Clevo P150hm - Matte w/ 95% gamut or Glossy w/ 95% gamut?

Hi,

Introduction -
I ordered a Clevo P150hm after weeks of researching and i now have one final decision to make. Here are some of the threads related to my decision to purchase the Clevo P150hm which i'm linking as a background, in chronological order.

1. http://forum.notebookreview.com/wha...y/580108-what-gaming-laptop-should-i-buy.html
2. http://forum.notebookreview.com/what-notebook-should-i-buy/580280-gaming-laptop-asus-g53sw.html
3. http://forum.notebookreview.com/sag...-w-95-ntsc-color-gamut-worth-100-upgrade.html

The dilemma -
As you may have noticed, the last thread i posted on the subject was whether to swap my regular glossy screen (v0 - 60% gamut) to the matte screen (v4 - 95% gamut) for $100, an upgrade that is available with my reseller - Logical Blue One. I ordered my Clevo and upgraded to the matte screen after getting some feedback from you all.

However, Logical Blue One has brought in a completely new product as of today. They now have a new glossy 95% gamut option also for $100. Logical Blue One - PREMIUM GLOSSY DISPLAY FOR CLEVO P15****. Exact model code: AUO B156HW01 V7

see specs:
http://www.notebook-lcd.ru/pdf/B156HW01_V_4.pdf - v4 Matte
http://www.logicalblueone.com.au/docs/v7.pdf - v7 Glossy

Originally i chose the matte screen because the gamut is much higher and the screen is reportedly beautiful in comparison with the v0 glossy screen. Now, i have a glossy option with the same amount of gamut. I'm looking for the option that will look the best at the end of the day when watching movies and gaming. What do you think?


As always i appreciate any advice that will assist me to make a decision, and value every single post. Thanks.
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Edits:
22/05/11
Order made. Following this were delays as I changed my order to include a new screen that hadn't arrived at the reseller yet. LBO could not have been more supportive and helpful then they were along the way, always with speedy and friendly communication.

28/05/11
The price of the matte screen has been halved to $50, there are a limited stock left at LBO which have not been tested and have a risk of having 1 dead/stuck pixel.

3/06/2011
I went with the v7, but it is not in stock. I have been waiting a week so far, and they haven't arrived at LBO. Will post pics when they are available.

04/06/2011
The v7s have arrived! No pictures yet as they arrived late on Friday but I should be receiving my laptop mid next week and pictures should be posted before then.

07/06/2011
Order has been built and shipped with tracking!

08/06/2011
This morning my laptop arrived in Sydney and was set for the final truck delivery at 8am. In the mean time I stumbled over a wealth of reviews on the courier delivering my order: TNT Express. I'm not going to go into it but I will provide you with this statistic: they were rated at an average of 1.35 out of 5 stars from 100 reviewers at productreview.com. The symptoms of TNT's service in my case is that I had to wait from 9am-5pm at my house for the order due to lack of ETA (they do not provide even on request) and fear of missing the delivery (there is a reputation for things getting more complicated if you miss you're delivery with TNT) as well as the fact that I need to sign personally and provide ID. And, at 5.30pm after just having called them, my tracking page updated to a status of "Not dlvr due time contraints".

09/06/2011
My laptop arrived! I am too busy to unbox it right now however so I'll update here later.

Pictures

Take the following into consideration when viewing:
1. I'm not exactly pro at photography so please excuse the way these images turned out . For some reason there are like circle pixel patterns that came out through some of the images, I don't know how to prevent it.
2. Also I realised after I had taken the pictures that my screen was not on full brightness :/ sorry. It was 2 or 3 notches below full brightness.
3. More pictures coming for outdoor shots, and any others requested.
4. I know the pictures didn't come out well and they definitely didn't do the screen justice. Any tips for screen photographing would be useful.

In a room with daylight streaming through the window right 1.5metres to the right and a lamp on behind it to the right


Directly opposite the window so that it reflects the glare. It is very cloudy and dark outside even though it's the middle of the day. I am going to post more pictures when it's sunny as well as pictures outdoors.


Battlield 2: Bad Company 2



The viewing angles from either side or from the top are excellent; you can see all they way.
IMG]http://i55.tinypic.com/2co1xt3.jpg[/IMG]


Viewing from the bottom the screen goes dark at a 45deg angle.


