Yoga 2 Pro / cheap screen / replacement, and resolution Qs

Hi all,

First of all apologies - accidentally posted this in the parent forum, but asked for that thread to be deleted.

I'm thinking about getting a Yoga 2 Pro and have been reading about the yellow issue. I believe I can live with it, but am curious about the actual situation.

Is this problem caused because Lenovo used a 'cheap' panel technology? (to save money, or whatever?) Or is the screen still high-quality, just unfortunately not engineered properly?

Either way, is it possible Lenovo might replace the screen in upcoming models? I don't mean in a year or so, I mean in a month or so if the screen is enough of a problem. I think Dell did this a few years back with the model of computer I have (XPS m1330) because it had a funky motherboard, so the hardware was upgraded within a few months of the release to fix the problem.

If so, I'll wait, but if not I might just order it and nevermind.

One last question: does anyone who has it have any thoughts on the screen resolution? I know 3200x1800 is way too large to function with, but does the scaling work well?

Thanks

 

As far as I know, there's only one 13.3" screen available at 3200x1800, and it's used in the Y2P, the Samsung AB9+ and the Toshiba Kirabook. Which is to say, there really isn't anything else to switch to that's an identical match - the other high resolution 13.3" IPS screens are 2560x1440.

The screen is PLS, a derivative of IPS, and uses a pentile subpixel arrangement (RGBW in a combination square/staggered pattern).

The big question I've been trying to get answered is... why have we not heard about similar issues with the Samsung's screen. Is it that the Samsung AB9+ is so expensive that it just hasn't had as many critical eyes on it? Or did Samsung (who makes the screen) realize the panel operated funky and calibrate their notebook to produce the best possible colors, while Lenovo merely slapped it in there and hoped for the best?

I wish we could get a direct comparison between the Y2P and AB9+. Either to prove that it's an uncorrectable flaw in the screen technology, or to show that Lenovo isn't doing it right.

 

Isn't this panel IGZO? It fits the same size and resolution as the Sharp model that began production during the summer.

 

No. The 13.3" IGZO panel is 2560x1440. It's the 14.0" IGZO panel that's 3200x1800 (as used in the Fujitsu Lifebook U904 and, as far as I can tell, nothing else).

See: http://www.sharp-world.com/corporate/news/130514-6.html

 

Thanks for the replies. That's good to know, though I'm still curious if that particular panel is by definition not as high-quality as others, hence the (potential) colour issues? Does that make sense?

 

The layout of the pixels is just plain stupid. RGBW Pentile can make sense for OLED displays, where each subpixel is powered individually, but it is worthless for LCDs.
Here is a picture where I made each subpixel into a full pixel:

and a zoomed in version:

Basically, the White(clear) pixel lets a lot more light through, so the backlight doesn't have to be as powerful. But that also means that fully saturated colors, such as yellow, are significantly less bright compared to white.

 

ok... that makes sense. why use RGBW then? cheaper production, or saving battery life, weight, etc...?

 

Battery life, I suppose. And they could put a bigger number on a spec sheet.

If they had used a grayscale display, they could have had even better battery life and resolution!

The only thing that is puzzling is that I haven't seen anything negative about the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 display, which is also RGBW pentile.

 

LOL @ grayscale. Maybe it really just is the screen calibration then.

If by 'they could put a bigger number on a spec sheet' you mean they chose this screen because there isn't an alternative at this resolution, that doesn't bother me. But, I'm glad to know they weren't just skimping on cost (which Samsung was guilty of with their last generation 15" that was otherwise a great machine)

 

So has anyone found a place to buy a replacement screen yet?
Screen for IBM-Lenovo IDEAPAD YOGA 2 PRO SERIES. Replacement Laptop LCD Screen is the only place I've found and it appears to be the same one as their listing for the Kirabook. However, they don't appear to list one for the AB9+.
Also, does anyone know if the touch interface is separate from the LCD? I've looked at a few other screens on their site and most say "LCD ONLY, No touchscreen" such as Screen for IBM-Lenovo IDEAPAD Z510 TOUCH SERIES. Replacement Laptop LCD Screens