13" VPCSA390X screen quality questions

Hey guys, I'm looking into buying a VPCSA390X with the 13" 1600x900 display but my question is how good the quality is on these things?

Are the displays washed out or are they very vivid (owned a TZ a few years back and it had an xblack screen which was gorgeous) and wondering how good it is.

Anyone here own a VPCSA390X? Also if you guys can direct me to some good reviews I'd appreciate it.

Oh and another question is that can you pick up the same one thats from the online sony store at a local sony styles store at the local galleria mall?

Thanks guys.

 

There should be useful info for you in the following thread:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/son...al-sony-sb-sa-sc-sd-series-owners-thread.html

I personally think that the SA 1600x900 screen is good...not as good as the Z though.

 

I have the older revision SA2 (SA3, afaik, nets a refreshed line of Intel CPUs), and the screen isn't bad (especially relatively to most other 11-13" displays), it just isn't as good as the Vaio Z's 13.1" displays, as the man above said.

 

The SA's screen is the same as the SB and if you trust engadget: Sony VAIO SB Series review -- Engadget

They really liked the screen, however, most people here that went to SA probably had a Vaio Z before and didnt like the modularity of the Z2 and since the screen of the SB/SA is worse than the Z they complained, but compared to most 13" screens it's pretty good (only 2 13" 1600x900p screens I know, and that's in the Vaio Z and S series, so... it can't be that bad)

 

I be the contrarian, but I think the SA screen is considerably worse than some of the characterizations here. I've seen it, used it for a few days, adjusted it, and I couldn't "drink it pretty" no matter how hard I tried. If it was a budget notebook, I could possibly see accepting the SA screen - though many budget models come near 200:1 contrast ratios (vs. 151 for the SA 900p) - but at it's price point, I just couldn't accept it. Others (including, apparently, Endgadget - though they reviewed a different screen), find it "not so bad" or "pretty decent," but I am going on my eyes, primarily, and the stats, which I just looked up for the first time, just confirm what I saw (who ya gonna believe, me, or your lyin eyes!)

Shown below are color gamut graphs and statistics from Test VPC-SA2Z9E/B (i7, SSD, HD 6630M) Subnotebook - Notebookcheck.com Tests , and I think "not as good as the Z" is a dramatic understatement. The worst aspect of the SA (and this was done on the 1600 X 900) is the contrast at an abysmal 151:1; that's pretty much the lowest number I've ever seen, including netbooks and $400 "budget" models. I pasted three color gamut graphs and, again, the SA is not even playing the same game as the Z nor even the ASUS G74. The colors are also considerably worse than the Thinkpad X220, which is a nice IPS screen with awesome contrast values, but poor color gamut.

Brightness is the one, er, bright spot on this report. Average brightness of 288 nit is quite good, in the upper 15% of all notebook screens. But you asked if it is "washed out" looking, well, that brightness with 151 contrast and a narrow color gamut will get you pretty much the most washed out colors you can find, at any price.

Many people have purchased this notebook and loved it for it's many other virtues. I just think you should have this perspective on the screen, especially if that is important to you which, based on your OP and you're esteem for the TZ's display, suggests that it is.
<dl class='csc-textpic-image csc-textpic-firstcol' style='width:127px;'><dt> </dt><dd class='csc-textpic-caption'>Sony Vaio SA2Z9E/B vs. AdobeRGB(t)
</dd></dl><dl class='csc-textpic-image' style='width:126px;'><dt>
</dt></dl><dl class='csc-textpic-image csc-textpic-lastcol' style='width:127px;'><dt> </dt><dd class='csc-textpic-caption'>Sony Vaio SA2Z9E/B vs. Vaio Z13 FHD(t)
</dd></dl>
<dl class='csc-textpic-image csc-textpic-firstcol' style='width:127px;'><dt> </dt><dd class='csc-textpic-caption'>Sony Vaio SA2Z9E/B vs. Asus G74S 3D(t)
</dd></dl><dl class='csc-textpic-image' style='width:126px;'><dt>
</dt></dl>

276 cd/m² 286 cd/m² 276 cd/m² 272 cd/m² 287 cd/m² 279 cd/m² 282 cd/m² 283 cd/m² 291 cd/m²

Infos Gossen Mavo-Monitor Maximal: 291 cd/m² Durchschnitt: 281.3 cd/m² Ausleuchtung: 93 % Helligkeit Akku: 287 cd/m² Schwarzwert: 1.9 cd/m² Kontrast: 151:1ICC Datei (X-Rite i1Display 2)

 

I'm not trying to contradict you, however, I do want to fit in a few words :

Current budget laptops in this size and form factor can have screens with contrasts as low as ~47:1 ( http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Asus-Eee-PC-1215B-Netbook.55843.0.html), and as high as 640:1 (C2D/GT320m version of Macbook Air).

