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mayakukla

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 14, 2010
166
2
I am getting a pair of nice maui jim polarized glasses. I want to use the mbp in direct sunlight to read a pdf book. How will the screen look?

I have the new 13" mbp purchased in october of '09
 
I am getting a pair of nice maui jim polarized glasses. I want to use the mbp in direct sunlight to read a pdf book. How will the screen look?

I have the new 13" mbp purchased in october of '09

Depends on the polarization of your lenses, and how you hold the MacBook.

It will range from "you won't notice a difference" to "hey, where'd my screen go?"
 
Depends on the polarization of your lenses, and how you hold the MacBook.

It will range from "you won't notice a difference" to "hey, where'd my screen go?"

have you personally tried it or are you speculating? I am looking for first hand experiences, will I be able to sit there and read a book on the beach
 
have you personally tried it or are you speculating?

It doesn't matter. It's basic science.

will I be able to sit there and read a book on the beach

It depends on the orientation of your sunglasses with respect to the Macbook. We cannot answer your question for certain because of the variables involved not under our control. As with the iPhone 4, if you can't see the screen with your sunglasses on, "Hold it differently."
 
Well if you happen to have the bad luck of the draw and are experiencing near-extinction - you could always purchase some circular polarizing film and apply it to your shades, or LCD.... :D
 
I am getting a pair of nice maui jim polarized glasses. I want to use the mbp in direct sunlight to read a pdf book. How will the screen look?

I have the new 13" mbp purchased in october of '09

Polarised sunglasses will make the screen slightly dimmer. LCD screens are polarized at about a 45 degree angle, so with the glasses held parallel, or vertical, to the screen, the screen will appear at about 50% brightness. Depending on the polarization angle of the screen, holding the glasses near a 45 deg angle to the right will either show the full brightness, or blank it completely. Rotating the glasses to 45 deg left will give the opposite effect.

Unfortunately, polarized sunglasses will have no effect on reflections, and at 50% screen dimming, will make viewing worse.

As a matter of interest, the IPS screen on my 46" Sony HDTV is polarized horizontally, so polarized glasses have no effect when horizontal, and blank the screen when vertical.
 
Polarised sunglasses will make the screen slightly dimmer. LCD screens are polarized at about a 45 degree angle, so with the glasses held parallel, or vertical, to the screen, the screen will appear at about 50% brightness. Depending on the polarization angle of the screen, holding the glasses near a 45 deg angle to the right will either show the full brightness, or blank it completely. Rotating the glasses to 45 deg left will give the opposite effect.

Unfortunately, polarized sunglasses will have no effect on reflections, and at 50% screen dimming, will make viewing worse.

As a matter of interest, the IPS screen on my 46" Sony HDTV is polarized horizontally, so polarized glasses have no effect when horizontal, and blank the screen when vertical.

Are u sure for that?
 
Are u sure for that?

Because I'm bored haha..Screen brightness is 100%

Horizontal - About 50% brightness
img4473x.jpg


45* Angle - About 10% brightness (although picture looks black)
img4474s.jpg


Vertical - About 50% brightness
img4475.jpg


Glasses - Oakley Gascan polarized
Camera - Canon T2i with 28-135mm lens
 
Because I'm bored haha..Screen brightness is 100%

Horizontal - About 50% brightness

45* Angle - About 10% brightness (although picture looks black)

Vertical - About 50% brightness

Glasses - Oakley Gascan polarized
Camera - Canon T2i with 28-135mm lens


Thank you for taking the time to provide visual verification of my post. Various TN screens exhibit similar polarization characteristics. IPS screens seem to act differently.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
have you personally tried it or are you speculating? I am looking for first hand experiences, will I be able to sit there and read a book on the beach

LCD's are polarized also, so depending on which angle you will be reading your book at, it will go from between no difference at all to normal sunglasses to your screen appearing completely black.
 
Depends on the polarization of your lenses, and how you hold the MacBook.

It will range from "you won't notice a difference" to "hey, where'd my screen go?"

+1 that is exactly what will happen. It depends on the angle of the sun in relation to you as well as the polarization of your glasses. Fully polarized, and you wont see the screen. You may see rainbows too when its not polarized.

All LCD/LED screens do this..
 
If you're bored, using the polarized glasses with a backlit LCD - you can see stress / birefringence in plastic lenses. Take a pair of reading glasses, or a plastic bottle and hold it between your polarized glasses and the LCD itself.

As an FYI - there still isn't really any standard to how LCDs are polarized (though they're closer these days then in years past) - but there is a "standard" to how sunglasses are polarized. (otherwise they would not filter out reflected glare effectively) so if your monitor IS black with the glasses on - odds are good other glasses will do the same thing.

As we move further and further into the 3D age, you will see more TVs / monitors with a fixed polarization.... Probably....
 

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wow.... this is one of the strangest threads I have read in a long time. OK, from "personal experience" using a mid-2009 13" MBP with Maui Jim polarized all the time on the weekends, I have never had an issue, been frustrated, had to move the screen... whatever. So, I'm just sayin'...
 
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