Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA Interests: Women, Drums, Visors, Computers, Home Theater and any cool gadgets.
Posts: 138

Is it normal for the Prism display to flicker?
Anyone else notice this?

What I mean is when using it every once in awhile the screen will seem to lose power for very split second. It is just a very slight flicker and not a HUGE deal; however, I am wondering if this is normal or something that may lead to problems later on. I am always at over 85% power usually so that cannot be it. I usually keep the screen brightness at about 25%. It also is not when switching between apps. I am talking when just viewing appointments or the like.

__________________
I don't NEED color, I crave it!
<BR>Just a fan! <A HREF=" http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/ "><IMG SRC=" http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/nav/foot-station.gif "></A><BR>

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Clarksville, VA, USA
Posts: 74

I noticed the same thing. I too had my brightness at 25% or lower. However when the brightness is 50% or higher, the flicker is hardly noticeable, if at all.

Try turning your brightness up and see if you notice the same thing. Incidentally, having the brightness between 50%-60%, so far hasn't been a big drain on the battery as I thought it would. YMMV.

David

Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Here
Posts: 213

I notice on mine also but is not an too annoying like a continuous refresh problem is on a PC. I notice it more when using the modem but maybe because you are looking at the screen longer in surf mode.

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 17

I notice it on mine too.
More when the brightness is low (~25%)

BTW, did anyone hear about a recall of Prism's? I saw a message on comp.sys.palmtops.palmpilot that mentioned a CompUSA store was returning all of their Prism's due to a recall.

Rick

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: brooklyn, ny, usa
Posts: 190

quote:

---

Originally posted by rickk

BTW, did anyone hear about a recall of Prism's? I saw a message on comp.sys.palmtops.palmpilot that mentioned a CompUSA store was returning all of their Prism's due to a recall.

---

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 17

Hi Sluggo,

That's what I thought too. Looked here right away. Also checked palmgear and Handspring - nothing.

I saw the news group message this morning about 5am. Haven't seen anything else about this in the news group.

cheers,

rick

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA Interests: Women, Drums, Visors, Computers, Home Theater and any cool gadgets.
Posts: 138

quote:

---

Originally posted by dtgillis
I noticed the same thing. I too had my brightness at 25% or lower. However when the brightness is 50% or higher, the flicker is hardly noticeable, if at all.

Try turning your brightness up and see if you notice the same thing. Incidentally, having the brightness between 50%-60%, so far hasn't been a big drain on the battery as I thought it would. YMMV.

David

---

Thanks at least it isn't just me and something that may go bad on me later. BTW I realy would love to test the battery drain at different brightness levels. Like 25%, 50% 75% and full. See if 50 is double the drain from 25 etc...

If anyone has some spare time

__________________
I don't NEED color, I crave it!
<BR>Just a fan! <A HREF=" http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/ "><IMG SRC=" http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/nav/foot-station.gif "></A><BR>

Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Here
Posts: 213

It's an already found secret..
If you hold the up arrow button on the prism and then also select the battery with the stylus, you can see the load in milliWatts of the prism. You can definetly these see the affects of different brightness levels on the draw of the battery.

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA Interests: Women, Drums, Visors, Computers, Home Theater and any cool gadgets.
Posts: 138

quote:

---

Originally posted by george_vc
It's an already found secret..
If you hold the up arrow button on the prism and then also select the battery with the stylus, you can see the load in milliWatts of the prism. You can definetly these see the affects of different brightness levels on the draw of the battery.

---

Hey that is right. And I KNEW that as well.

I was thinking of actuall runtime type of tests but this gives me an idea of them.
I just didn't think of using the gauge that way.
Thanks for the tip.

Wow what a difference when comparing them. Lets see, when all the way down I am pulling about 460mV. At around 25% I get about 775mV, 50% comes in around 995mV and 100% is pulling 1540mV. Big difference here and about what you would expect.

So when HS says 6 hours is that at the lowest setting?

__________________
I don't NEED color, I crave it!
<BR>Just a fan! <A HREF=" http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/ "><IMG SRC=" http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/nav/foot-station.gif "></A><BR>

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: brooklyn, ny, usa
Posts: 190

quote:

---

Originally posted by Babylon5
Wow what a difference when comparing them. Lets see, when all the way down I am pulling about 460mV. At around 25% I get about 775mV, 50% comes in around 995mV and 100% is pulling 1540mV. Big difference here and about what you would expect.

So when HS says 6 hours is that at the lowest setting?
[/B]

---

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 17

Wow! What a great idea!!

