WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF
I’ve been tracking the rise of transparent electronics and TV’s for a long time now, and they’re inching closer to reality …
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Back in mid-2014, LG unveiled its first experimental transparent OLED display panel that measured just 18 diagonal inches, but now the company has revealed a 77-inch transparent OLED monster television that’s almost completely wireless.
LG actually describes the Signature OLED T as “the world’s first wireless transparent OLED TV” but unlike the DisplaceTVs, another wireless TV that I wrote about a while ago that is completely wireless, it still needs a power cord. Movies and shows are wirelessly sent to the unit though, in a similar fashion to the company’s OLED M model – via a separate Zero Connect Box, which hosts various ports for cabling up set-top boxes or games consoles and can transmit video and audio from up to 33 ft (10 m) away.
It’s transparent alright …
The general idea here is to offer a somewhat less imposing presence in the living room than a big black screen, something that’s “practically invisible when turned off” for “a sense of openness.” There’s also the potential to divide a room with the OLED T, with LG mounting it in a stylish metal display frame for the promo shots.
Though the company reports that the 77-inch panel offers “class-leading picture quality” at 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160) resolution, the actual definition and brightness are unlikely to be as eye-popping as on more conventional TVs due to the transparent nature of the screen. However, the OLED T does come with a contrast film that rolls up from the bottom (behind the image) at the push of a button for sharper visuals – with the a new Alpha 11 AI processor reported to result in a 70% boost in graphic performance and 30% faster processing.
An always-on feature could allow the television to serve up digital art, videos or photos to enliven a space with content that “appears to float in the air.” And a T-Bar running along the lower part of the display could serve up news headlines, local weather or other useful information.
LG has announced that its Signature OLED T television module has won five CES 2024 Innovation Awards. Pricing hasn’t been revealed, though don’t expect this novelty piece to come cheap. It’s expected to go on sale later this year.
