LG Electronics is moving closer to launching its first Transparent OLED TV. At CES 2023 last week, the company showed off a transparent OLED TV concept, called the “OLED T”, the first display of its kind to incorporate a “Black Mode” that effectively transforms it into a conventional display when there’s no need for transparency.
LG explained that the OLED T is imagined as a lifestyle product for modern living spaces.
According to its blurb, the transparent glass screen of the OLED T “provides a sense of openness, while its bentwood base brings an element of the natural world indoors”.
The company explained that what sets the OLED T apart from others is that it matches with just about any interior style. Moreover, it can be placed wherever the user wishes, for example in the middle of a living room or in front of a window. Because it's transparent, it won’t look ugly or block the view, the company claims.
We’ve seen concepts of transparent OLED TVs and other types of display before, and Xiaomi actually launched the first commercially available transparent OLED TV back in 2020. However, none of them featured the ability to switch from “Transparent Mode” to “Black Mode”, which could be a game-changer in terms of its viability.
While the OLED panel is transparent, with a metal frame bordering it, engaging the black mode results in a kind of black canvas material sliding up behind the TV to provide more clarity when it’s being used for gaming or movie watching. That’s a key development, because one of the main criticisms of transparent OLED TVs has been that the transparency makes them unusable for regular viewing.
Meanwhile, the transparent panel is still used to good effect, with a gallery function with aquarium, fire, raindrops and other animated art themes looking especially good.
LG Electronics has not said whether or not it will actually launch a transparent OLED TV for consumers. But just prior to CES, there was a report in the Korean website The Elec which said LG is considering launching just such a TV in 2024.
In the meantime, here’s a quick look at the OLED T concept that may well be on the way to becoming a reality:
LG OLED-T Transparent OLED TV from recordere on Vimeo.
