LG, Samsung inject new life into 3D, Net-savvy products

By Kim Tong-hyung

LAS VEGAS ― Tablet computers, fourth generation (4G) phones and connected televisions are among a wave of smart products that will highlight this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the annual gadget Super Bowl which runs Thursday to Sunday in Las Vegas (local time).

And it’s plausible to think that the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow will be influenced just as much by the companies that will be there than the one that won’t: Apple.

Apple, which successfully marketed itself as a rebel brand in recent years, is clearly the most notable no-show at this year’s CES. Nonetheless, its aura will be unmistakable in Las Vegas, where a slew of technology companies will have their own version of the iPad on display.

With or without a Steve Jobs sighting, Korea’s duo of global technology giants ― Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics ― have each been claiming that the CES will be their show to run this year. And it appears they have enough exciting treats to pull it off.

Apparently, the sense of urgency is greater for LG Electronics, which had underwhelmed in the past year in its main markets of consumer electronics and mobile phones. The company is now eager to make a statement at the CES with a number of bold products, including a dual-core smartphone, an Android tablet, Net-savvy home appliances and the world’s largest 3D-enabled television, as it moves to restore its reputation for cutting-edge technology and coolness.

LG is planning to showcase around 450 products at its 2,000-plus square-meter booth at the CES, and they are to represent the expansion of 3D technology and Internet connectivity over a larger range of digital devices.

If 3D televisions were the talk of last year’s CES, 2011 is shaping up to be the year of the tablet, which along with smartphones, is pushing forward the renaissance of feature-rich touch-screen mobile devices. All eyes are on whether LG will be revealing its first tablet, which may or may not be named ``Optimus Tablet.’’ The device, along with a rival product from Motorola, will be the industry’s first tablets that run on ``Honeycomb,’’ Google’s first mobile operating system tailored for tablets. Samsung, Hewlett Packard (HP), Dell, Research In Motion (RIM) and even Vizio, which is looking to expand beyond televisions, is also readying their tablets for the CES.

Microsoft, which is giving tablets another go, is also working with hardware powers to develop a number of Windows-based tablets, and the software giant is expected to unveil the first fruits of collaboration at the CES, which may or may not include Samsung’s Gloria.

At the CES, company will unveil its ``Cinema 3D’’ televisions, which employ film-type patterned retarder (FPR) technology that minimizes flickering and ``cross talk,’’ or blurry images, and offers brighter screens. This reduces worries of eyestrain and headaches, and also allows 3D glasses to be designed lighter, more polarized and curved more like regular glasses, a welcome change for 3D television viewers put off by the high-tech goggles.

The company will also unveil a 72-inch 3D light-emitting diode (LED) backlit television that is claimed as the world’s biggest 3D model, and a number of Web-enabled, ``smart’’ televisions that run its NetCast 2.0 media streaming service.

Samsung throwing massive weight

Booking a 2,580-plus square-meter booth, the biggest of any company, Samsung will literally be a mammoth presence at the CES. The facade of Samsung’s display space will be dominated by 100 glowing LED-backlit televisions aligned in the shape of a world map, obviously symbolizing the company’s emergence as a leading global technology brand.

Of course, Samsung claims that its CES products will shine brighter than the lavish interior. The company will boast its broad range of consumer products at the CES, which include televisions, mobile devices, personal computers, cameras, home appliances and storage tools.

Among Samsung’s wealth of devices to be displayed, its new smart televisions clearly stand out. The company will showcase a ``full’’ lineup of smart televisions including a 72-inch model that is claimed as the world’s largest Internet-connected television.

Aside from their ability to access the Web and support a variety of software applications, Samsung’s supersized smart television is also distinguished by its picture quality and wealth of functions.

The edge-lit LED liquid crystal display (LCD) television supports high-definition pictures and is also capable of converting 2D video into 3D stereoscopic images, which gives viewers a larger wealth of content to choose from.

Samsung’s smart televisions are equipped with the company’s renewed user interface and allow viewers to leave messages on social networking services like Facebook (www.facebook.com) or Twitter (www.twitter.com) while watching their favorite programs.

It’s estimated that Samsung sold more than 5 million smart televisions in 2010, and the company hopes to move 10 million this year, which is projected to account for about 30 percent of all smart televisions sold.