F. Froger/Z9, for FranceSoir
King object of living rooms around the world, the large flat screen television could soon end up in attics: the South Korean electronics giants Samsung and LG are now focusing on transparent, minimalist and connected objects.
“How about a screen that gives you space?”, launched a management executive on Monday. LG during a press presentation of the Signature OLED T, which is expected to be released later this year.
“Welcome to a world that goes beyond the perfect screen,” he said, the day before the official launch, Tuesday, of the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) technology show in Las Vegas, in the west of the United States.
The new screen, presented with great fanfare, is “virtually invisible when it is turned off”, points out the company, and can thus blend perfectly with the decor of the room in which it turns out.
Resembling a transparent rectangular box, this television offers, as soon as it is switched on, the viewing of TV programs in high definition.
But it is also possible, by playing with transparency, to display realistic ambient images – flames, swimming fish, etc. – to make it a decorative object in its own right.
The technology transparent televisions is not entirely new, but companies have so far had difficulty convincing consumers, due to high selling prices.
For its part, Samsung presented its own screen, also as transparent as glass, but equipped with light-emitting diodes (LED) for high-definition images.
“Transparent light-emitting diodes are poised to redefine visual experiences, making the line between content and reality virtually impossible to discern,” Samsung said in a statement.
Large screens have long been the stars of CES, an essential annual event for the sector.
Chinese electronics giant TCL, for its part, unveiled a series of more conventional models, including a 115-inch (292 centimeters diagonal) “maxi-size” television.
“On and beyond of the screen”
Unsurprisingly, the theme of artificial intelligence (AI) dominates CES this year, with all the major TV manufacturers present highlighting it, with advances made possible by electronic chips integrated into the screens.
“In an ultra-connected era, it is no longer just about providing quality visual experiences,” notes SW Yong, manager at Samsung Electronics, in a press release. “Screens must improve our lives both on and beyond the screen.”
Industry giants have touted the merits of AI to improve imaging, for example in instantly converting an old classic into a modernized format, as if restored, or integrating viewer preferences into program recommendations.
AI is also used to improve the capabilities of video games, with enthusiasts waiting for even more immersion.
The latest range of Hisense televisions thus includes devices equipped with AI which, recognizing the content on the screen, adjusts in real time to improve image clarity and immersion effect.
“As expensive as a house”
< p>According to SW Yong, the AI integrated into Samsung TVs is also designed as a control point for all connected devices throughout the home.
“We will see televisions become the command center of the home, beyond just broadcasting entertainment programs,” says Jessica Boothe, research director at the Consumer Technology Association, which organizes CES.
< p>For LG CEO William Cho, the world is at a “historic turning point” thanks to AI, a transformation he wants to join by exploiting data collected by the sensors of hundreds of millions of connected devices used around the world to detect patterns of behavior and provide information, he explains.
“TVs still take up a lot of living room space,” Avi Greengart told AFP, analyst at the specialist firm Techsponential. “There is competition now,” he emphasizes. “Sure, it costs as much as your house, but it's really cool.”
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