My IBM X61's monitor seems to "over smoothen" .... any suggestions?

*m8o* · 10-10-2009, 09:43 PM

It's weird. Two laptops... IBM X61 Tablet (personal laptop), vs. Dell Latitude E6500 (corporate laptop). Both with the base Intel graphics card (not ATI or NVIDIA), running 32-bit color. The IBM is running 1400x1050 rez, and Dell 1400x900 rez, so not exactly the same rez but close enough not to make the big difference I'm seeing.

On the Dell, when I look at an image that's over sharpened, there's clearly no question of that fact. The pixelization and haloing is clearly visible through that monitor. On my IBM X61 Tablet, I very rarely see it. It's not that sharp images aren't sharp. I can't really explain how photos can be sharp, but smooth[-ened] at the same time. It's as if the rendering is over anti-aliased , but there's no way to see where that's coming from.

I also have another personal higher-end Dell latitude 1720 (that I bought for my wife a few years back) with 1900x1200 rez and nvidia graphics card on which I'll see the oversharpening more than the IBM or mine, but not quite as much as the Dell Latitude. On numerous other computers of mine and friends, the oversharpening artifacts are all more visible than on my IBM, sometimes as much as on the Latitude.

And what the worry is there is I can't use the Dell Latitude to do my RAW pp as it's a corporate machine. So when I use the IBM, I have found myself making JPGs that I think look the best I can make it, and post it. Then when I look it at on other people's machines I'm kind of shocked and embarrassed when I see the pixelization & halo'ing. As soon as I can when I get home, I re-pp the RAW and replace the JPG image I'd previously shared.

I thought I knew all the settings I can change in the drivers and config. But I'm not as up on all the undocumented features on the WinNT/Xp options today as I used to be years back, especially not as much as back when I was an OS/2 advocate [spelled b-i-g-o-t, <grin>] and had time for that kinds of stuff... so anyone know where I might be able to root around in the OS or other hard to find places or tools to get my IBM to provide a more accurate portrayal of the image?

Pretty long post. Thanx for reading. If you have some idea, lemme know. Thanx much,
-steve

krypticide · 10-11-2009, 12:29 AM

I have an X61 tablet too (great machine), but I haven't experienced the issues you have. In fact, I've never heard of monitors having this issue. My only guess would be that the monitors need to be calibrated, and that contrast may have been lost on your X61. My X61 is now over two years old, and is significantly yellowed. I have color corrected it with a calibrator, but that results in a loss of brightness in order to compensate for the yellowing. That loss of brightness is naturally going to lead to a loss of contrast. I suspect this is probably the main issue.

Labuzan · 10-11-2009, 10:33 AM

To have a good sharpeness, the Graphic card resolution must be exactly adapted to the native résolution of the screen. Not aproximatively, excactly.
one physical pixel screen = one pixel card

Gooshin · 10-13-2009, 04:15 PM

according to this

New ThinkPad X61 Tablet models include Intel Core 2 Duo processor technology and Microsoft Windows

unless you have some radically different (ie, larger) version, your laptop is designed for 1024 x 768 resolution, i dont know how you're packing 1400X1050, because rarely is the system set with the blocks open for non native resolution..

anyway you're forcing your screen to do double duty, hence the fuzzyness... its a 13" laptop for crying out loud!

where as, according to Dell's website, your Latitute supports 1440x900 (and even 1900 X 1400 in the super duper large model)

Originally Posted by m8o

It's weird. Two laptops... IBM X61 Tablet (personal laptop), vs. Dell Latitude E6500 (corporate laptop). Both with the base Intel graphics card (not ATI or NVIDIA), running 32-bit color. The IBM is running 1400x1050 rez, and Dell 1400x900 rez, so not exactly the same rez but close enough not to make the big difference I'm seeing.

On the Dell, when I look at an image that's over sharpened, there's clearly no question of that fact. The pixelization and haloing is clearly visible through that monitor. On my IBM X61 Tablet, I very rarely see it. It's not that sharp images aren't sharp. I can't really explain how photos can be sharp, but smooth[-ened] at the same time. It's as if the rendering is over anti-aliased , but there's no way to see where that's coming from.

I also have another personal higher-end Dell latitude 1720 (that I bought for my wife a few years back) with 1900x1200 rez and nvidia graphics card on which I'll see the oversharpening more than the IBM or mine, but not quite as much as the Dell Latitude. On numerous other computers of mine and friends, the oversharpening artifacts are all more visible than on my IBM, sometimes as much as on the Latitude.

And what the worry is there is I can't use the Dell Latitude to do my RAW pp as it's a corporate machine. So when I use the IBM, I have found myself making JPGs that I think look the best I can make it, and post it. Then when I look it at on other people's machines I'm kind of shocked and embarrassed when I see the pixelization & halo'ing. As soon as I can when I get home, I re-pp the RAW and replace the JPG image I'd previously shared.

I thought I knew all the settings I can change in the drivers and config. But I'm not as up on all the undocumented features on the WinNT/Xp options today as I used to be years back, especially not as much as back when I was an OS/2 advocate [spelled b-i-g-o-t, <grin>] and had time for that kinds of stuff... so anyone know where I might be able to root around in the OS or other hard to find places or tools to get my IBM to provide a more accurate portrayal of the image?

Pretty long post. Thanx for reading. If you have some idea, lemme know. Thanx much,
-steve

flippedgazelle · 10-13-2009, 08:50 PM

Originally Posted by Gooshin

according to this

New ThinkPad X61 Tablet models include Intel Core 2 Duo processor technology and Microsoft Windows

unless you have some radically different (ie, larger) version, your laptop is designed for 1024 x 768 resolution, i dont know how you're packing 1400X1050, because rarely is the system set with the blocks open for non native resolution..

The X61 offers a SXGA+ (1400x1050) screen as an option.

OP, assuming that the laptop is running at the proper screen res, the problem could be the LCD panel. Not all LCD panels have the same optical characteristics, and large companies like Dell & Lenovo will contract with different mfrs and use the panels interchangeably. So, one person might have an X61 with, say, an AU Optronics panel, while another could use a panel from LG.

*m8o* · 10-14-2009, 09:03 AM

flippedgazelle's got it [yep, I'm running the native 1400x1050 rez, 32-bit color]. I opted to not get the lower rez screen with finger touch sensetivity, as I'm a programmer 1st and need screen real-estate, and the added real-estate for RAW conversion was also critical. So I got the higher-rez screen but have to use the Watcom pen if I'm using it in Tablet mode (can't use my finger). Tabltes are so great for recording whiteboard sessions.

Strike what I had written before [I removed it]. I'm pretty sure the tablet sensors are under the screen, not a transparent overlay, so no, that's not a contributing factor.