I'm not sure that I can live easily with this - I have spent most of my life with analog scopes and want to be able to trust what I see and not wonder if it's an artefact of the scope. So if there is a single voltage I'd like to see a single thin horizontal line. A thicker line means that there is hash or noise on it. If a waveform is spending most of its time in a particular region, that region should be brighter not darker.
Do other entry-level digital scopes behave this way? The second most popular model comparable to the Rigol is the Sigilent SDS1104X-E, which costs about an extra 30 Euros. Does it not have these peculiarities or other such issues?
I've been using scopes probably longer that most here have been alive, over 50 years
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Like you I've grown up with analog scopes, just about every Tektronix model you can think of, and like you had come to "trust" what the Tek scope was trying to tell me, they were and are still marvelous instruments
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The most important "feature" I needed from a DSO over the older analog scopes was the ability to capture and store a waveform, and the ability to perform simple mathematics on the waveform. Since a DSO is nothing more that a data capturing device with a built-in display, these two features are natural to the DSO.
Anyone that tells you that not having a accurate and good resolution ADC, a good low noise front end with low end range and an accurate, reliable and believable displayed DSO waveform probably has a technical IQ equal to their age!! The old Tek analog scopes gave you these features (of course no ADC), so why settle for a modern DSO that can't even perform the most important feature of a scope, to show waveforms that are accurate, low noise and believable.
As you probably know there are numerous fanboys and girls here, pushing there own agenda and bashing everyone's else's option if it doesn't align with theirs. Claiming this feature matters (if their DSO has it) and that feature doesn't (if their DSO is lacking). I just wanted a DSO to work like my old Tek analog scopes, give me nice believable displays without too much added noise, allow some simple math functions and be able to reliably capture and store waveforms. I ended up with a DSO more akin to a sophisticated data capturing device than a scope, and delivering so much more that I expected, but still can perform the basic functions of an analog scope with a believable display.
Like you I was exposed to all the DSO BS flying around, and had to sift thru everything to find the truth. I'm sure you'll find your way thru the DSO BS maze and select a DSO that meets your requirements and budget, whichever brand it is!!
My only recommendation is to look towards the upper end in features and cost, even push your budget because a scope is the 2nd most important instrument you will own, a quality DVM is 1st
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Best and good luck,