Screen Brightness and Contrast

[cccsdad]

I love my new Via1535tm except for the same issue that I've had with every other TomTom Iv'e owned. Why the heck can't TomTom figure out a way to make their screens easier to see in bright sunlight.

I had a Garmin Nuvi 1450lmt and you could see the screen regardless of the conditions. I've got it set to 100% on the brightness but during the day, I can't see the screen very well, my Garmin on the other hand no problem.

Is there anyway to access a service menu on the TomTom and change this?

I like the TomTom but if I can't see it, it does me no good.

 

[Mario]

I was just getting ready to buy one of these until I saw your post.

I was hoping that TomTom had finally upgraded to a brighter screen, but judging by your post I guess they haven't.

 

[cccsdad]

I think the new glass screen 2535 is better but I don't want to spend 350.00. I still can't believe that TomTom can't do something about this, Garmin has.

 

[Andy_P]

Well they have.... The Go 1000 and 2000 ranges all have a much brighter screen and I thought all the VIA models had it too....

 

[canderson]

FWIW - that extra screen brightness on some devices comes at a cost. In the 'old days' (things sure change quickly in consumer electronics), nearly every touch screen was a resistive device. The 'touch' layer includes a nanothin layer of metal. The the light must penetrate from the backlight, through the LCD and through the touchpad with this metallic film to get to your eyeballs. The upside of this technology - you can poke the touchscreen with anything you like, not just your finger. The end of a pen, a toothpick, whatever you've got. I find this to be easier than my not-so-fat fingers for accuracy.

The newer touchscreen devices use what is known as a capacitive effect instead. There's no intermediate layer of metal between you and the light, so the screen is brighter. However, there's a downside to this technology as well... it requires a finger or something metal touching your hand or ... most things you could poke the screen with aren't going to register at all. Forget trying to do anything at all with gloves on, even if they're a nice tight fit.

The TomTom 1XXX and 2XXX series, and the Nuvi 3700 are examples of a capacitive screen. The glare may be the same as a TomTom, but the brightness (all things being equal in the lighting department) will be improved. More accurately, the "transmissive properties" of the screen are improved. The Via does NOT use a capacitive touch screen.

Frankly, I have issues with both the TomTom and Nuvi (both new and old) models where it's mounted on the trim panel below my dash. I've found that wearing a light colored shirt causes far too much reflection on any of these units if the sun is coming in from the windshield.

 

[mvl]

Because of all the glare issue on earlier Tomtoms, I always mount my Tomtom's to the left of the rearview mirror.

It is easy to reach, the roof acts as a sunshade, and it is close to my face without blocking the road.

By mounting it here, I've never had glare issues on any model.

 

[Andy_P]

The Go 1000 and 2000 ranges all have a much brighter screen and I thought all the VIA models had it too....

The Via does NOT use a capacitive touch screen.

Thanks for the clarification... I knew the VIAs screens weren't capacitive, but I thought they were still quite a bit brighter than previous models.
Unfortunately my VIA is winging it's way back to Amsterdam at the moment, so I couldn't check to see if my gut-feeling was actually right before I posted!

 

[cccsdad]

Because of all the glare issue on earlier Tomtoms, I always mount my Tomtom's to the left of the rearview mirror.

It is easy to reach, the roof acts as a sunshade, and it is close to my face without blocking the road.

By mounting it here, I've never had glare issues on any model.

I really don't wan the thing 10" from my face, also I don't want to have that damn FM trans haning acorss my windshield. Here's a really novel Idea, why doesn't tomtom make a screen you can see in sunlight, the way Garmin does on EVERY one of their models.

 

[Andy_P]

Here's a really novel Idea, why doesn't tomtom make a screen you can see in sunlight, the way Garmin does on EVERY one of their models.

Hey... I think we get the picture! :tape:

Aside from this issue and the fact that TomTom can't seem to make a screen that's visable in daylight, I love the unit.

(yesterday)

Why the heck can't TomTom figure out a way to make their screens easier to see in bright sunlight.

(Tuesday)

I still can't believe that TomTom can't do something about this, Garmin has.

(Tuesday)

Never needed a shield for my Garmin, why can't TomTom figure out how to make a screen that is visible in day light?

(Tuesday)

but for the love of pete why can't tomtom make a gps that you can actually see in bright sunlight. I've had an XL340, and XXL 540, a GO 740 live and this unit, and when the screen all but dissapears on bright days.
I had a Nuvi 1450 and you could see the screen no matter how bright the sun was.

(Tuesday)

Just got a 1535tm, love the interface (can't understand why the heck TomTom can't make a screen you can read in sunlight),

(Monday)

I've been looking at these two units and I'm really torn. I love the Garmin display, it is much brighter than the TomTom

(23rd March)

You actually started a topic about XXK 540tm best map color for viewing in sunlight?, but didn't mention it there... All the above comments are in other topics including one about POIs and one about map releases!

As we've said.. TomTom HAVE made a brighter screen on their new models, and I have certainly seen older Garmins with entirely similar screen brightness to older TomToms.

 

[Fumega]

Well I thought that the Via series were an American Go equivalent.
On my Go1005, with sunglasses (those with Matrix crossover black lenses) on a bright sunlight day I can still see the map clearly...
Regards.

 

[Trey]

Agreed.

The screen on my 2505 looks great and is easy to see.

If you want a Garmin, go buy a Garmin and quit whining.....

 

[forester]

Hi all.
I have just bought a 1005 and I can only get the screen to full brightness when I unplug the power supply...any ideas?

 

[dhn]

What happens when you try to adjust the brightness setting while the unit is connected to the charger?

 

[forester]

Nothing, in that it dulls when the slider is pushed to the left but still not fully bright when slider on max.
Do you think it could be the cigarette port (?) not delivering enough power?

 

[dhn]

I suppose that is possible. Do you by chance have a mains charger you can test it with?

 

[forester]

Already tried that and it does look brighter in the house also the switch has gone from orange to green which it didn't do when left for twenty four hours on the cigarette plug. will try it in the car and see if it's better.