Moxi HD DVR update: Hulu & Netflix, DLNA, home automation

Digeo have released an update for their Moxi HD DVR, adding DLNA streaming support and a workaround to bring Hulu, Netflix and other streaming content direct to the set-top box. There’s also new support for controlling Z-wave home automation devices, together with Rhapsody music streaming and the ability to view and bookmark websites.

Press Release:

Digeo® Releases Major Enhancements to Flagship Moxi® HD DVR

Moxi® Entertainment Experience Gets Even Better with PlayOn™ Internet Video; Rhapsody®
Music; Home Theater Controls; and Enhanced Photos, Internet Services and DLNA-Certified™
Home Networking

KIRKLAND, WA – April 09, 2009 – Digeo, Inc. today announced new features and enhancements to the Moxi® High Definition Digital Video Recorder (HD DVR), further advancing the world’s best DVR. The Moxi HD DVR has new services available directly from the on-screen menu including Internet video from YouTube, Netflix, Hulu™ and more streaming directly to the TV through MediaMall Technologies’ PlayOn™ media server software as well as the streaming digital music service from Rhapsody®. The Moxi HD DVR also now includes eControls, a home automation feature that allows users to customize the home theater experience by adjusting lighting and other Z-Wave supported products. The Flickr® online photo service and MoxiNet Internet browser were also enhanced, and Moxi is now certified to support the DLNA® standard for improved home networking.

These new services will be available automatically to customers with a Moxi HD DVR via a software upgrade at no additional charge from Digeo.

Additionally, as part of this new functionality, the company is offering existing and new Moxi customers a PlayOn® license key (value $39.99) free for a limited time, as well as a free 30-day Rhapsody trial (value: $12.99).

“In the current economic climate, people are more focused on at-home entertainment options and on getting the most out of their HD investments,” said Greg Gudorf, CEO, Digeo. “The world’s best HD DVR now delivers even more valuable entertainment services for the best home entertainment experience.”

The Moxi HD DVR is designed to appeal to the most demanding digital cable entertainment enthusiasts. With its native HD interface and Emmy® award-winning Moxi Menu, dual tuners, and up to 75-hours of HD recording space (up to 300 hours at standard definition, and expandable well beyond with an external eSATA drive), the Moxi HD DVR makes it effortless for consumers to discover, experience and share high definition media from their digital cable provider, PCs on the home network and the Internet.

Adding to an extensive list of advanced features and services, the enhancements announced today as part of the Moxi HD DVR Spring 2009 software release include:

• PlayOn – This media server software currently provides access to Internet videos from YouTube, Hulu, CBS, Netflix, CNN, ESPN and more through the Moxi HD DVR from a PC on the home network. Video formats are automatically converted so Moxi users can watch Internet video directly on their widescreen HDTV.

• Rhapsody® – The leading on-demand digital music service is now available through the Moxi HD DVR, allowing users to easily listen to any one of more than 7 million songs from all the major record labels and hundreds of smaller independent labels. Rhapsody delivers complete control over the music experience, helping users to easily find and play full length tracks, build playlists of favorites or listen to Rhapsody’s professionally programmed genre & artist channels. Starting today, Rhapsody and Digeo are bringing music without limits to every user of the Moxi HD DVR.

• Media Link – Certified to support the DLNA home networking standard, Media Link connects the TV or home entertainment system to PCs on a home network. Moxi users can easily stream digital movies, videos, music and photos from their PCs for viewing or listening from the comfort of their home entertainment environment.

• eControls – Moxi users can now manage their home entertainment environment through the Moxi menu to set the mood. Users can adjust most Z-Wave-certified products such as lighting (e.g., turning sets of lights on, off or dimming), control volume and power on AV devices, as well as monitor IP baby-cams or outside cameras, all from the remote control.

• Mosaic – A new browsing feature for the Flickr® online photo service available through the Moxi menu, Mosaic allows users to rapidly scroll up, down and across their photos as they are displayed as mosaic tiles on the display.

• MoxiNet –Moxi registered users can now bookmark their favorite websites at Moxi.com and browse them on their home entertainment display using the Moxi remote as a virtual mouse. This expands upon MoxiNet’s quick access to news, sports scores, movie times, weather and other information from the Internet.

