New screen technology is transforming home media, smart devices, and e-Paper. Here’s what you need to know.
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- Screen technology is advancing rapidly, driven by changes in how we consume media.
- Continuous innovation is taking place in entertainment, smart mirrors, and e-Paper.
- New applications for these technologies can be found throughout the home.
As screens of various forms – smartphones, televisions, tablets, laptops, e-readers, and more – become an increasingly common part of modern life, the technology behind them is helping transform how people consume media.
One country that has spent decades at the cutting edge of these technologies is Taiwan. Continuous innovation from Taiwanese manufacturers in hardware and software combined with the creative application of screens across new and existing formats are continually pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the home-media market.
Media-consumption habits are transforming home entertainment
New media-consumption habits across the world are having a huge impact on the home-entertainment sector. The increasing availability of fast internet access and the popularity of subscription-based TV and movie platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are driving increased demand for home-based media.
At the same time, consumers now expect more from their home-media technology. In a 2020 global survey from Dolby Laboratories, 64% of respondents said they planned to purchase a device over the next six months specifically to upgrade their living-room entertainment experience.
Responding to these trends, the home-entertainment projector manufacturer Optoma has introduced its newest product, the P2 Laser Cinema. More than just a projector, the P2 operates as a full-service entertainment hub for the home. The ultra-high-resolution picture and built-in speaker work to satisfy cinema buffs, while dual-band broadband and Bluetooth mean the P2 can also be used for gaming and streaming music.
There is also a growing trend for smart devices around the home, allowing consumers to connect multiple systems. The P2 taps into this thanks to embedded Optoma Smart+ technology: It can be connected seamlessly with other smart devices such as the Amazon Echo and the Google Home, and it includes intuitive voice control and a personal-assistant function.
The age of the smart home has arrived
Few areas of life have not been affected by the integration of digital technology, from how we work to how we communicate with others, how we entertain ourselves to, now, increasingly, how we interact with our homes.
A 2019 study from the Consumer Technology Association found that 69% of US households had at least one smart device in the home. With consumers increasingly seeking connectivity in the home for energy efficiency, safety, and convenience, smart TVs, smart refrigerators, smart doorbells, and even smart lightbulbs have become common. Now there’s a new device to add to the list: smart mirrors.
A smart mirror is created by placing a mirror over a digital screen. One such product is the InnoMirror, the latest product from the Taiwanese manufacturer Innolux. As one of the world’s largest producers of LCD screens – the flat-panel displays often found in TVs and computer monitors – Innolux is exploring new ways to incorporate screen technology into the home and beyond.
The InnoMirror combines a traditional mirror’s reflective function with a connected touch display. This provides users access to information such as the time, the weather, news, and social-media updates. The design and technological capabilities of the InnoMirror give it a wide application potential, including in home bathrooms, hair salons, gyms, changing rooms, and even outdoor installations.
Turning a new page for e-Paper
If you’ve ever read a novel using an e-reader, checked a digital timetable at a bus stop, or noticed a digital shelf label in your local supermarket, you’ve interacted with e-Paper. While customer demand for e-Paper is in part driven by the need for flexible, durable, and environmentally friendly displays, the ultimate benchmark for e-Paper products is the ability to deliver a paperlike reading and writing experience.
The Taiwanese company E Ink is an e-Paper pioneer. Its customer portfolio includes Amazon and Lenovo, among many other brands in the business-to-business and the business-to-consumer sectors. Devices using E Ink’s e-Paper technology leverage not only paperlike readability but the extremely low-power nature of the display, meaning battery life is measured in weeks and months, not days. Outdoor signage such as bus-station and public-information displays can be powered by solar cells, enabling environmentally sustainable display solutions for cities across the US, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. In 2020, the company spent 16% of its total annual revenue on research and development. E Ink also works closely with ecosystem partners to utilize batteryless and near-field-communication power solutions for industrial applications to bring sustainable display technology to the market.
E Ink, Optoma, and Innolux were recently recognized by the Taiwan Excellence Awards. These awards were established by the country’s Ministry of Economic Affairs in 1993 to celebrate how technological innovation helps people live more rewarding lives. Each year, the Taiwan Excellence Awards select the most innovative products in Taiwan across four major categories: R&D, design, quality, and marketing. As well as recognizing domestic achievement, the awards serve as a benchmark for innovation and excellence in international markets.
This post was created by Insider Studios with Taiwan Excellence.
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