Screen outdoors

[drbjstern]

Well, I have heard the UX-50 screen isn't so great outdoors. I drive a convertible and live in S. California, so my top is down 98% of the year. That's the good news.

I am contemplating getting the UX 50 in the next day or so. What's the scoop? How readible is the screen in direct sunlight?

Is the anyway to lessen the glare?

Some thoughts please. It's important I can read the screen easily in sunlight.

[JustaNoob]

Originally posted by drbjstern
Well, I have heard the UX-50 screen isn't so great outdoors. I drive a convertible and live in S. California
Lucky guy...
Originally posted by drbjstern
I am contemplating getting the UX 50 in the next day or so. What's the scoop? How readible is the screen in direct sunlight?
The screen is unreadable outside in full sunlight.
Originally posted by drbjstern
Is the anyway to lessen the glare?
Yes. Get one of those hoods they put over old-timey cameras, and use that with the UX. Works like a charm. :)

Get something with a transflective screen. I used to have an HP1910, and it was great outside.

[drbjstern]

Does anyone think that the privacy filter Sony sells might be a solution (as it is supposed to reduce glare) and make the screen more readable outdoors?

Anymore thoughts on the outdoor readability problem? Doesn't anyone else find this a pain?

[SuitCase]

I always found with the PDAs I used that the easiest way to do it is to simply turn around so a shadow falls upon the screen of the PDA. It's never a big issue and unless you wanted it in your car for GPS or something like that it shouldn't factor much into your decision to buy it, in my opinion.

[jamesgood72]

I'm quite dissapointed in my UX50 screen for outdoors use. It's really not very good. My N710 was much better in that respect, and I think the TG50 was too. How does it compare to the NX's in this respect? Are PocketPC's using the trans-reflective screens these days? I take it the UX is not transreflective?

-James.

[Eddy]

yep, the UX's screen is really hard to see while out under direct sunlight. The NX I had on the other hand is actually better in direct sunlight, you can practically turn off backlight & still manage to see the screen & I always do this while waiting for my gf inside my car playing bejeweled. My Clie is my best companion when I'm stuck in my car with nothing else to do. LOL :D

[JustaNoob]

Yeah, the UX screen is not transflective. I never played with an NX, but I assume the reason that it's visible outside is because it's transflective.

My theory on why the UX screen is not transflective breaks down to two possibilities: first, that because of the unusual shape of the screen, there simply wasn't an off-the-shelf solution that Sony could use, so they had to make their own or spec it out, and it was cheaper to do TFT, or second that because of the camera and video features of the UX they thought a TFT would make for a better viewing experience (I think TFT has a better refresh than transflective). I could be totally wrong about the last one though, since I really don't know if transflective is any worse for video.

I do like the screen in general, but even on a hazy day outside I have to turn the brightness to full to even be able to do anything. And on a sunny day it's totally unusable. Oh well, maybe on the UX70 we'll get an OLED...