Posts Tagged: 55inch

This wireless 55-inch OLED TV sucks… onto any wall or window

One of the biggest reasons I don't have a wall mount for my TV is because I don't want to deal with the mess of installation. The dust, the drilling, the permanence — all of that gives me stress (I know, I know, I'm more sensitive than most people). So when I heard that the Displace wireless TV can be attached to any wall or surface without a mount, I was very excited. This is a 55-inch 4K OLED screen that uses active-loop vacuum technology to suction itself into place, and the company built handles into the frame to make it easier to hoist. The Displace also has four onboard batteries that eliminate the need for a power cord, and they're hot swappable so you don't have to wait for one to recharge before you can watch your TV again.

Because the prototypes we saw in Vegas were custom designed for CES, the company says details about battery size and charge time aren't available yet. But they did say that they expect users to get a month of runtime if they watch six hours of TV a day. Part of the reason the Displace can do without a power cord is because it doesn't do very heavy processing onboard. It's basically streaming media from a base station that comes with the device and performs the rendering. 

My favorite thing about the Displace TV is the ease of setup. I wasn't allowed to try this out myself since the prototypes were fairly precious, so I could only watch as the company's CEO slid his hands into the two slots and lifted the screen. According to Displace, each unit weighs less than 20 pounds, which is impressively light. 

The CEO took the TV over to a window, and when the vacuum loops on the back detected it was in contact with a surface, the mechanism whirred to life and began sucking itself onto the glass. After about 8 seconds, it was quiet, which indicated that it had affixed itself and was secure. I was then able to try jiggling the unit and see if I could pry it out of place. I didn't try very hard, since I was afraid of damaging the prototype, but I will say the screen seemed pretty securely attached. I'd say I used the equivalent force of opening a refrigerator door to try and get the suction to budge and it did not. 

To dismount the TV, you'd have to press and hold a button on either side, and wait for the vacuum loops to slowly disengage. The company said this mechanism works with any flat surface — even if there is some slight texture like drywall. We tried to put the demo unit up on another wall, but couldn't find a spot wide enough to accommodate the 55-inch panel.

The Displace TV also has a pop-up 4K camera built into the top of the frame, and it doesn't just facilitate high-res video calls. The company's custom software powering the TV also allows for some gesture control, which is the only way to interact with the TV as there isn't a separate remote. For example, holding up your palm during playback will pause your show, while using two hands to mimic a stretching action can zoom in and out of items on the screen. If you have multiple Displace TVs, you can arrange four of them into a square and zoom into the feed from a specific quarter, for example.

There's also a very Minority Report-esque gesture that involves "grabbing" the content from one screen and "throwing" it at another one nearby. And if you point the thumbs up gesture at the camera, it activates a mode that has your content follow you as you walk around your house into different rooms. Since they're all streaming from the same base station, the multiple screens can pick up your content where you left it in a different room. 

A close-up of the pop-up camera built into the top of the Displace TV.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget

If you're feeling baller, you can put four Displace TVs together to create a 110-inch 8K TV. In that scenario, the relatively thin bezels here can help minimize disruption when four screens are playing as one. But Displace told Engadget it was also working on future models that could be bezel-less to eliminate the borders altogether. The company also has many plans, including exploring potential partnerships to build in some form of wireless charging, as well as releasing an API to allow third-party developers to create applications for the hardware. 

For now, though, I'm already pretty impressed by the concept and want one. At $ 3,000, though, the Displace TV is fairly pricey. Only 100 units are available for pre-order at the moment, and the company said they'll start shipping in December. I'm anxious to get one to see how well the vacuum system holds up over time — the last thing I want is to wake up to the crash of a $ 3,000 TV breaking my furniture, hopes and dreams.

