Head up Display

Moopai · 12-27-2020, 03:25 PM

Last night as I'm driving in a dark stretch of the highway, I noticed for the first time the shadow of the head-up display on the windshield (a light faded background). For some reason I don't recall seeing that before! The map info was shown but around it was that light faded background which is the shape of the HUD. Is this normal and I have not noticed it before or there could be something going wrong with the HUD.

A confirmation if you guys are seeing the same thing at night is greatly appreciated!

Pelo Cat · 12-27-2020, 03:44 PM

Just to check, is it because you had the interior displays on their brightest setting? I see the lighter background HUD screen area if the intensity is too high, use the thumb wheel to reduce it and you will only see the bits you should see...does that help? (If you drive mostly in bright urban areas you may not notice the brightest setting shows the HUD display area on the windscreen (and that the cockpit lights are also not dark black but a brighter grey than the surrounding area)...

If it’s something else, apologies, just wanted to check the obvious!

Moopai · 12-27-2020, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pelo Cat

Just to check, is it because you had the interior displays on their brightest setting? I see the lighter background HUD screen area if the intensity is too high, use the thumb wheel to reduce it and you will only see the bits you should see...does that help? (If you drive mostly in bright urban areas you may not notice the brightest setting shows the HUD display area on the windscreen (and that the cockpit lights are also not dark black but a brighter grey than the surrounding area)...

If it's something else, apologies, just wanted to check the obvious!

Thank you for the reply. You are correct the brightness wheel is on max as usual but maybe you are right that I only notice it this time because I was driving in a darker area. I wanted to make sure that this is normal which it sounds like it is since you are seeing the same light background. The problem in lowering the intensity, is it lowers it for the whole dash and not just for the HUD.

Pelo Cat · 12-27-2020, 04:34 PM

Yes, I see this as well but only when it’s at the very brightest l, even if I scroll down just a small amount it darkens just enough so you don’t see the HUD display illuminated. I actually find I put the displays at near darkest when in dark areas with no street lighting. When I’m in urban areas or even motorway with overhead lights I do put it on brightest or very close as then the intensity doesn’t bother me nor do I note the HUD background screen so much. Generally I try to have the ambient lighting and displays as low as I can to aid being able to see out the windscreen better. I even put it on orange lighting to aid this as other colours make the contrast too high and fatigue my eyes. Safe travels.

AlteBMW · 12-28-2020, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moopai

Thank you for the reply. You are correct the brightness wheel is on max as usual but maybe you are right that I only notice it this time because I was driving in a darker area. I wanted to make sure that this is normal which it sounds like it is since you are seeing the same light background. The problem in lowering the intensity, is it lowers it for the whole dash and not just for the HUD.

Isn't there a separate brightness control for the HUD?

Al Pinã · 12-28-2020, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlteBMW

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moopai

Thank you for the reply. You are correct the brightness wheel is on max as usual but maybe you are right that I only notice it this time because I was driving in a darker area. I wanted to make sure that this is normal which it sounds like it is since you are seeing the same light background. The problem in lowering the intensity, is it lowers it for the whole dash and not just for the HUD.

Isn't there a separate brightness control for the HUD?

Yes, definitely. It's under the iDrive options if I'm not mistaken.

Moopai · 12-28-2020, 05:05 PM

There is, I dropped the brightness to 50% which made the white background more faded. I notice, if I concentrate on the area, I can still see the white faded background :-)

Thanks guys for confirming that you are seeing the same thing in your cars.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALPINA_DREAMS

Yes, definitely. It's under the iDrive options if I'm not mistaken.

Pelo Cat · 12-29-2020, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlteBMW

Isn't there a separate brightness control for the HUD?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALPINA_DREAMS

Yes, definitely. It's under the iDrive options if I'm not mistaken.

Every day is a school day!

Just so anyone else reading the thread will know where the settings are and how to adjust... (and thanks to both the above for pointing this out, hadn't realised this until now! 3 years on...eek!)

Martin2C · 12-29-2020, 01:27 PM

I had HUD brightness on a shortcut key as I changed it quite regularly depending on how bright it was outside.

