Not liking diffusion on the antiglare screen

[islanders]

There are plenty of comments on eye strain with the antiglare screen. I’m convinced that it’s the way the back light is diffused when it passes through the screen. Some call it “washed out” but it’s really much worse than that. The high resolution is a major improvement but all the background light is blotchy and non uniform. Watching a movie or photo editing would be fine but for everyday use this isn’t what I anticipated.

Maybe there is a good reason most computers have glossy screen? The reflections are an issue but has to better than looking at all the diffused light.

 

[Mal]

Yep. Forcing a naturally glossy surface to diffuse light so you can reduce glare will always result in what you're seeing, to varying degrees. It's much more effective and easier on the user to simply polish it to a proper level of glossiness. That's why CRT screens rarely had anti-glare finishes, as it would be very difficult to get a good picture. Anyone who cared about reflections simply placed a hood over it. The difference now is that those glossy screens are on laptops, so more people complain about light because they're carrying it outside with them (hint, you can almost always turn the screen in one direction or another and eliminate the glare).

jW

 

[interrobang]

Yeah, that's the difference between glossy and antiglare.

Glossy screens transmit screen illumination better, but also reflect ambient light directly. Antiglare screens scatter ambient light, but also scatter the screen's illumination somewhat.

Neither is perfect. Both have tradeoffs.

I will now open the thread to a million people saying "I have the X screen and I absolutely love it, everyone who hates on the X screen is a big stupid-head" or "I have the Y screen and absolutely hate it, I wish I'd gotten the X screen."

 

[islanders]

Everything else about the MBP 15 is excellent. I calibrated the screen which helped and I realize there are other issues such as font smoothing, etc. I don't like returning stuff but with the same exact diffusion there is no real improvement over my old Powerbook screen.

 

[islanders]

Yeah, that's the difference between glossy and antiglare.

Glossy screens transmit screen illumination better, but also reflect ambient light directly. Antiglare screens scatter ambient light, but also scatter the screen's illumination somewhat.

Neither is perfect. Both have tradeoffs.

I will now open the thread to a million people saying "I have the X screen and I absolutely love it, everyone who hates on the X screen is a big stupid-head" or "I have the Y screen and absolutely hate it, I wish I'd gotten the X screen."

True. I don't use mine outside or with a lot of bright background light. I was just speaking for myself and hope to find a screen I live with.

 

[grahamnp]

The high resolution is a major improvement but all the background light is blotchy and non uniform.

Have you tried comparing it to another? I had this problem with a previous MBP and it turned out to be a problem with the screen. I can try to notice the "blotchy" background that you mention but I have to move my eyes so close that I end up noticing the individual pixels first.

 

[islanders]

Have you tried comparing it to another? I had this problem with a previous MBP and it turned out to be a problem with the screen. I can try to notice the "blotchy" background that you mention but I have to move my eyes so close that I end up noticing the individual pixels first.

I did look at most of the MB's at the Apple Store but not the anti glare. I'll head back down there and take another look. It's very bright in there however with an entire wall of glass on the store front. I'm convinced it's just the antiglare screen that's not working for me.

 

[islanders]

I'm down at the Apple store. So far the MBA and MBP 13 appears to have a noticeable improvement, much clearer screen and resolution with a slight advantage to the Air.

 

[mark28]

Matte screens are not washed out, atleast very good ones. I have placed my Anti glare MBP next to Glossy MBP and it was just as crisps as the glossy ones.

On Glossy screen your eyes have to work which makes glossy screens more prone to eye fatigue.

I'd suggest trade in your MBP and get a new one. Apple has a few bad screens, so you got to be lucky you get one of those good screens. ( Apple buys screens from different manufactures )

 

[SayCheese]

You are all getting me thinking now.
I was about to buy a 15inch with antiglare and was pretty much set on it but am now seriously considering not bothering spending the extra and getting the glossy.

I am a photographer and was thinking that the antiglare would be better out in the field as well as the extra pixels would be useful. However I am now wondering if it's really worth it?

 

[derickdub]

You are all getting me thinking now.
I was about to buy a 15inch with antiglare and was pretty much set on it but am now seriously considering not bothering spending the extra and getting the glossy.

I am a photographer and was thinking that the antiglare would be better out in the field as well as the extra pixels would be useful. However I am now wondering if it's really worth it?

I believe you can still get the extra pixels with the glossy screen. At least on the 15".

I was too set on the antiglare until I read this thread. They look fine in the Apple store to me.

 

[NutsNGum]

Matte screens are not washed out, atleast very good ones. I have placed my Anti glare MBP next to Glossy MBP and it was just as crisps as the glossy ones.

On Glossy screen your eyes have to work which makes glossy screens more prone to eye fatigue.

I'd suggest trade in your MBP and get a new one. Apple has a few bad screens, so you got to be lucky you get one of those good screens. ( Apple buys screens from different manufactures )

Real misconception. A matte screen at the wrong angle is every bit as difficult to view as a glossy screen at the wrong angle.

 

[mark28]

Real misconception. A matte screen at the wrong angle is every bit as difficult to view as a glossy screen at the wrong angle.

On Glossy screens you have to turn up the brightness and focus more on what you want to see due to all the reflections. That can lead to more eye fatigue. ( I never had problems with eye fatigue on either glossy or matte displays, but I did notice I have to do alot more effort to watch things on glossy screens )

I"m looking now sidewise on this matte screen, it's just as easy like looking from the centre?

 

[marshallbedsaul]

even when I noticed this I still love mine.

 

[Nostromo]

Take you MBP to the Apple Store and have it checked.

The screen shouldn't be "blotchy". It's likely you got a faulty screen. Happens.

 

[SayCheese]

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You are all getting me thinking now.
I was about to buy a 15inch with antiglare and was pretty much set on it but am now seriously considering not bothering spending the extra and getting the glossy.

I am a photographer and was thinking that the antiglare would be better out in the field as well as the extra pixels would be useful. However I am now wondering if it's really worth it?

I believe you can still get the extra pixels with the glossy screen. At least on the 15".

I was too set on the antiglare until I read this thread. They look fine in the Apple store to me.

I hadn't noticed you could get the extra resolution in a glossy display.

Thanks.

 

[shansoft]

I had a Matte screen before I switch to Glossy.

The colors looks a bit different, and the screen on Matte looks a bit weird with very small color dots all over the place. It's quite hard to notice, but it's there on every single machine that I have seen on MBP.

I admit, I have a very sharp sense on this type of things.