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Television Technology

Displace Came Up With a Landing Gear Safety System For Its Totally Wireless TV (theverge.com) 68

At CES 2023, a startup called Displace introduced their "truly wireless" TV with swappable batteries and a vacuum suction system that can keep the display adhered to walls without traditional mounting. To address concerns about what would happen when those batteries become depleted or when the wall/surface the TV is mounted to cracks, Displace says it has designed a built-in landing gear safety system to protect the $3,000 wireless TV. The Verge reports: Here, friends, is where Displace's "self-lowering landing gear technology" comes in. And I'm just going to quote directly from the press release so you can get the full rundown on how it supposedly works: "Sensors within the Displace TV constantly measure the battery level and pressure in the vacuum suction system, analyze the wall's surface, and check leakage on the vacuum pumps. If the vacuum pumps are in danger of not maintaining a seal or the wall's integrity falters, the Displace TV automatically deploys four quick adhesives for stability and initiates a self-lowering landing gear system. The adhesives work as anchor points, as the Displace TV begins to lower itself gently on a zipline (from as high as 10 feet) and deploys a reusable foam at the bottom to protect the TV screen."

When a problem is detected, the Displace attaches an adhesive frame onto the wall and begins lowering the display to the floor (with rope) from that frame. As all of this is happening, the TV generates a lot of sound and even flashing lights in an attempt to keep the area clear of children or animals. Once it's safely on the ground, you can pull the frame off the wall and reinsert it into the back of the TV. [...] The self-landing technology works at heights of up to 10 feet. When you're ready to put the TV back in its place, you just push the foam feet back into the TV, replace the adhesive tapes, and that's it.
You can watch a demo of the safety system on YouTube.
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Displace Came Up With a Landing Gear Safety System For Its Totally Wireless TV

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  • expensive solution (Score:5, Insightful)

    by dhizzle ( 8634851 ) on Thursday October 05, 2023 @08:36PM (#63904561)
    in search of a problem
  • by torkus ( 1133985 ) on Thursday October 05, 2023 @08:37PM (#63904563)

    No. Not really.

    This is an expensive and complicated solution fixing a non-existent problem. Cheaper to buy a new TV than that crazy mounting-savior system.

    • My thought was: What if the damage isn't adjacent to the TV's position, but actually ON the position? IE they have the balls to not hit the tile above the TV, but give it a good smack from the back end.

      Let's say it's like my house, where whatever weird paint the previous owners used started peeling when you washed them with a bit of water.

      To wit: The suction cup loses vacuum ability all at once, no warning cracks. The system appears too slow to save it in that case, and I'd expect it to be a lot of the

      • Then your TV falls, smashes, you make a claim on your insurance for a replacement, you buy a new one and mount it on the repaired wall.

        Exactly the same as would happen with a traditionally mounted TV if there is a bracket failure.

        These things happen, but they are not common enough to worry about are they?

        • Then your TV falls, smashes, you make a claim on your insurance for a replacement

          Do people really buy insurance policies for their TV?

        • These things happen, but they are not common enough to worry about are they?

          No, they don't. Which makes this, and particularly this "landing gear safety system," a solution in search of a problem.

    • by mjwx ( 966435 )

      No. Not really.

      This is an expensive and complicated solution fixing a non-existent problem. Cheaper to buy a new TV than that crazy mounting-savior system.

      Yep... who outside of a redneck hipster wants a TV without a power cord. If you want to hide the power cord you've got a few options like put a socket behind the TV (as I see a lot in corporate meeting rooms) or use a fake wall. Also given how much a TV weighs, a 50" TV can easily weigh in at 20 KG (40 something of your archaic pounds) I wouldn't trust suction cups, nothing less than a well secured VESA mount would do. I'd trust an "emergency landing system" even less.

      Still can't see a market for this, m

    • yep, I am not buying their $3000 tv ever. Not because it has this expensive solution to a non-existent problem but simply because there are GREAT tv's out there for less than HALF the money that I can either set on a tv stand or mount securely to a wall.
  • So this TV as a landing gear and a battery to keep it attached to a wall by suction because peoplle are too lazy to drive a bolt through a wall and plug a cord??

    Let me guess: it also doesn't work without a cloud connection and a subscription. Because you know, early 21st century will be remembered as the era of nonsense products.

    • You should touch screen, talk to it (brilliant idea for use with anything that produces the sound of humans talking) - or gesture.

      From TFA:

      Where I'm most unsure of Displace's vision is when it comes to controlling the TV: you can use the touchscreen, voice, or gesture controls - but there's no traditional remote included.

      As someone pointed out, as quoted in the article, this is not for home users but it would be a useful system for events and roadshows.
      For screens or whatever that needs fast and easy mounting, can work off batteries and needs protection.

