Eazeye 2, Return of the Sun

Where We’re Going We Don’t Need Power Cables

A New Eazeye Ultra-high Reflectivity Display

You may recall the Eazeye which was launched on Indiegogo last year, a uniquely designed display with both a traditional backlight and a new ultra-high reflectivity layer which made it the first Reflective LCD (RLCD) on the market.  With the new Eazeye 2, that hybridization has been abandoned and it is purely an RLCD.  The slight power it draws over USB-C is to allow you to vary the voltage supplied to the reflective layer; a bit more juice equals a bit more reflection or brightness, as you would call it on a traditional display.

The Eazeye 2 also has an integral stand as well as VESA mount holes, something sorely lacking on the original.  You can feed it signal and power from any device over a USB-C connection, and while it does also support HDMI in you will still need that USB-C power to create an image.  Unlike the first model, plugging in two USB-C connections does nothing, as the monitor simply doesn’t want or need the power.  However, even with the lower power requirements the Eazeye 2 supports HDR to a small extent.

Design Lessons Were Learned

The original Eazeye was a bit of a prototype and it showed, the Eazeye 2 is very much a commercial product and features quite a few improvements from the original.  The two biggest changes are the built in metal stand and the switch on the side which controls the OSD.  The original had an optional stand and no VESA mount points which did simplify the manufacturing process but which were sorely lacking on a product like this.

The OSD controller is also much improved, it is a button that can also be toggled up and down and is easier to use than many of the OSD controls found on a normal display.  A push up on the dial brings up volume adjustment, a push down lets you modify the “brightness” or rather reflectivity of the RLCD except when you have enabled HDR in which case the reflectivity is fixed.  If you push the dial directly in instead of wiggling it, the full OSD menus come up.  Toggle up and down to navigate, press to select and hit the power button, handily located directly above the OSD control to exit the menu.

The Aesthetics Evolved As Well

The Eazeye 2 is significantly thinner than the original but also feels much more robust; don’t toss it around but you don’t have to treat it as gently as a traditional display.  When you consider that RLCDs work best outside, this is a very important design decision.  The display bezel is impressively thin as is the aluminium body, a mere 1.4 cm at it’s thickest part.  The stand is also made of metal and sits nicely flush with the body until you pull it out to prop up the monitor, it is stiff enough you don’t have to pull it all the way out to make the Eazeye 2 stable, and the rubber feet ensure it doesn’t slide on whatever surface you place it on.  The thin and light design also makes it comfortable to lay on your lap, which could be handy if you’ve attached the Eazeye 2 to a camera and are using it to get a better look at what you are recording.  This is the only time that the lack of touchscreen controls impacted the use of the Eazeye 2, though your mileage may vary if you are in love with touchscreens.

The slight thickness of the body ensures the full sized HDMI port has enough space to exist, as well as making space for the electronics inside.  On the left you have two USB-C ports, one acting as a DisplayPort and the other a power port if you are using an HDMI connection.  Unlike the original, there is no backlight in the Eazeye 2, instead the power is used to increase or decrease the reflectivity of the mirrored layer inside the display.  This is not quite the same as how old TN panels worked, but that may help you make more sense of the electrochromic materials that are likely the magic behind the Eazeye 2.

On the right side of the Eazeye 2 is a headphone jack, the OSD controller and a power button.

Reflecting On The Effectiveness Of The Eazeye 2

Trying to capture a normal display on camera for a review is frustrating and difficult to do effectively, to try to do so on a screen designed to be the pinnacle of reflectivity even more so.  In particular trying to capture the effects of enabling HDR was almost impossible, as the reflections in the Windows test video were visible to the eye but invisible to the camera.  The reflections you see are greatly exaggerated by the camera, your eyes focus on the images and text on the screen and you don’t really notice the reflection … unless the sun reflects directly into your eyes.  It’s not as bad as looking into the sun, but the Eazeye 2 is definitely not recommended for viewing the next solar eclipse.

As you can see, the sun washes out the images on the traditional laptop display but enhances the images on the Eazeye 2.  If you have a very brightly lit room, especially one with full spectrum lights, you will be able to enjoy the Eazeye inside but it truly shines outside.  The level of lighting I prefer doesn’t lend itself to the Eazeye 2 but in brightly lit interior spaces you will get the full experience.

There is a somewhat blue tint to the screen with sRGB enabled, however you can use the OSD to rectify that should you want to.

It’s hard to capture, especially with the sun shining directly on the Eazeye 2 but you can see that there are brightness differences, which are a little more pronounced in person.  Did you know that the HDR test video was taken on a BC Ferry and that I briefly met the man with the skateboard?  

The Tests Are Conclusive

There’s no question the Eazeye 2 is a vast improvement from the original in both the technology, a screen without any backlight, and in the overall design.  It is amazing in the outdoors,  a traditional laptop or mobile phone screen gets washed while the Eazeye 2 only performs better and better, the only thing close it it in the sun are eInk displays.  That uniqueness certainly does make the Eazeye 2 an interesting product.  If you spend time in the great outdoors unwillingly and would rather watch a movie while sitting on the beach than watch the waves roll in, there simply isn’t a solution other than this RLCD.  It could also come in handy for novice campers that should really follow along with a video of someone setting up camp rather than attempt it on their own.   They can even enjoy some gaming if the tent is pitched before dark.

The ability to take any USB-C video input could be very useful for photographers and videographers, either amateur or professional.  Instead of having to squint at the tiny LCD on their camera or trying to make do by placing an external monitor under a hood, an Eazeye 2 could sit out in the sun and provide a much better look at the subject matter than any alternative.  For someone that makes their living in that industry, the $1,535.00 Canadian isn’t as much of a pain point as it would be for others.  The Eazeye 2 would also be useful for just about anyone who uses a ruggedized laptop, engineers, surveyors and other professionals who spend a lot of time working outside.

The technology is fascinating and certainly unique; there is no way to make something like the Eazeye inexpensively and being somewhat of a niche product doesn’t help at all either.  It’s hard not to love the idea or the execution of the Eazeye 2, but that love certainly comes at a cost.