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It should probably not be lost on us that the E-ink display[1] he's using in the prototype costs $1500. That's a lot for what basically amounts to a one color d

It should probably not be lost on us that the E-ink display[1] he's using in the prototype costs $1500. That's a lot for what basically amounts to a one color display, and if we ignore all the other features of E-ink, you could replicate this for less cost with other tech. I recently experienced the Samsung Frame[2] which - to be clear - is NOT an E-ink panel, doesn't have the power savings, etc., but it's larger, cheaper, and has a very believable art mode. I was one of those guys who tried mounting an old flat panel to the wall to display art that I liked before realizing that it just wasn't believable. It was a nice enough effect in a well lit room, but turn the lights down in the slightest, and it's very obviously a television set, and just didn't feel at all arty. On the other hand, the Frame is extremely believable as a framed art print, to the extent that it fooled me the first time I saw one. I haven't bought one yet, but it's much easier to imagine spending the $1000 for a Frame, mounting it vertically, and hacking out a way to format a newspaper graphic into its art mode than it is for me to imagine spending $1500 on an E-Ink display. Aside from being cheaper, if the project doesn't work out, then I can at least use the Frame for its intended purpose. [1] - https://shopkits.eink.com/product/31-2%CB%9D-monochrome-epaper-display-ed312tt2/ https://shopkits.eink.com/product/31-2%CB%9D-monochrome-epap... [2] - https://www.samsung.com/us/televisions-home-theater/tvs/the-frame/highlights/ https://www.samsung.com/us/televisions-home-theater/tvs/the-...

ComputerGuru 7y ago
Actually the display he used was a color eInk display but he chose to use it in greyscale mode as an aesthetic decision.
- stouset 7y ago
  > E Ink’s 31.2-inch monochrome display fit the bill. The 31.2-inch color display gives you colors, but not at any satisfying resolution or contrast ratio. I
detaro 7y ago
Question about the Samsung Frame that I didn't find answered in reviews: Does the adjusting brightness etc to look natural also work with external signals, or only when showing images in "art mode"?
- bmelton 7y ago
  From my limited exposure, my best guess is that whatever lighting / contrast adjustments it makes in art mode are only enabled for art mode. I'm not sure what 'looking natural' for a television screen might look like. Naively, if you wanted the television mode to look more like moving pictures, I'd think you'd have to figure out a way to knock down the refresh rate considerably. 15Hz ought to do it. If you're asking me if it just adjusts the television brightness to surrounding lighting conditions, I don't know, but it feels like art mode is doing more than just adjusting brightness (though possibly I'm wrong here and brightness is just much more convincing than I've experienced in the past)
  - detaro 7y ago
    Ah, too bad. I had hoped for something that could display a slideshow from a Raspberry Pi etc, since I'd want the content to update automatically in regular intervals and not rely on cloud services.
    - bmelton 7y ago
      IIRC you can add your own 4K images to it via thumb drive and it'll rotate through them without relying on a connection to their upstream art server. Take this with grains of salt as I don't own one, don't know the interval, and couldn't guarantee that it isn't bricked without an internet connection, though I find that highly unlikely.
      - detaro 7y ago
        I guess for automatic updates one could simulate a USB drive and send remote control commands, but that feels a bit too hacky and disruptive for something where sleekness is the focus. Thanks for your responses!
- blakes 7y ago
  I own a Frame, and the normal viewing mode does have a very slight brightness adjustment that is automatic, I think I turned that on. It's not as dramatic as the Art Mode setting. The art mode dimming is very good, it has tricked every single visitor I've had in my living room, they always say nice painting. Then their minds are blown when it's revealed it's a TV. It's very convincing at first glance. Problem is showing personal images, it does not do as good of a job. I think it uses the same settings as other inputs.
fullstop 7y ago
For $1500 you could hire someone to come over and put a new newspaper into the frame from time to time.
- blisterpeanuts 7y ago
  I was thinking the same thing. Or you could get 10-15 annual newspaper subscriptions, delivered to your door/mailbox.
  - arkanciscan 7y ago
    Yes but the refresh rate of newsprint is terrible!
    - 1MoreThing 7y ago
      24 hours isn't optimal, but it gets the job done.
- umvi 7y ago
  That's not a living wage
  - ColanR 7y ago
    If someone considers it the best use of their time, they're better off with extra cash than without.
    - umvi 7y ago
      By that logic gig economy apps are good, yet they are heavily criticized and in some cases sued.
      - Green_man 7y ago
        Gig economy apps being criticized or even sued is not evidence they are bad. *I don't personally like them, but no doubt there are workers that like their jobs at doordash or uber--> not everyone doing those jobs is doing them out of desperation.
cs02rm0 7y ago
$1500 for the display, plus a $500 board to drive it, plus... I really like it, but not that much!

