14 DAY TRIAL // We've been talking quite a lot about Smart TVs lately, as this particular brand of display solutions becomes more and more popular, and it seems that the level of interest for these advanced TVs has prompted Korean company LG to make quite a bold move by releasing the Smart TV Upgrader ST600, a set-top box that will turn just about any ordinary TV set into a “smart” one. Set to be officially unveiled and demoed at CES 2011, the LG Smart TV Upgrader ST600 gives regular TV owners access to all of LG's Smart TV functions including premium online content, Smart Share and the full range of LG Apps, according to the Korea IT Times.
By connecting the ST600 to a regular TV set, users can access a vast range of premium content from global providers, as well as the best locally sourced shows and movies to cater to different tastes around the world.
The ST600 also connects users to the growing range of LG Apps, which are custom designed for use on TVs and offer everything from language classes to games.
The set-top box is powered by a BCM7615 processor, accompanied by 384MB of DDR memory and 1GB of flash memory, all packed in a fairly compact form factor, the box measuring just around 11 x 11 cm.
Moreover, the ST600 packs an LG Add-on Architecture + Web Browser, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, DLNA (DMP) connectivity, while also supporting the addition of external USB devices such as mice and flash drives/HDDs.
"The market for Smart TVs is set to take off this year, and the ST600 offers a perfect entry point," said Havis Kwon, President and CEO of LG Home Entertainment Company.
"With the LG Smart TV Upgrader, we're taking the excitement and convenience of Smart TV and adding in LG's trademark ease-of-use because we see a significant audience who are interested but not interested enough to buy a whole new TV."
The Smart TV Upgrader from LG is scheduled to hit stores in Q2, but no details on the pricing have been released thus far.