Clearing up the display issue of the Xperia Z

Hello guys! I am making this thread in order to solve the confusion about the display of the Xperia Z. I was a bit surprised today when I saw my rss flooding with the discussion of how crap the display was on the retail models.


To start of I would like to tell you all that both the Docomo variant and international variant of Xperia Z display are the same! They both are using the Renesas R63311 variant of LCDs. Which is using actually Sharp technology for the displays. Yeah it's not made by sony.

http://www.rsp.renesas.com/en/news/2012/news20120418.htm

So the issue of the color saturation between the international model and docomo model is suppose to be the calibration of the values of the display(a configuration in the kernel level).

In short the issue is within the software side and not the hardware so NO it's not true that sony did put cheaper displays on the international version compared to the docomo versions. Cause there's no cheap and premium edition of the Renesas R63311 model.

Now most of you would probably doubt me now on how I was able to tell you this and what are my sources.


Now being a kernel developer and have very solid knowledge with hardwares I would like to show you here concrete proofs of what I am talking about (Kernel developers are welcome to prove my point here)

Here is the kernel config file of the docomo version of Xperia Z

https://bitbucket.org/Don2x/so-02e-.../configs/fusion3_yuga_dcm_defconfig?at=master

The boolean configs for the display drivers is located in line 398 and 399.


Looking at the Makefile
https://bitbucket.org/Don2x/so-02e-...7/kernel/drivers/video/msm/Makefile?at=master

the display drivers of those configs basically call out the files


Now how can I tell that it is the one used by Xperia Z?

If you view the board files of the Xperia Z the display if defined here.

https://bitbucket.org/Don2x/so-02e-...ch-msm/board-sony_fusion3-display.c?at=master


Now this alone proves that Docomo version indeed uses the display I mentioned. Now how do I prove that it is the same as with the international version? Of course by providing the kernel sources of the international version also.


Now here's the config file for the

International version of Xperia Z:
https://bitbucket.org/Don2x/intl.-y.../arm/configs/fusion3_yuga_defconfig?at=master

on line 391 & 392:

CONFIG_FB_MSM_MIPI_R63311_JDC_MDY70=y
CONFIG_FB_MSM_MIPI_R63311_SHARP_LS050T3SX01=y


Defconfig of Xperia ZL for reference here

International version of Xperia ZL:

https://bitbucket.org/Don2x/intl.-y.../arm/configs/fusion3_odin_defconfig?at=master

And board files of the international version of Xperia Z.

https://bitbucket.org/Don2x/intl.-y...ch-msm/board-sony_fusion3-display.c?at=master



You can see the similar display drivers being used by the international version & docomo version here.


So my point here is demo model or not. Docomo variant or not they all use the same LCD technology! There's no difference!


Now how do I prove to all of you that they're not the same kernel sources and I didn't just made duplicates and remove some files?

Compare these yourself.

Docomo version:
http://developer.sonymobile.com/dow...s/open-source-archive-for-build-10-1-d-0-317/

International version:
http://developer.sonymobile.com/dow...s/open-source-archive-for-build-10-1-a-1-350/


All in all the very basic logic here is that you can't use a single display driver on different types of hardware which should make a point that if two different sources uses the same driver only leads to having the same hardware.

mattman83 said:

Ok, excuse my noobiness here, but are the "display levels" able to be fiddled with? Or is it likely to be part of some binary that we can't do anything about.

M.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

Hi! I only did a quick glance on the whole code to confirm that docomo and international version have the same types of display but I haven't messed yet with the whole display driver itself. I don't have any device yet to try messing with the driver configuration so I can't say yet. But most likely yes it is possible.

jigarpatel22 said:

Does it mean we will be able to correct display issue with display calibration application ?

Already clicked thanks Thanks for the detailed information

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

Suppose to be yes. Like what I have said above I don't have any devices yet to debug this one but if the display calibration software sony included in the ROM is directly controlling the color enhancement and gamma(for saturation) then mostlikely it is possible.

Maedhros said:

When Comparing the NA Xperia Z (production carrier testing model) to a HTC One X, it is abundantly obvious the screen isn't up to par.

Not sure if software can correct atrocious viewing angles and contrast.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

I don't own any HTC One series phones so I can't compare actually but they are a whole different type of displays so I really can't tell if it's possible to calibrate it to be on par with the One X.

