LG's transparent OLED TV wows at CES 2023

(Image credit: LG via YouTube)

One of the coolest demos we saw out at CES 2023 is something you're not supposed to see at times. But then, that's all part of the appeal of LG's transparent OLED TV.

LG showed off this prototype TV set, dubbed the LG OLED T, during its CES press conference today (January 4). The idea is that the OLED T's screen can go blank, letting you see whatever's behind it.

Obviously, the LG OLED T isn't designed for living rooms where you hang up your TV on a wall, but rather where there's a view behind it, like, say a window. In a demo video, in fact, LG showed off its TV becoming transparent so that people living in an apartment could watch a fireworks display from the window behind their TV.

Given the "now you see it, now you don't" nature of the LG OLED T, you could also imagine such a display being used in retail spaces, museums or other venues when a screens needs to be unobtrusive when not in use.

LG imagines another possible scenario where a transparent TV can come into play, showcasing artwork and other imagery that disappears when you want to watch television. "It will give you new viewing experiences such as a virtual aquarium, a soothing calm rainstorm or anything an artist... can imagine," said LG's Frank Lee during the company's press event. " When it comes time, you can slide up the screen and take full advantage of an OLED experience."

It doesn't sound like the LG OLED T will go on sale any time soon. Rather, it's a prototype meant to show off "the direction where we're going," Lee said.

LG certainly has plenty of other TVs to show off at CES this year. Just before the LG OLED T got its time in the spotlight, we got a look at the LG Signature Series M3 OLED — a 97-inch wireless OLED TV that can transmit 4K video at 120Hz without any wires. In addition, we've had hands-on time with both the LG C3, the latest version of LG's top-selling TV with a new processor and improved WebOS software, and the premium LG G3 OLED TV.

As impressive as those sets are, though, they can't fade from view like the LG OLED T can. And that's why this prototype isn't going to disappear so easily from what we remember about CES this year.

TOPICS

Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. He's been covering personal technology since 1999 and was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics, old movies and proper butchery techniques. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.