LG bolts for gold in the silver screen race

This month LG Electronics introduced its 2014 TV lineup in Korea, unveiling a total of 68 new models including ULTRA HD TVs in sizes ranging from 49 to 105 inches, its largest collection to date

Undoubtedly, the current TV innovation landscape represents one of the most dynamic times for picture quality given the emergence of new cutting edge technologies able to render imagery with a semblance of reality. Both Ultra HD, OLED and the effect of new game-changers such as intuitive OS and curved screens will all have their part to play. These technologies are not mutually exclusive and in most cases exist side-by-side.

According to Josep Kim, the Managing Director of LG East Africa, the company plans to change the dynamics of the current TV market, capitalizing on LG’s early leadership in OLED TV technology and manufacturing. “The overall strategy is to expand the company’s ULTRA HD TV and Smart TV offerings with a wider range of products that push the boundaries of innovation,” says Mr Kim.

Mr Josep Kim, the LG East Africa Managing Director showcases features of the world’s first Curved OLED TV during the its launch in the East Africa market as Mr. Moses Murji, the LG East Africa Marketing  Manager looks on.  

This month LG Electronics introduced its 2014 TV lineup in Korea, unveiling a total of 68 new models including ULTRA HD TVs in sizes ranging from 49 to 105 inches, its largest collection to date. Among its new models is LG’s groundbreaking 105-inch Curved ULTRA HD TV in addition to its smaller 65-, 55- and 49-inch curved 4K units. As the first manufacturer to introduce an 84-inch ULTRA HD TV to the world in 2012, LG has consistently upped the ante with first-to-market ULTRA HD and OLED units. 

Rather than using a new or different display technology, Ultra HDTVs are LED LCD models that “cram” more pixels onto the screen. With more pixels in a given area, images are sharper and more detailed than on regular HD TVs. Also known as 4K TVs, consumer Ultra HD sets have four times the resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels) of traditional HD TVs (1920 x 1080 pixels).

Promised for several years and now finally making an appearance in the large-screen TV market are OLED sets. Using organic light-emitting diodes, OLED sets can light up each picture element individually, without the need for the separate light source that LCDs require.

This translates into a much brighter, more colorful picture. Because OLED TVs don’t require backlighting, they can be made much thinner, as well. OLED TVs are still significantly more expensive compared to regular LED LCD TVs but prices are falling as the technology matures.

Besides size, the common features of the premium TV sets are their ability to convert normal television pictures into 3D pin-sharp images and Ultra-HD picture quality. With the introduction of its Flexible OLED TV, LG has now achieved a major grand slam, having introduced its share of world firsts in the OLED TV space― flat, curved and now flexible.

Using the accompanying remote, the curvature of the Flexible OLED TV display can be altered to suit the viewing situation and environment, such as number of viewers and viewing distance. Since the curvature is adjustable, audiences can enjoy the best TV viewing experience possible. Complementing the company’s existing 55-inch CURVED OLED TV are two new products measuring 65 inches and 77 inches, measured diagonally with Ultra HD high resolution.

New for 2014 is LG’s webOS Smart TV platform, first unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in early January, which the company expects to set a new standard in the smart TV market for its openness and ease-of-use.  “With our strong competitiveness in display technology including ULTRA IPS, CINEMA 3D and the unrivalled simplicity of the webOS Smart TV platform, we are optimistic that in 2014, LG will be the one to watch in the TV industry” says Mr Kim. 

As announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, the simple and intuitive webOS platform will be featured in more than half of TVs including of LG’s ULTRA HD, OLED and CINMEA 3D Smart TVs this year. Its ease-of-use makes content searching and viewing, connecting with other devices, and even the initial setup process incredibly smooth.

The first time the user turns on a webOS Smart TV, an inviting, animated character, BeanBird, appears onscreen to help get connected and walk the user through the setup process. And the new, open platform makes it extremely easy for developers to create applications and enhances the compatibility of LG’s Smart TVs with other devices.