ENVY 15 with IPS screen

How many are keeping there ENVY 15 with IPS screen?

 

I was just thinking of starting a poll like this earlier today.

Ill vote once I have mine in hand next week

 

I'm keeping mine but exchanging the one I received because of cosmetic issues; raised trackpad, scratch by the trackpad, plastic already peeling under the bezel by the hinge.

 

Nice, are you having any other issues with the screen such as the color purple and violet lacking? According to Lvivkse his screen lacks violet and purple

http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-envy-hdx/633054-hp-envy-15-3xxx-series-owners-lounge-30.html

 

I'm waffling on this but voted returning. If I return it, I want to try out a 17...

Outside of the colors I really love this thing, and every aspect is an upgrade over my 14...

 

The reds looks red and the violets look violet to me. I've noticed some shades of red do look a little more orange on the screen and you can say the same for violet, but you really don't notice it until you compare it to another monitor. Overall it's not a dealbreaker for me, and I still think the screen looks better than the 17.

 

have you compared the violet to another monitor? can you poast a picture? please?

I need hope that an exchange might help...

 

Checked my friend who is professional in TV development and color setting.
Do not worry about the panel, in fact for different panel vendor, they will have slight different color setting(different color profiles and/or brightness/contrast settings), some will adjust to warm color style(you will feel dark), some panel vendor will adjust to cold style, will make your panel more bright and appear light color.
If you put 10 different vendor panel, differnent panel will show differnt color style, there is no serious standard on color setting. Even for same panel vendor,may show different color if different batch products.

And, this is not HW limitation, can be fixed by BIOS update if do VBIOS color profile adjustment.

 

Can you clarify how this can be fixed through BIOS setting? It has been stated by other HP ENVY 15 owners its an hardware issue and they couldn't fix it through BIOS or anything. Do you own ENVY 15 or expecting to get receive one ?

 

I'm starting to suspect that littledog is an outsourced HP PR guy

 

I think your right all his post has been about the ENVY. I wish he would answer my question if it could be fixed through the settings.

 

I just dropped off my Envy at Fedex to exchange for a new one. HP gave me a shipping date of January 26th . As long as they don't give me one with any defects I'll be happy.

 

based on his comments:
- he doesn't have a 15 IPS
but...
- IPS can be fixed in a BIOS update, it's not a hardware problem; every laptop brand is different so don't worry
- most don't even notice the orange issue unless you do a side-by-side test
- don't judge the display based on [Lviv's] pictures
- nobody noticed the orange issue until it was brought up here
- "I believe the "red" still show "red" but just not dark"
- "you can not say this is bad IPS monitor"
- if you aren't an art designer, the color issue won't matter
- only SOME 15's have bad reds, not all

 

Haha, he is either an HP rep or a fan boy..I am hoping that some 15s have bed red..My order has been delayed so i am hoping its because of QC

 

Haha, I am now typing on my Envy15, where you find I didn't have my Envy15IPS?

I believe you really 1000% care it while many other users did not notice or care it at all. It is not good to magnify it, and make everybody scared.

You can say i am a HP fan...

 

Check this thread, its quite obvious that the red is showing orange. Also if you know that the issue could be fixed through BIOS, could you please share with us how and where you came up with such a conclusions, it could be helpful to those who have the ENVY 15.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-envy-hdx/633054-hp-envy-15-3xxx-series-owners-lounge-31.html

 

Suggest you read more other's comments based on this red/orange. Some think red still red, but will show wash out/orange for some shadow places in picture, some think this is normal screen, and some think this is big problem, anyway it is subjective decision.

Yes, panel color style can be adjusted by BIOS/VBIOS, but nobody know whether HP will do such fix.

Edit: BIOS/VBIOS can not fix this flaw, need VGA driver update.

 

Pics of your Envy 15 and screen? Proof of your assertions?

 

umm

http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-...vy-15-envy-17-envy-17-3d-121.html#post8199982


And I wouldn't say many users don't care. It seems a chunk of people posting here are returning theirs, by a 1/3 avg. based on the poll
http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-envy-hdx/635654-envy-15-ips-screen.html

Small sample, I know, but let's not gloss over what's a clear issue to most owners here.

