It appears that transparent TVs are increasingly likely to hit the consumer market – but do we really want this tech innovation?
It’s an interesting juxtaposition.
Amid the hype and demand for televisions bigger and brighter than previous models, contrastingly, there’s also an apparent thirst for TVs that are inconspicuous.
At least that’s the vibe from CES 2024, the mega trade show held in Las Vegas earlier this month. The epic annual event consistently generates huge interest as it rolls out the latest consumer electronics products and technologies from some of the world’s biggest brands.
Among the demonstrations of TVs with humongous screens and dazzling lights that had nowhere to hide were a few examples of products looking to do just that.
Transparent TVs.
Rival Brands Leading the Race
While transparent display prototypes have been revealed at CES in previous editions – after all, the event showcases its fair share of gimmicky, head-turning gadgets – a couple of key players are set to introduce see-through TV tech to the consumer market.
Rival brands LG Electronics and Samsung – two manufacturers known for making a splash at CES – stole the spotlight when showing off their latest transparent TVs in Las Vegas.
While the South Korean tech giants are taking different paths – LG has opted for OLED technology for its model; Samsung MicroLED – both products deliver mind-bending visuals while integrating seamlessly into their surroundings.
“It becomes an object of design,” said LG’s Frank Lee, during the company’s CES presentation.
“You can place it in locations unimaginable until now. (The TV) can blend into your décor… perfectly.”
Samsung and LG aren’t the only manufacturers pushing the transparent trend or innovating to ‘hide’ TVs when not in use.
Then, there’s the focus on enhanced projector tech as an alternative to TV (and we’ll save talk of Apple’s Vision Pro Headset launch for another day).
“It’s all in the effort to try to remove the black hole from the wall that we’ve all been used to forever,” consumer electronics industry expert, Paul Gagnon, told Wired magazine.
LG’s Signature OLED T is designed to ‘blend into your décor’ when not in use. Credit: LG.
Transparent TV Tech Just a Gimmick?
While transparent screen tech is not new, high costs and energy demands have prevented it from entering the consumer market until now.
But Gagnon is unconvinced that see-through is the future.
“I don’t think most TVs are going to end up looking like this,” he said.
“The majority of consumers are just looking for an affordable, high-quality screen that lets them watch the shows that they want to watch.”
That comment speaks to a challenge with transparent TVs – picture quality. While the visuals are remarkable, commentary suggests that transparent TVs offer inferior picture quality when compared to similar, non-transparent products.
The kicker? That inferiority is likely to cost consumers more.
While the price tag of either the LG or Samsung models is unclear (LG appears to be far more advanced with going to market than Samsung), it’s speculated to be nudging five figures or even more – at least to begin with.
That’s a fair whack to ask the everyday consumer to cough up, particularly in an increasingly challenging economy. Stay tuned.
Whatever the case, we’ve come a long way. Credit: Lucrezia Carnelos on Unsplash.
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