CES 2021 | LG shows off bendable and transparent OLED innovations ahead of CES

During last year's CES, LG showcased the Signature OLED R — a TV that rolls into a base unit and unfurls into a full 68-inch 4K HDR OLED panel when needed. This year, the South Korean electronics giant is taking things a notch higher and demoing two new TV innovations ahead of CES.

The first of these is what LG calls the "Bendable Cinematic Sound OLED (CSO) display". This is a 48-inch OLED panel, which can bend to a 1,000R curvature without affecting any of its functionality or characteristics. LG says that the display can be flattened for TV viewing and curved while gaming. The curvature is such that it offers a uniform viewing distance from the middle to the edge for an immersive viewing experience.

According to LG, this TV sports a response time of 0.1 ms and a 120 Hz refresh rate with variable refresh rate support from 40 Hz to 120 Hz. The company did not specify the resolution, but it is very much likely to be a 4K panel. Being a CSO screen, the entire OLED panel essentially is a speaker as well while only being 0.6 mm thick.

Apart from the bendable CSO display concept, LG will also show off 55-inch transparent OLED displays at this year's CES. During the event, LG — the only transparent OLED manufacturer — will demo several applications for such displays including using them for both home and commercial purposes. For instance, the TV's frame can be placed at the foot of a bed, used as a see-through panel while ordering food, or even as a smart window on a subway train.

Information on the transparent OLED panel can be displayed in several aspect ratios, so only the required extent of the TV needs to be unfurled. Hopefully, LG has mitigated some of the pitfalls of transparent display panels including poor contrast and black levels. The company claims that its OLED technology is 40% transparent compared to just 10% transparency offered by LCDs. Like the bendable TV concept, the transparent OLED TV also features CSO and completely avoids physical speakers.

Pricing and availability for both these display types is yet to be announced, but they can be safely assumed to be astronomical.