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Headlight technology has come so far...

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Old 09-16-20 | 06:41 PM
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Originally Posted by Och
Enjoy your Mark Levinson too while you're at it. When you switch to BMW or that Benz, you'll be in for disappointment.
That is for sure, unless I get this one leftover S560 I found, it has there Burmester 3D system...
Old 09-16-20 | 10:16 PM
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This is a direct quote from Consumer Reports on the new 2021 Chevy Trailblazer Road test.

Originally Posted by Consumer Reports

Headlights

Standard halogen headlights may not provide the bright, white light of LEDs, but they don’t need it as they do a very good job of lighting the road ahead and to the sides with both low and high beams. The level of visibility actually exceeds the performance of many LED equipped vehicles even though intensity is less. GM’s Intellibeam automatic high beam system is also standard and can help drivers take advantage of the additional high beam visibility as often as traffic and conditions allow by automatically switching to high beams. LED headlights are optional on higher trims.
Old 09-17-20 | 03:22 AM
  #108  
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Originally Posted by mmarshall
This is a direct quote from Consumer Reports on the new 2021 Chevy Trailblazer Road test.

Originally Posted by Consumer Reports
Headlights

Standard halogen headlights may not provide the bright, white light of LEDs, but they don’t need it as they do a very good job of lighting the road ahead and to the sides with both low and high beams. The level of visibility actually exceeds the performance of many LED equipped vehicles even though intensity is less. GM’s Intellibeam automatic high beam system is also standard and can help drivers take advantage of the additional high beam visibility as often as traffic and conditions allow by automatically switching to high beams. LED headlights are optional on higher trims.
You know, there might be some truth to it. I've noticed before that the white/blue light from HID/LED gets "absorbed" more by darker pavement, especially during rainy weather.
Old 09-17-20 | 06:19 AM
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Took a drive last night with my LEDs....aaaah lol

The whiter light does get absorbed more by the pavement, but that’s kind of the point. If you think about it you don’t want the pavement shining back at you, you want a natural feel where the lane markers and all illuminate but the pavement stays darker.
Old 09-17-20 | 06:52 AM
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Default Full LEDs standard on ALL 2021 Volvos

2021 Volvo updates


No matter the model, every 2021 Volvo will now come standard with blind spot warning (with steer assist), rear cross-traffic alert, full-LED active-bending headlights with auto brights, power-retractable auto-dimming side mirrors, a new "Care Key" (can limit top speed) and two USB-C outlets for the rear passengers to replace the 12-volt outlet. Heated wiper blades have been axed from the whole Volvo lineup. Additionally, a new feature called "Connected Safety" is standard for 2021. It allows Volvos to communicate with each other on the road with different alerts. A Slippery Road Alert is sent to nearby Volvo drivers if one Volvo detects a low-traction area, and a Hazard Light Alert is sent to approaching Volvos if there's a Volvo ahead with its hazards on.

BTW, the already superb Bowers and Wilkens system gets an upgrade.

Last edited by MDlexus; 09-17-20 at 07:16 AM. Reason: addition of info
Old 09-17-20 | 07:04 AM
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Originally Posted by SW17LS
Took a drive last night with my LEDs....aaaah lol

The whiter light does get absorbed more by the pavement, but that’s kind of the point. If you think about it you don’t want the pavement shining back at you, you want a natural feel where the lane markers and all illuminate but the pavement stays darker.
The amount of smoke in the air may also be affecting visibility some. The blow-off from those big Western fires, thanks to the jet stream, reached the East Coast in the last few days (you probably noticed the milkiness and haze), and has now actually reached Western Europe.
Old 09-17-20 | 09:42 AM
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Yep, i have noticed it. I drove across the bay bridge yesterday and it was definitely noticeable up there.
Old 09-18-20 | 07:27 PM
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Something I never knew. The LS600h was the very first car to market with LED headlamps

Lexus bladescan is a world first as well.
Old 09-18-20 | 07:39 PM
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Originally Posted by LexsCTJill
Something I never knew. The LS600h was the very first car to market with LED headlamps

Lexus bladescan is a world first as well.
Yup I thought most knew that. It was a first back in MY08. A lot of people that had the 600 didn’t think they worked all that well but I never thought that and I thought they looked really cool with the three projectors. Obviously LEDs are much better now but it was pretty cool to be the first.
Old 09-18-20 | 07:45 PM
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Originally Posted by patgilm
Yup I thought most knew that. It was a first back in MY08. A lot of people that had the 600 didn’t think they worked all that well but I never thought that and I thought they looked really cool with the three projectors. Obviously LEDs are much better now but it was pretty cool to be the first.
So cool. I do recall the 3 projectors in the headlights. I think the first ever car with LED brake lights was the Cadillac DTS...
Old 02-16-21 | 03:42 PM
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Last weekend my wife and I made a trip to Reston VA to visit our daughter, a trip that we usually make at least once a month, and I finally got to experience the laser headlights on my wife's X6M. BMW's laser headlights are rather confusing, if not outright misleading. They are actually LED headlights, and the laser part only applies to automatic high beams that activate at speeds above 35mph, so they are not often utilized on the highways with a bunch of oncoming traffic. But when they do activate, I was blown away - the best way to describe it is they create this "tunnel" of light that extends further and illuminates brighter than any other headlights I ever seen.

Too bad the US bans adaptive high beam tech that is available in other parts of the world. I am currently looking to see if I can "code" the car to enable it despite the restriction.
Old 02-16-21 | 08:45 PM
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Yeah they are pretty amazing when they do activate.
Old 02-16-21 | 09:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Och
Too bad the US bans adaptive high beam tech that is available in other parts of the world. I am currently looking to see if I can "code" the car to enable it despite the restriction.
It doesn't seem to be banned in American-market vehicles. My Encore GX, in the "Auto" setting for the headlight switch, automatically switches from low to high-beam and back, depending on traffic conditions ahead. You can tell when the high beams automatically activate, as the road gets brighter and the typical blue dash-light comes on.
Old 02-16-21 | 09:25 PM
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Originally Posted by mmarshall
It doesn't seem to be banned in American-market vehicles. My Encore GX, in the "Auto" setting for the headlight switch, automatically switches from low to high-beam and back, depending on traffic conditions ahead. You can tell when the high beams automatically activate, as the road gets brighter and the typical blue dash-light comes on.
I am not talking about automatic high beam, but rather adaptive high beam - it is available on pretty much all premium and even some mainstream makes in other market, but banned in the US due to some regulating dating back to 1960s, to the best of my knowledge. These systems use cameras to detect oncoming vehicles, as well as vehicles in front, and use arrays of LEDs to "wrap" the high beams around these vehicles without blinding their occupants.

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https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a3...ight-advances/
Old 02-16-21 | 09:30 PM
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Originally Posted by Och
I am not talking about automatic high beam, but rather adaptive high beam - it is available on pretty much all premium and even some mainstream makes in other market, but banned in the US due to some regulating dating back to 1960s, to the best of my knowledge. These systems use cameras to detect oncoming vehicles, as well as vehicles in front, and use arrays of LEDs to "wrap" the high beams around these vehicles without blinding their occupants.
OK, Gotcha.....assuming that the part about not blinding the other drivers actually works.


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