The world's most cutting-edge television technology is being shown off at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week, including much hyped transparent screens from Samsung and LG.
Sony isn't showcasing its new Bravia range at the event but Panasonic, Hisense and TCL are also showing off their new TVs, each providing a glimpse at our possible future in home entertainment.
The majority of the online buzz is around the transparent displays, which are being described as "mind-bending" and "incredible" by journalists in attendance at CES 2024.
However, as impressive as the displays are, many questions remain - like when they will be released and at just how high a price.
LG announced its 77-inch Signature OLED T will be on sale this calendar year, while Samsung did not mention any release information about its transparent Micro LED display.
The other big question is: why would people want a transparent TV anyway?
Frank Lee of LG discussed how a transparent display easily blends into a room and can be converted into a traditional TV at the push of a button, similar to how a projector screen can be rolled out for movie watching but hidden away when not in use.
"OLED T creates a sense of openness. The TV no longer needs to dominate the room," Lee said onstage during the LG presentation.
"This heightens the relationship between the TV and the space it inhabits. For example, showcase digital art, videos, visual aids and visual accents as part of your room's décor to elevate the aesthetics.
"OLED T also becomes an object of design. You can place it in locations unimaginable until now - a modular solution that provides you with a variety of ways to install it seamlessly."
Transparent TV tech is also being described as giving a holographic effect non-transparent TVs are incapable of.
After seeing the LG OLED T in person in Las Vegas, Chris Welch of The Verge described it as being able to produce "mind-bending depth effects".
Sam Rutherford of Endgadget declared Samsung's transparent display "incredible" and superior to LG's.
"In person, the effect Samsung's transparent Micro LED displays have is hard to describe, as content almost looks like a hologram as it floats in mid-air," wrote Rutherford.
"Compared to [transparent OLED and LCD models], not only was the Micro LED panel significantly brighter, it also featured a completely frameless design and a more transparent glass panel that made it easier to see objects behind it."
It should be noted Samsung has already released non-transparent Micro LED displays, but only in a few select territories and for an extremely high price. In America you can order one for a cool US$150,000.
Still, unless technology like this is a gimmick that never catches on with mainstream consumers, it often falls dramatically in price in the years following its initial release.
Aside from the transparent displays, here are some other TV highlights out of CES 2024:
- Panasonic announced a partnership with Amazon that sees Fire TV built into the TVs themselves, eliminating the need to purchase an additional Fire Stick device. A flagship Z95A OLED was unveiled boasting a new MLA panel and powerful new processor that improves upon last year's lauded MZ2000 series.
- Hisense showcased the UXAU, a new Mini LED TV that Tom's Guide said "should have Samsung, LG and TCL shaking in their boots" thanks to its claim of a whopping 10,000 nits of peak brightness and 40,000 local dimming zones.
- TCL also unveiled a Mini LED TV it says features 20,000 local dimming zones and a peak brightness of 5000 nits. While those are less impressive than the specs Hisense is claiming, TCL will offer a 115-inch model while Hisense's largest is 100-inches.
