Firstly, the real technical term is called "color banding". Secondly, you're not going to see major color banding on a handheld device, especially if the OS is optimized for the hardware.
Even if color depth artifacts show up, you're hating on a phone because of the color depth? There are a lot more important reasons to hate on a phone such as OS, hardware specs, service provider, build quality... Yet, you complain about color depth? Picky, much?
@Metayoshi First, I've heard it referred to as "stepping" more than once by engadget writers themselves, so maybe you should correct them as well as the entire internet.
Second -- I've owned many many many windows mobile phones where they are _all_ limited to 65K colors -- you can notice it very easily, *especially* on larger screens! On QVGA it wasn't really much to piss about, in fact you could barely tell at all -- but once the HTC Diamond came out (VGA) and then WVGA started being the norm, it became more and more noticable as screens and resolutions started to get bigger.
When I got the i8910 from Samsung (Symbian phone) that supported millions of colors, I put it side by side with the Windows mobile cousin (Samsung Omnia II) -- I believe they even in fact had the same AMOLED display...you CAN notice the stepping, especially in pictures and content with gradients, there is a WORLD of difference.
And no matter how much you may trivialize it, It is a _major_ issue -- especially when devices like the droid, (and most likely the Shadow) etc. don't have this limitation -- it does not make sense for a powerhouse like the EVO to have a problem as lame as color depth, especially with a 4+" display!
Also more food for thought -- has anyone figured if this limitation also applies to the HDMI output? That would *REALLY* be an uberfail imho -- 65K color with 1280x720 resolution on a 30+" display...ouch.
If your TV or display supports it, change your color depth to 65K (16-bit) in windows or whatever OS you are running, and then load up some pictures. You will see a huge difference, unless you're blind. Even though most displays use dithering (and the HTC evo display probably will as well) -- it still does not make up for a true 24-bit color experience.
@DoctarPeppar Beally? Because on every single one of my Windows Mobile devices, from Hermes to Leo, I have yet to notice this once. If only I had something better to do on my windows mobile work phones than look for colour banding...
@Scrtcwlvl *Really Dang, entire right hand is sleeping.
In all seriousness, it is not a major issue at all. No matter how you try to blow it up, it does not effect how one uses the device one bit. Does it stink that other phones can display a few images with gradients better? Not really.. These phones offer other capabilities that sit a little higher than colour depth.
@Scrtcwlvl Whatever dude, YOU may not care about it, but I do, especially because I have used phones like the i8910 and the droid that support twice the colors as the EVO...I don't see how anyone doesn't notice it on win mo, unless you don't watch any movies \ youtube \ take pictures \ video..if you just open opera to read your mail then yeah you're not gonna give a fuck, but the EVO is supposed to be a media centered device -- like I said before, if the 65K color limitation is there over HDMI then HTC fails hard. Also if you don't really care -- then set the color depth to 16-bit in windows display preferences and keep it that way...don't worry, I don't expect you to actually do this...I mean why drop something to a lower quality setting when it is surely capable of doing more (that is my entire point -- evo 4g should have better display \ color depth).
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EVO is fail...65K color depth display.
No thanks...Motorola shadow FTW.
@DoctarPeppar
Don't be mad you are on Verizon and cant get it... It will be ok.
@thesafecigarette
If I wanted a phone that was limited to 65K colors I would go buy a Windows Mobile 6 device LOL
@DoctarPeppar Do the colors really matter that much to you?
@ThatDudeSolo
Yes -- with 65K color (16-bit), there is something called stepping that happens, especially with gradients.
See for yourself:
http://img452.imageshack.us/img452/8343/gradient32bit3ze.png
The Evo4g is a beast of a phone -- why they limit it to 16-bit color is beyond me...even the droid has 16M color.
@DoctarPeppar
It is my understanding that FTW means "first to win". So tell us all how a phone, yet to be reviewed, yet released is FTW over the EVO?
And if you mean the other meaning, see above.
@Dank Dillweed
FTW means FOR the win...noob :P
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FTW
@DoctarPeppar
Ahh, the great reference Wikipedia makes you shine like a rose.
I'm still sticking by my comment, though.
And I'm not a Noob, I suffer from hanging out with like-minded fogies.