Some wallpapers that demonstrate colour

 

Both will be awesome! Really, the questions you should be asking yourself are:
1. Will I be using my beautiful new rig in an environment that will produce a lot of glare?
2. Will the glare bother me?

For me, I use my laptop in places where glare can be an issue. I am very happy I went with a matte screen. A simple example: In the afternoon the sun comes through some windows can cause bad glare where I sit and play games. My old laptop had a glossy screen. I would either move, close the shades, or quit playing games. On my new Mythlogic P170 based system, I have a matte screen. I can continue to play without noticing glare. It is very nice.

 

Agreed if they both have the same color gamut then it comes down to personal preference and location. I would have gone for the 95% matte screen but now that there is a 95% glossy option available I might reconsider. If glare is an issue (which it most likely will be you can never predict where you might have to take your computer) the matte screen looks like the safest bet but there is no denying glossy screens do have a premium kind of look to them.

 

Hmm i see. Well so much for hoping for an easy decision haha. I usually use my laptop in my room with the blinds shut and the lights on. I still get a little bit of glare from the lights at some angles, but i have been using glossy screens for years and don't notice it. Matte screens are unfamiliar territory for me and all i have to go on are the comparisons i have found in notebookreview.

However, the v7 screen (glossy 95% gamut screen), judging by the lack of mention and information available around, is brand new. So i have nothing to go on to aid my decision aside from the theoretical perspective of glossy vs matte, and some macbook glossy vs matte comparisons on youtube.

I'm terrible at making these decisions... It's too close.

 

I love my matte screen on my Clevo P170HM.
(AUO B173HW01 V5)
A while back it was the default screen but now Multicom changed it into the glossy one.

The viewing angles are awesome and it looks especially cool when i dim the lights in the room for some movie time.
Or i can hook it up to my TV, whatever i feel like. xD

 

The glossy screen will blend in better with the glossy bezel.

Question to matte screen owners: Is the glossy bezel distracting compared to the matte screen?

 

May i ask, what is glossy bezel?

 

He's probably referring to the bit of plastic bezel that goes around the outside of the screen (the frame around it). In some laptops it's matte plastic, but in many of the Sager it's a glossy reflective trim.

 

I found this poll in 2011 and thought it was quite interesting:
.com/matte-vs-glossy-screens

It has the 2 columns for posting, side by side. Left is matte, right is glossy. At the bottom of the debate is a poll for matte vs glossy. Matte is clearly the winner there, but could it be bias in any way?

Edit: I think i should just go down to a computer store and see if i can compare the two myself.

 

Website address has been censored!

 

Not at all.

 

Hmm really weird. The address is **censored word**.com/matte-vs-glossy-screens . Edit: Bah it happened again, it is censoring this one word for some odd reason and i cant even say it here ("").. Oh well.

Lets see Squid + oo. Oh there you go that worked so Squid + oo = censored word. If there is a specific reason why this word is being blocked someone tell me and i'll remove it. So its not the website that is censored, rather that one word.

Alternatively do a google search for "matte or glossy 2011" and choose the first result.

 

Thankfully the "glossy" trim around the screen on my P170HM doesent reflect that much.

 

Glossy screen strains my eyes and in some lighting conditions is just a pain to use. So I picked Matte.

 

I've been waiting for this topic to come up since I saw several resellers add the glossy 95% gamut option to the 8150's.

I'm in the same boat as the OP as far as finalizing my new laptop. I've never owned a glossy before but I figure I might as well try one out and be my own judge.

 

The glossy screen isn't bad, but for the same price I would go with the matte upgrade. It all depends where you're going to use it, as said. And the bezzel on the Sager doesn't bother me at all, in fact, I doubt you would notice it.

 

The screen is too glorious to notice the bezel.

 

Hah alright! Thanks for the replies guys. Seems like matte is still the way to go despite both being 95% gamut Adobe RGB.

I also notice that the higher end IPS desktop monitors are mostly matte as well.

