LG Digital Photo Frame TV makes sure there's always something on

Having triumphed over all concerns about what to do while your HDTV is on, LG has turned its focus to what happens when you switch your display off. The 47-inch Digital Photo TV flicks over to a low power idle memory mode, using 10-15 percent the power it would while on and displays a static picture like fine art, vacation pics, or perhaps that picture on Facebook your friend simply won't stop tagging you in no matter how many times you tell them you could get in really big trouble if anyone ever notices when and where it was taken. They're calling this a concept display, but we wouldn't at all be surprised to see televisions sliding into the digital photo frame space sooner rather than later. Check out the full release after the break.

LG Display Takes LCD TVs a Step Further with the Introduction of "Digital Photo TV"

New Digital Photo TV Dually Serves as a TV When on and a Digital Photo Frame When Switched Off

SEOUL, Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- LG Display (NYSE:LPL, KRX:034220), a leading innovator of thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) technology, today introduced a new concept in LCD TV panel that allows LCD TVs to be used as a digital picture frame when it is switched off.

LG Display's 47-inch 'Digital Photo TV' allows users to capture their favorite photo, art or a scene from a TV program and display the image on the screen when the TV set is on standby mode. Users can even display family photos or a famous painting via the TV screen without hammering a nail on the wall. This innovative, new concept enhances the home as an interior décor item, providing an elegant living space.

Also noteworthy, the new Digital Photo TV's power consumption is only 10 to 15 percent of the level consumed while watching TV by leveraging the panel's idle memory instead of external memory attached to the set when used in digital photo mode.

In-Jae Chung, Executive Vice President and CTO of LG Display, said, "Today's TV continues to evolve due to continued developments such as enhanced picture quality and slimmer designs. Looking ahead to the future, we can expect to see next-generation TVs featuring multiple functions. Our new Digital Photo TV enhances the role of the TV in households-serving as a medium that's capable of more than watching TV and playing video games - but also stores consumers' cherished memories."

LG Display will showcase its newest cutting-edge display technologies featuring improved motion picture response time (MPRT), eco-friendly displays and more in a private room at the Bellagio Hotel during the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2009.

Media interested in seeing LG Display's complete product portfolio on Wednesday, January 7 should contact Stacey Voorhees-Harmon via e-mail at [e-mail] or call 925-336-9592 to schedule a meeting.

About LG Display

LG Display Co., Ltd. [NYSE: LPL, KRX: 034220] is a leading manufacturer and supplier of thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panels, OLEDs and flexible displays. The company provides TFT-LCD panels in a wide range of sizes and specifications for use in TVs, monitors, notebook PCs, and various applications. LG Display currently operates seven fabrication facilities and five back-end assembly facilities in Korea, China and Poland. The company has a total of 22,000 employees operating in ten countries around the world. Please visit http://www.lgdisplay.com for more information.

Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about our beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current plans, estimates and projections, and therefore you should not place undue reliance on them. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update publicly any of them in light of new information or future events. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. We caution you that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Additional information as to factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements can be found in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

[mrklaw @ Jan 6th 2009 4:51AM]

wow, really innovative, like the Sony TV I have on my wall right now that has been on sale for more than 6 months. They even do an 'E-series' which has a more picture frame like surround (in a variety of colours).

[spam_from_engadget @ Jan 6th 2009 6:24AM]

Any idea how much power the Sony takes in photo mode? The "10-15%" that LG are quoting looks the most impressive part of this announcement.

[kiro @ Jan 6th 2009 10:43AM]

http://www.e4000.co.uk/sony-bravia-e4000-series/

It is 35% "lower" when in picture mode for the Sony. So yes, it is more than LG's. Still it looks pretty cool in my living room. ;-)

[Shinigami @ Jan 6th 2009 6:03AM]

The idea itself is great! Now the main question is how long will the display live with this kind of thing on and weather or not it turns itself off after a while. Because I don't want it ALWAYS on and I don't want a TV that dies in 2-3 years either.

[MuhammadBrohi @ Jan 6th 2009 6:18AM]

Good judgment.

[Phoenix @ Jan 6th 2009 6:59AM]

It would annoy me after a while because there's just sometimes that I don't want the television to be glowing. I wonder if it could be ON (TV) - STANDBY (Photo) - OFF (off) instead of just ON (TV) - OFF (Photo)...

That could also help with what Shinigami said about the burn-out time...

[soccerdude @ Jan 6th 2009 10:02AM]

Hooray! Just what America needs...a way to use even more energy. Hold on, I'm going to the electronics store to replace all my paintings with TV's.

[Dan Davis @ Jan 6th 2009 12:39PM]

My thoughts exactly. 10-15% lower is still 100% more than OFF (vampire power notwithstanding).

[Steve @ Jan 6th 2009 1:38PM]

@ Dan Davis: Dude, you're misinterpreting the article. It is 10-15% of 100% not 10-15% lower than 100%. spam-from-engadget's point above is that the amount power consumption is more headline-worthy than the photo mode itself.

[jupiterthunder @ Jan 6th 2009 10:09PM]

@Dan Davis

I believe you meant infinitely more.

[calvfoo @ Jan 7th 2009 1:01AM]

Not possible with just 10-15% compared to 100%. I think the article means 10-15% less.

[mynk @ Jan 7th 2009 3:03AM]

when it says LG did something,
you fucking well believe it. without questions.

now you stopping these senseless rambling.
thats not possible.

[jill @ Jan 7th 2009 3:29AM]

there are 3 components to the power supply utilization

1. the display (column and row drivers) and the backlight
2. the digital board that takes in video input and sent it to the display part
3. power supply

from my previous experience with LCD, part 1 consumes the most power, around 60 ~ 70, while part 3 consumes around 10 ~ 20 percent because no power supply is perfect, and some loss (sometimes up to 50% or more) is possible.

that leaves the part 2, the part that takes the image and decodes it (e.g. JPEG decoder).

So, in the picture frame mode, all the 3 parts will have to be on.

So, where is the saving here?