LG Cloud Beta Launches Tomorrow

Steve McCaskill,

LG Cloud will share content between smartphones, smart TVs and PCs

LG has announced plans to launch a new cloud service for Android smartphones, LG Smart TVs and PCs.

A beta for the service will launch on 1 May, with the aim of providing seamless connectivity and access to digital content across various devices.

Three screens

LG claims that it is the first service that allows users to manage and consume content on ‘three screens’. Photos and videos taken with a smartphone can be viewed and streamed to the Smart TV or PC almost instantly, while videos edited on a PC can be viewed just seconds later on a smartphone.

LG said this is possible because conversion happens in the cloud in realtime, not on the device, meaning there is little lag. “No other cloud service can make this same claim,” said LG.

“Most companies today only see the cloud as a storage device or in the case of YouTube or Flickr, only for one type of content,” said Havis Kwon, president and CEO of LG’s Home Entertainment Company. “LG makes the devices that millions of people watch content on so we can set a new yardstick for ease of use by setting up our own cloud service. Tomorrow’s consumers don’t want to go to one cloud for music, another cloud for video, another location for photos and yet another cloud for their office files.  In the end, our solution is about making life more convenient.”

Smartphone users can download the app from Google Play, LG Smart TV owners can get the application from the LG SmartWorld store and PC users can get it from the LG Cloud website. The service will be available as a free and premium service, with free storage and pricing dependent on country.

The news comes a week after a raft of cloud-related announcements. Last Wednesday, Google finally revealed its cloud storage service Google Drive, which offers 5GB of free storage and integration with other Google applications. Microsoft also refreshed its SkyDrive cloud storage service, including the introduction of a desktop application, while rival Dropbox added new collaboration features to its offering.

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