Making a see through display

[MUD03]

     After seeing that video with the display as a case window I started making one for myself. I'm using an old laptop screen and the controller board is already ordered. I have it pretty much done, just need to hook up the board when it gets here. The only problem I foresee is the darkness of the panel I used. I took apart a couple other displays first so I would know what I was doing before I took apart the only one I had that would fit my case window and they both seemed much lighter. At this point I'm thinking what I will be able to see inside the case will just be a blurry mess. 

My thoughts on fixes for this: 

Get a lighter polarizing film and replace what is currently on my screen. I don't have a lot of knowledge on this, i'm assuming it isn't that simple. 

I don't think this will work but if anyone knows what happens when you take both polarizing films off, that would be really helpful or at least interesting to know. I know if you take just the front off the screen would just show up white, I assume if you take both off that wouldn't change?

And as a last resort, a different monitor. I don't want to drop a lot of money on this project. So far I have only spent $25 for the controller board and I don't want to go much higher. But if it comes to that than maybe someone has some experience with this (doubtful) and can point me to some options that they know would be light enough? To fit my side panel it can be no more than 14" for 16:9 and no more than 17" for a 4:3. A 17" 4:3 would be perfect actually so, if someone knows a reliable one I can get on the cheap, this might turn into option #1.

     Anyone have some insight for me?

[W-L]

29 minutes ago, MUD03 said:

     After seeing that video with the display as a case window I started making one for myself. I'm using an old laptop screen and the controller board is already ordered. I have it pretty much done, just need to hook up the board when it gets here. The only problem I foresee is the darkness of the panel I used. I took apart a couple other displays first so I would know what I was doing before I took apart the only one I had that would fit my case window and they both seemed much lighter. At this point I'm thinking what I will be able to see inside the case will just be a blurry mess. 

My thoughts on fixes for this: 

Get a lighter polarizing film and replace what is currently on my screen. I don't have a lot of knowledge on this, i'm assuming it isn't that simple. 

I don't think this will work but if anyone knows what happens when you take both polarizing films off, that would be really helpful or at least interesting to know. I know if you take just the front off the screen would just show up white, I assume if you take both off that wouldn't change?

And as a last resort, a different monitor. I don't want to drop a lot of money on this project. So far I have only spent $25 for the controller board and I don't want to go much higher. But if it comes to that than maybe someone has some experience with this (doubtful) and can point me to some options that they know would be light enough? To fit my side panel it can be no more than 14" for 16:9 and no more than 17" for a 4:3. A 17" 4:3 would be perfect actually so, if someone knows a reliable one I can get on the cheap, this might turn into option #1.

     Anyone have some insight for me?

This here goes over it quite well but essentially you take apart the backlight and diffusing layers to be left with a bare LCD. You would need to just re route the control circuity board and power connections to the screen.

https://hackaday.com/2013/12/31/case-modder-builds-lcd-window-causes-lsd-flashbacks/

[MUD03]

2 hours ago, W-L said:

This here goes over it quite well but essentially you take apart the backlight and diffusing layers to be left with a bare LCD. You would need to just re route the control circuity board and power connections to the screen.

https://hackaday.com/2013/12/31/case-modder-builds-lcd-window-causes-lsd-flashbacks/

I have the LCD bare, the problem is that the polarizing film on it is too dark to see through it clearly.

[W-L]

12 minutes ago, MUD03 said:

I have the LCD bare, the problem is that the polarizing film on it is too dark to see through it clearly.

It needs to be heavily backlight with LED's, removing the polarizing film will prevent the screen from properly functioning as a display. You best option would be to have along all the edges and have the light reflect off of surfaces to provide a nice even light back through the side panel. 

[MUD03]

2 minutes ago, W-L said:

It needs to be heavily backlight with LED's, removing the polarizing film will prevent the screen from properly functioning as a display. You best option would be to have along all the edges and have the light reflect off of surfaces to provide a nice even light back through the side panel. 

Well, I hope that's all it comes to. The other screens I took apart were much more transparent. I guess I will just have to find out in a couple days when I get the rest of the parts. 

[W-L]

1 minute ago, MUD03 said:

Well, I hope that's all it comes to. The other screens I took apart were much more transparent. I guess I will just have to find out in a couple days when I get the rest of the parts. 

Yes transparency can vary between different panels so you might need to experiment to see which one is the best. Most will have some darkness or tinted look to them.