History Main / HologramProjectionImperfection

* In one episode of ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', a hologram of Asuka appears out of her HumongousMecha, and it flickers when it [[ArmorPiercingSlap slaps]] Shinji, who evidently feels it.

* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':

* In the ''Anime/GhostInTheShell'' movie the brain holograms are monochromatic.

* Likewise in ''Film/TheWhispererInDarkness'' (2011), made in the {{retraux}} style of a 1930's Franchise/UniversalHorror film. Those in the [[BrainInAJar brain cylinders]] communicate with outsiders via a hologram which pops and fizzes excessively.

* ''Franchise/StarWars''. Most of the holograms talked about below are significantly blue-shifted, if not monochrome, and often have scan lines.

* ''Film/{{Screamers}}''. The protagonists have to report a cease fire proposed by the enemy forces. A pair of doors slide open and their superior walks through and starts talking to them -- all appears normal until he suddenly starts to fizz and sputter and the protagonists complain about the unreliability of holographic projection from Earth. [[spoiler:The scene hints at TheReveal that the ProjectedMan is actually dead.]]

* The hologram of Slartibartfast in the TV version of ''Series/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' is a fuzzy, white monochrome image.

* ''WesternAnimation/CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs2'' had the antagonist, Chester V, utilize his own holograms programmed to travel and run errands for him (as well as provide him company, facilitating his villainy). Unless touched, the holograms looked exactly like their maker. [[spoiler:Chester actually uses it to overwhelm Flint by creating multiple holograms to tauntingly throw him off, until Flint uses one of his own inventions, "Party-In-a-Box" to create an explosion of paint and stickers that removes the holograms but completely stains the real Chester.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs2'' had the antagonist, Chester V, utilize his own holograms programmed to travel and run errands for him (as well as provide him company, facilitating his villainy). Unless touched, the holograms looked exactly like their maker. Chester actually uses it to overwhelm Flint by creating multiple holograms to tauntingly throw him off, until Flint uses one of his own inventions, "Party-In-a-Box" to create an explosion of paint and stickers that removes the holograms but completely stains the real Chester.

* ''Manga/ACertainScientificRailgun'''s BeachEpisode has a room presented to most of the cast as the latest technology to have photoshoots in. While it works out in the beginning (Beach, Poolside, Pleasure Boat), the room suddenly turns on the cast as it cycles thru several undesirable scenes for [[FanService the swimsuit wearing characters]] (Snowy mountain, desert, boat in the middle of a storm, & the surface of the moon). Fortunately, the system is stopped at a scene (Campsite) that allows the girls to take a break without being uncomfortable.

* In ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' storyline ''ComicBook/TheKillersOfKrypton'', [[Franchise/GreenLantern Appa Ali Apsa]]'s hologram fizzle and flickers as talking to ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}.

* Holos are ''always'' like this in Literature/CiaphasCain, requiring PercussiveMaintenance to work properly. When they see the Tau equivalent that works perfectly and doesn't go out of focus at the edges, the Imperials are more creeped out than impressed.

*** When Quaid tests it while on Earth his image breaks up into static.

*** Likewise, when Melina uses it her hologram breaks up when Cohaagen's troops fire into it.

* There's a hologram of Sinestro communicating in the ''Film/GreenLantern'' movie, which is in perfect color, but it has a couple of jumps, and breaks. The implication was, though, that because [[spoiler: Abin Sur's ship had been badly damaged, and the alien himself was badly wounded, the escape pod's functions were all working on getting him to safety and keeping him alive, so the hologram had limited transmit/receive power comparatively speaking]].

* VideoGame/DeusExInvisibleWar: Holograms are frequently imperfect, with horizontal strobing blue lines, higher end holograms are better quality.

* The [[LargeHamAnnouncer Announcer]] in ''[[WesternAnimation/LoveDeathAndRobots''[='s=] first episode, "Sonnie's Edge", doesn't seem too perturbed by the fact that he's standing in a tiny arena between two huge monsters. Then he flickers and the tiny robots floating around him (who merely looked like a flying microphone) flies upward making the announcer disappears.

{{Hologram}}s are cool, right? But they never seem to work right for whatever reason. Fizzing, popping, static, wobbly image....you'll be lucky if you get proper colour! Would have thought they'd check these things at the factory, wouldn't you? But no, it seems like every last one of them has some sort of glitch. It's a wonder people put up with the things.

* Likewise in ''Film/TheWhispererInDarkness'' (2011), made in the {{retraux}} style of a 1930's Franchise/UniversalHorror film. Those in the [[BrainInAJar brain cylinders]] communicate with outsiders via a hologram which pops and fizzes excessively.

* In ''Film/EscapeFromLA'', the hologram of Snake appears flawless until after half an army tries to shoot the hell out of it. Then a guy walks forward and passes his hand through it, making it ripple.
* ''Film/{{Serenity}}''. When the hologram of the female scientist on the planet [[spoiler:Miranda]] plays, there are occasional shifts in the picture.
* In ''Film/GalaxyQuest'', right before the team is beamed on board, Laliari is revealed to be a holographic image when her projection goes through some flickering.
* [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in a scene in ''Film/StarTrekFirstContact'', where a holodeck character is disrupted when subjected to a Borg laser.
* This is a plot point in ''Film/StarTrekInsurrection'' when a "holo-ship" (essentially a mobile holodeck) is shown to be prone to glitching. This becomes a ChekhovsGun when the holo-ship is used to fool the BigBad--the glitching reveals the nature of the trick.

* ''Film/TotalRecall1990''.
** While Lori is practicing with a hologram designed to teach proper tennis serves, the hologram blurs a couple of times. Watch it [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILqe_mmtBrE#t=1m38s here]].
*** It is a loop video of a person going through the motions, the blurs are when the image resets to the start of the loop.

*** Likewise, when Melina uses it her hologram breaks up when Cohaagen's troops fire into it. Watch it [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipcHVIAa3dU#t=0m55s here]].

* In one episode of ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', a hologram of Asuka appears out of her HumongousMecha, and it flickers when it [[ArmorPiercingSlap slaps]] Shinji, who [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments evidently feels it]].

* Conspicuously averted in ''Literature/TheNakedSun''. Elijah was surprised to find out he was talking to a hologram because the Earth holograms did have Hologram Projection Imperfection. (The planet he was on was still settled by humans; This wasn't an alien technology thing.)