A TV set that becomes a mirror at the flick of a switch will go on sale in the UK in March.
The 拢2500 MiraVision system from Philips of the Netherlands is made up of a 58-centimetre wide-screen LCD that is covered with a thin semi-reflective sheet, mounted in a picture frame.
When the screen is switched on, anyone standing in front of it sees only the picture. With the television switched off, the surface behaves like an ordinary mirror.
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MiraVision can even be both things at once. Anyone wanting to watch TV while brushing their hair or fixing their make-up can switch to 鈥減icture in mirror鈥� mode, which displays a small image in the corner of the frame.
The screen can also be wired to a PC and used as an outsize monitor. Philips hopes eventually to make a waterproof version for use in bathrooms.