For many, the technology they use on any given day boils down to a few key items — the phone, the computer and the TV. Sure, most have a few other devices they mix in, but in terms of the items that are everywhere, these three are it.
And at CES, the biggest consumer-technology convention in the world going on now in Las Vegas, we’ve been given some key hints on what to expect for the future of television.
SEE ALSO: The biggest trends at CES 2024
The American living room, in many ways, revolves around the television. Samsung has broken through in recent years with the Frame model, which looks like a sleek piece of art on your wall rather than a black box waiting to be turned on.
But this year, it’s clear that the world’s best TV makers are taking the design-centric approach to the next level. Specifically, LG laid out its vision for a transparent TV with the Signature OLED model that would look like nothing on your wall until you turn it on.
It’s an interesting concept that allows people to reclaim their living room. Now, like most of the newer, flashier concepts at CES, it’s going to be extremely expensive as it first hits the market. We don’t know exactly what the cost will be, but we’re thinking it will cost most of the way to $10,000 when it does reach the market.
Not content with addressing just those with chic living rooms, LG also showed off their line of MyView Smart Monitors, which can replace the TV for those living in smaller spaces and don’t want to dedicate space just to a television. Perfect for the younger person who never even had a cord to cut.
We’re excited to get our hands on it in the BestReviews Testing Lab due to its impressive picture quality and intuitive features, perfect for the person working from home who would like to use the same device for entertainment after logging off work.
Samsung has been in a sweet spot for years of having high-end technology that consumers love but is still being sold at a more accessible price point. That combo has led to their TVs being in a lot of households. Now they’re rolling out features, harnessing artificial intelligence (this is an article from CES, after all), that will make consuming programming even easier.
The AI for All feature on the upcoming QLED 8K models caught my eye because it allows for small tweaks that will make sports like golf and tennis easier to keep up with. The tweak, which Samsung is calling AI Motion Enhancer Pro, will be a huge benefit for sports that historically have had a hard time translating to the TV format.
In addition to the upgrades to their TVs, Samsung also exhibited their Freestyle 2 — which added gaming functionality as well as upgrades across the board. But most importantly, they addressed the biggest knock on the product and found a way to bring down the cost.
The original Freestyle was a favorite in the BestReviews Testing Lab due to how easy it is to set up and use in most scenarios. It’s clear, with the new release, that Samsung is attempting to seize and expand on those initial benefits and become a fixture for families or anyone who also doesn’t want to have a TV in their living room.
Since televisions evolved from the bulky TV models of the 1990s and into the sleek flat-screen world of the 21st century, there’s been one persistent problem: You need to buy accompanying sound equipment to overcome the tinny sound of the slimmer design.
That’s been a great benefit for the makers of soundbars, but many of us remember a world where they weren’t a necessary component. Panasonic showed off the technology at CES on their higher-end models that finally solved the problem.
They had speakers that were immersive and — get this — built into the TV itself. They also accounted for left and right, as well as a center-channel sound setup.
The coolest feature, though, was how they could pinpoint the sound to one particular position in the room. So if you are watching a movie in the same room where someone is working or studying, you can divert the sound away from them while still receiving the full experience for yourself.
Perfect for the couple where one person is a movie buff and the other just wants company while they scroll their phone.
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Jacob Palmer is the Sr. Director of Content for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