      Still, somehow, I doubt that he landing gear and battery combo would be cheap enough on their own, without bundling a TV into it, to jus

      • Alternately, they could have spent less than $50 to include a foldable TV stand [target.com].
        That would eliminate a bunch of expensive components and the drain on battery life from all the sensors and the vacuum pump, allowing the TV to continue operating longer on a battery charge.

        But no, gotta stick the damn thing to a wall and include an expensive crash protection system because reasons.

    • ...because peoplle[sic] are too lazy to drive a bolt through a wall and plug a cord??

      Most modern apartment buildings in major cities forbid tenants from driving any bolts into the walls.

      • by Viol8 ( 599362 )

        So use a stand. Problem solved.

      • In most places it's legal for renters to drive in fasteners to hang things whether the lease says so or not, and the owner cannot charge you for repainting — which also includes filling the holes.

        Speaking as someone who has painted apartments for money, 1) apartments are practically always repainted between tenants as it's cheap and easy and makes a massive difference to the perception of cleanliness and 2) removing the fasteners and filling the holes is absolutely the smallest part of the effort invo

  • From TFA:

    When a problem is detected, the Displace attaches an adhesive frame onto the wall and begins lowering the display to the floor (with rope) from that frame.

    Just attach the frame to the wall using those adhesive pads and potential problems solved.
    Or use a freaking mount attached to studs -- which works on all kinds of wall, like the textured plaster on mine. How hard is that?

    As someone else noted: A solution in search of a problem.

    • by PPH ( 736903 )

      A solution in search of a problem.

      I was thinking the same thing. But then there are control freak landlords in some rentals. No screws, no tape, etc.

      • A solution in search of a problem.

        I was thinking the same thing. But then there are control freak landlords in some rentals. No screws, no tape, etc.

        Yes and that would be a huge problem in a world where tables don't exist. :-)

      • by SeaFox ( 739806 )

        I was thinking the same thing. But then there are control freak landlords in some rentals. No screws, no tape, etc.

        People who have to live in places like that can't afford fancy TV mounting systems anyway. If they could, they could easily pay the costs of patching the holes from a traditional TV mounting when they move out.

    • Don't worry about it. After that system safety lowers the TV to the floor, the adhesive tape (or the wall surface) fails, allowing the frame to fall and damage the TV.

      • Don't worry about it. After that system safety lowers the TV to the floor, the adhesive tape (or the wall surface) fails, allowing the frame to fall and damage the TV.

        Apparently, the TV is suppose to land face down, assuming there's nothing in the way, like a table, with things on it, an aquarium :-) etc... But, ya, I hadn't thought of that. That mount is going to damage something, perhaps even the back of the TV if/when it comes loose. Such a stupid idea.

        • by Bert64 ( 520050 )

          If the adhesive is strong enough to carry the weight of the tv, then it's not going to come off very easily on its own once it no longer has to carry the extra weight of the tv. But depending on the type of wall, it could cause some damage to the surface when it's taken off.

          • If the adhesive is strong enough to carry the weight of the tv, then it's not going to come off very easily on its own once it no longer has to carry the extra weight of the tv. But depending on the type of wall, it could cause some damage to the surface when it's taken off.

            Good point. This thing keeps getting stupider with continued examination.

    • by torkus ( 1133985 )

      I mean...even if you can't find studs in your wall (or have metal ones, brick, etc.) a drywall anchors will hold up almost any TV without issue on a flat/tilt mount.

      • I mean...even if you can't find studs in your wall (or have metal ones, brick, etc.) a drywall anchors will hold up almost any TV without issue on a flat/tilt mount.

        Way back when I was in high school or early college, my parents had put up shelves in the living room and (apparently) didn't attach the vertical runners to studs. The put all manner of things on it including liquor bottles. It stayed up for many years, then one afternoon -- *CRASH* -- it pulled loose. There were broken bottles and liquor everywhere. I picked up a seemingly intact half-full gallon bottle of vodka and the entire bottom came off in one piece. It was a huge mess.

        Pro Tip: Find the wall

    • Just attach the frame to the wall using those adhesive pads and potential problems solved.

      Okay, smart guy... and just HOW do you plan on charging $3000 for THAT?

      • Just attach the frame to the wall using those adhesive pads and potential problems solved.

        Okay, smart guy... and just HOW do you plan on charging $3000 for THAT?

        Like that old plumber/handyman joke... Customer complains about $50 bill to tighten a fitting, ao plumber re-writes it as:
        - $1 : Tighten fitting,
        - $49 : Knowing which fitting to tighten.

      • Stick an Apple logo on it?

