[saeranv]

I disagree with other commentators here arguing that there's no benefit this monitor would bring over simply reducing screen brightness. But I also think the claim made by the article here is at best, miscommunicated: that the bounced light improves the monitor light quality itself. On this point, I think the criticism from HN is correct, there wouldn't be a meaningful difference between equivalent bounced light, and light from the monitor. There might be a possible benefit from the lack of light flickering from AC-driven electric lights, but that is only true if the space is daylit.

However, I think there is a quantifiable benefit from making the monitor light directly dependent on environmental light, which forces our perception to adjust to a more, low contrast, diffuse environmental context.

Part of the problem is that "brightness" in the context of monitors is different from how "brightness" is used in science of light, where it is defined as the subjective perception of light that changes relative to differences in light levels[1]. So you can see your way to the washroom in the middle of the night with no lights, but can't see your way back after you turned on the washroom light, because your subjective perception of light (brightness) has changed, even though objectively the amount of visible light (illuminance) has not changed.

Therefore, having a screen lit by the environment, would shift your perception of light to better see duller, low-light conditions, which is better for our eyes, since more uniform, diffuse light causes less strain than strong, directed light.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brightness

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminous_efficiency_function

[jolmg]

> There might be a possible benefit from the lack of light flickering from AC-driven electric lights, but that is only true if the space is daylit.

The change isn't from AC-driven lighting to non-AC-driven lighting. It's the other way around. I'm seeing a regular AC-driven lightbulb above the screen. Monitor backlights are DC-driven.

[saeranv]

Thanks for the correction, my understanding of electricity is shaky, and I was assuming everything connected to a wall outlet is AC-driven, unless there's a boxy inverter along the cord like a laptop, but you're correct, that's not neccessarily correct and monitors are DC-driven.

[russdill]

Just to be pedantic, they are driven by a pwm. But the frequency is orders of magnitude higher than 60Hz