Hey everyone! I'm diving into a cool project to create a transparent info screen for my home, using a Raspberry Pi. I'm trying to decide whether I should use an old monitor or a laptop screen for the display. I really want to avoid repurposing a tablet since it doesn't match my wife's design vibe. I've watched some videos showing how to use transparent panels in PC builds, but I don't want to build a PC. I'm leaning towards disassembling either an old PC monitor (which seems to have more tutorials available) or a laptop display (which might give me better screen ratios but has less resources out there). Here are some of the pros and cons I've thought of:
- **Old Monitor**: More tutorials available, but the 16:9 ratio isn't ideal for my project and might require soldering.
- **Laptop Screen**: Less guidance, possibly better ratios, but I'm worried about compatibility with the Raspberry Pi and whether I can find a converter.
Since I have a software background, I'm comfortable with the tech side but this is new territory for me. Any advice on which route has fewer headaches would be appreciated! Thanks!
2 Answers
It sounds like a cool project! Just to clarify, are you trying to make a see-through screen like in those sci-fi movies? Regardless, if you can get a monitor with a compatible port, it’ll save you a lot of the hassle. Also, if you're struggling to find old monitors, try looking online or at local electronics recyclers—you might find a gem!
I'd say go with the old monitor. Using an HDMI to ribbon converter for a laptop display can be quite tricky due to all the different variants out there. Monitors with a 4:3 aspect ratio or even 5:4 can still be found easily and are often very cheap or even free if the backlight is broken. Plus, using HDMI is a lot simpler than trying to figure out the more complex setup for LVDS displays with a Raspberry Pi.