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why the double image?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by toronado455, Apr 17, 2009.

  1. toronado455

    toronado455 Member

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    [​IMG]

    Why do that have to design the combination meter so that it has this annoying double image?

    [​IMG]

    Is it being reflected in a mirror or glass or something? Neither the touch tracer nor the Vacuum Fluorescent Display on the right side suffer from this problem - they both look nice and crisp. They should have just made the whole thing like that. Seriously, this is my only complaint with the Prius. It just seem like a really stupid design flaw in an otherwise really intelligent car.
     
    #1 toronado455, Apr 17, 2009
  2. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    It's supposed to look like that as it was intentional by design. It has a 3d effect to it when you are sitting in the car in the drivers seat. As I and others have mentioned before, you have to sit in the car and use the touch tracer system to fully appreciate it. It is in no way as 'annoying' as it looks in the pictures you posted.

     
    #2 Paradox, Apr 17, 2009
  3. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    The foreground touch-tracer images only appear when you touch the controls on the steering wheel. The touch-tracer image appears to float in space in front of the main display.

    Tom
     
    #3 qbee42, Apr 17, 2009
  4. Texas911

    Texas911 Member

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    Because if its like the Gen 2 Prius display, you're actually looking at a mirror reflecting the LCD panel in the dash. Looks like a glass mirror with the coating on the back side, what you're seeing is the reflection off of the front of the glass then the mirrored back.
     
    #4 Texas911, Apr 17, 2009
  5. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    Sitting directly in front of the display, that's a non-issue. Anything to an angle... which unfortunately most of the camera positions are... reveals a double. In other words, passengers will see it but the driver won't.

    Positioning is easy to confirm too. The speedometer will be centered with the tracer objects. You won't see overlap like most of the photos show.
    .
     
    #5 john1701a, Apr 17, 2009
  6. toronado455

    toronado455 Member

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    Exactly. That's what I'm talking about. It appears the display is being reflected twice - once by the mirror coating and once by the glass surface a few millimeters above it - hence the double image. My question is why use a mirror on any of it? They don't use a mirror for the FVD (on the right side) which displays the vehicle info, so clearly it's not impossible to create a display without a mirror. What is the justification for using something as incredibly low-tech and flawed as a mirrored display in this otherwise highly advanced automobile? Seriously.
     
    #6 toronado455, Apr 19, 2009
  7. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    The mirror allows the actual display to be in the dashboard while the display appears to be under the front windscreen. There are a few advantages, the biggest is the speedo appears to be over a metre in front of the driver so it is quicker to read then re-focus on the traffic ahaed. It also allows the speedo to be high in your line of sight and not affected by having the heat of the sun on its back. When you're driving you don't notice a double reflection, I have never heard a Prius owner complain about it and the speedo has been reflected in a mirror for a long time now.
    Oh, also it looks cool.
    Go for a drive and see what you think.
     
    #7 patsparks, Apr 19, 2009
  8. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Because if you do, you'll end up with the Civic's two-tiered dash. The speedo is in front of the driver, above the tach and is an actual screen. With the Prius, it's reflected so that the image appears to be farther away (In the current Prius, the speedo looks like it's under the front wipers). This way, as PatSparks described, is easier to focus and refocus the eyes between the road and the speedo.

    Also, the Touch Tracer is floating because it's only there when you touch the button, so why does it need to be imprinted in a screen?
     
    #8 Tideland Prius, Apr 19, 2009
  9. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    A video is worth a thousand words. Watch it for the Ah Hah! moment. :D

     
    #9 usbseawolf2000, Apr 19, 2009
    1 person likes this.
  10. toronado455

    toronado455 Member

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    But they could have just as easily put a directly-viewed speedo in that same location (where the mirror is). Just design it with the actual display in the same place instead of a mirror. Problem solved.



    I notice it in the current gen and it is really annoying to me. Maybe it's because I'm taller and see the double image rather than lining up in a spot where I wouldn't see that.
     
    #10 toronado455, Apr 19, 2009
  11. toronado455

    toronado455 Member

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    But high up and directly in front of the driver is good. At least in the Civic they don't employ a mirror - you look directly at the display. I don't see why they couldn't have just designed it with a directly-viewed display like in the Civic.

    I think the Touch Tracer looks great! However they did that, it works fantastic because there is no double image.

    Clearly I'm in the minority in that I'm bothered by the mirror-reflected display. I also don't like font-smoothing on computers because of the blurriness. I prefer crisp edges on any text or display, and to me, reflecting something in a mirror causes too much distortion.
     
    #11 toronado455, Apr 19, 2009
  12. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    mmm I understand what you mean but the additional benefit of a mirror image is that you can create the illusion that it's farther away. If the speedo is farther away, your eyes will refocus on the road a lot quicker than if you were to focus on a speedo that's closer as it would be on the Civic. (and closer still on regular cars.
     
    #12 Tideland Prius, Apr 19, 2009
  13. toronado455

    toronado455 Member

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    Yeah, those are precisely the type of visual illusions I don't like. For example, font smoothing on computers creates the illusion of higher resolution than is actually available on a display. Another example are the old coin-op arcade games that used a TV pointing up at an angled mirror. Those types of illusions work for most people, but I just see what's really there. In the Prius, that means I see a brighter, primary image that is reflected in the mirror coating and a dimmer, secondary image reflected in the glass surface. I'd rather just be looking at the actual display than reflections.
     
    #13 toronado455, Apr 20, 2009
  14. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    At night time, bright isn't good. If anything, I long for dimmer before it goes completely dark. I've often found that the dimmer knob was a compromise on button brightness vs. display brightness. I'd love a darker display but somewhat brighter buttons.
     
    #14 HTMLSpinnr, Apr 20, 2009
  15. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Ohhhhh.... lol I see. I fully understand now.
     
    #15 Tideland Prius, Apr 21, 2009
  16. matt ackerman

    matt ackerman Junior Member

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    I just bought an 11 (which I LOVE), but also find that double image in the center dash display very annoying.

    It makes me feel like my eyes are going blurry.

    Is there no fix for that??

    Arrgghh..
     
    #16 matt ackerman, Apr 24, 2011
  17. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    You can argue or debate whether you like the use of mirror reflections and the design of The Prius dash display. I think for one of the most technically advanced vehicles you can purchase the Dash display is disappointing.

    Vacume Flourescent Display reminds me too much of a 70's digital alarm clock. This is one area I really think Toyota and Prius could improve. I think Fords, and Honda's dash's for their Hybrids are a step ahead.

    It wouldn't be a deal breaker for me...but I think Toyota needs to improve the look.
     
    #17 The Electric Me, Apr 24, 2011
  18. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    I totally agree. When we viewed the GenIII for the first time in Detroit I wasn't too concerned about the look of the dash display. Then I saw what Ford came out with and the disappointment set in. I really like the techie displays that a lot of the new cars have. The Prius dash looks seriously outdated.
     
    #18 F8L, Apr 24, 2011
  19. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Yep. Looking at the Fusion Hybrid's display (It's TFT, right?), the Prius looks ancient. The high resolution, colourful graphics and customisable screens depending on your experience with the hybrid system (beginner to advanced) is pretty cool.
     
    #19 Tideland Prius, Apr 24, 2011
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