For more details, including details of the PlayOn license key offer, technical specifications and screen images of the Moxi HD DVR expanded feature set, please visit: www.moxi.com. You can also follow Moxi on Twitter at www.twitter.com/moxi_hd or on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/c9vuxf

Source here

Hitachi Details Updated Wooo TVs

The last generation of Hitachi's Wooo TVs hardly left us wanting, so it's with open arms that we welcome their 2009 successors.

Coming form April the 25th we have three LCDs, two - the 42in L42-XP03 and 37in L37-XP03 - with Full HD 1,920 x 1,080 pixel panels and one - the 32in L31-XP03 - with an HD Ready 1,366 x 768 pixel resolution. All three TVs feature built-in 250GB hard drives, DLNA connectivity, and add what Hitachi calls Wooonet - Yahoo widgets to you and I. All three sets have three HDMI ports,

Hitachi's plasma line is being similarly updated. The entry level 42in, L42-HP03 sports a 1,024 x 768 pixel resolution a 30,000:1 contrast ratio and three HDMI ports, with the 50in P50-XP03, 46in P46-XP03 and 42in P42-XP03 offering four HDMI connections alongside 1,920 x 1,080 pixel displays with 40,000:1 contrast ratios. Again DLNA, Wooonet and hard drives are present.

Next up, we have the UT800 series, with the 47in UT47-XP800 (pictured), 42in UT42-XP800, 37in UT37-XP800, 32in UT32-XP800. All offer 1,920 x 1,080 pixel resolutions and as per the last generation are notable in keeping all their inputs, tuners and the like in a separate, UWB-connected, unit. Again, DLNA streaming, Wooonet and hard drive-recording capabilities are present.

All of the above televisions, both LCD and plasma, also have "Intelligent Auto" sensors, optimising their output depending on ambient conditions, helping improve power efficiency. That's in addition to improvements which make the latest range more power efficient to begin with.

Source here

Panasonic rolls out new $500 Blu-ray player in Japan

Panasonic announced the DMP-BD60 in Japan today [JP], a Blu-ray device, which is at the same time the company’s first without a recording function. Panasonic is marketing the $500 player as a low-priced machine that people can use as a second device, for example in their bed rooms.

The Blu-ray disc player is equipped with DLNA, supports 1080/24p as well as 1080/60p, is compatible with BD Live and comes with a YouTube function. It also features an HDMI port, VIERA Link, a LAN port and a SD/SDHC port.

The DMP-BD60 goes on sale in Japan on April 25. Panasonic hasn’t said yet whether it will be available outside Nippon as well. The company plans to produce 2,000 units per month.

Source here

Handsets embrace magnetic coupling

alm Inc. has demonstrated at the Consumer Electronics Show its Palm Pre with built-in magnetic induction, which is expected to ship by mid-2009. A handful of other handset makers are said to be designing wireless charging capabilities into mobile phones this year. Several component vendors are angling to help them do it, using a variety of approaches. Two of them have started a standards effort in hopes they could attract a broader set of design wins.

Magnetic coupling has been around for years, but 2009 may be the year mobile phones adopt the technology, giving wireless power a toehold in a mass market.

The Pre is the first of many mobile phones that will build in magnetic couple by next year's CES, said Jim Schuessler, senior technical marketing manager for portable products at National Semiconductor. "I know of several major companies designing it in, but we see this as a long adoption cycle on the order of 5-10 years," he said.

Interest in wireless power has been slowly building, according to Mitch Randall, chief technology officer and founder of WildCharge, a Boulder, Colorado-based start-up using a conduction technique that it first showed at CES in 2007

"The first year it was really new to everyone, a curiosity," he said. "Last year there was tremendous interest, but it had the flavour of 'why would I want it and how can I make money from it?' Now I'm getting the impression people are ready to do it and want to figure out which approach to use," Randall said.

The trend to wireless power has come and gone before, taking with it a handful of start-ups. But those involved say the momentum now feels real.

Several factors are driving interest, said Schuessler. Smartphone makers increasingly need something to differentiate their products. In addition, users need to charge the devices more frequently because batteries are not growing in size or capability as fast as handsets are packing in new power-sucking features.

