LG Televisions

The Rodney Dangerfield of TVs Gets Respect

LG has received hard earned respect in the TV market since the turn of the millennia. The reason for this brand turnaround is due in large part to solid research and development.

LG was once known as Goldstar: the company that made the world’s most forgettable budget electronics. It wasn’t to long ago that if you wanted a new TV, but could only afford to pay about half the price of a real TV, you went with Goldstar. This was the dominant brand for cheap TVs, VCRs, and CD players. Incidentally, Goldstar was also the brand that kept electronic repair shops busy and profitable.

This Korean consumer electronics company started in 1958. Goldstar was one of the companies that brought post-war industrialization to South Korea, and significantly contributed to the rise of South Korea as an Asian Tiger. 1995 was a banner year for Goldstar: the company changed its name to LG Electronics and acquired Zenith. In 2001, LG entered into a joint venture with Philips, which enhanced the research and development of the company and elevated them to a world class manufacturer of electronics. No longer was LG/Goldstar the Rodney Dangerfield of television and electronics manufacturing. Perhaps the leap of LG to the forefront of the television and electronics industry is attributable to certain manufacturers, like Apex, ardently striving to lower the bar and produce junk. Although LG is still known as a lower priced manufacturer, it is a respectable brand that is continuing to invest heavily in research and development.

LG Technology

In 2003, LG Electronics brought to the world a line of big screen LCD monitors containing its own LightView technology. The LightView process found in LG TFT displays adds size and brightness to the 1280x1024 monitor. In fact, LG’s distinctive research made LCD and Plasma technology better. LG has extensive experience as a SVGA monitors and digital televisions manufacturer. Additionally, LG's display line includes CRT rear projectors, DLP front projectors, and DLP rear projectors.

LG’s products show respectable numbers on paper. Its DLP line features an exclusive XD Engine technology that can improve image quality. Proprietary technologies compensate for inherent limitations of HD display types and are common in higher-quality displays. The true value of a high-end display is often attributable to a high end processor used by the manufacturer (processors may or may not be produced by a third party). HDMI for fully HDCP compliant ports and Texas Instrument’s HD3 DMD processors go into LG’s DLP sets. These are the very same technologies found in much more expensive models and products.