Chinese television maker TCL is best known for its affordable but premium quality QLED and MiniLED displays, but the company also has eyes on OLED, and has just started innovating with a fresh take on LG’s original rollable LG Signature Series OLED TV R.
Whereas LG’s rollable OLED TV rolls itself up or down vertically, TCL has turned that idea onto its side with a horizontally rolling OLED screen that unfurls somewhat similarly to curtains at a theatre, for example.
TCL’s horizontally rollable OLED display prototype was introduced at this year’s DTC 2020 conference, where it also showed off a vertically rolling OLED display that’s more similar to LG’s original design. The demonstrations suggest that flexible OLED displays are becoming more reliable, and that manufacturers are more willing to experiment with new concepts around the technology.
Being a prototype, there’s no official name or release date for the new tech. Indeed, the new display doesn’t even appear to be housed in any kind of device yet, resembling an old fashioned paper scroll more than anything else. We should note also that LG’s rollable OLED TV took a long time to come to market. The company only started selling it last month, and only in South Korea so far, despite unveiling it during the January 2019 Consumer Electronics Show.
Of course the question remains, why would anyone want to buy a rollable TV, except as a cool new gimmick they can show off to their friends? The main argument seems to be that they can save on valuable space. That might be useful for people with cosy living rooms, but it’s unlikely to benefit many early adopters as the huge price tag of LG’s Signature OLED TV R means that whoever buys one probably has a fairly spacious home already.
Another possible use is in the commercial sector, as rollable TVs would undoubtedly be a more eye-catching advertising display, for example.
Here’s a short clip of TCL’s horizontally rollable OLED concept, brought to you via OLED-Info.com.
