New Laptop Question

Hi. I just received my new laptop yesterday and I can't seem to find an answer to my question anywhere via google.

So I bought the Sony VPCEC25FX/WI. I bought it for a couple reasons, the 17.3", the blue-ray drive, the size of the harddrive, (and sad to say but because it's white). So I definitely did look around a lot and nothing else was appealing to me except the 17" macbook pro as well. So I bought that too.
So now I have these two computers sitting in front of me and here's my question:

It looks like on the sony in the dark gray color areas, you can see movement, you know like what it looks like on tv when the station won't come in, but very tiny and dark gray. It doesn't do it on all grays or most other colors, tbh, it primarily does it on my business website gray which I'm sure I can't post here. I read some reviews of this laptop and it didn't get knockout reviews of the screen, but nobody mentioned an issue like that. Is this a screen issue, a graphics card issue (which apparently does get less than stellar reviews), or just because I've been looking at the macbook pro whos screen is beautiful?

I really want to keep this laptop, as I'm more comfortable in Windows, and love the look and feel of this computer.

PS. The laptop I'm replacing is also a sony - the VGN-NR498E, and that screen doesn't have that issue.

Thanks for any help!
M

 

It's probably only a 6 or 8-bit panel. When the panel can't natively create a certain color it alternates certain pixels between lighter and darker shades, therefore causing a "crawling" effect on darker colors especially. I'm not saying the MBP panel is any better quality, but it should have better color response, probably an 8 or possibly 10-bit panel.

 

Thanks for the response.
Hmm, that's curious. Do you know if where I can find out that info, or if there is a way I can find out?
I think it may drive me nuts. Plus would that affect design work? Like doing something in photoshop will look very different on another computer or online vs what it looks like on my laptop?

 

It's probably just trying to output 16-235 video levels instead of 0-255 PC levels. What software are you using for playback? Media center is a big culprit of this b

 

I found this at another website, but basically what you do is open the .bmp, and zoom to where it fills to both edges of the LCD. Then look for the issues you're talking about. Issues will show if it's a low-bit panel, while higher bit panels will show a "stepping" of greyscales.

 

beaups:
It just happens on the screen no matter what I'm doing, I haven't even used any sort of media player/center.

 

H.A.L. 9000:
Thanks for that, I tried it and can definitely see the issues, but it also shows the "stepping" of grayscales too. I wish there was a way to capture it.

 

If you still see the issues with that, you may have a faulty panel. Most any panel, especially made in '09-'10 are supossed to be 8-bit minimum with good panels being 10-bit. And Sony, of all brands, should abide by that. I remember Apple had some issues like that with their iPod touches and some iPhones on the first production run.

 

Well, its a good thing I've only had it for 2days so I can get a different one. I was hoping that wasn't the case, but better to just swap it out (even though that means shipping it back and waiting for another one) than be sorry later, when the screen really goes.

Thanks for your input, I'll post and let you know if the next one does the same thing.