• LG – We’re thrilled to welcome global consumer electronics leader LG to the Google TV family. LG will showcase a new line of TVs powered by Google TV running on their own L9 chipset at CES.
• Marvell – Also new to the Google TV family this year is Marvell, an innovative worldwide leader in chipsets. Marvell will be showcasing a new generation of Google TV solutions which will help bring more products across more price points to consumers.
• MediaTek – We’re also excited to partner with MediaTek, the leading Taiwanese chipset designer. MediaTek chipsets will power yet another wave of Google TV devices.
• Samsung – We’re excited to work closely with Samsung to bring Google-TV powered Samsung devices to market in 2012.
• Sony – We’re happy to build on our partnership with Sony. At CES, Sony will unveil new devices for the US and plans to offer Google TV powered products in several countries around the world in 2012.
• Vizio – Last year we announced our partnership with Vizio at CES. This year we’re excited to join Vizio as they hold private demos at CES showcasing their new line of Google TV-powered products.

The shift to ARM based processors has been widely anticipated, though the specific partnerships with Marvell and MediaTek is new info. It is a little surprising as you might expect well known chip vendors from the mobile industry, such as NVIDIA, Texas Instruments, and Samsung, to be involved but perhaps Google feels the requirements for Google TV are different enough from mobile Android systems that alternate chip designs are better.

Sony is the only vendor who brought first generation products to market to return to this list. Samsung and Vizio both talked about Google TV at the last CES, but held off on shipping products. Which was probably for the best, given the multitude of issues with Google TV 1.0. Now that Google TV 2.0 is out, and is vastly improved over its predecessor, it is much more viable as a connected TV platform. With the addition of LG, if all four vendors really execute on Google TV in their new models, we may well see Google make good on their bold claims of Google TV being in the majority of new TVs this year.

Via the Google TV Blog.

Edit: I see in my YouTube feeds that they’ve also posted a video preview of what’s to come:

“We are excited to be the first TV maker to support Adobe AIR on our Smart TVs bringing rich, Flash-based applications to millions of customers today,” said Kyungsik Kevin Lee, vice president, Visual Display Business, Samsung Electronics. “With the dramatic advancements in AIR 3, Adobe continues to push the envelope with innovative new features that will enable powerful 3D gaming apps and other next generation app experiences on televisions soon.”

“LG is working closely with Adobe to bring Flash-based applications with AIR to LG Smart TVs in 2012,” said Youngjae Seo, vice president, Smart TV Team, LG. “We can’t wait to see what kind of application experiences three million Flash developers will bring to our customers with AIR 3.”

“The availability of AIR will give us the tools to deliver better functionality, more features and a rich, seamless experience that our users expect from TiVo products,” said Jim Denney, vice president and general manager, Product Marketing, TiVo. “We look forward to the development of a rich ecosystem of multi-platform applications to make the TV experience even better.”

See the full release for more. I am, of course, most interested in how this will apply to TiVo. The TiVo Premiere is already using Flash for the HD UI and newer apps, like Hulu Plus. (Some of the older, legacy apps are still using the Java-based HME framework.) But the TiVo Premiere hardware supports Flash Lite, a reduced version of flash for lower powered embedded systems. Will this new announcement apply to the existing TiVo Premiere? Or might the new TiVo Premiere Elite and forthcoming TiVo Preview be using newer SoCs that would support the fuller Flash/Air experience? I’m not sure, but I’m hoping this means we’ll see new versions of the apps, and all new apps, across the Premiere lineup. Ideally I’d love to see TiVo open an app store for third party apps, and open up the platform to developers to explore.

Oh, and if you’re ready to bash Flash – just stop. Flash as a platform is extremely rich and powerful. While it has had some issues, all platforms do. Most of the problems users experience with Flash apps on the web are due to the app developer, not the Flash platform. In recent releases Adobe has made great strides in improving the performance and stability of the Flash interpreter as well. In the long run I expect it will fade out and be replaced by a collection of technologies many refer to as ‘HTML5′ – HTML5 proper, JavaScript, SVG, CSS, etc. But it isn’t going away overnight. Remember Flash itself displaced Java Applets and Shockwave back in the day. That’s just how it goes.

And all of that aside, Flash on embedded platform is not the same beast. Devices like TiVo and the smart TVs use hardware with dedicated Flash support, not a software interpreter on a generic CPU like a PC. And the platforms are generally more limited in what they’ll support – only what the hardware can decode. So it is a much more focused environment. So Flash isn’t the root of all evil that I’ve seen many make it out to be. It is a logical choice as a platform with many advantages in an embedded environment. Embedded Flash support is much easier to come by these days than embedded ‘HTML5′ support, for example. Especially as HTML5 is still a moving target as the standards evolve.

First up, save on select Sony HDTVs. Sixteen 1080p models to choose from, 32″ up to 60″. Three LCD models, the rest LED – ten of those 3D.

Next up, instant savings on Panasonic HDTVs. Thirty one models to choose from, all 1080p, with sizes ranging from a small 19″ set up to large 60″ models. There’s a mix of plasma, LCD, and LED models, some 3D enabled.

And finally, save on select LG HDTVs. Thirty two models, 22″ to 60″ – six LCD (5 1080p, 1 720p), fourteen LED (4 1080p 3D, 7 1080p, 3 720p), and twelve plasma (6 1080p 3D, 2 1080p, 2 720p 3D, 2 720p).

Next up, through September 10, save on four Panasonic Blu-ray players. You save on the DMP-BD75, DMP-BDT110, DMP-BDT210, and DMP-BDT310. The 75 is a fast booting 2D player and the 110 is a 3D, WiFi-ready player, while the 210 & 310 are both 3D players with integrated WiFi.

We wrap up with three promotions on gear from LG Electronics. The first deal is on select 2011 LG HDTVs. There are 31 models to choose from, with screens from 22″ up to 60″, and plasma, LED, and LCD display types. This promotion runs through September 10, 2011.

Second, also running through September 10, sale on select LD audio and video devices. Save on the LG BD630, BD640, and BD670 Blu-ray players, the LG LHB326, LHB336, LHB536, and LHB976 Blu-ray Home Theater Systems, and the LG LSB316 sound bar.

Finally, through October 1, 2011, get a free family pack of 3D Glasses with Select LG Cinema 3D LED HDTVs with Smart TV. There are two 47″ and two 55″ 1080p 3D sets to choose from, the key different being 120Hz or 240Hz refresh.

That’s all for now.

First up is a deal on select LG 2011 Home Entertainment Products. There are 32 products to choose from, 28 HDTVs, two 720p front projectors, and a Blu-ray player and Blu-ray home theater. Note that the overview page doesn’t show all 28 HDTVs, so be sure to check out the subpage for the full selection.

Next up, get two free pairs of 3D glasses and a Blu-ray player with the purchase of a select Samsung HDTV. You get two pair of Samsung SSG-3100GB 3D Active Glasses (MSRP $169.99) and a Samsung BD-D5500 3D Blu-ray Disc Player (MSRP $159.99) when you purchase one of six LED 1080P 3D HDTVs in 46″, 55″, and 60″.

