Legit Reviews

Detroit, MI -- June 3, 2010 - With two local broadcasters in Detroit among the first in the country transmitting Mobile Digital Television signals, LG Electronics today demonstrated its industry-standard mobile DTV technology to representatives from the automobile industry and discussed how easy it will be to integrate Mobile DTV reception into existing and future car "infotainment" systems.

LG's Mobile DTV is the first consumer electronics product certified to comply with mobile digital television (DTV) technology now being deployed by American broadcasters. The DP570MH mobile receiver is the electronics industry's first portable, battery-operated mobile DTV in the United States that is designed to receive new rugged over-the-air signals being transmitted by local broadcasters as well as display closed captioning information for viewers who rely on text for the full enjoyment of TV programs.

Ideal for Automotive Applications

The new product, which will be available later this year, is ideal for backseat viewing by passengers and the technology can easily be integrated into car video systems such as those demonstrated today in Detroit.

"It's easy to receive the new mobile DTV broadcasts with our new portable DTV, which comes equipped with a built-in antenna and the ability to play DVDs and CDs," said Tim Alessi, director of product development, LG Electronics USA, Inc. "And this technology can be easily integrated into rear-seat screens as well."

A First for Mobile Viewers

Ideal for reception of Mobile DTV any time, virtually anywhere, and at any speed, the DP570MH Mobile DTV offers the flexibility of both over-the-air reception and the convenience of built-in DVD playback. Equipped with stereo speakers and a 7-inch wide screen to display crystal clear digital TV images (at Wide QVGA resolution of 480x234), the LG Mobile Digital TV is designed so that its display screen can be tilted to the viewer's preferred viewing angle. When not in use, the clamshell-style screen folds down and the device shrinks to about 9.5-inches by 6.5 inches -- or about the size of a small hardback book.

The DP570MH comes equipped to play DVD movie discs and audio CDs, and it can also display .JPG photos and play WMA music files from its USB2.0 connection. The Mobile Digital Television comes equipped with two earphone jacks so that more than one passenger can enjoy Mobile DTV shows or movies in the back seat of the car, or on a train.

Equipped with a removable battery that powers the device for up to 2.5 hours in TV mode or up to 4.5 hours during DVD playback, the device includes both AC and Auto power adaptors. The DP570MH Portable Television with integrated DVD player will be available later this year at a suggested retail price of $249.

Chips Available for In-Car Infotainment Systems

Co-developer of the technology at the heart of the Mobile DTV standard, LG began mass production of the critical component for Mobile DTV reception -- the LG2160A integrated circuit (IC) chip -- a year ago. The latest version, the LG2161R single chip design that includes both the tuner and demodulator, is much smaller -- only seven millimeters square -- and it consumes less power than earlier versions, supports various interfaces and provides improved performance.

This key component of automotive mobile DTV receivers already can be found in a variety of new products being introduced by various manufacturers this year for mobile DTV, from laptop USB accessory receivers to netbooks with integrated mobile DTV tuners and other products.

"At every stage of the digital TV transition over the past decade, LG has assumed a leadership role," Alessi said. We started by shipping giant HDTV projection TV sets, which became the stunning flat-screen LCD and plasma HDTVs that are now the hub of today's home entertainment systems. We are proud to have sold millions of converter boxes last year for consumers with analog TV sets.

"Now we're taking digital TV to a whole new audience -- the mobile viewer. Whether it's in the back seat of a car or at the beach house with the kids, viewers want mobile broadcast TV wherever they go, and LG will meet that demand with chips and mobile DTV products for automotive and handheld applications," he said.

Standardized by the Advanced Television Systems Committee and formally adopted as the mobile DTV standard last October, the new Mobile DTV standard allows broadcasters to use a portion of the existing 19.4 Megabit-per-second DTV channel capacity to transmit data with extremely robust characteristics suitable for mobile, pedestrian and handheld applications. The mobile DTV signal is also compatible with 8-VSB DTV, which was also developed by Zenith, LG's U.S. research and development lab.



About LG Electronics USA

LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a global force and technology leader in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications. In the United States, LG Electronics sells a range of stylish and innovative home entertainment products, mobile phones, home appliances and business solutions, all under LG's "Life's Good" marketing theme.

For more information, please visit www.lg.com.