As per its annual tradition, LG Display is preparing to show off some new display tech demos for CES 2021, with the latest focus set on showing where transparent OLED may fit in the pandemic age. The Korean company is setting up a few physical demos for its online showroom, with the most interesting-looking one (so far) being a restaurant scene featuring a 55-inch transparent OLED screen on the sushi bar. Diners get to browse the menu or enjoy videos on the big screen, while also watching chefs preparing food behind this futuristic hygienic partition thanks to its 40-percent transparency. By comparison, transparent LCD only offers 10-percent transparency, according to LG Display.
In another demo, the company will be placing the same 55-inch transparent OLED panel at the end of a “smart bed,” so that the user gets to enjoy watching videos up close from the comfort of the bed, without the panel blocking the view of the rest of the bedroom. On a similar note, the screen unit has “Cinematic Sound OLED (CSO)” speakers built into the main body, so no external speakers are required. With a click of a button, the transparent screen can partially or fully tuck itself into the main body, with the former mode still allowing it to show information like time and weather. Since the unit is set on wheels, you can also push it to other rooms and enjoy the same viewing benefits.
Transparent OLED has been around for some time now, but it wasn’t until last year (2019) when this display tech made its first truly public appearance courtesy of LG Display and Harrods. Then in August this year, LG Display also helped install transparent OLED panels on some Beijing and Shenzhen subways (also to be demoed at CES 2021), which let passengers browse travel updates, weather info, news and more on the screen without blocking the outside view. Here’s hoping that the panel maker will be able to bring this tech to more transportation modes — or even straight to our homes, like Xiaomi’s pricey transparent TV (but hopefully with a lower price in the near future, of course).
