While many expected the recently concluded CES 2017, in Las Vegas, to bring to them the most innovative television product updates, they were certainly not prepared for what LG had in store. LG Display, the television wing of the South Korean giant, introduced mind boggling ‘wallpaper’ like display. The display uses the latest OLED technology and is ground breaking, not just for the company itself but for the industry as a whole. The TV has a sixty five inch screen size, two millimeter of thickness and a weight of less than two kilograms. 

LG Display W7 at A Glance

• The W7 Is The Thinnest TV By LG In Its History
• The Company Has Not Yet Set A Release Date (Estimated Later This Year)
• The Company Has Not Yet Announced Any Sticker Price (Estimated $8000)
• The W7 won more than 20 awards at the CES 2017 making it the most revered product
• LG Also Announced A New Super UHD TV Line

The television comes under the W7 series, which is a totally new segment introduced by the manufacturer this year, with the ‘W’ here standing for wallpaper. It perfectly fits into the LG philosophy of ‘less is more’, with no bezel or frame footprint. Its super sleek appearance makes it look like the display is floating in the air. In fact, there is really no gap between the TV and the wall it is put on, with LG utilizing a magnetic mount to achieve the ‘wallpaper’ effect.

The OLED technology has a 4K resolution, an ULTRA Luminance Technology for smart brightness and a pixel dimming control system, which prevents any light leakage in black and allows an ‘infinite’ contrast ratio, with a billion colors. The sound system has been complemented with Dolby Atmos system, which is the latest sound technology and is being used by the movie industry for the best audio atmosphere. Combined together, the W7 allows for a truly immersive experience of watching TV – something which seems out of a Harry Potter fiction world!

Besides these, the television also boasts an updated webOS and apps like Amazon, Netflix (in 4K HD) and Spotify!

LG introduced several new televisions as part of its CES 2017 product catalogue and aims to make this concept a part of its line for ordinary consumers. The company firmly believes that the future belongs to OLED only, as was reported by its head of OLED department, Mr Sang-Deong Yeo. This seemingly looks true as more and more companies move away from the HD craze of LCD and plasma displays. LED is where the next generation of TVs are moving towards and OLED is paving the way with its organic display, meaning that super thin and curvy bodies are possible without any sacrifices on quality. This is made possible by the fact that OLED can emit its own light and does not require any backlight, which were heavily needed by the LCD panels of the past. Indeed this is why most phones and other gadgets have also adopted OLED over LCD and IPS displays, since OLED’s allow for a thinner size at all times in comparison with its alternatives.

Perhaps the only downside to the OLEDs is the cost they come with. The OLED products by major manufacturers like Sony, Samsung and LG are all way too expensive for the normal customer, with some reaching a price tag of almost five figures! LG argues that the prices are high due to the comparatively low current demand and the high production costs. However, it believes that with the new year the prices are going to go relatively down and as the research grows in the OLED sector, the mass-production is definitely going to become more cost-friendly for the end user (albeit still more than an LCD).

While the W7 may just be a dream too expensive for most of us, it does give us quite an exciting insight into the possibilities of television advancement for the future.  LG expects to sell almost a million OLED panels in 2017 and is hopeful of truly making the technology mainstream.

About LG

LG Display is a subsidiary of the LG group. The company is headquarter in South Korea and is the world’s largest display manufacturer for television and other gadgets. Its products include LCD, OLEDs and flexible displays. Besides Korea, the company has manufacturing plants in China, Poland and Mexico.

About CES

CES stands for Consumer Electronics Show. It is the flagship electronics display show in the world and happens annually in Las Vegas. All the major brands compete for the spotlight and display some of the hottest gadgets they have come with. The CES 2017 was held between January 5–8, 2017.