 

I agree with you in general Lvivkse, but as I read that poll, it is actually 2:1 towards keeping over returning. Still waiting for mine to arrive this week after the 12/27 shipping error.

I just bought a Dell U2410 for Lightroom use, and hoping that the Envy screen will be fine for everyday use, as I don't see anything else out there, save a MBP, that looks like a decent competitor.

 

This is pure bull! You can't adjust colors via the videocards bios any more then you can within the OS. There are 2 gpu's in the Envy. The one built into the intel CPU and the one built into the motherboard. Both exhibit the problem. You can't update the bios on the intel gpu... why, cause it doesn't even have one.

videocard bioses have nothing to do with the LCD colors. Perhaps that LCD's can be programmed in some manor, but it's most likely not something an end user can do. And most likely something done during the manufacturing phase.

 

The FHD screen on the ThinkPad W510 or W520 is pretty fabulous.

 

I should clarify that I meant compete overall for my preferences (including form factor) not just the screen. I've also heard the upgraded screen on the XPS 15 is great, and considering the screen on my XPS16, I believe it. Problem is, I think the XPS15 is butt ugly.

 

It's not just you. It's a steaming pile of...

 

Agree. At the time it came out I though the XPS Studio 16 was quite decent looking, and the high gamut RGB-LED screen is just superb, even though I believe it is a TN panel. I was excited about the XPS15 until I saw it... that is one fugly laptop!

The 15z is much better looking but a little anemic particularly in terms of graphics capability.

Honestly at this point I'd just bite the bullet and buy a MBP but it is (not unintentionally) crippled running Windows with limited driver support and poor battery life unless running OSX.

 

I was considering the MBPs as well but couldn't justify the price and the hassle of installing Windows on it....and covering up the Apple logo with duct tape

 

If you're looking for a good screen, albeit a TN panel, you might also want to consider the Vaio F. It's got a fantastic-quality screen, good overall build quality, and decent gaming performance (quad-core i7 plus 540M). It's unusually thick, but not unusually heavy. Pricing is much easier to swallow than an MBP 15...$999 includes the i7 and the 1080p screen; a 540M is $50 more. The design is very modern and monolithic--either you love it or hate it, but it's definitely unique.

It's a bummer to hear that so many people are unhappy with their new Envy 15s. When I first saw pics and saw the spec sheet, I assumed it'd be the best 15" PC laptop on the market.

 

I ordered the envy 15 and when it arrives I will see if I can live with the screen issue if not I think I might try out the Sony Vaio F...

 

I owned an FW once and it felt very cheap / flimsy. Case in point, power button snapped right off immediately. Is the F still made of plastic?

 

The F2 is made of plastic, but it's not flimsy. I carry mine with me to work every day. I haven't seen any complaints in the F2 owner's forums about cases breaking or trim coming loose or anything like that.

Metal is not necessarily stronger than plastic just because it's metal. I just bent a paperclip in half (and ruined a perfectly good paperclip just to prove a point...and I can't even show you the paperclip). The Vaio F2 (plastic case) is known for having a solid, if bulky case; the Vaio SE (metal case) is known for having a very flexible, insubstantial-feeling case.

 

A MacBook Pro similarly configured to my Envy 15 order was over $1000 more. I am comparing my 30% off order to a Apple EPP order.

Installing Windows is really rather hassle free once you've done it a few times and understand the limitations. My MacBook Air works nearly as well with Windows 7 as it does with OS X Lion. It certainly is better that all of the other Ultrabooks on the market (currently).

That may change over the next few days. We'll see.

 

I paid like $1300 for my 15
A similar MBP would have a 1440x900 display, slightly slower clocked RAM, weaker speakers and backlighting (FWIW), and cost $2800

 

Lvivkse, how bearable is the orange/red problem?

 

I think the price you estimate for the MBP is a bit too high... Never the less, the MBP would be quite more expensive, especially with coupon.

