"Does using OLED screen at 100% brightness with an overlay filter really work?"

K-Moss

https://www.reddit.com/r/PWM_Sensitive/comments/1obqbsz/does_using_oled_screen_at_100_brightness_with_an/

This is a very important discussion because these screen dimmers can make usable many OLED screens. The dimmer not only allows the screen to stay at 100% brightness, but reduces contrast and softens the intensity of the picture. The quality of the visuals are degraded. However, if you must use OLED for any reason, the improved comfort is very welcome.

The Twilight app is very helpful as well.

Another benefit of these dimmers is making the OLED carnival show less addictive. As the intensity of the screen is lowered, the brain is less drawn to the high intensity and super colorful visuals. There is a candy store quality to OLED phones that makes the devices especially addictive. The brain in some sense is very attracted to the vibrant colors.

By the way, matte screens like Nxtpaper Ultra are all the rage in eye strain communities, but I've always preferred the clarity and subjective quality of glossy screens. For me anyway, matte is not as enjoyable, and I haven't been attracted to putting a thick haze over the display. Of course enjoyment comes secondary to comfort, and if the hazy matte screens help you then of course matte is preferable in your case.

For something like a phone where most people are using the screens intermittently, not for heavy extended periods, glossy screens tend to make more sense.

Notice I share my personal thoughts with the expectation others will share theirs as well.

I'm interested in your thoughts and experiences.

ensete

K-Moss The dimmer not only allows the screen to stay at 100% brightness, but reduces contrast and softens the intensity of the picture

This is the same mechanism that allows matte screens to work for some people and has been known for a long time. All brain triggers are threshold based, if you can reduce the level of the stimulus to below your threshold, you will not be triggered. Matte screens/"dimmers" reduce the amount of light hitting your eyes, which reduces the level of the stimulus, and if you are one of the lucky ones where that brings the stimulus to below the level of your trigger, then the screen will work for you to remove your symptoms.

Donux

K-Moss Few days ago I was looking for possible films that could potentially slow down the light and introduce motion blur, but there is no such a material on this planet. Only best solution in my opinion is ND filter as used in photography, that does the same as these apps, but at physical layer. Also I though OLEDs usually flicker all all brightness levels, at least I recall some people reviewing their bad laptop purchases.

Staycalmsyndrome

I found screen dimmers to introduce their own level of strain but may be a better trade-off than pwm at low brightness.

K-Moss

ensete Keep in mind that not all the effects on our bodies are immediately noticeable. There can be more subtle effects that would accumulate over time yet not immediately result in acute symptoms. This is similar to people taking supplements they can't feel yet we know from studies even though you can't feel something, there can be significant changes induced in the body all the same.

One S25U user did not have noticeable symptoms except after heavier usage. Once he got those issues, he couldn't use the S25U any longer. He found relief with the Moto G55, which he says he can use all day without issue. G55 has zero flicker, just a stable image. I have looked at it using a high quality slow motion camera. The Moto Edge pOLED models have visible refreshing of the screen even at 100% brightness. Not so the Moto LCD models.

K-Moss

"480hz is very bad for your eyes.. at this point they do it on purpose to damage the eyes of the people."

"STOP USING PWM IN SCREENS! PERIOD!

It’s clear that these companies will not change until they are forced to.

We need government policy to force their hand. I’m tired of this BS."

K-Moss

Another report:

https://www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/168ocz0/an_observation_about_display_choices_and_eye/

"Thank you for pointing this out!

OLED screens with PWM flickering (or any other type with pwm) are very harmful, even if the user does not notice it. The screens are bombarding high intensity light impulses when the pupils are dilated (because the screen seems dark) which causes eye strain and headaches for many, but the unhealthy effects are there for everyone.

And as you also pointed out - the subpixel layout also makes the effective resolution worse.

I avoid OLED at all cost. Franky speaking, OLED is utter trash in laptops and smartphones and it is a shame that the industry pushes such screens."

What do you think?

For some reason, requiring more experimentation, I am finding the Edge pOLED less straining on the eyes vs my G55, but on the other hand it may be causing a slight headache.

K-Moss

Just wanted to add this:

"Flicker vertigo:
Disorientation, dizziness, nausea, and loss of fine motor control due to a disruption in the synchronization of brain cells."

What interests me is the disruption in the synchronization of brain cells. That doesn't sound good at all.

Now we know things like MSG are harmful, but still many can eat MSG without any apparent effects. As far as I know I don't get any issues from MSG, but I avoid it all the same as something I believe is not good for me.

K-Moss

Decided I am done with OLED for any heavier usage. The effects do build, hence if you aren't currently bothered it's by far no guarantee you won't have increasing symptoms as time goes on. For me anyway, OLED is only for light and casual usage.

cooldudz

K-Moss bro what? You post so much every single day about the effects OLED have on us and how bad it is for us and yet you were using it this whole time? What the actual fuck.

K-Moss

cooldudz Sometimes I think those here are obsessives. I had to try it for myself. OLED really is awful. The other issue is that the commonly available LCD screens are cheap Chinese junk. Only truly good LCD screen I've used lately is the Sonim XP Pro. That showed me what a smartphone screen should be. Anyway, the Moto Edge models are superbly nice, but I'm convinced OLED damages the brain and eyes. You can slow down the damages by playing with the settings, but it's just not a good screen technology. I have no interest in using another OLED as long as I live.

These screen issues are more than psychological. The screens being sold to the general public really are junk for the most part. Sonim XP Pro seems much better, but it's a relatively rare device by a small company intended for field professionals of various kinds. It exhibits care for the end user that is not present in the Moto G LCD models. The Moto G LCD models obviously are better than OLED, but the screens are so cheap compared to the Sonim.

Could Motorola do a lot better? Absolutely, but at the end of the day all their LCD models are budget oriented intended to be just good enough, not anything truly quality oriented.

Again, compared to OLED they're much better for a variety of reasons, but just not enjoyable once one experiences a proper LCD smartphone display.

Bottom line, this is not a high civilization like must have existed sometime before we were born. You can compare our buildings and architecture to what used to be, and there just isn't any comparison.

Besides the Sonim XP Pro, show me one quality oriented LCD smartphone. Doesn't exist, right?

Crazy given the essential nature of a smartphone that it's so extremely hard finding a quality display.

Pretty sure the Nxtpaper products are junk as well. Reflective and/or glossy screens never were the issue. The issue has been a lack of quality.

For what it's worth, the Sonim XP Pro is made either in Taiwan or Vietnam. It could be that when manufacturers are trying to produce higher quality displays they manufacture outside of China. China has always been known as the place you use for manufacturing when you want the highest profit margins and the worst quality deemed acceptable by an ignorant public that doesn't know any better.