The reason for this is that usually different spectral reflection properties of the surfaces are caused by the use of different pigments.įor this reason, spectrometers are preferably used in research and development as well as in cases when colors and color spectra have to be determined very precisely. In case of this phenomenon, for example, two different objects under a certain light source appear to be of the same color, but under a different light source a distinct color difference is visible and evident. Thus, not only color coordinates can be determined, but also the spectral distribution and intensity can be determined and represented much more precisely. Depending on the quality of the device, spectrometers are equipped with significantly more sensors so that the devices have a wavelength-specific sensitivity in a single-digit nanometer range.
Though spectrometer works according to the identical basic principle, the significant difference to color meter is sensitivity and the number of sensors. The color values determined in this way are represented as X, Y and Z values on the display by the measuring devices, the conversion into common color spaces such as CIELab or RGB is carried out by most devices automatically. In the human eye the three basic colors red, green and blue are recorded over three different cone types, color meter imitates this color perception by means of 3 color sensors with almost identical spectral sensitivity in the areas of red, green and blue.
And it wants to be a casual, easy to use entertainment system option for the masses like a ChromeCast or Roku, but is selling itself as a full PC under a gaming brand.Color meter works according to the tristimulus absorption and imitates human vision. It’s less hardcore and ambitious than Valve's already failed Steam Machines experiment, but invites PC gamers to control and customize its OS despite likely having an underpowered and unchangeable hardware configuration. It’s not trying to compete with consoles, but has features and a price point similar to them. Honestly, all these different factors have left me wondering who the heck the Atari VCS is actually for. Since it’s marketed as being usable for modern games too, I asked Artz if you could access your Steam library with it as well, and he said the sandbox mode would likely be the only place to do so unless they strike a deal with Valve.
He gave an example explaining that they want moms to be able to turn on the VCS and easily find Netflix, but they also want to attract a younger audience that might only know of Atari’s veteran reputation.Īnd for the more hardcore audience out there, there will be a sandbox environment built in that will allow you to run and modify the Linux operating system, making it a more traditional PC if you have the know-how to do so. ”Īrtz explained that “it’s a much more casual device.” Atari wants this to be a system that anyone can easily plug in, understand, and start using right away. I asked if it was then closer to a Steam Machine than the NES Mini, and he said “yeah, but I don’t think it’s as ambitious as a Steam. Atari Connect COO Michael Arzt compared it to “a good laptop without a keyboard” - though exactly how good is an unanswered question, and when it comes to modern games there’s a big difference between powering Into The Breach and Assassin’s Creed Origins.ĭespite having its own streamlined interface, game store, media apps (like Netflix and Hulu), and internet browser, Arzt says they are more interested in calling the VCS a computer instead of a console. That said, the VCS is targeting a significantly lower price point than most modern PCs, between $250 and $300, and will have no dedicated GPU, meaning it will likely also be substantially less powerful.