LG has come up with a way to roll a television or display monitor up like a scroll. They developed an 18-inch display that is flat and paper thin.
They put the OLED display on display at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this year. The company claims that it is confident consumers could see a 60-inch model in Ultra High Definition in their living rooms (or wherever you put a flexible television) by as early as 2017.
LG, a South Korean electronics manufacturer, reportedly unveiled an 18-inch OLED panel that is transparent and another one that is not but is rollable. This move by the company brings about profound new possibilities for design and decor.
One report noted the curious ways in which people might use such technology in other applications such as wearables or mobile devices. One person interviewed expounded on the possibility of a smart watch display wrapping around the entire user's arm. The imaginative ways the technology might be applied are certainly noteworthy.
LG explained its process for creating such flexible displays. They use a backplane made of a high molecular substance-based polyamide film, which is an alternative to plastic. This also helps achieve the transparent displays, which designers are thrilled to put to use one day. Imagine using them as a backdrop in home decor or as part of an intricate commercial display of some kind.
LG said their transparent model reduces haze significantly and boosts transmittance by about 30 percent.
So would they be priced right for the average Joe? Probably not. As with most technology, early adopters are typically in the higher income bracket and prices decrease as time goes on and innovation creates new products. This would especially be true of the 60-inchers they plan to build. What might that cost?
Well, according to at least one report, likely a pretty penny. LG already sells a 55-inch OLED TV it claims is pencil thin for $9,000. Now, imagine what paper thin would cost.
LG won't be the only company to produce such technology, however. They join both Samsung and Nokia in building flexible displays, as another outlet pointed out. LG also said there is much work to be done to get to market.
The 18-inch screens have a reported high-definition resolution of 1200 x 810. They can be rolled to a radius of just over an inch without destroying the display, which the company said in a statement is proof that LG will be able to produce a 50-inch version.