I got mine finally as well, and I think I'll send it back. My complaints are:

a) screen: the orange issue is really bad. It makes the colors pop, but everything looks cartoon colored. Orange explosions, nuclear grass etc. I tried some calibration on my own and the one of a forum member here, but without any success. I am also pretty sure that it is not a calibration issue but a hardware problem.

b) keyboard flex. The flex around wasd is pretty bad.

c) battery life. 5h at best (under standard web browsing use) and around 3h under a bit heavier use (youtube etc) are nothing more than average

d) the touchpad is not useless, but far from good. I installed all the drivers etc, but its just too inaccurate, especially on the edges. And it is too small, which limits scrolling.

e) only English keyboard layout availible. This is quite annoying, as I am used to and would like a German layout.

f) QC issues. I also have the raised touchpad

g) noise. As fast as the external GPU kicks in, the notebook is clearly noticeable


I could cope with all those issues, but the display pretty much is a dealbreaker.
I really don't want to spend 2000-2500$ on a MBP, but I am pretty close at doing so by now. After searching an trying notebooks for years, I am tired of coping with smaller or bigger issues all the time.
Apple is the only manufacturer who delivered notebooks without any issues for me, and that as long as I can remember.

We'll see what the future brings, but for now this notebook just does not make me happy. And 1300$ for that is just too much money...

 

I went to apple.com and picked out a MBP with similar options. That's the price, unfortunately.

 

I would have bought a Macbook Pro except for these issues.

1. I don't care for OS X and Windows doesn't run that great on the Macbook Pro.

2. The Macbook Pro is much more expensive than a similarly equipped Envy.

3. The display is not full HD 1080x1920 on the Macbook, while it is on the Envy, minus these red/orange issues.

Other than these, the Mac is better in pretty much better in every way. HP's QC issues are atrocious and their clickpad is not nearly as good as Apple's. Even with these negatives I still got the Envy and still would recommend it to others as it's the best pc alternative to a Macbook Pro.

 

I'd really encourage the people here who are having issues to consider the XPS 15 and the Vaio F. You don't need to choose between a $1300 Envy 15 and a $2300 MBP 15...there are other options out there too, and those are the two best IMO (the Vaio F's main issue being a thick case design, the XPS 15's being erratic fan noise, but both are otherwise pretty well liked).

 

And in my opinion, the XPS15 being enormously fugly. But I might just take that over the orange screen.

 

The problem with those is their video cards don't really hold a candle to what the Envy's packing. I've never compared them, but I can't see how their build quality would compare to the Envys as they are made from plastic and not aluminum.

 

the lack of a chicklet keyboard is a deal breaker for me, ugly design notwithstanding

i refuse to buy sony ever again, i want this thing to last more than a year

 

The 7690m is roughly equivalent to a 555m, which is indeed a step up from the 540m in the XPS 15 and the Vaio F. Not several steps up, but one solid step up. It's not like the Envy 15 is packing a 580m or even a 560m.

My keyboard doesn't flex at all, but it sounds like the Envy 15's keyboard does, particularly around WASD. Plastic versus metal doesn't tell you everything you need to know about solidity, and it tells you essentially nothing about quality controls in assembly. Plastic is solid if thick enough and metal is bendy if thin enough. And a plastic-bodied machine can be put together well, and a metal-bodied machine can be put together poorly.

 

Honestly, I know the reds lean to the orangish side but I didn't buy it to do work on. I've got a better external display (calibrated) for anything color critical. I do like just about everything else with it...there really aren't many options for 1080P IPS @ 15" (even if reds are orangish).

 

What's wrong with a Lenovo W520 that keeps it from being one of your picks? I received my Envy this week and I'm contemplating returning it and getting the Lenovo. It's powerful, 95% gamut, about the same weight as the Envy. Certainly not as nice looking, but seems a decent alternative.
I so much wanted to like this 15 Envy, but I do graphics work and don't know if I can live with the orange/red issue. I'll decide after I calibrate. Also - I stuck my Samsung 830 SSD in the Envy and the restore discs failed to complete. Support responded with some bs. I'm trying once more this weekend.

