Holographic Side Panel Turns Your PC Into a 3D Showpiece
Small and large versions of the panel can go inside or outside of your case window.
For many years, you've been able to adorn the inside of your PC with RGB or even with screens that go on your cooling pump or RAM. But adding a holographic display is something new . . . sortof.
At last year's CES, a company called Showcase PC demonstrated holographic PC cases that projected images from within their side panel or top panel. The cases never made it to market, but the company has changed its name to Showcase Hologram and is planning to release holographic side panel kits you can install on your existing PC chassis.
The company is offering two versions of what it is officially calling its Hologram Side Panel: a large unit that take the place of or sits in front of your PC's side window and a small kit that attaches to the inside of your PC window. The small kit is pictured in image at the top of this article.
Senior Editor Sarah Jacobsson Purewal had a chance to see the Showcase Hologram Side Panels in action at the company's CES booth. She found the images attractive, colorful and very solid (as in not too translucent). She saw images of a dancing cat, Mario and some other characters.
A Showcase rep showed Sarah how the different kits attach. The large kit, requires you to place a magnetic stand on the outside of your PC chassis and then put the clear acrylic hologram box, which contains the spinning hologram lights and electronics, on top of the stand.
The company said that the large Hologram Side Panel could take the place of your PC's existing side window if you can take the window out of your chassis. However, since it's not built into the case and is just meant to cover over the spot where your side panel would be, we might try to put this in front of our existing window instead.
View Original
View Original
View Original
View Original
The small kit sticks to the inside of your computer and can sit in a corner (they showed it in the lower left corner). The boxes are sealed and get power over USB so theoretically one could use them independently of a PC. Showcase said that that the images and animations will be uploadable via a mobile app. Any black pixels in the image will be interpreted as transparent, they said.
Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.
Making the holographic panels independent of the case seems like a much more feasible idea than last year's product with them built into a chassis. This way, you can use the holograms with a chassis you already own and the company doesn't have to get into the business of designing a case that might not appeal to everyone.
Showcase Hologram also told us that it plans to sell a variety of non-PC-related hologram kits, including frames and even wearable holograms. The small and large Hologram Sidepanel Kits will be available for $149 and $199 when they launch in Q2 or Q3 of this year.
Avram Piltch is Managing Editor: Special Projects. When he's not playing with the latest gadgets at work or putting on VR helmets at trade shows, you'll find him rooting his phone, taking apart his PC, or coding plugins. With his technical knowledge and passion for testing, Avram developed many real-world benchmarks, including our laptop battery test.
-
TechieTwo I'm curious if people sit and stare at their PC case to watch the RGB lights? Are they doing illicit drugs beforehand? Is that what a holographic side panel is about? Just asking...Reply -
PlaneInTheSky ReplyI'm curious if people sit and stare at their PC case to watch the RGB lights?
People will go to great lengths to get likes on sewer pits like Reddit. -
halfcharlie My front and side panels are glass, everything inside is clear to see, the synced LED pulse pattern of the tops of the 4 RAM sticks is both pleasing and comforting, like a beating heart. To assume that people add visual flair to their belongings for the sake of others or 'likes' is shortsighted at best and toxic at worst, I've never shared a picture of my build anywhere. In fact I have a low opinion of those who don't see the value in making something your own regardless of practicality. Specifically in regard to this product while it is overpriced and the tech has existed for a long time and could be hacked together cheaply DIY, it's interesting and I see no reason at all to deride it, as long as you aren't restricted to their designs and can make your own.Reply -
ClancyWiggum These look like they're just those spinny LED light bars in a small acrylic box with a fancy name...Reply -
Silicon Mage Is it really “Holographic”?Reply
Holograms by their very nature are 3D and this is a 2D projection, ie, flat.
Think you could achieve the same results disassembling a monitor removing the frame and backlights… -
Integr8d ReplySilicon Mage said:Is it really “Holographic”?
Holograms by their very nature are 3D and this is a 2D projection, ie, flat.
Think you could achieve the same results disassembling a monitor removing the frame and backlights…
In no way is this holography. It’s completely misleading. -
hotaru251 I personally am anti RGB however this panel could be a fun thing depending on the limitations of the image.Reply
Also for people who do design it could be useful for showing your work in an interesting way. (especially for artists who mainly work with the VR/vtuber model making) -
criticaloftom Looks like persistence of vision; NOT holography.Reply
This exists on poi & LED staves. An LED strip that has individually programmable LED's recieves 'slices' that are callibrated to it's rotational position and the rest is basic fan blur. looks like total crap as compared to the holographic photo frame that LTT showed off in one of his videos.