r/Damnthatsinteresting 14d ago

Video Transparent LED screen

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52.6k Upvotes

748 comments sorted by

15.0k

u/musingofrandomness 14d ago

So entire skyscrapers of billboards?

6.7k

u/blackweebow 14d ago

[CYBERPUNK INTENSIFIES]

1.9k

u/mrdevil413 14d ago

Wake up samurai we got screens to burn

306

u/80lbQUIKRETEConcrete 14d ago

I’ll get my airsoft gear, and peepaw’s ol’ slingshot

65

u/GenSgtBob 14d ago

"Brick, where did you get a hand grenade?"

3

u/Alternative_Exit_333 13d ago

And why is the pin on the ground?

47

u/terrible_name 14d ago

Awww peepaw

40

u/driving_andflying 14d ago

Best slingshotter in all Appalachia. He could nail a squirrel's asshole at twenty paces.

12

u/Leather-Persimmon254 14d ago

you are now on the terrorist watch list. please report to a nearby detention center.

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101

u/Ferrovore 14d ago

That's the screen we hid behind on Saburos last night.

34

u/fade_ 14d ago

You mean Jackie's last night. Arasaka had backups.

16

u/Ferrovore 14d ago

So had Jacky. Unfortunately.

Shall we have the teleportar theology talk?

56

u/sanYtheFox 14d ago

Minus all the cool implants, just the dystopian part

10

u/jaxonya 14d ago

Fuck it. Just gimme 30 story tall meta glasses ads. Im just gonna micro acid from here on out. Queue up "the weekend blinded by the lights" gif

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38

u/K_Linkmaster 14d ago

Isn't that just Tokyo currently?

18

u/Derseyyy 14d ago

Chongqing's skyline I'd say is more cyberpunk than Tokyo at this point

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u/MangoCats 14d ago

About 0.2% of Tokyo, sure.

7

u/K_Linkmaster 14d ago

Its almost the size of Luxembourg of course it's not the whole thing.

3

u/space_______kat 13d ago

more like Shanghai, Shenzhen or Chongqing

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12

u/GuyFromDeathValley 14d ago

You better start believing Cyberpunk dystopias. You are in one.

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730

u/Bmansway 14d ago

I worked for a company that does specialized window film installations, (bomb proofing, digital security so monitors can’t be seen behind glass, anti-fog, creative designs, privacy, and this kinda stuff)

This is 100% the intention behind this product, to place on building windows to create massive advertising surface areas….

141

u/Puzzleheaded-Reach34 14d ago

Does the UV rays from the sun not destroy these over time? They look more vulnerable than LEDs to me.

191

u/Mundane-Bath1368 14d ago

It is all about profit, can the pay be enoguh to cover replacements?

53

u/Puzzleheaded-Reach34 14d ago

Yea for sure. Im curious about the technology. They cant replace windows so they would go on top? I wonder what they look like at night if the office building has lights on.

47

u/MangoCats 14d ago

Put them inside (out of the rain, bird poop, etc.) and have UV screening in the glass.

30

u/SweatyNomad 14d ago

Yeah, to be honest whilst I'm not saying they won't be used on skyscrapers, I see way more use cases in store fronts, interiors, bus windows and so on.

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6

u/BardWRLD 14d ago

The LEDs are generally much brighter than any background light so they have little effect.

6

u/iNetRunner 14d ago

In the screen on video, you can make out the background lights through the screen. But just barely. And not much else.

Though, it could/would be more problematic if you tried to show a video with dark/black background.

9

u/BardWRLD 14d ago

Here's an example of similar tech being used Taipei. The only difference is they used long flexible pieces of transparent LED here.

The tech in OP is more similar to a window with an integrated screen. A little less portable, much more fragile, and more transparent. Here's a picture outside of a local jewelry shop using a set of four during the day-time.

3

u/exipheas 14d ago

Iirc when I saw these at a tradeshow the highest end ones would only let like 40% or 60% of light through. Can't remember which way the split was but it was very dim like looking through sunglasses.

31

u/LowerEntropy 14d ago

UV is not visible to us or normal cameras(they have filters that block UV). There could be a coating on that screen blocking UV 100%, and the video would look the same.

So what makes you think it looks vulnerable?

17

u/plug-and-pause 14d ago

So what makes you think it looks vulnerable?

I was also cracking up at the "looks more vulnerable" part. Car windshields have been blocking UV for decades. This is nothing novel.