Lastly we have two promotions running on Sony products. The first is on Sony HDTVs, with twelve to choose from. They’re all 1080p and all but one are LED (the one is LCD), eight are 3D, and screen sizes range from 32″ to 60″.

And lastly, a deal on Sony Blu-ray players and home audio systems. You can choose from the Sony BDP-S380, BDP-S480, or BDP-S580 Blu-ray players – and they erroneously SMP-N100 Streaming Player under the Blu-ray category as well. There are also eleven (twelve counting the streaming player) home audio products to select from. Sound bars, home theater systems, A/V receivers, speakers, and a universal remote – a decent set of options.

First up, I’m not sure I’m sold on Sharp’s Quattron technology or not. I haven’t seen a set in person in conditions where I can really judge it. Basically they added a yellow pixel to the standard red, green, and blue pixels and claim in provides sharper colors. But in any case, you can get the Sharp LC40LE830U Quattron 40-inch 1080p 120 Hz LED-LCD HDTV for $649.98. That’s 41% off of the $1099.99 MSRP, a $450.01 savings.

Now, on to less specific deals. Through August 27th, Amazon is offering deals on select LG consumer electronics products. The selection includes two 720p front projectors, five network connected Blu-ray players, and thirty one HDTVs. The Blu-ray players are the BD630, BD640, BD650, BD670, and BD690. The two lower end models are connected, with the BD640 having WiFi. The BD650 and BD670 are similarly a wired/wireless pair, with the addition of 3D and Smart TV. And the BD690 has WiFi, Smart TV, and a 250GB drive for storing media including Vudu downloads. The HDTVs are a mix of ten plasma, sixteen LED, and five LCD, some with 3D support.

Sticking with LG, Amazon has another promotion running through October 1st. This one is offering a free family pack (six pair) of 3D glasses with the purchase of one of five select LED 3D sets. The sets are available in 47″, 55″, and 65″ sizes and each includes four pairs of glasses.

Switching to Sony, through August 27th save on select Sony BRAVIA HDTVs. Thirteen sets to choose from, LED & LCD, nine with 3D. Sizes from 32″ to 55″.

From Sony over to Samsung, where through September 3rd you can get a free Blu-ray Disc player and two free pairs of 3D glasses with the purchase of a select HDTV. The player is the Samsung BD-D5500 3D Blu-ray player, which carries a $159.99 MSRP (and currently stickers for $114.28). The glasses are the Samsung SSG-3100GB 3D Active Glasses which carry an MSRP of $169.99 (and a $43.79 sticker) – and that’s per pair. There are six LED 3D sets to select from, in 46″, 55″, and 60″ sizes.

And finally, for a complete change of pace, save up to 50% off select HP printers. Twelve Photosmart, Officejet, and Officejet Pro printer models to choose from.

Enjoy.

More into staying home that road tripping? Well, you can enjoy the stay more with a new HDTV and Blu-ray deck, right?

Save on select Sony HDTVs. There are thirteen 1080p LCD & LED models to choose from, ranging from 32-inch to 55-inch, nine of them 3D.

Save on select Panasonic HDTVs and Blu-ray players. There are two 32″ 720p LCD sets, a 32″ & 37″ 1080p LCD, a 32″ & 37″ 1080p LED, and a 42″ 1080p plasma set, and three Blu-ray players to choose from.

Save on select LG HDTVs. This promotion has the most choice, with 34 LCD, LED, and plasma models to choose from. There are 720p and 1080p sets ranging from 22 to 60 inch, twelve of them 3D. There is also a promotion for free additional 3D glasses with five LG HDTV models.

All three promotions run through August 20th, 2011.

The first one is kind of funny given my post earlier today (or yesterday now I suppose, but I’m still up) about 3D HDTVs and glasses, but through August 20th, Amazon is offering 14 pairs of glasses with select LG Electronics Cinema 3D HDTV with Smart TV models. These are passive 3D 1080p LED sets, and there are five models to choose from. Three 120Hz models in 47, 55, and 65 inch sizes, and two 240Hz models in 47 & 55 inch sizes. The TVs come with four pair of glasses, and you get the other ten by adding five two-packs of glasses, which are currently $14.03 each. So you save $70.15. Not a lot, but it is a savings, and I couldn’t not list this given the coincidence with my earlier post.

Offering slightly more in the way of savings are two deals on HDTVs. First up, through August 20th, save on select Sony HDTVs. There are twelve 1080p LCD & LED models to choose from, ranging from 40-inch to 55-inch, eight of them 3D.

The second deal is similar, through August 13th, save on select Panasonic HDTVs. There are thirteen 1080p plasma models to select from, from 42 up to 65 inches, ten of them 3D. There is also one lone 1080p 42″ LCD model on offer.

Speaking of Panasonic, one of the deals from last week is still running as well. Also through August 13th, save $90 on a Panasonic DMP-BDT110 Wi-Fi ready 3D/2D Blu-ray Disc player with the purchase of a select Panasonic HDTV. The BD deck is currently $121.04, so you’d get it for $31.04. There are eleven HDTVs to choose from, all 1080p 3D plasma models.

It looks like the same models of plasma are involved in both promotions, and I spot checked a couple and they have the same price either way, so you may as well get the Blu-ray deck cheap if you buy one of the qualifying sets.

They’re also still offering free one-day shipping on select Sony camcorders through August 31st, if you just need one in a big hurry.

EDIT: Looks like I missed one. There is another, perhaps better, promotion on LG HDTVs. Through August 13th, save on select LG HDTVs. This promotion has the most choice, with 32 LCD, LED, and plasma models to choose from. There are 720p and 1080p sets ranging from 22 to 60 inch, twelve of them 3D. It looks like there is some overlap with the free glasses offer too.

So you might expect me to have been one of the first to have jumped on the 3D HDTV bandwagon, but you’d be wrong. Oh, I fully intend to buy a 3D HDTV, but I’m waiting for the industry to shake out a bit. I’ll let them work out the kinks, mature the technology, and get prices down a bit more, then I’ll upgrade.

One of those ‘kinks’ that I’ve been waiting for them to work out is the idiocy of having multiple, incompatible systems for the glasses. Most vendors today use active shutter glasses, but the glasses from one vendor won’t work with a TV from another vendor, which means your friends with a Sony TV can’t bring their glasses over for movie night on your Samsung. OK, let me step back and give a quick overview of where we stand. Oversimplified, but it’ll suffice.

We see the world in 3D because each eye sees objects from a slightly different angle. The brain uses this parallax to calculate the distances and provide depth to what we see. But projected images, like conventional TV, all come from the same plane – they’re 2D. There is no parallax, and thus no depth. So the obvious solution is to provide a different image to each eye, each simulating a different angle, creating the illusion of parallax to provide depth. But that’s simpler to explain than to do.

