[Nook Touch General] nmyshkin:
OK, might as well get NoRefresh out of the way before heading on to EBookDroid.

You have a tile in QuickTiles for NoRefresh but no app to support it. The app seems to have disappeared from the GitHub where it came from, but luckily I have a copy (attached below). Download and install.

The app generates two icons, one is a toggle that turns the display mode on and off. We will not use that. The QuickTiles option is faster and can be done from within an app that is already open (like a reader). NoRefresh drops out when you change applications so you will likely lose it if you use the toggle icon and then open another app. QuickTiles is better.

The second icon is for Settings (the gear/star with the hole in it). Generally, you don't want anything automatic with a few exceptions. None of the automatic stuff is stable enough to work on a regular basis. Adjust the settings to agree with what is posted below. Pay attention to the drop-downs because some of them are changed from default.

When that's done it's ready to go. QuickTiles will check to see if the service is running before changing over to it. If it's not running already, it will be started up.

What is NoRefresh? It's a special display mode in which the screen is not refreshed as the content on it changes. This eliminates the flickering associated with e-ink displays and can tame animations (like the page turns in the Kindle app and others or scrolling in Opera Mini or EBookDroid). You can see it in action in the video in the very first post of this thread. The stock reader actually uses this display mode very briefly every time you make a page change, just to minimize the flickering. This app turns the mode on constant. It will not work with apps which are already manipulating this native display mode (like the stock reader).

What's the downside? In this display mode all "colors" are flattened to either black or white. No greyscale. Of course, this is fine for text. For images it's terrible (unless maybe it's manga, but even there you might have some greyscale in the images). There can be a little bit of ghosting because the screen is not being refreshed. This is most noticeable at the beginning of use.

Also, since all shades of grey become either black or white, some fonts may look just slightly rough because the anti-aliasing which makes them look smooth is defeated by the different display mode which can only show either black or white.

For me, the slight loss in smoothness is a minor thing compared to the distraction of flashing during page changes or scrolling. You decide.

To try it out, open a book in the Kindle app (remember, it won't work in the stock reader). Change a few pages and notice all the flickering. Now tap the screen where you normally activate QuickTiles. When the panel opens, tap on "NoRefresh". The panel will close and in a little bit a fleeting contrast control will appear. This is generally not needed but I have it in there so you can tell it's actually starting. Then there should be a change in the display. Try a page change. Very smooth. (if you're not sure about this, take a look at the video in post 1 at about 5:34).

NoRefresh is a little wobbly and it will drop out when the screensaver comes on or you change apps. It less often drops out when you are using it (especially with the settings I had you make).