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w520 vs w510 display
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davidhbrown
- Junior Member

- Posts: 307
- Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2008 8:26 pm
- Location: Kingston, RI
Re: w520 vs w510 display
Well, I'm used to NTSC="Never Twice the Same Color" (broadcast color phase stability issues in the USA and other countries using that system prior to the digital conversion), so I wasn't expecting the world from 95% NTSC.
Can't say I've ever heard of the % being calculated as a volume comparison rather than as a coverage, but unless the Federal Trade Commission gets involved, I would certainly believe it possible.
I am seeing a lot of oversaturation on the W520 FHD ("calibrated" to D65, 2.2) compared to my Dell U2410 (in Adobe RGB mode), but it's so much better than any other notebook I've had, I'm not worrying too much. Frankly, doing web work, I really ought to keep a really awful monitor around for "proofing"!
(Actually, I did that with my T61p when I needed to work out a standard palette half a year ago... I figured if the colors looked decent on the T61, my smartphone, and on the U2410, it had half a chance.)
Edit: Regarding the 6-bit issue, it does seem like whatever dithering they're doing is better than when 6-bit panels first came out. I created a FHD-size 32-bit image in Photoshop and filled it with a pure green-to-black gradient right-to-left. There's a very little bit of banding visible as the green heads to shadows and the backlight isn't quite as uniform (slightly darker across the middle, horizontally), but it's pretty good. I guess it should be for the price bump, but they could certainly have done worse.
Can't say I've ever heard of the % being calculated as a volume comparison rather than as a coverage, but unless the Federal Trade Commission gets involved, I would certainly believe it possible.
I am seeing a lot of oversaturation on the W520 FHD ("calibrated" to D65, 2.2) compared to my Dell U2410 (in Adobe RGB mode), but it's so much better than any other notebook I've had, I'm not worrying too much. Frankly, doing web work, I really ought to keep a really awful monitor around for "proofing"!
(Actually, I did that with my T61p when I needed to work out a standard palette half a year ago... I figured if the colors looked decent on the T61, my smartphone, and on the U2410, it had half a chance.)
Edit: Regarding the 6-bit issue, it does seem like whatever dithering they're doing is better than when 6-bit panels first came out. I created a FHD-size 32-bit image in Photoshop and filled it with a pure green-to-black gradient right-to-left. There's a very little bit of banding visible as the green heads to shadows and the backlight isn't quite as uniform (slightly darker across the middle, horizontally), but it's pretty good. I guess it should be for the price bump, but they could certainly have done worse.
W520 (2820QM, Q2000M, FHD, mSATA SSD, dock)
Previous: T61p (died 1m past warranty
), Dell 8600, iBook ("Dual USB"), Gateway Millennium, Macintosh G4 , PowerPC Mac clone, Mac Duo 210, iBook (clamshell), Quadra 630, Mac IIsi, C-128, C-64, Vic-20
Previous: T61p (died 1m past warranty
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Dimitri_P
- Junior Member

- Posts: 464
- Joined: Fri Feb 17, 2006 3:26 pm
- Location: • California •
- Contact:
Re: w520 vs w510 display
Interesting piece
LG released a line of laptops with 15.6" wide IPS screens; and those are LG's own IPS panels.
I bet they will work in W510 and W520 after some voodoo magic, if not right away.
LG released a line of laptops with 15.6" wide IPS screens; and those are LG's own IPS panels.
I bet they will work in W510 and W520 after some voodoo magic, if not right away.
Re: w520 vs w510 display
I just purchased a w520 and am very dissapointed with the screen due to its oversaturated colors. I need to run an array of business applications, but also need the ability to review and edit photos. Even though they sell it with the color calibratior, this screen seems totally unsuitable for phototgraphy.
I'll most likely return the w520, but am not sure what to replace it with. Any suggestions?
I'll most likely return the w520, but am not sure what to replace it with. Any suggestions?
Re: w520 vs w510 display
I just received the W520 few days back. I will be using this for photography too. I have the color calibrator. After running the calibration it looked a bit better. I not so disappointed though.
You can probably tweak the setting to get better results. Let me know if you a get settings for photography.
You can probably tweak the setting to get better results. Let me know if you a get settings for photography.
Re: w520 vs w510 display
If you are seeing over saturated colors then you aren't using a color managed application. With a properly calibrated profile and a properly setup color managed application you should be able to view colors in the color space of your choice without them being over saturated. Somethings not right with your setup. You'll have this problem with every wide gamut screen you buy if you can't set it up right.
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ivanox1972
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Sun May 01, 2011 2:23 pm
- Location: Obrenovac, Serbia
Re: w520 vs w510 display
Hi,
this is my first post on this forum...
Actually I do not have W510/W520- I have HP 8540 elitebook, but I bought same screen as it is used in W510 (AUO 156HW01 v.4)...
I also see screen offers good colors, but over-saturated...
My novice question is how can I calibrate it...
Also, is it possible to use someones .icm file???
If possible please send some good one and tell how to use it...
Many thanks
this is my first post on this forum...
Actually I do not have W510/W520- I have HP 8540 elitebook, but I bought same screen as it is used in W510 (AUO 156HW01 v.4)...
I also see screen offers good colors, but over-saturated...
My novice question is how can I calibrate it...
Also, is it possible to use someones .icm file???
If possible please send some good one and tell how to use it...
Many thanks
Re: w520 vs w510 display
You are best off buying a color calibrator. Once you have a profile generated you can have Windows 7 load it into your cards LUT (Look Up Table) or you can use the tools that will come with the calibrator to load it.
Calibration alone will not solve your problems however! Windows 7 for the most part is NOT color managed, so even after calibration your colors will still be heavily saturated. You'll need to use software like Adobe Photoshop to get color management. In Adobe you can set your target color space, your working color space, and it'll read in the pictures/images color space. Using all this information in conjunction with your profile the image will look correct.
For web browsing, Internet Explorer is NOT color managed. There is a plug in that you can download for Firefox that will color manage it and make your web browsing have accurate colors.
Calibration alone will not solve your problems however! Windows 7 for the most part is NOT color managed, so even after calibration your colors will still be heavily saturated. You'll need to use software like Adobe Photoshop to get color management. In Adobe you can set your target color space, your working color space, and it'll read in the pictures/images color space. Using all this information in conjunction with your profile the image will look correct.
For web browsing, Internet Explorer is NOT color managed. There is a plug in that you can download for Firefox that will color manage it and make your web browsing have accurate colors.
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Dimitri_P
- Junior Member

