LG's N1 PDA to Bring Surround-Sound Portable TV to U.S., But Who's Broadcasting?

LG is about to release the LG N1 PDA in North America after its successful rollout in Korea, giving the moribund market for cellular-free handheld devices a big kick in the rear. With SRS Labs providing surround sound for the "best mobile audio experience on the market for consumers," the aim is to deliver theatrical sound in a pocket-size package.

It sports a T-DMB receiver (Digital Multimedia Broadcast), which, last time I looked isn't a technology yet established in the U.S. However, it also offers DivX, AVI and WMV compatibility for video and MP3 and OGG on the sounds; Windows Mobile 5.0; intergrated GPS;3.5" LCD display; an SD card slot; 3 1/2 hours of battery life; and, of course, the fancy-schmancy 3D sound.

Press release follows after the jump.

SRS LABS AND LG ELECTRONICS TRANSFORM PDA INTO MOBILE THEATER

LG Electronics Licenses SRS Labs' Mobile HD Technology
Bringing Surround Sound to Mobile Devices for the First Time with the N1 PDA

SANTA ANA, Calif., March 13, 2007 - SRS Labs, Inc. (NASDAQ: SRSL), a leading provider of surround sound, audio and voice technologies, announced today the first product to feature SRS Mobile HD is available from LG Electronics. The new LG N1 PDA offers the best mobile audio experience on the market for consumers.

Mobile users around the globe are demanding improved audio reproduction to accompany the emerging video options available from portable devices; SRS Mobile
HD delivers theater-like surround sound, taking the portable video and music entertainment experience to an entirely new level.

The N1 includes GPS navigation and a T-DMB (Terrestrial - Digital Multimedia
Broadcasting) receiver for transmitting multimedia to the PDA. The N1 supports various video and audio files including DIVX, AVI, WMV, MP3, OGG, WMA
and operates on the Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 OS.

To offer consumers the best possible audio experience from both video and music,
LG selected SRS Labs' SRS Mobile HD technology. This complete audio rendering solution allows consumers to enjoy mobile video content in surround sound using headphones or standard earbuds. In addition, listeners wishing to use the device for mobile music will experience an enhanced 3D-stereo sound with deep, rich bass and greater audio realism.

"In a global market where consumers expect new portable media devices to include video and music capabilities, superior sound quality is now a vital feature for manufacturers to distinguish their products to consumers," said Michael Franzi,
Vice President of Sales and Licensing, SRS Labs. "LG's N1, featuring SRS Mobile
HD, is the first PDA to offer consumers a high-quality and realistic personal surround sound audio experience to meet their demanding lifestyles."

SRS Mobile HD was designed specifically to run with minimal overhead on portable devices. Product manufacturers can match the software to their available resources by simply adding or subtracting features.

The LG N1 PDA is currently available throughout Korea.