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Computer Vision Syndrome

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Re: Computer Vision Syndrome

#131

Post by AgentME »

dudeget wrote: post #24

one of the most essential pieces of software in my opinion: flux: https://justgetflux.com/ and now that I've been running linux, redshift: http://jonls.dk/redshift/ I find it hard to use a computer without these now

I seem to be the only one that Flux drives crazy. I know it's just my perfectionism speaking, but ... I just want to know if I'm alone in the world in my criticisms. In the past I've been stuck with old broken monitors that made certain colors look wrong or blend with similar colors, and I remember the beauty of seeing the same applications and websites render correctly on a good monitor. When I see a friend's monitors with the colors off, I feel that same feeling I get when you go to a relative's house and find them sitting around the TV with both letterboxing on and an incorrect aspect ratio (apparently it's possible) like barbarians. In the past I've had friends work on some page CSS and come up with something where parts of the text had arbitrary colored off-white backgrounds in the middle of a white page. I ask how they missed such a mistake, and then when I look at their screen you can't even notice it behind the oppressive yellow tint.

I'm sure if I ever do somehow see the light and accept Flux into my heart some day, with my luck right afterward there's bound to be some hip new product that claims that looking at an over-abundance of parallel and perpendicular lines keeps you awake longer or is otherwise minisculely unhealthy, so the product applies small distortions to the locations of everything on your screen, and people designing while they have it on will inflict similarly-jumbled messes upon their own users...

Re: Computer Vision Syndrome

#132

Post by throwaway1X2 »

sbierwagen wrote: post #55
dotancohen wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Turning down the brightness had the opposite effect for me. My monitor at the time "turned down the brightness" by reducing the duty cycle of the backlight. This caused flickering that was imperceptible yet caused much eyestrain. Actually turning up the brightness, moving the monitor as far back as possible, and using yellow-tinted Gunnar lenses have made a huge difference for me. Edit: This is the technique used to…

Basically every monitor with a LED backlight controls brightness by PWM. It only causes problems if the frequency is too low. (Contrast with fluorescent lights: every single fluorescent tube in existance flickers, but only some flicker slowly enough that people can notice. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjyhFyUN_zQ Ditto CRT monitors, back when they were still used. Refresh rate of 60hz is flickery and annoying, ref…

Interesting observation! I actually lower the brightness to about 10-20 % on each display I use (the default settings are ultra high for a sunny day in a fully lit store) and while I have two CCFL panels (a 1000 USD 24" from the past and a 1000 USD 30") blazing at me and both of them clearly use some sort of PWM - they start buzzing audibly below 80-90 % brightness (both in their audio outputs AND even with audio disabled it is heard from the monitor itself) - there never was any visible flicker. And in the CRT days, I saw flicker up to 85 Hz (including). Color wheel DLPs are also pure hell - the image breaks into three separate colors in each eye saccade. Yet, CCFL backlight, buzzing like crazy - and no visible flicker. Enter my latest, fanciest, wide gamut screen with LED backlight - and on lower brightness, it flickers worse than a 60 Hz CRT...

However, luckily, it is not the case of each and every LED monitor - search for "flicker free" or "PWM free" - and it is not some fancy rare unicorn feature, a PWM free IPS display can cost the same or even less than flickering equivalents.

Re: Computer Vision Syndrome

#133

Post by fhackenberger »

I also had issues with my eyes, which fit the symptoms described. I solved it by wearing glasses with a varying dioptric up and below the centre.

That way your eye has to re-focus as you look up and down on the screen.

The glasses also have a tinted glass that's supposed to help.

Mine are from the company starting with Gu... when searching for "computer screen glasses".

Re: Computer Vision Syndrome

#134

Post by jotato »

sbierwagen wrote: post #50
giberson wrote: post #44

I use to get headaches every day (the kind that seem to originate behind the bridge of the nose). One day in effort to reduce the ache (a desperation move I didn't know would work out not) I reduced the brightness level in my monitor to the lowest possible setting. It slightly helped me cope with the rest of the day at work, but I forgot to reset the monitor. The next day I didn't get a headache. Turning down the bri…

A rule of thumb I've heard is that your monitor shouldn't be any brighter than a sheet of white paper held next to it. http://i.imgur.com/5Cwiuif.jpg Mine isn't quite that dim, but it's not nearly as bright as the view out the window behind it.

I keep mine set to what seems like the brightness of everything around it. On this montior, that is 20/100

Re: Computer Vision Syndrome

#135

Post by jotato »

jwmoz wrote: post #69
giberson wrote: post #44

I use to get headaches every day (the kind that seem to originate behind the bridge of the nose). One day in effort to reduce the ache (a desperation move I didn't know would work out not) I reduced the brightness level in my monitor to the lowest possible setting. It slightly helped me cope with the rest of the day at work, but I forgot to reset the monitor. The next day I didn't get a headache. Turning down the bri…

Yep I used to get them too, sore eyes also and weird squinting. I run my screen at about 2/3 or 3/4 brightness, I use a dark theme in my IDE and I also always bump up the font size. Doing all this I don't get headaches or eye squinting anymore. Also I use flux and try not to use the computer much at weekends.

I always increase font size. Either I am getting old, or font sizes are way to small in most places.

Re: Computer Vision Syndrome

#138

Post by bradstewart »

mod wrote: post #12

My retired optometrist friend recommended that I wear reading glasses with a very low power at all times while using the computer, and I do that now. They're .75x or 1x, I can't remember. I don't need them--nothing is blurry without them--but they help your lenses to relax by doing some of their work at close distances. The condition he wants me to avoid is called nearpoint stress, but sounds very similar to me (a la…

Exact same case here. I could barely drive after a long day on the computer because my eyes were "stuck" and everything far away was blurry.

I was prescribed .75x glasses with an anti-reflective coating (which I think is fairly standard), and the above problem is no longer.

Re: Computer Vision Syndrome

#139

Post by dvtv75 »

dudeget wrote: post #24

one of the most essential pieces of software in my opinion: flux: https://justgetflux.com/ and now that I've been running linux, redshift: http://jonls.dk/redshift/ I find it hard to use a computer without these now

Just installed redshift, and once I had hit "locate" and applied it, wow. I was very skeptical, but my eyes already appreciate the color change.

Re: Computer Vision Syndrome

#140

Post by otto_ortega »

I suffer of CVS big time, I had to apply tons of eye-drops every few hours due the dry and burning sensation on my eyes and some days I won't even catch much sleep because my eyes hurted so badly and keept me awake.

What helped me a lot was a pair of Gunnar glasses (cristaline version) plus taking short brakes every 25min (Podoro Technique helps with this). The Gunnar glasses alone took me to cut down my use of eye-drops to 1 or 2 times a day.

So I honestly recommend the glasses, but wait for the style you like to be on sale (I bought mines 30% off) and if you are not sure about the meassures of your head, go with the Sheadog ones, I have a big head, and those fit me perfectly and are very light weight.

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