CES2024: LG, Samsung Tout Transparent TV for the Living Room

LG
(Image credit: LG)

LAS VEGAS—Last year the biggest TV buzz at CES was all about “wireless” TVs. This year, the world’s largest TV manufacturers are all about transparent screens for the home.

At CES2024 this week, LG Electronics unveiled what it’s calling the “the world’s first wireless transparent OLED TV.” The LG SIGNATURE OLED combines a transparent 4K OLED screen and LG’s Zero Connect box to beam video in 4K HDR to the screen, even at 120Hz. 

LG says the 77-inch LG SIGNATURE OLED T is powered by the new α (Alpha) 11 AI processor and is “practically invisible” when turned off, bringing new possibilities of placement within a room, i.e. not necessarily bolted to the wall. It comes in stand-alone, against-the-wall or wall-mount options and viewers can further customize by adding standing or floating shelves on either or both sides of the screen to best suit their unique tastes and preferences.

The OLED T can be used as a transparent digital canvas for showcasing artwork, videos or photos with the Always-On-Display (AOD) feature. Content displayed on the transparent screen appears to float in air, yet simultaneously fuses with the surrounding space to create a compelling and atmospheric visual effect. 

Another option is the T-Bar feature that displays an info-ticker along the lower part of the screen. The T-Bar displays news alerts, weather updates or the title of songs being played while the rest of the screen presents a clear, unobstructed view of the space behind it.

LG says its new α (Alpha) 11 AI processor offers 4x greater AI performance, providing a 70% improvement in graphic performance and a 30% faster processing speed compared to its predecessor. 

Meanwhile, Samsung trotted out its new transparent MICRO LED display—again touting it as the world’s first. Although Samsung was fairly mum on the technical details, according to Engadget, the Transparent MICRO LED’s crystal-clear, glass-like display comes in three versions, two featuring a tinted glass panel making it easier to detect and a third version with regular glass but a more defined physical frame. 

Neither company has released price details but LG says its transparent OLED will ship in 2024. TV Tech sister brand TechRadar has more information on LG and Samsung’s new TVs.

Tom Butts

Tom has covered the broadcast technology market for the past 25 years, including three years handling member communications for the National Association of Broadcasters followed by a year as editor of Video Technology News and DTV Business executive newsletters for Phillips Publishing. In 1999 he launched digitalbroadcasting.com for internet B2B portal Verticalnet. He is also a charter member of the CTA's Academy of Digital TV Pioneers. Since 2001, he has been editor-in-chief of TV Tech (www.tvtech.com), the leading source of news and information on broadcast and related media technology and is a frequent contributor and moderator to the brand’s Tech Leadership events.