I promise this isn't dumb. - Veeo Transparent Display

Transparent displays -- so hot right now. But what are they actually useful for? Adam went to check out Veeo's new transparent displays at CES that post an interesting use case -- video calls that are much more personal. With a large size, low resolution, and a price tag that's nothing to sneeze at, this may seem like a questionable product, but it does make sense!

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CHAPTERS
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0:00 But why transparent displays?
0:32 The Veeo Holodeck T55
3:28 Issues that can be solved with software
4:15 Sponsor - bequiet!
4:47 Some benefits of webcam eye contact
5:34 Watching video content
6:09 Pricing, release date, and final thoughts
7:00 Outro

[mgt]

My thoughts "that's dumb"...
The title...
My second thought was "okay I'll give it a watch then"
Thoughts after watching "yep, that's dumb"

[Astermania]

If the camera is going to be a big, black blotch in the middle of the screen, then why not just black out the entire rear of the display? It’ll definitely help with clarity…

[fukov]

All it took to lure you to a stranger’s hotel room was the promise of seeing a cool monitor…

[pacmonster]

The main application for a transparent display would be for sales purposes. A store could feature its product through a glass display enclosure while displaying prices for the product, or specs, or any other relevant information via the display in the glass.
Windows could show you the inside of the store while displaying hours of operation. A restaurant could have the menu, whatever. Obviously all of these use cases can be solved by paper but that's rigid. If you want to be able to change things with some regularity, reprinting paper can be costly over time.

For home consumer reasons you could have "smart windows" which could show whatever is outside obviously but also have like a weather widget, or AI assistant functionality. Maybe it could go opaque to act as blinds, all sorts of utility to a transparent display in that context.

[cactusmanbwl]

I still don't understand why the entire display needs to be transparent. Phones have been using underscreen cameras for years at this point without the need for the entire phone screen to be transparent.

[AdrianduPlessis]

2:39: "The difference is, those had to sacrifice pixel density in a small area. Unlike those phones THERE IS NO SACRIFE TO IMAGE QUALITY [...] ON THIS MONITOR" erm.... no. Try: "Unlike those phones there is a MASSIVE sacrifice to image quality over the ENTIRE area."

[bequietofficial]

Thanks for the visit. It was great having you around!

[SirLugash]

While the technology itself is interesting, I have some doubts about the displayed use case. I do video calls quite often and to me, personally, having someone not "look at me directly" because of camera placement is not as much an issue as video call latency in general (having people talk over each other or startling conversations due to this is way more annoying than people not looking directly at you). Also keep in mind that if you own a setup like that, you're only making the experience better for everyone else. So if not looking directly at you bothers you, you'd need to convice all the other people you're talking to to buy that setup rather than yourself.

[ash]

I can see some purposes for this (smart glasses, shop windows maybe, or even car HUDs if not too distracting or hard to see). Where it doesn't need to be are fridge doors. You have shelves and pricing there to show all you need to show.

[marcusellby]

This is gonna be vaporware. I think maybe eyetracking and/or AI will solve the issue with you not looking into the eyes of someone. Or maybe just inscreen cameras

[kotejju]

a solution to a non-existant problem. making the display transparent for better positioning for a webcam.

[InvadersDie]

2:45 yeah because the entire display is a sacrifice in picture quality 😆

[NightMotorcyclist]

These things were shown off and promised a decade ago or longer once OLED became more prevalent. Some companies did make transparent panels for info centers but didn't take off.

[BTCMachineElf]

An AI filter that changes where your eyes are looking is probably a much cheaper simpler solution, that'll work on modern hardware with no image compromise.

[norkshit]

i just want a cheap accessible side panel modification / attachment that can give my PC some transparent display flair, without needing to purchase an expensive and crappy snowblind case.

The more mature and practical transparent displays become, the more accessible such a concept will become for DIY and consumers :)

[MarcSpctr]

Transparent displays are like flying cars, looks great, great to see in movies and games, but impractical to use.

But technology that use a bit of them can be bought to life.

For example, Instead of flying cars, we can have Levitating Cars, and transparent Display tech can be used to perfect UNDER DISPLAY SENSORS.

[MorgFlame]

Imagine a transparent phone with a selfie camera under the display. It'll be so cool to see the camera.

[davidsaff]

This will have a shorter lifespan than 3D. Also, I still have my 3D Panasonic Plasma in the spare bedroom. RIP.

[alext]

8500? I really don't need a second mortgage right now

[niclastname]

I've wondered for a while why we don't just use the well-established teleprompter technology for video calls. Seems to solve the problem super easy and cheap.