"A phone in 2002 had standby power of three or four days, but today you are lucky if it lasts full day, so people are looking for more convenient ways to charge them," he said.

Growing environmental concerns are also a factor. "If this trend is successful there will be a diminishing need for a charger in ever box," he said, decreasing the growth in electronic waste in so-called wall warts often left plugged in and sucking unneeded energy.

The components needed are relatively simple. A metallic coil embedded in a plugged in base station links to ones embedded in a handset, digital camera or other device. They typically need a rectifier, some filters and a basic microcontroller to supervise the charging regime, leading to a total bill of materials of perhaps Rs.500.36 ($10) per device.

"We know it has to go lower than that, and we see a road map to get to much lower costs with integration on both sides of the link, but that won't happen unless there is a larger market," said Schuessler, indicating an all-too-familiar chicken-and-egg game in electronics.

Although most of the components are based on off-the-shelf chips, National ultimately plans to roll out patented synchronous rectifiers that could raise efficiency and lower heat for wireless charging systems. "We believe with our intellectual property we have a leg up," he said.

At least half a dozen companies are offering different approaches to magnetic coupling, most of them using induction. One of the trade-offs they face is that by using higher frequencies they can shrink the mechanical coils—but that typically requires larger or more expensive electronics.

Two of the players—ConvenientPower Ltd. (Hong Kong) and Fulton Innovations LLC (Ada, Mich.) are collaborating to draft an induction standard. Others, such as Powermat (Neve Ilan, Israel) want to pursue advantages they see in their proprietary approaches.

"Unlike other systems that require a lot of space for the charging area, our system requires very little," said Ron Ferber, president of Powermat. "That's why for our [charging] mats are very thin and our electronics can be scaled to embed into surfaces such as walls and ceilings," he said.

The company's approach will serve relatively low power devices such as mobile phones as well as high power ones like notebook computers, he added. It demonstrated prototypes at CES that will be on sale in the fall for prices ranging from Rs.2,501.82 ($50) to Rs.7,005.09 ($140).

By using conduction, Randall claims the WildCharge approach will cost less and be easier to use. Users won't have to lay down devices directly over a coil embedded in a mat because the technology relies on direct metallic contacts in the device linking to a proprietary pattern of pins in the mat.

"No matter how you sit device down, you get one plus and minus," said Randall.

The approach delivers up to 150W, suitable for charging everything from earbuds to laptops, he said.

To kick start the market, WildCharge licensed the technology to Griffin International, which has launched a retail product for rechargeable batteries. But WildCharge hopes to get its products designed into consumer devices, claiming it could deliver end user prices of less than Rs.2,501.82 ($50) for a pad and Rs.1,701.24 ($34) for a receiver skin.

"They have benefits in efficiency because they are directly conducting," but exposed metallic connections on devices could wear away or cause short circuits without cleaver mechanical design, said Schuessler. "We don't see it as the full potential of wireless charging," he added.

Intel researchers have been exploring longer-term approaches that don't require any physical contact. Using a so-called magnetic resonance approach pioneered by MIT, Intel used relatively large coils to deliver 60W of AC power at 10 MHz over three feet to switch on a light bulb at its annual conference in August.

In December, the company powered a small notebook PC in its lab, delivering 12W of DC power over three feet. "We even took the battery out to make sure it wasn't running on battery power," said Joshua Smith, a principal engineer in Intel's research group.

Intel's goal is to find a way to bring wireless power to its notebook customers. So far its coils are "about the right size to put in a laptop lid," said Smith.

The group is now working defining the usage model and "looking to find the maximum base power level to transmit safely within global regulations," Smith said. "We haven't thought much about the cost yet."

If users are going to be able to use one mat to wirelessly recharge a variety of products from different vendors, the industry needs a standard. The Wireless Power Consortium aims to deliver one, perhaps before the end of the year.

The group initially aims to deliver a spec for induction systems delivering 5W, probably using a 120kHz frequency. A follow on spec will target 100W for notebooks.

The consortium currently includes two start-ups with their own wireless power technology—ConvenientPower and Fulton—as well as component suppliers National and Texas Instruments, potential users Logitech, Philips, and Olympus, battery maker Sanyo and Shenzhen Sang Fei Consumer Communications Co., a Philips ODM.

