MediaMentalism » Social Gadgets for social media: MediaMentalism.com

LG brings Twitter to your Telly without annoying the TV networks

Mike Evans — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 19:06:11 +0000

LG has launched nine apps for its range of Internet-enabled TVs that attempt to bring more of the Web to your TV. Although not exactly anywhere as comprehensive as Google TV’s offering, LG’s apps bring such things as the BBC iPlayer, Google Maps, Facebook and Twitter to your LG TV, which at least makes your TV 1,000 times smarter than it was before!

Better still, it won’t have the political hurdles that are currently stalling Google TV’s growth, and all the apps are available now.

Google TV’s problems

Google TV is having problems at the moment because the major networks in the US are refusing to allow their channels to be shown on Google TV. This leaves the Google TV service as a browser and YouTube player for your TV – which is still fine in my books! – but annoyingly prevents the platform from offrering the unified Web AND TV service we were all hoping for.

Inevitably this will all be ironed out in due course. In the meantime, limited app-ready TV services such as LG’s, which don’t offer you the whole Web, but still offer you just enough to actually be useful, have a t least a foot in the door until Google TV or equivalents are finall yable to persuade the major TV companies that their content is safe.

[Source: Pocket Lint]

Philips and LG wow the world with portable TVs…wait, what?!

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:44:56 +0000

Philips and LG have been showing off some high-tech gadgetry at CES 2010 with this pair of beauties: The Philips PET749 and the somewhat harder to pronounce LG DP570H.

Both of these devices look at first glance to be ordinary PMPs (Personal Media Players – you know, portable DVD players with screens), but they have a secret up their sleeves – TV!

I suppose it makes perfect sense. PMPs are already popular devices, but they’re limited by the content you can store. Once you’ve watched all the DVDs you’ve brought with you, what do you do then?

Watch TV of course!

LG DP570H Mobile DTV

The appallingly-named LG DP570H Mobile DTV is one of the leading devices in the field, with LG having worked on Mobile DTV technology for while now. The LG DP570H is a 7″ model with DVD player, stereo speakers, and battery life of 2.5 hours continuous TV watching, which isn’t exactly stellar.

Philips PET749 Mobile DTV

Another contender is the Philips PET749 Mobile DTV, which seems to do more for less. Specifically, the PET749 offers an 800×480 display, DVD player and Mobile DTV for just $179.99

Can Mobile DTV succeed where Mobile TV failed?

In 2007, mobile TV was meant to be the next big thing in mobile phones. It wasn’t, of course, so it’s odd to see LG, Philips and the like trying to push the same service to different devices using different technologies!

Mobile DTV can simply be thought of as a device that used to be called a PMP or Portable DVD player, but which now also support the new Mobile DTV standard. The result is a PMP that plays TV programmes, or what you could think of as a portable TV!

Who said there were no new ideas in the world?!

Actually, this is nothing new – you can already watch TV on some PMPs using an aerial and a TV tuner, but this doesn’t work so well when travelling at speed. In contrast, mobile DTV does, which seems to be its only advantage over ordinary TV.

Of course, it doesn’t work so well in a plane (another place you might use a PMP), so the only advantage I can see of mobile DTV is the ability to watch it in the car or the train – and is that really an advantage?!

Fortunately, the devices aren’t that expensive. The LG DP570H, for example, is only $249, while the Philips PET749 is even cheaper at $179.99. ANd the technology can be squeezed into a single chip, so I’m sure all PMPs will soon be Mobile DTVs come CES 2011!

[Source: CNet]

New LG LHB975 Blu-ray + YouTube Home Theatre System

admin — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 23:31:49 +0000

LG seem intent on merging the Web and telly using as many different ways as possible. This time, it’s with the LG LHB975 Blu-ray Disc Home Theatre System, a mouthful of a name that features a mouth-watering set of features (see what I did there?

Just announced at CES 2010, aside from the usual set of Blu-Ray and home theatre features (you know, 5.1 channel surround sound, wireless rear speakers, subwoofer, etc.), the LG LHB975 also features Ethernet and Wifi and a range of built-in Web apps that let you connect to dozens of online media services.

Like what, you might ask? Well, like this:

NetFlix
VUDU
CinemaNow
YouTube
Pandora
Picasa
AccuWeather

All of these are accessible directly from the box and can be used via its remote. Just one more way the Web (or at least parts of it) can be piped directly to your telly.