ComputerGuru 7y ago

Actually the display he used was a color eInk display but he chose to use it in greyscale mode as an aesthetic decision.

stouset 7y ago
> E Ink’s 31.2-inch monochrome display fit the bill. The 31.2-inch color display gives you colors, but not at any satisfying resolution or contrast ratio. I

detaro 7y ago

Question about the Samsung Frame that I didn't find answered in reviews: Does the adjusting brightness etc to look natural also work with external signals, or only when showing images in "art mode"?

bmelton 7y ago
From my limited exposure, my best guess is that whatever lighting / contrast adjustments it makes in art mode are only enabled for art mode. I'm not sure what 'looking natural' for a television screen might look like. Naively, if you wanted the television mode to look more like moving pictures, I'd think you'd have to figure out a way to knock down the refresh rate considerably. 15Hz ought to do it. If you're asking me if it just adjusts the television brightness to surrounding lighting conditions, I don't know, but it feels like art mode is doing more than just adjusting brightness (though possibly I'm wrong here and brightness is just much more convincing than I've experienced in the past)
- detaro 7y ago
  Ah, too bad. I had hoped for something that could display a slideshow from a Raspberry Pi etc, since I'd want the content to update automatically in regular intervals and not rely on cloud services.
  - bmelton 7y ago
    IIRC you can add your own 4K images to it via thumb drive and it'll rotate through them without relying on a connection to their upstream art server. Take this with grains of salt as I don't own one, don't know the interval, and couldn't guarantee that it isn't bricked without an internet connection, though I find that highly unlikely.
    - detaro 7y ago
      I guess for automatic updates one could simulate a USB drive and send remote control commands, but that feels a bit too hacky and disruptive for something where sleekness is the focus. Thanks for your responses!
blakes 7y ago
I own a Frame, and the normal viewing mode does have a very slight brightness adjustment that is automatic, I think I turned that on. It's not as dramatic as the Art Mode setting. The art mode dimming is very good, it has tricked every single visitor I've had in my living room, they always say nice painting. Then their minds are blown when it's revealed it's a TV. It's very convincing at first glance. Problem is showing personal images, it does not do as good of a job. I think it uses the same settings as other inputs.

fullstop 7y ago

For $1500 you could hire someone to come over and put a new newspaper into the frame from time to time.

blisterpeanuts 7y ago
I was thinking the same thing. Or you could get 10-15 annual newspaper subscriptions, delivered to your door/mailbox.
- arkanciscan 7y ago
  Yes but the refresh rate of newsprint is terrible!
  - 1MoreThing 7y ago
    24 hours isn't optimal, but it gets the job done.
umvi 7y ago
That's not a living wage
- ColanR 7y ago
  If someone considers it the best use of their time, they're better off with extra cash than without.
  - umvi 7y ago
    By that logic gig economy apps are good, yet they are heavily criticized and in some cases sued.
    - Green_man 7y ago
      Gig economy apps being criticized or even sued is not evidence they are bad. *I don't personally like them, but no doubt there are workers that like their jobs at doordash or uber--> not everyone doing those jobs is doing them out of desperation.

cs02rm0 7y ago

$1500 for the display, plus a $500 board to drive it, plus... I really like it, but not that much!