Quick Review: 1680x1050 Brightview vs. 1440x900 Ultra Brightview

I just receieved my replacement 9000t, this time with UltraBrightview rather than the 1680x1050 WSXGA Brightview.

I found the 1680x1050 screen to have lots of shadowing, and to be overall very dim. Dim enough where fine fonts and icons were overcome and muddled by the antiglare coating. I just couldn't stand to do much text editing. So the unit went back, and I now have the 1440x900 Ultra Brightview screen. The shadowing is gone, the colors are much more vibrant, and the overall clarity is significantly better. And it's MUCH better than the standard Brightview 1440x900 screens you see at Circuit City or Fry's. I've seen a few reviewers say that the Ulta Brightview is too bright, but I actually find it to be great at fending off glare from a window in my office, and it makes the color in photos and DVDs really pop out. At night, I lower the brightness a few notches, and in the day or while outdoors, I crank it back up. My wife has a Dell E1505, and she now wants to take my laptop (note: while the E1505 is not as bright, I think the fonts and graphics are sharper on the E1505).

If HP would do the Ultra Brightview on the 1680x1050 screens, that would be something to behold! But for now, I definitely prefer the Ultra Brightview over the higher res 1680x1050 screen. It was definitely worth the change and this laptop is now a keeper.

 

Thanks for the reivew! I found this very helpful as I was undecided about those two different screen options.

 

Hi Bluesky,
Having a Birghtview screen on my DV5030Z, the Brightview is a high gloss screen. It is a brightview because it has that finish and it has a more intense backlight. The Ultra-brightview is further enhanced by a second backlight. I can say with no reservation that the screen on mine is anything but dull or muddled. I wonder if you had a standard screen?
Anyway glad you are happy with the machine.

 

I think the "dull and muddled" effect I had seen was more based on the small fonts associated with the 1680 resolution, combined with the blotchy anti-glare on the 17" screens. The fonts are very small, so the "blotchy" antiglare coating takes a serious toll on clarity. I looked at other brands of 17" notebooks at Fry's and all seem to have similar coatings; however, the ones with brighter screens were able to overcome the coating's effets and give nice, clear fonts. The dimmer HP 17" screens were not as bright as some of the others. I also looked at the 15.4" HP's (6000t series) at Fry's and they do not seem to have the same blotchy coating as the 17" screens. The 15.4's are much clearer and sharper overall.

Sorry about my lack of technical terms for "blotchy" and "muddled." Anyone else see these effects, or am I just more picky than the average bear?