Eggcrate display
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An eggcrate display is a display technology that consists of a matrix of lightbulbs. Behind the matrix lies a foam backing with a series of indentations to accommodate the bulbs, which resembles the indentations in an eggcrate.
Most eggcrate displays use a complete 5×7 matrix for each digit, permitting the display of nearly all alphanumeric characters. Some variants exist that can only display numbers, but require fewer bulbs. Many game shows that once used eggcrate displays have since switched to more versatile plasma screen monitors.
Eggcrate displays are often used on game shows because other types of display, like LED seven-segment displays, are prone to being washed out by bright studio lights.
[edit] Eggcrate display appearances
Eggcrate displays have been used in several programs, mostly game shows.
- On an episode of Alice in 1981, Vera was attempting to break the tap dancing endurance record. The clock was eggcrate.
- In the movie Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, the countdown to Dr. Evil's doomsday device was displayed on a red eggcrate display.
- The 1978–1981 version of Card Sharks used an eggcrate display on the podium during the Money Cards. In the 1986-1989 version, the eggcrate display was red and was a chroma-key slot during the Money Cards.
- The original Chain Reaction in 1980 used eggcrate displays for the main game.
- Family Feud used eggcrate displays as a fast money clock from 1976 to 1985. (However, the main game board was composed of flip-dot displays, not eggcrate displays, throughout the Dawson and Combs eras.) Beginning with the return of Family Feud in 1999, each family's podium has an eggcrate display for the score.
- Fun House, a children's game show hosted by J.D. Roth which ran from 1988–1991, Used the second incarnation of the Eggcrates. The 0, 4, 5, and 7 look different, but every other number is the same. On the pilot, the familiar eggcrate look was used.
- The Canadian game show Kidstreet used eggcrate displays.
- The 1978–79 revival and 1983 pilot of Jeopardy! used eggcrate displays, but switched to vane in 1984.
- The original version of the Goodson–Todman game show Now You See It used blue and green eggcrate displays to display the scores of the contestants in the main round. An eggcrate display was also present during the solo round, which was used to keep track of the amount of money the contestant had won.
- Press Your Luck (and its predecessor, Second Chance) used eggcrate displays to display the spins and score.
- The Price Is Right uses eggcrate displays in several of its pricing games, including Card Game, Plinko, and Switcheroo. Also, eggcrate displays are used for displaying the contestants' bids during the Showcases.
- As teams accumulated time at the beginning of Supermarket Sweep, it was displayed on red (1990–1993), yellow (1993–1994), and blue (1994–1995; 2000-2003) eggcrate displays under their podiums.
- Until 2002, Wheel of Fortune used eggcrate displays to display the contestants' scores.
- The Ben Stein game show uses eggcrate displays on the decreasing $5,000 above Ben and the contestant's scoreboards and in the isolation booths.
- Most Barry & Enright game shows such as The Jokers Wild, Tic Tac Dough, Bullseye, and Hot Potato used eggcrate displays.
- They are sometimes used to display the time and temperature on signage outside banks.[citation needed]
- Eggcrate displays have been used at sports arenas and stadiums, however, they are largely being replaced by LED-based displays.[citation needed]
[edit] See also
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