November 12, 2006

PANASONIC, SHARP LICENSE ‘PRO:IDIOM’ DIGITAL RIGHTS MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY BRINGING HDTV CONTENT TO HOTEL ROOMS

‘Pro:Idiom’ System Firmly Established as Lodging Industry Standard

NEW YORK, Nov. 12, 2006 – Panasonic and Sharp have licensed Zenith’s Pro:Idiom™ digital rights management (DRM) system developed specifically for hotels and resorts, paving the way for rapid adoption of high-definition content, the companies announced here today at the International Hotel/Motel and Restaurant Show.

With Sharp Electronics Corporation and Panasonic AVC Networks Company joining LG Electronics Inc., LodgeNet Entertainment Corporation, On Command Corporation and Philips Electronics – all embracing a common DRM solution – Pro:Idiom is now firmly established as a lodging standard, according to Richard Lewis, Zenith senior vice president, technology and research.

The Pro:Idiom DRM system is a robust, highly secure technology platform that helps to assure rapid, broad deployment of HDTV and other high-value digital content to the hotel industry. Zenith, which is the exclusive licensor for Pro:Idiom™, has made it available on a royalty-free basis to hotel PPV operators and consumer electronics manufacturers.

This DRM solution was developed to meet the requirements of high-value content providers to effectively protect digital video and audio content; provide the most cost-effective solution for hoteliers, PPV providers and manufacturers; scale from small hotels to Las Vegas-style mega-resorts; offer a low implementation complexity to allow easy adoption by all parties; and allow system specifications to be controlled by stakeholders in the lodging industry.

A growing number of content providers have already demonstrated their acceptance of Pro:Idiom™ by licensing their high-definition content for delivery to the first Pro:Idiom users, which has resulted in significant support from hoteliers as well.

ABOUT LG ELECTRONICS USA
Based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., LG Electronics USA, Inc., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a $45-billion global force in consumer electronics and mobile communications products. LGEUS comprises four core business areas: consumer electronics, home appliances, mobile phones and information technology products, all marketed under its "LG: Life's Good" theme. The LGEUS Commercial Products division serves the business, industrial, education, lodging, healthcare and GSA markets. For more information, please visit www.LGcommercial.com.

CONTACTS:
John I. Taylor (847) 941-8181, jtaylor@lge.com