The News By Me

LG's indisputably beautiful 55-inch OLED TV will arrive in the second half of this year, the Korean manufacturer has confirmed.

The pencil-thin Smart TV-enabled set wowed the masses of onlookers and indeed TechRadar at CES 2012 in Las Vegas earlier this month.

While LG had been coy about when the Cinema 3D telly would land in homes, reports this week suggested the company may be going into production in July.

Pressed for comment by TheVerge LG said that although "it's really difficult to predict exactly when" that 55-inch beasts "will start rolling out sometime in the second half of 2012."

Breakthrough

The arrival of LG's 55-inch OLED TV at CES proved a breakthrough for the technology which has threatened to eventually eclipse LCD for the last few years.

Until CES, where Samsung also launched a living room-sized OLED display, the sets on offer had been far too small to be considered the number one viewing device in the home.

No news yet on how much LG intends to charge for this super-slim device, but one thing's for sure; it's not going to be cheap

In the meantime, check out our 55-inch LG OLED TV hands-on.

LG will reportedly get first access to the next version of Google TV in order to create a Nexus-style flagship television for the platform.

According to Bloomberg sources, the company wants to replicate the Android model, which has seen new builds of the software adopt a launch partner before filtering down to the others manufacturers.

Previously Google has worked with the likes of HTC, Motorola and Samsung to launch new versions of Android on devices like the Nexus One, Xoom Tablet and Galaxy Nexus.

Bloomberg says two people familiar with the project says no decision has been made although talks are underway.

First LG Google TV announced

LG revealed its first Smart TV with Google TV at CES 2012. The device brings the Android Market into the mix rather than pushing LG's own range of Smart TV apps.

That television, which also boasts LG's passive Cinema 3D tech, features Google TV version 2.0 - offering a big improvement on the original iteration.

It also comes with a redesigned Magic Remote, which features a full QWERTY keyboard as well as voice and motion control.

So far Sony is the other major manufacturer with a Google TV-enabled television set on the market, but more will folow from Samsung and budget manufacturer Vizio will follow later this year.

There's nothing like a big TV to bring in the crowds at CES 2012 and there have been a number of them announced this year but LG's has to be the most jaw-dropping.

Sharp may beat it by an inch – it's also launched an 85-inch television – but LG has got an advantage in that its big-screen Ultra Definition television is also 3D ready.

That's right, LG has added its Cinema 3D technology to this behemoth and the results are pretty special.

4K may be an emerging technology but given that most films are being mastered in this format now, if you were to purchase this television in 2012 then you would be future proofing the quality of your movie watching.

Then again, you may baulk at the price as the television weighs in at a huge… actually we don't yet know the price but Tosh's recently announced – and much smaller – 4K television had a giant price of $11,700.

To make sure the 3D is as good as possible on the television, LG has added something called 3D depth control and it also does 3D sound – although we are a bit dubious about the idea of making sound '3D'.

There's no release date as of yet so you have plenty of time to get the measuring tape out and see if the thing will fit in your place.

People with bedsits probably should just keep dreaming.

Both LG and Sharp used CES 2012 to show off their big-screen television line-ups, with Sharp managing to win the size battle by just an inch.

LG has traditionally been the first presser on CES' official press conference day and while most of the audience were tired from the early start – 8am isn't morning in Vegas, it's the end of then night – yawns soon turned to gawps when the company showed off its 84-inch ultra definition behemoth.

The 4K2K (3840 x 2160) LG television is impressive to look at as it has been given a brand new bezel by LG. Well, when we say bezel, it's just 1mm thick.

This means that when you watch 3D content on the television, it enhances the illusion that the 3D is borderless.

LG has decided to stick to its passive 3D guns when it comes to its big screens – a spokesperson at the conference said it was "getting aggressive about passive" – and has added Cinema 3D to the telly. While we are not convinced that passive 3D works all that well with 4K, LG has been rather successful with its 3D TV range explaining that it is already ahead of Sony and is looking to catch up with Samsung.

It is so confident in Cinema 3D that 50 per cent of its entire TV range will be equipped with both passive 3D and smart TV functionality.

When it comes to big-screen televisions, Sharp has been at the forefront of offering giant panels for those that have the space to house a TV that's 60 inches plus.

To reinforce its importance in the market, Sharp's press conference focused on the company's long history. Sharp is 100 years old this year and it was at pains to add that it is the only manufacturer in the world with a 10th generation LCD plant.

It also showed off its new 80-inch television which comes with 3D and will be in the shops come April.

