Panasonic’s prototype Transparent OLED TV appears at IFA 2019, with the Japanese TV manufacturer also giving the concept design a release of 2020.
We’d seen Panasonic demo its Transparent OLED before with a different design, but IFA 2019 marked the first time we’d heard concrete news about the prototype. Panasonic has stated that it is looking to bring the TV to market in 2020.
Related: Panasonic TV 4K HDR and HD TV lineup explained
The Transparent OLED in a different frame
First shown at Salone del Mobile earlier this year, the transparent OLED display is a collaboration between Scandinavian based designer Daniel Rybakken and Panasonic Design Kyoto. Made out of wood, metal and glass, the cabinet has a wooden finish frame to look as if it’s holding a pane of glass. Turn the TV on and it transforms into an OLED display where you can watch your 4K content on.
It continues a recent trend of manufacturers exploring and expanding into the lifestyle sector, with Samsung chasing that with its Frame and Serif TVs, along with LG’s OLED designs.
The transparent OLED came about through conceptual research by Panasonic and Vitra – the Swiss-owned furniture maker. Their expertise in furniture and space design, combined with Panasonic’s TV knowledge resulted in a TV that aims to integrate seamlessly into an environment and become part of the home decor.
It’s not the only concept TV that Panasonc revealed at IFA 2019. The MegaCon, as Panasonic has dubbed it, is a Dual Panel LCD monitor prototype that delivers a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1, which is well above what a conventional LCD can deliver. It can hold a peak brightness of 1000 nits “indefinitely”, whilst covering 99% of the DCI P3 colour standard.
The MegaCon doesn’t sound like it’ll be heading to consumer homes anytime soon. Having been tested exhaustively by Hollywood studios and post-production house, it’s claimed to deliver “mastering monitor levels of colour accuracy”, with wide angle viewing without any loss of fidelity and using Panasonic’s bespoke tech
Following exhaustive testing by Hollywood studios and post production houses, it delivers mastering monitor levels of colour accuracy. Furthermore, unlike other similar dual panel LCD displays, based on feedback from the Hollywood community, it also features a very wide viewing angle without any loss of colour fidelity.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
