Rigol MSO5000 screen brightness....too dim

[rodybmw]

Hi everyone.  This is my first post here.  I just got a Rigol MSO5104 and the screen looks very dim from straight ahead even at the 100% brightness....and even dimmer at an angle (horrible viewing angle).  I have it sitting next to a Siglent SDS2000X and the screen brightness is not even comparable (Siglent is much brighter).  Adjusting the "brightness" setting takes the grid from all the way off to relatively bright on the Rigol, but still not as bright as the Siglent.  However, it's the "intensity" adjustment that is hardly affecting the screen brightness (if at all).  Adjusting the intensity from 1% to 100% shows the brightness indicator bar changing on the screen from 1-100%, however, it's hardly making any difference at all in the actual brightness of the screen.  Has anyone else experienced this on the MSO5000?  It almost seems like it's either defective, or there is another adjustment hidden in another menu that I can't find.  I can't see Rigol or any other company releasing a product with such a dim screen.  If I ever have to use the scope outdoors (which I will) it would be almost impossible to see what's displayed.

Any info or help will be greatly appreciated.  Thank You

[thm_w]

I think the manual is a bit confusing, but "intensity" means waveform intensity, which is related to intensity graded display: http://www.hit.bme.hu/~papay/edu/DSOdisp/gradient.htm

To Set the Waveform Intensity Press  Intensity, then rotate the multifunction knob at a small step value or use the pop-up numeric keypad to set the waveform intensity. Note that in the non-menu operation  mode,  you  can  also rotate  the  multifunction  knob to  adjust  the waveform brightness of the channel. The default is 60%, and the range available is from 1% to 100%.

A lot of test equipment/scopes don't even have screen brightness adjustment, which is quite a disappointment. Most likely Rigol left out the hardware to control the current (DS2000 didn't have it for sure). Saves a few dollars.

[Fungus]

A lot of test equipment/scopes don't even have screen brightness adjustment, which is quite a disappointment. Most likely Rigol left out the hardware to control the current (DS2000 didn't have it for sure). Saves a few dollars.

Could there be a mod for this?

Presumably it's an LED-illuminated screen but Dave forgot to show the part number in the video for those of us who were playing along at home.

[rodybmw]

I think the manual is a bit confusing, but "intensity" means waveform intensity, which is related to intensity graded display: http://www.hit.bme.hu/~papay/edu/DSOdisp/gradient.htm

To Set the Waveform Intensity Press  Intensity, then rotate the multifunction knob at a small step value or use the pop-up numeric keypad to set the waveform intensity. Note that in the non-menu operation  mode,  you  can  also rotate  the  multifunction  knob to  adjust  the waveform brightness of the channel. The default is 60%, and the range available is from 1% to 100%.

A lot of test equipment/scopes don't even have screen brightness adjustment, which is quite a disappointment. Most likely Rigol left out the hardware to control the current (DS2000 didn't have it for sure). Saves a few dollars.

Thanks for the reply.  You're right as far as the intensity setting only adjusting the intensity of the waveform (in the same way the "brightness" setting adjusts the intensity of the grid from all the way off to all the way bright).  There is no way to adjust the brightness of the rest of the screen (like all the text/numbers/readouts at the top and bottom of the screen, etc.).  The Siglent SDS2000X that I have sitting next to the Rigol is the same way in the sense that the "intensity" adjustment controls the intensity of the waveform, and the "graticule" setting controls the intensity of the grid with the brightness of the rest of the screen staying constant (not adjustable).  The difference is that with the Siglent the overall brightness is much brighter (and the range from dimmest to brightest setting on the intensity is wider) vs. the Rigol.