LG unveils Google TV in U.S.

LG Electronics unveiled its first Google television during Internet Week in the U.S. with plans to showcase the product in retail chains later next week.

The North American subsidiary of the country’s electronics giant is conducting live demonstrations of LG’s Google TV called G2 Series ― the first to run on the U.S. software giant’s upgraded Android 2.0 platform ― at an event in New York this week.

“LG is excited to work with Google to bring Google services to TVs, making it easier for consumers to access a growing amount of content on the big screen,” said the firm’s TV business chief executive Kwon Hee-won. “This all-new TV series reflects our work as a company to deliver the latest technologies to consumers so that they have an immersive and interactive home entertainment experience.”

Priced at about $1,700 and $2,300 for the 47-inch and 55-inch TVs, respectively, the new TV sets are the first in the U.S. market to be equipped with a dual-core processor and the magic remote with QWERTY keyboard, according to company officials.

The voice recognition technology also allows TV viewers to enter text search with voice commands.

The roll-out of LG’s Google TVs takes place after its executive told reporters earlier this month that the new Internet-capable TV sets will be ready for U.S. consumers the week starting May 21.

With the completion of manufacturing in its Mexico plant having been slated for May 17, LG is expected to expand into other regions such as European countries, but it is still hesitant to introduce it here in Korea.

By Cho Ji-hyun (sharon@heraldcorp.com)