Researchers clear up TV watching for visually impaired
by Darren Murph 
posted Jan 16th 2008 at 4:02PM
Yeah, we've got HMDs for the visually impaired, but seriously, who's for sporting one of those things just to catch an afternoon soap? Thankfully, Dr. Eli Peli (and colleagues) from Harvard Medical School is lookin' out for said sect, and has developed a method for "enhancing the contrast of images of people and objects of interest on their digital televisions," which, during trials, was found to enhance legibility and overall enjoyment when watching. Furthermore, the technology is said to be the first to play nice with digital TV images, which seems fairly important considering that analog signals have but a few months to live here in America. Purportedly, the all-important modification that made the adjustments possible could be applied to HDTVs and digital STBs in the future, and sure enough, Peli has already sparked up conversation with Analog Devices in order to create a prototype chip for use in forthcoming sets. Now, if only clearing up those Get Smart reruns were this simple...[Via InventorSpot, image courtesy of Harvard (PDF)]
Filed under: Displays
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Carbonize @ Jan 16th 2008 4:07PM
Forget the reruns they're making a movie of Get Smart :|
kjb434 @ Jan 16th 2008 4:35PM
yeah, that just show how vacuous hollywood is. they haven't had an original idea in years.
I'm glad i never go to movies. Especially when DVDs come out only a couple months after the movie is released.
DT @ Jan 16th 2008 4:08PM
Eli Peli? 20 bucks says "smelly" was his grade-school nickname, regardless of his hygiene.
blade417 @ Jan 16th 2008 4:31PM
Whatever happened to glasses?
fitbit @ Jan 16th 2008 5:11PM
Glasses can't help people with macular degeneration. Visual impairment is not the same thing as being somewhat near-sighted.
Reader @ Jan 16th 2008 7:00PM
Glasses fix an error with the lens in your eye, and in some cases (like mine) the shape. This is far beyond that, when nerves start deteriorating and all that fun stuff that comes with age.
Luigi193 @ Jan 16th 2008 4:51PM
I wish Get Smart Reruns were back on the air... I think I watched that whole 47 hour marathon on TV land back at the start of the millennium... but the series was pulled a while after NEVER TO RETURN AGAIN!!!
Alexander @ Jan 16th 2008 5:06PM
Internets?
Brian @ Jan 16th 2008 6:53PM
So... it makes old people look more wrinkly?
Blake Bowen @ Jan 16th 2008 7:40PM
I'm extremely nearsighted. When I lifted up my glasses, the enhanced section looked remarkably clear, compared to the normal side.
JCA @ Jan 16th 2008 10:27PM
E-Lie P-Lie is this guy's name? Holy Jesus McPoopenstein!