War of screens: Giants go transparent for a novel viewing experience

New Delhi, Jan 13: After foldable devices, the war of screens became bolder this time at the global tech show in Las Vegas, with industry giants Samsung and LG flexing their muscles to go fully transparent with their screens.

As customers continue to desire higher-definition screens for their homes, TV manufacturers are using the latest visual technologies to create more advanced displays.

Leveraging this groundbreaking technology, Samsung unlevelled its leading ‘MICRO LED’ display to expand how users enjoy visual content.

The company’s transparent MICRO LED display was unveiled for the first time at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024.

Combining superior craftsmanship with six years of tireless research and development, this new modular MICRO LED wowed attendees with its futuristic design.

The transparent crystal-clear, glass-like display revolutionised the viewing experience and attracted the attention of global consumers.

In addition to incredibly versatile sizing options, MICRO LED displays utilise LEDs that are densely packed together and smaller than 50 micro metres in size. Each individual LED emits light and the three primary colours -- red, green, and blue -- resulting in stunning picture quality without the need for a colour filter.

"Traditional displays such as OLED and LCD have a filter and additional layers of materials over their light source which can block or absorb some of the light and impact the visual experience. On the other hand, MICRO LED does not utilise additional material layers, ensuring unmatched colour reproduction,” according to Tae-yong Son, Vice President, MICRO LED Team, Visual Display Business at Samsung.

Another distinguishing feature of MICRO LED is nanometer technology, derived from the company’s leading semiconductor expertise. This allows for LED chip operation circuits to be directly deposited on the glass, mitigating any loss of brightness that users may experience with conventional displays.

Additionally, inorganic LEDs eliminate the possibility of screen burn-ins or permanent screen discolouration.

"From augmented reality to the next generation of wearables, this cutting-edge technology underscores the vision we hold for the future — an era of hyper-realistic viewing experiences, all powered by MICRO LED innovation," said Son.

Samsung also showcased earbuds cases with screens. The concept looks to mix an earbuds case with a round OLED screen and a smartwatch-like interface.

Meanwhile, LG Electronics unveiled the world’s first wireless transparent OLED TV at ‘CES 2024’.

The ‘LG SIGNATURE OLED T’ combines a transparent 4K OLED screen and LG’s wireless video and audio transmission technology to transform the screen experience in ways that have never been possible before.

Maintaining its 77-inch screen size, OLED T and its innovative transparent display seamlessly harmonises with its environment.

Practically invisible when turned off, it blends into the environment and frees users from the long-standing problem of what to do with the "big black screen".

The TV’s beautiful see-through screen also helps to make one’s space feel larger, providing a sense of openness.

No longer does the TV have to be placed against the wall. Instead, users can place the OLED T in the middle of the room to become a divider or prop it against the window without blocking the view outside.

The included Zero Connect Box, which leverages LG’s cutting-edge wireless transmission technology to send 4K images and sound to the OLED T, also enables users to place their TV anywhere, regardless of where the electrical outlets are located in the room.

With no cables between the Zero Connect Box and the OLED T, users can enjoy a clean, cable-free viewing environment.

“LG’s transparent OLED gives customers greater freedom to curate their living spaces, completely redefining what’s possible and pointing the way to an exciting future for the television industry,” said Park Hyoung-sei, president of the LG Home Entertainment Company.