LCD Screens Double as Speakers 218
An anonymous reader writes "The BBC has a story about a company who has developed an LCD screen that can produce sound as well. They claim that the sound quality is quite good, and compare it to average multimedia computer speakers. Also NEC is making and selling computers that use this technology in Japan. Hardware integration like this should make for some interesting appliances in the next few decades."
That's crazy! (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:That's crazy! (Score:5, Insightful)
Well that would most certainly let you know how *your* speakers sound... but would tell you nothing about how their product sounds.
Re:That's crazy! (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:That's crazy! (Score:3, Interesting)
I thought the same thing at first... It would be one hell of a step up for most notebook speakers. However, the reason most notebooks have croppy speakers is purely price. And somehow, I doubt they can make this LCD-speaker cheaper than two tiny little 1", 0.1 milliamp speakers.
Re:That's crazy! (Score:3, Funny)
How sweet would it be to hear a nice deep, sub-woofer quality bass coming from a laptop? Very nice indeed.
Re:That's crazy! (Score:4, Interesting)
Now, they need to make an LCD VNC-like device with stylus control and 802.11b built into the LCD itself. It could also dock and perform as a normal LCD screen while charging.
Using an ultra-thin battery behind the screen, you could have an extremely portable device with long battery life.
Would you buy a
Re:That's crazy! (Score:2)
Re:That's crazy! (Score:2)
Re:That's crazy! (Score:2)
Re:That's crazy! (Score:5, Funny)
Or, if you're a Mac or Amiga user, so 1988...
Re:That's crazy! (Score:4, Funny)
WTF are you talking about? (Score:3, Informative)
If you go to the FAQ on NXT's website [nxtsound.com], you'll discover they use superposition principles to produce virtual channels in the sweet spot. They can do two; supposedly three (L, R + center) is possible.
Watermark, joint-stereo, give me a fucking break. Add nonsense buzzwords to a post and get modded up! A 2-step plan for slashdot success. (Unless you meant to be funny... in which case a big YOU ARE TEH 1Di07s!!! to the mods active today)
Re:WTF are you talking about? (Score:2, Funny)
lol (Score:2)
Re:That's crazy! (Score:2)
The parent is supposed to by +1 funny, not interesting. Please RTFA, it is nothing like that anyway!
Re:That's crazy! (Score:2, Funny)
Sorry, I'm just not going to carry around an entire room to get 6.1 sound on my laptop. Although a room made of LCD screens would be good.
P.S. I'm joking.
Re:That's crazy! (Score:2)
The answer is... it doesn't. (Score:5, Interesting)
I read that as it's a speaker that fills the room with a single channel of sound. If it was in stereo, then it wouldn't be room filling if you could discern the channels. You could probably deal with it if the screen created two virtual speakers by superposition using exciters on opposite sides of the monitor. But then the sweet spot would be very small, aimed at the person sitting a few feet away. Definitely not room filling.
Plus, they go on to say how they intend to use it in mobile phones and PDAs. All single channel devices when used without headphones.
Re:The answer is... it doesn't. (Score:2)
Also, the NXT panel does not do any bass at all - so you still need a woofer / sub-woofer of conventional design.
Re:Of course you can get stereo... (Score:2)
Re:Of course you can get stereo... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:The answer is... it doesn't. (Score:2, Funny)
Well thank goodness for this technology. I have been waiting for a product that will allow me to bother everyone in the room while playing video games.
Re:Compare apples to apples (Score:2)
Re:That's crazy! (Score:2, Funny)
Re:That's crazy! (Score:2)
Actually, I'm betting that it would. The difference here is that your friend wanted to go from a superior signal to something inferior...ie the vhs which obviously can't do hdtv res. I'm betting that the output of these things is inferior to a decent traditional speaker setup. Therefore, if the output of the panel was recorded uncompressed with high quality recording equipment, you would be able to discern the quality when played on a normal setup. If, however, the panel out
Re:That's crazy! (Score:2)
Well, we are using dual-display setup here in our office...
light music? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:light music? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:light music? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:light music? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:light music? (Score:2, Funny)
Obligatory Simpsons quote (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Obligatory Simpsons quote (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Obligatory Simpsons quote (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Obligatory Simpsons quote (Score:5, Funny)
"Oh boy, sleep! That's where I'm a Viking!" - Ralph
Re:Obligatory Simpsons quote (Score:2)
Worst quoting sk11z ever.
Re:Obligatory Simpsons quote (Score:2)
"Don't have a cow, man."
Man, I was a kid when Bart said that.
Eye problems? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Eye problems? (Score:2)
Who'll be the innovative club/dj to use this to enhance visualization-esque displays?
