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Survey of Alternative Displays
  • Survey of Alternative Displays - 2024 Update Notes
  • 2022 Update Notes
  • Introduction
  • Outline
  • Standard Displays
    • Standard Displays Overview
    • LED
    • Projector
  • Alternative Displays
    • Overview
    • Transparent
    • Volumetric Displays
    • Modified Polarizers
    • Electronic Paper/E-Ink
    • Flexible Displays
    • Lasers and Laser Projectors
    • Lenticular and Multiview Displays
    • Light-field Displays
    • Head Mounted Displays
    • Circular and Non Rectangular
  • Techniques
    • Overview
    • Pepper's Ghost
    • Projection on Static Transparent Material
    • Volumetric Projection
    • Projection on Water or Fog
    • Diffusion and Distortion Techniques
  • Experimental/Other
    • Overview
    • Physical/Mechanical Displays
    • Switchable Glass
    • Drone Displays
    • Ultrasonic Atomization of Water
    • Electrochromic Paint
    • Light activated and other Reactive Surfaces and Materials
    • Scanning Fiber Optics
    • Acoustic Levitation Display
    • Plasma Combustion
    • High Refresh Rate Displays
    • Other Experiments
  • Legacy
    • Overview
    • Cathode Ray Tube
    • Eggcrate and other Numeric Displays
    • Glasses-enabled 3D
    • Pyrotechnics and Other Curiosities
  • Closing Notes
  • Appendix
    • Holograms and the Ideal Display
    • Misleading Terms
    • Notes about Touch Screens
    • Virtual Production and XR
    • LCD Polarizer Removal
    • DIY Transparent Screens
    • Acknowledgements and Additional References
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  • Circular Displays
  • Non-Rectangular

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  1. Alternative Displays

Circular and Non Rectangular

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Last updated 11 months ago

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While these displays might technically fall under the more traditional display types, non-rectangular displays do feel like a bit of a special beast that warrant their own category. Even 1x1 square displays, while rectangular, are still a bit hard to find these days.

Circular Displays

There aren't a ton of specific providers for these displays for consumer use since the cost and difficulty to produce makes them less likely to be produced in small volumes.

Here are a couple resources I've come across for round and rounded edge displays:

  • Some of these smaller displays are not necessarily meant to be driven by an HDMI connection and might need something a little more exotic like an SPI or ribbon connector to a driver.

  • SInce the use case for these displays is rare, usually the circular effect is achieved by putting a physical mask overtop of a standard display.

Non-Rectangular

These are a bit more unusual than circular displays. The only ones I've seen very occasionally are triangular displays, but they aren't produced very often.

has a number of circular displays at sizes from around 1" to 5" diameter (with a square resolution). Surprisingly reasonable prices of less than $200/unit and just regular HDMI input drivers. They also have a couple displays with rounded edges instead of corners at various small sizes as well. As a bonus, most of these also include touch sensing capabilities as well. I currently see resolution ranges at around 240x240 for the smaller ones and 1080x1080 for the larger ones.

also has a a couple circular displays meant to be combined with things like Raspberry Pi's

has a range of options for circular as well but no specs on size ranges.

I've seen for a Triangular display

Waveshare
Adafruit
Crystal Display Solutions
Here is one resource