San Diego Startup Previews Unique Wireless OLED TV

The 55-inch set is battery-powered and can be mounted on any surface without tools or even a mounting bracket.

CES 2023 opens two weeks from today and the pre-show news machine is in full swing. While the big-name A/V brands — Samsung, Sony, LG, etc. — tend to keep CES announcements under wraps until the eve of the show or opening day, tech startups are looking to drum up as much pre-show publicity as possible. Given the enormity of event — more than 2,400 companies will occupy 2 million square feet of exhibit space at CES 2023 — who can blame them? One of the more intriguing announcements we’ve seen so far is what San Diego-based started up Displace is hailing as the “world’s first truly wireless TV.”

Company founder and CEO Balaji Krishnan will demonstrate an unusual 55-inch 4K TV: a lightweight, battery-powered OLED display devoid of physical connectors that can be “easily secured” to any surface without tools or even a mounting bracket. Crazy, right?

Proprietary active-loop vacuum technology makes it possible to mount the 20-pound TV by simply holding it up against the wall and giving it a gentle push so it literally sticks to the surface. No need to drill holes in the wall and attach a clunky mount to the set, meaning the TV is easily transportable. (Of course, a good swivel bracket can provide quite a bit of viewing flexibility, which you lose with this mounting system.) Displace says the vacuum system works on drywall and “other dry surfaces.”


This rendering shows the back of the Displace TV, which sticks to the wall using proprietary active-loop vacuum technology.

But, wait there’s more: In keeping with the stranger things theme, the TV can be controlled using hand gestures — there are no wires and no “antiquated” remote control. Here’s how Displace explains it: “Users simply push with their palm to play; pinch to zoom in or out; or literally reach out and grab what’s on the TV and throw it onto another Displace TV in the home.” The TV will also include interfaces for voice and touch control.

Another cool feature: Facial recognition and proprietary computer vision technology enable the show you’re watching to move magically from one Displace TV to another as you roam between rooms. The feature can be disabled for privacy reasons by pressing a button on top of the TV.

Instead of relying on traditional AC power, the TV draws juice from a proprietary hot-swappable battery system comprising four rechargeable batteries that can be popped in and out individually and charged one at a time while the TV is on. The batteries are rated to last about a month, based on an average of 6 hours of active TV time per day.

The Displace TV connects wirelessly via Wi-Fi 6E to a separate AC-powered base unit that streams all content; the unit can be tucked away in a closet or anywhere within the home.

Displace has one more trick up its sleeve: Multiple Displace TVs can be snapped together to create a larger screen. For example, you can combine four TVs to form a 126-inch (diagonal) screen with 8K resolution or eight TVs to create a massive 252-inch screen with 16K resolution.


The Displace TV is powered by four rechargeable batteries that slide into the side of the set.

“Displace completely reinvents the television with its hardware and software technologies, and user interfaces that will not only change the way people enjoy entertainment in their homes, but also advance the television industry,” Krishnan said. “We envision a world with multiple displays on walls delivering significant value to the consumers wherever they are inside their homes. In order to achieve this vision, it’s important to re-architect television by eliminating all common frustrations and making it extremely easy to secure televisions on any surface inside homes. By realizing this vision, Displace is effectively creating the next computing platform and the potential applications are limitless.”

Built around an AMD CPU and Nvidia GPU, the TV will ship with a 4k camera and a “Pogo-Pin” battery charging station that can charge two batteries simultaneously.

Displace will begin accepting advance orders for its new TV at displace.tv starting January 5. One 55-inch 4K TV will sell for $2,999. The company is offering discounted pricing during CES when you order more than one TV: $5,399 for two TVs (10% off) and $8,999 for four TVs (25% off). A base unit is included with each order of one or more TVs and Displace says deposits are fully refundable. The TV is expected to ship in late 2023.

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