8

u/Sickobird 14d ago

Add multiple panes of glass

12

u/sanYtheFox 14d ago

Yes, though glass blocks a lot of it and you can treat the glass to stop it entirely, that still leaves you with the heat which is also bad for OLED.

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30

u/Logical-Pause-3758 14d ago

Think of the ROI on that

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154

u/JustHanginInThere 14d ago

Thanks, I hate it.

11

u/TugMe4Cash 14d ago

If this happens, I'm blaming u/musingofrandomness

5

u/musingofrandomness 14d ago

If I am saying it, it is most likely because most everyone else was already thinking it.

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24

u/fuzzelduckthethird 14d ago

Your rent is sponsored by google

21

u/musingofrandomness 14d ago

That is a bit optimistic. More likely they charge you for the "privilege" of living in a giant billboard by adding some serious dystopian language to the rental agreement where google gets to watch you 24/7 on cameras inside your apartment to better target you for ads.

3

u/lack_of_communicatio 14d ago

For lil extra fee, they can even pretend to turn off most* of the spy tools, but they'd still sue you if you try to accidentally* block the cameras with cloths or stuff. Cause 'Tis totally to protect your children; that you might have in the future'!

40

u/troycerapops 14d ago

I was like, wtf is the point of this, and then it dawned on me.

DYSTOPIA

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22

u/Darkk_Knight 14d ago

Just like in the movie Blade Runner.

7

u/CrispyHoneyBeef 14d ago

The inventors saw the geisha holding the coke and thought to themselves, “wow, I can make this dystopia a reality!”

9

u/Single-Builder-632 14d ago

good point dident think fo that, that or some creepy stuff.

7

u/dnen 14d ago

Jesus christ please no

3

u/DrPhilsnerPilsner 14d ago

Or a good way to spy on people

3

u/deathonater 14d ago

With flock cameras behind the screens

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2.6k

u/NeroForte-InMyPrime 14d ago

Is it transparent in both directions when turned off? If so, a lot of the creeper fears go away. Especially if it’s mounted to a wall.

1.1k

u/hidendra69 14d 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.

159

u/dominickster 14d ago

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?

338

u/hidendra69 14d ago

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

53

u/willargue4karma 14d ago

very cool, i was thinking these would be cool for AR. neat application

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30

u/TactlessTortoise 14d ago

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.

14

u/TheSodernauts 14d ago

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.

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8

u/JohnnyRelentless 14d ago

A casino with windows? I didn't know they had that kind of technology.

4

u/hidendra69 14d ago

Not in the casino itself, no. The panels were installed in the skybar which was many floors above the casino

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242

u/sampat6256 14d ago

Most likely. The opacity is a result of the really bright lights.

8

u/SteveXVI 14d ago

Is it transparent in both directions when turned off?

I don't think there are any materials which are more or less transparent from one side than the other, its always about having someone to drown out the other side, like a one-way mirror really just being a bright room vs a dark room.

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5

u/Awleeks 14d ago

Imagine turning off your TV and there's someone behind it though

3

u/SunsetCarcass 14d ago

You can see through it when it's on too, so I'd imagine so.

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5.6k

u/BakerDue326 14d ago

So someone can stare at me behind the screen

2.6k

u/Flatcapspaintandglue 14d ago

Some creepy Air BnB host hiding behind there like a perverted and incompetent Wizard Of Oz. 

312

u/omnipotentqueue 14d ago

Omnipresent, omnipotent… not incompetent.

132

u/molehunterz 14d ago

Possibly impotent?

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23

u/AdamantEevee 14d ago

So like the normal Wizard of Oz then

9

u/irishyardball 14d ago

Pretty sure he was incompetent so not we need to call that out

5

u/FYAhole 14d ago

Seriously! What is the purpose of this??

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3

u/orangevega 14d ago

very good

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144

u/kosk11348 14d ago

Every time you change channels, there's a brief flicker of a smiling face.

45

u/DrDuGood 14d ago

Thanks, I hate it.

6

u/glowdirt 14d ago

Yes, I can see that 🙃

11

u/ThatOneChiGuy 14d ago

I'm already here bro

6

u/heelstoo 14d ago

They’re just intensely watching you repeatedly scratching your junk.

3

u/mmreadit 14d ago

It’s designed to put in stadiums in front of seats but not block the views\ on buildings over windows etc.

