA+ panel had a dust spec from the factory and I don't think this is the only brand that has had this problem.

it seems to be a problem mostly from new, like how most dead pixels in an LCD are there from the start, and rarely develop later on!

[westsailor]

to do this correctly, you need to use the videos at www.lenovoservicetraining.com/ion/T60_T60p/index.html and go into the FRU Removal section and watch the LCD video and then the LCD assembly videos

I never knew those service videos existed!

I love you man!

[Norway Pad]

Just wondering what you guys do to get dust inside the panel layers!

He, he. I have never done this before, so I am only relating to what I have read here, and it has been mentioned as a problem that dust can enter the panel. I am very happy to have your confirmation on that it doesn't have to come apart, and if removing the the edges, replacing the tube and soldering a couple of wires is the biggest challenge, I think this project will go over just fine.

[tpribors]

I was pointed to this as I am in the process of replacing my panel as it is obviously showing its age. I just got a W510 and can't believe how the T60p display has aged.

There are quite a few of these still on eBay. One place has the HV150UX1-102. Is there any advantage to this version? The info in this forum says it's a tuned sRGB color space, but the eBay listing says it is non-IPS. I am doing a big negative scanning project so a display that is tuned to photo editing would perhaps be better.

[Troels]

Unless they can prove it by a picture of the actual panel they have for sale, it's only a compatible panel. Not IPS.
The only benefit is that it is calibrated using a sRGB profile - i.e. in the CIE color chart, the sides of the triangle that the color gamut spans becomes parallel to those of sRGB. However, it is still only 45% NTSC, like the regular -100 version. They are pretty close in color representation already, so in my oppinion - save the trouble of finding the -102.

I would believe the W510 has a higher color gamut screen than the Flexviews ever did (but far from the accuracy, white point, gamma stability etc.). So upon first look, it may seem as if the T60p screen looks more "muted".

For photos you ideally need a much higher color gamut (and a color managed application) - no lower than sRGB (72% NTSC). This is because it allows for easier editing of the photos, and because most sites offering digital image->photographs solutions don't accept custom color profiles - mostly only sRGB or AdobeRGB profiled images.

If the negatives are older, then the color space of these may be much less than what the sRGB gamut covers, thus the -100/-102 display would be indestinguishable from a sRGB or AdobeRGB gamut monitor (provided that these monitors are calibrated to a known color profile).

[wild_bill]

There are quite a few of these still on eBay. One place has the HV150UX1-102

The Boe Hydis HV150UX1 is the only high quality IPS screen that works correctly with your T60p, available at this time, and it is a great screen in both the 100 and 102 variants

the 102's on ebay are BOGUS fakes, but there is one seller selling the genuine HV150UX1-100 and they are the first quality ones no dead pixels or other defects
that ebay seller is userID cgsplcd
I am using a Boe Hydis HV150UX1-100 purchased from them right as I type this, it is stunning!

So, to reiterate, there is only one genuine IPS screen on all of ebay for your T60p at this time and it is this auction:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0682789153

any other auction on ebay gets you a bogus screen at this time!

[tpribors]

I ordered one.

[wild_bill]

I ordered one.

you'll love it and the shipping time from Taiwan is UNREAL, how the hell do they get it here in 2 or 3 days, I can't even seem to get packages from California that fast!

PS - take your time on the install, if it takes less than two hours, you probably did it wrong, go here for videos on how to install.

[tpribors]

you'll love it and the shipping time from Taiwan is UNREAL, how the hell do they get it here in 2 or 3 days, I can't even seem to get packages from California that fast!

PS - take your time on the install, if it takes less than two hours, you probably did it wrong, go here for videos on how to install.

Yeah, it shipped on Monday and they attempted delivery today and I'm in Colorado. Shipping was $35 though. My Photoshop from Adobe shipped from the US won't get here until Friday!

[tpribors]

Yeah, it shipped on Monday and they attempted delivery today and I'm in Colorado. Shipping was $35 though. My Photoshop from Adobe shipped from the US won't get here until Friday!

I installed it this morning. It took about 1.5 hours, which will certainly go faster the next time. It's brighter than it was before but I'm wondering if the LCD driver board might help it be a little brighter. I'm an electronics guy and there are capacitors on the board that can also degrade over time. They're pretty cheap and it's really easy to get at so I think I'll get one.

[wild_bill]

I'm wondering if the LCD driver board might help it be a little brighter.

the LCD driver board is on the back of the LCD and it is brand new and not very old time-wise and is just fine. (and also not available from BOE-hydis and would be expensive if it was) besides, the driver board just decodes the signals digitally, it doesn't affect the screen brightness.

there was a capacitor debacle in the early and mid part of this decade, but your screen was made well after that time, and furthermore, the affected capacitors are obviously bulging, yours are not. Capacitors that are not affected by those defects tend to be good for at least 10 years and likely 20! - yours are like 2 years old and have just a few days use on them!

however the INVERTER board (the little strip you took out when you installed the screen that sits right below it) could probably stand to be replaced, it is cheap ($10-$25) and plentiful, and doesn't take very long to go back and install. It has a hard job and can degrade over time, it powers the LCD's backlight and IS responsible for screen brightness, along with the backlight. It tends to live a hot life, which is why they degrade. In the interest of science, put a dummy correct impedance load on your old and new inverters and measure the output voltage and amperage and report back to us!

check for the correct part number on support.lenovo.com and make sure the one you get on ebay is genuine IBM and is brand new from 100% seller (or you can just use the part number off of the old one, it is correct for both screens)

it's so cheap you might even want to get it directly from Lenovo just to make sure!