You can also access contact wirelessly from a variety of other devices, as the LG LHB975 is DLNA certified. So if you get bored with YouTube, you can watch the camera phone videos you took on your DLNA-equipped mobile phone (which most of them are these days).

If you’re still bored, the LHB975 also comes with an iPod dock, which, with its the LHB975′s Watts of power, should help you enjoy your music, even if you’re 30 miles away!

Clever stuff!

[Source: Engadget]

LG put Skype video calls on your telly

admin — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 23:14:53 +0000

LG have announced 26 new NetCast HDTVs at CES 2010, each of which comes with Skype built-in. The new TVs will let you make Skype voice and high definition video calls directly from your TV without the need for a PC.

Video conferencing has been something that hasn’t really caught on in the consumer space, presumably because it requires a PC and so has always been seen as a bit geeky. However, the TV is fundamentally different. It’s the one electronic gadget that everyone has and everyone understands.

OK, a Skype HDTV may not be something that everyone has, but with 26 models featuring it, it’s clear that LG are serious about pushing Skype into the living room.

Importantly, the user interface looks pretty slick too, which it’ll have to be if people are to start using Skype video calls in any significant number.

LG’s Skype TVs will cover their entire range, including LED, LCD and Plasma. You’ll need to buy a separate video camera (which is an odd omission), but these are cheap enough and will plug into the NetCast TVs through a standard USB port.

You might to avoid an HD camera though, particularly if you’ve got a huge HDTV. Having your Aunt’s ugly mug rendered in super high definition on a 60″ set in your living room might be too much for your kids to cope with!

“We know that Skype users are increasingly interested in conducting video calls away from their computers. With Skype, consumers of LG’s NetCast HDTVs will now be able to participate in rich, real-time video conversations from the comfort of their couch,” said Josh Silverman, CEO of Skype. “A hallmark of Skype is the ability to bring people together. Together with LG, we have created an all new user experience with amazing video quality and audio clarity.”

[Source: Engadget]

CES 2009: LG launches wireless YouTube-equipped HDTV

Mike Evans — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:12:38 +0000

As ever, LG pulled out all the stops in the HDTV war at CES, offering HDTVs that combined a wealth of new features with some stunning specs for superb picture quality.

LG Wireless TVs

Yes, you read right, LG were showing off a number of wireless TVs, including the LG LHX Slim and the LG LH85 Wireless. These models are so thin, they need a separate box to receive the media, which is then transferred wirelessly to the TV itself. The advantage of this is that you can put the HDTV anywhere you like in the room – you’re no longer tethered to wherever your TV or video input source is. Your PS3, XBox 360, camcorder, Blu-Ray player and TV input all plug into the Set Top Box, leaving the TV itself completely free of wires save for the power cord.

The downside, of course, is that you’re left with yet another Set Top Box to find a home for, but the convenience of a super-thin wirefree TV must surely outweigh this.

The specs aren’t exactly bad either. Check the specs out for the LG LHX Slim:

Full HD 1080p via Uncompressed Wireless Transmission from media box
TruMotion 240 Hz
LED backlighting with Local Dimming
2,000,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
24p Real Cinema (5:5 Pulldown)
Intelligent Sensor
ISFccc Ready
Four (4) HDMI V. 1.3 with Deep Color
USB 2.0 for access to digital music and photos (MP3, JPEG)
LG SimpLink

LG Scarlet LG80 sounds as good as it looks

Mike Evans — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:59:33 +0000

LG have announced the new LG Scarlet LG80 LCD TV. Another in the line of LG Scarlet TVs, the new LG80 not only looks fantastic, it sounds great too. It’s been designed to complement home theatre systems by offering superb audio with a built-in 3.1 speaker system, with speakers that automatically slide out of the set when it’s switched on.

The LG80 Scarlet’s Audio Features

The LG80 comes with a total of four speakers, and can pump out 50W of sound.

The slide out speakers at the side of the LG80 create a sense of space, while the speaker in the middle is dedicated to human voices.

Finally, there’s a woofer in the back to enhance bass and stop the sound from the TV sounding too tinny (a common complaint from most TV speakers).

Further enhancing the sound is LG’s Clear Voice technology, which emphasizes human voices to stop them being drowned out when loud background music is being played. The result, claim LG, is audio with no clipping or distorted sound, even at maximum volume.

The LG80 Scarlet’s TV features

As a TV, the LG80 Scarlet isn’t exactly poor on features either. Offering 1080p full HD and a30,000:1 contrast ratio, the LG80 can provide extremely sharp pictures with deep blacks.

