The coolest televisions at IFA 2023

By Marlene Polywka and Adrian Mühlroth | Sep 04, 2023 3:39pm

There is a lot for visitors to see at the IFA every year, including new and innovative TV sets. TECHBOOK presents the highlights.

TV highlights at IFA 2023

LG OLED TV M3

The manufacturer LG was again one of the big names at IFA 2023 when it came to televisions. Among other things, you could see the OLED TV M3 from the manufacturer. The special thing about the model: it is virtually wireless. This works thanks to the so-called Zero Connect Box, which is included in the scope of delivery. All the important interfaces are on the box; the device then transmits the information wirelessly to the television itself.

This even allows transmission in 4K UHD and with up to 120 fps. The box can be placed up to ten meters away from the television, thus avoiding ugly cable clutter. The LG OLED TV M3 is available in three different sizes: 77, 83 and gigantic 97 inches. The smallest model costs 7,300 euros, the 83-inch model costs 9,700 euros and the 97-inch TV even costs 35,000 euros. The market launch is planned for Q4 2023.

However, the LG television is not entirely new. TECHBOOK already reported on the device at the CES this year and was able to take a closer look at it in Las Vegas.

Samsung Micro LED

Another big name at IFA this year was Samsung. The manufacturer from South Korea had booked the City Cube at the exhibition center in Berlin and presented all the devices there. Smartphones next to smartwatches next to vacuum cleaners – next to televisions. In the latter category, Samsung’s motto this time is: Bigger is better. The micro LED TV was particularly impressive.

The name says it all. Thanks to the LED lights, which are only 50 micrometers in size, individual pixels can be controlled individually. Similar to OLED, the image is therefore very rich in contrast, since pixels dim or switch off directly on dark and completely black surfaces. Micro LED also eliminates one of the biggest weaknesses of OLED panels: brightness. The pixel LEDs can shine much brighter than the organic diodes. The big drawback with this technology, however, is the price. Samsung has already made significant progress in production here, but the large model with its 140 inches should reach the six-digit range.

LG StandbyME Go

A television concept that was seen more frequently at IFA 2023 was that of the flexible, rotatable TV. The LG StanbyME Go, which comes in a case, can be cited as a prime example. This has two major advantages: On the one hand, it is actually completely wireless – there is a corresponding battery in the case. On the other hand, the device is incredibly flexible.

LG itself calls the StanbyME Go a portable smart touchscreen. With a 27-inch screen diagonal, you get 1080p resolution and 60 Hz. The case also has 4-channel speakers and the aforementioned battery, which claims to last up to three hours. Thanks to the portable concept, you can also rotate the screen and then use it flat as a game board. The LG television currently costs 1349 euros.

Hisense – Laser TV and retro flair

Hisense’s presence at the trade fair could not be more different. On the one hand, the company is exhibiting its ultra-short-throw projectors, which it markets as “Laser TV”. On the other hand, there are real TV panels that practically have the character of a work of art and even evoke a little retro flair.

The laser TV projectors come with their own screen, which is attached to the wall like a television. The projectors themselves can be placed so close to the wall that they can also be confused with a soundbar. A single Laser TV can produce a 4K resolution image up to 120 inches diagonally. The party trick: two devices can be combined with each other to enlarge the area to a 200-inch cinema screen – no normal television can do that.

With the R7K, Hisense has another highlight in store. This is a mini LED panel with a fabric-covered frame and wooden legs that could almost come from a GDR living room.

Hisense also directly shows an “Integrated Ultra-Thin Wall Art TV”, which is hidden between several paintings on a wall. At first glance, you don’t even notice that it’s a television. This is made possible by a matt surface that, unlike conventional TV sets, does not reflect light. The thin wooden frame adds to the effect.

Samsung projector

In addition to its huge 8K 140-inch TVs, Samsung also showed the second generation of its “The Freestyle” projectors. The big innovation here is that – similar to Laser TV – two devices can be combined. While the image can be up to 100 inches in size when used individually, two projectors result in an area of ​​up to 160 inches – fully automatically. Users only have to merge the two screens, the devices do the rest by themselves, including angle correction.

Metz Invision

Not new, but still impressive is the transparent television that can be seen – or not seen – at Metz. The device uses OLED technology that does not require a backlight to be transparent when it is off. The company from Germany already presented the panel in 2019, but a market launch is not yet in sight.

So far, the technology is still in its infancy, only companies like Xiaomi and LG offer options either only for corporations or limited markets.

Our conclusion on the television highlights at IFA 2023

Lots of fine-tuning, little new

“One notices that the TV manufacturers are slowly reaching the limits of what is feasible when it comes to panel technologies. Micro-LED is practically the final stage of the classic pixel-based TV and now it’s all about making the devices accessible. But before that happens, the manufacturers first have to cover their research and development costs with huge, expensive models. Alternatives such as “laser TV” projectors and transparent panels are interesting, but hardly suitable for the mass market.” – Adrian Mühlroth, editor