LG, Samsung show strength in appliances

BERLIN ― Stepping into an LG Electronics’ exhibition booth at Internationale Funkausstellung, visitors will notice that it is all about the latest high-tech television, especially with more than 120 LED 3-D displays put together into one giant TV at the entrance.

With the theme “Above and Beyond,” featuring countless consumer TVs filling its 2,657 square meter booth, Lee Ssang-soo, vice president of TV product planning for LG began the media tour by saying that its main focus of this event is OLED and cinema screen TVs.

Its OLED TVs, which will begin mass production in the second half of this year, are no different from Samsung Electronics in terms of technology. They both have key technical functions such as motion capture and multi-screening capabilities.

However, the main thing that differentiates LG’s products from its competitors is that the former can generate higher resolution color and contrast on its display, Lee told a group of reporters.

Also, the other key factor, he mentioned, is that the company has technologically improved its cinema 3-D TVs so that viewers will have “less headaches” when watching content through 3-D glasses, Lee added.

It also showed the world’s first 84-inch ultra-definition 3-D TV, which has four times the resolution of the standard full HD TV.

Lee said no company has ever successfully integrated the technologies of UD and 3-D before. LG plans to introduce the UD TV in North America and Europe in September or October.

Its other TVs displayed at the exhibition included the LG Smart TV and Google TV, of which the former, Lee noted, has been made with easy-to-use functions as it is generally marketed to consumers not familiar with IT. The Google TV, only sold in North America, is for consumers who are already comfortable with Internet browsing.

Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics held a global press conference where Yoon Boo-keun, president of the company’s consumer electronics division said the Korean tech giant aims to become the world’s No. 1 company in every consumer products ranging from smart mobile devices, TV to refrigerators and washing machines by 2015.

Under the theme “Pushing Boundaries,” the Korean company repeatedly emphasized design and innovation, as if sending a message to Apple via some 900 reporters packed in the conference that the Korean company also has strength in those areas.

Samsung recently lost a court battle against Apple over patents in the U.S. where the jury gave a verdict ordering the Korean company to pay over a $1 billion in damages to its smartphone rival.

The one-hour global conference came a day after Samsung introduced its all-new tablet smartphone Galaxy Note 2, which Samsung mobile chief Shin Jong-kyun said will achieve success beyond its previous model.

Shin added that the company will not give into adversity, and will continue to provide consumers with innovative products.

Samsung’s media event on Thursday began the introduction of TVs, including smart, LED and OLED models by Michael Zoeller, marketing director for TV in Europe, and Victoria’s Secret model Angela Bellotte.

Belotte starred in Samsung’s smart TV commercial, featuring motion control functions, which can be used for games such as Angry Birds as demonstrated by the model during the event.

After a brief session on mobile products, including the Galaxy Note 2 and Windows 8 platform-based smartphone, it featured the latest technology in refrigerators and washing machines, which can be connected to smart devices.

By Park Hyong-ki, Korea Herald correspondent
(hkp@heraldcorp.com)