Apple TV could let you view two shows on one screen — here’s how

Apple Tv could let you view two shows on one screen — here's how

(Image credit: Future)

A recent Apple patent application, published final Thursday, details a new multi-view screen technology that could allow multiple viewers watch different content simultaneously on a single screen. This could pave the mode for monitors and displays beingness used past several people at in one case.

Patent application 20210099692 was spotted by PatentlyApple this calendar week, and it's a fascinating glimpse into possible time to come features or products out of Cupertino, with applications beyond laptops, tablets, monitors and fifty-fifty TVs.

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Titled "Method and device for operating a lenticular display," Apple's patent application shows a lenticular layer paired with a video display to show "different content at unlike angles."

Apple patent for lenticular display — (Image credit: USPTO)

While almost proof-of-concepts for this technique are built around showing ane user a pair of images, or two users different images, Apple'due south patent application suggests that information technology can serve more 2 users, claiming "any number of users may be present in the case operating environment and have unlike content presented".

Lenticular what now?

Lenticular displays use a series of lenses manufactured into a single transparent sheet, with individual lenticules that nowadays a different portion of an paradigm based on the position of the viewer. Traditionally, these are paired with prints or displays that slice an image into fine vertical strips. By alternating the strips from one image to another, changing the angle of view lets the viewer see images in rapid succession. Put it on a baseball game card or a Happy Repast toy, and yous tin apply ii or iii of these segmented images to create the illusion of motion. Sometimes that means a moving cartoon character, other times, information technology's to create the illusion of an object in 3D.

Lenticular displays do something similar by aligning the lenticules with private browse lines in a display. If one gear up of scan lines shows one video, and the other ready shows something different, y'all tin can employ a single brandish to show dissimilar videos to different users at the same time.

Apple's proposed multi-view screen would use more than a elementary lenticular layer. Information technology would incorporate the lens technology alongside cameras for user position tracking. Liquid crystal layers could guide imagery to unlike specified viewing angles and color filters would keep the filtered images looking clear and undistorted.

Where would multi-view tech show upward?

Apple tree'due south patent application provides examples of using the technology to bear witness different shows with different content ratings to unlike family members, letting the grown-ups watch Television-MA rated shows while the kids picket something more age-appropriate. One interesting tidbit suggests showing an edited version of the aforementioned show to the younger viewers, letting the entire family watch the same program, simply with age-advisable edits for the different family members who might be watching.

It's not the first time lenticular displays accept been used in consumer tech. The Nintendo 3DS uses i to provide glasses-free 3D, providing a slightly different picture for the right and left eye of the user to create the illusion of depth. Other attempts to use similar lenticular applied science have tried to scale up the glasses-free 3D concept to laptops and TVs, but these products have never defenseless on.

Information technology's not even the first fourth dimension that Apple tree has toyed with the idea of using lenticular screens for its displays. The company filed an application back in 2016 that used the same technology as a privacy tool, limiting screen visibility to the user and restricting and off-angle viewing that could exist used to sneak a peek at sensitive or private information.

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Brian Westover is an Editor at Tom's Guide, covering everything from TVs to the latest PCs. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he wrote for TopTenReviews and PCMag.