Samsung, LG vie for TV supremacy

Models pose next to Samsung Electronics’ 55-inch curved organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TV at its booth during this year’s “World IT Show” at COEX Convention Center, southern Seoul, Tuesday. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

Convergence tops

agenda at Korea’s

largest tech show

By Kim Yoo-chul

Internet-wired devices, high-quality flat-screen TVs and faster telecommunication technologies are among the main highlights of the nation’s largest technology fair, which kicked off Tuesday at COEX Convention Center in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul.

Global technology giants both foreign and domestic are participating in the “World IT Show” organized by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning featuring the latest technologies and products. The fair will run through Friday.

The ministry said the event is becoming more influential judging by how it is increasingly attracting leading players of the global IT industry who come to showcase their latest mobile gadgets and telecommunications technologies.

Twelve major mobile carriers from ASEAN as well as Japan’s Tokomo joined the fair with the goal of using the event to forge new business partnerships.

Minister of Science, ICT and Future Planning Choi Moon-ki, left, is briefed about SK Telecom’s advanced telecommunications technology with SK Telecom CEO Ha Sung-min during his visit to the firm’s booth at COEX Convention Center, southern Seoul, Tuesday. / Courtesy of SK Telecom

The fair will also feature a variety of workshops and conferences to discuss topics such as international three-dimensional (3D) standards and the Korean economy in general.

Company executives will also be around to discuss with reporters their latest business strategies.

A senior Samsung executive told The Korea Times that the company is confident about achieving its TV sales target for this year.

“Samsung’s TV business is currently on track despite market uncertainties,” said Kim Hyun-seok, the head of the business, Tuesday.

The executive stressed that the impact of the weakening yen will be “short-lived,” because of Samsung’s superior technology and manufacturing over its foreign competitors.

Samsung is exhibiting its curved OLED TV for the first time to local customers, the product that was unveiled in January’s technology fair in Las Vegas.

The Galaxy S4, NX300 mirror-less camera, Web-connected PC, solid state drive (SSD) ― the next storage device that is tipped to eventually replace the

current hard disk drive ― were also on show. Samsung set up zones to allow visitors to experience its products.

The executive said its upcoming ultra high-definition (UHD) TVs will be more attractive than those from Japan’s Sony.

“We will release UHD TV models at affordable prices. But we think Samsung will attract more international consumers than local customers,” Kim said in a brief statement.

Regarding the lack of content for UHD TVs, Kim said conditions are getting better.

“The scarcity of content for UHD TVs is distracting the expansion of the market. But we are seeing more content. By 2015, the market will see a standardization of UHD,” he said.

Samsung and its rival LG Electronics are investing heavily to gain “first-mover” advantage in the lucrative and growing market as UHD TVs are much cheaper than OLED TVs.

Kim declined to comment on whether it plans to invest more in Japan’s Sharp to procure large-size panels for its UHD TVs.

In March this year, Samsung invested 120 billion won for a 3 percent stake in the Japanese company.

But he denied rumors that his division will cut its reliance on Samsung Display for displays to use in its UHD TVs. “Our division will use displays provided by Samsung Display. Each manufacturing lines has different optimization,” the executive said.

LG Electronics also said the firm is exhibiting 250 products. Curved OLED, UHD and LG-Google TVs using the latter’s Jelly Bean software and Optimus G Pro were at the show.

“LG plans to reaffirm our leadership in the race for next-generation TVs by displaying our latest products,” said Choi Sang-kyu, the head of its local marketing division.

Telecommunications giant KT plans to use the exhibition as a launch pad to enhance its efforts towards achieving shared growth with its partner companies.

At the “Partners Zone,” visitors can experience mobile and computer games produced by KT-sponsored developers.

Because the outfit intends to cut its reliance on the local market in terms of revenue, it plans to meet international buyers to possibly sell its “virtual goods” platforms, although a KT spokesman declined to comment.

“Our strategic global virtual goods platform ― UStream ― will go on line, globally, during the exhibition,” he said.