LG Talks About HDTV, Universal Mobile TV

Las Vegas (NV) - During LG’s press conference this morning, one of the main talking points was the company’s new standard called "MPH" (mobile-pedestrian-handheld).

In usual form, LG Electronics kicked off today’s massive slate of press conferences at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Spanning several sectors of the CE industry, it did not spend much time talking about any specific product line. However, the main issue was a universal broadcast system to bring television signals to mobile phones, portable video systems, and video GPS devices.

LG first talked about "MPH" last year, and they gave a few more details today. The company has struck a deal with Harris to help transmit the signals to the specific devices. There is, though, no need to set up new communications towers. According to LG, it will be able to tap into the existing infrastructure of digital TV and other such towers to send programming to virtually any capable mobile device.

Today also marks the launch date for the prototypes of MPH devices. However, LG says it does not plan on having the system up and running until February 2009.

Aside from that, after it touched on its front-loading washers and dryers, LG also talked about its flat-panel TV division. It talked significantly about the "design" of TVs, something that probably won’t be the main talking point of any other TV manufacturer this year.

"We’re not gonna look like everybody else this year," said LG. The company is planning 24 new LCD TVs this year, 17 of which will be full HD (1080p). It will also roll out the LG70, an HDTV that has wireless integration capabilities, though LG said it does not yet have any plans on what to do with that.

Going with its design initiative, LG showed off the "bedroom TV", a new model that is supposed to be marketed for use in a more tranquil location than the living room or basement. Despite all its HDTV announcements, however, LG barely even mentioned HD DVD and Blu-ray. It just skimmed over the fact that it launched a new hybrid player last year.