New Orion app turns iPad into an HDMI monitor

Lux Camera, the makers of professional photo app Halide, has released a new program called Orion. It allows you to turn your iPad into an external monitor for a camera, game console, or even a VHS player.

In dedicated to the release blog post the creators noted that they wrote the first line of code on August 6, and released the program on September 20 - that is, they completed it in 45 days. This is a short side project that's not as far removed from Halide as it might seem: after all, it's normal practice for photographers to output the camera image while shooting. They also just thought the idea was funny: when you play with Nintendo Switch on the go, sometimes you wish you had a bigger screen, especially for playing with friends.

Orion doesn't just display a picture from an external source on the iPad screen, but enlarges the picture using AI to bypass the 1080p @ 60 fps limitation of conventional HDMI to USB-C adapters. It is also possible to adjust the brightness and HDR range for comfortable viewing in any ambient lighting level. Thanks to this, the picture from the Switch will look good on the 4K screen of the iPad Pro.

To use, you will need an iPad with USB-C and a USB-C to HDMI video capture card (essentially an adapter that can convert video without additional power).

The app is free to use, but some features require Orion Pro. We're talking about AI upscaling, emulating CRT TVs for retro games, and adjusting image parameters. This is not a subscription, but a one-time payment of $5, which will also give access to all improvements that may come in the future.

HDMI Monitor - Orion

Lux Optics Incorporated

Price: Free

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Price: Free