The group has had three face-to-face meetings since it was formed in December and hopes to attract new members soon. It has outlined market requirements and is now drafting technical specs.

"In the future where there are millions of wireless power devices, the dream is to get to OEM costs of as low as a dollar to enable a receiver," said Camille Tang, president of ConvenientPower.

"There's a constructive mood in the group, said Schuessler who called the 2009 target "aggressive but not impossible. I think we have good coverage of the technology and intellectual property with Fulton and ConvenientPower participating," he added.

ConvenientPower has filed about ten patents on its technology that lets users place devices anywhere on its mat. It aims to ship in May retail products for the Nintendo DS and Blackberry Curve, but ultimately aims for OEM design wins.

In late January, TI announced it is working with Fulton. TI suggested it may design special chips to support Fulton's eCoupled technology that sports a similar ability to let users place devices anywhere on an inductive pad. Fulton uses a proprietary protocol that lets users simultaneously charge multiple devices with different charging regimes.

- Rick Merritt
EE Times

Source here

IR remotes move to RF

The traditional IR remote control device used to command consumer electronics devices including TVs and STBs is good at what it does, but in today's terms, somewhat limited.

Even "universal" remotes that control multiple devices are quite one-dimensional. If some major CE manufacturers have their way, the next generation of remotes will be based on RF technology. The growth curve for these products is just beginning, but is forecast to show a 55 per cent CAGR through 2014.

According to senior analyst Jason Blackwell of ABI Research, the first such products are already appearing in Japan. "RF remote controls are starting to ship with a few high-end Japan TVs such as Sony's premium Bravia models. Companies like Sony hope to start with early adopters, then ramp up volumes, drive down costs and move these remotes into more mainstream products."

IR remotes work fine, so why move to RF?

The reason is interactivity, which is becoming prevalent in today's digital home. As more devices add Internet connectivity and the ability for two-way communication and greater interactivity, RF remotes offer the prospect of better communication with devices: They can sense the status of the devices they control, for example, and report that back to the user. Users can also input information through more evolved interfaces. There's no need for the line-of-site required by IR, so an RF remote could control STB or audio receiver in another room.

The move to RF remotes is being driven by major OEMs, not by consumer demand. But, Blackwell adds, "If vendors can make consumers aware of the benefits, that will drive consumer adoption. And if manufacturers can offer a remote that works with a wide range of devices, RF adoption becomes that much easier." To that end, a number of manufacturers are currently hammering out standards.

Source here

The end of the plug? Scientists invent wireless device that beams electricity through your home

by DAVID DERBYSHIRE
Last updated at 12:31 08 June 2007

Scientists have sounded the death knell for the plug and power lead.

In a breakthrough that sounds like something out of Star Trek, they have discovered a way of 'beaming' power across a room into a light bulb, mobile phone or laptop computer without wires or cables.

In the first successful trial of its kind, the team was able to illuminate a 60-watt light bulb 7ft away.

Scroll down for more

If it works and it's safe, it will be one of the greatest achievements ever. Online forum

The team from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who call their invention 'WiTricity', believe it could change the way we use electricity and do away with the tangle of cables, plugs and chargers that clutter modern homes.

It could also allow the use of laptops and mobile phones without batteries.

The inspiration came when the lead researcher, Dr Marin Soljacic, was standing in his kitchen at night staring at his mobile phone.

"It was probably the sixth time that month that I was awakened by my cell phone beeping to let me know that I had forgotten to charge it. It occurred to me that it would be so great if the thing took care of its own charging," he said.

To turn this dream into reality, Dr Soljacic needed a way of transmitting power wirelessly.

Scientists have known for nearly two centuries that it is possible to transfer an electrical current from one coil of wire to another without them touching.

The phenomenon, called electromagnetic induction, is used in power transformers and electric motors around the world.

However, the coils in motors and transformers have to be close for power to pass from one to another. Attempting to transfer power over distances is impossible.

The breakthrough came when Dr Soljacic realised there was another way of transferring energy through the air.