The LC-80LE844U comes with Quattron Pixel Plus II tech, built-in Wi-Fi and Sharp's new smart TV service SmartCentral. There is a lack of local dimming on the television but it's still a great piece of kit.

If it were down to looks, plucky newcomer LG would win hands-down in the battle of the big screens with its 84-inch television but Sharp does have a trick up its sleeve – it is showing off its 8K panel, which boasts 7680 x 4320 pixels – this is the equivalent of 16x the resolution of HD.

There's no word when it would come to market but even as a prototype it is stunning and is the same size as, according to Sharp, as 266 smartphones, 47 tablets or 9 32-inch televisions. Sharp seems to love its pointless but fun stats.

Whether bigger does mean better remains to be seen but for LG and Sharp, 60-inch plus TVs is one of the most important home entertainment sectors around.

LG's 2012 TV line up is out of the CES 2012 gates, and it's looking pretty tasty with diminishing bezels and growing screens and ever-better image quality all round.

The top of the 2012 TV tree is the LG EM9600, a 55-inch OLED TV that LG is claiming as the world's largest.

It's a mind-blowing 4mm thin, comes with "unrivalled" 3D picture quality and comes in the LG Cinema Screen design that we told you about earlier (meaning bye-bye bezel).

We should see the LG EM9600 UK release date land in the second half of this year. We'd tell you to start saving up but, to be honest, we don't think six months' of saving is going to do it.

Get thee to the bank

Size is everything to LG this year, it seems, as it's also busted out what it's calling the world's largest Ultra Definition 3D TV – it's a ridiculous 84-incher with 3D and Smart TV connectivity, known as the LG LM960V.

That Ultra definition promises picture quality of 8 million pixels – that's four times the resolution of existing full HD TVs (3840x2160). Yikes.

You can also tinker about with the 3D depth as you watch and play on the set, while 3D Sound Zooming takes care of the tri-dimensional audio layout – the UD TV is heading to market in the second half of 2012 as well.

And the rest...

The rest of the range – you know, the TVs you might actually be able to afford to buy – seem to pale in comparison to all that world's ultra largest excitement.

The LG LM660T, LM669T and LM670T all fall into LG's Cinema Screen range, which means they'll rock the 1mm bezel and come with Cinema 3D (4 pairs of 3D glasses and 2 pairs of Dual Play glasses will be included). The LM660T comes in a 32-inch edition, while all three will be available in 42-inch, 47-inch and 55-inch flavours.

The LG LM760T is equally catchily-named, and will come in 42-, 47- and 55-inch editions, what with its LED display, Cinema 3D glasses, stupidly thin bezel and magic remote.

Not had enough product names thrown at you yet? Good news, there's more LED goodness in the form of the LM860V with 3D capability, Wi-Fi, magic remote and a dual-core processor to power Smart TV premium.

And that's your lot – now check out our first look at the LG EM960V OLED TV stat.

LG's latest batch of 3D TVs comes with a bezel of just one millimetre as the home entertainment industry continues to strive towards a bezel-less world at CES 2012.

Following Samsung's 2011 lead, LG has scythed the bezel down to a frankly outrageous 1mm width. For comparison, Samsung's 60D8000 LED Smart TV has a 1.5cm border.

LG has dubbed this new look 'Cinema Screen Design' and believes it will mean a more comfortable and immersive 3D viewing environment, but really it just looks super cool.

A TV inspired by a cinema screen? Revolutionary

"The 3D experience is still evolving and we at LG intend to push the limits of what 3D can deliver," said Havis Kwon, President and CEO of LG Home Entertainment Company.

"With our 2012 Cinema 3D Smart TVs, we have been able to take a significant step forward, thanks to a series of new and upgraded 3D features led by the Cinema Screen Design."

As well as the snazzy new look, the Cinema Screens come with new, comfier Cinema 3D glasses, which LG says come in three 'elegant' models but we haven't seen any pictures yet so we can neither confirm nor deny whether this is just marketing speak for average.

Gamers will no doubt welcome the inclusion of Dual Play, which shows two entirely different images as opposed to splitting the screen (although you'll need special specs to see these) and the TVs also come with internet integration and 3D sound zoom, as revealed in the company's home entertainment line up last week.

We'll be feasting our eyes on the bezel-deprived TVs and new glasses over at CES 2012 so stay tuned for more, including individual model spec and hands on reviews.

LG has confirmed that it will introduce a television with integrated Google TV at CES 2012, a key step for both companies as they look to a connected future.

