LG release rollable, 8K TVs and beer brewing machines
- 5 years ago
This is the OLED TV R from the South Korean electronics giant LG.
The R stands for rollable, and that is exactly what this TV does.
When it is not in use it rolls up in a box, and when a user presser the power button it rolls back out.
The technology was first shown at CES last year by LG Displays, a daughter company to LG that creates new display technology.
But the OLED TV R is the first time the technology has been put into a consumer-ready display.
LG says that the OLED TV R will be available worldwide this year, but the company has not announced a price.
"It has the same attributes as a fixed OLED model meaning that it can portray perfect blacks," says Tim Alessi, head of Product marketing LG US
"Every single pixel is individually addressable. So you get a beautiful picture, no light bleed, vivid colors, fully HDR compatible. All that can be retracted into that box."
According to LG, the screen should be able to handle being rolled in and out about 50,000 times.
The 65-inch 4K OLED TV also has a mode where the screen retracts to the point where one quarter is showing.
Then the display is used as a stereo system to play music from the box, which contains Dolby Atmos speakers.
Flexible and rollable displays are a hot trend in the tech sector.
Several companies are working on flexible displays for smartphones, and TV screens are often curved and bent.
"Every CES we talk about flexible displays and it is still true at CES 2019. But this year we are one significant step closer to having rollable displays in our hands," says Nicole Scott, editor of Mobile Geeks technology news website.
Even though the display will be available this year it will probably be priced at a level where most consumers would not buy it.
But after a few years, new technology goes down in price to reach a mass market, says Roger Cheng, executive editor of CNET:
"CES is definitely a show where they are talking about the future of technology. Technology that you are going to buy in a year or two or three from now."
LG is also showing a number of 8K televisions.
8K is the next level of definition, following on from HD and 4K.
However, there is currently no content being produced in 8K, which means that the best an 8K television can do at this stage is to upscale existing 4K content.
However, if you are planning on buying a television that will last for a decade or more, then 8K might be useful, says Nicole Scott, editor of Mobile Geeks technology news website.
"One of the only reasons I think that consumers should look at 8K TVs is that you keep your TV for a really long time. So if you need to pick up a TV this year, and you want to keep it for five to ten years, you'll want the 8K feature when there is finally 8K content in a couple of years," she says.
LG is also launching a home brewing machine for beer enthusiasts at CES.
The LG HomeBrew is capsule-based, very much like a coffee machine, meaning that consumers can choose from several different beer types and tastes.
The machine automates the fermentation and carbonation of the beer. But unlike a coffee machine, the HomeBrew will need at least two weeks to produce the beer, and then it will only be about 5 liters.
The HomeBrew machine will be available this year but LG has not announced a price.
CES 2019, the world's largest tech conference, runs Tuesday 8th to Friday 11th January.
Over 180,00 visitors are expected to attend the huge annual consumer electronics show in Las Vegas. The top trends this year are the Internet of Things (IoT), 5G and high-tech mobility.
The R stands for rollable, and that is exactly what this TV does.
When it is not in use it rolls up in a box, and when a user presser the power button it rolls back out.
The technology was first shown at CES last year by LG Displays, a daughter company to LG that creates new display technology.
But the OLED TV R is the first time the technology has been put into a consumer-ready display.
LG says that the OLED TV R will be available worldwide this year, but the company has not announced a price.
"It has the same attributes as a fixed OLED model meaning that it can portray perfect blacks," says Tim Alessi, head of Product marketing LG US
"Every single pixel is individually addressable. So you get a beautiful picture, no light bleed, vivid colors, fully HDR compatible. All that can be retracted into that box."
According to LG, the screen should be able to handle being rolled in and out about 50,000 times.
The 65-inch 4K OLED TV also has a mode where the screen retracts to the point where one quarter is showing.
Then the display is used as a stereo system to play music from the box, which contains Dolby Atmos speakers.
Flexible and rollable displays are a hot trend in the tech sector.
Several companies are working on flexible displays for smartphones, and TV screens are often curved and bent.
"Every CES we talk about flexible displays and it is still true at CES 2019. But this year we are one significant step closer to having rollable displays in our hands," says Nicole Scott, editor of Mobile Geeks technology news website.
Even though the display will be available this year it will probably be priced at a level where most consumers would not buy it.
But after a few years, new technology goes down in price to reach a mass market, says Roger Cheng, executive editor of CNET:
"CES is definitely a show where they are talking about the future of technology. Technology that you are going to buy in a year or two or three from now."
LG is also showing a number of 8K televisions.
8K is the next level of definition, following on from HD and 4K.
However, there is currently no content being produced in 8K, which means that the best an 8K television can do at this stage is to upscale existing 4K content.
However, if you are planning on buying a television that will last for a decade or more, then 8K might be useful, says Nicole Scott, editor of Mobile Geeks technology news website.
"One of the only reasons I think that consumers should look at 8K TVs is that you keep your TV for a really long time. So if you need to pick up a TV this year, and you want to keep it for five to ten years, you'll want the 8K feature when there is finally 8K content in a couple of years," she says.
LG is also launching a home brewing machine for beer enthusiasts at CES.
The LG HomeBrew is capsule-based, very much like a coffee machine, meaning that consumers can choose from several different beer types and tastes.
The machine automates the fermentation and carbonation of the beer. But unlike a coffee machine, the HomeBrew will need at least two weeks to produce the beer, and then it will only be about 5 liters.
The HomeBrew machine will be available this year but LG has not announced a price.
CES 2019, the world's largest tech conference, runs Tuesday 8th to Friday 11th January.
Over 180,00 visitors are expected to attend the huge annual consumer electronics show in Las Vegas. The top trends this year are the Internet of Things (IoT), 5G and high-tech mobility.