Foldable and collapsible OLED TVs are the future.

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• Foldable and collapsible OLED TVs are the future.

Smart TV design is evolving. These trusty rectangles we rely on to stream and display our favorite Netflix shows, Amazon movies, and PS4 games are entering a new stage in their evolution, and that has a lot to do with their size. Gone are the days when owning a home TV meant a square CRT with a 4:3 aspect ratio. Now we look forward to ultra-flat flat screens lining a wall, or massive 75-inch screens flickering over our media centers. However, these new, larger form factors herald a new design challenge for TV brands; namely, how to prevent these ever-increasing TV sizes from completely dominating someone's home. The new flagship size for TVs is 55 inches, and 65-inch TVs are the fastest growing category. Some, like the Samsung Q950TS 8K QLED, even come in at 82 inches in size in the US, acknowledging the generally larger homes there compared to the UK. That's a lot of screen space to fit into any living room, and since the average home doesn't get bigger with the average TV, it's the responsibility of TV manufacturers to design innovative media to better blend displays into their surroundings. or hide them completely. LG is one of the best examples of this, with its rollable OLED, the Signature Series OLED R, which is expected to launch in 2020, after its 2019 launch date hasn't passed yet. This rollable OLED does exactly what you'd expect: being able to roll up, almost like a rug, and then pop off your TV stand/stand again. You can even unfold the screen to a third of its full height, at half mast, so to speak, like an OLED smart display to display weather or weather information.

LG's rollable OLED can also be partially rolled up for a smart display feature (Image credit: TechRadar) This is clearly advanced technology and an incredible feat of engineering that utilizes OLED's flexible properties, ensuring that those looking for a OLED TV have an option that can be easily hidden when the TV is not turned on. Not used. With LG making transparent OLED displays for retailers and Panasonic creating its first such commercial set, we could see TV screens capable of switching between transparent window and home theater with just a click.

Waiting in the wings

We've also been reporting on Bang & Olufsen's Beovision Harmony TV, which has an adjustable wing-shaped TV stand capable of covering part of the screen, available in sizes up to 88 inches. Gavin Ivester, Vice President of Design at Bang & Olufsen, tells us that this feature is a result of customer concerns about the "larger size of modern screens," saying that "as screens get bigger, certainly they interrupt the flow of one more room." As a result, the design team "made Harmony smaller when you're not using it for TV and movies. We gave it a smooth, automatic mechanism: the speakers rotate inward when the screen falls to the floor ."

Beovision Harmony (Image credit: Bang & Olufsen) The spread of the "wings" is also essential to its high-end audio performance, placing the speakers at "a very large ratio for cinematic sound", and then letting them "roll inwards into a narrower shape that hides most of the TV screen in its low position." Ivester adds that "the whole package blends better with your interior, this is partly why Harmony got its name. apparent size of the screen when not in use, emphasizing the glossy black surface in favor of carefully crafted wood or textile and aluminum." Harmony offers a tidy solution, one that doesn't completely obscure the TV or allow it to dominate the room. space in which it is located. Making sure your speakers fan out with the "wings" also means there's a practical reason driving the design, as well as an aesthetic one.

Many different avenues

For all of the innovative design solutions for larger screens, there are ways around the size problem in addition to expensive engineering methods. LG's rollable OLED, meanwhile, is expected to cost around €60,000, while the Beovision Harmony will cost up to €49,000 / £44,100 (around AU$74,000) in its larger 88-inch size. Ivester speculates that features like "a movable shade or panel that can hide or reveal the TV" may become much more common in homes, calling "screen movement" a solution with greater potential than "folding form factors." ".

LG GX Gallery Series OLED (2020) (Image credit: LG) An artistic spirit, the Samsung The Frame is a different answer to the same problem, in that it's a TV that effectively masquerades as a photo frame when not is in active use. It'll use 30% of its usual power output to mimic a piece of art on your living room wall, and while a real painting is more environmentally friendly, it's undeniably a smart choice for homeowners who don't want alter your interior decoration. with a 55-inch black slab throughout the day. We've also seen LG launch its own take on Samsung's idea with the LG GX Gallery Series OLED, and those who want a TV that doesn't really spoil the decor can opt for a small TV. One thing is clear: as screen technologies get bigger, TVs are moving from core devices to devices that need to blend into their environment. Some solutions are cheaper than others, but we don't expect the Signature OLED R series or Beovision Harmony to be the last of their kind.

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