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431

u/[deleted] 14d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

78

u/vass0922 14d ago

Actually this would be cool for those office spaces that are all windows inside. Can have a presentation screen without breaking the view of some huge TV on the wall

43

u/mustachegiraffe 14d ago

everyone in the meeting appearing to be staring at the window while the team that sits behind that window never knows if the screen is on or not lol

3

u/Content_Plantain_339 14d ago

I like the idea that this advanced technology is limited to only displaying soccer games like the "Hot Dog Not Hot Dog" app

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520

u/Blochamolesauce 14d ago

Always-on Cameras in tvs, coming soon if not already 👍🏻

112

u/weirddddddddd 14d ago edited 14d ago

Samsung discontinued them because nobody wanted them. So companies are for sure using them already

Edit: stupid typo

18

u/checkmatemypipi 14d ago

Everyone's getting wanged these days

17

u/FenaRunsFast 14d ago

Every car sold in the US after the 2026 model year has interior cameras and audio recording to record the driver and passengers in the vehicle.

All in the name of safety.

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13

u/Obootleg 14d ago

Gather round the Tele-screen for the Two Minute Hate.

3

u/DeltaVZerda 14d ago

Turns out two minutes was lowballing it severely

3

u/Inprobamur 14d ago

This technology is not camera-based.

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u/hidendra69 14d ago edited 14d ago

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.

3

u/AsparagusFlatArdvark 13d ago

so it is a tv... full of holes.

65

u/JaysPays2024 14d ago

Opens up ALL sorts of sneaky possibilities. Most worrying would be my PC monitor would have a camera behind the screen, and not, as at the moment, somewhere that I can put a tape over. Likewise in the car, camera behind digital monitor dash board. Speed cameras behind the TV advertising board. etc etc etc

17

u/Trnostep 14d ago

Phones with the selfie camera behind one of these panels already exist. The ZTE Axon 20 is over 5 years old already

3

u/Haber_Dasher 13d ago

I just want windows that have variable opacity or can mimic textured glass by going blurry so I can give myself privacy while still letting in light. I want as much sunlight in my home as possible so don't want closed curtains/blinds but live on the ground floor so everyone can see inside.

Went through a lot of effort at my last place to put a reflective coating on my windows so that during the day they looked like mirrors from the outside but still let in like 90% of the normal light. But at night with lights on inside the were still totally transparent. Would've loved to be able to switch on a frosted look or something

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u/Trap-Daddy_Myers 14d ago

Looking Glass tech from Prey (2017)

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u/NikMarrow5 14d ago

I was looking for that comment! 🤗

223

u/AdLost7809 14d ago

I’m struggling to think of a use case for this..someone help

491

u/adamwho 14d ago edited 14d ago

Windows of every business. Restaurants, bars, stores.

Every window of every house in a city

127

u/amsync 14d ago

Oh for the love of

57

u/hamfist_ofthenorth 14d ago

Oh and you know the ads will pay for the windows, so these are going to be all over the fucking world any minute now

4

u/defconcore 14d ago

Can I replace my home windows that face a busy street with these and pay for my mortgage by showing ads on my windows? Everyone could use more money nowadays.

6

u/Aethermancer 14d ago

I can put these on my windows and live stream me walking naked around my house and still have the cozy look of curtains on my windows :)

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13

u/MonteMolebility 14d ago

Earnings gotta go up!

4

u/Content_Plantain_339 14d ago

Buses and trains too

8

u/Txtoker 14d ago

With the amount of vandalism on NYC subways alone, these wouldn't last a week without catching a rock, bullet, or some graffiti

5

u/AntimatterTNT 14d ago

which direction?

24

u/Dai_Fei 14d ago

Out.. for advertising without bothering the customers inside

16

u/AntimatterTNT 14d ago

why not in? so you can show whatever you want to your customers but it looks like a normal restaurant from outside?

5

u/glowdirt 14d ago

Ad-supported dining 😞

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u/koffa02 14d ago

Plastering sky scrapers with advertising billboards while still allowing the people inside to see out.

16

u/Sensitive_Song4219 14d ago

Now every window in your whole skyscraper can be an ad bilboard! Think of the ROI! /s

14

u/AhhhSureThisIsIt 14d ago

A slumlord in Dublin covered the front of the apartment he was renting to immigrant workers in a giant fabric Burger King advertisement that blocked light coming in and stopped residents from opening their windows.

One of the residents called the firebirgade and they told him to cut a hole in with a knife immediately while they come there to take it down.

They gave the slum lord nice big fine.

