Skreens Kickstarter Campaign Meets Goal in Under 30 Minutes

Lizzy Finnegan

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Mar 11, 2015
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Skreens Kickstarter Campaign Meets Goal in Under 30 Minutes

"It's everything you're already doing, but on one interface."


A Kickstarter campaign [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1283573988/skreens-lets-every-device-stream-at-once-with-no-l/description] went live yesterday for Skreens, a product that allows you to bring separate media sources like broadband, cable, satellite, streaming devices and gaming consoles together on a single customizable display. The product raised its goal of $25,000 in 25 minutes, and more than tripled that amount in under 24 hours.

"Your PS4, XBox, PCs, cable box, Roku, Apple TV and anything else you're switching between - now all of it can come online at once, on one display and all absolutely at your control," the description reads. "So you can stream up the game you're playing without dropping a frame. Finish your work with the game on. Catch the top sports plays while checking in with your fantasy roster. Fire up a web browser without needing a computer. And never take your eyes off what matters most to you."

Skreens also allows you to adjust the windows on the display - size, placement, cropping, transparency, and scaling are completely customizable - and promises no lag. The product appears to be geared towards gamers, streamers, and all-around multitaskers.

Users will also get full control over audio. One can select a specific HDMI input for audio, which will then be transmitted to your sound system via S/PDIF. All other sound inputs will be streamed via WiFi to other devices.

The product appears to have had a positive reception by gamers and streamers at PAX Prime as well, if the compilation video below is anything to go by.


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Covarr

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May 29, 2009
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I find their claims of zero lag dubious. I'm expecting somewhere in the range of 45-50ms of lag, which isn't enough to be perceptible to most people (unless you're playing Rock Band, Counter-Strike, or anything on an Oculus Rift), but if they can reduce it to below 16ms--less than one frame at 60fps--I don't think they should be calling it "zero". Of course, I would love to be surprised; if they prove me wrong and do manage sub-16ms latency, I'll buy this thing in a heartbeat after it's released.

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Devin Barker

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Maybe im missing something... But this really does not seem that handy... I use 2 monitors but going down to one that has more windows on it seems... idk... useless? maybe its just because I dont mind a 2 monitor rig or maybe it has more use for console folks but on my PC I dont think I would ever use this
 

DonTsetsi

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May 22, 2009
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I have some nitpicks:

1. It seems geared towards large screens, but it has a single HDMI output and only supports 1080p at 60 FPS. It would have been much better if it had more options for output. This is my main gripe with it.
2. It has no recording or streaming functionality. You still have to use a capture card. This becomes sillier if you are streaming PC games.
3. It adds lag, which makes using it for gaming a disadvantage.
4. The smartphone interface seems rather simplistic. Hopefully it will be improved.

It's still quite useful. I just hope there will be more advanced versions that address some of these shortcomings.
 

Smooth Operator

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Oct 5, 2010
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Well they certainly got the wishy washy hype building sales pitch down, but what the fuck it actually is remains not explained.
I'm guessing another smart TV adapter of some sort, so we need the hardware specifications, the actual features and limits of the box, and the actual throughput delay. "Zero delay" is marketing shit that is impossible within our reality, maybe they come from some other universe where that might be true.
 

BarbaricGoose

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May 25, 2010
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Too bad about that glaring typo. ( ͡°╭͜ʖ╮͡° )

Seriously though, has there been any kickstarted device or technology that hasn't been a total flop? Oculus Rift? Was that Kickstarter? That's one--I count one--out of many.
 

Uhuru N'Uru

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I see nothing this does that my PC doesn't already do now and much better than at 1080p 60 FPS.
With up to 6 monitors possible, I have 3 now and my card is 2 years old.
Add switchable desktops and each device can easily be full screen.

Set top boxes, I don' t use. Kodi can replace every single one and runs on my PC just fine.

Consoles I don't use and never will. When they started buying exclusive games, was when I switched to PC. The PS2 was the only Console I owned or ever will.

PS4 and XB1 were marketed as the only multimedia device, you would need. This would appear to suggest they are not, it's clearly targetting console owners. I would suggest tbey get a PC instead. Multi-monitors are more useful for multi-tasking than multi-monitor gaming, but PC can easily do both.

As for exclusives, my attitude is if they don't think the PC is important enough for their game, I don't think of it as a game at all and don't want it.

Frankly, if the only way they can "persuade" you to buy their console is by kidnapping games and holding them as hostages, their console isn't worth buying at all.

As for this products KickStarter Target, it seems to me, impossible to bring any sort of hardware like this to market for as little as $25,000.

So I'm extremely dubious, they may have undisclosed backers already and KickStarter is just for Publicity.