Samsung, LG fight for 3-D tech supremacy

Samsung emphasizes smarter online features, LG claims brighter, clearer picture


Korea’s electronics powerhouses, Samsung and LG, are embroiled in a bitter war of words trumpeting the superiority of their 3-D TV technologies.

The two top TV makers are pinning high hopes on the next-generation moving picture which promises to create lucrative revenue sources.

The battle is becoming increasingly intense as the two players strive to pre-emptively lead the burgeoning market by having their technology as the prevailing global standard.

While downplaying each other’s manufacturing recipe, they are aggressively laying out marketing campaigns targeting customers and the media for their new lineup of full high-definition 3-D TVs.

On Feb. 16, LG unveiled new products embracing film-type patterned retarder technology, which it claimed provide brighter and clearer vision without generating flicker and cross-talk ― image ghosting ― as users have complained about existing ones.

“FPR will ultimately become the next generation of 3-D technology,” said Kwon Hee-won, executive vice president of LG’s home entertainment unit, adding that up to 80 percent of all LG 3-D TVs would adopt the method.

 LG also introduced new lightweight glasses that it said reduce eye fatigue and enable flexible head and body movement such as lying down on a sofa without losing 3-D images, unlike previous versions.

LG Electronics showcases its latest 3-D TV lineup based on its new film-type patterned retarder technology. (LG Electronics)

Customers can enjoy 3-D viewing even without glasses, LG noted, whereas Samsung’s products require them to sit directly in front of the TV, wearing clunky, battery-charged eyewear.

“We’ve focused on human factors to make sure that our products give customers an easier and more convenient viewing experience,” Ro Seog-ho, senior vice president of the unit, told reporters.

Samsung was quick to take the bull by the horns, downplaying LG’s efforts the following day at a showcase for its latest 3-D smart TVs that provide better access to online portals and social networking services.

A Samsung Electronics official explains 3-D TV technology to the local press at its headquarters in southern Seoul on Tuesday. (Samsung Electronics)

“The FPR technology was developed in 1935 and nothing has changed since then,” said Yoon Boo-keun, president of Samsung visual display business. “Not as many players in the global market including those in Japan are using the passive method, acknowledging picture quality problems that would occur on large screens.”

The FPR system uses polarized glasses to view stereoscopic pictures with visual information sent both to the left and right eyes simultaneously. It also saves manufacturing costs, experts say, by attaching special films on the surface of the panel to create the illusions of a three dimensional image.

The shutter glass approach, in contrast, creates a sense of depth by sending visual information to each eye in sequence but requires expensive liquid crystal glasses.

Samsung is pushing the mechanism alongside other competitors like Sony and Panasonic while LG is joining forces with Toshiba, Philips and Vizio of Taiwan to boost the FPR technology.

Not only is LG’s method outdated, but it cannot render full HD on a large screen, Yoon said.

“FPR would give some advantages in cost but that’s all. FPR can’t realize full HD images as it has technological drawbacks, limiting its use to small-sized mobile gadgets,” he said.

The latest lineup would show substantial improvements in diminishing the flicker and cross-talk, he noted.

In efforts to conclude a winner, Kwon Young-soo, chief executive of LG Display that supplies panels to LG Electronics, suggested a demonstration to compare specifications of the 3-D TVs.

Refuting Samsung’s claim on full HD picture quality, he said it is “not even a subject for discussion.”

“This is stirring up confusion,” Kwon told reporters last week in a meeting. “I will try to arrange a demo event or press conference as soon as possible.”

Samsung’s Yoon soon reportedly responded that he would accept it “if an accredited institution participates in the event.”

But even before settling on a date, Kim Hyun-suk, vice president of Samsung’s digital media business, shot back with severe criticism against LG at a press forum held Tuesday at the company’s Seoul headquarters.

“LG is making a big deal out of such a ridiculous thing,” he said. “This is an unacceptable situation ― it is saying yes when everyone else in the world says no.”

The event came as part of the firm’s “Tuesday Forum,” a weekly meeting in which Samsung senior officials introduce and analyze its new technologies to journalists.

But it was more intended to condemn LG’s strategy, attendees said, rather than focusing on showcasing Samsung’s own technology.

“In the past, LG criticized the technology used to transform 2-D vision to 3-D, then adopted it using Taiwanese components,” Kim said. “LG does things with words first when it doesn’t have technology and later changes its attitude.”

Kim said he found no document that shows the passive FPR method can embrace full HD images.

Citing a report by an LG-affiliated think tank, he said the FPR reduces the resolution of image to half, and 3-D TV without glasses cannot be commercialized.

“I heard that LG Display’s Kwon said its TVs are full HD, I think his engineers are really stupid,” he went on. “It’s a lame argument with no theoretical ground. It’s just unreasonable.”

Critics say the technology debate is becoming ugly as it heated up so much that it turned into a bickering between the executives.

“Competition is inevitable when rivals come up with new products, but this time it reached an excessive degree,” an industry official said.

“It doesn’t look really good that they are so eager to scratch each other’s products instead of promoting their own.”

Samsung’s Kim added he wanted to “put an end to the 3-D argument” and hoped that the two companies would move on.

But it is uncertain whether they can, as LG Electronics issued a statement Wednesday to defend its corner.

It stressed that its FPR panels evolved from the old polarizing method and that companies like Panasonic and Mitsubishi upheld its full HD picture quality.

“(Samsung) merely denounces our technology based on archaic and general understanding, without having core knowledge,” the statement said.

The firm jostled to arrange a conference for Thursday. Kwon will try to wipe out “the confusion” on 3-D technology, it said.

By Shin Hyon-hee (heeshin@heraldcorp.com)