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Running head: VISUAL DISPLAY SYSTEMS 1

Visual Display systems

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VISUAL DISPLAY SYSTEMS

Abstract

Visual display technology has evolved in multiple ways over the past decades,

subsequently transforming parallel areas of application including television sets, graphics

monitors, computer monitors, immersive displays and projection displays. The same evolution

has turned film technology into the highest possible resolution available today and one could

mistakenly profess that the present visual display systems produce the kind of image quality that

closely matches the human perception. Visual display systems have also been used as the

primary information delivery channels, with their design affecting the manner in which people

communicate. Whereas it seems to have undergone optimal transitions, display technology,

image capture and generation continue to improve, with the implication that visual systems will

be sophisticated in levels of immersion and realism. As it stands, the arrayed display system has

experienced a significant leap in offering high resolutions and wide fields of view. These

developments leave a great social impact in the community but questions have ways been raised

regarding the future of these technologies. What are some of the immediate expectations in terms

of improvement and what systems are likely to improve life significantly? There are various

cross-sectional studies integrated in this paper in an attempt to answer these questions. A

resolution of the challenges facing this technology facet and comprehensive answers to the

questions raised herein will aid various sectors which depend on visual displays including the

telecommunication and medical sectors.

VISUAL DISPLAY SYSTEMS

Introduction

Advances in computing and high-speed networking account for the evolution that the

visual display systems have undergone. People in medium and high-income nations have been

empowered incredibly to express themselves with the help of visual displays. Home-made videos

can now be edited and sent to acquaintances to be watched using television sets, digitized or

even uploaded to the web (Blankenbach, 2015). Personal media production for instance is highly

empowering and bidirectional in the present-day society, with futurists such as Mark Davis of

Interval Research predicting that ‘garage cinema’ accessibility will effect a monumental change

in communication strategies. He adds that the world is tending towards semasiographic

communication which is meaning-based communication; as opposed to the present glottographic

communication which is vocal based (Lantz, 2007). Nevertheless, visualization of information is

the first attempt at semasiographic communication and as is the case with most pioneering

technologies, there are major drawbacks. With the continued evolution of visual display systems,

therefore, there are grey areas that have not been explained. Researchers and tech giants have not

focused on the negative implications of this continued evolution and the future of display

technology remains uncertain (Lantz, 2007). The uptake of semasiographic communication will

require users to be technology savvy and this is a great challenge in middle and low-income

nations where technological development and use is unevenly distributed.

The Human-Machine Interface

Determining the future of visual display systems requires any researcher to begin with the

idea that led to the advent of this technology. Humanity had a desire to capture, display and

VISUAL DISPLAY SYSTEMS

transmit real-time imagery, which led to the invention of display systems. As computers grew in

sophistication, therefore, developers constantly dug for ways through which they could capture

human perceptions by improving image and motion quality. Computers are currently using

visual display systems as human-machine interfaces because they are in need of an interface that

exploits the natural vision perception (Lantz, 2007). Due to rapid improvements, human beings

currently need the kind of display that is capable of stimulating the entire retina, with the

provision of flexible eye rotation physical displacement and head rotation. This was made

possible in the 1960’s when Ivan Sutherland pioneered the head-Mounted display technology.

This innovation has also matured over time resulting into the production of head-mounted

simulators which are used during military training, not to forget inexpensive video gaming

equipment produced by the likes of Sony. One could argue that this novel transformation brought

to the fore an efficient video display system but according to a survey study conducted by

Bablani and Rolland (2003), there are very few people that use HDM technology. This is the

case because head-mounted display systems have multiple drawbacks, including a limitation of

the content that is available in the immersive video/3D graphics format. Full-motion immersive

image formats are at the infancy stage because the virtual environment sector of technology is

growing rather sluggishly (Bablani & Rolland, 2003). It is barely possible to grow this sector at a

reasonable rate, given the fact that gaming display systems and military training equipment have

limited uses. This identifies one of the drawbacks associated with the evolution of video display

systems because a growth in one sector requires a parallel evolution in the quality of information

to be relayed. Unless there is simultaneous growth, therefore, the future of visual display

technology will be bright but the nature of its application remains bleak. Chao (2017) on the

VISUAL DISPLAY SYSTEMS

other hand believes that there is a focal incongruity between virtual objects and the real world.

