Two ways to make a ghost
The word hologram covers two different pieces of engineering, and most disappointment in this field comes from buying one when the situation wanted the other.
The hologram box is a transparent LCD panel mounted inside a cabinet with internal lighting and anti-glare glass. Content rendered with a black background appears to float inside the box, and because the panel is transparent, a real product placed behind it can sit inside the scene. Our Halo Box is this: an 86-inch panel in a 2071 × 600 × 1242 mm frame, or a 21.5-inch Mini for counters.
The projection hologram is a projector throwing an image onto a surface designed to catch it — a black or dark glass hologram screen for rear projection, a transparent film, or an acrylic silhouette cut to the shape of a person for a virtual promoter. The image can be as large as the wall behind it. At a national memorial in Jordan we built a rear-projection hologram structure in the main hall, black-glass screens at the entrance and in an exhibition hall, and a filmed presenter mapped onto a silhouette — all described in the case study.
Neither is a true light-field hologram. Both are called holograms by every client and every visitor, and both work without glasses. The choice between them is about the room, the audience and the money.
What the box is good at
Brightness. The Halo Box panel is rated at 400 cd/m² with a 178-degree viewing angle and anti-glare glass. It reads in a mall atrium, an airport hall or a glass-fronted lobby at midday. This is the single biggest practical advantage over projection, which fights ambient light and usually loses.
Interaction. The 86-inch unit carries 40-point infrared touch with under 8 ms response, a built-in 4K camera, an eight-microphone array and two 18-watt speakers. That is the hardware an AI avatar needs to see, hear and answer a visitor, and it is why the box is the platform for AI hologram receptionists and guides.
Installation. There is none. The box ships as a complete unit; connect power — AC 110–240 V, around 650 W depending on the processor — and internet, and it runs. It can be moved to the next event or the next branch.
Software. The box runs a full platform: AI avatar with knowledge bank, cloud content management, live streaming, a 3D viewer and store, and a content library. The same platform manages a fleet of boxes from one dashboard.
Limits. Size is fixed — 86 inches in portrait is life-size for a person but not for a building — and weight is real: 119 kg in the aluminium chassis, 240 kg in metal. A box is a piece of furniture, not a set.
Where does that leave it? Retail launches, exhibition stands, corporate lobbies, visitor centres, classrooms, and anywhere a hologram rental in Amman or Riyadh needs to arrive on Thursday and work on Friday.
What projection is good at
Scale. A rear-projection hologram screen is limited by the projector and the wall. At the memorial we noted that the venue's two existing projectors could give roughly a 300-inch image in one hall. A facade projection is limited by the building. When the story is a hall-sized scene with four historic figures, or a ceremony, only projection reaches that scale.
Atmosphere. Because the screen is dark and the room is controlled, a projection hologram can feel like an apparition rather than a display. Floor projection — the “falling lights” we projected from an 8.7-metre ceiling onto a tomb — is only possible this way. So is a facade.
The virtual promoter. A presenter filmed in our XR studio, cut out and projected onto an acrylic silhouette, creates the illusion of a person standing at the entrance. It is inexpensive compared with a staffed desk over a year, and it can be finished to match the building. It is, however, a recording, not a conversation.
Limits. Light is the enemy: hologram screens are dark precisely to give contrast and avoid interference, and daylight will wash them out. Projection needs a survey, cabling, a structure, the right projector class — ultra-short throw for small rooms, short throw for larger rooms, long throw for halls — and calibration. It is installed, not delivered. Interaction is possible but is an extra layer of sensors, not built in.
Projection belongs in museums, memorials, heritage sites, theatres, ceremonies and one-night facades. Our projection mapping service and hologram services pages set out how we deliver it.
Box and projection, side by side
| Criterion | Nplay Halo Box (transparent LCD) | Projection hologram (screen, film or silhouette) |
|---|---|---|
| Ambient light | Works in bright halls and malls — 400 cd/m², anti-glare glass | Needs controlled, low light; dark screens for contrast |
| Image size | 86-inch portrait (life-size person) or 21.5-inch Mini | From a life-size silhouette to a ~300-inch screen or a facade |
| Installation | None — ships complete, power and internet | Survey, cabling, structure, projector selection, calibration |
| Mobility | Movable; rentable for events | Fixed for interior installs; facade rigs are leased per event |
| Interaction | Built in: 40-point touch, 4K camera, 8-mic array, speakers | Playback by default; interaction needs added sensors |
| Content | 3D scenes on black, real product inside, AI avatar, live stream | Scripted 3D films, filmed presenters, archive footage, animation |
| Control | Cloud platform, fleet dashboard | Cloud signage players per projector (10 displays at the memorial) |
| Main cost drivers | Hardware unit and chassis, software subscription, content | Projectors, screens or structures, installation, the film |
| Best for | Retail, lobbies, exhibitions, visitor centres, classrooms | Museum halls, memorials, ceremonies, facades, heritage sites |
What moves the number in each case
We do not quote prices here — our hologram cost guide for MENA explains why — but the cost structure of the two options is different enough to change a budget.
For the box, the number is dominated by the unit: size (86-inch or Mini), chassis (aluminium or metal), processor configuration, and the software subscription that runs the avatar and content platform. Content is the second line — a template scene, a scanned product, a filmed presenter or an AI knowledge base are very different efforts — and support plans, studio kits and 3D scanning are options. Because there is no installation, a rental for an event is a clean, short line item.
For projection, the hardware is often the smaller share. The memorial project was itemised per work package into content creation, hardware (projectors, screens, structures, players) and installation and calibration, and the content and installation lines together usually exceed the projector. Room height dictates the projector class; the story dictates the film; the building dictates the structure. Facade projectors were leased for a two-to-four-day event rather than bought.
A useful rule: if you can answer “how many units?” you are budgeting a box; if you have to answer “how high is the ceiling?” you are budgeting a projection.
Six questions that settle it
When a client in Riyadh asks us for a hologram screen in Saudi Arabia, or a client in Jordan asks about a hologram rental in Amman, these are the questions we ask back.
Is the room bright? If yes, box. Do people need to touch it or ask it questions? If yes, box, because the camera, microphones and touch are built in. Does it need to move? If yes, box. Is the figure bigger than a person, or is it a whole scene? If yes, projection. Is it a ceremony, a memorial or a facade? Projection. Is there time and access for a survey and an installation crew? If no, box.
Many projects end up with both: a box at the entrance to greet and answer, projection in the halls to tell the story. That is what an interactive museum route looks like in practice, and because both are fed by the same cloud platform and the same 3D and film studios, the content is shared rather than doubled.
If you are still unsure, rent a box for one event and watch what visitors do with it. The answer to the fork is usually obvious by the second day.
Hologram screen Saudi Arabia: frequently asked questions
Which type works in daylight?
The hologram box. Its transparent LCD is rated at 400 cd/m² behind anti-glare glass and reads in malls, lobbies and airport halls. Projection holograms need controlled, low light.
Can a projection hologram be interactive?
It can, with added sensors and tracking — we planned visitor tracking for the memorial's floor projection as a second phase — but interaction is built into the box, with 40-point touch, a 4K camera and a microphone array.
Can I rent either one?
The Halo Box is available for rental for events and campaigns in Jordan and Saudi Arabia with content included. Projection installations are project work; facade projectors can be leased for short events.
Which is cheaper?
It depends on the room and the content. A box is one unit plus software and content, with no installation. A projection is projectors plus screens or structures plus installation plus a film — the last two often cost more than the projector. Our MENA cost guide explains the drivers.