3 ms·

I've been trying to do some E-Ink stuff lately and prices seem to get higher the bigger you go and then drop off. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places, but my

by devmor 5y ago

I've been trying to do some E-Ink stuff lately and prices seem to get higher the bigger you go and then drop off. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places, but my experience is something like: 2.5 inch display - $1 6 inch display - $400 12 inch display: $1200 36 inch display: $1400

grogenaut 5y ago
Where have you seen a 36" screen for $1400
- devmor 5y ago
  I don't remember exactly which one, but one of the big Chinese wholesalers. Alibaba, DHGate, etc.
jonathonlui 5y ago
Waveshare sells 1 to 13-inch panels for 7 to 540 USD: https://www.waveshare.com/product/displays/e-paper.htm https://www.waveshare.com/product/displays/e-paper.htm Pixel density isn't as good as say a nice Kindle, but they are usable. I've played around with one of their 1.5 inch module You can buy old 6" e-reader panels for ~22+ USD https://www.ebay.com/b/ed060sc4/bn_7024905630 https://www.ebay.com/b/ed060sc4/bn_7024905630 See https://spritesmods.com/?art=einkdisplay https://spritesmods.com/?art=einkdisplay for how to drive them.
- devmor 5y ago
  Oh the e-reader panels and that link are a godsend. Thank you!
- GekkePrutser 5y ago
  Indeed and the biggest one is in fact much cheaper than 540USD (more like 180). The 540 is HDMI based.
Qwertious 5y ago
FWIW a 6-inch display is available for $100ish, because that's what Kindles use.
- devmor 5y ago
  Seems you have to roll your own controller hardware though.
  - Qwertious 5y ago
    I meant that you could just literally buy a kindle (or Kobo etc). They cost way less than $400 and IIRC Kobo is relatively hackable.
solarkraft 5y ago
Huh, the display I'm referring to seems to be less well known than I had thought. At the risk of accelerating its popularity gain: I'm talking about the 9.7" ED097OC1, which costs about 30$. (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33007519185.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33007519185.html). Sure, you can get a few, but can you get them at this price at volume or will the supply instantly dry up? Are these so cheap because it's old stock, someone got their hands on beyond life span production equipment, there's some special licensing deal with E-Ink ... ? If the price was sustainable, wouldn't everyone use this display? Or is this price what OEMs actually pay for E-Ink displays (seems unlikely)?
- robinsoh 5y ago
  > Are these so cheap because it's old stock ED97 Looks like an ancient Vizplex panel. I would guess 2010s timeframe. Probably fine. Newer EPD controllers are still backward compatible I think. > Or is this price what OEMs actually pay for E-Ink displays E Ink is a niche market. In the display industry, anything below 2 million displays per quarter would be considered niche. Amazon is likely the only player in this market that can reach that kind of volume. Their volume is not high enough to justify scaling up a real high volume factory. From what I've heard, E Ink repurposes existing LCD production lines.

by devmor 5y ago

grogenaut 5y ago

Where have you seen a 36" screen for $1400

devmor 5y ago
I don't remember exactly which one, but one of the big Chinese wholesalers. Alibaba, DHGate, etc.

jonathonlui 5y ago

Waveshare sells 1 to 13-inch panels for 7 to 540 USD: https://www.waveshare.com/product/displays/e-paper.htm https://www.waveshare.com/product/displays/e-paper.htm Pixel density isn't as good as say a nice Kindle, but they are usable. I've played around with one of their 1.5 inch module You can buy old 6" e-reader panels for ~22+ USD https://www.ebay.com/b/ed060sc4/bn_7024905630 https://www.ebay.com/b/ed060sc4/bn_7024905630 See https://spritesmods.com/?art=einkdisplay https://spritesmods.com/?art=einkdisplay for how to drive them.

devmor 5y ago
Oh the e-reader panels and that link are a godsend. Thank you!
GekkePrutser 5y ago
Indeed and the biggest one is in fact much cheaper than 540USD (more like 180). The 540 is HDMI based.

Qwertious 5y ago

FWIW a 6-inch display is available for $100ish, because that's what Kindles use.

devmor 5y ago
Seems you have to roll your own controller hardware though.
- Qwertious 5y ago
  I meant that you could just literally buy a kindle (or Kobo etc). They cost way less than $400 and IIRC Kobo is relatively hackable.

solarkraft 5y ago

Huh, the display I'm referring to seems to be less well known than I had thought. At the risk of accelerating its popularity gain: I'm talking about the 9.7" ED097OC1, which costs about 30$. (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33007519185.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33007519185.html). Sure, you can get a few, but can you get them at this price at volume or will the supply instantly dry up? Are these so cheap because it's old stock, someone got their hands on beyond life span production equipment, there's some special licensing deal with E-Ink ... ? If the price was sustainable, wouldn't everyone use this display? Or is this price what OEMs actually pay for E-Ink displays (seems unlikely)?

robinsoh 5y ago
> Are these so cheap because it's old stock ED97 Looks like an ancient Vizplex panel. I would guess 2010s timeframe. Probably fine. Newer EPD controllers are still backward compatible I think. > Or is this price what OEMs actually pay for E-Ink displays E Ink is a niche market. In the display industry, anything below 2 million displays per quarter would be considered niche. Amazon is likely the only player in this market that can reach that kind of volume. Their volume is not high enough to justify scaling up a real high volume factory. From what I've heard, E Ink repurposes existing LCD production lines.