Vaio Z Diagonal lines on screen

Hi

I have a Vaio Z with the 1600 by 900 screen, since having it repaired (the bottom case replaced) I have noticed Diagonal lines from the top left to bottom right.
I have had it in with Vaio Link, but they say they can see nothing wrong with it and sent it back
The lines/banding show in the Bios so it is not software related.

Does any else's screens look like this? I have compared it with another model in the Sony Shop and that one didn't seem to have the issue.

1: Diagonal lines from top left to bottom right in the lighter colours, this is in MS paint.
2: BBC web site, the Diagonal lines are clearly seen in the BBC blue.
3: Sony Vaio Bios, is clear in the light blue and lightly in the white area.

 

You know, we can't see your photos, you need to do that:





I can't see any lines either.

 

I can confirm this issue - I had my laptop repaired too and ever since I see those lines now and then (depending on my state of mind: if I am fresh and rested I see them easier than when I am tired and done for the day).

I didn't bother sending it back in, because they took nearly 3 months to repair a total loss of brightness (ended up replacing everything but the casing!). If there is an easy solution, I'd be very interested!

 

@NHT) you don't see those lines? they are clearly visible on (your?) pictures!

diagonal dark/light about 1mm on a real 13.3" screen thick, they are continuously (not single lines, but e v er y w h e r e). Well - I've got nearly used to them, but I'd prefer my screen without them

 

Thanks NHT for sorting the photos, didn't know how to get them to show!

Lightenup, I thought that Vaio Link may have pinched a cable when they replaced the bottom cover. The problem with the repair center is that you can't talk directly with the tech who is looking at it, you need to go through a middle man whose english is not very good.
Also you described it very well!

I agree with you though sometimes I think i'm going mad and that it's my eyes playing tricks but when I show it to other people they do agree there is an issue.

 

Well, I see what you mean. I will check my Z

 

I had them in a brand new Z35X, they were so annoying I ended returning the laptop.

In your Z the lines appeared after that repair? Are you sure it was fine before? I was told it is a common problem on all Zs...

 

I didn't notice them before hand and I had been using it for about 7 months, but after I got it back it was definitely noticeable.
So you have heard of it before? that's good to know as I'm sure Sony would know about it then!

 

Okay, several things.

First of all this is a different screen from most screens by Sony discussed at these forums. It's the DuraView and I don't know if it's been around as long as the Eco and the HiColor.

Second of all, Vaio link is going to deform the image which the tech sees so you really can't just stop there and say "Sony doesn't see the problem."

As I suggest to most people at these forums, email [email protected] and send them the link to this thread. There will be no "accents" involved, only your descriptions.

Ultimately, though, my guess is that they either know about this and can't do anything about it (which the length of time repairing it seems to imply) or your computer was damaged in shipment back to you and this is something they will want to see to fix.

Email [email protected] -- this will send your issue to customer service reps who will be sure that techs answer you....

 

Thanks Derrida, I will email them. They are picking my laptop up again tomorrow.
The only thing I am worried about is, when I was speaking with a Sony rep I got the impression that they are going to start to use the old 'with in specification/Sony tolerences' I will be gutted if this is the case as it is an easy cop out!

 

There are other posts about this problem in the forum. There is even an animated gif of it in one of the threads...

 

Can you please add the links, as I can't find them?

 

Again, ask for such "specifications, tolerances" in writing so that fellow commentators here can have a look-see if Sony uses that as a "reason".

I prefer using email to the telephone in these instances. Nice to have a written record when escalating the issue up the chain of command -- which you can ask the [email protected] to do if you are not satisfied with the results.

Good luck!

 

Other people with the same diagonal lines:
mattedmunds (VAIO Z Hi-Res and Lo-Res)
Myself (VAIO Z Hi-Res, also seen it on a SR)
Google123 (VAIO SR)
plasmacartwheel (VAIO Z Hi-Res and Lo-Res)
Warren2006 (VAIO Z)
imtriggerhappy (VAIO Z)
sigma957 (VAIO Z)
eli2k (VAIO SR)
Various Users (VAIO SR)
etc.
Also GIFs at the bottom of this page http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=272690&page=287, discussion in the next

But there are also reports of people who doesn't see them, and a few saying that after sending it for repair the problem is now gone.

