Disney backs OLED TV with 3-year LG deal

LG and entertainment goliath Disney are teaming up for a three-year OLED TV deal. It will see LG provide Disney's technological storytelling arm StudioLAB with the "latest advancements in OLED technology" in order to create new experiences around the release of new Disney films.

Disney owns the Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and National Geographic brands, so there's plenty of potential for tie-in OLED experiences.

While exact projects haven't been disclosed, we would imagine it will result in promotional films shown on big screens typically seen in shopping centres and theme parks.

StudioLAB is only a couple of years old. It was set up by Disney as a "tech hub focused on advancing the art of storytelling with cutting-edge tools and methods". Partners include Accenture Interactive, Cisco and Hewlett Packard. LG is the first partner to focus on screen technology.

LG's OLED panels are renowned as some of the best in the business. They're found in high-end TVs made by Philips and Sony, as well as LG itself. The firm is also known for its next-gen OLED screens that are bendable, rollable and transparent. Its rollable TV recently went on sale in South Korea (with a sky-high price tag).

"This new innovation partnership reiterates our commitment to providing the best display capabilities to Disney's amazing filmmakers and technologists and our dedication to offering an ideal viewing experience of their beloved characters and worlds," said Oh Chang-ho, Executive Vice President and Head of TV Business Unit at LG Display. 

"Given that OLED provides an incredible experience not just for viewing content but for creative production and exhibition as well, we're hopeful this innovation partnership will help showcase the exceptional qualities of OLED to content creators and consumers around the world, delivering a powerful experience while pushing OLED technology to the next level."

Matthew Deuel, Director of Innovation Partnerships for StudioLAB, said: "It's exciting to be exploring the future with LG Display's impressive engineers and amazing technology. We are already working on some very cool projects that we plan to deploy in the near future and I can’t wait to see the joy that these new experiences will bring."

It won't be the first time Disney has used OLED tech. Marvel Studios already uses LG’s 88-inch 8K OLEDs to review episodic visual effects and colour finishing. 

Could this mean exclusive content for owners of LG's OLED TVs? The companies do say there will be "an immediate focus on projects that can be optimised for the present times". Watch this space...

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