

Samsung Introduces Completely Solar-Powered, Transparent TV  - mromano
http://www.ecogeek.org/efficiency/3456-samsung-introduces-completely-solar-powered-tranpa?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EcoGeek+%28EcoGeek%29&utm_content=Twitter

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HaloZero
Before a bunch of people comment on how useless this is or why would you want
that, think about the next time you are walking through a mall. See how many
TVs and LCDs you see. Now imagine all those powered by the ambient light in
the mall instead of conventional sources. That's why this is going to be cool
and useful, not for your living room.

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gjm11
I'm not sure which of two things you mean [EDIT: perhaps both], but neither of
them seems to make sense.

1\. "All those LCDs and TVs won't need to be backlit; they'll just use
whatever light there was behind them." By definition, if you do that then they
can't be brighter than whatever was behind them; and unless what's behind them
is nice and uniform, you won't be able to see them clearly. This just isn't
going to look good enough for the purposes most of those displays are there
for.

2\. "We'll power the LCDs and TVs photoelectrically, using the ambient light."
Then you'll need a large area of photovoltaic cells to power them, somewhere
that was well-illuminated but black. You could save more electricity by
painting that area white instead and reducing the lighting slightly.

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ww520
That looks great if they can make it into windows panes - the outside of the
glass is the solar panel and the inside can play video. Make it transparent on
whim. Make it opaque to block out the sun.

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BoppreH
Make funny shadows. Show weather forecast. Fill it with black and put a moon
there during the day.

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joshontheweb
You could have such a sweet GPS interface in your car with this in the
windshield.

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Mrow
I would just hope that I don't get a virus that turns my windshield black.

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sukuriant
nah, viruses would be novel. They'd throw random images of people running
across the road in front of you, instead

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light3
Some pictures/video here:

[http://inventorspot.com/articles/samsungs_latest_transparent...](http://inventorspot.com/articles/samsungs_latest_transparent_tv_now_solar_power)

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sudonim
Great example of "just because you can, doesn't mean you should".

It's an interesting technology, but besides making CNNs coverage of elections
more X-treme, who is going to use this?

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rbanffy
I, for one, would superimpose some blue skies and nice fluffy clouds upon
rainy afternoons... And big, silvery dirigibles. Always liked those.

Notice the background is very clean - most real windows will show you
buildings and trees. If, however, that could be combined with "privacy glass",
specially if you could make the glass less transparent on a pixel-by-pixel
way, then I would consider changing all my windows.

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gyom
It seems to me like most people commenting here see this as transparent TV
instead of seeing it as futuristic window that displays stuff !

I'd like to have this kind of stuff on certain windows, and not as a
replacement for a TV, that big piece of furniture that sits in a living room.

It's a bit like "surfaces" by Microsoft. It's not really about turning
computers into tables, but it's about turning tables into amazing futuristic
furniture (that are extra useful).

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schultzi
A camera in the back and some video tools could make for some really awesome
desktops. Seeing a virtual Godzilla stomp around the city would be so cool.
Bonzi Buddy 2020.

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Groxx
Anyone know if LG's has solar-poweredness? This mentions nothing along those
lines: <http://justinireland.com/lg-transparent-lcd/> via
<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2266954>

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netmau5
I love the future. Hopefully this won't go the way of the OLED and be way too
expensive for practical use. I know it's only a matter of time, but I want
this now! There are so many interest problems that a technology like this one
could be applied in solving.

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collint
Yup. This is what I want at my desk.

Now I just need to find a great window with a view :)

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high5ths
Obviously incredibly cool, but at the same time, how often do you want to see
what is behind your monitor? Other than storefront windows and cars I would
think it would be distracting to have everything be transparent.

But it is very, very cool.

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JoeAltmaier
If its cheaper, that would drive adoption lots of places that don't have tv.
E.g. Africa, dorm rooms, shower stalls...

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SoftwareMaven
Another story on it, since this one isn't working for me:
[http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/03/samsung-unveils-
see-...](http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/03/samsung-unveils-see-through-
solar-powered-tv.php)

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neolefty
Looks like it's not actively backlit? Way cooler than it has any right to be,
at least in the daytime. Brightness is automatically directly proportional to
the light coming from behind! Wonder what they have planned for night.

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jarin
Maybe you could have thin LED strips on the sides to side-light it?

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cskau
How long before some guy is caught watching porn on the window.. ?

Seriously though, there really isn't much privacy if all of your screen
watching is clearly visible to anyone walking by on the street.

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Vipsy
Seeing how they marketed LED TV, it might be possible they put a camera at the
back of it, and mixed the images. Here is the transparent TV :)

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chadgeidel
I'd love this. I would put them in my kitchen (white walls, well lit) and run
the power cable out to my deck. Handy.

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elai
Clever, take a lcd panel, remove the backlighting and put semi-transparent
solar panels one or both sides.

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bnegreve
Why would you see behind your TV while watching a movie ?