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Samsung’s 55-inch Odyssey Ark: Taking gaming monitors to a whole new dimension

2022 has been a great year for monitors. We’ve already gotten the world’s first QD-OLED monitor from Alienware with another on the way from MSI. And earlier this summer, Sony joined the fray with its new Inzone brand of gaming hardware. But now, Samsung is taking things to a whole new level with the Odyssey Ark.

Boasting a huge quantum mini LED panel with a 1000R curve, the Ark delivers an immersive experience with great visuals and surprisingly good sound. Not only does Samsung claim that the Ark is the world’s first 55-inch monitor with a 4K resolution, 165 Hz refresh rate and a 1ms response time, you also get support for HDR 10+ and Dolby Atmos audio. And while the sound on many monitors is often an afterthought (assuming they can even output anything at all), the Ark features a total of six speakers: one in each corner and two woofers in back. And when combined Samsung says the Ark’s speakers were designed to create a dome of sound.

And now, after getting the chance to check this thing out in person, I can say this monitor is unlike anything else on the market. Even compared to other ultrawide displays, the Ark’s dimensions allow it to wrap around you like some sort of high-tech cocoon. Colors are rich and, thanks to its matte finish, you don’t have to worry about reflections ruining your graphics. The monitor also supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro for VRR, so you can get the best performance regardless if you’re gaming on a console or a PC. And while you won’t see pure blacks like you would with an OLED display, Samsung says the Ark’s contrast is 4 times better than its previous-gen monitors.

Meanwhile, to make controlling the Ark easy, Samsung includes not one but two remotes, both of which have built-in solar panels so you don’t have to worry about keeping them charged. The first remote is similar to what you’d get with a TV, but the one that feels a bit more special is the wireless Ark Dial. It lets you quickly change video settings, adjust volume and switch between the monitor’s special display modes. It’s super easy to use, and best of all, it means you don’t have to reach around back and fumble with hidden buttons or a joystick like you do with a lot of rival monitors.

Unlike most displayers this size, the Odyssey Ark supports portrait orientation, which Samsung calls Cockpit mode.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

The best thing about the Ark is all the modes and features Samsung included to help you get the most out of this giant panel. First, there’s Flex Move Screen, which allows you to adjust the size of your content and move it around, you know, in case you don’t need the Ark’s full 55 inches. There’s also Samsung’s Gaming Hub which supports game streaming platforms like NVIDIA GeForce Now, Xbox Cloud Gaming and Google Stadia natively. You even get RGB lighting on the back, not that you can really see it with so muchscreen between you and the rear of the display.

But my favorite thing is the Multi View mode, which lets you have up to three different apps open at once, including the ability to move and resize windows however you like. That means you can game while having a movie and social media on the side, or you can double up by having two games open plus YouTube, or basically anything in between. And if there’s a layout you particularly like, you can save that arrangement so next time, you can open everything up with a single press. The one caveat is that due to a limitation of HDMI, you can only display content from the Ark’s built-in apps and one external device at the same time. So while you can have a console and a PC plugged in at the same time thanks to support for four HDMI ports (all of which are HDMI 2.1), you can’t output content from both simultaneously.

Finally, there’s the Ark’s special move, which is being able to rotate into portrait orientation, or as Samsung calls it, Cockpit mode. You still get support for all of the monitor’s features like Multi View and Flex Move, but now on a display that curves up and over your head. And you know what, it really does feel like you’re sitting in the pilot’s seat on a plane. My only regret is that I wish I could have installed a shoot ‘em up like Ikaruga, so I could really take advantage of the Ark’s verticality in Cockpit mode. And if you want a huge new display but don’t have a ton of desk space, Samsung even includes a VESA wall mount in the box.

That said, starting at $ 3,500, the Odyssey Ark is a big financial commitment for anyone. But if none of the other monitors released this year are big enough for you, Samsung’s new flagship gaming monitor could be the massive centerpiece your home battle station needs.

Pre-orders for the Odyssey Ark start today, and when combined with reservation discounts, potential customers can save up to $ 300 before sales officially go live sometime in early September.

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics