Transparent OLEDs demoed

The Register ^ | 28 October 2009 | James Sherwood

[ShadowAce]

When the whole world’s going OLED TV crazy, how can a telly manufacturer differentiate itself? By creating a transparent model, of course.

LG's transparent OLED screen apparently connected into a PC
Credit: Tech-On

Unfortunately for LG and Samsung, both firms have the same idea and recently demo'd their respective efforts in the field of see-though OLED displays at an electronics fair in Japan.

In terms of size, LG was the winner. It demoed a 15in transparent OLED screen, compared to a paltry 2in offering from Samsung. Sammy has already shown off a 4.3in version for large handheld devices - the 2in screen is for phones, apparently.

The exact technical details of either set haven't emerged, yet. But a report by Asia-based tech title Tech-On said that both sets have a light transmittance level of 30 per cent.

Samsung rather smaller 2in transparent OLED screen

LG’s set has been designed for use in public places, the report added, while Samsung’s panel supposedly has a 176 x 220p resolution.

You can see a video of the Samsung device here.

It’s unclear if either firm has inked plans to develop transparent OLED TVs for the living room. ®

[ShadowAce]

[ctdonath2]

transparent OLED TVs for the living room

That would be cool for about 5 minutes. Then you realize that you want to see the picture, not what's behind it, and take the durn thing back.

[Red Badger]

A solution looking for a problem.................

[dfwgator]

Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.

[ShadowAce]

If it’ll help get OLED out on the open market, I’m all for it.

[null and void]

It would be great for a HUD, and for an overlay guide, say to a city or inside a complex piece of machinery.

Imagine a service manual that labels every part you look at, and highlights the ones of interest.

[PapaBear3625]

That would be cool for about 5 minutes. Then you realize that you want to see the picture, not what's behind it, and take the durn thing back.

It has no place in the living room. Now as a heads-up-display overlay on your car windshield, it has a lot of potential.

[RandallFlagg]

Now as a heads-up-display overlay on your car windshield, it has a lot of potential.

When Saturn was in it's incancy as a new auto company, they were going to do just that with their vehicles in 1982.

[RandallFlagg]

Infancy.
ugh!

[Still Thinking]

It has no place in the living room. Now as a heads-up-display overlay on your car windshield, it has a lot of potential.

Not till they get the transmittance percentage up and not even then if the device has the physical ability to become opaque. Can you imagine driving 75 down the freeway and Windows-Car Blue screens and so does your car?

[Still Thinking]

Oops. Make that “Car Windows (tm)”

[Pearls Before Swine]

A solution looking for a problem.................

Electronic window treatments. Or, an enhancing magic mirror on the wall.

[TexasRepublic]

Or, an enhancing magic mirror on the wall.

Helen Thomas: "Mirror, mirror, on the wall...."

[Still Thinking]

Oh, you mean so the mirror can crack, and electronically “heal” itself in case the next gazer is better looking than Helen? (Like, you know, 99.99999999% of all humans)

[kenth]

Now someone should stack a bunch of them together into a cube. Cubevision, CubeTV, I call dibs on those two names. Royalties here I come!

[krb]

Saturn wasn’t founded until 1985.

[krb]

Oh I see...they were leaking their vision as far back as 1982 though.

[Still Thinking]

When Saturn was in it's incancy as a new auto company, they were going to do just that with their vehicles in 1982.

Incancy? Is that a car than can cast magic spells? ;-)

[RandallFlagg]

Yeah. They started the process back then in ‘82. They weren’t founded yet, and were just getting started.

What they envisioned and what they ended up making are far different creatures.