Screen Dimming

glenada · 03/01/2009, 04:24 PM

Why does the screen dim after about 10 seconds of use? This is driving me nuts.

santos · 03/01/2009, 05:10 PM

Try this:

Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER/ControlPanel/BackLight in a registry editor and edit BatteryTimeout2.

It seems to represent number of seconds and is set by default to 30

zbop · 03/01/2009, 05:27 PM

Yup, this is one Palm tweak I really dislike. I wouldn't have minded as much if they let you configure it via a control panel AND if it was implemented properly, i.e. respected the WM APIs such as SystemIdleTimerReset(), but it seems to ignore those APIs.

glenada · 03/01/2009, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zbop

Yup, this is one Palm tweak I really dislike. I wouldn't have minded as much if they let you configure it via a control panel AND if it was implemented properly, i.e. respected the WM APIs such as SystemIdleTimerReset(), but it seems to ignore those APIs.

So registry editing won't work?

glenada · 03/01/2009, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by santos

Try this:

Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER/ControlPanel/BackLight in a registry editor and edit BatteryTimeout2.

It seems to represent number of seconds and is set by default to 30

I tried to increase it to 90 but it says that I am "denied access."

zbop · 03/01/2009, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glenada

So registry editing won't work?

No, it will.

Sorry my comment may have thrown you off. By "tweak" I didn't mean the registry edit, I meant the feature that Palm added.

Setting the registry value to a high value will effectively disable the screen dimmer.

darnell · 03/01/2009, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zbop

Yup, this is one Palm tweak I really dislike. I wouldn't have minded as much if they let you configure it via a control panel AND if it was implemented properly, i.e. respected the WM APIs such as SystemIdleTimerReset(), but it seems to ignore those APIs.

You consider it a Palm "tweak"? I always had another word for it. You're very kind

.

Is it easily configurable in the Treo Pro? It is in the HTC Touch Pro's power options.

zbop · 03/01/2009, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darnell

You consider it a Palm "tweak"? I always had another word for it. You're very kind

.

Is it easily configurable in the Treo Pro? It is in the HTC Touch Pro's power options.

Wait, you're saying that you can configure a (1) dimmer timeout, (2) backlight timeout, and (3) power timeout all independently on the Touch Pro?

My assumption was that this is a Palm-specific change since WM doesn't define this extra mode.

darnell · 03/01/2009, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zbop

Wait, you're saying that you can configure a (1) dimmer timeout, (2) backlight timeout, and (3) power timeout all independently on the Touch Pro?

My assumption was that this is a Palm-specific change since WM doesn't define this extra mode.

My bad, but here is what is configurable in the Touch Pro via Power Advanced settings:
On battery power:

Turn off Backlight if not used for ...
Turn off Device if not used for ...

On external power:

Turn off Backlight if not used for ...
Turn off Device if not used for ...

No "dimmer" options

.

They are options that can be checked and then a time selected. If unchecked, the option does not come on. Meaning the backlight will never go out when the device is in a mode that no option is checked for. But when I had an 800w, the backlight seemed to have a mind of it's own till I did that registry hack.

cscoot03 · 03/02/2009, 12:06 AM

Just wanted to add that using the registry (w/my800) , while trying to understand our Guru's , in backlightset, in order for the 6 data, 1,180,0,1,60,150. The 60 seems to let the battery sleep or it will drain the battery overnight. True the screen will dim but the 150 seems to be long enough for me, the 2nd ''1'' lets me tap the screen to wake it back up. Now if I'm wrong point me in the right direction I'm still learning.

zbop · 03/02/2009, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darnell

My bad, but here is what is configurable in the Touch Pro via Power Advanced settings:

On battery power:

Turn off Backlight if not used for ...
Turn off Device if not used for ...

On external power:

Turn off Backlight if not used for ...
Turn off Device if not used for ...

No "dimmer" options

.

They are options that can be checked and then a time selected. If unchecked, the option does not come on. Meaning the backlight will never go out when the device is in a mode that no option is checked for. But when I had an 800w, the backlight seemed to have a mind of it's own till I did that registry hack.

Okay, that makes more sense. But your point is taken, either way you don't have the issue...

darnell · 03/02/2009, 01:36 PM

On my Touch Pro, the screen does "dim" if nothing is pressed for some seconds, but the "dim" is still rather visible. I don't know if that's light sensor related.

I know from my 800w days what you folks are dealing with on the 800w with dimming and other backlight issues. Have not had those in the same way on the Touch Pro. The screen shutoff options always work 100% and the dim is not nearly a total blackout.

Malatesta · 03/02/2009, 01:49 PM

I thought all WM devices just did this anyways, including the 6700.

On the 800w, the screen dims (not a total blackout) after about 30 seconds and the Treo Pro did the same.

Only difference I saw was the 800w had Palm's configuration screen and the Treo Pro has the default WM one described above--but they behaved the same way. (The one thing I did like on the Treo Pro was different backlight brightness settings for battery or AC)

All I do is move the d-pad to wake up the screen.

darnell · 03/02/2009, 01:51 PM

Yea the Touch Pro and 800w (and I guess the Treo Pro too) all dim after some seconds. I found the 800w's version of "dim" to be a bit too dim. Like I could not really read things, but my Touch Pro is on dim right now and I can easily read everything. I used to hate when my 800w went dim.

zbop · 03/02/2009, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Malatesta

I thought all WM devices just did this anyways, including the 6700.

On the 800w, the screen dims (not a total blackout) after about 30 seconds and the Treo Pro did the same.

Only difference I saw was the 800w had Palm's configuration screen and the Treo Pro has the default WM one described above--but they behaved the same way. (The one thing I did like on the Treo Pro was different backlight brightness settings for battery or AC)

All I do is move the d-pad to wake up the screen.

Yeah I should rephrase that, WM doesn't define BatteryTimeout2, however it does allow for a dimming mode via the device power management states. I've seen dimming implemented on other devices as well, but not all. At the very least, the 700wx did not behave this way.

On the 800w the problem is exacerbated because the WM APIs are not respected, so it will go into dimming mode when it's not supposed to.

glenada · 03/02/2009, 05:32 PM

That's one thing I miss about the HTC Touch Pro -- there was always someone over at XDA Developers who would create a fix for these problems.

Malatesta · 03/02/2009, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glenada

That's one thing I miss about the HTC Touch Pro -- there was always someone over at XDA Developers who would create a fix for these problems.

Problem is on your end

Santos kindly gave you the registry setting to change in post #2; zbop confirmed that it will work in post #6 and now I'll post a screen shot of that setting change on my device (I actually prefer the 30 seconds though).

In short, get a new registry editor!!!

(and for the record, this isn't a "problem" with the device--that's the way it is suppose to work to save battery life--it's an odd preference you have! lol)

glenada · 03/02/2009, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Malatesta

Problem is on your end

Santos kindly gave you the registry setting to change in post #2; zbop confirmed that it will work in post #6 and now I'll post a screen shot of that setting change on my device (I actually prefer the 30 seconds though).

In short, get a new registry editor!!!

(and for the record, this isn't a "problem" with the device--that's the way it is suppose to work to save battery life--it's an odd preference you have! lol)

Can you please recommend a registry editor that I can use on my phone, or does it need to be done on a desktop?

cbear853 · 03/02/2009, 07:14 PM

TWC_PHILLY has been working on the 800 Backlight, in this order-00000001,00000078,00000000,00000001,00000078,00000258,00000000. Settings not checked= no dimming. Setting checked=dimming @ marked times.