Panasonic's new TV turns transparent when not in use

Panasonic is taking a new approach in the war for the living room with a new television that turns into transparent glass when not in use. There are limitations with the new technology, but it serves to beautify the living room, getting rid of the giant black box sitting idly in users' homes when the TV is not turned on. One limitation is that the glass is not completely transparent, but rather has a tint that slightly darkens objects placed behind it. The screen is also only capable of 1080 pixels as the market moves toward 4K displays. These things do not change the fact that the TV would still look great at home.

To achieve the transparent effect, the screen uses micro-LEDs to display the image on the glass panel. A wooden panel beneath the TV hides the other technology necessary for it to run, and that is part of a larger bookshelf. Behind the TV are shelves on which Panasonic has placed vases and other objects for display purposes. The TV can slide up and down, making those shelves accessible.

Panasonic is now part of the race to improve the look of the living room. TVs are undergoing a kind of transformation, but no one has yet found the perfect way to bring the product into the future of connected devices and on-demand shows and movies. Some see the TV as the new smart home hub, which Samsung has doubled down on by putting SmartThings on all its TVs this year. Panasonic is showing that aesthetics should also be part of the conversation about the future of TVs. The black box might be a staple of living rooms around the world, but that does not make it pretty.

See a comparison table of selected OLED TV and display suppliers on GlobalSources.com