 

what wll you be using your laptop for? is accurate color reproduction important to you?
if you will be using it for gaming, surfing and business, truth be told, the default screen is good enough. it is bright, has good contrast, and is sharp.
personally i dont see the benefit of going 95% glossy unless color reproduction is important to you; or its specs are way above normal (brightness, contrast, black levels, etc.)
imho, the matte screen is more practical as it makes your machine more useful in many more environments.
plus people have commented the matte is the best screen they have seen on a laptop.

 

In actual fact, the 95% screen may cause more colour inaccuracy than the 60% one. It depends on how you calibrate it, and whether the software can support Adobe RGB or remains as sRGB. It's quite a bit more complex than it seems. A photo that is sRGB converted can appear overly saturated on the wide gamut screen.

From this thread, http://forum.notebookreview.com/sag...-between-different-screen-options-photos.html, notice how much more reddish-purple the wide gamut 95% screen looks? It appears that the v.1 is the most balanced screen, even though colours may not appear that vivid. This is because the photos are by default, sRGB tagged by windows, which is the de facto standard.

I'm coming from an amateur photographer's background, and here's a photography thread which explains what I said in a better manner:

Do you really want a Wide Gamut display?: PC Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

 

This is perhaps a good point which is of concern to me. While i have been using glossy for years without any such dizzy problems, the fact that it can strain you're eyes is worrying. Especially if i spend hours each day staring at the screen, i would prefer to use the laptop that is ergonomically healthier for my eyes.

I plan to use the laptop for gaming, movies, browsing the internet and doing work in MS Office mostly. It would be nice to have the luxury of having a screen that provides the best picture possible, i always appreciate quality.

That is an interesting note. The v4 screen i have heard from multiple places does look better and more beautiful, however, then the other two. Here is a link to Clevo user review where if you scroll half way down you will see some really nice shots of the B156HW01 v4:

[USER REVIEW] Sager/Clevo Horize NP8150 (P150HM)

 

New information update.

My reseller has cut the price for the B156HW01 v4 in half so it is now $50 while the B156HW01 v7 is $100. The reason behind this i think you can find in a few posts on the 25th of May from the owner of Logical Blue One, who posts regularly on Whirlpool.

Quote: "On a seperate note, how do you guys feel about 95% gamut GLOSSY displays? Yes/No/Maybe? "
Followed by: "Well technically the glossy display will look better in this case, it will provide higher contrast and colour depth BUT it will have the reflectiveness of a normal display. The dillema comes as the B156HW01 v4 is nearly sold out and the replacement from what i can see is the B156HW01 v7 which has the same gamut, but is in glossy.
It will be a better overall display than the v4 but I would just like to see how the populous feels before I order a few hundred.
Any comments welcome . "
And finally: "Alright i'll get some of the 95% Gamut Glossy displays and will report back when they have been tested. One would assume it should look better than the v4 display. "
FYI: This screens model is B156HW01 v7. "

As you can see he values the v7 as higher quality, in the right conditions of course. The full thread can be view here: http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1705070. This affects my decision in either two ways. The Matte is cheaper and has the same gamut, so go for that. Or, on the flip side, the glossy screen costs more so it must look better, so get that (prestige pricing ). Although that is all assuming that they will refund me $50 to stay with the Matte version, which they completely have the rights not to seeing as i purchased it a few days before the price reduction ;/.

EDIT: The reason they are halving the price is because: "These panels have a maximum of 1 dead/stuck/bright pixel. We cannot guarantee that the panel will have no faults and this is why they are now discounted by 50%.

They are considered grade A".

 

Yes the B156HW01 v7 is a great screen, many are loving it. If you haven't yet read all the specs in the link below...

AU Optronics B156HW01 v7 Specs
_

 

I am starting to tend towards the v7...

 

i cant access mediafire from where i am now. could you put up the specs in this forum, and maybe a comparison with v4's specs too?

 

Sure,

http://www.notebook-lcd.ru/pdf/B156HW01_V_4.pdf - v4 Matte
http://www.logicalblueone.com.au/docs/v7.pdf - v7 Glossy

and thanks.

 

I'm practically in an identical position to you Pepi, so cheers for posting on my behalf.

I'm also purchasing from LBO and am still torn between choosing the new glossy 95% gamut or the discounted matte 95% gamut screens. I'm a bit worried about the reason behind the discount, as you highlighted in your earlier post. It gives me the impression that the last batch of matte screens are somewhat the 'reject,' or 'left-over' screens, but I'm probably wrong.

