CES 2024: Which transparent screen to shop for? This will be the television of the future. technology

Cable-free televisions that stick to the wall, that roll up to store and go unnoticed, or that rotate to stand upright. These are some of the devices that have been showcased at CES, the world’s largest consumer electronics fair, in recent years. In this edition, to be held this week in Las Vegas (USA), tech giants such as Panasonic, Samsung and LG have presented their most powerful and innovative televisions, with which they wish to revolutionize the smart home.

These devices are coming with larger screens with better image quality, as noted by Jessica Boothe, director of market research at CTA (the association of American technology companies, which organizes CES). Despite this, experts emphasize that television is “much more than a simple screen.” It has “begun to take the first steps toward becoming a smart home center that goes beyond entertainment.” streaming,

“It’s becoming an intelligent command center that will connect devices like the kitchen and laundry room or access your security cameras and show you what they record,” he says. And it goes on. According to forecasts, television will become an e-commerce platform that will allow consumers to purchase products and services while watching programs.

Jacob Pesl, a Panasonic employee, also believes that television will be primarily a home hub: “People will still sit back and enjoy quality entertainment, but they will also be able to control any device in the home. ” “It’s hard to know what the future of television will be like because everything is moving so fast. I imagine a screen where you can interact with your friends via video or see who rings the doorbell, but there is also a remote control with a button that lets you control your autonomous car. Allows ordering door to door access.

We still have to wait to see if these predictions come true. At CES, manufacturers demonstrate what their devices can currently do. Panasonic, which has invited EL PAÍS to the fair, has announced that its televisions will have Amazon Fire TV integrated from 2024. In a demo given to this newspaper, a Panasonic employee gave some commands to Alexa: from playing a series to turning on the lights or closing the curtains.

Although many companies are committed to making the television the brain of the smart home, there are also some companies that highlight the potential of these devices in other places. This is the case of David Gold, president of Hisense America, who believes that the reach of its screens “extends beyond home entertainment and covers many aspects of daily life, such as hospitals, classrooms, stadiums, offices and museums.”

Wireless and transparent television

If something is clear after visiting the fair, it is that manufacturers are finding ways to surprise users. A man walks around the fair with a turned on television in his hands to show that it is completely wireless. He is Balaji Krishnan, founder and CEO of Displays, the company that made headlines in 2023 by creating the first wireless television that sticks to the wall “as if by magic.”

“We have experimented with many different technologies. For example, with roll-up, wireless and transparent televisions, claims LG employee Jennifer Solovey, who believes that over time “there will be markets for all of these devices.” Transparent screens aren’t actually new. Many manufacturers have been showing prototypes for years.

But now LG has launched the LG Signature OLED T, the first wireless television with a transparent panel, which should theoretically go on sale this year. Hundreds of people have come to his place at CES to record this 77-inch panel with their cell phones. It plays a movie and looks like a traditional television. Suddenly, a sort of black curtain slowly slides away and the screen becomes transparent. The purpose is for the device to be placed in the middle of the room and remain unnoticed, although it can also show fish or other animations. Samsung does not want to be left behind and has taken advantage of the fair to announce a completely transparent Micro LED television.

artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence is the main protagonist of CES. Samsung’s vice president and CEO Jong-hee Han believes that this technology will allow connected devices to improve without interfering with people’s daily routine and always remaining “in the background.” Thanks to this, televisions can make personalized recommendations and interact with other devices.

This technology also works to optimize image and sound. The televisions presented by Panasonic at CES – the Z95 and Z93 models – include a processor that uses artificial intelligence to achieve a brighter panel with a higher level of detail. In addition to image, sound is also particularly important for identifying locations or characters in films, reinforcing atmosphere and evoking emotions. Samsung is working on Active Voice Amplifier Pro technology, a system that analyzes voice and background noise with artificial intelligence to optimize the listening experience and “enable you to enjoy different content as you Were in the front row of the stadium or cinema”.

Achieving the most immersive experience is also one of the priorities for companies like Panasonic. To achieve this their televisions include multiple speakers on the back. Additionally, they have a mode called sound focus Which allows sound to be directed to a specific location in the room. “One person may be listening to the TV, while the other person prefers to be quiet or sleep in the same room,” explains Gábor Szegner, product marketing and communications manager for home entertainment in Europe at Panasonic.

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