Older 3D systems tended to be anaglyph, using different color filters for each eye – often red & blue, but there are a number of systems. The two images would be projected with matching color filters, and the filters in the glasses meant each eye only perceived the corresponding color projected. This system works well enough for B&W, but the nature of the system – colored filters – often wrecks havoc with the colors in a color image. And it isn’t that sharp, you get bleed through from the opposite eye’s image if the filters don’t block 100%, etc. Anaglyph is still used for printed materials, and sometimes for video, but it is really used mainly as a novelty these days.

Modern theatrical systems are almost all based on polarized light. The glasses are similar to quality polarized sunglasses, only allowing light waves moving in one direction to pass through. A simple way to imagine it is that you can give light a left hand twist or a right hand twist as you project it. So the 3D system does both – using left hand for the left eye and right hand for the right eye. Corresponding filters in the glasses allow only the matching twist through, so that eye sees only the image projected for it. These systems work fairly well, the only real drawback is that the glasses block some of the light, and so make things dimmer – but that’s easily compensated for by increasing the brightness of the image. Since the glasses are simple lenses and all of the work is done in the projector – or the TV – these systems are called ‘passive’. The advantage is that the glasses are simple, cheap, and light. They aren’t quite universally compatible, as there are different ways to do the polarization (mainly circular polarization vs. linear polarization), but most theaters, and passive 3D HDTVs, use the same system so de facto they tend to be.

On the other hand, most 3D HDTVs today use active shutter glasses instead. As the name implies, in this system the glasses are an active part of the system. Instead of each eye receiving a constant stream of light, filtered for that eye, active shutter systems alternate images to each eye. The glasses contain liquid crystal lenses (similar to the LCDs in a digital watch) which alternate between transparent and opaque – exactly out of phase. So the left eye receives the image while the right eye is blocked, and vice versa. This is sync’d with the image on the screen, so a left eye image is shown while the left lens is transparent, etc. The downside to this is that the glasses are complex, relatively heavy, expensive, and need to be recharged regularly. Oh, and each vendor has used a different synchronization system, making them incompatible, as above, but I’ll get back to that.

So, why do only a few vendors (like LG & Vizio) use passive 3D while the rest use active 3D with the expensive glasses? Well, active 3D is a higher quality solution for the home right now. See, with active 3D each eye sees the full image. So if you have a 1920x1080p ‘Full HD’ display, then each eye gets Full HD – just half the time. But with the displays refreshing at 120Hz or 240Hz, you still get the effect of full HD since the brain can’t tell the difference. It is still equivalent to 60Hz or 120Hz per eye. (Remember classic film is 24 frames per second and, in the US, classic TV was only 30fps (OK, 29.97).) On the other hand, passive 3D systems today use fixed polarizing filters on top of the screen which divide the image in half, line by line. So every even line is for one eye and every odd line is for the other. The end result is that each eye is only getting half resolution, so your 1080p set is only 540p in 3D mode. This is another one of those kinks I mentioned, and it will be resolved, which I’ll get to – but first, back to active shutters.

So, active shutter glasses are more expensive and complex, but provide a better image. That’s fine. But they’re expensive, with prices ranging from $50 to $200, while passive glasses start at a couple of bucks. The cost of active glasses wouldn’t be so bad, except for the compatibility problem and the stinginess of vendors. When you buy your shiny new 3D HDTV it may not even come with a pair of glasses. And when they do, it is generally just one or two pair. If you have a family with more people, or ever want to have friends over for a movie night, you need more glasses. Maybe your friends have their own 3D HDTV – great, they can bring their glasses. What, they have a different brand of TV? Oh, that’s too bad.

Different vendors have used different systems to keep the glasses in sync. There are IR- and RF-based systems, using different protocols. So while Sony, Samsung, and Panasonic, for example, all have used IR – they’ve used different IR protocols. Some vendors, like XPAND, have seen this as an opportunity and have been producing ‘universal’ glasses which implement multiple standards to work with multiple TVs, but it still means buying more if your TV came with vendor-specific glasses. Finally the main vendors supporting active shutter, Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, and XPAND, have formed the ‘Full HD 3D Glasses Initiative‘ to produce universally compatible glasses across all members.

The new glasses will support RF and IR protocols. Of course, they’re not expected to be available until 2012, but they will be backwards compatible with 2011 model 3D HDTVs. Basically they’re going to cram all of the protocols into one set of glasses for backwards compatibility, though it sounds like going forward the vendors will be using Bluetooth as a standard RF system on their sets. So one day we may have one protocol across all of the sets, which would allow for simpler ‘universal’ glasses.

So that’s one kink worked out, or at least on the path there. So, time for me to start shopping for that 3D TV.

Actually, no. See, I don’t like active 3D. Sure, the image is great and all, but I don’t like the heavy, or at least heavier, glasses and the costs involved. I have a hard enough time remembering to plug in my PS3 controllers to keep them charged, I don’t want to deal with having to keep my 3D glasses charged. Or worry about them falling into the couch or getting sat on, etc. I think the RealD glasses at the theater are pretty comfortable, and you can even buy custom, designer, even prescription, passive 3D glasses if you want. I’m a big fan of passive 3D, in other words. But I’m not willing to sacrifice quality either, the kink I mentioned earlier.

Fortunately, that’s on its way to being resolved too. While current passive 3D systems use a passive, fixed polarizing screen on a conventional HD display, that’s not the only way to do it. One obvious solution – up the native resolution of the display. If you’re halving the resolution for each eye, the higher the native resolution of the display, the higher the resolution for each eye. A 4k native display would provide better than Full HD for each eye. But making such high resolution displays in large panel sizes is a very expensive option today.

There’s another approach though, as pursued by RealD in their RDZ system, add an active polarizer to the screen. This is kind of a hybrid between active shutter and passive 3D systems. The glasses are passive, but an active layer is added to the screen. Instead of an on/off shutter, it is a polarizer, that alternatively polarizes the full image left or right. While the glasses are passive, since each lens only allows the matching image through, one eye sees nothing while the other sees the image, just like with active 3D. But all of the complexity and cost is in the TV. The glasses are literally the same as used in the theater – if you need more just bring them home next time you go, instead of tossing them in the recycling bin.

Sets using RDZ are expected to hit the market in 2012 from Samsung, and there will probably be similar, competing systems. Personally I think this solution is the best of both worlds. You get the Full HD image quality with cheap, lightweight glasses. Cheap enough that you can have plenty on hand for friends, and not worry about breaking or losing a pair. And if you need prescription lenses (as my fiancée wears) you can have prescription 3D glasses made that you can use at home and in the theater. No more having to sacrifice clarity for 3D, or trying to wear two pairs of glasses. It is hard to justify the cost of a prescription pair just for the theater, even for a die-hard movie goer, but if you can use the same glasses at home all the time, it is easier to justify.