I'm considering upgrading to the 485m with the savings, if I were to opt for the matte screen on the p150hm.

In terms of the Glossy screens, are they really unbearable under sunny or bright conditions? I don't really have anything to compare with, but what is the difference in picture quality between the 95% glossy and 95% matte, in proportion to the difference in glare (if that makes sense).

Chances are I will mostly use the laptop indoors, however in some rooms light does become a problem, especially with the Plasma TV. I want to have the option of going outside on a sunny day and being able to comfortably use the laptop.

Thanks in advance.

 

Sources:

1.
Check this out: [TIP] Glossy Vs. Matte Screens Review - MacRumors Forums

I found this very enlightening. It is a series of shots with two macbook pro's, one glossy one matte, side by side. In these images the matte looks really washed out and the glossy has beautiful contrast. Yes the glossy has glare but to be honest it doesn't bother me. Besides if you simply turn the brightness up and adjust the angle if you really must, you can view it outdoors, in the sun, and you will be fine. I know this because i have been using glossy screens for years.

I'm sure with 95% NTSC gamut the matte won't look as bad as it does there, but i personally am starting to become more and more fond of the glossy screens the more i look into it.

2.
I found the following comment very true (well, aside from the outside use part xD):
"As a general rule I find media users, and gamers generally prefer the deeper colours and blacks from the better perceived contrast of the glossy screen. Most business users and photographers\graphic and web pros prefer matte screens.

If you use it in bright sunny or reflective conditions or outside, the matte screen generally is a better idea, but otherwise stick to what you know, I would think."

3.
A personal account from a matte user: http://www.onedigitallife.com/2009/01/13/17-macbook-pro-glossy-vs-matte/

Misconceptions?
I notice a funny phenomenon with matte/glossy debates. Usually in places such as polls and big public forum threads, matte always wins. It is as if everyone automatically jumps on the matte bandwagon. From my research these results are very inaccurate and the majority of users have either never seen them personally or have only had matte screens.

However, in all the personal accounts by someone who has seen and used both screens personally, such as blogs, pictures and videos, the glossy screen is praised for it's better display and shines out. I also think it is a big misconception that glossy screens can't be used outdoors. Many people do it without any issue whatsoever, and i can attest to that from my own experience.

Summary
The only reason i would not get a glossy is because it may be less healthy on the eyes then a matte or if i were photographer and needed to see colors represented exactly as they would be printed, then i would need a matte.

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks for the links.
It's so difficult to decide with all the different perspectives of matte and glossy on the internet. It ultimately comes down to personal preference, as many have stated, however I don't know what my personal preference is haha.
I guess I will ponder the decision a little longer, and wait until Jack gets back to a few of us on Whirlpool.

This is a bit off-topic but did you extend your warranty Pepi? And have you got any idea if the p150 has an inbuilt mic?

On a laptop where the resellers add their own specs, it's difficult to find exactly what we will receive.

 

I have been on whirlpool as well as of yesterday. I hope the glossy screens are ready because i would really like my laptop this week. I have waited 2 weeks already and although i am patient it is a tough wait haha.

I think i remember it being mentioned somewhere that the p150hm does have a mic, but as you said with resellers you never know what will be included. The finger print reader for one is not included, and i contacted LBO and they said they they don't do it. I would say a mic is probably included but you should probably ask Jack if it's really important to you.

As for the warranty, i did not extend it. I was in half a mind about this. On the one had i already spent on upgrading the screen and getting extra ram, but on the other hand i would feel allot safer knowing i had an extra 1-2 years of warranty. It is a personal preference but one thing is for certain, the build quality of the Clevo is excellent so its not the end of the world going for a 1 year warranty as far as i know. Perhaps someone with more experience should advise you on this though.

 

From a cousory review of the spe s it seems like the only diff between the two is contrast ratio.
Also from your description of needs, it seems that glossy would suit you more. In general, glossy screen colors 'pop' more when watching movies or gaming and i think this vivid picture is what youre after.

