Samsung just took the wraps off its entire 2024 TV lineup, but had a surprise in store for CES 2024. Though the company's microLED TVs haven't earned major headlines in recent years of the annual tech trade show, Samsung showed it's still all-in on the category with a new transparent version of the display.
We've seen transparent TVs before, but this this first time we've seen a transparent microLED display fashioned as a somewhat real-looking TV. If TVs had glass-like, bezel-free designs, I mean. Given, what Samsung brought to CES is a prototype, running a demos of a soccer matches and firework shows with 3D-like overlays. But it's an interesting proof of concept of where the company stands on see-through TVs.
Although a recent report said we won't see microLED sets hit the mainstream until the early 2030s, it's certainly fun to imagine what a transparent one might look like in your living room before then. Essentially, Samsung placed what looked like two clear microLED panels together (reminder: microLED is modular by nature) in an oddly wide presentation, and then ran a more normal-looking TV behind it.
The result, which we got to see in person ahead of the big reveal, is a TV-watching experience with a functional — albeit, somewhat kitschy — depth effect. That's not to say it didn't look cool, I just think the image running behind the transparent display distracted from the effect. I needed to stand dead-on with the installation for a harmonious picture.
As for how it compares to Samsung's existing microLEDs you can actually buy (though they're quite expensive compared to the best TVs) , the color reproduction on the transparent version was more vibrant than you'd expect, while the animations looked sharp.
I imagine, ultimately, a TV like this would look epic at the base of a bed or up against a window, letting you use a TV while also being able to see through to your environment. Such an experience that would be costly, of course.
Samsung hasn't indicated any sort of timeline on the availability of a transparent microLED TV. Again, what I saw is just a prototype. If you recall, the first prototype of Samsung microLED (more casually known as The Wall) came long before it took the form of something someone could put in their home.
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