Samsung shows off bendable TV

Samsung's 105 inch curved UHD TV is displayed at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Samsung's 105 inch curved UHD TV is displayed at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Published Jan 9, 2014

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Las Vegas - On demand programmes have made watching your favourite shows more flexible - and now there could be a TV to match.

Samsung have created a bendy TV screen, with the viewer able to set the level of the curve of the screen via the remote.

The South Korean company said the curved screen offers a wider field of view and panoramic effect. It is a similar effect to those used by IMAX cinemas.

Rival manufacturer LG has already created a curved TV, but the angle is fixed.

Samsung – the world’s largest TV manufacturer - showcased an 85in prototype among a host of new devices at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

LG has also announced a smaller 77in flexible TV of its own that is based on OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology. Guy Kinnell, the head of TV for Samsung Electronics in the UK said: ‘The combination of our curved design and UHD (ultra high definition) picture quality creates the ultimate immersive entertainment experience for people passionate about entertainment.’ However, UK experts were sceptical about its benefits. Stuart Miles, of gadget site Pocket Lint, said: ‘As a piece of technology it’s mind boggling. It’s an interesting idea, but it’s solving a problem that doesn’t need to be solved.

‘I’m yet to see the benefit of a curved TV - it still seems like a little bit of showboating.’ Users determine how curved the screens should be taking into account how many people are watching and where they are sitting. Two motors on either side of the screen set the curve. It can be then left flat when not in use.

The flexible screens are part of the new generation of large ultra high definition TV sets.

The industry has spent millions on the technology in the hope it will not suffer the same fate as 3D televisions. This year’s football World Cup will be the first major event to be broadcast in UHD - but only in Japan.

The picture clarity has been likened to looking through a window, with images that are four times sharper than current HD TVs.

The bendable TV appeared as Samsung unveiled its new range of UHD sets, which are led by a huge 110in version and a 105in fixed-curve option.

No price has yet been announced for this new generation of extra large TVs.

Daily Mail

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