The company has committed to investing $12bn in new smart technology, which it claims is the future for TV.
LG Smart TV LG Smart TV
Included in the new technology drive is a new LG Smart TV platform called NetCast 2.0 which comes with its own app store and will be able to offer premium content on demand. There’ll also be a Smart TV Upgrader designed to bring web content to existing, ‘dumb’ TVs.
The Smart TV capability, providing a Home Dashboard for access to content from both global providers and local internet services, including the BBC iPlayer and YouTube, as well as a fast-growing range of TV apps.
The LG LW650T range will be the first of the Smart TVs, ranging in size from 42-55in. They’ll use LG’s 3D Light Boost to offset dimming issues and Nano LED technology for more accurate backlighting. Other ranges to follow will be the LW450U and LW550T.
LG says a keyboard isn’t necessary to use Smart TV, but there will be a QWERTY keyboard app available for the iPhone and Android smart phones.
The Smart TV Upgrader is the ST600, a plug-in box that will offer DLNA streaming and internet facilities for non-Smart LG TVs. It comes with a USB port for external storage and supports wired connection via Ethernet and wireless connections using Wi-Fi.
Jay Vandenbree, senior vice president, Home Electronics, LG Electronics USA, said: “We have designed our LG Smart TV platform to be as easy and simple to use as possible, so that viewers spend their time engaging with their television, rather than navigating it.”
LG Smart TV Upgrader LG ST600 Smart TV Upgrader