Techno-junk

[ffutures]

Todays new techno-junk from Ebay is a Polaroid PMP 500 LCD display, basically a transparent mono VGA LCD panel that sits on top of an OHP and turns it into a rather limited data projector - rather limited because it looks to be maximum 640x480 resolution, and the PCs at work won't go below 800x600. I'm not complaining because I used to sell them for several hundred quid, got it for 16 quid including postage, and the transformer and carrying case (a huge flat black polypropylene thing that looks like it should hold a sniper rifle) are probably worth more. Not sure what I'm going to do with it, one thing that crossed my mind is that it might be of use for SF cons or something.

If anyone has a use for it let me know; it'd be a shame to discard it.

Comments

[raygungothic.livejournal.com]

Do you reckon it'd be possible to photographically print (ordinary b&w) through one of those?

I have a twisted vision, you see. If you could, it could provide live Photoshop masking in the chemical darkroom. That would be very useful, if faintly surreal.

What are the dimensions?

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Don't see why not - the panel is about 6 x 7", but there's a thick frame with the controls and a cooling fan. Not sure how opaque it is on its darkest setting, I'd guess it's about equivalent to an NDx2 filter or similar. It wouldn't fit in an enlarger, but you could use it as a mask of sorts.

But I should mention that it seemed to lose the signal a couple of times while I was trying it and give an interfrence pattern rather than a clear picture. This may just have been a dodgy connection to the PC, I didn't have the VGA plug in very tightly, but it could be a hardware problem.

[raygungothic.livejournal.com]

so at 6x7... if it's far enough off the paper not to be in focus... that will cover 10x8 easily. (pardon my thinking out loud) Excellent!

Does it do greyscale or is it pure black & white only?

Many thanks!

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

It does grey but not very well, there's not many shades.

[raygungothic.livejournal.com]

Two or three would be enough. I should like to provide a home for this, if you decide you don't want to keep it. Would £20 or £30 cover it?

Thanks

L.