Panasonic teases transparent OLED display ahead of global December launch

A few months have passed since Xiaomi unveiled its transparent OLED TV, the Mi TV Lux. Xiaomi only sells the Mi TV Lux in China, but YouTubers like Linus Sebastian have managed to import one. The Mi TV Lux retails for equivalent to US$7,200 too, so we imagine that hardly anyone is actually buying it.

Now, Panasonic has announced a competitor to the Mi TV Lux, and it will be available globally. Called the Transparent OLED Display Module or the TP-55ZT100 and TP-55ZT110 to go by its model numbers, Panasonic's attempt will also cost about US$7,200.

It seems that Panasonic has used the same 55-inch screen present on the Mi TV Lux, too. This means that the TP-55ZT100 and TP-55ZT110 will only be 1080p TVs. Additionally, they will only have a single HDMI 1.4 port and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Hence, Panasonic has done away with an integrated TV tuner or any smart TV features - effectively making the TP-55ZT100 and TP-55ZT110 mere monitors, rather than TVs.

Panasonic's attempt is not only exciting for its global availability, though. The TP-55ZT110 also has a dimming unit, which Panasonic claims:

reduces the light transmittance to decrease the amount of light passing through the panel from the rear side, thus making the displayed image highly visible even in an environment brightly lit by outside lights. The background is not transparent, so the displayed image is highly visible, with high contrast and deep black levels and without disturbing reflections or glares.

In short, the dimming unit in the TP-55ZT110 can make it seem as though the display is not transparent. The inclusion of a dimming unit adds 6 kg to the device's weight compared to the TP-55ZT100, though. 

The Transparent OLED Display Module will be available in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Taiwan from December. Panasonic intends it to be used in retail spaces, museums and lounge areas, albeit not ones in the home.