LG's take on Google TV has been eagerly anticipated, with the Korean giant keen to bring in Google's Android-based IPTV platform and pair it up with its 3D and Smart TV technologies.

"LG has constantly strived to provide consumers with wider choices in home entertainment that bring the highest level of sophistication and convenience," said Havis Kwon, President and CEO of LG Electronics Home Entertainment Company.

"Through Google TV, LG has merged Google's established Android operating system with LG's proven 3D and Smart TV technologies, offering consumers a new and enthralling TV experience," he added.

The LG Google TV will feature a 'magic remote QWERTY' designed by LG and an extension of its current magic remote, but use the Google TV user interface on screen.

The integrated television will also feature LG's well-established passive Cinema 3D technology, which allows 3D conversion from a 2D source.

Interestingly, LG is not leaving out its own NetCast-based Smart TV offering, although it replicates much of the Google TV functionality.

"Alongside Google TV, LG will continue to advance its own Smart TV platform based on NetCast, which will be available in more than 60 percent of LG's flat panel TVs scheduled for introduction over the coming year, explained LG

"With a growing collection of content and services, LG's Smart TV platform will continue to provide consumers with a unique user experience."

LG may have taken the wraps off its LG Z330 Ultrabook in Korea late last year, but it's now revealed that we'll see a 14-inch version that will be shown off at CES 2012, known as the LG Z430.

Like its 13-inch compatriot, the Z430 will feature Windows 7, speedy boot-up time, the second-gen Intel i7 processor, SATA3 SSD and dashing, MacBook Air inspired good looks.

The 14-inch LG Z430 will weigh in at 1.5kg with a skinny 19.9mm chassis, and comes with an HDD alongside the SSD.

The term Ultrabook doesn't contain enough hyperbole for LG. Oh no, its slim powerful notebooks aren't just ultra, they're SUPER ULTRA – and thus the LG Super Ultrabook Series was born. Both the LG Z330 and LG Z430 fall into the Super Ultrabook category.

Supercalifragilisticexpialiultrabook

By comparison, the rest of the LG CES 2012 notebook line up looks a bit lacklustre if only because there's no super in their names; the company will showcase two new 3D notebooks and an all-in-one touchscreen PC.

The LG P535 is a Cinema 3D notebook with 15.6-inch backlit LED display and i7 processor, while the glasses-free LG A540 brings enhanced 4.1 channel sounds and the Nvidia GT555M graphics card to the laptop party.

Finally, LG's first all-in-one PC will be showcased in the form of the LG V300. It comes with 3D tech and an IPS display on its 23-inch screen as well as an outrageous triple-camera system for superior touchscreen action.

LG's entire CES 2012 laptop line-up will launch throughout the first quarter of 2012 with UK pricing and release dates to be confirmed.

LG has taken the wrapper off of its latest remote control, which is set to bring voice control to the company's Cinema 3D TV range.

LG is not stranger to creating innovative, and also slightly wacky, controllers for its television range.

In 2010 it launched its first-generation wand-like Magic Remote, which added Wii style motion control to help users navigate their way round their TV's online functionality.

Remote possibility

The next generation of the Magic Remote has a number of new features, including voice recognition, wheel controls, magic gesture and, er, pointing.

The voice recognition feature allows users to enter text, like search terms, with voice commands which it hopes will speed up the smart TV browsing experience.

The addition of a jog wheel on the remote means that menus and apps can be navigated easier and there's also a 2D-to-3D conversion button situated on the remote.

Although the new Magic Remote has just been unveiled in Korea, there's a distinct possibility that we will see it in action at CES 2012 in January.

LG has taken the wrapper off of its latest remote control, which is set to bring voice control to the company's Cinema 3D TV range.

LG is not stranger to creating innovative, and also slightly wacky, controllers for its television range.

In 2010 it launched its first-generation wand-like Magic Remote, which added Wii style motion control to help users navigate their way round their TV's online functionality.

Remote possibility

The next generation of the Magic Remote has a number of new features, including voice recognition, wheel controls, magic gesture and, er, pointing.

The voice recognition feature allows users to enter text, like search terms, with voice commands which it hopes will speed up the smart TV browsing experience.

The addition of a jog wheel on the remote means that menus and apps can be navigated easier and there's also a 2D-to-3D conversion button situated on the remote.

Although the new Magic Remote has just been unveiled in Korea, there's a distinct possibility that we will see it in action at CES 2012 in January.