In recent years, LG has given us glimpses of prototypes of both transparent OLED displays and rollable OLED displays, but it was always in the context of technology we will see someday in the future. Now it seems the future is getting a little closer, as the company is showing off what it calls the world’s first 77-inch transparent flexible OLED display at the Society for Information Display (SID) conference in Los Angeles, and it shows that LG is making great strides with this type of technology.
Combining its transparent and rollable OLED display technologies, especially in a display this size, shows that LG is making great progress. The panel itself is capable of the standard Ultra HD (UHD) resolution of 3840 × 2160 with 40 percent transparency and can be rolled up to a radius of 80mm without any negative effects on its functionality. At first, you might wonder how transparency could work in your living room, but looking at the Ambient mode in Samsung’s latest TVs shows how it could be useful, blending into your decor rather than sticking out like, well, a TV.
“LG Display is proud to have a pioneering role in the 50-year history of LCD innovations by introducing world-first and world-best technologies such as IPS,” LG Display executive vice president and chief technology officer In-Byeong Kang said in a statement. “We will continue to create innovations in the display industry by establishing a new display paradigm with OLED technology and opening another revolutionary chapter of display history.”
For the time being, most actual uses of these new transparent flexible OLEDs would be digital signage, similar to the transparent and mirrored displays Samsung introduced a few years ago. That said, the rollable OLED we saw at CES would fit well in your living room. LG isn’t saying when it might roll out these displays, but the company is definitely progressing quickly.
While these technologies might come to your home in the future, they’re not useful if you’re looking to buy a TV now. Fortunately, we have a TV buying guide and a list of the best TVs you can buy to help you in your shopping.