Also from the story you linked (since you mentioned the Lenovo laptops and I was curious about their charts ):


So in retrospect, even though the SA display looks good to me - it's one of the things that won me over on the Fry's floor, I dunno why if I follow these display readings - (admittedly, I have a near endless supply of bad screens: XPS M1210, m11xR1, m11xR2, Acer 4810TZ, Vaio SC [SA?], CR-48 within the last 6 months alone), I probably did exagerate when I said, "most," displays, as that really only pertains to me, my glut of bad 11-14" displays, and not the general notebook population (which goes to some magnificent 17" IPS panels... DO WANT!).

 

Completely unrelated, however, some of notebookcheck.net's English content is rather awkward in phrasing! If I didn't know better their paid translators simply use Google Translate...

 

Tthat is so funny - I just figured it was some translator they hired who wasn't too good I had tried to translate the page (which they published in English but i couldn't find it) and Google Translate wouldn't do it, saying "page to large."

"The display of the Sony SA is quite pleasing to few of the many people. For this we can give thanks to its low contrast values and colors which were also less excellent. Nonetheless, owners will surely take cheer in the very excellent brightness" ) or words to that effect) - translation by me, though I know not one word of German.

All kidding aside - and it really is funny if you've read a lot of those notebookcheck.net reviews - It seems every review I scanned said the same thing: the screen does not belong on a machine that can easily cosr more than $2,000. Great machine in all other respects. I'd probably save the money and go with the SB.

 

lol, too late for me

But seriously, I'm happy with the res. Though I have seen the Sony Z display in action - twice, now... I told myself I'd wait on the SC till the Z IVy Brigde refresh comes out, but lol.... I've already taken the first (well, third) step down this well intentioned road

 

I personally think the SA screen is fine, its no Z screen but I think some people who say the screen is rubbish is comparing it to the Z screen which downright the Z would win (but then again on base config the Z is like double the price!) However if you compare it to most other 13.3" screens, its average/good. I've never seen a Z screen but coming from my previous glossy laptop I can't really see a difference and I'd rather have a matt screen so i'm happy with this screen (especially the resolution, gosh that was sooooooo hard to find on a 13.3").

 

Come to think of it, matte may be a big reason why I think it looks really good compared to my previos laptops

 

Yeah, even if I was in a room, the gloss would still reflect and I'd always have it on full brightness (unless the battery was about to die) because anything lower really, I would have to concentrate and squint and I didn't want my laptop ruining my eyes

So this is an amazing thing

 

I am really really sorry - I didn't realize you owned the SA until just now; I somehow saw your comment about notebookcheck's translations, but not the post you did just above it, with all the other comparisons (Good job digging it up, bu I don't know how Asus can sell a computer in 2011 with a 47:1 contrast ratio; I have never seen one under 120 or so before!. I did not mean to make you feel badly about your lappy, because it is better than the Z in every respect except screen, and if it suits your needs, than spending more on something else would have been a waste of your money. Really, I saw ota-con and Achusaysblessyou - Z people - and even when I was responding to your email about the translations on notebookcheck I still didn't realize you own the SA.

Jeesh, I feel like such a jerk. Sorry. As if I corner the market on smart buys - NOT. I bought a last year's Z11, silver, 1st gen Core i5, regular DVD (not blu ray) and nothing special about it and I paid $1,550 for it used. Then spent $249 for a 2 year wtty, so I have essentially payed $1,800 for a 1.5 yr old computer.

By comparison, 50% of me would go with you SA and 50% of me would do the 2010 Z.

+1 rep to you ford that excellent research you posted - and just a tiny bit over the guilty conscience.

 

Just sayin, but anyone else notice the OP of this thread hasn't been heard from? Hope I didn't scare him off. (bad, bad Notebook Deity!)

 

lol, no problem, I would of bought the last year's Z1 if I didn't learn of the palmrest thing, as I only now realize it is probably a smarter buy than the two m11x revisions I burned through, and now two S series I have (just a few days prior, I was a Vaio SC owner, so... my fault you didn't associate me with the silent cadre of SA owners). Seriously, it's like I never find what I like, or I just don't have the guts to buy what I want upfront. Always gotta beat around the bush, and it gets me into a bit of trouble at times

For both quotes:

My user title is Big time Class Idiot for a good reason

 

Now, don't go beating up on yourself. If you have only had your SA for a few days, can't you still return it if you have buyer's remorse? I don't think you should, really, because the SA is a beautiful piece of work and has far better construction/durability than the Z1 and a much better GPU. Has to have better sound, too, since the Z1 sounds like you forgot to pull the headphones out of the jack and then you realize that's the SPEAKERS making that tinny noise, lol.

If you do indeed have return privileges for the SA, the Sony Outlet has a slew of Z1s at the best prices I have ever seen. A 1080p screen (yeah, that one ), 256GB SSD, Premium Carbon Fiber starting at $1,249.

Oh, and, if you are unsure if you are making the right move, next time you're about to buy something, start a thread and ask the "brain trust" here for their advice - better to hear the critiques before you buy rather than after

 

Lol. I'll tell myself I'll wait until Ivy. Hopefully, work will be busy enough I forget about this till the Ivy-fied S and Z lines come in

Hopefully, I'll see less of this forum, too. It's too intruiging and entraping to my time