 

Yeh, I was thinking in a similar way, in that I would probably rather spend the money on an extra upgrade rather than warranty. I guess though warranty gives you peace of mind, but I think I'll stick with the 1 year at this stage. Are you able to extend the warranty, say once the initial warranty has expired, or is this only applicable upon purchase?
1 year is a fairly long time realistically, and if there are going to be any major issues, some signs would probably show early. I've never really considered warranty important as it just a piece of paper, (maybe a trait of generation z haha) but this is my first real 'big' purchase and its benefit is definitely more evident now.

No idea if the glossy's are in yet, but from what I read Jack only ordered them a few days ago.
As for the built in mic, it isn't essential, but I'm so used to using one for HoN or skype on the desktop Mac...there's a webcam so it would make sense to have a mic included as well.

Not sure if your referring to Pepi or myself, but the glossy does present itself nicely. I'm just afraid it will be unbearable outdoors, however in some of the links provided, people have suggested that it is still visible.
The other thing to take into consideration is the $50 saving between the matte and glossy screen, which I could possibly use to upgrade the 6970 to the 485.

 

Well if anything happens to you're laptop a year or two down the track, particularly hardware failures, having a warranty can save you allot of money.

I have no problems using glossy screens outside. If that is you're only concern then it sounds like you would enjoy a glossy screen . Unless you prefer to save $50 and take the risk of a dead/stuck pixel. That is one way to stick within you're budget and get better performance by using the money on the 485.

Jack said the glossy screens (v7) are coming in on Wednesday.. *groans* lol. That means i'm not going to get my laptop this week.

 

This student 'upgrade' Windows 7 version is too confusing and unclear, so I've decided I might purchase the 'full' version of Windows 7, even if it means paying another $30 or so.
New Windows 7 Ultimate 32/64 Bit Sealed Box | eBay
This copy of Windows 7 Ultimate is pretty cheap, practically the same price as the Home Premium Windows 7 on LBO. However, from what I've read, there isn't much difference at all, and the add-ons I would probably rarely use. Might just go with LBO and have everything ready to go when I receive the laptop.
Could anyone shed some light on the student deal? I've heard a few ways around the upgrade but it's always nice to have something that just works.

Sorry to go off-topic so much .
In regards to the monitors displays, I think it'd be a good idea to hold out until Wednesday when the glossy's are in stock, and Jack puts a few pictures up.
He also replied saying that the matte displays may have 1 stuck/dead/bright pixel. I have no idea how noticeable this would be on the screen. The price reduction is quite appealing though.

I'm thrown into a dilema again since I will probably be purchasing Windows 7 now for $100 or so. This means that I will probably have to go with the 6970m, unless I downgrade the i7-2720 to the i7-2620 for a $60 saving, however this doesn't really seem worth it.
ahh decisions, decisions...worst thing about shopping for something like this.

 

I completely agree with you, choosing a laptop is no easy feat. I ended up pushing my budget wider then i had planned to make a little bit of room .

I've sent an email to LBO as i have decided to get the glossy v7. Now i just have to wait. Best scenario is a get my laptop on Friday. But i don't have my hopes up for that.

 

Yeah, I didn't even realize the bezel was glossy, until a couple days ago.

 

Oh boy, now they are saying there is no eta for the glossy screens to arrive, and that there is no guarantee my order will shipped this week.

*sigh*

I guess after all those weeks spent researching and deciding i am finding it really hard to wait any longer, as you can probably tell by the impatience in the tone of my posts. Now it looks like it will be 3 weeks from the time i sent my order until i receive my laptop. Time to suck it up again.

 

The important thing is that you get your laptop in the configuration you want and in perfect working order

 

Exactly. It is worth being patient to get the components you want.

The latest news on the 95% gamut screens is that the matte 95% is going to become the default matte screen. My reseller also said that the glossy 95% are more expensive and that they look EVEN better than the matte 95% screens.

 

tell them to get us some pixs of the V.7 screens

Although I'm sticking to matte screen. Kind of like the idea to be able to use the laptop in direct sunlight.

 

Does the matte screen really help so much under direct sunlight?

From what I've known and experienced (with macbooks), the matte screen will still be quite dim under sunlight while with the glossy screen, it's not so much about brightness as it is to fight glare and finding the best angle to make whichever portion of the screen readable. So it basically boils down to trading off one necessary evil for another.