This suggests that some of the video gaming displays are likely to affect human vision negatively

and this can only be fixed through transformation of the focus of virtual objects such as the

Pokémon. Before the mixed and augmented realities turn ubiquitous, therefore, a major

advancement is needed in near-eye display technologies (Chao, 2017). Little research has been

devoted to this area and it is not even clear whether such advancement is possible in the near

future, inferring that some of the advancements made in visual display technology are not

reflective of the massive investments that have been made so far.

The Desktop Immersion

A number of the developers associated with improvements in virtual reality have cited

the fact that HDM technology is the future of visual display because it gives room for head

rotation, eye-hand interaction and physical mobility within the virtual environment. In

contemporary office environments, boardrooms and small theaters, however, such provisions are

not necessary. Corporations are already putting in place high-resolution desktop monitors which

are applied in stereoscopic viewing with the help of eye-sequential glasses. This in mind, a

question arises as to why companies should not use bigger monitors that activate a bigger part of

the retina rather than using virtual reality interfaces. A majority of the workstation monitors have

tended towards high resolutions because of the constant need for image processing, graphic arts

and CAD. The design of immersive display system has currently taken two critical factors into

consideration; the field of view and display (Lantz, 2007). In order to achieve image fidelity, a

strong resolution is required and this is mainly measured in terms of effective pixels or

resolvable dots. The age of desktop immersion has rapidly called for a wider field of view and an

VISUAL DISPLAY SYSTEMS

expansion of this feature calls for the maintenance of high resolution, which is not possible

unless there is an ingenious way of adding effective pixels. There is a lot of difficulty in

increasing the field of view while maintaining a constant resolution and this is a challenge that

technology experts are facing presently. There is a dilemma as to whether display technology

will move towards virtual realities or desktop immersion, given the fact that both have

drawbacks.

Film Technology Still Reigns

One of the projected directions that visual display is likely to take in future is a

replacement of film technology with video projection but it is not clearly when this will happen.

With regard to image resolution, brightness, color saturation and dynamic range, film technology

appears superior. The large-frame film format for instance cannot be outdone by the

conventional video projection technology. Despite this, film technology is associated with

multiple demerits such as lack of interactivity and the expense required setting it up. Video

projection technology conversely, is faster and cheap because users can download information

from a web page and drop it in shows or display it in real-time (Lantz, 2007). Video projection

similarly gives room for multi-user interactivity with the help of applications such as Cinematrix.

Distributing film is also expensive compared to video cinema that is capable of using wideband

networked communication for sharing. Currently, video projection technologies are maturing at

an incredible rate, with the likes of laser video projectors, light valve projectors and digital

micromirror devices narrowing down on the 35mm film technology (Lantz, 2007).

VISUAL DISPLAY SYSTEMS

A quantitative research study conducted by Berggren (2006) sought to determine the

developments that have been undertaken in film and video projection technology since the

1970’s. Employing a descriptive designer, the researcher found out that video projection

technology has improved in terms of brightness resolution and contrast since the 1970’s, a reason

why it is presently arrayed for increased resolutions. A comparison of the two forms of

projection similarly indicated that video technology is devoid of the drawbacks associated with

film projection like dust, scratches, image fading and image jitters. Berggren (2006) reaffirms the

fact that video storage can be done in a digitized format and this dispels the lifetime limitation

that is synonymous with films. This also means that videos can be duplicated multiple times

without degrading the image quality.

Whereas a number of people vouch for video projection at the expense of film in the

coming days, results from other studies have presented mixed reactions. There was a time in the

1950’s and 1960’s when film makers resorted to experimentation using the 70mm width and

Panavision technology. This saw the production of films such as Ben Hur but this did not last

long because a greater section of Hollywood resorted back to 35mm width (Villeneuve, 2009). A

good number of the theater owners balked because of the expensive nature of film projection but

over time, they have realized that the digital projection of films cuts down labor costs while

allowing theaters to charge a higher amount for 3D digital films such as Avatar. This is

indicative of the fact that the evolution of visual display technology has not always been linear.

There are instances where the industry drifts back to earlier versions and it would sound

messianic for one to conclude that video projection will reign over film projection.

The End of Flat Screens?

VISUAL DISPLAY SYSTEMS

The prices of visual display systems have continuously dropped, with a simultaneous

increase in performance. Whereas HMDs have tried to transform the display industry, one must

question the true utility of this technology. Immersion has been on the rise as manufacturers

produce display systems which fill the human peripheral system and therefore enhance the

stimulation of the sensorimotor system. One question lingers in the minds of scholars though;

does this development improve comprehension and cognitive learning? Unfortunately, there is

no evidence to answer this question in the affirmative or negative and it reveals the lack of

experimental research studies in the field of visual display systems.

