CES Report: LG Announces More 4K TVs, Netflix Partnership
"People are jumping onboard the 4K bandwagon," announced Tim Alessi, director of new product development for LG Electronics, at his company's CES 2015 press conference. 4K TVs are projected to sell 32 million units in 2015, he said, with 5 million of that in the United States. To meet the demand LG will introduce 34 4K models in the coming year.
LG will add its ColorPrime technology to several of its lines to improve high-definition image quality. ColorPrime is especially valuable in brightly-lit rooms, Alessi said, where colors can get washed out.
Alessi spent much of his time talking up LG's work with OLED technology. LG will introduced 7 OLED sets in 2015, promising richer colors and darker blacks. All the OLED sets will be 4K. The line includes both curved and flat screens ranging from 55- to 77-inches. One flexible model can be flat or curved, changeable with the touch of a button.
LG will demo an 8K TV in its booth, but didn't announce an 8K set for 2015.
LG's connected TV operating system, WebOS, will get an upgrade this year with the release of WebOS 2.0. A quick start improvement will reduce access time by 60 percent, and customers will be able to add favorite channels to their launch bars. LG is working with content partners, such as Vudu, to make more 4K video available. Alessi announced that LG is an exclusive partner with GoPro, and will offer GoPro content through an app.
“As entertainment continues to evolve into new formats and new platforms, the GoPro Channel app will bring our best user-generated content and original production," said GoPro head of programming and distribution Adam Dornbusch in a statement.
Alessi introduced Greg Peters, chief streaming and partnerships officer for Netflix, who said Netflix will introduce high dynamic range (HDR) to its video in 2015, and that it will be available to LG owners. He didn't mention whether or not it would be exclusive to LG sets.
"Not just more pixels, but better pixels," Peters said.
Netflix is beginning a Recommended TV Program, Peters said, recognizing TVs that are good buys for streaming viewers. To quality, TVs need to perform well, offer easy navigation, and include advanced features for streaming channels. Netflix will offer more information on Recommended TV Program criteria in the spring.
LG 4K TVs at CES 2015.
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