Just unpacked yesterday: Logitech Z-5500 Digital speakers. I’ve been looking to go toward digital connections for my sound for quite some time and these were part of a decent sale on Amazon last month. I was hoping to go with a receiver and some box speakers, but my issues with the state of receivers with multiple HDMI inputs could fill another article.
The device pictured to the left (click to enlarge) is the Control Panel. It functions as the center of the speakers: audio input connects to it, it controls power, and it features an IR receiver for remote control.
Like everything in the massive Z-5500 box, the Control Panel is quite large; taller than a Wii standing up. On this large Control Panel is a large blue-backlit LCD display. Most of the time this simply displays the input cable type and the signal processing that will be done on that input. When I change volume or other settings, the display switches to display that information. After a few seconds, the display reverts to the default information.
The backlight, however, remains on. Here we are with a device that is by its very design going to be sitting near the center of my entertainment system and it is going to constantly glow blue. Always. Yes, the power button glows a very bright blue, but the display itself is quite sizable. When I have all of my lights off, attempting to play a dimly-lit game or watch a movie, I have this giant glowing blue area staring me in the face.
The information display is entirely transient. I do not care which input is currently being used after I have selected the correct one.
The design solution is simple: simply turn off the backlight after several seconds of inactivity. Turn it on briefly when something changes. Information I do not need should be invisible.