3 ms·

The panel itself is 1-bit, and is definitely a concious choice they made. I can't remember where I read it, but the screen was the most expensive component, and

The panel itself is 1-bit, and is definitely a concious choice they made. I can't remember where I read it, but the screen was the most expensive component, and was likely pricier than color options. It's also super-reflective, so apparently very visible in a lot of lighting conditions, sort of like e-ink but with a great refresh rate. I beleive it's the same panel as this: https://www.adafruit.com/product/4694 https://www.adafruit.com/product/4694

NikolaNovak 5y ago
Silly question - what does "Super reflective" mean in this context? I always assumed "reflective" is "bad" when it comes to screens, and contrast in variable lighting conditions - it would reflect too much of background, other lights, etc. Best screens for variety of lighting conditions (as opposed to dark room) seem to be matte. Any thoughts / anything I'm missing?
- creinhardt 5y ago
  Sorry, reflective was the wrong choice of words, I think technically 'transflective' is more accurate. I don't think the screen will have much glare, it's more that it is visible with a small amount of light, despite not having a backlight.
  - terramex 5y ago
    No, 'reflective' was the right word. 'Transflective' means that display has both backlight and reflective layer (Pebble used such technology). Playdate has no backlight, only reflective layer so it is 'reflective', not 'transflective'.
    - vinay427 5y ago
      FWIW, many fitness watches that are designed for outdoor use (e.g. most Garmin or Amazfit models) still use transflective displays. They work flawlessly in bright sunlight, a backlight works well in the dark, and the battery life benefits compared to AMOLED or similar is an added bonus.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- bwbmr 5y ago
  You're thinking of backlit displays where a reflective front (between the user and the display) hurts screen visibility in bright light conditions. In this context, "super reflective" is referring to _behind_ the pixels of the display. There is no backlight, so the screen is lit up by ambient light. Increasing that reflectivity aids in contrast of the screen, since "white" pixels will be "whiter" (in this case they are actually grey but lighter grey if the screen is more reflective).
  - NikolaNovak 5y ago
    Awesome, thanks, that makes sense :). Essentially the reflective background increases the contrast between the light and dark pixel.
- jffry 5y ago
  Just a guess but maybe it means that the "on" pixels will reflect back more ambient light, thus appearing brighter and having better contrast with the dark "off" pixels under marginal lighting conditions?
- seidoger 5y ago
  The Game Boy Advanced SP had a reflective screen and it played better in full sunlight. It was quite a remarkable display.
  - frosted-flakes 5y ago
    The Game Boy Advance SP had a reflective screen with a toggle-able front light. The Game Boy Advance, and all other Game Boys before it, had unlit screens.
AlanYx 5y ago
Is there a difference between the tech used in the panel you linked to and RLCD panels, or are they the same tech?

NikolaNovak 5y ago

Silly question - what does "Super reflective" mean in this context? I always assumed "reflective" is "bad" when it comes to screens, and contrast in variable lighting conditions - it would reflect too much of background, other lights, etc. Best screens for variety of lighting conditions (as opposed to dark room) seem to be matte. Any thoughts / anything I'm missing?

creinhardt 5y ago
Sorry, reflective was the wrong choice of words, I think technically 'transflective' is more accurate. I don't think the screen will have much glare, it's more that it is visible with a small amount of light, despite not having a backlight.
- terramex 5y ago
  No, 'reflective' was the right word. 'Transflective' means that display has both backlight and reflective layer (Pebble used such technology). Playdate has no backlight, only reflective layer so it is 'reflective', not 'transflective'.
  - vinay427 5y ago
    FWIW, many fitness watches that are designed for outdoor use (e.g. most Garmin or Amazfit models) still use transflective displays. They work flawlessly in bright sunlight, a backlight works well in the dark, and the battery life benefits compared to AMOLED or similar is an added bonus.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
bwbmr 5y ago
You're thinking of backlit displays where a reflective front (between the user and the display) hurts screen visibility in bright light conditions. In this context, "super reflective" is referring to _behind_ the pixels of the display. There is no backlight, so the screen is lit up by ambient light. Increasing that reflectivity aids in contrast of the screen, since "white" pixels will be "whiter" (in this case they are actually grey but lighter grey if the screen is more reflective).
- NikolaNovak 5y ago
  Awesome, thanks, that makes sense :). Essentially the reflective background increases the contrast between the light and dark pixel.
jffry 5y ago
Just a guess but maybe it means that the "on" pixels will reflect back more ambient light, thus appearing brighter and having better contrast with the dark "off" pixels under marginal lighting conditions?
seidoger 5y ago
The Game Boy Advanced SP had a reflective screen and it played better in full sunlight. It was quite a remarkable display.
- frosted-flakes 5y ago
  The Game Boy Advance SP had a reflective screen with a toggle-able front light. The Game Boy Advance, and all other Game Boys before it, had unlit screens.

AlanYx 5y ago

Is there a difference between the tech used in the panel you linked to and RLCD panels, or are they the same tech?