Since the “4K” or “ultra-high definition” technology began to be implemented in TVs a few months back in 2011, all major manufacturers had begun working on it and with the CES 2012 coming up, it seems like LG is ready to unveil theirs. They have already announced that this new 84-inch 3D TV will have a resolution of 3840 x 2160 along with all the trademark LG Smart TV and 3D TV features like “Cinema 3D” and an app store that has more than a thousand applications to engage the consumers. Another feature which has attracted a lot of attention towards this television set is the “voice-controlled magic remote”. It has already become quite popular that Apple might be releasing a “siri” controlled iTV soon, but LG seems to have cashed in on the voice-controlled TV tech ahead of Apple. How well this works is however, something that we will just have to wait and find out.
The new promotional video from Samsung is pretty straightforward as it shows the various kinds of technology that has been in use from the time the TV sets were invented till today, and then it gives the indication that something revolutionary is yet again coming in 2012 from Samsung. We will soon a get a look at what they have in mind at the CES 2012 next month, but speculations are already there as always. Among a few, the most popular rumor at this moment is that the latest TVs from Samsung will probably be powered by Google’s Android OS. If the rumor is true, then it would be interesting to see which version of the OS is utilized here. The move is believed by many to be a counter-strategy against the upcoming Apple TV sets. We will know what’s what in a few days at the CES 2012, keep checking.
It seems like the much awaited next-gen OLED TVs are finally going to be on display in January at the CES in 2012, at least by the two Korean giants LG and Samsung. What is even more exciting to know is that the same technology might also be incorporated into Apple’s upcoming TVs. Although the Organic Light-emitting Diode or OLED technology is highly appreciated for its low power consumption and awesome black levels, it has so far been in use for high end touch screen mobile devices only. There were a few OLED TVs released a few years ago, but they did not make it big due to two main problems. The first was the production cost which made the final product a bit too expensive and the second was the difficulties that were associated with producing larger flat panel versions based on OLED technology. Now, with the news of Samsung and LG showcasing 55-inch OLED television sets at the CES in January and launching them by the time of the next Olympic in London, England; we can safely assume that they have sorted out the second problem at least. However, what we are not sure of is whether or not these new OLED TVs will be any more affordable for the general population than the first generation OLED TVs were.
It was heard straight from the horse’s mouth when an executive at Sharp‘s US division said that they are not at all worried about their sales in the United States and the iTV is not something they are concerned about either. Kozo Takahashi even accepted their indifference in the matter when he said “I really have no idea what kind of TV it will be. But if he came up with it, I’m sure it will be amazing.” He also added “… but currently it’s not something we’re studying very hard,”
In addition to revealing their strategy to non-strategize for the upcoming Apple television sets that have had the rest of the industry worried, he also mentioned Sharp’s big plans in regards to sales in the US. On being asked about whether the rumors about Apple working with Sharp to bring about their TV sets to the market are true, he chose to stay unresponsive. Sharp is going for a different kind of approach for selling its big screen TVs now, an example of their strategy is their ad campaign that terms the 80-inch TV as “Touchdownormous” in reference to the forthcoming Super Bowl Sunday. Ambitions and achievements of the company were made clear when Takahashi said that the sales of large screen TVs (60-inch and above) in the US will in all likelihood cross Sharp’s initial target of 1 million by the end of March. Sharp strongly believes that the US consumers are not as interested in technology as they are in functionality and cost-effectiveness; it is for that reason Sharp has chosen to continue manufacturing high quality large screen flat panels without any great innovations at the moment.
There have recently been reports from Japan that Apple has plans to release their much awaited television sets in three sizes primarily. The smallest being a 32″ flat panel, followed by a 42″ or 43″ model and finally the largest one, which is a 55″ model. The question that popped into everyone’s mind was why Japan is involved here? The answer to this, as far as rumors go is that Apple is probably going to tie up with one of the Japanese TV giants in their debut venture into the world of television manufacturing. Whether it is going to be Sony, Panasonic or Toshiba, we are not aware of at this time. Another source reports that the famed Siri application which is now used by the iPhone 4S, is going to be used in these new TV sets, enabling them to be voice controlled as well. What is expected by everyone in the upcoming Apple TV is the use of the ARM A6 chip (successor to the A4 chips used now in iPhones and iPads). This of course will raise the bar for other companies and once again, rumor has it Korean giants like Samsung and LG are also getting ready for the competition with ARM powered OLED TVs of their own.
With Apple about to enter the TV market with their innovative designs and techniques, Sony seems to be all set to bring a new type of television to the market as well. In the words of Sony’s Chief Executive Howard Stringer during his breakfast with The Wall Street Journal, “There’s a tremendous amount of R&D going into a different kind of TV set.” and he also acknowledged that he is aware of Apple’s possible venture into the world of television manufacturing. Mr. Stringer further stated, “”We can’t continue selling TV sets. Every TV set we all make loses money.” Although this confirmed Sony’s intentions in the near future, he did not reveal anything as to the nature of the innovations that Sony wishes to bring in with their new breed of televisions. After losing billions in the TV business over the years and since it became official last week when they declared this year’s losses themselves (largely owing to the Tsunami and earthquakes in Japan in March), it really seems to be a mandatory step for Sony Televisions Inc.
After transforming and simplifying the personal computer, the cellular phone and tablet computers, it looks like Apple is all set to transform the television in its own vision as well. Sources report that Jeff Robbin, one of the key figures behind the iPod is leading the team that Apple has assigned to develop their TV designs. Rumor has it that a prototype is going to be on display in 2012 and if things go as planned, then some even expect Apple TVs to hit stores by 2013!
As it had always been before his unfortunate death last month, the idea of an Apple TV set was also the brainchild of Steve Jobs primarily. He has himself mentioned that “It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine,” What this would mean for the consumers and the market is something that we will simply have to wait and see, but stiff competition from established television giants such Samsung, LG, Sharp, Panasonic, Toshiba and Vizio are definitely on the cards.
