Garmin seem to have changed the HCx screens.

[gallet]

I was doing some tests of a couple of screen protectors and while examining their colour and tranparency I noticed that the difference in the screens was not due to the protectors but rather to a change in the screen itself.

 

The newer HCx had a more washed out screen not unlike the 60CSx but more so and it was not as bright as the usual HCx although it was still brighter than the 60CSx.

 

The only difference I could see in the two HCx was some extra writing in the top right corner of the back rubber. The one on the right is the latest HCx

 

[+ergomaniac]

I've always assumed that the dull screen on my 60Cx was because it takes more power to run the Sirf chip. I suspect to get the battery life that we expect, the Garmin engineers have probably dialed back the power output a little causing the screen to darken. I have been wondering if this will be the fix that they eventually come up with for the "white out" problem they are working on (the problem at startup with the Vista Hcx in cool temps). I'm not certain but I think that after the last software upgrade on my Vista Hcx, the screen was a bit duller just like your new one. Still brighter than my 60 Cx but starting to take on that buff colored hue that the 60Cx has instead of the bright yellow that it used to have. My guess is that the Vista white screen issue in cold weather is a power issue on startup probably caused by power demands by the new receiver.

 

Pure speculation on my part but tech support did tell me that the last software upgrade was supposed to help deal with the white screen problem. I really hope the next upgrade doesn't leave the screen looking like the 60Cx! I may try rolling mine back to the old software to see if the screen brightens back to how it was before.

[+ergomaniac]

oops, double post!

Edited February 2, 2008 by ergomaniac

[FiveNines]

I was doing some tests of a couple of screen protectors and while examining their colour and tranparency I noticed that the difference in the screens was not due to the protectors but rather to a change in the screen itself.

Did they both have the same firmware and screen brightness settings?

[+triturtle]

Interesting. I just got a "new version" Vista HCx and I thought I was going crazy. It certainly seems to have a less bright, duller screen than my Legend Cx.

[gallet]

I was doing some tests of a couple of screen protectors and while examining their colour and tranparency I noticed that the difference in the screens was not due to the protectors but rather to a change in the screen itself.

Did they both have the same firmware and screen brightness settings?

 

Yes, they were both upgraded to 2.50/2.60

 

When I say that the colours were dull and washed out I meant without any backlighting on, just the base screen. All the colours are muted. This is also the case with the backlight on, at the same screen set up the colours are significantly different. The third separate thing is that the max setting on the 'new' HCx is a bit less bright than the 'old' HCx.

 

I also thought that the max power was wound back to make it more effecient but that does not explain the less saturated colours of the screen when the backlight is not used.

[+jotne]

This is nothing new. On the Nüvi line Garmin has changed screen in middle of series, several times.

Often changing to a screen with lower quality. Garmin do use the screen that is available to the marked for a low price...

[FiveNines]

When I say that the colours were dull and washed out I meant without any backlighting on, just the base screen. All the colours are muted. This is also the case with the backlight on, at the same screen set up the colours are significantly different. The third separate thing is that the max setting on the 'new' HCx is a bit less bright than the 'old' HCx.

Very interesting. Can you post some pictures?