PD: I've read that some LED screens in other manufacturers notebooks (Dell, Toshiba) also have this weird lines.

 

weird until now i havent notice it. i have click the gif, in slow motion gif, i can see the movement, not in the fast.

 

Thanks Endeavour1934, Will it goes in tomorrow, let's see what Sony find I just hope it's fixed as it drives me nuts.

 

I can see it in the fast gif, but then I know what to look for, Also you have to look very close!

 

Well, isn't that interesting. This may be one of the reasons that Sony hasn't switched to LED in everything yet....

 

There are other threads about this issue. I had three Sony Z models (Z520, and two Z610Y/Bs) and all exhibited this diagonal line phenomenon. It was basically explained to me as LED inverter-related 'static' that some people see while others don't. Whatever the reason, it sounded ridiculous and completely unacceptable for the price point of this notebook, whose selling point was its brilliant screen (it's even written on the side of the shipping box). I returned them all. I would e-mail them at the above mentioned address and include those screen shots to show them what you're talking about.

 

I have compared mine to another Z and it is definitely worse, so I am sure there are different levels of it. I don't belive for a second that it's down to the users eyes, it shouldn't hasppen at all.

 

Well, I heard back from Sony yesterday after a month and guess what? They have decided that it is within there specifications/tolerances! And that they are going to do nothing for me and I have to live with it.

I had sent them links to all these threads and I said how other people have had the issue and Sony said that they will only base it on my laptop. I also asked that they send me details of all there specifications/tolerances, they said they probably couldn't do this but they would try, I think that if they are going to pull this excuses they should back up there findings.

Where to now? I have a laptop I can’t live with and Sony are going to do nothing, I am so fustrated.

 

Many notebooks with LED Backlight have this issue.

To change the brightness of the screen the LEDs are not dimmed but are turned on/off rapidly - it's called PWM (pulse width modulation). Depending on the used frequency you can see the effect (diagonla lines) or not.

So it's there by design.

TDO

 

I noticed these from time to time as well. Especially while moving your eyes over the screen I sometimes notice them probably because of being in sync...
Since I already thought that this is due to the screen and the led backlight, I did not bother too much. Especially since I rarely notice them and mostly the screen just appears to be gorgeous.
Now it is good to know to have a confirmation and I just do not bother anymore at all… :laugh:

 

Good to hear. I noticed this problem 4 months after buying mine (bought new). I thought it was due to my LCD slightly warping (the middle part of the bottom of the LCD panel is very slightly warpped outwards), but I guess that is why the market is not flooded with LED LCD these days.

Anyways, thanks for the info - puts me a ease~

 

But it's a shame that Sony does nothing to eliminate the effect.
They could easily do this by canging the frequency of the PWM.

TDO

 

Maybe a firmware update can fix this issue up?

Have tried changing refresh rates (40Hz, 59Hz, 60Hz), to no avail. I think the 40Hz makes it worse actually, but that maybe just my eyes. Though it does get slightly annoying when I am watching the odd HD movie.

So far, I only can see the diagonals on the top right, bottom left and right part of the screen. Can't see anything out-of-place at the top left, nor anything wrong in the middle. If it helps, I first noticed it happening at the bottom right, and that crept up to the top right and spread from there.

Basically, just wondering if it is normal for this effect to 'spread' throughout the screen? If the pulse theory is true, shouldn't we have noticed when we first bought the Z? Or does the pulse theory come into effect after the LCD has aged a bit?

Cheers

 

I mus confess that i see the effect only when I am realy close (about 5 cm) to the screen.

I have no clue how Sony has implemented it. So maybe it's possible to control it with a Bios update. But the screen refresh rate has nothing to do with the frequency used to simulate different levels of brightness.

Just a little bit background information.

There are two ways to control the brightness of a pseudo white LED screen. One way is with PWM and the other is to just increase or decrease the brightness of the Led directly (more or less electricity). Most vendors use PWM as this method has one great advantage above the second. The white point stays the same regardless of the brightness.