Rather than sending power from a transmitter to a receiver as a conventional electromagnetic wave - the same form of radiation as light, radio waves and microwaves - he could use the transmitter to fill a room with a 'non-radiative' electromagnetic field.

Most objects in the room - such as people, desks and carpets - would be unaffected by the electromagnetic field. But any objects designed to resonate with the electromagnetic field would absorb the energy.

It sounds complicated, but the result demonstrated by the American team this month was a dramatic success. Using two coils of copper, the team transmitted power 7ft through the air to a light bulb, which lit up instantly.

The scientists say the technique works only over distances of up to 9ft. However, they believe it could be used to charge up a battery within a few yards of the power source connected to a receiving coil.

Placing one source in each room could provide enough power for an entire house.

The receiver and transmitter would not have to be in view of each other.

Professor Peter Fisher, another of the researchers, said: "As long as the laptop is in a room equipped with a source of wireless power, it would charge automatically without having to be plugged in. In fact, it would not even need a battery to operate inside such a room."

The researchers believe there is little to worry about on safety grounds, saying that magnetic fields interact weakly with living organisms and are unlikely to have any serious side effects.

Dr Soljacic said: "When my son was about three years old, we visited his grandparents' house. They had a 20-year-old phone and my son picked up the handset asking, 'Dad, why is this phone attached with a cord to the wall?' That is the mindset of a child growing up in a wireless world.

"Hopefully we will be getting rid of some more wires and batteries soon."

Source here

Panasonic rolling out WirelessHD in Japan

AV Watch is reporting that Panasonic has announced its first WirelessHD capable TV range, to be released on April 20th.

The televisions in question (three of them) are full 1080p HD, 40000:1 contrast, plasma, and come in at one inch thick.

Pricing comes in at about $6,156 for the cheapest 46-inch model, about $6,715 for the 50-inch model and a hefty $7,835 for the 54-inch version. WirelessHD removes the need for any cables to the TV (besides the power of course -- that technology is yet to come) without any compromise of quality. In addition to this, walking in front of the wireless transfer device doesn't cause any problems either, and easily switches between sources automatically.

WirelessHD aside, the new TVs have half the power consumption than Panasonic's previous models of large widescreen HDTVs, and comes with full YouTube support, and a 2.4GHz remote.

This is a very nice looking TV, but in order just anyone that isn't in Japan to get one, importing is the only choice.

Source here

LG Blu-ray box to offer CinemaNow, YouTube videos

January 4, 2009

LG Blu-ray box to offer CinemaNow, YouTube videos

LG Electronics will add video streaming features from CinemaNow and YouTube to its 2009 lineup of networked Blu-ray players, the company said Tuesday.

The company will be showing off the new functionality at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) next week in Las Vegas. (Click here for CNET’s complete coverage of CES 2009.)

LG launched its first network-connected Blu-ray player in July with partner Netflix. As part of the deal, viewers get access to more than 12,000 movies and TV shows from Netflix.

With Tuesday’s announcement, LG Blu-ray customers will also get access to 14,000 movies and TV shows from CinemaNow. And they will be able to stream millions of Web videos directly from the Internet to an LG Network Blu-ray Player so they can watch it on their TVs.

The current economic slump is driving some consumers to cancel expensive cable or satellite TV packages and look for video content online. LG believes it can capitalize on this trend by making it easier for consumers to find entertainment online that can be viewed on their TVs.

“As millions of U.S. consumers view and download movies or TV shows through the Internet, they are demanding easier ways to access content and more home entertainment options,” Tim Alessi, director of product development for LG Electronics USA, said in a statement. “From Blu-ray to instant streaming from Netflix to CinemaNow and YouTube, LG is bridging the gap between packaged media and video-on-demand services to provide entertainment solutions for consumers’ demand for content.”

