Kindle DX Monitor - Can screen refresh rate be changed to 0.5 of a second

[EinkMonitor]

Hi,

Im using the Kindle DX as a monitor (http://www.techhive.com/article/2595...c_display.html) because my eyes hurt badly when i look at an LCD. The Kindle DX monitor is the only way i can use my PC its a life saver for me and saves me from bad headaches/eye strain/sore eye sockets.

It works great, but the screen refresh is every 1 second, i believe. So the major pain is that the mouse cursor cannot be controlled with precision. The lag means you don't know where the cursor is until the screen refreshes- which means it takes about 10x as long to point and click. The delay probably slows me down an extra 2 hours or more per day.

Is there any way to configure TightVNC or putty or something to refresh the screen every 0.5 seconds. I think that would make a huge difference and would make the Kindle DX usable for things like programming/doing work.

[knc1]

The Kindle DX is one of the few models which the forum members never found a way to de-brick.
For that reason, nothing that is very invasive has been done with it.

**IF** the refresh rate can be changed within TightVNC, then it may be possible.
I recall this topic being discussed here in the past.
The people who know TightVNC best are better able to answer this part of your question than I.

If the refresh is done whenever it is sent by the remote system, and that remote system is Windows-Something (you mentioned PuTTY) . . . .
then you may not be able to change it.

There is also a build of the client for some versions of Windows Remote Desktop here.
If that can be run on a DX, then you might have better results.

[hawhill]

Nope, that is a restriction of the KDX, not the software (well, technically, it is the e-ink controller, but let's not dive into that). rdesktop won't be no different here. The KDX is simply pretty slow on updating the screen.

The only way to go faster is to use the dither mode of kvncviewer. But that would leave you with, well, a dithered b/w picture - not nice to look at for most applications (though not all!). The e-ink controller is faster for refreshes that are b/w only (no grayscale).

[knc1]

Originally Posted by hawhill

Nope, that is a restriction of the KDX, not the software (well, technically, it is the e-ink controller, but let's not dive into that). rdesktop won't be no different here. The KDX is simply pretty slow on updating the screen.

The only way to go faster is to use the dither mode of kvncviewer. But that would leave you with, well, a dithered b/w picture - not nice to look at for most applications (though not all!). The e-ink controller is faster for refreshes that are b/w only (no grayscale).

Has anyone tried that DX contrast patch to see if it improves/worsens the situation?

But I have to agree here -
From that week+ that I had to use the DX browser, I can attest to the screen refresh on the DX being really, really, slow.

It can keep up with page turning of a book your reading (all it was intended to do) - - but that is about it.

[twobob]

Left? three? times - up three? times. to get 1 bit mode.

makes the k2 run a lot faster.

Not tested how it would affect the DX in monitor mode.

There are some (pretty well hidden) options to enable dither mode in kvncviewer as hawhill has alluded to above... also I would try that out.

[EinkMonitor]

Originally Posted by hawhill

Nope, that is a restriction of the KDX, not the software (well, technically, it is the e-ink controller, but let's not dive into that). rdesktop won't be no different here. The KDX is simply pretty slow on updating the screen.

The only way to go faster is to use the dither mode of kvncviewer. But that would leave you with, well, a dithered b/w picture - not nice to look at for most applications (though not all!). The e-ink controller is faster for refreshes that are b/w only (no grayscale).

Thanks for the help guys. Dither mode sounds good - i only need to type in Word and use text editors, mostly - so this could work if it made the cursor move faster.

Buti have no idea of how to turn TightVNC into dither mode? Do you know how?

[twobob]

its actually INSIDE kvncviewer... erm.. I'll quickly see if I can dig it up.

EDIT:

erm... -dithered

is that not it?

[EinkMonitor]

Originally Posted by twobob

its actually INSIDE kvncviewer... erm.. I'll quickly see if I can dig it up.

EDIT:

erm... -dithered

is that not it?

Forgive my ignorance, where do i tyoe that? I opened Putty and typed it into the command prompt but it says no found.

