Side-By-Side LCD and PQi comparison (with photos).

[rwniel]

How does PQI cycle through the diffrent modes. Is there any way to control it?

A long press of the top button turns the back-light on or off (switching the display between backlit and lower power reflective mode). Then there is also an ambient light sensor to the right of the screen which will automatically adjust the brightness (or you can turn it off in the settings and adjust the back-light brightness manually). There have been some discussions that suggests that the ambient light sensor doesn't work correctly in all situations. Leading to the display dimming to different levels depending on the application being shown.

Robert

[gcrv]

Thanks for the info. It was the dimming that I was talking about.

[gcrv]

There are three possible options for the PQi model:

- Auto brightness (automatically adjusts the backlight): Accessed through settings
- Manual (static) brightness: Accessed through settings
- Backlight off, ambient reflection only: Accessed by holding down search button

In my experience the Auto mode is slightly dimmer than I'd like, so I opted for a constant manual setting of around 75-80%. In this mode there is no adjustment of backlight, but when you walk into the sun the color simply fades away until the picture is monochrome. This is not a function of any automatic setting manipulation, but rather the sunlight bouncing off the inner reflective layer and overwhelming the backlight.

The Auto mode will do this too, but it will lessen the backlight as you enter sun, to preserve the battery. As I said though, I prefer the brightness at around 10% higher than Auto seems to think is ideal.

An User level adjustment setting in the backlight level seems to be in order. I wonder if this can come through for this model or Adam through an update.

[number01pup]

You didn't give an info on haow the LCD looks in direct sunlight compared to the Pixel qi.

[JohnHJW]

There have been some discussions that suggests that the ambient light sensor doesn't work correctly in all situations. Leading to the display dimming to different levels depending on the application being shown.

I suspect this may be a Froyo problem. Since I put a hacked Chinese 2.2 ROM from MoDaCo on my phone I've suffered most of the common Adam problems, including random dimming of the display just when I least expect it, but also GPS puts me in Guangdong etc.

[DOEBeats]

This is a great comparison. Thanks for the pictures!

[Deecee]

The Auto mode will do this too, but it will lessen the backlight as you enter sun, to preserve the battery. As I said though, I prefer the brightness at around 10% higher than Auto seems to think is ideal.

I wonder if this could be controlled by a software widget. Again, this reiterates I made the right decision for me by ordering the PQi model. I will be using mine outdoors and in varying lighting conditions. I have workstations for the color correction work and and an HDTV for media.

Thanks for you work!

[Rocfire]

I thought I would add my thanks to the rest. This comparison lays to rest the few fears I had with my PQ order. I am ok on a 6 year old dell lap top lcd so I figured that the the Adam PQ had to be better than that. But this is still very reassuring.

[MATrickett]

@excession...
This is probably--no, really--above the call of duty, but one thing that I noted in your comparison photographs is that by the true "side-by-side" images that you created--that is, the Adams are side by side--there is an optical artifact in that you can see that both screens fade to the left (LCD) and right (PQi), implying that the primary source of light is from the centre, or right (LCD) and left (PQi). I wondered if you wouldn't mind taking photographs of each screen under the same lighting conditions and without the other screen. These images could then be placed side by side for an "independent" view on the differences.

With that said, the rest of the images are kick-arse for comparison. The gains in comparison by repeating this would be minor, but if you're up for it I'm sure that the community would love to see it.

Again, though, awesome.

[GregG]

Thanks so much for this information! I've been very interested in seeing this comparison done! Agree with poster above that it would be interesting to compare the two outdoors. Some early LCD owners have reported that LCD works unexpectedly well outside.