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iPad 2 screen sucks

G

Geoker

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 19, 2011
5
0
Joisey
So, before I packed up my original iPad to be sold, I compared the screens and I am very disappointed by the result. The iPad 2 screen is not as good! I played Avatar side by side. The 2's contrast was lower, blacks were less black, bright areas were not as bright, and colors were less saturated. The movie looks amazing on the original, and just ok on the new one.

This performance was across all apps, not just the movie, but in the movie the difference was most striking. I am so disappointed. I hate to feel like I am trading down. :(

Anyone else experience this?
 
The glass is way thinner. Tap both to experience. 5mm compared to 3mm I believe. Could be a difference there because of it, but...

I notice no difference in quality of image, contrast, etcetera.
 
After reading a similar thread yesterday, I went to Best Buy to compare my iPad 1 to the iPad 2. It looked like the text quality at small font sizes was just a little worse on th iP2 when in portrait mode, but the difference was very subtle. Overall, I liked the color, clarity, and brightness of graphics on the 2. Neither screen is great for reading small fonts, but they are both still very acceptable. I think people are nitpicking on this issue. Also, I saw no yellow tint on the 2. Looked more white than my 1.



Geoker said:
So, before I packed up my original iPad to be sold, I compared the screens and I am very disappointed by the result. The iPad 2 screen is not as good! I played Avatar side by side. The 2's contrast was lower, blacks were less black, bright areas were not as bright, and colors were less saturated. The movie looks amazing on the original, and just ok on the new one.

This performance was across all apps, not just the movie, but in the movie the difference was most striking. I am so disappointed. I hate to feel like I am trading down. :(

Anyone else experience this?
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
No, if anything my screen appears to be better. I know on paper both screens are identical but I don't believe it. There is definitely something different about the 2 screens. My iPad 2 screen just seems to "pop" a little more, and this is with the brightness level set to the same on both screens.
 
Compile 'em all said:
Some pics would do your post good I think.
Click to expand...

I wish he had thought to do that, but he's probably shipped it.

This is the first I've heard of a bad comparison between the two screens, and I'll look forward to hearing other experiences.

I am surprised we haven't heard from more people about this.
 
Geoker said:
So, before I packed up my original iPad to be sold, I compared the screens and I am very disappointed by the result. The iPad 2 screen is not as good! I played Avatar side by side. The 2's contrast was lower, blacks were less black, bright areas were not as bright, and colors were less saturated. The movie looks amazing on the original, and just ok on the new one.

This performance was across all apps, not just the movie, but in the movie the difference was most striking. I am so disappointed. I hate to feel like I am trading down. :(

Anyone else experience this?
Click to expand...

I'd have to disagree. I have both the Ipad 1 and 2, and the 2's screen
is clearly superior in every way (color, sharpness, etc.).
 
Geoker said:
So, before I packed up my original iPad to be sold, I compared the screens and I am very disappointed by the result. The iPad 2 screen is not as good! I played Avatar side by side. The 2's contrast was lower, blacks were less black, bright areas were not as bright, and colors were less saturated. The movie looks amazing on the original, and just ok on the new one.

This performance was across all apps, not just the movie, but in the movie the difference was most striking. I am so disappointed. I hate to feel like I am trading down. :(

Anyone else experience this?
Click to expand...

I compared my original iPad with my iPad 2's screen, and I couldn't tell the difference. No light bleeds, same color temperature. Same brightness levels.
 
Are you kidding me

My iPad screen looks amazing how can anybody say any different unless they got a defect.
 
Geoker said:
So, before I packed up my original iPad to be sold, I compared the screens and I am very disappointed by the result. The iPad 2 screen is not as good! I played Avatar side by side. The 2's contrast was lower, blacks were less black, bright areas were not as bright, and colors were less saturated. The movie looks amazing on the original, and just ok on the new one.

This performance was across all apps, not just the movie, but in the movie the difference was most striking. I am so disappointed. I hate to feel like I am trading down. :(

Anyone else experience this?
Click to expand...

We have multiple iPad 2's in our home and I have noticed differences between the screens of this second generation. My wife's iPad 2 has a slight yellow tinge to the entire screen. No, it's not the glue. No, it's not the same issue as the iPhone 4. We've had the iPads since launch and her screen's yellow tinge hasn't changed at all. In comparison, my son's and my screens are bright and have a brilliant white/bluish hue. However, sadly, all the iPads suffer from backlight bleeding.

