CES: LG Smart Upgrader Takes on Google TVBy Grant Clauser
LG Smart Upgrader set-top box that adds Internet connectivity and apps to any HDTV. Smart was the word of the day at LG’s CES 2011 Press Conference: Smart TVs, Smart Appliances, Smart Phones. The overriding theme is that most new LG products will have some Internet-connected aspect allowing the user broader access and in some cases, broader control.
LG’s new Smart TV platform will appear on many new LG TVs and a separate set-top-box. The platform, which sounds very similar to Google TV and expands on LG’s previous connected TV experience, involves an improved user interface with a Home dashboard.
The dashboard, like the grid on a channel menu, includes an app launch bar and additional functions organized into segments LG calls cards. There is also a live TV window. The platform will feature the ability to download new apps, includes a basic web browser and is DLNA compliant for connecting to media stored on another DLNA device such as a laptop or server.
People who don’t plan on buying a new TV this year can still add Smart TV to their homes with the Smart Upgrader set-top-box.
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