 

ok, depends on the configuration. What I meant was that a biased configuration on the MBP and some discount (like for students) does not get you that high. Upgrades on MBP are very expensive, but also mostly useless for most people. For around 2000$, you should get a competative product.

Sorry, but these are completely different products. The XPS is much thicker, has far worse battery life, is loud and has half the GPU power of the Envy. I don't know the specs of the Sony by heart, but it will have similar problems. The only alternatives to the Envy are the Samsung Series 7 (also screen problems, and other issues) and the MBP (by far the best, but more expensive)

see above. Samsung Series 7, Envy 15, MBP 15 etc. are from the category "thin and light". If you find something competative in this category, you'll find a lot of interested people here. But I can tell you already, there is nothing else, everybody is looking for that here. If there was, you would see a lot of talking immediately.


And about those who say that the color reproduction is not that important in everyday use - true, you don't need all the shades, but you need kind of true colors. I want this laptop for multimedia and stuff, but movies look like comics, everything has an orange tint, there is no dark blue and everytime something is red or slightly orange, it pops out in bright orange like a warning. The main problem is not that the colors are off, but that they are shifted from true colors to kind of neon colors.

If that does not bother you, great, I do understand that. My Galaxy S2 phone also tends to over saturate the colors, and I am fine with it, but on this laptop it's a dealbreaker for me.

Btw, if you check the stats, it tells you that the panel uses 6 bit aka 262k colors. I am not so familiar with other panels right now, but it feels a bit little...

 

The W520 isn't made by Lenovo. Like nearly everything it's outsourced and made in China.

If you get a good W520, there's very little on the market that will beat it.

However, Lenovo does have manufacturing and quality issues like everyone else. Test the crap out of it in the first two weeks and make sure everything works perfectly.

 

I'm not sure they're as different as you think.

Envy 15 weight: 5.79 lbs
XPS 15 weight: 5.95 lbs
Vaio F weight: 6.85 lbs (but a bigger screen size)
ThinkPad W520: 6.2 lbs
Vaio SE weight: 4.4 lbs (disclaimer: has had a red-orange controversy of its own)

Yes, the Envy 15 has a better GPU (but not twice as powerful...I think it's something like a 30-40% improvement, which generally translates to playing games one graphics setting higher). Each of these laptops has a different set of compromises, but I think all of these are options for people who were initially excited about the Envy 15 but ultimately decided it wasn't for them.

 

the 15 and MBP are not "thin and light"s

 

I'm wondering if any of you "screen officianados" can help me with something regarding the Envy 15. I'm considering the Envy 15 along with the Samsung Series 7 as a desktop replacement which will provide the added benefit of portability. Most of the use will be web surfing and spreadsheet work (finance guy). There will be very little movie or tv viewing.



Given my type of usage, is there a benefit to getting the IPS screen (ignoring the red/orange issue)? I suspec that web pages and spreadsheets look virtually identical on either of the 2 screen choices. I had someone tell me that for screen resolution: Don’t go too high, otherwise you’ll go nuts. For 14 inch, 1366x768 is good, 15 can do that or maybe 1400 x 900. 1920x1080 is no good for laptops unless you are a teenager. I'm assuming that higher resolution makes the numbers in a spreadsheet look smaller (potentially an issue for a 45 year old with glasses).

 

There is never a reason to go for a screen for a lower resolution. If you find the text too small, you can increase the DPI so that you can have bigger text while still having a large amount of screen space to have multiple viewable windows open. You can also just lower the entire screen resolution, but the first method I mentioned is more preferred.

 

Don't worry about a resolution being too high. A high resolution is capable of displaying finer details and smaller text, but that doesn't mean it has to. By going into Windows settings and setting text size to 125% or 150%, you can make every part of the GUI larger - the taskbar, menus (this includes both the menus you see when you right click and menus in programs), icons, icon text, the start menu, tooltips, pop-up notifications in the system tray, etc. The same goes for your web browser and Microsoft office. Now, the cost of the panel is still a concern, but the fact of the matter is that higher resolution panels are still just as capable of displaying things large, in addition to being able to display finer detail.