Oh, yeah, I left out ‘glasses free’ 3D systems. That wasn’t an accident; I’m extremely unimpressed with them. They work OK on small displays – cell phones, handhelds, etc. – though even there they have major limitations. But they have too many drawbacks. Glasses free systems work via two major systems – lenticular screens or filter slats. Lenticular screens are familiar to most people – you know those images that seem to move when you tip them back and forth? Those have a lenticular screen on top. Basically rows of linear lenses that create ‘slices’ of an image. so when you view at a given angle you seen only specific slices, as directed by the lens. If you ever see one of the images without the lens in place it looks like several images all sliced up into ribbons, interlaced with each other. And that’s exactly what the display is doing – it is actually displaying columns of left & right images interlaced, and using the lens to direct each one to one eye. The slat system works in a similar manner, but even simpler. There are vertical slats positioned in front of the display designed to simply block every other column of pixels from each eye. But in such a way that it blocks the odd columns for one eye, and the even columns for the other.

So, in these systems you have the same drawback as today’s passive 3D – it halves the resolution. But, worse, there are very specific fixed points (or point in some cases) for viewing. While active and passive glasses systems work pretty much from any viewing angle the display supports, with glasses free systems you have to be in one of the ‘sweet spots’ where the effect works. Anywhere else and you may see nothing, or garbage, or 2D, it depends. Again, you know those cheap lenticular pictures? Know how as you tip them, as one image dissolves into the next there is a point where it is neither image and just a mess? The displays are like that, if you sit in the wrong place.

I’ll never say never, but to date I haven’t seen anything out or announced that truly resolves these issues with glasses free 3D. I’ve seen systems that will increase the number of viable points for viewing, but that’s just polishing a turd. You still have finite points and you still lose quality. Until someone comes up with a real breakthrough I think passive Full HD 3D will be the best option. I’m just waiting for it to arrive – and be priced reasonably, of course. I picked up my current set, a 61″ Samsung 1080p DLP, in late 2006, so it has plenty of life left in it. I can wait.

Press release spotted via Engadget.

First up, if you need a new camcorder in a hurry, through August 31st Amazon is offering free one-day shipping on select Sony camcorders. There are 28 models to choose from; from the Bloggie & Bloggie Duo for $148.00 to the HDR-AX2000 for $3,498.00. Yow.

Next up, only through August 6th, are instant rebates on select LG home entertainment products. There are three Blu-ray players to choose from and 31 different HDTVs. I did notice a quirk in the listings. The default page shows the BD decks and 17 HDTVs – 20 items total – and no links to additional pages. But if you click on the ‘HDTV’ link to limit the search you get 31 results on two pages. So if you’re interested be sure to check the full selection.

Next, also only through August 6th, is a similar deal – instant rebates on select Sony HDTVs. Twelve models to choose from, two LCD and ten LED. All 1080p and nine of the LED sets are 3D.

Last, but not least, through August 13th save $90 on a Panasonic DMP-BDT110 Wi-Fi ready 3D/2D Blu-ray Disc player with the purchase of a select Panasonic HDTV. The BD deck is currently $119.06, so you’d get it for $29.06. There are eleven HDTVs to choose from, all 1080p 3D plasma models.

You save, I get affiliate referral fees – win-win.

Next up, at the regular Woot! site, is HP Pavilion Triple-Core 17.3” Laptop with Blu-ray for $489.99 + $5 shipping. HP Pavilion dv7-4169wm 17.3” Laptop w/ AMD Phenom II Triple-Core N850, 4GB/640GB, Blu-ray, & Windows 7 Home Premium.

As with all things Woot!, these deals won’t last long.

How things can change in a year.

For the second quarter of 2011 the iPad’s share of the market dropped to 61.3%, while Android tablets had clawed their way up to claim 30% of tablet sales. You might’ve noticed that, jointly, they claimed 91.3% this year – but 96.9% last year. So where did the rest go? Well, coming in at number three, Windows tablets claimed 4.6%. Yes, Windows tablets. What about RIM’s PlayBook, which launched during the quarter? It managed a measly 3.3%. These figures are according to a study by market research firm Strategy Analytics.

We’ll have to see how they all fair this quarter, and we have a new entrant in the fight, the HP WebOS Touchpad. But the wave of Android tablets also continues to build. The best selling Android tablet, and second best selling tablet overall, the Asus Eee Pad Transformer could’ve sold even more if not for supply issues. Asus seems to have ironed out the issues, and the supply of Transformers has already begun ramping up and will continue to do so. The T-Mobile G-Slate (aka LG Optimus Pad) shipped just before the end of the last quarter. The Toshiba Thrive has just launched.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 is slated to launch next month, sliding in between the 7 and 10.1 inch models, giving consumers more choice. Lenovo has just announced the IdeaPad K1, aimed at consumers, and the ThinkPad Tablet, which is aimed more toward business users – right at the RIM PlayBook. The delayed Cisco Cius, also aimed at businesses, will ship at the end of the month. Archos has a couple of models pending, Vizio has their tablet, etc.

The reality seems very different from the impression you’d get reading articles about the tablet market. From the articles you’d think that everyone wants an iPad and no one is buying anything else. Sales of Android tablets have been weak, makers are even considering pulling out of the market, it is all doom and gloom. Android Honeycomb, the first version of Android optimized for tablets, only released in late February with the Motorola Xoom. That’s when the Android tablet market kicked off for real.

Remember how dismissive articles about Android phones were in 2009 – right up until the Motorola Droid hit the streets with Android 2.0? In the year and a half since then which mobile OS has taken the top spot in sales? It’s been less than five months since Honeycomb hit the streets. 30% of the global tablet market. Let’s see what things look like at the end of the year, by which time Ice Cream Sandwich will be out too.

Report figures via Boy Genius Report.

Features:

• Powerful 1100W of audio power through 5.1 channels for the ultimate home theater experience enhanced by Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio Essential decoders
• NetCast™ Entertainment Access lets you stream instant, and virtually endless, entertainment from Netflix®, Vudu™, CinemaNow™, Pandora®, YouTube™, Picasa™, and AccuWeather®—direct to your TV from the Internet, no computer required
• Blu-ray Disc’s ultra-large capacity stores full 1080p high-definition video with high-quality, lossless audio to ensure a true home theater experience
• Up-converts standard DVD content up to 1080p resolution for high-quality high definition images
• Built-in dock for convenient charge, control and playback of your iPod and iPhone
• Plug your compatible USB device into the available USB slot and your digital music and photos are played back
• MusicID® automatically identifies the song you are listening to at the push of a button and returns all pertinent information to your television screen
• BD Live internet connectivity support allows for enhanced viewing features
• SIMPLINK™ connectivity allows you to control multiple HDMI components through a single television remote
• Enjoy less distortion, clearer sound, and a better sound experience with Silk Dome Speaker Technology

Get it before it is gone.

First up, you can save $30 on a Sony HomeShare Speaker and Blu-ray Player Bundle. You simply add one of the qualifying speakers and BD decks to your cart to receive the discount. The promotion includes the BDP-S480 and BDP-S580 BD decks (which are good units, especially the 580), and the SNP-N100 Streaming Player and SANS300 & SANS400 HomeShare WiFi Network Speakers.