AP · 12-30-2020, 07:40 AM

that'll be because its a LCD panel. And LCD can never block out the light 100% , there will be a small amount of light leak.

they are considerably better these days but they will never get to 100%

In the same way as TVs,
if you have a LCD (also marketed as LED or QLED) in a completely dark room, a black background will never be totally black.
Makers can employ local dimming which switches off the LED array behind to achieve that but the issue is that there is not an LED for every single pixel.

OLED achieves this but is more expensive and not quite as bright as LCD.
Plasma got near as a dammit there as well, but that technology as good as it was in the in its last years, was overtaken by OLED.
BMW chose LCD as it is no doubt a lot cheaper and brighter.
Same goes for your instrument cluster.

12-27-2020, 03:25 PM	#1
Moopai Captain 264 Rep 839 Posts Drives: M850GC Tanzanite Blue Metallic Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Toronto, Ontario iTrader: (1)	Head up Display Last night as I'm driving in a dark stretch of the highway, I noticed for the first time the shadow of the head-up display on the windshield (a light faded background). For some reason I don't recall seeing that before! The map info was shown but around it was that light faded background which is the shape of the HUD. Is this normal and I have not noticed it before or there could be something going wrong with the HUD. A confirmation if you guys are seeing the same thing at night is greatly appreciated!
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12-27-2020, 03:44 PM	#2
Pelo Cat Lieutenant 93 Rep 527 Posts Drives: '16 G11 730d, '18 F33 420d Cab Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Bristol, UK iTrader: (0) Garage List 2018 BMW 420d Conve ... [0.00] 2016 BMW 730D [0.00]	Just to check, is it because you had the interior displays on their brightest setting? I see the lighter background HUD screen area if the intensity is too high, use the thumb wheel to reduce it and you will only see the bits you should see...does that help? (If you drive mostly in bright urban areas you may not notice the brightest setting shows the HUD display area on the windscreen (and that the cockpit lights are also not dark black but a brighter grey than the surrounding area)... If it’s something else, apologies, just wanted to check the obvious!
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12-27-2020, 04:34 PM	#4
Pelo Cat Lieutenant 93 Rep 527 Posts Drives: '16 G11 730d, '18 F33 420d Cab Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Bristol, UK iTrader: (0) Garage List 2018 BMW 420d Conve ... [0.00] 2016 BMW 730D [0.00]	Yes, I see this as well but only when it’s at the very brightest l, even if I scroll down just a small amount it darkens just enough so you don’t see the HUD display illuminated. I actually find I put the displays at near darkest when in dark areas with no street lighting. When I’m in urban areas or even motorway with overhead lights I do put it on brightest or very close as then the intensity doesn’t bother me nor do I note the HUD background screen so much. Generally I try to have the ambient lighting and displays as low as I can to aid being able to see out the windscreen better. I even put it on orange lighting to aid this as other colours make the contrast too high and fatigue my eyes. Safe travels.
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12-29-2020, 01:27 PM	#9
Martin2C Second Lieutenant 44 Rep 226 Posts Drives: 2017 750i M Sport Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Northamptonshire iTrader: (0)	I had HUD brightness on a shortcut key as I changed it quite regularly depending on how bright it was outside.
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12-30-2020, 07:40 AM	#10
AP Major General 2777 Rep 5,090 Posts Drives: G30 M550 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	that'll be because its a LCD panel. And LCD can never block out the light 100% , there will be a small amount of light leak. they are considerably better these days but they will never get to 100% In the same way as TVs, if you have a LCD (also marketed as LED or QLED) in a completely dark room, a black background will never be totally black. Makers can employ local dimming which switches off the LED array behind to achieve that but the issue is that there is not an LED for every single pixel. OLED achieves this but is more expensive and not quite as bright as LCD. Plasma got near as a dammit there as well, but that technology as good as it was in the in its last years, was overtaken by OLED. BMW chose LCD as it is no doubt a lot cheaper and brighter. Same goes for your instrument cluster.
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