If we are to believe the display makers the future holds screens with advanced touch-sensitive panels, flexible displays, stores with video walls and video windows that look like monitors when they are switched on and windows when the screen is off. The latter is closer than you might think and Samsung wants to make this reality with the OLED technology. 

Samsung has produced and exhibited an OLED panel with a transmittance / transparency of 30 %. They call their prototype the"Windows Display" because the screen might be confused with a window with a sun filter – but it’s a lot more. 

A fairly unique feature - besides the transparent screen panel - is that the picture only appears on one side of the screen. So if you are on the one side of the screen and sees a picture, people on the other side of the screen will be looking at you through a tinted window - but without being able to see the picture that you see. See more in the movie below. 


Samsung OLED ”Window Display”

The presentation consisted of 4 “Windows” screens, each measuring 12.1 inches. A framework makes the layout look like a window facade. 

The technology used is not surprisingly OLED and once again the unique opportunities offered by the OLED technology are presented – yet in another set-up. The window panels use a top emission OLED panel but Samsung is reluctant to reveal the basic technical details of their exciting new prototype - allegedly because of competition. 


Samsung OLED ”Window Display”

The prototype was shown at the FPD International 2008 exhibition in Yokohama, Japan. The prototype demonstrates, moreover, that progress is being made in the development of window screens. Samsung previously (May 2008) showcased a 4.82 inch OLED panel with the same transmittance of 30%. But now it has been enlarged and improved.

The screen resolution is at 840x504 pixels. The brightness is 200 cd/m2 and the panel is capable of reproducing 100% of NTSC color spectrum. The response time is only 0.01 millisecond. 

See the movie from the FPD fair here. The camera is filming the front of the window screen - then the back. Very impressive!