LG took to this year’s InfoComm 2020 Connected in Fairfax, Virginia to tout a completely see-through OLED touchscreen, reports detail. It also took the opportunity to present its LG LED Cinema Display at the event. But the former display is arguably far more interesting.
The OLED panel in question has a transmittance of 38-percent. While that figure may seem low at the surface level, it effectively means that approximately 38-percent of light passes through. For a quick comparison, a Google search reveals that the average pair of sunglasses has a transmittance of just 15 to 25-percent.
There is a great degree of variance with regard to sunglasses. But that essentially means that more light passes through the back end of the display than the average pair.
LG says its transparent display is optimized for stores, airports, and museums. And it says that multiple screens can be attached side-by-side for more coverage. As noted above, the screens are also touch-enabled. So they can be used for interactions by customers or visitors to those locales.
Right now, LG touts that its digital signage built on the platform has recently been shipped to at least one store. Namely, that’s a store operated by Texas-headquartered sports entertainment company Topgolf.
So what about LG’s new movie display?
Secondary to the new see-through touchscreen from LG, the company also showed the LG LED Cinema Display noted above. All of the details about that panel haven’t been provided. But the company did indicate that it brokered a deal on the panels with Taiwanese Showtime Cinemas.
That marks the first time LG’s cinema-specific display, measuring just under 46-feet wide and 23-feet tall, has been put into a movie theater.
The displays are Dolby-Atmos ready, 4K resolution panels that outdo standard digital projectors in a few different ways, the company says. To begin with, the system built-into the panels manages each individual pixel. And that allows a more ‘uniform’ output that’s less vulnerable to distortion. Further, the company says that its panel offers ‘superiority’ in terms of contrast ratios and color accuracy. In fact, it meets the highest standards around for content ‘security and DCI certification.
That’s at least in part thanks to close work between Dolby and LG, resulting in the integration of Dolby’s IMS3000 Integrated Media Server.
Will the see-through LG touchscreen or cinematic 4k display be introduced elsewhere?
LG has not indicated whether or not it plans or has partnerships in the works on either of its products from the announcement. That doesn’t necessarily rule out the possibility. But, even if talks are underway, they don’t appear to have progressed far enough for LG to talk about.
If the introduction of the see-through panels goes over well at Topgolf, it’s not unlikely they could crop up at more of the company’s 50 locations. Conversely, that may also prompt their use elsewhere in the US. Similarly, LG’s LED Cinema Display may hold up well in Taiwanese theaters. And more partnerships could soon be brokered with other theaters worldwide, as a result.
It remains to be seen whether or not that will happen, but LG has captured imaginations with its larger display prowess for quite some time. So it isn’t improbable.