The Consumer Electronics Show is always a great place to see the most advanced real-world products just before they become widely available, and it's also a showcase for some of the more interesting concepts that may or may not materialise in the coming years.
One idea that fell into the latter bracket until recently was the transparent OLED TV, but now it is finally entering the former, thanks to LG Electronics.
LG has been showing off its transparent OLED displays for some years now and the more it did so, the more convinced people became that these displays might eventually make their way into everyday life. Now, that finally appears to be the case, with LG announcing the all-new Signature OLED T (pictured above), which is a transparent OLED TV that will go on sale later this year.
It consists of a transparent OLED panel that's placed behind a rollable opaque film, which can rise up to provide a more traditional TV experience if the owner desires.
LG's transparent OLED prototypes have more or less become a permanent fixture at CES, but in the case of the Signature OLED T, this is a genuine product that will sit alongside this year's B4, C4, G4 and M4 OLED TVs.
According to LG, it is the world's first wireless transparent OLED TV, and it borrows many of the characteristics of the wireless LG M4 TV. Because it's a part of LG's Signature range, which also includes its famed rollable OLED TV, it is likely to be exceedingly expensive, but for now there is no mention of any price tag. It'll be available in a single, 77-inch size and powered by LG's latest Alpha 11 processor.
While the T4 TV is transparent, LG says there is a contrast mode that, with the click of a button, will raise up that opaque screen to turn the TV into a more conventional model.
"An incredible feat of consumer-driven innovation, LG Signature OLED T offers brand-new screen experiences plus the picture quality and performance of our award-winning OLED technology," said Park Hyoung-sei, president of LG's Home Entertainment Company. "LG’s transparent OLED gives customers greater freedom to curate their living spaces, completely redefining what’s possible and pointing the way to an exciting future for the television industry."
With the OLED T set to go on sale later this year, it's clear that LG thinks consumers are finally ready to embrace the concept of transparent TVs. In particular, it believes the model may appeal to design-concious households who're interested in the interior aesthetic possibilities it will enable. According to the company, it "liberates users from a dominant black screen that competes with the décor in their home". There are installation options too, with the TV designed to hang on a wall, or else stand on its own. There are also flexible shelf options available, LG said.
Samsung's Transparent MicroLED
Given the way LG has constantly been pushing transparent OLED, it was always only a matter of time before someone else decided it was time to rival the company in this nascent area. And now it has happened, with none other than LG's biggest rival Samsung touting what it says is the world's first-ever transparent MicroLED TV, which can be seen in the video below.
Unlike LG's product, this is most definitely still a conceptual thing and it's not clear if it will ever go on sale, but it's a marvel to behold nonetheless.
Samsung states that its transparent MicroLED TV is the result of more than "six years of tireless research and development", and the company cited business use cases that might justify its transformation from concept to an actual product. For instance, it believes the see-through MicroLED displays might find uses in shop windows, allowing those businesses to advertise whatever products they have inside and see inside the shop at the same time (and also allow natural light inside). They could also be installed as the windows of hospitality boxes in football stadiums, overlaying statistics for example, or replays of goals and other moments.
A report in Engadget states that "the effect Samsung's transparent MicroLED displays have is hard to describe, as content almost looks like a hologram as it floats in mid-air."
It's heady stuff and Samsung makes further claims too, saying that transparent MicroLED is less affected by ambient light than transparent OLED is.
Check out our video to see Samsung's Transparent MicroLED display for yourself:
