Transparent LCD fail...

[Nii]

This looks like a fun project.
http://www.themodsquito.com/images/w...01095-W640.JPG

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDBr6iPduHc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rVRJ_WjARs

However I carefully removed a panel from an old monitor and the panel without the backlight is nowhere close in transulency even with a lot light in the background.


Perhaps I am using the wrong type of LCD panel? I can send video but it is too dim.

Or maybe there is an extra layer besides the polarisers making it dimmer?

The viewed side is more matte and did not have a protective layer separate from the LCD panel.

PS. The monitor works and looks just fine with the backlight installed.

[masterpj]

not sure why on PL of all places but I believe those screens are specialised.. I did something similar but it required a VERY bright light source to see remotely through it.
It is very cool though! most certainly giving it a read.

Maybe you need heavily polorized light shining from the back?

[Draco]

You cant do this with a normal lcd screen they are all like that, it's not just the polarized filters that you are fighting with, the lcd pixels them self are fairly restrictive in how much light they will pass. The only thing i can think of is an organic led screen but then i dont know if they are transparent, they emit there own light but they are still quite expensive. I think there are panels that pass more light but nothing i have seen in consumer lcd tv's would work, the darker screens i believe improve the contrast of the image and the only lcd screens that i have seen that are relatively transparent where on a type of wearable device, sony in the past had a system called glasstron that had transparent lcd screens.

[Nii]

The gentleman who made the videos uses ordinary LCD screens. It's not about making the LCD transparent, but translucent. And also a bright light has to be placed on the other side to make it seem more transparent, masterpj is correct about that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me0EjLoumy0

Examining my screen some more my guess is the issue is not insomuch in the darkness but the anti-glare film on top of the final polariser making things farther away from it appear fuzzier. Looks like it can be carefully removed without damaging the polariser by soaking in water for several hours and then peeling off.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgKr4ofzWpY

And this monitor does have high contrast, this could also contribute to the less translucency as you cleverly pointed out. I didn't think I'd ever want to use a monitor with a lower contrast.

But this is just a guess, any further ideas/suggestions are welcome.

[Banthai]

These Type of transmisive Panels are readily available in the gaming world ... a lot of slot machine manufacturers use these to overlay animation onto mechanical reels

check this out .... its not new tech and started appearing on machines in 2008
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xls4ScQlYnM

might be worth approaching a company that services casino slot machines or provides spares for slot machines ...

all the best

Karl

[Nii]

I managed to easily peel off the antiglare layer without damaging the polariser. That was what was ruining it for me. Maybe I could get less dim results if I could find out how to disable dynamic contrast or get an old monitor with less contrast but this will work too, just need lot of diffused light coming from the back.

[Draco]

I may try this with my monitor as the anti glare film is scratched in several areas, but then on the flip side the glare i would get from the light in my hallway and from the window behind me may be more annoying then the scratches

[Nii]

I may try this with my monitor as the anti glare film is scratched in several areas, but then on the flip side the glare i would get from the light in my hallway and from the window behind me may be more annoying then the scratches

My suggestion: don't. There should be PC repair services locally which can replace/remove the antiglare layer for you. The reason I did it myself was this was an old 4:3 monitor I didn't use and it was sitting in the garage collecting dust. And if I'll try with another monitor I'll be getting an old one with low contrast from craigslist, so risk of damaging is not so important for me.

There's just too much that can go wrong if you haven't disassembled monitor before. You can easily deform or scratch the edges of the two plastic parts because they are not held together with screws, then there's the few very fragile ribbon cables going from the video processing board to the LCD which if damaged from bending too much is nearly impossible to repair and unique to each product model so finding replacement is not an option. Basically the monitor will become junk.

[Draco]

yeah i know it is a last resort, i am a tech with some experience, and have replaced more then a few screens, a few i have even taken apart to replace a failed back light. it may come down to replacing the lcd panel or i may wait till the back lights fail first. i need monitors that can be mounted to a bracket and right now no one makes a monitor i like that can be mounted to an articulated mount.
The one i was thinking about experimenting with has already started to shift in the white balance due to the age of the back lights. but anyway i will hold off on that.
thanks for the info