The TV gets
its first major redesign in decades
The LG Signature R not only looks
gorgeous and sound incredible, it solves the biggest problem of modern TVs.
LG Signature OLED TV R. The “R” stands for its rollable screen, a 3-millimeter OLED panel
that rises from a thin rectangular volume at its base. It’s a technical marvel,
but it also solves a big problem with televisions: they tend to be eyesores
when they’re off.
TVs have been dramatically
increasing in size and quality–all while dropping in price–since they were
invented, but especially in the past decade. Nowadays you can get a 65-inch 4K
monster that will offer great image quality for under $1,000. But even the most
advanced models still turn into an ugly, dead surface when you’re not using
them. It doesn’t matter where you put them–they look terrible. Even if you hang
them, and go to the trouble of hiding the cables under the wall, the immense
black mirror surface can ruin a room. And no, screen savers that display museum
paintings aren’t the answer (those are arguably worse, like fake wood
paneling).
But that changes with LG’s new rollable
TV, which the company introduced at CES 2019 in Las Vegas. Rather
than having to devote space to the screen somewhere in your living room, the
display panel simply emerges from a discrete but pretty white aluminum volume
that also houses the audio system. When you need the TV, just turn it on and it
quickly unrolls right in front of you. Turn it off and it disappears. No more
dead screen ugliness in your living room.
This brand-new form factor is even more
useful than a conventional TV, since LG also designed three “display modes”
that take advantage of its rollable display. The first mode only raises
the screen a few inches, enough to show information tiles like the time,
weather, news, or music track information if you’re using Airplay 2 or Alexa to
stream songs. A second mode gives you a way to play ultra-wide-ratio films
like Star Wars or 2001: A Space Odyssey without
the black bars on the top or the bottom. And finally, a third mode will give
you the 16:9 aspect ratio needed for regular TV, movies, and series.
It reminds me of Dieter Rams’s classic Hi-Fi
gadgets, like the Braun SK55 vinyl
player, the Braun LE1 speaker, or the
Braun L60 sound system, since it reflects his principles
of good design: the rollable screen is innovative technology, and makes the
product more useful than existing TVs. The aesthetics couldn’t be more
beautifully simple. It’s unobtrusive and honest to the last detail–as little
design as possible. As far as quality goes, “it’s impressive,” according to my
colleague, Tom’s Guide editor Mark Spoonauer, who saw it in person in a hotel suite at an LG special CES
presentation. As you’d expect from LG–which has led in TVs over the past few
years thanks to its OLED panels–the 4K resolution reportedly looks gorgeous in
action. The audio unit itself is a 100-watt Dolby Atmos sound system that does 5.1
virtual surround, enough to drive your neighbors crazy, and has Alexa and
Google Assistant built in.
The TV will be available in the second half
of 2019, and while it doesn’t have a price yet, Spoonauer says it will be LG’s
most expensive unit, so you can expect it to cost well over $20,000. But
eventually, this kind of technology will likely be available for everyone at a
low price–just like every other gadget that debuted at an astronomical price.
BY JESUS DIAZ https://www.fastcompany.com/90288998/the-tv-gets-its-first-major-redesign-in-decades?utm_source=postup&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Fast%20Company%20Weekly&position=6&partner=newsletter&campaign_date=01112019
No comments:
Post a Comment