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

zoiks

Lifer
Jan 13, 2000
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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?
 

smack Down

Diamond Member
Sep 10, 2005
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The best you can do is turn off the monitor. You can see reflections in CRT monitors when they are off.
 

zoiks

Lifer
Jan 13, 2000
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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.
 

djheater

Lifer
Mar 19, 2001
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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.

I don't think you understand how reflections work.

No, it's not possible.
 

zoiks

Lifer
Jan 13, 2000
11,787
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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.

I don't think you understand how reflections work.

No, it's not possible.

Maybe I don't. Can you elaborate on how they work and why it wouldn't be possible?
 

zoiks

Lifer
Jan 13, 2000
11,787
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Originally posted by: her209
Just because its chrome colored doesn't make it reflect.

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.
 

her209

No Lifer
Oct 11, 2000
56,336
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Originally posted by: zoiks
Originally posted by: her209
Just because its chrome colored doesn't make it reflect.
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.
Take a picture of your mirror.
 

zoiks

Lifer
Jan 13, 2000
11,787
3
81
Originally posted by: her209
Originally posted by: zoiks
Originally posted by: her209
Just because its chrome colored doesn't make it reflect.
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.
Take a picture of your mirror.


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.
 

her209

No Lifer
Oct 11, 2000
56,336
11
0
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.
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.
Take a picture of your mirror.
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.
Two mirrors facing each other.
 

djheater

Lifer
Mar 19, 2001
14,637
2
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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.
 

Kelvrick

Lifer
Feb 14, 2001
18,422
5
81
Iono what kinda software is out there, but it would involve a webcam and pushing the video feed onto your desktop.
 

PoPPeR

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 2002
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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
 

zoiks

Lifer
Jan 13, 2000
11,787
3
81
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.


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.
 

Kirby64

Golden Member
Apr 24, 2006
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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.

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

PS: zoiks: No, just no.
 

rambow

Banned
Dec 6, 2005
188
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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

hmmm a cell phone you say.... quite rly
 

letdown427

Golden Member
Jan 3, 2006
1,594
1
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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.
 

djheater

Lifer
Mar 19, 2001
14,637
2
0
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.


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.

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...