[CES 2024] The TVs of the future could be transparent — and wireless

Transparent TVs took center stage at CES 2024, with Samsung and LG showcasing innovative MicroLED and wireless OLED TV technologies alongside new AI-powered processors.

Global media look at Samsung Electronics' transparent MicroLED display at the Samsung First Look event in Las Vegas on Sunday, local time, prior to the official opening of CES 2024. [NEWS1]

LAS VEGAS — TV manufacturers have been chasing bigger and higher-resolution screens for the past years, but in 2024, transparency is the holy grail.

Samsung and LG touted their transparent display technology at CES 2024, which opens its doors on Jan. 9 in Las Vegas.

Samsung Electronics showcased its transparent MicroLED display panel for the first time at the Samsung First Look event on Sunday, local time, where it introduced its upcoming TVs.

MicroLED utilizes clusters of microscopic LEDs to form pixels, enabling significantly better brightness and contrast than its organic light-emitting diode (OLED) counterparts are capable of.

It's also known to be more scalable, making size variations easier, and carries virtually no risk of burn-in.

Samsung's see-through panel, however, remains a concept at the moment. The device “allows the transparent MicroLED to create a clear, unobstructed picture for various use cases in both homes and B2B environments,” Samsung said.

LG Electronics to showcase a wireless transparent OLED TV - the LG Signature OLED T - at the CES 2024. [LG ELECTRONICS]

First wireless transparent OLED TV

LG Electronics is set to unveil a wireless transparent OLED TV — the LG Signature OLED T — at the show, which will hit the market this year. It revealed a prototype version at last year's CES.

This TV set doesn't even come with a pack of black cables, making it both sleeker and easier to install in various spots.

“When the power is off, this TV allows users to see through the screen like it's a transparent glass,” LG Electronics said.

The TV set has 'transparent' and 'black screen' modes which the remote control can toggle. The transparent mode is suitable to enjoy art-style content, while the black mode is better for high-resolution gaming or movies, according to the company

“The world's first wireless, transparent OLED TV newly defines customers' screen experience,” said LG Electronics' Park Hyung-se, head of the company's Home Entertainment division. “Overcoming the limits of TVs, LG Electronics will offer a customer experience that has never existed before.”

Yong Seok-woo, head of Samsung Electronics' display business, introduces the company's vision in AI-powered TVs at the Samsung First Look 2024 event at a hotel in Las Vegas on Sunday, local time, ahead of the official opening of the CES 2024. [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

AI in TV

Software, including AI, was also a big theme among TV makers at the show.

Samsung Electronics showcased the 2024 Neo QLED 8K TV, which is powered by the company's NQ8 AI Gen3 processor. The chip upscales low-resolution images to 8K — even livestream content — and also works to smooth fast-moving scenes.

The Neo QLED is the thinnest member of Samsung's 8K TV lineup at just 12.9 millimeters thick.

“With the next-generation AI processor and Tizen OS, Samsung will lead 'the era of AI screen' by offering a new way of life beyond existing smart TVs,” said Yong Seok-woo, head of Samsung Electronics' display division.

Samsung's Tizen OS Home supports customized list of content ranging from movies to games.

LG also showcased its new Alpha 11 processor, which it claims has boosted its graphic power by 70 percent, processing speed by 30 percent, over its predecessor, the Alpha 9. The chip's new AI also offers improved AI function over the 9, with the ability to automatically adjust the colors and audio quality of video content.

The LG Signature OLED T is slated to launch within this year globally, including in Korea.

LG Electronics' Signature OLED T TV is set to launch globally within this year. [LG ELECTRONICS]

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]