LG To Launch Dual-Format HD Disc Player; Names CE Marketing VP

By Steve Smith -- TWICE, 1/4/2007

New York — LG Electronics provided a few surprises days before International CES opens in Las Vegas, announcing last night that it will launch the first Blu-ray Disc-HD DVD combination player at the show and this morning that Allan Jason has been named marketing VP of consumer electronics.

LG’s brief statement from its headquarters in Seoul, Korea did not provide details on the high definition, dual format unit, saying features will be discussed at CES.

“LG expects this technological breakthrough to end the confusion and inconvenience of competing high-definition disc formats for both content producers and consumers,” the company said.

At a New York press conference last July LG said it was a “strong supporter of Blu-ray” since it was a developer of the format. When asked at the time if such a dual-format player might be introduced in 2007 the spokesperson noted that LG had not finalized its plans for the new year as of yet. LG cancelled plans last March to ship a Blu-ray disc player that was set for spring.

Reports out of South Korea in September 2005 from Samsung indicated that it was planning a dual format HD disc player supporting Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD but that product was never introduced.

As for LG Electronics USA’s new marketing VP for CE, Jason joins the company from Sony Electronics where he spent more than 20 years in various key sales and marketing jobs. Most recently he was VP of Sony’s Portable Audio and Mobile Electronics Divisions since 2004.

Jason will be responsible for leading the company’s U.S. Consumer Electronics (Digital Display and Digital Media) product marketing and product management for flat panel displays, home audio/video and computer monitors and optical drives, among others key product areas.