*bzzt* wrong (Score:3, Insightful)
I have my surround sound system and don't want to pay for stuff I'll never use.
Re:*bzzt* wrong (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:*bzzt* wrong (Score:2)
I tried to explain this to the TV guy when I bought my current TV - all I wanted was a big screen - the remote only needed buttons to turn it on and off, and switch between the various inputs. I also tried explaining this to the Ky engineer. I gave up in the end and let him use the internal speakers - and then re-wired it after he left...
Re:*bzzt* wrong (Score:3, Insightful)
I personally have my sweetass stereo hooked up to my computer, however, if I am listening to a CD or the radio I still like computer volume. So...I still have some decent computer speakers.
Now, if my monitor had integrated speakers, that would save some equipment and maybe money.
Then, what about the 3/4 of computer users who have those ghetto computer speakers or none at all? This will be super-duper-fantastic f
Appliances (Score:5, Funny)
-Dae
Image integrity? (Score:5, Interesting)
Granted, I have to put a good amount of pressure on my LCD to make it change color deeply, but don't you think if heavy low-frequency sound came out of it, something would happen, at least occasionally? What about the almost paper-thin glass sandwiched in the LCD layers?
I dunno. Seems to me like sound was made for speakers, not a display medium.
Does anyone out there have more info about the crap I just wrote?
Re:Image integrity? (Score:5, Informative)
Electrostat speakers are typically transparent like glass, but held between two screens to allow the sound to travel. The article says the company claims the monitor has a "universal sweet spot", but that is probably corporate marketing talk for "no sweet spot". Most panel based electrostat speakers have a very very tiny sweet spot, and you need to be sitting perfectly between the two speakers.
From howstuff works:
These speakers vibrate air with a large, thin, conductive diaphragm panel. This diaphragm panel is suspended between two stationary conductive panels that are charged with electrical current from a wall outlet. These panels create an electrical field with a positive end and a negative end. The audio signal runs a current through the suspended panel, rapidly switching between a positive charge and a negative charge. When the charge is positive, the panel is drawn toward the negative end of the field, and when the charge is negative, it moves toward the positive end in the field.
Re:Image integrity? (Score:5, Funny)
No dude, they'll just build the woofer into your keyboard. Though I fear it will turn into some kind of high-tech ouija board when you crank up the Dr. Dre.
Re:Image integrity? (Score:2)
Re:Image integrity? (Score:2)
Re:Image integrity? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Image integrity? (Score:2)
Apple, like other computer companies, use refurbished replacement parts at its discretion. They will never put a known-bad module in a customer's unit, ever, but as with even new parts, sometimes the replacement parts can fail. Apple, again like other companies, have refurbishing guidelines for service parts. In other words, they test 'em well.
Here is y
Nice One (Score:5, Funny)
But what about (Score:2)
Or maybe I'm just stupid.
Re:But what about (Score:2)
Not New Tech... (Score:5, Informative)
This is the same tech, essentially, that drives those flat-panel computer speakers, and the Soundbug [thinkgeek.com] over at thinkgeek.
Vibration and delicate electronics... (Score:5, Funny)
laptops (Score:5, Insightful)
A paradox? (Score:4, Funny)
These screens get thinner, yet they pump up the volume
That would suck.. (Score:3, Funny)
..every time I crank up some Motorhead [imotorhead.com] I'd be picking my display up from the floor.
Would it be ironic (Score:3, Funny)
Or not...
Re:Would it be ironic (Score:2)
Won't that hurt your eyes? (Score:3, Interesting)
Smooth Fonts? (Score:5, Funny)
real world application (Score:5, Interesting)
~ fuzz
cell phones would be a nice application (Score:2)
But then you'd end up with ear wax on your screen eventually. Ich.
Jason
Superb multimedia quality? (Score:2, Insightful)
But I don't think that *anyone* thinks that "the sound quality is quite good" coming from "average multimedia computer speakers".
I don't mean to knock this technology - if it's like multimedia speakers, it's probably great for people who just want to hear the Happy Sound when their computer boots up, and to watch some video clips from the news on
A Moment In History (Score:5, Funny)
Scientist #2: "Well, you got your electromagnets all over my active matrix organic composite screen prototype!"
*blink blink*
In unison, reeling with implication: "Whooooooooaaa...."
Fills a non-need with a nifty non-solution (Score:4, Interesting)
Just like the combined TV/VCR units, sure, it's nice when both functions work well, but if either function takes a dive, you're left with something that's less useful than either would have been if bought separately.
Maybe it'll be fine for people who don't particularly care about sound (and/or visual) quality, but I think this is another time when discrete components are the appropriate way to do it. It's not like the world has been sadly lacking for want of a speaker-monitor.
One question: what happens when you turn it up to 11?
