MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - The secret behind the new Paperwhite: E Ink Carta

Julius Caesar · 09-04-2013, 03:42 PM

Carta vs Pearl:

Display Type: Reflective Electrophoretic / Reflective Electrophoretic
Imaging Component: E Ink Carta ePaper Display Film / E Ink Pearl ePaper Display Film
Contrast Ratio: 15:1 (min) / 10:1 (min)
White State: 74 (min) / 70 (min)
Dark State: 19 (max) / 24 (max)
Color Resolution (# Bits): 1-Bit (B&W);4-Bit (16 Gray Levels) / 1-Bit (B&W); 4-Bit (16 Gray Levels)
% Reﬂectance: 44% / 40.7%
Viewing Angle: Near 180° / Near 180°
Image Update Time: 120 msec (1-Bit) / 120 msec (1 bit), 450 msec (4 bit)
Update Modes: Full & Partial Page Update, Pipelined / Full & Partial Page Update, Pipelined
Available Display Sizes: 1.44 to 13.3 in / 1.44 to 13.3 in
Display Modules: E Ink Mobius Flexible Display, as well as Glass TFT / E Ink Mobius Flexible Display, as well as Glass TFT
Drive Method: Active Matrix, TFT / Active Matrix, TFT
Service Life: 10 million switches or 5 years / 10 million switches or 5 years
Available Display Sizes: 1.44 to 13.3 in / 1.44 to 13.3 in
Display Modules: E Ink Mobius Flexible Display, as well as Glass TFT / E Ink Mobius Flexible Display, as well as Glass TFT
Display Thickness: Approx 1.2mm, Depending on choice of TFT / Approx 1.2mm, Depending on choice of TFT
Display Resolution: Greater than 300 dpi / Capabilities up to 300 dpi for 4 bit Grayscale (sizes 9.7 in & below)

Source: Carta spec sheet (PDF) and Pearl spec sheet (PDF)

Questions:
1. Does contrast ratio really matter if you have a built in light like Paperwhite?

2. The Carta spec sheet doesn't say anything about image update time at 4bit (16 gray scale). Kindle and other eink readers use 16 gray scale. So, the only spec relevant for our purpose is the image update time at 4 bit (16 gray scale). But it does say this:

Elimination of Full Page Refresh: The new E Ink Regal™ Waveform product improves viewing experience through the reduction or elimination of full page refresh with every image update.

Does it mean that every time we turn the page, it will update instantaneously like an LCD?

3. Without a full page refresh, will the fonts stay sharp? With the current Kindle, the only way to make all fonts stay sharp is to enable refresh at every page turn.

4. Service Life: 10 million switches or 5 years. Does it mean that even though you rarely use your Kindle, it would still stop working after 5 years?

09-04-2013, 03:42 PM	#50
Julius Caesar Addict Posts: 343 Karma: 1510042 Join Date: Oct 2012 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	Carta vs Pearl: Display Type: Reflective Electrophoretic / Reflective Electrophoretic Imaging Component: E Ink Carta ePaper Display Film / E Ink Pearl ePaper Display Film Contrast Ratio: 15:1 (min) / 10:1 (min) White State: 74 (min) / 70 (min) Dark State: 19 (max) / 24 (max) Color Resolution (# Bits): 1-Bit (B&W);4-Bit (16 Gray Levels) / 1-Bit (B&W); 4-Bit (16 Gray Levels) % Reﬂectance: 44% / 40.7% Viewing Angle: Near 180° / Near 180° Image Update Time: 120 msec (1-Bit) / 120 msec (1 bit), 450 msec (4 bit) Update Modes: Full & Partial Page Update, Pipelined / Full & Partial Page Update, Pipelined Available Display Sizes: 1.44 to 13.3 in / 1.44 to 13.3 in Display Modules: E Ink Mobius Flexible Display, as well as Glass TFT / E Ink Mobius Flexible Display, as well as Glass TFT Drive Method: Active Matrix, TFT / Active Matrix, TFT Service Life: 10 million switches or 5 years / 10 million switches or 5 years Available Display Sizes: 1.44 to 13.3 in / 1.44 to 13.3 in Display Modules: E Ink Mobius Flexible Display, as well as Glass TFT / E Ink Mobius Flexible Display, as well as Glass TFT Display Thickness: Approx 1.2mm, Depending on choice of TFT / Approx 1.2mm, Depending on choice of TFT Display Resolution: Greater than 300 dpi / Capabilities up to 300 dpi for 4 bit Grayscale (sizes 9.7 in & below) Source: Carta spec sheet (PDF) and Pearl spec sheet (PDF) Questions: 1. Does contrast ratio really matter if you have a built in light like Paperwhite? 2. The Carta spec sheet doesn't say anything about image update time at 4bit (16 gray scale). Kindle and other eink readers use 16 gray scale. So, the only spec relevant for our purpose is the image update time at 4 bit (16 gray scale). But it does say this: Elimination of Full Page Refresh: The new E Ink Regal™ Waveform product improves viewing experience through the reduction or elimination of full page refresh with every image update. Does it mean that every time we turn the page, it will update instantaneously like an LCD? 3. Without a full page refresh, will the fonts stay sharp? With the current Kindle, the only way to make all fonts stay sharp is to enable refresh at every page turn. 4. Service Life: 10 million switches or 5 years. Does it mean that even though you rarely use your Kindle, it would still stop working after 5 years? Last edited by Julius Caesar; 09-04-2013 at 04:05 PM.