Posts: 193
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Joined: Jan 1970
I'm not entirely positive, since I can't see your LCD, but I'm fairly sure it is not defective. the Champion LCDs seem to have a lower absolute contrast value than most other HP LCD screens- vastly worse than the 32Sii, a bit worse than the 42/17 pioneers.
I find that the viewing angl emakes a huge difference, though
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Unfortunately this is related to the LCD technology of that time.
The first multiplexed screens with many pixels did not give good contrast and the more pixels which had to be multiplexed the lower the contrast. This is why the 7 segments are the best, the 1 line screens like the 32SII are next best, the 2 line 42s and 17BII are next best and the 4 lineers like the 19BII are the worst!
Today the LCD technology is vastly improved giving enough contrast for a clear display even when multiplexed, but often the TFT screens have a driver transistor per pixel built in so they are the best.
There is no excuse for HP's new calculators to have low contrast screens - unless they are penny-pinching (make that dimes).
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I own one of the earliest models of 19bII and can tell you that the early models have better contrast than the newer models.