LG Electronics Launches Sixth-Generation ATSC Digital TV Broadcast Receiver Chipset

LG Electronics Launches Sixth-Generation ATSC Digital TV Broadcast Receiver Chipset

Higher-Performance, Lower-Cost Solution Helps Drive DTV Transition

LAS VEGAS, April 17 /PRNewswire/ -- In anticipation of the 2008 launch of its digital-to-analog converter box to support the completion of the digital television (DTV) transition in the United States, LG Electronics Inc. is launching its sixth-generation reception circuitry in a wide range of DTV products hitting the market this year.

Building on the proven success of LG's fifth-generation chipset, which set the standard for over-the-air DTV reception, the sixth-generation ATSC digital broadcast receiver chipset is being incorporated into LG's broad 2007 line of flat-screen HDTVs and digital TV receivers.

At the National Association of Broadcasters Convention here this week, Dr. Choon Lee, vice president and head of the LG Electronics Digital TV Research Lab, explained that the chipset employs an exclusive algorithm that enhances reception and eliminates multipath interference common in urban areas.

"Our newest digital television receiver chipset has been designed to deliver the best reception in the industry and will play a key role in enabling the successful completion of the transition to all digital broadcasting in the United States," Dr. Lee said. "This sixth-generation chipset once again proves LG's leadership in the digital TV business by setting a higher standard in digital broadcast receiver chipset."

The sixth-generation chipset has even more improvement in synchronization and equalization than fifth-generation technology that has been in widespread use for the past two years. This further improves reception and, in a practical sense, enables easier antenna positioning for consumers. Dr. Lee added that manufacturing costs for sixth-generation chipset have also been reduced thanks to a highly integrated design using 90 nanometer technology.

The DTV circuitry can decode both vestigial sideband (VSB), the North American standard for terrestrial digital over-air broadcasts, and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), the North American standard for digital cable broadcasts.

This newest chipset is designed for use in high-definition and standard- definition digital TVs, set-top boxes and computer digital TV tuner cards. It is being integrated into DTV products sold in the United States, Korea and Canada, which all use the ATSC DTV Standard. LG also plans to supply the chipset to DTV makers around the world.

Digital-to-analog converter boxes planned for introduction next year (for analog TVs to continue to receive free, over-the-air broadcasts after Feb. 17, 2009, when all U.S. broadcasting is digital) also will benefit from the low- cost, high-performance chipset.

LG Electronics, Inc. is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications, employing more than 82,000 people working in over 110 operations including 81 subsidiaries around the world. Comprising four business units -- Mobile Communications, Digital Appliance, Digital Display and Digital Media with 2006 global consolidated revenues of $48.5 billion -- LG Electronics is the world's largest producer of CDMA handsets, air conditioners, optical storage products, DVD players and home theater systems. Please visit http://www.lge.com/ .

LG Electronics USA, Inc. is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a $48.5-billion global force in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications. In the United States, LG Electronics sells a wide range of digital display and digital media products, digital appliances and mobile phones under LG's "Life's Good" marketing theme. LG's U.S. R&D subsidiary Zenith Electronics, is a long-time leader in consumer electronics and a pioneer in digital HDTV, developer of the "VSB" digital transmission system at the heart of the ATSC DTV Standard. Zenith merged with LG Electronics in 1999. For additional information, please visit http://www.zenith.com/ and http://www.lgusa.com/ .

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FCMN Contact:

Source: LG Electronics Inc.

CONTACT: John I. Taylor of LG Electronics USA, +1-847-941-8181, or
jtaylor@lge.com , or Judy Pae of LG Electronics, Inc., 011-822-3777-7144, or
jpae@lge.com

Web site:

http://www.lge.com/
http://www.lgusa.com/
http://www.zenith.com/

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