Sony Japan Announces Six New Blu-Ray/HD Recorders

Sony has announced six stylish, yet functional high capacity Blu-Ray Burners/HDD Drives capable of recording in full HD (1920×1080 MPEG-2, 5.1channel sound amongst other recording options). The BDZ-X100 (1TB), BDZ-X95 (500GB), BDZ-L95 (500GB), BDZ-L55 (320GB), BDZ-T75 (320GB), and BDZ-T55 (320GB) were all revealed today by Sony Japan. The X-Series is for the hardcore, the L series for the photo/video enthusiast (it can read from several storage cards), and the T series is somewhere inbetween. It is not immediately known as to the fate of the international debut of these products, but we can assume that at least a few of these models will in some form. The BDZ-X100 and BDZ-X95 will include an HD digital tuner, the DRC-MF (v3) chip, DLNA capablity and the highest capacity hard drives included with a Sony Blu-Ray burner (at a heavy price). Here is a translated chart of the options found in each (click for more detail, and yes, we understand some of this may not make sense) :

There are several recording modes common to each device, and are as follows:

So, all will be capable of playing BD-RE ver.2.1、BD-R ver.1.1/1.2/1 (including all BD-Live!), DVD+RW/+R/+R DL/-RW/-R/-R DL, and all CD-rom formats. CATV hookup(s) are included in the rear as well as two HDMI ports for the X series; the others will have one HDMI input. Common I/O amongst the devices include an ethernet jack, USB (2 for L Series, 1 for X, none for T), digital audio output, analog video/audio, S-Video, composite and component on several models. All of these new Blu-Ray Burners/HDD combos will have Sony’s beautiful xvColor, which is a stunning enhancement for color reproduction, a new CREAS chip (upscales 8/10-bit TV’s to 14-bit through Super-Bit Mapping), Deep Color, and true 24p (X series has 60p as well). There is so much more, and I am so jealous of Japanese consumers. Check this out:

The screenshots above are from a DoCoMo cell phone, and more importantly the G-Guide software, which allows cell phone users who own these new units to control their recording schedules remotely. other cool software features include automatic recording of favorite shows, automatic chapter creation, faster dubbing of HD to BR, x-Pict and x-Scrapbook for creative photo display, and more. I think it’s time for me to move to Japan.

The BDZ-T55 will go for 110,000Y, BDZ-T75 for 140,000Y, BDZ-L55 for 130,000Y, BDZ-L95 for 170,000Y, BDZ-X95 for 200,000Y, and the BDZ-X100 for a whopping 280,000Y ($2,572USD). Japanese consumers should expect the T-Series on October 10th, and the rest on September 27th.

Check out an awesome review and many more pictures of the devices and of the recording quality at AV Watch Electric Zooma!, the general AV Watch announcement, and Sony Japan’s announcement. Click on any of the below images for a larger view.

BDZ-X100

BDZ-X95

BDZ-T75

BDZ-T55

BDZ-L55

Interesting shots:

Back of X-Series

Card reader options on L-Series

Left: L-Series, Right: X-Series

General program guide

In its bid to expand outside Japan, Matsushita changes its name to Panasonic

By Kiyoshi Takenaka
Reuters

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

TOKYO: After nearly a century of existence, Matsushita Electric Industrial is ditching its founder's name to trade under one name globally - Panasonic, its best-known brand - hoping this and an $11 billion reserve of cash will increase its growth outside Japan and help the company compete with rivals like Samsung and Sony.

Expansion overseas is an urgent task for Matsushita, which earns half its revenue from its home base of Japan, where the population is aging. Sony earns more than three quarters of its sales outside Japan, helped in part by its strong brand name.

Matsushita markets its products outside Japan under the Panasonic brand, while in Japan it sells home appliances under the National brand.

"We will strive not to waste even one moment of our effort or one drop of our sweat, and focus everything on Panasonic," the company's president, Fumio Ohtsubo, said this month.

A shift in branding to Panasonic for home appliances in Japan will be completed by March 2010.

Matsushita's decision to change its name, effective Wednesday, comes half a century after a rival company, Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering, was renamed Sony.

The late Konosuke Matsushita started his company at the age of 23, when he turned part of his rented house into a workshop. The company reckons that now - its 90th anniversary - is a good time to make the name change, and it will promote Panasonic as a single worldwide brand.

As part of its drive to expand globally, Matsushita plans to introduce its washing machines and refrigerators in Europe by March, going head to head with brands like Electrolux of Sweden.

Matsushita, with available cash of 1.16 trillion yen, or $10.9 billion, may consider mergers and acquisitions as a way to take on bigger rivals and increase its sales of home appliances, said Kazuharu Miura, an analyst at the Daiwa Institute of Research.

