webOS 2.0 will make LG's smart TVs much faster next year

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/12/17/lg-web-os-2.0/

The usual pre-CES flood of information is under way, and LG is announcing details of the webOS 2.0 package its smart TVs will ship with in 2015. Improving on the menus we already dug at last year's show, LG says that the new versions will improve mainly in speed, with power-on boot time reduced by 60 percent, and a 70 percent improvement when switching from the home screen to YouTube. Sluggish, unresponsive apps have been a major pain point for "smart" TVs since their introduction, so it's good to see that addressed. One thing that will remain an issue however, is that the 2.0 upgrades will require a new display, as we haven't heard about an upgrade for existing sets (or other platforms like smartwatches, or even phones). According to LG, the first webOS sets were quite popular, with over five million sold through eight months.

If you have one of the new ones, it will include a new "My Channels" app that puts user's favorite TV channels right in the TV menu. Last year's TVs included "Universal control" from the Magic Remote LG ships with each one, and now it's built into the UI so it's easier to stay in one menu. Also upgrades is an Input Picker that recognizes whatever devices are plugged in for easier use, as well as 4K streaming support (on the appropriate TVs) for Amazon and Netflix. If everything holds to form, we should hear more about super size, high res displays with new tech (like quantum dots) over the next few days, before the usual CES flood of information once we hit Las Vegas in early January -- see you then.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, LG

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Source: LG Newsroom