“Paper is dying.”
I’m sure we’ve all heard this before. I’ve even said it myself. With my 20 years experience in the publishing and computer industries, I think I can make a fairly good case for that position. And I’m going to do just that—next article.
This time we are going to talk about the actual medium, the display, which is going to replace paper—at least for books, magazines and newspapers. There are two main classes of devices for digital books. The tablet computer—like Apple’s iPad or Dell’s Mini-5; and the e-reader—like the Amazon Kindle or Sony Reader. Currently, these two devices use completely different display technologies. The tablets employ liquid crystal displays (LCD) whereas the e-readers use “e-paper”.
LED-Backlit LCD
It wasn’t too many years ago all computers were hooked up to bulky cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors. To this day, CRT’s provide the highest quality image of any display technology—including LCD and plasma. Some argue reading on a liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor produces less “eyestrain” than on a CRT. This is half true. Reading-induced eyestrain from a cheap LCD versus a cheap (or incorrectly configured) CRT is less. Operative word there is “cheap”.
As a graphics engineer, I always had very high-end monitors. Trust me, there is little to no eyestrain coming from a 1993 circa $8,000 monitor—but who’s buying eight thousand dollar monitors?
Interesting enough, eyestrain from watching video on a cheap LCD monitor can be a problem. We use our eyes differently when reading than watching video. Slow response times on an LCD can strain eyes as well as make people nauseous. This is most evident while playing games even spawning a new disease, a subclass of motion sickness called “First Person Shooter Sickness”.
At the end of the day, it was really cost and size that drove most computer users to LCD displays.
Today’s tablet computers are using “LED backlighting” rather than fluorescent tubes in traditional LCD monitors. This technology provides greater contrast ratios and color gamut, lower power consumption and with it’s smaller size, allows for thinner devices.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_crystal_display
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LED-backlit_LCD_television
Electronic Paper
Electronic paper or e-paper is the display technology used in most e-readers. These include the Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader and the Barns and Noble Nook. E-paper has a paper-like appearance that requires light to reflect off its surface to be seen. The image is created by an array of spheres, colored dark on one side and light on the other. The spheres are then rotated with electric magnets to change whether each pixel is “black” or “white”. An image is produced much like a newspaper’s “halftone”. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halftone]
E-paper has some clear advantages over LCD displays. E-paper doesn’t need any power to maintain an image. Once a page has been rendered, it will remain unchanged even if the electrical current is removed. Unlike LCD displays, e-paper can also be read in direct sunlight. There is anecdotal evidence that e-paper is less straining on the eyes than LCDs—though I for one and not convinced. I am starting to see other people question this supposition as well. Some studies addressing the readability and eyestrain issues are needed.
There are disadvantages to e-paper too. Currently, the only commercially available e-papers are monochromatic—black and white. Color is on the way but it will be nothing compared to the vibrant colors of an LED-backlit LCD screen. E-paper is also very slow to draw each page. This means it is not a good display for video, games or anything needing quick refreshes of the screen. And just like a regular book, e-paper needs a light source—so if you like to read in bed before sleeping, don’t throw away your Clapper or Book Lite just yet!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_paper
Hybrid Technology, Transflective display
American display company, Pixel Qi has developed a new kind of LCD display. They call it “Transflective 2.0 technology”. Here’s an exert from their website:
Like standard backlit LCD displays, Pixel Qi displays renders quality full-color images, full-motion video, and high screen brightness. However, in environments with high ambient light levels, the 3Qi’s reflective mode contributes to the image, allowing the backlight to be turned down or off. This unique capability delivers significant power savings, an attractive screen and a comfortable reading experience, with very high resolution. Outdoors, Pixel Qi’s Transflective 2.0 technology comes into play – each pixel is mainly reflective, but has about the same transmissive efficiency as a standard LCD, enabling the user to experience a crisp image with excellent contrast and *brightness* in any light. This highly “green” LCD consumes 80 percent less power in reflective mode, yet delivers a better contrast ratio and equivalent reflectance typical of the best electrophoretic displays.
It hasn’t been commercially released as of yet, but deserves watching. Their web site has some great demonstration photos.
http://www.pixelqi.com/
Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED)
OLED is one of the newest display technologies. It can be used to create LCD-like displays. OLEDs have an advantage over LCD in that they produce their own light, thus not requiring a back-light. This display technology has been used in some mobile phones, digital music players and even a small TV. This tech is so new it’s hard to say what place it will occupy in the future, but it might well be what kills the LCD panel.
Wikipedia explains the technology:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_LED
These are the main players in the game. At the moment, only e-paper—in e-readers, and LCD displays—in the tablets, are available commercially. Will we see a Kindle with an LCD display? Will Apple make an iPad with e-paper? Will OLED replace LCD? Or will Pixel Qi transflective technology replace them all? What are you thoughts?
Joseph A. Graff
Technology Consultant
August 26, 2010 at 8:08 pm |
Thanks this made for interesting reading. I adore your wordpress theme!
September 3, 2010 at 5:09 pm |
You say you aren’t convinced, what are you waiting for? If someone has young, healthy eyes, they can withstand the harsh LCD backlighting, then great. Why would they need one over the other.
But for people who really are bothered by LCD backlightings – Kindles do work better. But here is the thing, it’s precisely because they are black and white.
It turns out its very hard to get the contrast correct using a reflective, or transflective display with all the wide range of colors.
It’s interesting all the early reviews of Pixel Qi promised a color e-ink experience, now that the display is available for sale – everyone goes strangely silent on the subject.
And I notice, although I didn’t notice at the time, but I notice today, all those early demo’s of the Pixel Qi were of newspapers – black print, on white backgrounds – they were hardly making any video’s of how the thing worked in windows – with all the display elements one typical has on their desktop.
No – unfortunately the product appears to have fallen flat – I haven’t had a chance to get one myself, but the early feedback from purchases – is tepid.
So anyway, I just went off track
My wife has eyestrain. The Kindle doesn’t bother her, a computer does. The ‘anecdotal’ evidence is coming from thousands of people – and I personally don’t need a study to confirm the obvious. My eyes are better than most, but I can stare into a bulb and it bothers my eyes – the reflected high contrast, deep whites and blacks of the latest Kindle – are clearly not as harsh.
Btw, eyestrain may or may not cause any permanent damage but – it’s just annoying to those who suffer from it.