 

I've tried my wife's glossy Toshiba and matte ThinkPad borrowed from work, and I would take the latter all day long regardless of lighting conditions. I'm glad I decided on the matte screen for my Clevo.

 

The reseller i'm purchasing from is going to post some pics up when the screens arrive. I can't wait.

In my opinion, after much research and after personally using a glossy screen for years in all lighting conditions, i think the glossy looks far better, can be watched in glare and outdoors in the sun, and if you are using you're laptop for media or gaming a glossy is most appropriate for you.

If you are not going to use media or gaming, then you might want to choose matte because you don't need it to look beautiful, and has the extra bonus of no glare. But just because the matte specialises in anti-glare, does not mean the glossy screens are unwatchable in glare/sun. On the contrary they can be viewed just fine.

From what i have seen in pictures, although i cannot tell you from first hand experience, the matte looks quite dull in sunlight even duller than the glossy (because the brightness on matte is reduced with the anti-glare layer). It will however give you the comfort of reduced glare. Some people just like the 'look and feel' of matte regardless of the lighting or use. But i am confident enough to say that it is a FACT that the glossy screen has the better better display; better colour, brightness, contrast etc). When i look at a matte next to a glossy the matte looks visibly washed out; i am very fussy with looks and can tell a noticeable difference.

 

I am definitely a gamer, but I also use my laptop for work, which sometimes mean using it oudoors. I currently have an HP laptop (about 3 years old now) and it has a glossy screen and even in indirect sunlight, it was very hard for me to see the screen. I also travel a lot too, so being able to use it inside the car is going to be a plus. And from those screen shots from the reviews, the matte screens looks gorgeous. Though I'm sure the glossy one will look just as good too.

Never had a matte screen, but am willing to try new things out. Besides, I am going to be getting an external monitor for home use (where it'll be most of the time), so I'll have a glossy screen at home anyways.

P.S Can't wait to see those pictures of the V.4 vs the V.7.

 

Sounds to me like you will have a great setup that works well for you. A vibrant glossy display for media at home and an anti-glare matte screen for easy viewing on the road. <3. Especially since the v4 (95% ntsc gamut matte) is such a great screen.

Still waiting with fingers crossed for word of the v7s arrival; they were expected "around Wednesday" according LBO although they were given no ETA.

 

Matte screen can still be seen when you are outside on a bright, sunny day. The glossy screen is almost impossible. Both will be very dim.

Neither are going to be brighter unfortunately. The glossy screen is not brighter, the colors are just a little more vivid but honestly, it's only very slightly.

I have a glossy screen for my desktop computer which is in a dark room and doesn't move. The matte screen is essential for working in an office or sitting beside a window, etc.

 

In direct sunlight, or on a bright sunny day as you said, both screens, or any screens for that matter, will be very difficult to see. Since they are both unusable in such circumstances i don't see why people fuss about "how well a laptop can be seen in the sun", because the bottom line is they will be very dim in the sun.

The effects are slightly different between the two screens however. The matte will disperse the light around the screen, washing out the the glare over the surface equally; this results in a dimmer and faded look however the surface will have light spread out equally over it. The glossy is a very reflective screen so some parts of the screen will reflect light shining on it and some parts will be 'in shade'. If you were outside you would adjust the screen so that it is somewhat shaded and not facing the sun directly and you would the screen would be visible but very dim. However it will still be brighter than a matte screen.

Yes they are both viewable, barely; yes they are both dim. One scatters light and is dimmer as a result, one needs to be adjusted so that it not reflecting any light but is brighter, but not by much, once adjusted.

Comparing the two in sunlight is of little significance, in my opinion; there is not much difference, it comes down to a personal preference. But are you going to be spending you're time on the laptop out in the sun or indoors? My guess is that the average person spends 90-99% of laptop use indoors.

That is where the difference lies and the decision arrises, based on you're use of the laptop and sometimes pure personal preference. Word Processing, internet browsing etc or media and entertainment - which will you use the laptop for?

 

After comparing the specs, I'd choose the V.7, because of its objectively superior contrast ratio.

 

There are specs? Where? I wanna know!

 

Maybe it's because I live in the northwest where the weather always sucks, but I prefer glossy screens by a pretty large margin.