By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on X.
TV Answer Man, LG had this rollable TV several years ago at CES. Whatever happened to it? Can you buy it? — Gael, Reno, Nevada.
Gael, at the opening of the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, LG introduced the world’s first rollable OLED TV. When turned off, the set’s 65-inch screen rolled down into a piece of furniture that basically looked like a credenza from a sci-fi movie set in a post-apocalypse.
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The effect: The screen disappeared from your living room when not in use, presumably to create a more stylish decor when you are entertaining guests (although that ice-cold, silver credenza thing was still there, which wouldn’t exactly endear you to the Architectural Digest crowd.)
LG said the TV would launch in 2019 but did not provide pricing details. Two years later, it actually did launch with a price tag of $90,000.
Despite the likelihood that the set’s enormous price would scare off any consumer who had yet to be committed to a mental institution, most journalists at the 2019 CES raved about it, suggesting it was the future of TV. In fact, Reviewed.com actually tweeted that it was the future of TV, which was kind of them, considering that happened to be LG’s marketing slogan for OLED TVs. CNET said the roll-away set was “incredible.” And the Mirror in the United Kingdom said it will ‘transform’ the way we watch films.”
But despite the tech journalist’s tendency to gush over shiny new objects at CES, I wrote in 2019 that the rollable TV was years from becoming a living room staple. If then.
LG’s rollable TV.
“For starters, I’m not sure what the demand is here. Are we really clamoring for a TV that disappears in your living room (minus that stark credenza, of course)? Come on, for years we were told that the flat-screen TV will make our living rooms look more stylish, but now we are told that you don’t want the screen there at all? I don’t see it (literally and figuratively),” I wrote in an article at TVAnswerman.com.
So, who was right?
Yours truly, ladies and gentlemen. LG discontinued the rollable TV a few years ago after one publication reported only 10 people had purchased it.
The rollable TV was just another CES product launch bust.
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.
