Pixel Qi screen demonstrated in HD quality video from Taipei

[Charbax]

You can see the video here in HD quality: http://techvideoblog.com/computex/pi...e-from-taipei/



This is the new kind of LCD screen technology that turns all netbooks into Kindles. And all Kindles into netbooks.

As you can see in the video, the screen is beautiful and very readable when used outdoors with ambient or direct sunlight. And it also can turn on the back light when indoors to provide a very bright full color mode as well.

If you find any other E-Reader devices that you hear are being shown at Computex, please write a comment and I will make sure to try to film them as well. But this Pixel Qi product is certainly the most impressive I have seen in a long time due to its potential to make E-reading really happen for the mass market.

[IgnareAcademy]

Thank you very much for this very good eclusive interview in HD!
He is a very honest person: he has a Kindle and admits that the screen of the Kindle is whiter than the Pixel Qi screen in e-paper mode.
So this is not for me. Maybe the next generation Pixel Qi!

[Alisa]

Well, until it can get days worth of use on a battery the size of a matchbook, weigh in at under a pound and be cool to the touch without fan, it's not going to quite compete with my Kindle (or other eInk readers) as a strict reading device. Of course, there are tons of people out there who don't necessarily read enough to care about the incremental improvement the eInk screen provides when faced with the great multi-use possibility of this kind of screen. It seems like it offers greatly increased battery life and readability to netbooks, tablets, and hopefully mobile phones. I want one. I'd love it for work and general mobile use but I'll still be glad I have my Kindle for when I want to curl up with a good book and read for hours.

[Barcey]

Awesome!!!

I was never that impressed with the XO screen and thought it was over hyped. It was impressive what they produced for the price but nothing I'd want to use. As a result I've been skeptical on these new Pixel Qi displays but it looks like they've really delivered. I can't wait to see the products using these.

[Sonist]

It looks good, but they keep showing the transflective mode, which is backlit and thus would appear more contrasty, than the reflective, ebook mode (in fact, Gizmodo refers to the screen as two-mode, and omits the mention of reflective mode.)

So I'd wait to see a head to head, reflective to reflective comparison with e-Ink, before getting too excited. If it's comparable, I'll cancel my Kindle DX order I just placed (for delivery on the 12th.)

Well, there is also the Apple wild-card in a few days... :-)

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by Sonist

It looks good, but they keep showing the transflective mode, which is backlit and thus would appear more contrasty, than the reflective, ebook mode (in fact, Gizmodo refers to the screen as two-mode, and omits the mention of reflective mode.)

So I'd wait to see a head to head, reflective to reflective comparison with e-Ink, before getting too excited. If it's comparable, I'll cancel my Kindle DX order I just placed (for delivery on the 12th.)

Well, there is also the Apple wild-card in a few days... :-)

Just to let everyone know. We are going to be meeting next week with Pixel Qi. Astak has a project for theor panel!!

[Sonist]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Just to let everyone know. We are going to be meeting next week with Pixel Qi. Astak has a project for theor panel!!

Hm, you better speak up fast, I just ordered a Kindle DX....

I'd cancel if Apple announces an OLED tablet, or if someone announces a 10" Pixel Qi tablet/ereader. But the 12th is coming up :-)

[Andybaby]

apple ordered 10 in LED screens, not Oled screens, last time I checked, sonys 14 inch Oleds were 1400 bucks, they are way too expencive right now to make.

Nice video

[brecklundin]

Excellent video. Basically the technology is a world changer. No way I choose a limited eink based device over a device with a 3Qi display simply because the battery lasts longer. I might buy a next gen eink pocket device IF they improve contrast wise. From what I have seen in all images of the display in reflective more it no worse than the eink displays as they exist today.

This is the display I have been yammering on about since reading of them a year back.

Remember there are three modes even in full reflective more there can be some color...it is like a very improved version of the old transreflective screeds in PDA's of a decade ago.

I have long said the eink on my K1 is wonderful in direct sunlight, but sucks indoors in normal lighting. This device adds a middle layer between full active backlit mode and fully transmissive backlight off mode...works for me.

In my opinion this is a true world changing bit of hardware. Addressing a lot of uses to reduce power consumption across the board.

Only thing they need to do is include some type of touch. It might be best if they go to tech where the touch layer is below the actual display. Which I guess is an active digitizer that needs a pen based input? Is that the way it works? I also know that adds to the cost, but in this case I pay that price if you can deactivate the touch mode to save power when reading only. Nav buttons fix that whole issue and since the nav is already built into the OS and hardware all they need do is remap the nav to a set of dedicated buttons when the screen is rotated into tablet mode. All very easy and cheap to implement, but also very easy to screw up...as we have seen from some of the very questionable decisions by ereading device makers.

[phenomshel]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Just to let everyone know. We are going to be meeting next week with Pixel Qi. Astak has a project for theor panel!!

You TEASE!! Joking, Robert... keep us updated as you can.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by brecklundin

Remember there are three modes even in full reflective more there can be some color...it is like a very improved version of the old transreflective screeds in PDA's of a decade ago.

I don't think this is right. I believe that when the back light is off, then it is a pure 205dpi monochrome display.

[Andybaby]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I don't think this is right. I believe that when the back light is off, then it is a pure 205dpi monochrome display.

no, if you watch the video with the backlight off the colors are still there, but are washed out, you can only really see the Blue end of the spectrum with the backlight off in full sun.

but it seems that the way the color works, it doesn't work well in sun.

[Charbax]

Consider, this is one of the absolute first batches out of the factory. They are releasing the second test batch early next week already which he says fixes several obvious bugs of the first batch, I also think that he said that transflective color mode with no or little backlight will improve by the next batches.

IT might also be that the sample images and things on the screen he was using outdoors was more suitable for the black and white mode. So obviously it's hard to see if a black and white document is been looked at in black and white or color transflective mode..

I will see if I can film some more of Pixel Qi in Taipei during the next couple of days. Why hasn't this item hit the mobileread.com frontpage news yet?

[Ralph Sir Edward]

Nope, I didn't get into the private meeting with Pixel qui. Sorry, gang.

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by brecklundin

Excellent video. Basically the technology is a world changer. No way I choose a limited eink based device over a device with a 3Qi display simply because the battery lasts longer.

Unfortunately the increased power consumption also necessitates a much larger battery. That makes the device heavier and hotter. I'm hoping with better battery technology on the horizon, we can have something as lightweight as the eInk readers in a few years.