@Dank Dillweed
Not just wikipedia --
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071103200146AAmOGKb
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_ftw_mean
http://www.chacha.com/question/what-does-ftw-mean
@DoctarPeppar ahh I see now. Thanks for clearing that up, i just wanted to know why it was an issue.
@ThatDudeSolo
Back when I was 12 FTW was F**k The World.
@DoctarPeppar
I would point you to this comparison instead:
http://androidforums.com/htc-evo-4g/84466-can-htc-evo-4gs-65k-color-limit-possibly-upgraded-16m-colors-through-root-2.html#post805480
You can't tell the difference on a screen that small... and I'm picky as h*ll with everything.
@jedil1c1ous
here you go... someone with an EVO testing a 16-bit image:
http://forum.androidcentral.com/htc-evo-4g/13693-got-my-htc-evo-yesterday-ask-if-you-have-any-questions-32.html#post126820
@DoctarPeppar
Firstly, the real technical term is called "color banding". Secondly, you're not going to see major color banding on a handheld device, especially if the OS is optimized for the hardware.
Even if color depth artifacts show up, you're hating on a phone because of the color depth? There are a lot more important reasons to hate on a phone such as OS, hardware specs, service provider, build quality... Yet, you complain about color depth? Picky, much?
@Metayoshi
First, I've heard it referred to as "stepping" more than once by engadget writers themselves, so maybe you should correct them as well as the entire internet.
Second -- I've owned many many many windows mobile phones where they are _all_ limited to 65K colors -- you can notice it very easily, *especially* on larger screens! On QVGA it wasn't really much to piss about, in fact you could barely tell at all -- but once the HTC Diamond came out (VGA) and then WVGA started being the norm, it became more and more noticable as screens and resolutions started to get bigger.
When I got the i8910 from Samsung (Symbian phone) that supported millions of colors, I put it side by side with the Windows mobile cousin (Samsung Omnia II) -- I believe they even in fact had the same AMOLED display...you CAN notice the stepping, especially in pictures and content with gradients, there is a WORLD of difference.
And no matter how much you may trivialize it, It is a _major_ issue -- especially when devices like the droid, (and most likely the Shadow) etc. don't have this limitation -- it does not make sense for a powerhouse like the EVO to have a problem as lame as color depth, especially with a 4+" display!
Also more food for thought -- has anyone figured if this limitation also applies to the HDMI output? That would *REALLY* be an uberfail imho -- 65K color with 1280x720 resolution on a 30+" display...ouch.
If your TV or display supports it, change your color depth to 65K (16-bit) in windows or whatever OS you are running, and then load up some pictures. You will see a huge difference, unless you're blind.
Even though most displays use dithering (and the HTC evo display probably will as well) -- it still does not make up for a true 24-bit color experience.
@DoctarPeppar Beally? Because on every single one of my Windows Mobile devices, from Hermes to Leo, I have yet to notice this once.
If only I had something better to do on my windows mobile work phones than look for colour banding...
@Scrtcwlvl *Really
Dang, entire right hand is sleeping.
In all seriousness, it is not a major issue at all. No matter how you try to blow it up, it does not effect how one uses the device one bit.
Does it stink that other phones can display a few images with gradients better? Not really.. These phones offer other capabilities that sit a little higher than colour depth.
@Scrtcwlvl
Whatever dude, YOU may not care about it, but I do, especially because I have used phones like the i8910 and the droid that support twice the colors as the EVO...I don't see how anyone doesn't notice it on win mo, unless you don't watch any movies \ youtube \ take pictures \ video..if you just open opera to read your mail then yeah you're not gonna give a fuck, but the EVO is supposed to be a media centered device -- like I said before, if the 65K color limitation is there over HDMI then HTC fails hard. Also if you don't really care -- then set the color depth to 16-bit in windows display preferences and keep it that way...don't worry, I don't expect you to actually do this...I mean why drop something to a lower quality setting when it is surely capable of doing more (that is my entire point -- evo 4g should have better display \ color depth).
@ThatDudeSolo
I so enjoy how everyone loves to demonstrate their Sophistication by automatically dismissing Wikipedia.
Gee, That's original !