LG Electronics South Africa unveils features of its new UltraGear 24GN600-B and 27GN650-B Nano IPS 1ms gaming monitors.

by Thinus Ferreira

LG South Africa has unveiled its new range of UltraGear gaming monitors at a virtual media event to showcase the features of its newly released 24GN600-B and 27GN650-B Nano IPS 1ms monitors.

With LG's UltraGear brand of gaming monitors that have long been an industry staple, LG South Africa will be launching these impressive new monitors for consumers on 13 October.

LG South Africa says that the new 24GN600-B and 27GN650-B Nano IPS 1ms monitors continue the brand's goal of improved usability for gamers, with the new UltraGear monitors that house the latest gaming hardware and next-level specifications, all packed into a beautifully-crafted, sleek, and ergonomic design.

LG's 24GN600-B full-HD monitor comes in at 23.8 inches and offers incredible speed – IPS 1ms comparable to TN Speed – which means smoother gameplay and a faster response time. 

This is further supported by an ultra-fast refresh rate of 144Hz for rapid responses. With HDR10 True Colours, players can immerse themselves in realistic gaming environments with rich, true-to-life colours and contrast. 

There is also the  monitor's seamless gameplay that is AMD FreeSync Premium that reduces screen tearing and stuttering.

"We know that in gaming, every split second counts," says Grant Kruger, business lead ID/IT at LG Electronics South Africa.

"This is why we have developed a range of gaming monitors that are fast enough to keep up with whatever you throw their way."

The larger 27-inch 27GN650-B monitor also boasts a 144Hz refresh rate, outstanding colour accuracy, and dynamic contrast.

This gaming monitor is also NVIDIA-tested and G-SYNC compatible, meaning that gamers can enjoy smoother visuals on screen, and frames load a lot quicker. The monitor's screen is virtually borderless and can easily be adjusted to a gamer's unique comfort needs.

Sales of TV sets in South Africa have plunged after July's mass looting of thousands of televisions in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

by Thinus Ferreira

The sales of TV sets in South Africa have plunged in July and August after the shocking mass looting of thousands of TV sets from shops and warehouses during the rampant looting that continued for days in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

Brazen looters made off with TV sets and others goods from warehouses used by Samsung South Africa,  as well as LG Electronics and others which also had their warehouses torched and burnt down; while looters also ransacked multiple shops and shopping mall stores.

According to a GfK Lighthouse market study, sales of TV sets, fridges and washing machines in South Africa fell during August compared to point-of-sale data benchmarked against the weekly sales of certain consumer goods during the first half of 2021.

Nicolet Pienaar, GfK South Africa's head of market insights, says that "While KwaZulu-Natal is seeing encouraging recovery in sales of IT and telecoms products - perhaps due to consumers wanting to keep safe and stay home - we're seeing countrywide week-on-week declines in fridge, televisions and washing machine sales".

"This is the direct result of the destruction of key manufacturing facilities as well as the ransacking of inventory from warehouses in KwaZulu-Natal, compounding existing component and product shortages due to Covid-19."

KwaZulu and Gauteng were severely underperforming in sales of certain products like TV sets compared to South Africa's other provinces.

TV set sales in South Africa showed a week-on-week decline of 11 points, and KwaZulu-Natal was 21 index points behind the average week.

Samsung South Africa has since activated its "TV Block" feature to render looted smart TV sets unusable once connected to the internet.

ALSO READ: Samsung South Africa's biggest warehouse in Durban and several of its service centres in KZN looted and destroyed after building is set alight by criminals.

ALSO READ: LG Electronics South Africa's warehouse and factory in Durban looted and destroyed after building is set alight by criminals.

ALSO READ: Samsung South Africa activates TV Block function to render all TV sets useless that were looted and stolen in July.

LG Electronics South Africa's warehouse and factory in Durban looted and destroyed after building is set alight by criminals.

by Thinus Ferreira

LG Electronics South Africa's warehouse and factory in Durban supplying TV sets and other products to South Africa and into Africa was looted and the building then set alight and burnt down by criminals as part of the ongoing unrest in the country.

The Korean Embassy in South Africa confirmed that the country's LG Electronics warehouse and factory in Cornubia Industrial Park in Sundew Road in north-Durban was looted by 9 people on Monday, after which 120 more criminals joined to steal products and appliances, including TV sets, manufactured and stored in the warehouse.

On social media shocking videos circulated of criminals taking everything they could carry, even driving away with a forklift filled with LG NanoCell TV sets.

LG South Africa on Tuesday also abruptly cancelled an LG UltraGear gaming monitor media event that would have taken place virtually on Wednesday. LG said that a new date for the event would be communicated later.

"In light of the unfortunate activities taking place across parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, LG Electronics would like to inform you that a decision has been made to postpone the UltraGear Gaming event," the company told the media.

Deuk Soo Ahn, president of LG South Africa, in response to a media enquiry, told TVwithThinus in a statement that "We take the safety of our workers seriously and reassure South Africans that we are working as swiftly and with great caution as we investigate the impact of what occurred at our factory in Durban."

"It's by no means an easy situation, and we are working hard to ensure operations get back up and running."

"We can confirm that no workers have been injured due to the factory looting and fire. The current situation is under investigation by our executive team," LG SA said.

ALSO READ: Samsung South Africa's biggest warehouse in Durban and several of its service centres in KZN looted and destroyed after building is set alight by criminals.

ALSO READ: Telkom has closed all South African stores indefinitely after after violence and looting in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

ALSO READ: MultiChoice shutters its main MultiChoice City campus in Randburg, closes walk-in service centres in KZN and Gauteng as a precaution following unrest.