See why you should lust after a DC2 equipped HP laptop

Some of you may have seen my series of photos taken of my 8740w w/the DC2 display. I used a sample shot that comes with the HP Display Assistant, and they weren't very great shots. I knew I needed to do a better job.

Thanx to Aikimox I have some more nice backgrounds. I decided to use one of them to post some better more carefully taken shots exemplifying why I lusted after it before it was available, went thru the misery of the delays, and you probably will lust after it too if you're not one of the few that have one...

Normally, we digital photographers post process our RAWs to try to best reproduce the original, if we're not trying to enhance it in an artful fashion. So how do you think it performs at extreme angles? ...try it w/your laptop screen.

The Original JPG:



The above JPG displayed in Windows Photo Viewer, and photographs taken of the screen face on, and 45-ish degree angles:

(all photos share the same Lightroom treatment aside from slight variation in exposure compensation. The display was operating in 8-bit mode, AdobeRGB Gamut)










....any non-DC2 owner's dare try the same? ... hehehe, ok, that's not fair.

I'm absolutely thrilled with my choice to spend over 100% more than I originally budgeted when I 1st started looking for a great laptop to do PP work on. With thanx going to the great folks here from where I either learned everything I needed to to make the right decision, or just learned what I did not know and sought it out.

 

That's gotta be some of the best angles i've ever seen on a LCD. Only plasma comes close to that. But i have to see with my own eyes to believe. Now let's just hope they sealed it properly, it would be a pity to get dust specks inside such a nice screen. My dv9000 has acquired several large-ish dots of dust... But i don't have a clean room environment to take apart the LCD, i'd just end up with more dust inside if i do that.

 

Thanks, M8!
I envy your camera
Will you be willing to make a few shots for the review that I'm working on?

 

Indeed. Just PM me some ideas. Too bad I can't do the comparo to your M17x tho.

 

wow that is an amazing screen

the entire laptop makes my dv7 look like garbage

 

I'll just go ahead and say that screen is absurdly colorful. I want one @_@

 

I want one of the 15" ones in a desktop form! In terms of DPI and colors, all desktop LCDs are crap by comparison.

HP could make bucketloads of money if they sold that in desktop form.

 

Extreme angles you say? Meet the HP WVA (Wide Viewing Angle) display from 2006.





Couple more there: IMAG0057 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Sorry about the image quality, taken with my mobile phone and these office lights are really hard to avoid. So I put the laptop under the table and that kills the image quality in camera.

 

I'm duly impressed! Especially from the view from the bottom. Wow, can't be a straight-up TN display. The mid-2000's were definitely a high period as far as screens in laptops is concerned IMO; non of this wide-screen low vertical rez crap of today and a high rez option was often available in most everything.

I'm really happy you posted that. I wasn't aware there was another screen was that capable in that sense (old IBM and other older now-outdated-and-underpowered IPS based laptops notwithstanding). My path to getting the 8740w had taken me thru a period where I was scanning eBay for 8710w and 8730w machines. Then discovered the IPS based 8740w was coming. Had I known that type of screen was available in a particular model [tbd] that would definitely have made my radar screen. (do you know, is that a 8-bit hardware screen or 6-bit? Just for my edification.)

Actually, in that light I'm lucky I didn't know. I would have missed out on all else the 8740w and DC2 gives me.

 

m8o MORE PICS PLEASE!!!

 

Exxo, 7 more of my pics among many others was used in this review in-case you didn't see it yet.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/notebook-news-reviews/503121-hp-8740w-review-full-metal-jacket.html

Enjoy.

 

Sounds and looks great except for the fact that the weight is Starting at 7.8 lb (3.57 kg) . I'll stick to my Envy even though I can't get those angles...

 

This display is manufactured by Boe Hydis, they claim on their website

"Backed by the success of its AFFS display technology-- which provides vertical and horizontal 180 degree viewing angle, vivid color, and ripple-free durability--hydis has secured a leading market position in the tablet PC industry and is one of the top 10 TFT-LCD providers in the world."

I remember seeing somewhere a guide how to tell difference between panel types, according to those links this is close to IPS. At some angles solid blacks seem to glare but basically everything is readable at any angle.

Liquid crystal display - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
AFFS: New Standard in LCD Technology -- Nikkei Electronics Asia -- September 2005 - Tech-On!

I also like the glass cover on this display: YouTube - ‪tc4400 screen test‬‎ I wouldn't dare to try that myself tho. At least it feels much sturdier than regular bare LCD.

For under 300USD used that thing was a bargain. There's multiple models, with regular TN displays, WVA and Outdoor-viewable variants. Reason I wanted this was simple, I can use all the accessories with both this and the 8510w. Power supplies, extended batteries, docking stations all work. Newer 12" models cannot use other than power supply. Yet I can fit this with powerful 64bit C2D cpu's and 4GB ram, hdd as big as I can buy... Quite perfect daily companion.

 

You certainly made the right choice KLF.

Yes, AFFS is certainly a great screen technology as well; better than I was led to believe based on what I've read in the past. Thanx for sharing.

 

Several points of note on IPS-type 180 degree viewing angle screens:

1) Lenovo has been using BOE HYdis screens with AFFS+ technology on their tablet PCs for years (X61t. 200t, 201t) as has HP (2730p,2740p) and Fujitsu uses similar technology but - I think - makes it themselves or sources it but does not reveal the manufacturer. AS the manufacturers of the latest vogue in Tablets learned quickly, you can't have images disappear or distort on a tablet 0)when you switch angles - kinda defeats the purpose,. Strange how Lenovo, who for years had been putting these screens into their tablets - and even some of the notebook products, I believe - is suddenly marketing "IPS" as if it was the greatest technological feat of the year when they have been selling them for so long.

2) Tablet PC buyers have recently been buying them on the used market, where the touch/pen digitized screen premium is essentially eliminated, as much for ultraportables with great screens as for drawing, note taking, etc. I bought and sold 7 of these (kept thinking I'd found the "holy grail" of tablet PC (the "real" kind, like "real" men - and women - use for fare more power and play than the currently in vogue slate like devices for content playback.Curiously, 3/7 of my buyers were seeking a good deal on a Tablet PC for its intended uses, but the other 4 were buying them primarily as an great deal on an ultraportable because with screens far better than the non-tablet version of the product - eg, HP 2740 tablet vs 2540 ultraportalbe, similar "under the skin" but nothing like that under the display glass. And they sacrifice little or nothing int terms of features, functionality or weight from their less talented siblings. Buying them used, though, removes the $500-$700 premium at list prices.

3) If anyone is interested in the one the HP DreamColor 2 displays in the 15.6" form, I'm selling one, brand new in the unopened box (see my sigl line) for far, far less than you could buy it from HP or a reseller.

 

Yes, Lenovo X-series have very decent panels and the upcoming X220 has an IPS option but I'm really interested to know the rest of the specs: brightness, gamut, contrast, backlight, etc.

From what we have today DC2 is the absolute top screen found in notebooks, IMHO.