I'm just wondering...why have we not seen or heard of any variable rate displays in the PC/tech space? I'm talking about a display that, instead of working at a constant rate (60Hz, 120Hz, etc...), would be able to work at any rate given a certain range (24Hz - 120Hz).
So, what are the befits of such a display?
- Being able to run a game at any framerate without tearing or stuttering.
- Games could run at a variable framerate. No need to lock a game at 60Hz or 30Hz...though you still could from within the engine if you want to keep a consistent framerate.
- No input lag. Frames are displayed as soon as they're drawn, which means no buffering (which causes input lag).
What are the downsides/hurdles?
- Possible incompatibility with current sources. Displays currently work by polling the display adapter (video card, console, etc...) at a set rate (60Hz).
- You need a display that can maintain a single frame for a variable (non discrete) length of time. I believe OLED can accomplish this. I'm not sure if any current HDTV display technology can, however.
A new system would have to be designed. Instead of having the display poll for new frames, the display adapter would have to send them to the display as they come in. The best way to go about this would probably to create a new interface, and maintain legacy interfaces for compatibility's sake.
Has anyone ever looked into this? It seems like an obvious step forward at this point.
So, what are the befits of such a display?
- Being able to run a game at any framerate without tearing or stuttering.
- Games could run at a variable framerate. No need to lock a game at 60Hz or 30Hz...though you still could from within the engine if you want to keep a consistent framerate.
- No input lag. Frames are displayed as soon as they're drawn, which means no buffering (which causes input lag).
What are the downsides/hurdles?
- Possible incompatibility with current sources. Displays currently work by polling the display adapter (video card, console, etc...) at a set rate (60Hz).
- You need a display that can maintain a single frame for a variable (non discrete) length of time. I believe OLED can accomplish this. I'm not sure if any current HDTV display technology can, however.
A new system would have to be designed. Instead of having the display poll for new frames, the display adapter would have to send them to the display as they come in. The best way to go about this would probably to create a new interface, and maintain legacy interfaces for compatibility's sake.
Has anyone ever looked into this? It seems like an obvious step forward at this point.