TDO

 

Sony updated the firmware, I don't know if they took the cover off but the lines only seem to be in the bottom left corner now rather than the whole screen so it's not as bad now.
Refresh rates didn't seem to do anything for me.

Although since getting it back the left speaker has stopped working. I'm guessing that they may have tweaked a little and possibly knocked a cable off the speaker.

 

I have this same problem with SR290, but the lines only appear when I'm either moving my head around, or if there's some panning motion on the screen and my eyes are tracking the object at a certain speed. I've learned to live with it, better screen than a Lenovo I used to have, brighter/vibrant-er than my old Dell 600m, but I still like my 600m screen!

 

If every vaio Z has the lines, is it a defect? I have seen 5 and 4 of them had it for sure. So updating the bios won't fix anything? I have a macbook pro that does not exhibit this behavior.

 

I remember when i first got the Z back in December last year, it did NOT have the diagonal lines. I started seeing those lines at around April. And more and more have 'appeared' since. It started in the lower right corner, then 'grew' up the panel to the upper right. Then I saw the lines on the left side as well, which is where it is at the moment (no lines in the centre at the moment).

Although the PWM is a natural phenomenon, I think it occurs due to constant pressure on the screen panel. Note that the Z and the SR have real flexable screens, and you will notice that upon constant opening and closure of the screen, you will see that the screen 'strains' from such actions (see pressure points occur on the lower part of the screen).

I've tested out a MacBook Pro, and they have real sturdy lids, no flexing like Sony, which I think is actually benefical for the screen in the long run. So...
That tells me that Apple did more research than Sony did, which is rather disappointing when looking at it from an engineering point of view

 

I do believe that every Z has the diagonal lines. I was in a Sonystyle store and they had the new Z820 or higher models and I hadn't even looked at the forums. Then I noticed them all on my own. I was like what is that? Then I compared 3 Z's side by side in the store, and each one had that.

My question is that, since there is nothing you can do about it, and it's present in every Z and possibly more LED notebooks, do you get used to it? I can assure you that my Macbook pro does not exhibit this problem; otherwise I would've noticed it long ago.

OK just went to a retail store. They had two more sony z's, a 790 and an 820. They both had the diagonal lines. The TZ also had it. The mba air, a rev c, I believe, did not seem to have it, but I can't be sure.

 

I used to have a vaio tz195n and never noticed the diagonal lines but now that I have a Z575FN (1600 x 900), I can certainly noticed them even on videos!
I was wondering if everyone could post their Model/Resolution/Firmware & say if you can notice the diagonal lines or not.

Mine is: VGN-Z575FN/1600x900/R2170M3/Diagonal lines even on videos!

 

Yeah, actually these lines bother me alot more than I thought they would. I thought that screen sparkling/grain would bother me more (on a diff model) but it turns out that the wavy vibrating lines are way more distracting to me.
Unfortunately slipknotme, you will not get used to these lines is my prediction. All this is made untolerable b/c of the astronomically high price of the laptop. It seems only natural to expect at least a small degree of quality control. Common sense dictates that this is not an inherent flaw in all LED screens but a rather fixable one that Sony refuses to acknowledge. It's the only laptop screen that I've ever seen that displays this behavior.

 

I get the diagonal lines occasionally on my TT. Annoyed me a bit at first after the high ticket price, but to be honest after 8 weeks it doesn't bug me enough to want to do much about it.

KendallJ

 

I've doing some research about the display issue. I got in to japanese forums and just found that even they have this issue! (japanese market tends to be more picky). I´ll continue my research more specifically in the display itself, which is made by toshiba.

 

I have a new Z820G/B bought directly from Sony Style. It has the 1600 x 900 screen. There are no diagonal lines on the display. It's bright, evenly lit, and just looks fantastic. Perhaps I'm one of the lucky ones ?