Second is a deal on select 2011 LG Electronics products. There are thirty one products involved in the promotion, nearly all (27) of them HDTVs (several 3D), three Blu-ray home theater systems, and one standalone Blu-ray player. Of the HDTVs eight are plasma (six of those 3D) with screens 50-60″, thirteen are LED (three of those 3D) with screens 22-65″, and six are LCD (none 3D) with screens 32-55″. Two of the home theater systems also support 3D.

Both deals run through 23:59 PST on July 23, 2011.

Press release:

Jan 8, 2009 06:30 ET

Sonic Brings Hollywood Hits to Connected CE and PC Devices with CinemaNow Software and Services

New CinemaNow SDK Accelerates Time to Market for CE Vendors Seeking to Deliver Premium Content to the Digital Home

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Sonic Solutions® (NASDAQ: SNIC) , today announced the CinemaNow SDK to enable consumer electronics (CE) manufacturers to rapidly integrate and deploy movie sell-through and rental store services in their devices. Sonic also announced it is providing entertainment delivery services for a new array of connected CE devices and digital home platforms.

Video entertainment from Sonic’s CinemaNow will be available on new Network Blu-ray Disc players from LG Electronics, through the Fujisoft-enabled Nintendo Wii game console in Japan, and featured in the newly announced digital home services platform from Prodea Systems. CinemaNow content will also be available as part of the Widget Channel television application framework developed by Intel and Yahoo, which will bring Web-based services to a number of broadband-connected products from major CE original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Demonstrations of the CinemaNow ecosystem are available by appointment in Sonic’s private meeting room at the Renaissance Hotel (Copa Conference Suite A and B) during the Consumer Electronics Show, January 8-11, Las Vegas, NV.

“We are extremely pleased to be providing premium content services to a broad range of innovative new products that are helping to shape the future of digital home entertainment,” said David Cook, executive vice president and general manager of Sonic’s Premium Content Group. “These latest agreements, along with the release of a CinemaNow SDK, will help further our goal to provide consumers trouble-free access to ‘buy anytime, watch anywhere’ digital movies, TV shows and music videos.”

The CinemaNow SDK streamlines the integration of digital entertainment delivery and sell-through services. The SDK provides consumer electronics manufacturers with a cost-effective way to rapidly deploy content services on a range of devices such as Blu-ray Disc players, Web-connected televisions and set-top boxes. By featuring CinemaNow, manufacturers are able to provide customers with a flexible entertainment solution that offers a-la-carte purchase options as well as extended multi-device playback compatibility.

“Our collaboration with Sonic on Blu-ray Disc players brings additional exciting digital entertainment options to consumers,” said Peter Reiner, senior vice president, marketing and strategy, LG Electronics USA. “With our premium 2009 line of Blu-ray Disc players, LG is bridging the gap between packaged media and video-on-demand services to provide entertainment solutions that fit consumers’ digital lifestyles and demand for broad variety of content.”

CinemaNow is at the forefront of digital video distribution, offering high-quality Hollywood movies, TV shows and music videos to users across multiple platforms. CinemaNow streamlines distribution and solves device interoperability at the time of delivery. CinemaNow has relationships with more than 250 content providers and a content portfolio of over 14,000 titles that includes entertainment from major Hollywood studios and independent distributors, broadcast and cable television shows, and music videos from major labels. CinemaNow supplies premium entertainment services to a host of PC and consumer electronics device manufacturers including ARCHOS, Dell, EchoStar Communications, Hewlett-Packard, Macrovision, Microsoft, Pioneer, Samsung, Technicolor and TiVo.

About Sonic Solutions

Sonic Solutions (Nasdaq: SNIC; http://www.sonic.com/) enables the creation, management, and enjoyment of premium and personal digital media content through its Hollywood to Home(TM) products, services, and technologies. Sonic’s products range from the advanced authoring systems used to produce Hollywood DVD and Blu-ray Disc titles to the award-winning Roxio®-branded photo, video, music, and digital-media management applications, field-proven SDKs and services. Sonic’s Premium Content Group, which includes CinemaNow, is helping provide consumers convenient access to Hollywood entertainment for download and enjoyment on a broad range of digital devices. Sonic Solutions is headquartered in Marin County, California.

Forward Looking Statements

This release may contain forward looking statements that are based upon current expectations, including the launch, distribution, and market acceptance of the CinemaNow service and SDK. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties, including those discussed in Sonic Solutions’ annual and quarterly reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This press release should be read in conjunction with Sonic Solutions’ most recent annual report on Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and other reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which contain a more detailed discussion of the Company’s business including risks and uncertainties that may affect future results. Sonic Solutions does not undertake to update any forward looking statements.

Sonic, the Sonic logo, Sonic Solutions, Roxio, the Roxio logo, CinemaNow, Creator, Toast, Hollywood to Home, AuthorScript and Qflix are trademarks or registered trademarks owned by Sonic Solutions in the United States and/or other countries. All other company or product names are trademarks of their respective owners and, in some cases, are used by Sonic Solutions under license. Specifications, pricing and delivery schedules are subject to change without notice.

Source: Sonic Solutions

CONTACT: Chris Taylor Sonic Solutions, +1-408-367-5231,
chris_taylor@sonic.com

Web Site: http://www.sonic.com/

The new ‘Broadband HDTVs’ will support HD Netflix streaming directly over their built-in Ethernet connections. These new LCD and plasma HDTVs, along with five new Blu-ray players and home theater systems, will join the BD300 in LG’s Netflix-enabled lineup.

The press release is below:

Jan 5, 2009 07:00 ET

LG Electronics First to Unveil ‘Broadband HDTVs’ That Instantly Stream Movies From Netflix

Netflix Members Can Instantly Watch Movies Directly On New LG Plasma and LCD HDTVs

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. and LOS GATOS, Calif., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ — LG Electronics today extended its groundbreaking partnership with Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) , as the two companies announced the first broadband-enabled HDTVs with Netflix streaming software embedded directly in the TV, requiring no external device. LG’s new LCD and plasma “Broadband HDTVs” will display the growing library of movies, TV episodes and high-definition (HD) content that Netflix members can watch instantly directly on the TV with Ethernet connectivity.

Available this spring, the new LCD and plasma HDTVs will join the LG BD300 Network Blu-ray Disc Player, the first Blu-ray disc player to stream movies instantly from Netflix. These products – and five new models of Blu-ray Disc players and home theater systems planned for 2009 – will offer consumers a variety of ways to enjoy more than 12,000 choices of movies and TV episodes instantly from Netflix. Netflix members owning one or more of the devices pay as little as $8.99 per month for unlimited instant streaming and unlimited DVDs from a catalog of more than 100,000 DVD titles in more than 200 genres.

LG Electronics and Netflix will demonstrate these broadband HDTVs this week at the 2009 CES®, Booth #8214, Central Hall, Las Vegas Convention Center.

“Embedding the Netflix streaming software in the television is a natural progression of our partnership with Netflix and our innovative product line,” said LG Electronics USA President Teddy Hwang. “This is an LG industry-first, which provides another flexible option for consumers seeking to access exciting content directly through their HDTV.”

