Circularly polarized light is considered better

K-Moss

What do you think of this AI response? NXTPAPER uses circular polarization. Which others?

Circularly polarized light, found in some newer smartphones and tablets, is considered better for your eyes than the linearly polarized light from older LCD screens, which can contribute to dry eye and visual fatigue. A key difference is that linearly polarized light has an electric vector vibrating in one fixed direction, which can be irritating, while circularly polarized light's vibration is more akin to the irregular pattern of natural light, allowing the eye to adapt more easily and reducing eye strain.
Why linear polarization is harmful:

Reduced Tear Film:
Using linearly polarized screens can lead to a significant decrease in tear volume, tear film stability, and NIBUT (Non-Invasive Tear Break-Up Time).

Ocular Discomfort:
This can result in dry eye symptoms, visual fatigue, and general ocular discomfort.
Eye Irritation:
The intense and concentrated energy distribution of linearly polarized light is extremely irritating to the eyes.

How circularly polarized light is beneficial:

Mimics Natural Light:
Unlike linearly polarized light, circularly polarized light has a vibration pattern that is closer to natural light, which is better for the eye's natural adaptation.

Minimizes Symptoms:
A study by the NIH found that circularly polarized screens reduced the adverse effects on eye dryness and visual fatigue, even in various lighting conditions.
Positive Changes in Visual Index:
Circularly polarized light was shown to have a less significant negative impact on indicators like FTBUT (Fluorescein Tear Break-Up Time) and NIBUT compared to linearly polarized screens.

What this means for you:

Industry Shift:
The adoption of circularly polarized light in digital devices like tablets and smartphones is a positive step for the industry in reducing eye-related problems.

Seek Circularly Polarized Devices:
If you experience eye strain or dry eyes from your phone, consider upgrading to a device that utilizes circularly polarized light, as it may offer a more comfortable viewing experience.

TheDavid8

Is this information being pulled from this study?

I bought a pair of polarized sunglasses to test and determine if the direction of polarization was the cause for my eyestrain but to my dismay this was not the case.

My eyes adjust to phone screens but not monitors. I know the zenbook duo uses a circular polarized display because I went into a Best Buy and viewed the device through the glasses while rotating it's orientation. If the ultra 7 3k variant becomes available and goes on sale I will purchase and test for a month and report my results.

jordan

There was a doctor on reddit that mentioned something about polarized light makes the brain work harder to process the light information

K-Moss

jordan And why would a modern device use linear polarization vs circular? I contacted one manufacturer and was told their new device uses linear polarization. The studies say circular is better for the eyes, but it could be part of the problem some have is circular polarization? After all, older monitors exclusively used linear polarization, right?

You can tell which is used by whether your polarized sunglasses prevent you from enjoyably viewing the screen? I have an old HP monitor that gets very dark and unviewable when I put on polarized sunglasses. That's from linear polarization

AshX

I can’t wear polarized sunglasses. They give me similar symptoms I get from screens. It’s hard to tell whether this is just another trigger causing similar symptoms or if it’s a primary driver. Difficult to separate possible triggers on screens to determine how significant a role it plays.

K-Moss

AshX Please tell us more about your polarization sensitivity. That is very interesting and provides a clue about why certain screen protectors greatly help one of the members here. It must be doing something to how the light leaves the screen that makes a noticeable difference.

jordan

K-Moss I am not entirely sure. It seems linear has been used for a long time and circular is newer? I think apple has been the only one using it for a long time. I am not sure how much better circular is. I do know devices seem to have the polarization orientation different. theres a post on reddit of someone saying that rotating their monitor sideways stopped the eye strain which sounds like a polarization issue ?

K-Moss

jordan Also, I just read this:

"Yes, most modern OLED screens use an external circular polarizer to suppress ambient light reflections, which is why they often appear dark when viewed through polarized sunglasses."

Therefore, I'm confused. I thought circular polarization is meant to make it so that one can use polarized sunglasses without issue? Yet now I'm reading circular polarization often is dark through polarized lenses just like linear.

Further querying AI, I received:

"It is much easier to view a circularly polarized screen through polarized sunglasses than a linearly polarized screen because the circular polarization of the screen is compatible with the circular polarization of the glasses, allowing you to tilt your head without seeing the screen go black. A linearly polarized screen will go completely black or become unusable when viewed through linear polarized sunglasses if the orientation is not perfectly aligned, whereas the circular screen is designed to be viewable from any angle."

I believe that last quote is more correct. We ought to experiment between linearly and circularly polarized screens to see what generally works best in the real world, not just according to theory. After all, it's not difficult to use non-polarized lenses with a screen if it means superior eye comfort.

jordan

K-Moss Polarized glasses viewing a circular polarized screen should have a color shift/rainbow effect. I think the galaxy s24u was one of the darkest oleds as in no reflections which I think was due to how they polarized it I think? The only phone btw I know without polarization is the gt 7 pro

AshX

K-Moss

Apparently my iPhone is circular polarized, so I’ve often wondered if that’s another reason why it’s tolerable. I wonder if polarization creates a similar effect as some of the images shared on here that give people with visual snow or astigmatism problems. If I’m not mistaken spatial dithering applies a similar sort of pattern in some instances.

The other reason I’m curious about polarization and pixel inversion is because some screens that I couldn’t identify immediate flicker on (No PWM) cause immediate issues as soon as I look at them. After reading some posts here, that seems more likely to be caused by inversion. Not sure if that assumption is correct.

I have a very, very slight astigmatism in one eye (but otherwise 20/20 vision). An optometrist tried and experiment where she put different levels of correction and it made my left eye (the one that has trouble since COVID) shut immediately. We theorized that my brain has compensated so well that it’s locked into that compensation and “freaks out” even if the correction is technically an improvement. From what I understand, this isn’t uncommon with astigmatism.

Polarized sunglasses cause a similar reaction. The brain and eyes just can’t tolerate it, at all. Color of lenses also affects it negatively, particularly colored ones that aren’t on the gray side. I similarly can’t tolerate blurry text or pixelated images. It’s what makes using Windows or low PPI monitors so difficult compared to Apple devices: my brain and eyes are trying to focus/fix the blurry text and images. This happens on blurry text on paper or product labels, too.

If I were to just spitball based on my experiences, I think for me it’s a hyperactive and also very tightly calibrated visual and nervous system. I’ve always been quite attuned to details and changes, but since getting sick all my senses are incredibly heightened and expanded. Sort of like in Superhero movies lol.

I will say that I’ve noticed iPhones and iPads have sharp text out of the box, especially MiniLED and OLED iPads, but all the Macs have blurry text and only by disabling Font Smoothing are they improved. Older Intel Macs are fine with Font Smoothing on or off with everything pre-Big Sur. So I don’t know how much of this is software vs. hardware. iPhone PPI is in the 400s which I think also makes things really visually nice.

macsforme

AshX We theorized that my brain has compensated so well that it’s locked into that compensation and “freaks out” even if the correction is technically an improvement. From what I understand, this isn’t uncommon with astigmatism.

I believe I had a similar experience, although with a prism correction (I have a slight astigmatism as well). Messing around with the glasses I ultimately ordered (closing one eye at a time, taking the glasses off and putting them back on), I could tell that the correction did make the two eyes more aligned. However, I was ultimately unable to adapt to the glasses. I believe my brain had already adapted to the natural misalignment so the correction actually made things worse.