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Comment by EricE | Hacker News Reader

Use over windows? Seems an obvious application.

Something like a window that displays an unobtrusive temperature or forecast could be nice. But I can't imagine the market for that is huge compared to the market for TVs. Plus, windows put in place stay in place for decades, so it's a support nightmare, no chance to sell upgrades, etc.

Another option would be bathroom mirrors displaying news / forecast, which is something hobbyists already implement with one-way mirrors and normal LCD displays hidden behind. At least conceptually, mirrors could become a piece of tech you "upgrade" every 2-5 years. But again, how big is that market?

It could be an alternative to automotive displays. That's a big market, and it would probably look and work better than these "mirror" HUDs you can find in some vehicles today.

I like my views and I can't imagine a scenario in which I'd want any windows covered by TV screens.

Lets put it this way. Now you have an extra viewing window when your not turning on the tv

It's not extra, you'd be replacing the existing window you already look out of.

Either way, windows are not generally the focal point of the room, you'd have an awkward viewing position.

Most likely the sun would be an issue too, the TV picture would only really be visible during dusk/dawn/night.

Also do you have shutters behind the window so outsiders don't see your screen or...?

I don't see any sort of practicality.

I can see this working in a glass house, which aren't that uncommon...some new buildings really go on maximizing window space on a skyscraper so that you don't really have a wall on the exterior (more common in China than the USA for sure). See for example:

https://www.luxurychicagoapartments.com/blog/luxury-design-e...

If you could turn the window dark with an exterior black out shade, you could have a TV on-demand without completely ruining your view.

It is a very niche use case though, but one I've thought of before when looking at some newer luxury housing that goes for big windows on all sides.

Show a sunset, or whatever weather, at any time.

Housing is in short supply and rents are higher than what many can afford.

Enter the ad-subsidized rental.

You can now afford a one-bedroom shoebox in a gleaming post-modernist glass tower downtown in exchange for being exposed to streaming ads on all your windows 24 hours a day. These condos have a lot of windows.

Housing crisis solved, and the market of poors is constantly exapanding so even if margins are slim it can be made up for in volume. Win-win.

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