LG’s 97-inch Vibrating OLED TV Claims To Offer 5.1 Audio Without Speakers

LG Display has shown off some interesting ideas as it looks to change the way OLED panels work, from positing bizarre form factors to addressing dimmer brightness levels compared to LED alternatives. Now, the panel maker is exploring a new approach to OLED TV audio. From a report: Today, LG Display announced its creation of a 97-inch OLED EX TV panel that debuts the company’s Cinematic Sound OLED (CSO), “which allows the display to vibrate and generate the sound directly from the display without separate speakers.”

“A 5.1 channel sound system is embedded into the widescreen, creating a performance that offers a cinematic level of immersion,” LG Display said. Sony has used similar technology called Acoustic Surface in OLED TVs since 2017. These sets also don’t use speakers and instead vibrate actuators behind the display. However, Sony doesn’t compare Acoustic Surface to 5.1 surround sound. Instead, it encourages users to connect their own gear to the set and to use the TV as the center channel for a surround sound setup. Considering audio will be coming from a central point rather than all around you, it’s hard to imagine LG Display’s gargantuan TV panel can deliver the surround sound experience of a movie theater.