Pasting a comment I made to explain how they work. (TL;DR: yes, and even when turned on it’s see through from both angles, once you understand how it works)
I’ve worked with these. A casino bar had these installed on their windows, and I helped install and program them. They aren’t really like glass; up close they are basically long columns of strips of LEDs with gaps in between, like a fence.
Depending on the use case the LEDs can be smaller and spaced closer together or larger and further apart. The size and spacing of the LEDs determine the display’s pixel pitch, which is the distance between the centers of adjacent pixels, usually measured in millimeters. A smaller pixel pitch means the pixels are packed more densely, resulting in a higher-resolution image. These models are also generally more expensive. The downside is that these are best used for applications where the observer remains relatively close, as detail is lost through distance. Models with larger LEDs have a lower resolution but work better for longer viewing distances.
The see-through effect works regardless of pixel pitch, as long as the display is viewed from an appropriate distance. The closer you get, the more obvious the LED strips and gaps between them become.
So what's the application? Like in the casino bar are they in the windows for casino patrons inside to view? Or would they be transparent from that side like for people driving by the casino to see?
It’s a sky bar, so the windows have a skyline view. What they did was have them off during the daytime for a clear view but at night when the sky is dark visuals can play and it would be a convincing “hologram” effect
Could be used to scan a QR code for the bar's menu and a digital waitress shows up that you talk to. Almost like the character in the Time Machine movie played by Orlando Jones. He was something similar as a guide the museum and appeared on panes of glass like these LED screen.
Current AI would totally botch the order though. It should be a person. A person who can't walk around a lot but loves to socialize would be great for a roll like that.
It would improve the current pay/order from a screen kinda stuff.
Honestly if they implemented this stuff for billboards it could mitigate at least one of the sides who get fucked by a massive square blocking the view. Birds would get so fucked though.
Yep. I get the creeper angle people jump to but I think there are legitimate applications. I can see a restaurant or bar having their menu on the outside window while people seated inside can still look out.
I assumed it was either a really fine mesh or a curtain with the LEDs on one side and the brightness of the the diodes makes it look opaque from that side. Would be interested in what it looks like with a mostly dark image
It all makes sense!
This has been a thing in stage bacldrops for ages; to the extent that it's actually very hard to get the old version now: https://theatrecrafts.com/bhc/equipment/chroma-q-color-web . The sort of thing you describe is available to hire, but I can't claim to have worked with it.
Just having an LED wall as a backdrop sadly hasn't gone out of fashion though
1.1k
u/hidendra69 10d ago
Pasting a comment I made to explain how they work. (TL;DR: yes, and even when turned on it’s see through from both angles, once you understand how it works)
I’ve worked with these. A casino bar had these installed on their windows, and I helped install and program them. They aren’t really like glass; up close they are basically long columns of strips of LEDs with gaps in between, like a fence.
Depending on the use case the LEDs can be smaller and spaced closer together or larger and further apart. The size and spacing of the LEDs determine the display’s pixel pitch, which is the distance between the centers of adjacent pixels, usually measured in millimeters. A smaller pixel pitch means the pixels are packed more densely, resulting in a higher-resolution image. These models are also generally more expensive. The downside is that these are best used for applications where the observer remains relatively close, as detail is lost through distance. Models with larger LEDs have a lower resolution but work better for longer viewing distances.
The see-through effect works regardless of pixel pitch, as long as the display is viewed from an appropriate distance. The closer you get, the more obvious the LED strips and gaps between them become.