“LG Electronics was first to embrace Netflix as a streaming partner a year ago, and was first in 2008 to introduce a Blu-ray disc player that streams movies from Netflix,” said Netflix CEO Reed Hastings. “So it’s fitting that LG is the first to introduce Netflix instant streaming directly to the TV with these next-generation HDTVs.”

Netflix began offering its instant streaming functionality on the PC in January 2007 and made the leap to the TV last year via Netflix ready devices such as the LG BD300 Blu-ray disc player. With today’s announcement, Netflix will be streaming, for the first time, directly to the TV with no external device required.

Instantly streaming content from Netflix to the LG HDTVs will rely on a broadband connection and Queue-based user interface. Netflix members will use the Netflix Web site to add movies and TV episodes to their individual instant Queues. Those choices will automatically be displayed on members’ TVs and available to watch instantly through the HDTV. Once selected, movies will begin playing in as little as 30 seconds. With the accompanying remote control, Netflix members will be able to browse and make selections right on the TV screen and also have the ability to read synopses and rate movies. In addition, they will have the option of fast-forwarding and rewinding the video stream.

“The partnership between Netflix and LG Electronics continues to give consumers more and better options for home entertainment,” said Hastings.

About LG Electronics USA

LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a global force and technology leader in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications. In the United States, LG Electronics sells a range of stylish and innovative home entertainment products, mobile phones, home appliances and business solutions, all under LG’s “Life’s Good” marketing theme. For more information, please visit www.LGusa.com.

About Netflix, Inc.

Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) is the world’s largest online movie rental service, with more than eight million subscribers. For one low monthly price, Netflix members can get DVDs delivered to their homes and can instantly watch movies and TV episodes streamed to their TVs and PCs, all in unlimited amounts. Members can choose from over 100,000 DVD titles and a growing library of more than 12,000 choices that can be watched instantly. There are never any due dates or late fees. DVDs are delivered free to members by first class mail, with a postage-paid return envelope, from over 100 U.S. shipping points. More than 95 percent of Netflix members live in areas that generally receive shipments in one business day. Netflix is also partnering with leading consumer electronics companies to offer a range of devices that can instantly stream movies and TV episodes to members’ TVs from Netflix. For more information, visit http://www.netflix.com/.

Source: LG Electronics USA, Inc.

CONTACT: John I. Taylor of LG Electronics USA, Inc., +1-847-941-8181,
jtaylor@lge.com; or Nathan Friedman, +1-312-397-6009,
nathan.friedman@ogilvypr.com, for LG Electronics USA, Inc.; or Steve Swasey of
Netflix, +1-408-540-3947, sswasey@netflix.com

Web site: http://www.lgusa.com/
http://www.netflix.com/

But the real interesting addition here is CinemaNow, and not so much that it is being added but how it is being added. CinemaNow will be streaming to the Blu-ray players. That’s very interesting – as far as I’m aware this is the first indication we’ve had that CinemaNow was adding streaming support to their content. To date CinemaNow has been all download-based, not streaming, including on TiVo. Right now on TiVo only Disney content is available from CinemaNow, but it has been stated that additional content would be added. Since TiVo supports streaming, as used by YouTube and Netflix, I have to wonder if CinemaNow content will also be available via streaming on TiVo.

In general we’re certainly going to be seeing more of this kind of thing, adding content sources to devices to make them multi-function. Just to support Blu-ray content and to comply with the BD-Live specification a Blu-ray player has to be capable of decoding MPEG-2, H.264, and VC-1 video in high definition, as well as handing a number of audio formats. The hardware used to do this is more than capable of handling most online video formats. BD-Live requires an Ethernet connection and 1GB of local storage, which is plenty to handle streaming buffers. And the BD-J programming environment allows for complex applications. It makes a lot of sense for Blu-ray players to pick up additional features like streaming video to make them more competitive and appealing to consumers.

Press release:

Dec 30, 2008 09:00 ET

LG Electronics Announces New Streaming Content Partners for Its Network Blu-ray Disc Players

LG to Offer Consumers Unparalleled Access to Streaming Entertainment from CinemaNow, YouTube and Netflix

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Dec. 30 /PRNewswire/ — LG Electronics today announced the expansion of network entertainment options for its Network Blu-ray Disc players through new alliances with CinemaNow and YouTube™.

Available on new LG Network Blu-ray Disc Players in the first half of 2009, these new services complement LG’s instant streaming from Netflix and advanced Blu-ray capabilities to deliver consumers an exceptional entertainment experience. (In 2008, LG was the world’s first manufacturer to stream movies instantly from Netflix on a Network Blu-ray Disc Player.)

CinemaNow – an innovator in digital entertainment technology, delivering high-quality movies, TV shows and videos to users through online connectivity – and YouTube – a leading online video community for people to discover, watch, and share originally created videos – will be available in LG’s 2009 line of Network Blu-ray Disc players to be unveiled next week at the 2009 International CES®.

“As millions of U.S. consumers view and download movies or TV shows through the Internet, they are demanding easier ways to access content and more home entertainment options,” said Tim Alessi, director of product development, LG Electronics USA.

“From Blu-ray to instant streaming from Netflix to CinemaNow and YouTube, LG is bridging the gap between packaged media and video-on-demand services to provide entertainment solutions for consumers’ demand for content,” he said. “With these new alliances, LG continues its innovation leadership by allowing consumers easy access to multiple entertainment options in one device.”

CinemaNow: Instant Streaming of Hollywood’s Latest Hits

CinemaNow has pushed the envelope of digital video distribution, becoming the first Web site to offer Pay-Per-View movies from major studios and the first broadband distributor of high definition (HD) content. Collaborating with CinemaNow will enable LG Electronics to offer consumers access to more than 14,000 titles from the major movie studios, broadcast and cable television shows, more than 250 independent film titles and music videos from all major labels. Key benefits include the capability to:

— Browse the entire CinemaNow premium content catalog, including latest Hollywood hits,
— Instantly stream content to enjoy on compatible devices, and
— Access and watch movies purchased from other CinemaNow-powered stores.

“We are extremely pleased to be providing CinemaNow premium content services to these innovative new products from LG Electronics that are helping to drive convenient consumer access to digital entertainment at home,” said Mark Ely, executive vice president of strategy, Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ: SNIC) , parent company of CinemaNow.

YouTube: Original Streaming Video Content

Leading the way in providing unlimited access to online content, LG’s alliance with a prolific online video community, YouTube, will allow consumers to instantly stream millions of Web videos directly from the Internet to an LG Network Blu-ray Player for viewing on their television (without a personal computer). Key benefits include:

— Unlimited access to millions of videos on topics such as current events, instructional videos for hobbies and interests, comedic and viral videos and
— Easy searching, thumbnail previews and multiple screen size viewing options.

Netflix: High Definition Instant Streaming

Now available to consumers as a free on-line upgrade, LG’s first Network Blu-ray Disc Player (BD300) now delivers a growing number of Netflix titles in high-definition (HD). This new access to high-definition streaming content enhances the existing standard-definition streaming service that LG and Netflix first brought to consumers in 2008.

