Bookeen
4 HN mentions · mentioned in 4 months, 2012–2022
0:19 · 132K views · Feb 11, 2011
A short Bookeen R&D demo showing smooth H.264 video playback on a Pearl E Ink panel, driven by a TI OMAP3621 chip and custom controller software.
HN cites it as proof that e-ink screens can reach video frame rates, in threads about fast e-ink refresh and displays.
4 comments from Hacker News
>I'm using a Nexus 5, which was launched almost 4 years ago, that uses 4G. A reliable, widespread 5G network is at least 2 years distant, probably more. Barring breakage, and changing the battery, the Nexus 5 could almost certainly be used 6 years after launch, and still work well. The barrier for that sort of lifetime is software, not hardware. My prediction for the communications modules not lasting is also trying to take into account that the rate of developments is likely to speed up - not stay the same or slow down. >There are a substantial percentage of people that are more worried about the UI changing underneath them than whether or not they're using 3G or 4G. I'm talking about simply being cut off from the rest of the world. Many Countries have now fully retired 2G networks. In less than 5 years, I can see the same likely to happen for 3G. >Secondly, even if 10 years is unlikely, the prospect of being able to run a functioning device indefinite ly allows the lifetimes to increase by more realistic but still significant amounts, 10 years is niche but 4 or 5 isn't. I think phones should at least match laptops - there's no reason why not. I think we should encourage a few things: * Standardization of battery sizes - why is every LiPo pack completely different? If think this might even be arbitrarily pushing up the market value of the packs. * Expansion ports - why is there no expansion port on a phone? Something just big enough to plug a small PCB with a standard connec
From what I've read, though, most of the lag/slowness issues with eink are due to bottlenecks in the supporting electronics, which have relatively narrow channels to the display, and not a lot of processing power. Apparently the focus of most current eink tech is (understandably, given the established markets) power saving and cost, with update speed losing out. I saw a video a few years ago, where someone had bypassed all that, and was running an eink display at video frame rates. It seemed to work fine. [...google search...] Ah, here's the video: this video There are other similar videos, by other companies, too. So for a device where more power consumption is acceptable (compared to a power-sipping e-reader), fast-update eink displays may well be possible, and even practical... but it's not so clear anybody is putting much investment in such a thing...
There are some e-ink screens that can barely support video, but there's usually still heavy ghosting: this video I'm willing to let them cheat a bit on the static refresh rate in the demo, but the fact that they're showing animated UI effects like zooms and fades is a little worrisome, unless they have access to next-gen eInk that I don't know about.
I thought 11 years ago that e-ink with good refresh was achieved, seeing bookeen's prototype display videos and full screen scrolling. this video [LINK] But all e-ink devices I have seen since were slow and would form time to time show remanence.