By Kim Yoo-chul
LG, looking to beat its cross-town rival Samsung in the growing 3D TV market, has received good reviews from China with its film-based 3D technology.
The company has been vigorously pushing LCD televisions with film-type patterned retarder (FPR) 3D technology.
FPR's film-based 3D eyewear, is flicker-free, lightweight and significantly more affordable than the prevalent active-shutter equivalent embraced by Samsung Electronics.
Despite controversy surrounding the initiatives being pushed by LG and Samsung, the LG Group's display-making unit LG Display said its FPR televisions are receiving "better-than-expected" responses from China.
LG formed an alliance with China's leading television makers late last year with the aim of securing "first-mover" advantage in the market for value-added and premium sets.
"Over 100,000 FPR 3D televisions were sold within two months of their market debut. Affordable prices and lightweight 3D glasses are major factors," said an LG Display spokesman Lee Sang-wook, Wednesday.
LG Display is experiencing a shortage of panels used in FPR televisions because of more orders from top-tier Chinese TV makers such as SkyWorth and Hisense, added Lee.
"In promoting the technology, LG plans to increase its market share in China's 3D television segment," the spokesman said.
The United States and Europe are LG’s next targets. LG officials say American TV maker Vizio and Philips of the Netherlands are set to launch 3D TVs with FPR technology from April, at the earliest.
LG's new TVs should start arriving in the U.S. in March, although Vizio is already selling the Cinema 3D TV with the technology and plans to deliver new models soon, according to industry officials.
Local representatives of non-Korean manufacturers weren't available for comment.
"Our own data says 95 percent of Chinese people interested in buying 3D TVs favor FPR. In the United States and France, the rates are reaching 85 percent and 88 percent, respectively," said another LG spokesman Kim Jun-kyu.
Kim said LG has already shipped over 300,000 FPR screens to clients and added the company expects the shipments to exceed 1 million within next month.
Arguments have risen over the technological edge between Samsung’s active-shutter and LG’s FPR amid the emergence of the two rival 3D formats.
Top executives at Samsung and LG's television divisions traded verbal jabs to defend and knock their competitor's technology in an apparent PR battle.
The active shutter system separately brings high quality (1080p) images to the left and right eyes, which are played back alternately at high speed. But cross-talk and flicker are commonly cited as the biggest concerns for the system.
Along with less expensive production costs, LG is saying its system sees a reduction in the impact of active shutter implementation _ cross-talk and flicker.