09.23.2008 — GE is getting back into the TV business by partnering with Taiwan-based Tatung Company to start offering LCDs in Spring 2009.

The companies have formed a joint venture called General Displays & Technologies (GDT) to design GE-branded HDTVs.

GDT hopes to manufacture two million HDTVs annually and capture 5 percent to 10 percent of the market when it begins production, the Wall Street Journal reports.

GDT will offer LCDs between 19 inches and 65 inches with three different series — the GX, DX and TX. Twice reports that one of the TVs will include a Blu-ray Disc player with BD-Live capability.

GDT is also partnering with NBC Universal, a division of GE, to develop a platform to deliver Web content directly to the TV.

"We are developing advanced, Internet capabilities for content delivery to televisions, without the need for a PC," says GDT CEO Marc McConnaughey.

"This includes Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) through cable, satellite and advanced fiber optic television connectivity.

"The long-term strategy is to allow consumers to customize their viewing experience by downloading widgets and a variety of services directly to their HDTVs."

GE made CRT TVs from 1939 until 1987 when the company licensed its brand to TVs made by Thomson SA of France.

Global TV shipments increased 11 percent in Q2, according to DisplaySearch.