One of my favorite things I saw on the IFA 2024 show floor was Vestel's Block TV, which is only a concept currently, but one that I'd love to see become reality.
The concept is simple: what if you could change the size or the features of your TV screen without having to replace all the other electronics in it? That could save you money, and lead to less e-waste at the same time.
In the Block TV, the stand and the screen are separate parts. The stand would contain all the processing and connections, and the screen is just the screen. You could choose which size screen you want to start with, and if you decide you're ready to move from a 48-inch TV to a 65-inch model later, you can just remove the small screen and attach the new one. Instant upgrade!
Equally, maybe some new console in the future will have some amazing new mode that you really want to take advantage of, but your TV doesn't support… yet. You could keep the screen, and update the rest, once a new version of the stand with extra features is available.
Vestel focused mostly on being able to switch screen size, but this concept really got me thinking about the possibilities. One obvious aspect would the potential to get a better display technology as they become available, not just a different size of the current one, so you can turn it into one of the best OLED TVs, if you want to one day.
But imagine also options that take this customizability further – perhaps a screen with a soundbar built along the bottom for people who really want the best TV for sound… or maybe one has the soundbar at the bottom and Dolby Atmos upfiring and side-firing speakers, if you're happy to pay a premium. You can choose how serious to be about it.
Maybe you could choose between a glossy screen or a matte display, like the fantastic one on the Samsung S95D, depending how troublesome reflections are in your room (or depending on if you want to display ambient art on it).
And while I've been focusing on upgrades, it would also make these TVs easier to service and repair, potentially – if something hits the screen and breaks it, you only need to replace the one part, rather than trashing the whole thing in favor of a new one.
I'm not convinced this will ever see the light of day (Vestel always comes to IFA equipped cool TV ideas that don't turn into products you can buy), but given our increased awareness around sustainability and wastage, I really hope an idea like the Block TV gets a chance.