Maximizing cognition through visual displays should be turned into a priority because

information is key, without which technological improvement cannot be effected. Maximization

of cognition does not call for complexity but rather the establishment of visual display systems

that are capable of presenting information in a simple and comprehensible manner. It is true that

technology has made it possible for companies and individuals to relay visual information

through novel immersive stereoscopic formats but this is not indispensable. Serving as sensory

interfaces, tech companies ought to realize that the interactive immersive format relays

information using a greater bandwidth. Research should be conducted to ensure that this

bandwidth is exploited meaningfully so that visual displays move towards frameless displays. In

case this happens, there is a likelihood that flat screens will be edged out of the market. As it

stands, however, the future of these technologies is up to speculation because of the level of

disconnectedness which defines the visual display industry.

Recommendations

VISUAL DISPLAY SYSTEMS

There is a deep level of disconnectedness in the visual display industry, which makes it

hard to predict the future of this technology. The emergence of HMDs and virtual reality

interfaces is believed to be a major breakthrough but there are downsides associated with such

technology. Improving screen resolution and image clarity is not a sure breakthrough when such

evolution fails to produce meaningful results in society. In the virtual reality world for instance,

there are very few 3D image and information formats compatible with the display devices that

people and organizations have. The true functionality of HMD’s is yet to be determined as well,

which means that most of the evolutions in this industry have not impacted the society positively.

Visual display technology is bound to change lives through an improvement of health,

security and learning capabilities. In order for these resolutions to be realized, stakeholder

engagement must be sought first. All stakeholders within the technology sector should be

engaged before pioneering any visual display technology. In the healthcare sector for instance,

high-resolution display screens will not prove meaningful in an instance where they affect

people’s sense of sight.

Technology enthusiasts should invest in experimental research studies to determine the

viability and feasibility of any visual display improvement venture before it is commissioned.

Head-mounted displays have been praised for a long time but the application of this technology

remains insignificant because it was not developed to a scale where it can be used by the

ordinary user in an affordable way.

Lastly, companies should not be quick in rolling out new visual display innovations

unless there is sufficient prove that these will last. In the film projection world, Hollywood

VISUAL DISPLAY SYSTEMS

producers experimented using the 70mm width in the 1950’s, an innovation that proved

successful at the time. Within a decade, however, they retracted to the earlier format, rendering

all the innovation efforts and expenses meaningless.

Conclusion

The evolution of visual display technology has been phenomenal but not linear. However,

its future remains unclear because there is no static trend or theoretical formulation to indicate

the direction in which improvements will move. As manufacturers embark on a journey to

optimize the use of bandwidth in interactive immersion displays, one can predict the end of flat

screens and the advent of frameless displays. The industry remains divided because video

technology has not successfully taken over from film projection despite the obvious benefits. It is

apparent that video projection lacks the downsides of image jittering, dust and scratches, yet the

populace has been slow in taking up this superior format.

The desktop immersion is probably one of the greatest developments which are likely to

improve with time because of its uptake in the corporate world. Boardrooms are turning

ergonomic over time and they are going for the high-resolution display systems which offer the

provision of unlimited physical mobility, eye movement and head movement. If the industry

succeeds in moving the world towards meaning-based communication, there are high chances

that cognitive processing will be enhanced as well. Transforming the nature of learning will take

time but it will ultimately increase the speed at which visual display technology transforms in

future.

VISUAL DISPLAY SYSTEMS

References

Bablani, M., & Rolland, J. (2003). Design for an Improved Head-Mounted Display System.

doi:10.21236/ada410031

Berggren, G. M. (2006). Contrast, Color & Light in Film and Video Projection. 138th SMPTE

Technical Conference Technical Papers Program. doi:10.5594/m00096

Blankenbach, K. (2015). What is a Display? An Introduction to Visual Displays and Display

Systems. Handbook of Visual Display Technology, 1-22. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-35947-7_201-1

Chao , T. (2017, September 18). Keeping a Watchful Eye on Head-Mounted Display Technology.

Retrieved February 22, 2018, from http://blog.appliedmaterials.com/keeping-watchful-eye-head-

mounted-display-tech

Lantz, E. (2007). Future directions in visual display systems. ACM SIGGRAPH Computer

Graphics, 31(2), 38-42. doi:10.1145/271283.271301

Villeneuve, R. (2009). Digital Video Origination Vs. Film Origination: A Comparative

Test. SMPTE Journal,108(2), 119-126. doi:10.5594/j17123

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