Future LG Network Blu-ray Disc Players will also offer consumers a variety of ways to enjoy more than 12,000 choices of movies and TV episodes from Netflix. Netflix members owning these devices pay one low monthly subscription for unlimited DVD rental and unlimited streaming.

LG’s full line of Network Blu-ray Disc Players, additional new content alliances and other new products will be revealed at the LG Electronics CES press conference on Jan. 7, 2009 at the Venetian/Sands and will be on display at the 2009 International CES – Booth #8214, Central Hall, Las Vegas Convention Center.

About LG Electronics USA

LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a global force and technology leader in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications. In the United States, LG Electronics sells a wide range of consumer electronics (digital display and digital media) products, digital appliances and mobile phones under LG’s “Life’s Good” marketing theme. For more information, please visit www.LGusa.com.

About CinemaNow

CinemaNow, part of Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ:SNIC) , delivers high-quality Hollywood movies, TV shows and music videos to users across multiple platforms. CinemaNow is partnered with some of the biggest brands in consumer electronics and digital entertainment including ARCHOS, Dell, EchoStar Communications, Hewlett-Packard, Macrovision, Microsoft, Pioneer, Samsung, Technicolor and TiVo to deliver thousands of video titles directly to consumers. CinemaNow works with more than 250 licensors including 20th Century Fox, Disney, EMI, HDNet, IFC, Lionsgate, MGM, Miramax, NBC Universal, Paramount Pictures, Sony, Sundance Channel, Vivendi Entertainment and Warner Bros. For more information: www.CinemaNow.com.

Headquartered in Marin County, Calif, Sonic Solutions (www.sonic.com) enables the creation, management, and enjoyment of premium and personal digital media content through its Hollywood to Home™ products, services, and technologies.

About YouTube

YouTube is the world’s most popular online video community allowing millions of people to discover, watch and share originally created videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small. YouTube, LLC is based in San Bruno, Calif., and is a subsidiary of Google Inc.

* Specifications are subject to change without notice.

Source: LG Electronics

CONTACT: John I. Taylor, +1-847-828-2777, jtaylor@lge.com; or Ojas Naik,
+1-312-397-6008, ojas.naik@ogilvypr.com, both for LG Electronics; or Chris
Taylor, chris_taylor@sonic.com, for CinemaNow

Web Site: http://www.cinemanow.com/
http://www.lgusa.com/
http://www.sonic.com/

Back in January Netflix announced a partnership with LG Electronics to embed the Netflix streaming player in various LG products. At the time it was expected to be included in an LG dual-format player, HD DVD and BD, of course HD DVD has since died. Today LG announced the first product to bear fruit from this partnetship, the BD300 Blu-ray player.

The BD300 is a full-featured Blu-ray player with BonusView / Profile 1.1 and BD-Live / Profile 2.0 support, with 1080p DVD upscaling, and, of course, Netflix instant viewing support. Netflix, and BD-Live, support use a built-in wired Ethernet connection. As with the Roku Netflix Player, users will add titles to their queue via the netflix website, then they’ll have instant access to those titles from the LG deck. When a title is selected playback will begin in as little as 30 seconds. You’ll also be able to read synopsis and rate movies from the interface.

The full press release is below:

Jul 31, 2008 00:01 ET

LG Announces First Blu-ray Disc Player With Capability to Instantly Stream Movies From Netflix to the TV

LG BD300 Network Blu-ray Disc Player to be Unveiled Tonight

NEW YORK, July 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Building on a groundbreaking technology partnership announced earlier this year, LG Electronics and Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) today announced plans for the first Blu-ray disc player that will have the added benefit of being able to instantly stream a growing library of movies and TV episodes from Netflix directly to the TV.

Available this fall, the LG BD300 Network Blu-ray Disc Player will play high definition Blu-ray discs, up-convert standard DVDs to 1080p and allow Netflix subscribers to instantly stream more than 12,000 choices of movies and TV episodes from Netflix to the TV for no additional charge.

LG Electronics and Netflix will demonstrate the BD300 Network Blu-ray Disc Player for the first time tonight at LG’s 2008 Summer Line Show at Morgan Library and Museum in New York City. (The event is open to invited media only.)

Instantly streaming content from Netflix to the TV via the LG BD300 Network Blu-ray Disc Player will rely on a wired broadband connection and Queue-based user interface. Netflix members will use the Netflix Web site to add movies and TV episodes to their individual instant Queues. Those choices will automatically be displayed on members’ TVs and available to watch instantly through the LG player. Once selected, movies will begin playing in as little as 30 seconds. With the BD300′s accompanying remote control, Netflix members will be able to browse and make selections right on the TV screen and also have the ability to read synopses and rate movies. In addition, they will have the option of fast-forwarding and rewinding the video stream.

“As Blu-ray player sales are expected to triple in three years, consumers are craving content and seeking a premium home entertainment experience,” said LG Electronics USA President Teddy Hwang. “The BD300 is another LG industry first and provides consumers with an advanced high-def disc player with unparalleled flexibility and networked access for services such as Netflix.”

Consumers craving more content will appreciate the BD Live feature, which provides real-time interactivity for movie enthusiasts seeking extras, new previews or special content while BonusView provides picture-in-picture access to Blu-ray disc special features. To further personalize and simplify the home theater experience, the BD300 includes LG’s SimpLink(TM) technology, which allows users to control similarly equipped LG TV and AV products via convenient on-screen menus or directly from the product itself.

In January, prior to the 2008 International CES(R), LG Electronics and Netflix announced their technology partnership to provide a set-top box for consumers to stream movies and TV episodes from the Internet to the TV beginning in the second half of the year.

“LG Electronics is establishing itself as the innovation leader in consumer electronics, combining the best of broadband and Blu-ray connectivity,” said Netflix Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO Reed Hastings. “LG Electronics was the first of our technology partners to publicly embrace our strategy for getting the Internet to the TV, and is the first to introduce a Blu-ray player that will instantly stream movies and TV episodes from Netflix to the TV.”

About LG Electronics USA

LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a global force and technology leader in home appliances, consumer electronics and mobile communications. In the United States, LG Electronics sells a wide range of stylish, innovative digital appliances, consumer electronics (digital display and digital media) products and mobile phones under LG’s “Life’s Good” marketing theme. For more information, please visit http://www.lgusa.com/.

About Netflix, Inc.

Netflix, Inc. (Nadsaq: NFLX) is the world’s largest online movie rental service, with more than eight million subscribers. For one low monthly price, Netflix members can get DVDs delivered to their homes and can instantly watch movies and TV episodes streamed to their TVs and PCs, all in unlimited amounts. Members can choose from over 100,000 DVD titles and a growing library of more than 12,000 choices that can be watched instantly. There are never any due dates or late fees. DVDs are delivered free to members by first class mail, with a postage-paid return envelope, from over 100 U.S. shipping points. More than 95 percent of Netflix members live in areas that generally receive shipments in one business day. Netflix is also partnering with leading consumer electronics companies to offer a range of devices that can instantly stream movies and TV episodes to members’ TVs from Netflix. For more information, visit http://www.netflix.com/.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080731/AQTH518-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080731/AQTH518-b
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN4,5
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: Netflix, Inc.