The LG80 also comes with a USB port, into which you can slot a USB stick and playback JPEG files or watch digital video files. There’s also two HDMI 1.3 ports for connection to DVD players and the like.

Summary

The LG Scarlet range of TVs have always looked glorious, with their red trim and deep black casings. Now, with the addition of the LG80 Scarlet to the range, they’ve added a new model with stunning sound as well. And I love the slide-out speakers – a real talking point for your lounge!

Teh LG80 Scarlet release date is set for October in all markets except North America and Europe – which is a bit odd, as now’s the run-up to the Christmas shopping period in just those markets! Sure it won’t be long before it’s released here too.

Ingenious display

admin — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:47:01 +0000

I don

The sexiest DVD player this year

admin — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 17:01:21 +0000

LG, like me, must have been looking around the DVD player market recently and yawned at how dreary and boring all the designs have been. There has been nothing new and exciting around for a long time, so LG decided to spice things up a little and produce the DVS450H DVD player.

Ok the name looks like they set up a darts board with a load of letters and numbers and just took it in turns to throw a dart to pick the name but it is a very sexy looking piece of equipment. The DVS450H is not fussy how she is used; you can mount her horizontally, vertically or up against the wall for all to see.

Standing tall and thin, with a glossy black finish and minimalistic control this DVD player is a real design treat, but its beauty is not just “skin” deep. With the HDMI port the DVS450H supports full HD resolution; the player will even upscale regular DVD to near HD quality for you. It also has a USB port so you can plug in an external hard drive and watch all your favourite films and videos “borrowed” from the Web. Most things should play as the DVS450H supports many of the common file types: DivX, WMA, DivX HD, Xvid-H, MP3 and JPEG.

Priced around

LG reveals plans for ultra thin, LED-lit HDTV's

admin — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 09:20:55 +0000

Earlier this year LG hinted at a HDTV that would be LED-backlit instead of fluorescent-lit and touted a whopping 1,000,000:1. LG have now firmed up the details on this 1080p LCD and even given us a release month and price tag. Read on for all the details.

The LG90 (formally known as 47LG75) is set to rival LG’s competitors in both price and specs and will be LG’s first LED-backlit LCD TV. But why choose LED-backlighting? It’s all about the hunt for the true deep dark black. LCD TVs are wonderful but they do have their flaws, one of them being that the blacks come out grey unlike traditional CRT or the new FED screens which produce deep blacks. As you can image grey instead of black, doesn’t do much for picture quality so manufactures are always looking for ways to improve the blacks displayed on the screen. LCD screens are historically backlit using fluorescents but by using LEDs instead LG will be able to produce much deeper blacks. One of the ways LEDs help produce deep blacks is by enabling individual portions of the LG90 screen to be dimmed thus preventing light bleed into dark areas and causing unintentional greys.

So, LG has made an effort at trying to address the problem with deep blacks, but have they done anything about motion artefacts which is another problem with LCD TVs? The answer would be… yes, the LG90 will use a 120Hz panel for motion processing to reduce the problematic motion artefacts. Encase you don’t know, motion artefacts are caused when previous display values start to affect the current display content. This will cause the image to be slightly blurred and occurs when the image is changing quickly, such as in a high action screen. Not what you want when you have paid a fortune for your HDTV to get a nice crisp image which then appears blurred due to motion artefacts.

LG has not released much specific information on their LG90 1080p LCD but what they have announced sounds pretty sweet. The LG90 will come in a 47-inch version that matches Samsung’s 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and has a 500cd/m2 brightness rating, 3 HDMI v1.3 inputs, USB port and LG’s SimpLink control technology. The LG90 comes with an Intelligent Sensor to adjust for lighting conditions, but personally I would turn this off and manually set my TV for different lighting conditions, see this article for improving your HDT’s picture. An even better option if you have the spare cash is to get a professional to do the work for you. The LG90 is ISFccc calibration ready which is basically a process that enables a trained certified calibrator to adjust your HDTV with a high degree of accuracy.

The “unique teardrop design” with stunning blue accents is not disrupted by hideous speakers because LG has managed to make them disappear, and in stroke of naming genius they have called them “Invisible Speakers”. The LG90 when released in September will be a mere 5-inches thick but this doesn’t come close to its cousin the LGX which has gone for thinness rather than picture quality and will come in at 1.8-inches. The LG90 will be priced at $3,599.

[Source: PR Newwire and Spec Sheet via Engadget]