Electronics: Akiniscope display

When I started to think about the Akiniscope, it was of course just an idea. It first became a possibility when I bought the display. It felt like a big step, spending money on something that I was not sure would make it to reality.

I knew I wanted Akiniscope to look old, but fitting an old display, a CRT, felt impractical. I also wanted a size that people could see, while wandering round a gallery, say (should it ever make its way into a gallery). So, above 7″, and HDMI probably. 10.1″ seemed a reasonable compromise, if I could find one I could afford. After hunting for a couple of months, I found one by a Chinese manufacturer, and at this price, I worried about quality.

It’s not yet been soak tested, but works. So far the only problem I’ve found is that it displays the source at startup. That brief ‘HDMI’ in the corner annoys me, as it spoils the aesthetic I’m going for, it breaks the illusion. I’ve asked the manufacturer if it can be configured to be switched off, but they say it can’t. I’m sure it can, by altering the firmware, but why make a change that very few customers would want?

The display is also too perfect, as is the camera. So I will look at ways of simply distorting the display, maybe with thick plastic.