  • This is a slashvertisement for that new Snake Oil [imdb.com] TV show, right?
  • by Powercntrl ( 458442 ) on Thursday October 05, 2023 @08:57PM (#63904583) Homepage

    TVs are supposed to be at eye level as viewed from the couch, and the fact that so many people put them up too high has actually spawned its own subreddit. [reddit.com]

    I say it's time to bring back the design trend of putting your TV on an entertainment center. As a few added bonuses, putting your TV on a TV stand makes it easy to hide the wires and also provides storage for things like gaming consoles and physical copies of your favorite movies and TV shows. Win win.

    If you really feel the need to mount something to your walls, might I instead suggest vinyl records. [google.com]

    • by Anil ( 7001 )

      The use-case for high mounted TVs and screens exists; and it isn't in the home.
      It is commercial use in large, crowded, spaces. Bars, Offices, Airports, etc.

  • by dskoll ( 99328 ) on Thursday October 05, 2023 @09:00PM (#63904589) Homepage

    More urgent to work out a plan for a soft landing of their stock value.

    • No joke. First thing I would ask is "is this cheaper than insurance?" My second question is "My $20k TV is 72 inch's and weighs 200 pounds, will this thing save it?" I am betting no.
      • No joke. First thing I would ask is "is this cheaper than insurance?" My second question is "My $20k TV is 72 inch's and weighs 200 pounds, will this thing save it?" I am betting no.

        That’s why the latest similar models sample a multi-axis accelerometer many times each second to determine if the mounting has failed and the tv is falling. At which point it orders you another with express shipping before the TV hits the floor and is destroyed.

  • by 93 Escort Wagon ( 326346 ) on Thursday October 05, 2023 @09:09PM (#63904623)

    But it's certainly in the running.

  • For $3000 it makes more sense to take the drywall off and build it directly in. More than enough money to make it as pretty and perfect as you like.

  • What does this solve that a projector doesn't?
    • by Pascoea ( 968200 )
      Separating stupid rich people from $3000 of their money hoard?
    • by SeaFox ( 739806 )

      Ironically this would be a better system to have on a projector. Projectors falling pose a safety hazard as they are heavy and oftentimes mounted right over the heads of people seated for viewing (this is why safety cables are a good idea for ceiling mounting them). Having the projector sense a sudden failure of its mounting, and lower itself down while sounding an alarm, would allow people to get out of the way and save your $$$$ projector from damage.

    • You can't project on a glass wall, while you can put that screen.

    • by AvitarX ( 172628 )

      Contrast ratio?

  • So... in order to avoid sticking something to the wall, they build a complicated thing that waits until its about to fall, and then sticks itself to the wall.
  • Cut hole at display height. Cut hole behind cabinet. Pass cables through holes. If you are ever super concerned about holes later on, patch drywall. Otherwise you are only out the price of a $5 hole saw.
  • Quit being so negative. Consider the opportunities instead. Don't like a trade? Get on the other side. Don't want to buy it? Sell it. This market is wide open:

    Subscription based 2X4 clamping system for framed carpentry, monitored by our app, and we accept crypto payments to hold your house together.

    Active lug-nut systems.

    Remote seat-belt buckle release.

    Dynamic floor leveling.

    I'm absolutely salivating over this. I think I've found my real retirement income stream.

  • Yeah, a bit worried about the adhesive ruining the wall. But there is a big need for anti-earthquake stabilization for all kinds of big and heavy things like bookcases, free standing shelving, art objects, etc. I think they could make more money by selling a comprehensive system for THAT. Scrap the adhesive, keep the suction. If something happens it can pull the rack closer against the wall. I don't know about the parachuting system they have but if they could wrap an expensive vase in an invisible loop of

  • This is like hearing hype for "improved wastebread" and learned someone on the C suite's idea to remove expensive yeast from the dough to add more cheap sawdust is going to create so much shareholder value.

  • $4,499 for 55" and no details/specs !! Holy moly ! There are NO details on their website about the display, 1080P, 4k or 5k, refresh rate, etc. NOTHING ! Don't care about vacuumed to wall, is it worth it !?????
    • For that I can get a 100" ultra short throw projector which doesn't need a George Jetson landing system.

    • I am going to venture a guess that a single one of these is definitely not 4K, based on their claim that running four of them together would create a 110" 8K display.

      2K probably, or maybe even 1080p. It's a solution in search of a problem, as has already been said here repeatedly, and an embodiment of "style over substance."

  • On their website they claim a 55" TV can run for a month assuming 6 hours of viewing per day.

    Lets be generous and assume such a TV consumes only 60 watts to power when on and nothing when off to power the display, supporting electronics, vacuum pumps.. that's 6 hours * 30 days * 60 watts = 11kw. An 11kw battery that from the screenshot can be held with one hand and is at most 5" wide and 2" thick and weighs less than 20 lbs for... $3k is a killer deal for the battery itself let alone getting a TV with it.

  • That's fine if the wall cracks but, if the nails, screws or whatever come out, it still falls to the ground. 2nd fail...the price!
  • Let's get you home to Frinky!

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