U.S. firm chooses Korean displays

Syntax Groups Corp., a U.S. maker of liquid crystal display, or LCD, television sets, announced yesterday that it has formed a strategic alliance with LG Philips LCD to acquire display panels for high-end TVs. In a statement, the Southern California firm said LG displays will be used for high-end models of Olevia, Syntax Groups’ LCD TV brand. The products will be showcased at the International Consumer Electronics Show, which begins tomorrow in Las Vegas. “By partnering with LG Philips LCD, we will reinforce and quickly extend unique value in the digital living market,” said James Li, chief executive officer of Syntax Groups. “Together, we will provide some of the highest image quality displays for this emerging high-definition TV market.” Syntax Groups is a research and development, manufacturing and channel sales company for consumer electronics and computer convergence products. It ranks among the top five LCD TV vendors in the United States, according to DisplaySearch. LG displays will be used immediately in Syntax Groups’ newest 32- and 37-inch Olevia TVs, as well as larger 42-, 47-, and 55-inch models later. LG displays will be used for the more expensive models, which support functions such as multiple-source viewing. For instance, when connected to a PC, viewers can simultaneously watch TV or DVDs on half of a split screen, while surfing the Internet on the other half. “We’re happy to see that consumers will benefit from the technological innovation and manufacturing excellence we employ in producing large, state-of-the-art panels,” said Bruce Berkoff, executive vice president of marketing at LG Philips LCD. Syntax Groups makes its products through DigiMedia, a joint venture formed with Taiwan’s Kolin Company. Because Korea and Taiwan are rivals in the LCD market, a spokesman at another Korean LCD maker rejoiced in the Syntax partnership, saying that Syntax’s decision to choose LG Philips LCD demonstrated the superiority of Korean technology. by Wohn Dong-hee