CONTACT: John I. Taylor of LG Electronics USA, Inc., +1-847-941-8181,
jtaylor@lge.com; or Nathan Friedman, +1-312-397-6009,
nathan.friedman@ogilvypr.com, for LG Electronics USA, Inc.; or Steve Swasey of
Netflix, Inc., +1-408-540-3947, sswasey@netflix.com

Web site: http://www.netflix.com/
http://www.lgusa.com/

Picked up from TWICE.

Press release below:

Jul 28, 2008 12:03 ET

LG Electronics, Cable Operators Reach Two-Way ‘Plug and Play’ Accord

Pro-Consumer ‘tru2way™’ Pact Clears Path for Video on Demand, Digital Video Recording and Other Interactive Services

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., July 28 /PRNewswire/ — LG Electronics, Inc. today announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the top six U.S. cable operators, supporting the use of the “tru2way™” technology platform for delivering two-way interactive digital cable services without a set-top box.

“This pro-consumer pact means that LG tru2way HDTVs planned for 2009 and beyond will receive the newest interactive cable services, from video on demand to interactive programming guides, in virtually every media market and without a set-top box. Equally significant, it will facilitate the development of a viable, two-way retail market,” said Dr. Woo Paik, LG Electronics president and chief technology officer.

Developed by Cable Television Laboratories Inc. (CableLabs™), tru2way “plug and play” technology is backed by the nation’s six largest cable companies — Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, CableVision, Charter and Bright House Networks — which together account for an estimated 80 percent of all U.S. cable subscribers and some 105 million homes.

Underscoring the significance of today’s announcement is LG’s role as one of the fastest-growing consumer electronics brands in the United States. A long-time supporter of the CableLabs OpenCable™ initiative, LG Electronics is a leading manufacturer of digital flat-panel displays, digital HDTVs and related digital video products.

Dr. Richard R. Green, president and chief executive officer of CableLabs, said, “With the addition of LG — the latest in a series of MOUs our industry has entered into with leading consumer electronics companies — this again validates our tru2way technology, which employs the same Java-based platform used in mobile phones, interactive broadcasting and Blu-ray HD digital video recorders. Tru2way will allow cable operators, consumer electronics manufacturers, content owners and others to work together to provide creative interactive services directly to the consumer.”

Tru2way technology allows consumers to receive interactive cable services, including video-on-demand, voting and polling, games, and e-commerce in integrated retail DTVs without the need for a separate set-top box.

About LG Electronics

LG Electronics, Inc. is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications, employing more than 82,000 people working in 114 operations including 82 subsidiaries around the world. With 2007 global sales of $44 billion, LG comprises four business units — Digital Appliance, Mobile Communications, Digital Display and Digital Media. LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc. In the United States, LG Electronics sells a wide range of digital appliances, consumer electronics products and mobile phones under LG’s “Life’s Good” marketing theme. For more information, please visit http://www.lgusa.com/.

CableLabs and tru2way are trademarks of Cable Television Laboratories Inc.

Source: LG Electronics, Inc.

CONTACT: John I. Taylor of LG Electronics USA, +1-847-941-8181,
jtaylor@lge.com; or Nathan Friedman of Ogilvy Public Relations,
+1-312-397-6009, nathan.friedman@ogilvypr.com, for LG Electronics, Inc.

Web site: http://www.lgusa.com/

Jun 3, 2008 09:00 ET

LG Electronics Introduces Versatile Optical Disc Drives with Ultra-Fast Recording Speeds

Now Available Through U.S. Retailers, Drives with Flexible Storage Options Ideal for Home and Office

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., June 3 /PRNewswire/ — LG Electronics today launched its new line of optical disc drives, which feature one of the fastest Blu-ray reading and writing speed of 6x. The latest models — BE06, GBC-H20L and GBW-H20L — are available now through national retail stores as well as other leading online electronics retailers.

Unique to LG, the line offers SecurDisc™ capabilities, which provide data protection and content access control on all current optical formats, and LightScribe™ technology, which enables consumers to easily create direct-to-disc labels right from their drive.

“LG drives offer everyday users and professionals some of the fastest recording speeds in the industry,” said Marc Sorkin, senior marketing manager, for LG Electronics IT and Home Entertainment products. “With cutting-edge technologies such as SecurDisc and LightScribe, which make data transfer easier and safer, these drives meet consumers’ increasing demand for a compact storage option both in the office and at home.”

Storage for the Home or Office

The next generation in optical storage products, models BE06, GBC-H20L and GBW-H20L provide back-up for a wide variety of files, photos, business documents, or video. Consumers will appreciate the 6x speed at which the drives write and read information, their compatibility with DVD and CDR CDRW, as well as their quick and easy data storage option.

Perfect for laptop users or those that have a multitude of PCs, LG’s BE06 can be easily connected through the USB 2.0 connection and a DC power adapter. The BE06 has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $379.95. Additional features include:

-- Compatibility with all BD, DVD and CD formats
-- 6x BD-R/2x BD-RE read compatible
-- DVD+RW/-RW recording speed to 16x recording

The GBC-H20L and the GBW-H20L are designed to satisfy consumer needs for safe and fast data backup. Boasting one of the industry’s fastest read and write speed at 16x, the GBW-H20L can also handle up to 50GB of data, equivalent to around 4-1/2 hours of high-definition video or 22 hours of standard definition video (on a dual layer 50GB BD-R/BD-RE recordable media). The GBC-H20L and the GBW-H20L carry manufacturer’s suggested retail prices of $199.95 and $279.95 respectively. Additional features include:

-- 6x BD-R/2x BD-RE read compatible
-- 6x BD-R/2x BD-RE read and write compatible (GBW-H20L)
-- 16x DVD+RW/-RW recording speed (GBW-H20L)
-- Up to 40X CDRW recording speeds

About LG Electronics USA, Inc.

LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a global force in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications. In the United States, LG Electronics sells a wide range of consumer electronics and IT products, mobile phones and digital appliances under LG’s “Life’s Good” marketing theme. For more information, please visit http://www.lgusa.com/.

Source: LG Electronics USA, Inc.

CONTACT: John I. Taylor, +1-847-941-8181, jtaylor@lge.com, or Clara
Chang, +1-201-816-2011, clarachang@lge.com, both of LG Electronics USA, Inc.;
or Ojas Naik, +1-312-397-6008, ojas.naik@ogilvypr.com, for LG Electronics USA,
Inc.

Web site: http://www.lgusa.com/

Well, there is no such series. It was all an elaborate hoax that is part of a marketing effort for a new line of HDTVs from LG Electronics called, of course, Scarlet. See, it is a ‘TV Series’ as in ‘a series of TVs’. Clever, but at the same time I feel kind of disappointed that I was misled. It feels dishonest to me, and leaves me with a bad feeling about LG. Certainly not what they were going for, I’m sure.

How do you feel about such deceptive viral marketing tactics? Did you get taken by Scarlet?