LG’s 97-inch vibrating OLED TV offers 5.1 sound without speakers

LG Display has shown off some interesting ideas as it looks to change the way OLED panels work, from creating quirky form factors to eliminating dimmer brightness levels compared to LED alternatives. Now the panel maker is exploring a new approach to audio for OLED TVs.

LG Display today announced the 97-inch OLED EX TV Panel, which debuts Film Cinematic Sound OLED (CSO) technology, “which allows the display to vibrate and generate sound directly from the display without the need for separate speakers.”

“A 5.1-channel sound system is built into the widescreen mode, creating a performance that delivers a cinematic level of immersion,” said LG Display.

Sony has been using a similar technology, which it calls Acoustic Surface, in OLED TVs since 2017. These TVs also do not use speakers, but instead vibrate the drives behind the display. However, Sony doesn’t compare the Acoustic Surface to 5.1 surround sound. Instead, users are encouraged to connect their own equipment to the TV and use the TV as the center channel for surround sound setup.

Considering that the sound will come from a central point and not from all directions, it’s hard to imagine that a giant LG Display TV panel could provide cinema surround sound. But that doesn’t mean that the vibration-induced soundscape is useless. No TV’s built-in sound can compete with an elaborate home theater system, but Sony’s latest speaker-surface TV, the A9G, has a positive reputation among reviewers.

Audiophile site What Hi-Fi? , for example, called it the “best-sounding TV”he had ever tested, with “good sound propagation”and a directness that worked well with dialogue. FlatpanelsHD reported that the voices on the A9G sound like they’re coming straight from the characters’ mouths and that the overall sound is “significantly better than regular TV speakers”, although the site still recommends external audio for a better experience.

We haven’t tested LG’s Display Film CSO technology, but based on reviews of similar technology, there’s a good chance the sound will be as good as the built-in speakers in a traditional TV.

Bigger and brighter

LG Display announced its OLED EX technology in December, saying it delivers up to 30 percent brighter screens than standard OLED displays thanks to the use of deuterium and the company’s developed “EX technology algorithm.”

OLED EX TVs are starting to be released by brands like LG and Philips, but the 97-inch size is a rarity among OLED TVs. LG’s first 97-inch OLED TV, the G2, is expected to launch this year.

LG Display has not announced any future OLED EX vibrating panel TV products. In March, FlatpanelsHD reported that the company had confirmed a €25,000 (about $25,800) price tag for the G2, so we don’t expect any TVs with LG’s newly announced audio technology to be affordable.

For now, the company will showcase the OLED TV along with other OLED designs at the K-Display 2022 Conference of the Korea Display Industry Association, which started today and will end on Friday.