How do you tell what percent brightness level you have selected?

rick

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: brooklyn, ny, usa
Posts: 190

quote:

---

Originally posted by rickk
Wow! What a great idea!!

How do you tell what percent brightness level you have selected?

rick

---

Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 38

I just bought a prism and I noticed this problem too. Has this caused any problems? Has it gotten worse the longer you have had it ar anything like that? Thanks

Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Martinez, CA
Posts: 5

forvisor,

I just got my Prism and see the same thing. Check out this thread about using the "SG Maneuver" to adjust the contrast.

Setting the contrast lower seems to help with the flicker and the screen seems to look better as well.

If you run a search of the forums you'll find this Prism flicker topic is discussed quite a bit in different threads.

Hope this help!

Bob

__________________
Zinfandel: America's Heritage Grape

In Vino Veritas!

Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 38

no, this flicker this thread is talking about has nothing to do with the contrast. Please read the first thread post. Thanks

Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Martinez, CA
Posts: 5

forvisor,

Sorry, looking at my post I wasn't as clear as I should have been. I do indeed understand that this thread is related to a flicker when it appears the backlight power seems to drop for a split second. My new Prism has the tendency. I did find that adjusting the contrast did seem to reduce, but not eliminate, the effect. I never noticed the "shimmer" that others talked about in the thread I referenced. I now only see this power drop flicker occasionally and then it seems only when I'm viewing the screen at an angle.

Bob

__________________
Zinfandel: America's Heritage Grape

In Vino Veritas!

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 110

I've been using the Prism for a few months now. I do see an occasional flicker, although either it has become much less frequent or I've just grown used to it (probably the latter) because I barely notice it any more. (Also, I guess I use my Prism less now - the geek value is wearing off! But it's still very cool!) The "SG maneuver" described in other threads never made much difference. I notice the flicker MUCH more when the brightness is dropped to minimum - but I always leave mine on max brightness, so that's not a problem for me.

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Titusville, NJ, USA
Posts: 9

Regarding the recall (if there is one)

Well, I'm not sure if the CompUSA recall is fact or fiction, but I believe it. I went through FOUR retail Visor Prisms (three from Best Buy, one from Staples) before I finally just bought it off of the site, which I decided not to do to begin with because of shipping. The problems were mostly with the screens (dead/overactive pixels, loss of brightness in certain parts of the screen, etc.) but one had a defective Down arrow button and also a slight yellow, yes yellow, cast around the edges of the screen. It would appear that Handspring nose dived on quality standards for a little while there, and even the one that I was just sent via their website seems to be becoming darker at the bottom of the screen than the top. Has anyone else noticed this? It seems to be only a slight loss of light, but enough to be somewhat annoying when reading text. For $467 I shouldn't have to worry about issues like this. My Visor Deluxe, by the way, has held up like a champ. Not to mention the fact that I've dropped it screen down on hardwood floors countless times without a single problem (I don't recommend you trying this!)

__________________
Ben
-www.light-poet.com
[email protected]
-Light-Poet Photography

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 63

I've had this problem from day one of my Prism ownership; though I'd describe it more like a very brief flash to maximum brightness rather than a dip. Since I've learned to live with it, I feel alot better knowing that this sounds like a standard "problem" with many Prisms. Hopefully, the next version of the Prism has a better screen like the new Sony Clie hi-res color screen. The viewable in sunlight screen got raves in today's New York Times and Wall Street Journal. Look out iPaq!!

As for the recall issue, I doubt it's true. If there were any credibility to it, the recall info would have raced through every one of these Prism forums.

As a side note to LightPoet - you need to wipe the oil off of your fingers after trying out the "olive oil screen protector trick"!!! LOL

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Titusville, NJ, USA
Posts: 9

quote:

---

Originally posted by Scottster
As a side note to LightPoet - you need to wipe the oil off of your fingers after trying out the "olive oil screen protector trick"!!! LOL

---

What do you mean by this? I'm talking about only having a Prism for no more than a day before it began having problems. By the way, only one of the four boxes had an unbroken seal, so I wouldn't be surprised if people were returning defective Prisms to Best Buy and Staples, only to be sold again to the next unsuspecting customer. I heard several excuses as to why they were opened, and one very young manager actually said "someone probably wanted to see what color it was," so I informed him that they were all Cobalt Blue. But what can you do...

As for my previous post regarding the top of the screen appearing lighter than the bottom, has anyone else noticed this? I swear, it wasn't like that last night. Things just happen to these screens overnight, it seems.

__________________
Ben
-www.light-poet.com
[email protected]
-Light-Poet Photography