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LG software update to fix frozen Aussie TVs

Engineers to be sent door to door

LG has admitted its code caused some of its LCD and plasma TVs to freeze during certain digital broadcasts transmitted by Australia's Nine Network. The South Korean giant apologised for any inconvenience caused and pledged to fix the troubled tellies.

As we reported yesterday, LG has been monitoring the problem and promised to announce a solution today. LG didn't reveal what the cause of the trouble is but referred to it as a "software issue" and invited owners of affected TVs to contact the company to arrange a home visit from an LG engineer who will patch the software.

Aussie readers affected by the problem can learn more here. The website lists all models that may require the update.

LG said the upgrade process would commence in "seven to ten days".

The problem is thought to centre on the way the affected TVs render the MHEG (Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group) data that underpin digital TV interactivity features. It's a problem that has hit an number of device in the UK, particularly set-top boxes.

For example, owners of Topfield's TF5800 PVR told us of problems they experienced with certain BBC broadcasts, and this reporter has himself experienced similar freezes with his otherwise excellent Humax PVR-9200T, though a subsequent over-the-air software update fixed it.

An OTA update for the TF5800 is due to be broadcast again next week.

Interestingly, some Australian readers have claimed other digital devices have frozen when viewing Nine Network broadcasts.

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