Earlier today we covered Samsung’s remarkable new OLED TV. In a year where the newest and best TVs seem to be the unofficial theme of CES, this one stood out from the crowd for its remarkable display technology.
Well, it looks like Samsung had more in their bag of awesome than just a great new TV. At their booth today they’ve been showing off their new Smart Window transparent LCD display. Let me say that again: Transparent. LCD. Display. Unlike traditional LCDs, this one lacks back light units (BLUs), relying instead on ambient light to let you see what you’re doing. With the BLUs taken out, you can see right through the display to whatever’s beyond – your back yard, for example. Never fear that the panel becomes useless after dark, though. It includes a special transparent BLU that acts as a light when the other lights go out.
Also, since the bulk of the power drawn by a traditional LCD display goes to the BLUs, the Smart Window uses about a tenth the electricity of a normal LCD (when the transparent BLU is off, anyway). The panel is one-way, meaning that people who walk by the outside will only see a mirror, and won’t be able to see what you’re looking at.
Not much is known about the Smart Window’s pricing or availability. Reports coming out of CES are that it is headed for mass production soon, though, so look for this amazing technology to start showing up by the end of the year. In the meantime, take a look at the video below (courtesy of MobileNations), and let us know what you think in the comments.
[Source: Samsung]