CES 2021: LG Showcases a Bunch of OLED Displays

Transparent displays continue to make their presence felt at the Consumer Electronics Show. At this year’s edition, LG has showcased a 55-inch transparent OLED.

Unlike many transparent screens we have seen in the past, LG’s new one offers up to 40% transparency. Past transparent LCDs could achieve up to 10% of transparency.

Called Smart Bed, the display is seen sitting at the foot of a bed. Users, however, can also move the device around the home. The display rises from a frame to show partial or full screen. It also comes with Cinematic Sound OLED (CSO) embedded in the frame.

Smart living: 55-inch Transparent OLED Smart Bed

The first of LG Display’s innovations is a 55-inch transparent OLED Smart Bed. This bed frame has an adjustable transparent OLED at the foot of the bed, which can rise to various heights to display different kinds of information.

When not in use, the display can show ambient information like the time, weather, and current audio track. But if you want to see more, the display can rise out of the frame. LG Display also showed off some other features of the display, like analyzing your sleep patterns or working as an alarm clock. The frame also has speakers built-in, so you won’t need to attach additional speakers to your bed.

Fitness: 55-inch Rail & Pivot OLED

In the home-restricted era of COVID-19, many of us have been left to do fitness training in our bedrooms and living rooms. The industry has quickly adapted by introducing a number of video-based exercises you can do at home, but it’s often hard to find a good display to view these routines. I personally use my phone most of the time, and it would be much nicer to be able to do it on a large display.

That’s one reason LG Display has created the 55-inch Rail and Pivot OLED. This display sits on a rail system and can slide itself out from a hidden position to multiple angles in your home. LG shows the display hidden behind a wall, which then slides out to allow for use. LG Display also gave the panel pivoting capabilities, since many of the workouts we now perform are through apps. By moving the display to portrait orientation, it can more easily mirror the experience you would get on a mobile device.

Transit: 55-inch Transparent OLED

The next screen LG Display showed off is primarily made to be used for public utility. The 55-inch transparent OLED was shown used on a subway, displaying transit information and routes, alongside other information like current time and the weather.

LG Display says the transparent properties of this OLED display allows passengers to enjoy the passing scenes of the city while still receiving useful ambient information. Having been to Seoul myself, much of the joy of public transit is watching the city rush by, so it makes sense to view transit information in a non-obstructive manner.

LG Smart Restaurant display 1

As more services become increasingly self-guided, LG Display has decided to show off what the future of restaurants could look like with a large 55-inch transparent OLED and a 23.1-inch in-Touch stretch display.

In this demo, customers sit in front of a large 55-inch transparent OLED, which displays various menu items and even things like sports games. In the demo, the chef cooks the food right behind the display. Because the display is transparent, customers can talk directly to the chef if they need to.

Below the 55-inch OLED, there is an elongated touch screen display that allows customers to make purchases, select entertainment, or call the chef.

Gaming: 48-inch Bendable Cinematic Sound OLED (CSO) Gaming TV

LG Display continued by showing off a bendable OLED display that can bend to a radius of 1,000mm. This means you can use it in a flat orientation when watching content or bend it to a curved display when playing things like racing simulators.

This display has a variable refresh rate between 40Hz and 120Hz, and it can also vibrate to emit sound, needing no additional speakers. Older concepts used a display with a thickness of 9mm, but LG Display has reduced the thickness to just 6mm.

The ability to bend into various orientations while also working as a speaker makes this an all-in-one gaming display. It’s quite impressive.

Cinema: 88-inch 8K Cinematic Sound OLED

The last concept LG Display showed off was an 88-inch 8K Cinematic Sound OLED. This is a large 8K display mainly targeted at home theater setups, and it employs similar vibrational audio capabilities as the 48-inch gaming TV. While LG Display has been showing off 8K TV’s at CES for a couple of years now, this is perhaps the thinnest and most immersive model it’s showcased so far.

January 11, 2021