LG Electronics, TP Vision and Toshiba Expand Market Reach With Smart TV Alliance

New Alliance Members Bring Wealth of Knowledge and Experience to Smart TV Universe

BERLIN - Thursday, August 30th 2012 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- IFA - Smart TV Alliance, launched in June this year by founding Board members LG Electronics and TP Vision with Toshiba joining shortly after, has expanded with new members with expertise from different areas of the Smart TV industry. As it continues to expand its market reach, the Smart TV Alliance will publish specifications for its software development kit (SDK) 2.0 on its official website www.smarttv-alliance.org. The actual SDK tool will be made available by the end of the year for use by developers.

In addition to Smart TV manufacturers, organizations that contribute in different ways to the Smart TV experience have also joined the Alliance. Qualcomm and MStar will bring their expertise and understanding in hardware design to the consortium while Obigo, a leading web browser provider and application developer, will provide valuable input from a developer’s perspective. And YuMe, a provider of video advertising software and services, will deliver knowledge and experience from the advertising community.

“The expanding membership of the Smart TV Alliance is clear indication that these companies recognize the value of this Alliance,” said Richard Choi of LG Electronics, President of Smart TV Alliance. “This is an industry coming together to solve a common problem, which has clear benefits for the consumer. The diversity of the Smart TV Alliance is reassuring because it shows that this is an industry movement, not just an initiative from TV manufacturers.”

Demonstrating that developing common Alliance specifications is not an exercise in theory only, Obigo has developed apps based on Alliance SDK 1.0 specifications that run consistently on TV sets from Alliance members. Consumers will be able to enjoy these apps, including Accuweather and Vilanoise, when they become publicly available in September. In addition, more apps will be developed and become available through Smart TV Alliance members.

“This is an important step for the industry. Being able to work with a much larger install base presents great opportunities for us,” stated David Hwang, President of Obigo. “Now we can put our energy into making our apps better instead of testing the same app on many different TV sets. We can be a lot more productive this way.”

As different communities in the Smart TV industry come together, the Smart TV Alliance will announce the SDK 2.0 specifications on its website, which will be supported by 2013 products from member companies. By looking at these specifications, developers will be able to understand what capabilities to expect on 2013 products and plan their application development accordingly. After the specifications are announced, the SDK software tool will be available for download from www.smarttv-alliance.org.

About Smart TV Alliance

The Smart TV Alliance's motto is 'build once, run everywhere'. The members' ambition is to align on technology that will allow app developers to create apps and successfully run them on all supported Smart TV Alliance platforms. Smart TV Alliance utilizes open solutions technology and Smart TV Alliance Apps can be developed using open standard (HTML5) systems. There is no pressure for our Smart TV Alliance partners to adopt 'tight grid' developments as you have the flexibility to create your own experiences. Enriched content can be given to consumers by developing interactive experiences via their Smart TV Alliance app.

About LG Electronics, Inc.

LG Electronics, Inc. (KSE: 066570.KS) is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances. With 117 operations around the world, LG achieved global sales of USD 49 billion (KRW 54.26 trillion) in 2011. LG is comprised of four business units – Home Entertainment, Mobile Communications, Home Appliance, and Air Conditioning & Energy Solutions – and is one of the world’s leading producers of flat panel TVs, mobile devices, air conditioners, washing machines and refrigerators. For more news and information on LG Electronics, please visit www.LGnewsroom.com.

About TP Vision

TP Vision is a dedicated TV player in the world of visual digital entertainment. TP Vision concentrates on developing, manufacturing and marketing Philips branded TV sets in Europe, Russia, Middle East, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and selected countries in Asia-Pacific. We do this by combining our design expertise and innovative Philips TV heritage with the operational excellence, flexibility and speed of TPV Technology. With these combined strengths, we bring high-quality TV sets to the market: smart and easy to use with sophisticated styling i.e. new materials and slim design. We believe in creating products that offer a superior TV experience for consumers. With Philips TVs, TP Vision is a global leader in the hospitality market. Based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, TP Vision is the exclusive brand licensee of Philips TV for the above listed countries. The TV Company is 70% owned by TPV and 30% by Royal Philips Electronics, headquartered in the Netherlands. TP Vision employs close to 3,300 people in several locations around the globe.

About Toshiba                                                                                              

Toshiba is a world-leading diversified manufacturer, solutions provider and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products and systems. Toshiba Group brings innovation and imagination to a wide range of businesses: digital products, including LCD TVs, notebook PCs, retail solutions and MFPs; electronic devices, including semiconductors, storage products and materials; industrial and social infrastructure systems, including power generation systems, smart community solutions, medical systems and escalators & elevators; and home appliances.

Toshiba was founded in 1875, and today operates a global network of more than 550 consolidated companies, with 202,000 employees worldwide and annual sales surpassing 6.1 trillion yen (US$74 billion). Visit Toshiba's web site at www.toshiba.co.jp/index.htm

Contacts

Smart TV Alliance Media Contact:

Inventures for Smart TV Alliance

Alisa Hicks

Public Relations

news@SmartTV-Alliance.org

LG Electronics, Inc. Media Contact:

Kyoo Im, +82 2 3777 3653

LGnews@lge.com

www.LGnewsroom.com

TP Vision Contact:

Eva Heller

Head of Global Communications

eva.heller@philips.com

Toshiba Media Contact:

Kaori Hiraki

kaori.hiraki@toshiba.co.jp