- Posts: 464
- Joined: Fri Feb 17, 2006 3:26 pm
- Location: • California •
- Contact:
Re: w520 vs w510 display
http://www.displayblog.com/2011/04/26/d ... backlight/
Apparently Dell is releasing M4600 laptop with both IPS screen and RGB LED backlight.
What are the chances of getting part number of that LCD screen and then trying it in W520/W510
Apparently Dell is releasing M4600 laptop with both IPS screen and RGB LED backlight.
What are the chances of getting part number of that LCD screen and then trying it in W520/W510
Re: w520 vs w510 display
Don't know big spender, try it and let us knowDimitri_P wrote:http://www.displayblog.com/2011/04/26/d ... backlight/
Apparently Dell is releasing M4600 laptop with both IPS screen and RGB LED backlight.
What are the chances of getting part number of that LCD screen and then trying it in W520/W510
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Dimitri_P
- Junior Member

- Posts: 464
- Joined: Fri Feb 17, 2006 3:26 pm
- Location: • California •
- Contact:
Re: w520 vs w510 display
How about we come up with a poll to find out how many people is willing to contribute $5-10-15 to a member of this site, who then is willing to acquire that Dell with IPS or that HP with Dream Color and try it in W510 or W520.
Regardless of the outcome, the machine can later be sold back on ebay, and if there is any loss, to be covered by the initial pool of money and then refunded.
For a rough example:
I'm more than happy to supply $500-1000 of my own money, given that I can find 20 people who can contribute $10 towards this project.
After an HP laptop is acquired, for example $1000 - I will play with it LCD panel in my W510, then report on results then run whatever tests needed, photos, calibrate ( I have X-Rite i1Display 2 Color Calibrator).
Afterwards if it sells back on ebay for $900 - it is $100 loss.
given 20 people pool at $10 per person - it is $0.50 loss per person - I will refund back all $9.50
Alternatively I would be more than happy to send someone $10 or 20 to do everything in a similar fashion just to get a definite answer whether it works or not.
So anybody interested?
These debates are going back and forth for the LAST YEAR without any results otherwise.
Regardless of the outcome, the machine can later be sold back on ebay, and if there is any loss, to be covered by the initial pool of money and then refunded.
For a rough example:
I'm more than happy to supply $500-1000 of my own money, given that I can find 20 people who can contribute $10 towards this project.
After an HP laptop is acquired, for example $1000 - I will play with it LCD panel in my W510, then report on results then run whatever tests needed, photos, calibrate ( I have X-Rite i1Display 2 Color Calibrator).
Afterwards if it sells back on ebay for $900 - it is $100 loss.
given 20 people pool at $10 per person - it is $0.50 loss per person - I will refund back all $9.50
Alternatively I would be more than happy to send someone $10 or 20 to do everything in a similar fashion just to get a definite answer whether it works or not.
So anybody interested?
These debates are going back and forth for the LAST YEAR without any results otherwise.
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Volker
- Junior Member

- Posts: 482
- Joined: Fri Oct 01, 2004 10:21 am
- Location: Dublin, Ireland
- Contact:
Re: w520 vs w510 display
You can't compare high-gamut displays by looking at photos unless your camera, image file format, and the final monitor all have larger coverage than the displays you are trying to compare. Which essentially means that photos are useless to compare quality displays.
Also, for all the "colors are oversaturated" posters. You either are used to crappy monitors so you don't know how colors look for real or you haven't calibrated your monitor. In either case, you are just complaining that your monitor can show too many / too saturated colors. Thats the whole point of a high-gamut display
Also, for all the "colors are oversaturated" posters. You either are used to crappy monitors so you don't know how colors look for real or you haven't calibrated your monitor. In either case, you are just complaining that your monitor can show too many / too saturated colors. Thats the whole point of a high-gamut display
Re: w520 vs w510 display
Also, for all the "colors are oversaturated" posters. You either are used to crappy monitors so you don't know how colors look for real or you haven't calibrated your monitor
Completely incorrect. Calibration refers to often minor corrections that make a photo look the same on your monitor as other displays.
And this statement is total bs:
You can't compare high-gamut displays by looking at photos unless your camera, image file format, and the final monitor all have larger coverage than the displays you are trying to compare. Which essentially means that photos are useless to compare quality displays.
Completely incorrect. Calibration refers to often minor corrections that make a photo look the same on your monitor as other displays.
And this statement is total bs:
You can't compare high-gamut displays by looking at photos unless your camera, image file format, and the final monitor all have larger coverage than the displays you are trying to compare. Which essentially means that photos are useless to compare quality displays.
W510 4319-2PU, X201 tablet 2985-C6U, HP 8740W DC2
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