Edit: I am not familiar with Tegra 3 might take a while before I can check HTC One X

Same with me. My eye currently is on HTC M7 since I got attracted by the frontal stereo speakers. But if it's the same like other One Series with unremoveable battery + no sd slot then back on anticipating the Xperia ZL. Being a current HTC user I find sense a very battery hog type of UI. Having a small battery capacity and unremoveable one would be a very big no for me. My current HTC device has already killed 2 batteries in 2 years and I don't want that to happen on a unremoveable battery phone. At least let us change batteries if it died. lol don't want a disposable device on my hand.

Warrimonk said:

Does the ZL use the same screen? Since it is thicker it might use a non economical IPS???

Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

ZL does use the same screen as Xperia Z and what's economical IPS? If you're talking about e-IPS it's Enhanced-IPS not Economical-IPS. There's no such thing.

Also isn't e-IPS made by LG? And the display here isn't from LG but from sharp.

As you can see in the document it is a LTPS type of panel.

Panel Low-temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) TFT

vivftp said:

Hmmmmm, a lot of people seemed convinced these displays were from JDI... so this is not the case? Interesting.

IF they are all Sharp displays, could that explain relatively crappy screen performance?

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

Even I was also convinced on the past. But when the kernel source code was released this confirmed the real display being used.

There are actually 3 types of TF displays in general which are being used by phones.

AH-IPS, LTPS and ASV

AH-IPS are somewhat the AMOLED killer(Might be the display used by HTC)

LTPS which is being used by Xperia Z/ZL are the displays which is famous for being low power

ASV on which has the advantage of having a clear wide angle display.


I assume sony did get the LTPS display for utilizing the low power feature it has. This probably the reason why every review we get says that we are having excellent battery life for a 5 incher phone with high end chipsets.

So I'm not sure about what you're saying about crappy screen performance but if you're talking about the angle washed out issue then probably this is a screen issue.

If it's the saturation of the overall screen I'd say it's a software issue

I'm sure sony could fix it. It's just a matter of setting the ARGB values of windows manager of ROM they compiled.

This must be the reason also why Docomo version has good display while others aren't. Assuming that the Docomo version is a customized OS and not the generic one probably different developers must have made/compiled the OS.

found a decent description of the 3

AH-IPS
This display technology has been invented by LG. It is an abbreviation for Advanced High performing - In-Plane Switching LCD. It is being touted as the actual competitor to Samsung's 'Super AMOLED' display. In a competition held by 'Intertek', LG's AH-IPS display actually defeated Samsung's Super AMOLED in 2 parameters: Color-Accuracy and Power-Efficiency. You can find this display in the recently released LG Nitro HD.

LTPS
This is an abbreviation for 'Low Temperature Poly Silicon' LCD. One of the important characteristics of such displays is that, the drive circuits are directly integrated onto the glass surface which contributes to reducing the number of component parts designed on the outside substrate. This leads to the display's durability being enhanced. The reduced size of the TFT section leads to a crisper display and also leads to lower power consumption. You can find this display in the Lenovo LePad S2005.

ASV
This is an abbreviation for Advanced Super View display. The important characteristic of this display is that it offers excellent viewing angles and competes with the In-Plane Switching (IPS) LCDs. You can find this display in theMeizu MX.

Phorgasmic said:

yea sorry i sounded a bit harsh, my Z arrives today and the discussion about the display here just got me..

had a S2 for a year now, lets see how the switch will be cant wait to get home to my phone today in a few hours!!!!

sorry for OT

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

Hi! If you don't mind could you try installing this software on your Xperia Z?

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.netmanslab.sa&hl=en

And see if you can fix the saturation like they say.

If you can then I can confirm that the issue is within the ROM it is using and not in the display nor the gamma values defined on the kernel.

vivftp said:

All good. I shall be getting the ZL as soon as it hits Canada in April. The screen easily destroys the one on my x10a, and that is all that matters to me.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

Same with me I wouldn't exchange the IR Blaster, smaller size, comfortable back portion, Cool notification lights, Dedicated Camera Button, higher battery capacity(even if it's way too little it's still higher)

over waterproofness & classy looks only.