The backlight bleed most likely contributes to the diminshed performance of black levels on the iPad 2 screens.
 
It's the videos app, not the screen!

First of all, if anything the iPad 2 screen is better than the original. But...

I noticed the same thing as the OP, but only in the Videos app.

Seems to me, there is a bug, and video playback does have less contrast and everything else the OP stated. It's even more apparent on the paused, of first frame. When you press play, the video color and image "switches' to this more washed out look. Check it out and report back.

For me, the very same video files that looked perfect on my original iPad look bad on the iPad 2 but in my determination, it's got to be a glitch in the video player that Apple will most likely fix in the upcoming 4.3.1 update.
 
Two words, I think you will find cover this issue:

"Quality Control"
 
Surprised

I am surprised by people disagreeing with me by saying the iPad 2 screen is better. YOUR screen may be better, and I am happy for you, but mine is clearly inferior. You cannot disagree with me, because you do not have my iPad in front of you. I just wanted to see why no one was discussing it, and apparently it is a non-issue for most people.
 
Geoker said:
I am surprised by people disagreeing with me by saying the iPad 2 screen is better. YOUR screen may be better, and I am happy for you, but mine is clearly inferior. You cannot disagree with me, because you do not have my iPad in front of you. I just wanted to see why no one was discussing it, and apparently it is a non-issue for most people.
Click to expand...

Sorry about your issue.
I'm afraid it's what you get with cheap / consumer grade uncalibrated displays make in bulk for the lowest price as fast as possible.

There will be some yellow one and some blue ones and some neutral ones.

Or course Apple could overcome this be offering RGB and GAMMA controls in the iPad's setting like you have on any normal monitor/computer, where you, the user could compensate for this, or perhaps adjust it to your preference.

Unfortunately, Apple see the iPad as a dumbed down device and would not put such "technical" controls on the device for their intended user to set.

I can only suggest you return it, in the hope you get a better one that you are more happy with.
 
Comparing my original iPad to my iPad 2 screens show me clarity is the same. Brightness is greater on the iPad 2 with same light setting. My screen on the iPad 2 is terrific for me on web pages, word documents, excel documents, pdf's maps, emails and ebooks. Whites are white and blacks a black. No yellowing nor side bleeding. No problems here for me at least.
 
Geoker said:
I am surprised by people disagreeing with me by saying the iPad 2 screen is better. YOUR screen may be better, and I am happy for you, but mine is clearly inferior.
Click to expand...

Then you should rename the title of the thread. You said "iPad 2 screen sucks". It is quite a generalization you did there and a very bold statement.
 
If you just say iPad 2 screen sucks, then you are making a statement that every single iPad 2 screen sucks including ours.

Change the title of this thread and say my ipad 2 screen sucks. Of course, you are going to be criticized because you said something that affects everyone's iPad.
 
gatearray said:
First of all, if anything the iPad 2 screen is better than the original. But...

I noticed the same thing as the OP, but only in the Videos app.

Seems to me, there is a bug, and video playback does have less contrast and everything else the OP stated. It's even more apparent on the paused, of first frame. When you press play, the video color and image "switches' to this more washed out look. Check it out and report back.

For me, the very same video files that looked perfect on my original iPad look bad on the iPad 2 but in my determination, it's got to be a glitch in the video player that Apple will most likely fix in the upcoming 4.3.1 update.
Click to expand...
I have noticed this and have been surprised that there aren't more people reporting/complaining about this. That weird brightness shift to more washed out a split second after a video loads. It's really obvious and a bummer.
 
Landscape mode web text on the iPad 2 screen I saw appeared harder to read than the original I own. I checked engadget both zoomed and full page width, a site I am used to seeing.

Lower text clarity was the 1st thing I noticed, colors and contrast seemed fine.

Maybe someone with both versions and a macro lens will post comparisons I believe there is a clear difference.
 
Geoker said:
So, before I packed up my original iPad to be sold, I compared the screens and I am very disappointed by the result. The iPad 2 screen is not as good! I played Avatar side by side. The 2's contrast was lower, blacks were less black, bright areas were not as bright, and colors were less saturated. The movie looks amazing on the original, and just ok on the new one.

This performance was across all apps, not just the movie, but in the movie the difference was most striking. I am so disappointed. I hate to feel like I am trading down. :(

Anyone else experience this?
Click to expand...

I can not agree. We have compared our iP1 and iP2 screens over and over and there is little to no difference. In fact if I had to make a choice I would pick the new
 
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