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LG Partners with Amazon, Dolby, Technicolor

LAS VEGAS — LG Electronics partnered with Amazon, Dolby and Technicolor on some of the new appliances and 4K Ultra High-Def (UHD) TVs that it introduced at a Consumer Electronics Show (CES) news conference Jan. 4.

LG also introduced a line of robotic devices powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and will ship its first Ultra HD Blu-ray player in the U.S., supporting HDR-10 and Dolby Vision, now that the format is at a “tipping point,” David VanderWaal, LG Electronics USA VP of marketing, told reporters.

The new flagship line of 10 LG Signature OLED TV W-series flat-panel TVs that the company unveiled feature Dolby Vision sound. They are also the first TVs to incorporate Dolby Atmos sound, LG boasted, pointing out that Dolby Vision provides greater brightness and contrast.

More than 80 Hollywood studio films are compatible with Dolby Vision now and more than 100 titles are available now for Dolby Atmos, with 25 of those movies available in both formats, LG said. In addition, more than 100 hours of original content is now available in Dolby Atmos across over-the-top (OTT) service providers globally, and consumers will soon have access to Dolby Vision UHD Blu-ray Disc titles, with the first titles expected to arrive in 2017, LG said.

The OLED W TVs range in size from 55 inches to 77 inches. The OLED panel used in the sets can be mounted directly on a wall using small magnetic brackets to eliminate most of the gap between the TV and wall, David VanderWaal, LG VP of marketing, told reporters. The “razor-thin” panel on the 65-inch version measures only 2.57 mm, he said, adding that there will only be about a 4-mm space between the TV and wall when using the brackets.

To make it easier for consumers who buy the TVs to access premium HDR content via LG’s webOS smart TV platform, the company also said it partnered with digital content providers including Amazon, Netflix and Vudu.

All of LG’s 2017 OLED TVs support various HDR formats, including Dolby Vision, High Dynamic Range (HDR) 10 and Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG), and the TVs are also ready to support Advanced HDR by Technicolor technology, LG said.

lg-ces LG, meanwhile, partnered with Technicolor for a new Technicolor Expert Mode on the new line of Super UHD LED-backlit LCD TVs that LG introduced for 2017. The collaboration between the companies will ensure that the TVs “accurately recreate the artistic intentions of content creators,” providing enhanced color reproduction, LG said in a news release.

The new TVs also feature LG’s proprietary Nano Cell technology that it said allows the TVs to “render highly nuanced and accurate colors while maintaining picture quality at wider viewing angles.”

The TVs also offer Active HDR with Dolby Vision, as well as the latest version of webOS that provides enhancements including easier control and faster access when using the new, improved Magic Remote and a new Magic Link feature enabling viewers to instantly access favorite content by pressing a single button on the remote.

LG also expanded webOS to its appliances, including the smart TV platform on the new flagship Smart InstaView Door-in-Door refrigerator that comes with a 29-inch touch LCD. The display turns transparent with two taps on the screen and allows users to look inside the refrigerator without opening the door.

The company also added Amazon’s Alexa Voice Service to the refrigerator in just one of several AI initiatives by LG this year.

As a result, just like the popular Amazon Echo, the refrigerator can be used to search via voice control for recipes and play music. Users can also place Amazon Prime orders from the refrigerator to buy items on Amazon.com including groceries, as well as add products to a shopping list.

LG also expanded its Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem with a line of robotic devices that includes the Hub Robot, featuring Amazon Alexa voice recognition. The Hub Robot can be used to turn on appliances including an air conditioner or change a dryer cycle, LG said.

Also included in the product line are a Lawn Mowing Robot, as well as an Airport Guide Robot and Airport Cleaning Robot. The Guide Robot will soon be used inside Seoul, South Korea’s Incheon International Airport, it said.