[tpribors]

Yes, it's the inverter board I was thinking of.

I'll summarize the effort to say that the display is somewhat brighter than the old one, but more important the color temperature is correct. Whites are now white instead of yellowed.

Last night I was doing some comparisons of the scanner results with the software on the W510 and the original Nikon software on the T60p so I had them side-by-side for the first time. All I can say is that the improvements on the T60p panel refresh don't come anything close to the quality of the LED backlit FHD display on the W510. With the machines separate they look OK but get the same image on both screens next to each other and the differences are amazing.

[ausmike]

@ tpr*...
Wow > you beat me to it....<quote ~"but get the same image on both screens next to each other and the differences are amazing"<quote".....I happen to order and install the "Boe Hydis HV150UX1-100" as suggested by "WILD BILL" and others here .... Well I was too lazy to do that during the Christmas Break (Yes Bill - was too busy watching aussies get beat ! cricket ) I finally got it done last night @ way past midnight and wanted to see the 'diff' @in morning - and WOW what a suprise I was - like you I did a compare to a KNOWN COMMON REFERANCE _Photo from a NiKON.

Yip at first was kinda disspointed too see the 'lower' result in Boe Screen but wasnt too disspointed as I was long time ago - way too happy with the FHD in my W510. I have the newer (FHD Panel) as per the email from Lenovo - but still I am amazed at the PICTURE QUALITY! and yes I have the W510 decked out with a BLUERAY Player ....

Am converted to FHD screens !! ..........and now just wish Lenovo comes out with them in X series + Tablets and that would go a long way to be my dream work laptop !


.......sorry for the babble ,, jsuz near 2am EST now ,,,

[wild_bill]

Yes, a 95% Gamut - 270 nit LED display is definitely going to be brighter and better outside than a 200 nit IPS display.

But good luck getting that FHD display to mount on your T60!

besides, just having ~only the vertical resolution of an SXGA+ leaves me wanting!

happy scrolling down to see what is on my screen right now, not to mention the considerably higher price of the computer and the screen option, so I am not even sure what the point is of this comparison, these screens don't even really compete against one another, one is brighter, better outside, much more expensive and with less vertical resolution, and doesn't fit the T60, a computer that is much more reliable that the somewhat problem plagued Lenovos of late. (just got finished sending one of these back for a new motherboard last week, for example)

[Troels]

Unless you use color managed applications, 95% NTSC color gamut is overkill and would make everything become over saturated, beyond what it is thought/designed to look like.
BD material, applications, tv feeds are specified in the sRGB color space (ITU 709), 72% NTSC. Even then, it it probably more important that the screen is calibrated to some reference. While the Flexviews are pretty neutral out of the box - non-skewed CIE chart compared to sRGB - this and other screens designed for laptops is no replacement for a proper desktop monitor.
For some reason it is hard to find a laptop screen with a proper sRGB color space. Would be happy to know the reason why this is, and why most displays are either exactly 45% NTSC or like 90-95% but very few in-between.

[wild_bill]

what I want to find is an outdoor UXGA screen for my T60 - good luck finding that! - this BOE hydis UXGA seems to be the best screen in the world that will fit it.

I can't get real excited about the new Thinkpads, it seems that the legendary quality has faded, and it looks like ASUS has assumed the role of "most reliable computer brand" these days, from what I see going bad in the field.

[beeblebrox]

Hi folks, after a long time I am back for a visit and have a few comments.

Of course the new screens are much brighter than the older CCFL. First, the LED row has much denser light output than the CCFL.
Second, a 16:12 LCD has a worse ratio of illuminating row vs. LCD area than a 16:10 or even 16:9.
The widescreens have more candela per area, by mathematics.
Third, you need to have the proper inverter, they provide the current for the CCFL. All are different. Most inverters drive the CCFL at 80% only, you need the correct one for the 2mm CCFL, and not the 1.5mm CCFL. Check with the LCD and which CCFL they use.

The IDTech CCFL can be switched easily whithout dissassembling the whole LCD (like the 14" screens). Only pull out the bottom where the CCFL sits, that's all.

I see CCFLs simply as a replacement part. They are kind of cheap and can be replaced once a year for a fresh white-bright new screen.
On my Hydis UXGA the brightness is so high that I use it only at 60% most of time. It is very comparable to the LED screens.

Anyway, HP is selling new 15.4" and 17" notebooks with Widescreen IPS LED screens. Is anyone adventurous enough to maybe put one of these into a T500?

I saw an experiment on the internet, where someone took a broken LED screen, pulled the LED row and inserted it after some soldering into a T60 LCD. Result was a VibrantView IPS Screen (:drool)
I got plenty of broken LED screens, but no time. You would leave the inverter as it is (for the LED indicators), but drive the LEDs with a small electronics board in PWM mode.