Finally! I knew that someone else could back me up on this. Thanks M.A.J. Your description is right on the money. The backlight is very dimm or dark in comparison, and the icons are not as sharp. Possibly this has nothing to do with the active light sensor or "old" vs "new"... but rather luck of the draw. If your lucky you get a bright backlight and a sharp LCD. If your unlucky....well you'll probably never know the difference. I was able to get an older rc5000 with the active light sensor from Silver Screen and Sound in Towson Md. I had to buy their display model, but it was worth it. The LCD is bright and crisp just like my other pronto. I still think this is a noteworthy problem and I wish that Philips would provide some type of feedback. I'm also suprised that pronto users aren't more concerned about this. If you have the opportunity please compare LCD screens and post your findings. Maybe this is a small problem with just a few units, or maybe not!