 

ehosey2, it's possible but unlikely. Man I have seen so many units and they all display this problem. Give it time :> Actually, if yours doesn't have it or don't see it, the best thing you can do is not to visit this thread again because you don't want to convince yourself of a problem that isn't there :>

 

So is this a problem that develops over time ? I received my Z820 on 12/01/09. This isn't my first Sony either. First the V505, which btw lasted for 6 years, the AW190 with the full HD screen for 1 year now, and my new Z820 with Win 7 Pro, Core 2 duo P8700, etc...etc. My Z with the 1600 x 900 and my AW with the 1920 x 1080 are sitting here side by side on my desk and honestly, the Z is a little bit brighter than the AW but they both look fantastic. No dead pixels, even backlight, great viewing angles, and no diagonal lines. Sorry, but I think I got VERY lucky.

 

When I went to the Sony Style store a few days after the latest model of the Z came out, only a couple of their laptops had the problem. I thought it was very distracting myself and didn't buy one since it's obvious they won't replace the screen if you get one like that.

 

Well, after looking for the Lcd panel, here there are the 2 models used:
LTD131EQ2X (1600x900) and LTD131EWSX (1366x768).
An interesting fact is that the lower resolution panel it's more expensive than the higher one.
Also, I disassembly the whole lap and seems that everything was ok (cables,connector,shields,etc...)
As for the display, since has been reported that almost every Z has the problem, I have a theory that the Dura-View layer (last polarizer layer) might be the responsible of making the effect of the diagonal lines.
So i'm wondering if it's posible to take apart that layer and see how it performs. I've seen in other forums how to take apart the layers of a dell display with CCLF backlight, nor I've seen if this is posible with led backlight displays. I hope someone could give me a comment/suggestion of what I'm just about to do.

By the way, here are the links of the store that sells the displays:
http://www.blisscomputers.net/toshiba-ltd131eq2x-laptop-lcd-screen-13-1-wxga-glossy-led.aspx
http://www.blisscomputers.net/toshiba-ltd131ewsx-laptop-lcd-screen-13-1-wxga-hd.aspx

 

I got my Z820 2 weeks ago. While I initially reported that I did not have the diagonal lines problem, I am retracting that statement. After consistent use, the faint, intermittent lines are noticeable specially under a certain wallpaper background.

I cannot comment on what you discovered but I will opt out against it due to the fact it can damage your Z. The lines are there but it does not bother me so much yet. When it does, I'll make sure to visit this thread again and see your progress.

 

They are also on VAIO SR and TT.

 

Why are you opening a new thread?

There is already a thread regarding the lines: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=400972

And there I have alread written what is the cause of them:

Many notebooks with LED Backlight have this issue.

To change the brightness of the screen the LEDs are not dimmed but are turned on/off rapidly - it's called PWM (pulse width modulation). Depending on the used frequency you can see the effect (diagonla lines) or not.

TDO

 

Sorry, but I was so desperate that I didn't notice the thread was already posted.
I guess the only solution would be buying a new lcd panel and cross finguers!

 

While Assemblying the lap I noticed theres a POT in the Display Circuitboard.
Shall I try to change the value to see what happens or is it too risky?

 

confirmed. 2.5 weeks old, these lines started to appear. sigh i should have sticked with mbpro.

 

Well, couldn't resist the temptation of playing with the pot and here are the results from the Default Value:
-rising Ω movies looked almost perfect.
-lowering Ω improved a little stills.
-really high/low Ω inverts the colors.
I adjusted the pot in steps as little as human possible.
As for the exact values, I didn't bother in measure 'em 'cause it depends at what value YOU see the image ok.
So here you have a semi-fix for this problem

 

Not all LED screens have this problem since I've seen many other brands of LEDs that don't have this issue at all. You can notice this diagonal line issue without needing to look at this forum first. I think there is a sizeable percentage of people who first go "what is that?" and then come here and realize it's a design flaw in the sony screen that sony won't acknowledge. Again, I say design flaw since I have seen many a mac and thinkpad that have other problems, but not this particular diagonal line issue--and I was actively looking for a diagonal line problem.

 

i don't get it.. i have my SZ and has flex on the screen too but didn't experience any diagonal lines at all.. my Z hast it!