AI Speakers' Role to be Replaced by TV in the Long Term
Alpha9 Picture Quality Engine Removes Noise in 4 Stages

"2018 will be the year smart TVs transition to AI TVs"

LG Electronics unveiled its artificial intelligence brand 'DeepThinQ' at CES 2018 this year and announced plans to apply it to various home appliances including refrigerators and washing machines. At the '2018 LG TV New Product Launch Event' held at the Seocho R&D Campus in Yangjae-dong, LG introduced the 'LG OLED TV AI ThinQ' and 'LG Super Ultra HD TV AI ThinQ' equipped with DeepThinQ.

The main OLED TV models unveiled that day were equipped with 'Alpha9,' an artificial intelligence picture quality engine independently developed by LG Electronics, and Google Assistant. Alpha9 analyzes video content and removes noise in four stages. In stages 1 and 2, it removes broken portions and artifacts from the image, and in stages 3 and 4, it alleviates banding noise that creates lines in the image and color crushing.

Additionally, it separates objects from the background and adjusts contrast and saturation for each, adding depth and clarity. As the color correction algorithm becomes more sophisticated, it automatically performs color expression seven times more accurate compared to regular TVs.

With Google Assistant embedded, control using voice recognition is also possible. After pressing the microphone button marked on the Magic Remote, it searches for answers to questions such as "Tell me the LG Twins game schedule" and "Play a yoga class." Beyond this, it also enables control of volume/channel changes, broadcast viewing scheduling, power-off scheduling, and connectivity with other devices such as soundbars, Blu-ray players, and gaming consoles.

Previously, TV voice control was possible through 'AI speakers.' Regarding the reason for embedding the voice control function in TVs, Kwon Bong-seok, head of LG Electronics' HE Business Division, stated, "Going forward, it will become a natural trend for AI to be built into TVs," adding "When AI spreads throughout the home, the TV in the living room is more suitable for the role of a family device than an AI speaker."

He added, "In the short term, AI speakers must exist to control existing products that do not have AI built in, but from a long-term perspective, TVs with built-in AI will replace that role."

LG Electronics enabled control of various IoT devices through webOS, the TV's operating system, and content search. In addition, it plans to continuously expand partnerships with external companies as an open platform. In the United States, services with a full AI package are expected to be provided from March onwards. Domestically, various AI services are planned to be applied in the second half of the year through collaboration with external companies.

Director Kwon explained, "AI speakers cannot perform commands like 'connect a game console to the TV.' However, webOS can operate with a single command."

LG Electronics also applied 'Alpha7' to Super Ultra HD TVs utilizing nanocell technology, enabling AI functionality. Additionally, it expanded the application of 'Dolby Atmos' and 'Gallery Mode.'

'Dolby Atmos' is a three-dimensional audio system that makes sound appear to come from in front, behind, or above the user depending on the movement or position of objects on screen. 'Gallery Mode' is a technology that allows users to use the TV like a picture frame when not watching it.

Director Kwon stated, "The TV market is slightly over 200 million units annually. We estimate that about 5% of the entire market can be covered by OLED. However, the premium market currently accounts for 2-3% of the overall TV market," adding "We have maintained growth in the premium market centered on OLED TVs, and we are confident that we will achieve more than double growth this year with OLED TV AI."

The prices of Super Ultra HD TVs are 2.1-2.6 million won for 55-inch and 3.5-3.9 million won for 65-inch models, while OLED TV AI ThinQ is priced at 3.0-3.6 million won for 55-inch, 5.2-11 million won for 65-inch, and 17-24 million won for 77-inch models.