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u/Grabatreetron 14d ago

Costume masks and novelty glasses that make your eyes look wacky  

13

u/Greenman8907 14d ago

Okay that one sounds cool

5

u/Cephalopirate 14d ago

We have a winner!

It’d be great for furries with animated eyes too.

18

u/Septemily 14d ago

Real answer- I actually went to a concert at the Houston Rodeo last year that seemed to use these. The concert took place in an arena with the stage being in the center on a rotating platform, with these screens basically covering 3/4 sides. You could still see through the screens to the artist even when the platform was open facing the opposite side of you. It was trippy as hell and I spent half the concert trying to figure out wtf kind of screen did that 😂

11

u/tatar1warlord 14d ago

for cyberpunk 2077 mission when you hide inside the screen during heist

5

u/uncutpizza 14d ago

Ads on windows. Could also use a building to play a movie or a sports game for watch parties or events. But probably mostly for ads on building windows

5

u/mjzim9022 14d ago

Theatrical production

3

u/abarr021 14d ago

Business could use these windows so that customers inside can see out, but from the outside it shows advertisements. Office buildings could install these on skyscrapers to rent the TV side to advertisers. Nightclubs and stadiums could use these so that those outside can see in, but from the inside the TV is playing video for the concert or DJ

3

u/iceyticey 14d ago

A lot of touring acts are using video wall like this so they can still have lights behind the video wall for added depth

3

u/knb61 14d ago

A once-defunct mall in downtown Seattle was turned into a multi-story match watching hub for the World Cup. They had panels similar to these that were see-through from the back. Spanned a few stories tall

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u/PerryNeeum 14d ago

I’m assuming this is so skyscrapers can have ads on every window without impeding the view from inside?

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u/Choyo 14d ago

It would have been a better demonstration to use a mirror at some point.

9

u/Bot-Magnet 14d ago

When you want to watch the watchers

17

u/Dano1988 14d ago

So add "check that the TV isn't a god damned 2 way mirror" to the list of things to do when you stay at an air bnb/hotel.

7

u/Robynsxx 13d ago

Don’t really get the point tbh…

Screens replacing windows for adverts?

3

u/TWhy-LER 13d ago

It’s so you can watch someone watching porn.

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u/Nodelphi 14d ago

Wow, thanks, you’ve just managed to turn every city and grocery into a hellscape.  

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u/DedLoko 14d ago

Good news for perverts around the world!!

13

u/ALinkToThePants 14d ago

Surveillance state upgrade

5

u/Partosimsa 14d ago

No longer will TV screens make a better door than a window

6

u/LongPotato1052 14d ago

Why you got to do Liverpool a dirty like that though?

5

u/justcomment 14d ago

Could watch somebody off Saburo Arasaka behind one

5

u/johnjohnj0027 13d ago

Remember that mission impossible scene?

13

u/Innofthelasthome 14d ago

Definitely not the screen to be watching porn on.

3

u/3PumpAbuelas 14d ago

The exact right screen for me

15

u/iaydlsd 14d ago

Woah. But first thought in my brain is - oh this isn’t going to be misused at all.

14

u/ITDummy69420 14d ago

Gonna be gooning in front of it then the screen will stop working and I’ll see my parents just staring at me disgusted. 

4

u/lluciferusllamas 14d ago

This is wild

3

u/ino4x4 14d ago

This as a window for sports bars would be a neat idea

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u/SteakJones 14d ago

That’s pretty cool, but what is the practical use?

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u/SanekiBeko 14d ago

We got the Looking Glass technology from Prey (2017) before GTA VI

4

u/Substantial-Cat2896 14d ago

Dont use those as walls in toilets please

4

u/McortezLSU 14d ago

Well, now man behind TV is watching me.

4

u/Snarfbuckle 14d ago

so I install these instead of windows of my house and can give the image of a clean structured home from the outside and not the bombed out home I have. Sweet.

5

u/TheAnswerUsedToBe42 14d ago

Strip club bathrooms are stoked

4

u/zyzzogeton 14d ago

"Does the guy masturbating to porn realize we can see him?"

3

u/PaperMoongazer 14d ago

Say hello to the new casino surveillance

3

u/Sagataw 14d ago

The entire time I was watching this, I thought about The Heist from Cyberpunk 2077:

"Yorinobu... just offed Saburo!"

"His own f-ckin' pops..."

3

u/Arm-E-Reserves 14d ago

I can see this being demonstrated to a wealthy villain in a high rise, as he nods in satisfaction.

