Two models demonstrate a paid 4-in-1 multi-view service introduced by 

LG U+ for the first time in the world.  [Photo on courtesy of LG U+]

   Family members often find themselves in disagreement over what to watch on TV — mom wants to watch a drama program, dad is trying to watch a news program, and the children are clamoring for an entertainment program. 

LG U+ has come up with a four channel-in-one TV screen multi-view service through “IPTV u+tv G” to solve the frequent headache, allowing four family members to see four different channels simultaneously. The telecom service provider demonstrated the paid four-in-one multi-view service for the first time in the world at a meeting with reporters at the Sejong Center in Seoul on May 28. The existing u+tv G subscribers are allowed to receive the four-in-one multi-view service without additional charges.

When the four-in-one multi-view service application is operated at the demonstration session, the 47-inch TV screen showed four different channels, each an even 22-inches. The problem is that only one of the selected four TV channels has sound and the remaining three are mute. 

Currently, a total of 12 channels are available. Viewers can choose only one of the three categories — terrestrial broadcasting channels (KBS 1 & 2, MBC, and SBS); sports channels (KBSN Sports, MBC Sport+, SBS ESPN, and SPOTV); and home shopping channels (CJ O Shopping, GS Home Shopping, Hyundai Home Shopping, and Lotte Home Shopping). In the months to come, such additional categories as all-genre channels, movie, animation, and news will be available. Subscribers cannot choose the four different channels from different categories, however. They can watch four channels in the same category: terrestrial broadcasting, sports, or home shopping. The simultaneous viewing of the four terrestrial broadcasting channels will be limited to the subscribers in the Seoul metropolitan area. 

Choi Soon-jong, managing director in charge of IPTV business at LG U+, said, “There is now a limitation on the selection of TV channels due to technical issues, but the limit will be removed for free channel selection next year.”

The telecom service provider earns revenues by taking advantage of the bottom edge space of each of the four TV channel screens. Letter ads, corporate logos, and events will appear on the bottom edge space of each of the four screens, and good customers response could lead to a shift to a paid service, said Kang Hyun-gu, general manager in charge of converged home business at LG U+.

Some portal sites now offer four TV screen services at once, but LG U+ has become the first telecom service provider in the world to come up with a four-in-one multi-view service with high-quality definition and stereo sound. LG U+ has already applied for a patent on the multi-view technology. 

LG U+ has demonstrated the “Soft-remocon” application in which the IPTV menu can be transferred to a smartphone to be used like the remote control device. Viewers can search IPTV and other program’s schedules via the smartphone without disrupting their TV viewing. They can now download the app from Google Player or the U+ Store. 

The telecom service provider has also announced a picture image notification service in which moving images taken by smartphones or other pictures can be exchanged with IPTV at any place at any time.

The existing u+tv G subscribers can receive the latest services without changing the set-up box for the current monthly fee of 9,900 won.

Managing Director Kang said LG U+expects the latest multi-view service to take the lead in the Korean IPTV market, as its LTE service has done.