Can someone please explain this effect ???

[Just thinking]

On my DVD player there is a small display of both red and blue lighted characters (LED's ?). When looking at them from normal viewing distances (over 8 feet away) the red characters appear raised from the display, as if they are a centimeter or so above the blue adjacent ones. As I get closer to the set they drop back to being flat -- the way they should be expected to appear; the same as the blue. Also, this effect only happens when I'm wearing my glasses (normal ones for nearsightedness --- diopter of -3). If I remove my glasses they both (red and blue characters) appear flat, meaning on the surface of their display. It's a rather pronounced effect.

[Ziggurat]

On my DVD player there is a small display of both red and blue lighted characters (LED's ?). When looking at them from normal viewing distances (over 8 feet away) the red characters appear raised from the display, as if they are a centimeter or so above the blue adjacent ones. As I get closer to the set they drop back to being flat -- the way they should be expected to appear; the same as the blue. Also, this effect only happens when I'm wearing my glasses (normal ones for nearsightedness --- diopter of -3). If I remove my glasses they both (red and blue characters) appear flat, meaning on the surface of their display. It's a rather pronounced effect.

Glasses work by using a different index of refraction from air. Ideally, this index of refraction should be the same for all wavelengths of light you're interested in focusing, but in reality it isn't. Red light and blue light get focused slightly differently. The difference is minor, but it is real (which is why you can see rainbow colors around the edge of light focused by your glasses). Most objects you see are sending many different wavelengths of light towards your eyes, and even a typical red object, for example, is red because that's the dominant color it's reflecting, not necessesarily because that's the only color it's reflecting. But LED's are very monochromatic - more monochromatic than anything you'll find in nature. So instead of what's usually an imperceptible blurring that occurs because the wavelength-dependent index of refraction of light smears out a continuous distribution of colors, you get two distinct colors which are focused slightly differently with nothing in between them to tell your brain there's an "average" position.

[Just thinking]

And I'll guess that red and blue being virtually at opposite ends of the spectrum helps this effect be even more pronounced.

Thanks --- it makes the most sense.

[tkingdoll]

Take a photo so we can all see.

Titter!

[Ziggurat]

Take a photo so we can all see.

Titter!

That's cruel. :boggled:

[Just thinking]

Here's an on-line shot (http://images.digitalmedianet.com/2006/Week_51/lu65amnz/story/oppo_dv_981hd_product.jpg) of the player, but it's not displaying anything. The colored characters are on the small bluish display panel on the right.

I don't own a digital camera.

[tkingdoll]

Here's an on-line shot (http://images.digitalmedianet.com/2006/Week_51/lu65amnz/story/oppo_dv_981hd_product.jpg) of the player, but it's not displaying anything. The colored characters are on the small bluish display panel on the right.

I don't own a digital camera.

Gosh, Merc is right. I'm not funny. :(

[Just thinking]

Actually, I thought you wanted to see what player it was so perhaps you could better visualize the effect --- not actually see it happen on the screen.

[petra10]

I think the answer is that you were glasses.When I go for eye tests they use lights like that in the test.Also the way I see things with my glasses off is different than when I have got them on.:eye-poppi :eye-poppi :eye-poppi

[tkingdoll]

Actually, I thought you wanted to see what player it was so perhaps you could better visualize the effect --- not actually see it happen on the screen.

Heh, I was just making a silly joke. But thanks for sharing anyway. Here's mine in return: http://www.musicalaudio.fi/images/CA_dvd86s.jpg

[Soapy Sam]

Teek, I can't make out the letters. Could you hold it nearer your computer?


JT- You can see a similar effect even with oil paint if red and blue are side by side. The red appears to stand out while the blue recedes.
You may even be able to reproduce it on your monitor using MSPaint or similar.

As a long time spec wearer, I've seen it often. Modern glasses, made of resins rather than glass, for lightness, are often thinner than the equivalent glass lenses , so have higher refractive indices. The effect is more noticeable with these.

[Paulhoff]

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/488046bfb7a99240e.gif (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=7657)

If you look real hard the mouth and antenna look like they're moving.

Paul

:) :) :)

[Just thinking]

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/488046bfb7a99240e.gif (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=7657)

If you look real hard the mouth and antenna look like they're moving.

Paul

:) :) :)

You must do my Chistmas avatar --- pleeeeeze.

[Just thinking]

Heh, I was just making a silly joke. But thanks for sharing anyway. Here's mine in return: http://www.musicalaudio.fi/images/CA_dvd86s.jpg

Nice ... does it upsample?

[Paulhoff]

I thought you may use that one, oh wellllll :D

Paul

:) :) :)