LG CES 2016 Press Conference | CNET
Want CNET to notify you of price drops and the latest stories?
No, thank you
Accept

LG CES 2016 Press Conference

The electronics giant is expected to discuss products ranging from new TVs to smartphones and washing machines.

  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2016 3:49:04 PM
    Alrighty, welcome to LG's #CES26016 presser. We're ready for the event to begin. Right now we're listening to some chill-house coffee dub.
  • Lori Grunin 1/5/2016 3:49:34 PM
    Your eyes do not deceive you: that's still Ford's press conference playing at the top of the live blog page. It will switch over to LG when that starts.
  • David Katzmaier 1/5/2016 3:51:18 PM
    Howdy everyone! It's early here at CES Las Vegas...so early that you're one of 110 people currently following along our little live blog. Consider yourself privileged.
  • David Katzmaier 1/5/2016 3:52:08 PM
    ...which means, if you ask us something, we're more likely to answer than ever! So go for it. What burning questions do you need to know about LG's 2016 products
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2016 3:57:18 PM
    There's a strong sense of "it's too early!" in the room. Quiet shuffling all around. Lots of people hunched over their screens. Glazed eyes. Y'know, normal for the second day of CES.
  • David Katzmaier 1/5/2016 3:58:26 PM
    OK, so no questions yet. I have one big question: will LG manage to get the price of OLED significantly lower this year? Right now the 65-inch is at $6K. Could it get cut in half by the end of 2016?
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2016 3:59:05 PM
    In case you're wondering, the soothing sounds of Jerry Orbach's witty repartee in Law & Order reruns were not enough to soothe me to sleep at a reasonable time last night. Oh well.
  • David Katzmaier 1/5/2016 3:59:06 PM
    Of course, this is CES, so don't expect ANY pricing information on new OLED TVs.
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2016 3:59:27 PM
    Announcer: "Please take a moment to silence your LG phones. Oh, and those other devices too."

    Awwwwww.
  • David Katzmaier 1/5/2016 4:00:03 PM
    What I do expect is details on the new OLED sets, probably including availability.
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2016 4:00:23 PM
    We start with a heavy dose of dubstep overlaid on a video saying "Innovation for a better life." Expect many of these types of statements throughout the next week.
  • David Katzmaier 1/5/2016 4:01:20 PM
    Of course, we already know about the Super UHD LED LCDs:

    LG puts the Super in new Ultra High Definition LCD TVs - CNET

    CNETIn advance of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, LG announced its best non-OLED TVs for 2016, namely three series dubbed "Super UHD."
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2016 4:01:43 PM
    Now, William Cho, president and CEO of LG Electronics USA is on stage. "We are entering a the new year with great momentum and enthusiasm."

    BTW, he's reading from cue cards in his hands that are labeled with LG's logo. This is the first product announcement -- 3x5 cards! Or not?
  • David Katzmaier 1/5/2016 4:02:05 PM
    What we don't know is WHY THEY CALLED THEM THAT? Paging Samsung.

    Why did LG copy Samsung by naming its TVs Super UHD? - CNET

    CNETCommentary: What's in a name? Throughout 2015 Samsung marketed the heck out of its high-end TVs by calling them "SUHD." Now its archrival in the TV business, LG, has launched a line of TVs called "Super UHD." Can you spot the difference?
  • Lori Grunin 1/5/2016 4:02:24 PM
    Now that we've started, comments have been silenced.
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2016 4:02:41 PM
    "Innovations make consumers smart because it makes their lives better," Cho adds. Notes TVs, double-washer machines and camera technology.
    .
  • David Katzmaier 1/5/2016 4:02:47 PM
    First comment/question! Wonderboy wants price drops on existing OLED sets once these announcements are made. Amen.
  • David Katzmaier 1/5/2016 4:03:08 PM
    ...and last comment. Well done, Wonderboy.
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2016 4:03:25 PM
    Planning to show "advanced IoT platforms" to "alliances with core industry players" Cho adds.
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2016 4:03:56 PM
    Now Skott Ahn, CTO of LG, is on stage. (No cue cards.)
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2016 4:04:24 PM
    He's planning to discuss cars, IoT, then "ultra premium products."
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2016 4:05:01 PM
    Why is LG interested in cars, he asks rhetorically. "We can at least make them safer and more enjoyable," he says. LG can improve the way cars display info and communicate.
  • David Katzmaier 1/5/2016 4:05:03 PM
    Starting with cars. They're one of the few growth areas in traditional tech, so a lot of makers are very interested in getting into the auto space.
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2016 4:06:27 PM
    "We developed various display technology specifically for cars," Ahn says. He adds that future cars also need to be able to detect other cars, pedestrians, etc. He notes LG has a "large patent portfolio" that expands to radios and sensors.
  • David Katzmaier 1/5/2016 4:07:11 PM
    As with all car tech, I always wonder at the balance between distraction and the fascination of using tech. Thus they always mention safety. Hopefully those automatic warning systems are reliable.
  • David Katzmaier 1/5/2016 4:07:42 PM
    That's a lot of core component icons! I want that as an emoji set.
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2016 4:07:48 PM
    Ahn says cars using LG's technology can communicate with better technology than 4G. On top of this, LG is working on key components like high-performance motors and speakers. "We have supplied components to car makers for more than 10 years," he says.


    LG already provides core components for electric vehicles and for new devices like Google's cars.
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2016 4:08:30 PM
    Ok, moving on. In 2015, IoT was a hot topic, Ahn says. LG is working with multiple standards and partners "to ensure our products work seamlessly" with various products.
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2016 4:09:03 PM
    For example, LG works with Nest and ADT. (Is this a sign they've already ceded ground to competition?)
  • David Katzmaier 1/5/2016 4:09:08 PM
    LG's new SmartThinQ hub looks a lot like an Amazon Echo, but doesn't listen. Yet.
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2016 4:09:44 PM
    Now Gayathri Rajan, VP of product management at Google, is on stage. Not sure what she focuses on, but she's there talking about IoT
  • Sarah Tew 1/5/2016 4:09:55 PM
  • David Katzmaier 1/5/2016 4:09:59 PM
    By the way, I can't help but notice the similarity in naming between SmartThings (Samsung) and SmartThinQ (LG). And so the wheel turns.
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2016 4:10:24 PM
    "This focus on users and building products that users love is at the heart of IoT and our partnership with LG," Rajan says.
  • Sarah Tew 1/5/2016 4:10:33 PM
  • David Katzmaier 1/5/2016 4:10:40 PM
    "The Net" Old school.
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2016 4:10:57 PM
    The job she sees; 1) Reimagine ordinary objects with power of the Internet. 2) Choreograph experiences across "ensembles of objects and services."
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2016 4:11:26 PM
    There is just so much corporate speak going on, it's kind of impressive. Just waiting for someone to talk about a synergistic paradigm shift.
  • David Katzmaier 1/5/2016 4:11:30 PM
    I totally love that cloudcube Smart Object icon! It's like a die has gas.
  • Sarah Tew 1/5/2016 4:11:48 PM
  • Sarah Tew 1/5/2016 4:12:16 PM
  • David Katzmaier 1/5/2016 4:12:27 PM
    The icon for synergistic paradigm shift is an arrow in a circle pointing at itself.
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2016 4:12:35 PM
    Now Rajan is talking about Google's software for IoT, and talking about how happy she is to be working with LG. Off stage, no real announcement but hey, LG has reminded us that it has enough sway it can pull a Google person onto the stage to say stuff for a few minutes.
  • Sarah Tew 1/5/2016 4:12:49 PM
Powered by Platform for Live Reporting, Events, and Social Engagement