Transparent TV?
Display technology continues to improve, adding a diverse cadre of technology types and ever more sophisticated techniques for delivering the best possible image for the lowest price. That said, there are certainly times when new technology does not always have a practical application, at least for consumers. One such development is transparency, or the ability to create an image that does not block what is behind the screen it is displayed on. There are certainly uses for such displays, particularly HUDs (Heads-Up-Displays), which are beginning to appear in automotive applications, in digital signage, where they are the most useful, providing images and information without blocking product or store real estate, and in AR (Augmented Reality), where images are superimposed on a transparent glass or plastic lens. Some transparent-like systems are not truly transparent in that they project an image on a transparent optical member or in front of your eye using mirrors, but what we are speaking about here are transparent displays, ones that generate images using LCD or OLED technology but have a transparent rather than a solid (black) backplane.
The degree of transparency is a key factor in determining the effectiveness of such displays, with transparent LCD displays having considerably lower transparency than those using OLED technology. As OLED is a self-emissive technology, it requires no backlight and can therefore contain less material that would block light passing through the display. Transparency between 35% and 40% is not unusual for transparent OLED displays while transparent LCD displays, because of the backlight, have lower transparency metrics. There are other important factors in evaluating transparent displays, such as the accuracy of color, viewing angle, and brightness, but these are common to almost any display, with transparency making some of them a bit more important.
Given that LG Display (LPL) is the sole producer of mass produced large panel OLED displays, the company has produced a number of transparent models that are used primarily in signage applications, however, the South Korean trade press is citing an alleged proposal LG Display has made to its parent LG Electronics (066570.KS) to launch a retail oriented transparent OLED TV. The proposal is said to be based on a fixed 55” transparent OLED display to be released next year, with a few modifications to the ones used in commercial applications (Figure 2), such as a strengthened glass cover. That said, we find it a bit difficult to pinpoint residential applications where constant transparency would be useful. Perhaps in the kitchen while watching a recipe video and monitoring kids playing near-by, but its difficult for us to come up with applications on a residential level that would benefit from transparent TV technology.
Xiaomi (1810.HK) released a 55” transparent OLED TV in 2020, with the display produced by LG Display, which sold for $7,200 but while generating considerable excitement among electronics influencers, sold very few units and not surprisingly so. We are not surprised that LG Display is pursuing such a device in order to further fill its large panel OLED fabs and justify the expense of past transparency R&D, but we would be surprised if LG Electronics would take on such a project as the end market would be rather small. We are sure there are other residential applications that we have not thought of that LG marketing will tick off in their proposal, but as a mass market device, we would rather see the time spent on other developments.
The degree of transparency is a key factor in determining the effectiveness of such displays, with transparent LCD displays having considerably lower transparency than those using OLED technology. As OLED is a self-emissive technology, it requires no backlight and can therefore contain less material that would block light passing through the display. Transparency between 35% and 40% is not unusual for transparent OLED displays while transparent LCD displays, because of the backlight, have lower transparency metrics. There are other important factors in evaluating transparent displays, such as the accuracy of color, viewing angle, and brightness, but these are common to almost any display, with transparency making some of them a bit more important.
Given that LG Display (LPL) is the sole producer of mass produced large panel OLED displays, the company has produced a number of transparent models that are used primarily in signage applications, however, the South Korean trade press is citing an alleged proposal LG Display has made to its parent LG Electronics (066570.KS) to launch a retail oriented transparent OLED TV. The proposal is said to be based on a fixed 55” transparent OLED display to be released next year, with a few modifications to the ones used in commercial applications (Figure 2), such as a strengthened glass cover. That said, we find it a bit difficult to pinpoint residential applications where constant transparency would be useful. Perhaps in the kitchen while watching a recipe video and monitoring kids playing near-by, but its difficult for us to come up with applications on a residential level that would benefit from transparent TV technology.
Xiaomi (1810.HK) released a 55” transparent OLED TV in 2020, with the display produced by LG Display, which sold for $7,200 but while generating considerable excitement among electronics influencers, sold very few units and not surprisingly so. We are not surprised that LG Display is pursuing such a device in order to further fill its large panel OLED fabs and justify the expense of past transparency R&D, but we would be surprised if LG Electronics would take on such a project as the end market would be rather small. We are sure there are other residential applications that we have not thought of that LG marketing will tick off in their proposal, but as a mass market device, we would rather see the time spent on other developments.
- LG Electronics - 55" Transparent Display (Commercial) - Source: LG
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