If you could point me to the file i need to add that command to id much appreciate it!

[twobob]

thats a switch to kindlevncviewer... so pass -dithered to the kvncviewer instance when you call it.

/mnt/us/kindlevncviewer/kvncviewer.sh -dithered 192.168.2.1:1 &

something like that (I didn't check that, might expect to be INSIDE the .sh - have a look in there if that fails)

the above is not a system-wide thing.

if you want something system-side then you want the https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=206917
Kindle DX Kernel Module for Contrast
and then https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...0&postcount=41

Hope it helps

[EinkMonitor]

Originally Posted by twobob

thats a switch to kindlevncviewer... so pass -dithered to the kvncviewer instance when you call it.

/mnt/us/kindlevncviewer/kvncviewer.sh -dithered 192.168.2.1:1 &

something like that (I didn't check that, might expect to be INSIDE the .sh - have a look in there if that fails)

the above is not a system-wide thing.

if you want something system-side then you want the https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=206917
Kindle DX Kernel Module for Contrast
and then https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...0&postcount=41

Hope it helps

Thank you that worked! It turned on black/white mode and the mouse cursor delay is only around 0.5 seconds now and it makes using the mouse MUCH faster - in fact - it is usable now for pointing and clicking.

BUT... dither mode makes the text on screen virtually unreadable. So i cant use that mode :-(

So im stuck again.

I found this shop: http://www.pervasivedisplays.com/home you can buy a 10inch+ eink display. How come there isn't a hacker who can turn one of these into a second monitor using a VNC program? Assuming one of these screens allowed 0.5 second refreshes... it would be a killer solution. The Kindle DX would be perfect if the mouse cursor could be made to update every 0.3-0.5 seconds instead of the current one second delay. Dither mode has shown me it makes the computer usable with just that slightly quicker refresh.

I'd be willing to pay several thousand dollars to have it developed if i could connect with someone who had the appropriate skills. If anyone is interested please PM me. Or reply here. Especially if it wouldn't be too hard to do! I can fund it. (I am desperate for a working solution due to my eye strain and the desire to be able to keep using a PC for work 8+ hours/day)

[twobob]

So. Did you or did you not try the contrast thing?

[knc1]

Well, that would require more than a little bit of 'hacking' -
In fact, it would be a fairly major engineering challenge (the display interface is different on e-ink screens than other screen types).

A better approach would be to have a manufacturer of a modern 10 inch tablet, "re-screen" the in-production device.

But for a one-of-a-kind device, your estimate is a few orders of magnitude low.

So, how to make (no pun intended) it a non-one-of-a-kind device?

Do you have contact with a community of people with similar vision problems?
If not, see if you can find one through you medical care contacts.

If large enough group, then you might stand a chance of "selling" the idea to a manufacturer;

Otherwise, with a smaller group of interested people, you might be able to form a "kickstarter" project to just hire the building of the specialized tablet.

PM me if interested in getting an e-ink tablet produced (I don't make 'em, but I know a few people who do).

[Lbooker]

If you search in the Onyx forum (maybe the development thread), you shall find informations related to the successful use of model M92 as a computer monitor.

[EinkMonitor]

Originally Posted by twobob

So. Did you or did you not try the contrast thing?

yes i used dither mode and it worked. It made the mouse cursor move much faster so it was an awesome solution to that problem. But in dither more you cannot read the text on screen.... so im back at square one.

[twobob]

Originally Posted by twobob

thats a switch to kindlevncviewer... so pass -dithered to the kvncviewer instance when you call it.

/mnt/us/kindlevncviewer/kvncviewer.sh -dithered 192.168.2.1:1 &

something like that (I didn't check that, might expect to be INSIDE the .sh - have a look in there if that fails)

the above is not a system-wide thing.

if you want something system-side then you want the https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=206917
Kindle DX Kernel Module for Contrast
and then https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...0&postcount=41

Hope it helps

This thing. try that