Re:Fills a non-need with a nifty non-solution (Score:4, Insightful)
I wouldn't mind seeing this in my PDA or Cellphone (this would make a handy speakerphone), or in a handheld gaming system (the gameboy SP EX AR TL BW!!), or a tablet PC (where's the sound coming from? its c-r-a-z-y!!), or a laptop.
How about weather resistance. Speaker aperatures can let in water, but a weather-tight LCD screen that can project sound might be a boon indeed.
Re:Fills a non-need with a nifty non-solution (Score:2)
Re:Fills a non-need with a nifty non-solution (Score:2)
flawed business model? (Score:5, Insightful)
Once those are out, there is no need for a backlight, and I seriously doubt people will want to waste space putting in a crappy ass "sound membrane" (that's what I call it) inside.
Yes they are right, this sort of speaker does create a universal "sweet spot" because it distributes the sound evenly over distance but there is a shitload more thats needed to produce good sound. The freq range of the mambrane alone is complete ass, so they would have to sell you subwoofers integrated with computer case to rattle around your HDs harmoniously
Re:flawed business model? (Score:3, Insightful)
From the article it looks like the membrane is external to the screen, basically put a plastic sheet over the LCD and made it vibrate. It, as it looks to me, doesnt have anything to do with the screen technology.They did it to LCD (and not CRT) because laptops have a space constraint.
Hi-fidelity sound? (Score:3, Interesting)
flat??? (Score:2, Funny)
Ahhh... come on, they've been beating into my head that the world was round since elementary school, how do they expect me change my thinking now?!?!
cell phones? (Score:2)
CRT/Speaker (Score:3, Interesting)
That's nothing (Score:4, Funny)
If you want something really cool try this:
Get this [slashdot.org] (right click link >Save As), look through your headphone jack in your cdrom, click extracted file at the same time. Enjoy! *Attention Mods* File was checked virus free, please imagine what could happen before rating.
Re:That's nothing (Score:3, Funny)
What I want to know (Score:2)
Noisy LCDs (Score:3, Funny)
surround sound DVD (Score:2, Interesting)
Big Difference!!! (Score:2)
-Nick
Why does it have to be on the screen? (Score:3, Funny)
Then again...maybe not.
I fear the day my cubicle talks to me.
What they arent telling you..... (Score:3, Interesting)
Cell Phone Screens (Score:2, Insightful)
- Thomas;
Are you kidding me? (Score:2, Insightful)
Like what? Let's hear some ideas of other integrations you'd like to see...
Refrigerator/Web browser? wow.
Watch/Telephone? uh huh.
Car/Plane? dream on.
Person/Jet pack? wake up.
You probably get all this from a speaker/LCD, right? Get down off the damn cloud. All they did was merge an LCD and speaker - flat speakers have been around for years using a variety of materials.
Why bother? (Score:2)
Great. A BSOD plays the blues... (Score:2)
New Font Features (Score:3, Funny)
I like it.
Re:i don't know what's happening (Score:2)
oh and to keep my post on topic, I don't think this speaker technology will do much but help office workers who "aren't allowed" to have speakers on their machine...can these be disabled if need be?? (Other than liberal use of a screwdriver:) If not they could piss off many a network admin
Re:i don't know what's happening (Score:2)
Re:i don't know what's happening (Score:5, Funny)
He did post a link, but he used the <quasi-invisible> tag.
Invisibility cloak? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:i don't know what's happening (Score:2, Informative)
For those of you too lazy to search Google for "Japanese invisibility cloak", here is the link that started it [ananova.com] and the project home page [u-tokyo.ac.jp] (with movies).
The objects are NOT truly transparent. They just appear that way due to optical tricks. Basically, they project what is behind an object to what is on the front of it using cameras, projectors, and mirrors. It's a neat idea, and he suggests some useful applications, but nothing like most were expecting upon seeing the pictures. Still, makes for some kic
Re:Touch screen conflict? (Score:2)
Perhaps they will solve the problem by reducing the touch-sensitive area and living the border (1 inch enough?) for speakers.
Re:Average... (Score:2)
Re:Almost like Star Trek (Score:2)
For touchscreen feedback applications it will be superb.
Re:Almost like Star Trek (Score:2)
"Computer! Inspect the warp core."
"Acknowledged. Ejecting Warp Core"
"Nooooooo!"
Re:Aren't these just ribbon speakers? (Score:2)
Ribon speakers are also very old. I've seen one of the earliest and that was made in the 50s.
Moving coil cone loudspeakers date to the 1930s, with Paul Voigt in England and Kellog and Rice in the USA working on them independantly. K&R got the patent, but that's another story...
The fact is that although since the 30s speakers have got smaller and amps larger (in watts), sound quality h