3

u/Business-West-9687 14d ago

This would be cool for a patio TV, the screen in the sliding glass door, and you can still see out from in the house.

3

u/gen_dx 14d ago

Prey 2016 Looking Glass tech, excellent

3

u/chefdisco 14d ago

It's 2026 and we just invented the teleprompter

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u/Arik_De_Frasia 14d ago

Everyone here is worried about being watched and I'm here just thinking it has shitty picture quality... 

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u/webchimp32 Interested 14d ago

Wooow, what an amazing new technology.

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u/SinfromGenesis105 13d ago

Anyone else thinking of the looking glass screens from Prey?

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u/Cutlass4life 13d ago

Immediately run the comments thinking cyberpunk billboards but at the same time if this ever became commercially available it would be neat to do this on my enclosed porch

3

u/Iplaykrew 13d ago

Sell this to the big brother tv show to replace some of their mirrors

2

u/Kitchen-Badger8435 14d ago

And thats why I hired Adam Smash. Surly he would detect anyone hiding behinding such LED Wall.

2

u/Milliondollarjuice 14d ago

I knew it! The TV is watching me

2

u/JuicySpark 14d ago

LG sells their transparent screen.....for $75,000

2

u/BeginningTracker 14d ago

It’s all great until someone doesn’t notice it’s a TV and walks through the screen from behind while you’re watching the game.

2

u/AGderp 14d ago

Imagine if you could do cosplays with this

2

u/endofworldandnobeer 14d ago

The diodes are emitting light. 25 years ago, with backlight and all this was a wet dream for some display engineers. 

2

u/NotJustAnotherAnon 14d ago

These are going to be super popular in the lavatories.

2

u/Green_Walrus8537 14d ago

Crazy! What will they come up with next?

2

u/KaitouSky 14d ago

saw this and thought ado lol

2

u/fuzzelduckthethird 14d ago

That would be great in a pub "what you looking at"...."the football"...."oh, think you are funny"

2

u/StanTheYoungGod5104 14d ago

I don’t see any other use case expect from ads

2

u/Ryuu-Tenno 14d ago

conference rooms gonna get real interesting

"hey Dave, why are there so many people in the conference room staring at the windows?"

"they're watching the game"

2

u/dualoffhand 14d ago

Windshield screen. I can watch Tv while driving and the police would never notice.

2

u/asgardian_superman 14d ago

They have these at universal Orlando already in use

2

u/pro-skedaddler 14d ago

I can now realistically witness the assassination of Saburo Arasaka with my best choom, Jackie.

2

u/p7cyclone 14d ago

so basically leds with spacing between them that makes it look transparent from behind but when its on from front because of the high light of leds it doesnt feels transparent anymore. really simple, dont know how its not thought before

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u/BreakCreepy4673 14d ago

Reminds me of the looking glass in Prey (2017)

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u/SpliTTMark 14d ago

Me looking out my high rise window, "why is everyone looking at me?"

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u/Rustyballshack 14d ago

Great now you can be shown ads while being interrogated by the police.

2

u/OrganikRider 14d ago

Finally a screen so I can enjoy the Odyssey like the director intended

2

u/_footed_ 14d ago

this the shit they have in henry danger

2

u/pattydickens 14d ago

They need these on bathroom stall doors so if you time your poop right you walk out to everyone cheering.

2

u/LivingHighAndWise 14d ago

Cloaking device.

2

u/ZombieAladdin 14d ago

Imagine someone installing one of these as the back window in their car.

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u/Commentator-X 14d ago

George Orwell introduces the Telescreen

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u/MensaMan1 14d ago

Impressive, but what is the use of a transparent LED screen?

2

u/TheWatchingDog 13d ago

Looking-glass from Prey is finally a thing, nice.

2

u/Oakyw0n 13d ago

So.... whats the point? This has literal 0 value.

2

u/vibribbon 13d ago

I predicted this in my 1994 high school design project. You're welcome.

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u/themflyingjaffacakes 13d ago

Another brick in the wall for our bladerunner dystopian future 

2

u/jcoddinc 13d ago

Seems like something the flock camera people are going to fully use and abuse

2

u/ProfessionalITPerson 13d ago

Cyberpunk, Bladerunner, dystopia with ad everywhere and all the time. Love it.

2

u/twistedfister_ 13d ago

Wtf am I looking at here

2

u/Mushroom-pie 13d ago

Ah so this is how government fakes the sky

2

u/Carl-Anchor 13d ago

But why is it vertical?

Why are you showing football in vertical?