If you’re going to launch a crazy TV concept, CES is definitely the global stage to do it on. Screens will certainly be on display at CES 2023 in a few weeks, and a 55-inch 4K OLED TV from US startup company Displace appears to be one of them. And not just any 55-inch 4K OLED TV, you hear, but “the world’s first truly wireless TV”.
If you’ve already imagined the TV in your living room, without the plug and HDMI cables dangling from the back, think again: the Displace TV really is a very different beast than what currently occupies pride of place in our lounge . In the concept, one panel – or multiple panels that can create a screen up to 110 inches with a resolution of 16K – is attached to the wall in a home. Thanks to Displace’s patented active loop vacuum technology, these panels can be easily fixed to a wall with “a light push”, as opposed to the more traditional permanent wall mounting. In that sense, the TV is easy to transport, not least because the 55-inch unit weighs less than 9kg.
Powering the panels instead of an AC power supply are – you guessed it – rechargeable batteries. They have a battery life of about a month based on six hours of active TV time per day and can be charged one at a time while the TV is running thanks to Displace’s patented hot-swappable battery system. The panels connect wirelessly to a base unit that does indeed require power from a wall outlet, though it can be tucked away from view.
You’ve probably guessed that the Displace TV doesn’t come with your standard remote control. In fact, it doesn’t add up at all. Completing its quirkiness is the exclusive control via hand gestures, voice assistants and touch screens, making it much more interactive than a standard television. On that front there’s a built-in 4K camera and support for Wi-Fi 6E, which makes us think this looks more like a giant tablet than a television.
Displace has clearly set its sights on shaking up the TV market by trading in our inflexible, bulky and cluttered sets for its transportable, wireless and hands-on alternative, but are we (or our bank accounts) completely ready for some it has in store for us is another matter altogether.
Still, the Displace TV is coming: pre-orders will be available from January 5 on the Displace website and shipping is expected at the end of 2023. Now we just have to look forward to playing with it at CES. Oh, and see how much it will cost of course.
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