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Is it possible to make the computer screen act like a mirror using software?

Z

zoiks

Lifer
So is it possible to have your screen become like a mirror so that you could see the reflection similar or close to that of a true mirror. Does such software exist or is it just not possible?
 
Not in flat panels though. I was thinking something like a software that renders or paints chrome that would mimic a mirror when you looked at it.
 
Originally posted by: zoiks
Not in flat panels though. I was thinking something like a software that renders or paints chrome that would mimic a mirror when you looked at it.
Click to expand...

I don't think you understand how reflections work.

No, it's not possible.
 
Originally posted by: djheater
Originally posted by: zoiks
Not in flat panels though. I was thinking something like a software that renders or paints chrome that would mimic a mirror when you looked at it.
Click to expand...

I don't think you understand how reflections work.

No, it's not possible.
Click to expand...

Maybe I don't. Can you elaborate on how they work and why it wouldn't be possible?
 
Originally posted by: her209
Just because its chrome colored doesn't make it reflect.
Click to expand...

So if I see a surface that is chrome colored, bright chrome that is, I'm sure to see my reflection somewhat distorted it may be. It is still there.

I'm just looking for a more concrete answer I guess if it is indeed not possible.
 
Originally posted by: zoiks
Originally posted by: her209
Just because its chrome colored doesn't make it reflect.
Click to expand...
So if I see a surface that is chrome colored, bright chrome that is, I'm sure to see my reflection somewhat distorted it may be. It is still there.

I'm just looking for a more concrete answer I guess if it is indeed not possible.
Click to expand...
Take a picture of your mirror.
 
Originally posted by: her209
Originally posted by: zoiks
Originally posted by: her209
Just because its chrome colored doesn't make it reflect.
Click to expand...
So if I see a surface that is chrome colored, bright chrome that is, I'm sure to see my reflection somewhat distorted it may be. It is still there.

I'm just looking for a more concrete answer I guess if it is indeed not possible.
Click to expand...
Take a picture of your mirror.
Click to expand...


The problem is that I wouldn't be taking a picture of the mirror but rather that of the reflection. So that will not work.
 
Originally posted by: zoiks
Originally posted by: her209
Originally posted by: zoiks
Originally posted by: her209
Just because its chrome colored doesn't make it reflect.
Click to expand...
So if I see a surface that is chrome colored, bright chrome that is, I'm sure to see my reflection somewhat distorted it may be. It is still there.

I'm just looking for a more concrete answer I guess if it is indeed not possible.
Click to expand...
Take a picture of your mirror.
Click to expand...
The problem is that I wouldn't be taking a picture of the mirror but rather that of the reflection. So that will not work.
Click to expand...
Two mirrors facing each other.
 
A reflection, is REFLECTED light.
A monitor functions by GENERATING light.


You could potentially make an LCD with a reflective backing, so that it would reflect when off, or through clever engineering get the reflective background to be viewable through the LCD.
 
i remember a girl friend of mine having a cell phone whose front LCD screen could turn into a mirror. But I never actually cared enough to look closely and it's been 4 or 5 years. Basically I contribute nothing to this thread but complicate things a little bit
 
Originally posted by: djheater
A reflection, is REFLECTED light.
A monitor functions by GENERATING light.


You could potentially make an LCD with a reflective backing, so that it would reflect when off, or through clever engineering get the reflective background to be viewable through the LCD.
Click to expand...


I agree about the reflecting light and the monitor generating light.
But is it possible that using the generated light, that you could portray the same characteristics of a mirror that enables it to display a reflection when an external light strikes it.
 
Originally posted by: zoiks
Not in flat panels though. I was thinking something like a software that renders or paints chrome that would mimic a mirror when you looked at it.
Click to expand...

My flat panel monitor shows my reflection when off. Shiny gloss finish FTW 😉

PS: zoiks: No, just no.
 
Originally posted by: PoPPeR
i remember a girl friend of mine having a cell phone whose front LCD screen could turn into a mirror. But I never actually cared enough to look closely and it's been 4 or 5 years. Basically I contribute nothing to this thread but complicate things a little bit
Click to expand...

hmmm a cell phone you say.... quite rly
 
As was said, a mirror/shiny thing is shiny and reflects because it reflects light. A monitor pumps out light based on what's come along the monitor cable.

You could put a picture of a mirror as your desktop background, you wouldn't be able to see yourself in it.

You'd need a webcam to feed in the info to the monitor, and even then, it wouldn't be like a mirror.

Best you could hope for would be to have the monitor be like a window. (Anyone done this? I've always thought it'd be quite 'cool')

EDIT:

Zoiks: The characteristics of a mirror are that light bounces back from it, you can't make a monitor bounce back light better by pumping out more light from it... Just like you don't see many reflections when on a torch when you shine one in your eye. Well, I suppose you're seeing a lot of relection really, but just, no.
 
Originally posted by: zoiks
Originally posted by: djheater
A reflection, is REFLECTED light.
A monitor functions by GENERATING light.


You could potentially make an LCD with a reflective backing, so that it would reflect when off, or through clever engineering get the reflective background to be viewable through the LCD.
Click to expand...


I agree about the reflecting light and the monitor generating light.
But is it possible that using the generated light, that you could portray the same characteristics of a mirror that enables it to display a reflection when an external light strikes it.
Click to expand...

No.

The disconnect is that you're not thinking of the particle characteristics of light.
The reflection you see is because no light is absorbed by the mirror it is cast back to your eye.
The monitor, generating light, does not reflect it, it is already pouring out it's own stream...
 
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