"The white-goods market may appear mature, but it is also a market where profitability goes up as you expand your market share," Miura said. He added that the home appliances division of General Electric would be an "ideal" acquisition for Matsushita.

GE said in May that it might sell or spin off its appliances unit and identified several potential bidders, including Haier, of China; LG Electronics, of South Korea; Controladora Mabe, of Mexico; Arcelik, of Turkey; and Electrolux. But GE said later that it might sell its entire consumer and industrial goods business, instead of just the home-appliance arm.

Hitoshi Otsuki, managing director at Matsushita, told analysts last week that the company was open to overseas mergers and acquisitions, but only to strengthen its distribution networks, not to expand production capacity - a signal that potential targets could be small, unlisted companies, analysts said.

Matsushita's revenue of $85.1 billion is similar to the sales of Samsung and Sony, while its operating profit, at $4.9 billion, is slightly ahead of Sony's, at $4.5 billion, but below the $7.5 billion generated by Samsung.

In terms of brand awareness, a crucial element in the industries of consumer electronics and home appliances, Panasonic ranks 78th on Interbrand's most recent list of top global brands, well behind Samsung, at 21st, and Sony, ranked 25th.

Analysts say that Matsushita has a good record of improving the quality of existing products and selling them at affordable prices, but that it lacks innovative products like the Walkman from Sony or the iPod from Apple.

"Matsushita has traditionally had this strategy of letting others launch new products, and then stepping in and making them better and cheaper," said Mitsushige Akino, chief fund manager at Ichiyoshi Investment Management.

"That's one way of doing business and it certainly incurs less risk," Akino said. "But I'm not sure if that should be the only way for Matsushita as it goes forward."

But Shunzo Ushimaru, an executive vice president at Matsushita who heads its corporate brand committee, insists that his company has come up with market-leading products, including self-cleaning air-conditioners and tilt-drum washer/dryer hybrids, which have been copied by competitors.

"Some media once called us 'Maneshita,"' Ushimaru said, using the Japanese word for copycat, "but it's our turn now to be copied by others."

On the audio-visual side of its electronics business, which include Viera flat-screen televisions, the company has said it will spend $2.8 billion to build an LCD panel plant in western Japan. It is also building a $2.6 billion plant to make plasma panels in Japan, part of a plan to make its own screens for its plasma and LCD televisions, instead of buying screens from other companies. Matsushita is already the world's largest maker of plasma TVs.

In-house panel production allows TV makers to maximize profit when sales go well, but recouping heavy investments can be tricky because of the fierce price competition within the industry, which makes self-production of both LCD and plasma panels a high-stakes bet.

"Risk is big when you do everything from panel production to TV sales," said Ryosuke Katsura, an analyst at Mizuho Securities.

Samsung had a 23.1 percent share of the global market for flat-screen televisions in the first half of 2008, followed by Sony, with a 14.7 percent share. LG Electronics had 10.6 percent of the market, while Matsushita had 8.6 percent, according to the research firm DisplaySearch.

Matsushita, aware of the risk associated with aggressively building up its production capacity, chose to build its LCD plant so it could avoid future hiccups like the one experienced last year, when it was unable to secure enough panels because of tight supplies and thus failed to increase market share.

"Matsushita is keen not only on stability but also on growth," analysts at Nomura Securities said in a recent research report. "We think the company is both big and nimble enough to weather a downturn in the macro environment."

Shares in Matsushita have fallen 18 percent so far this year, but they have outperformed the 45 percent slide for Sony's shares, and the benchmark Nikkei 225 share average, which has declined 23 percent.

Source

Sony Unveils New LCD TVs with 'World's 1st Features' [Video]

Aug 29, 2008 21:10
Masao Oonishi, Nikkei Microdevices

Sony Corp announced four series of full-HD LCD TVs with a total of eight models including one that measures only 9.9mm at its thinnest part and another with 4x driving speed, which the company claims were developed for the first time in the world.

They are slated for launch in Japan in October and November as the fall 2008 models.

The model that is 9.9mm thick at its thinnest portion has a separate tuner and speakers

The 40-inch LCD TV in the ZX1 series has the thinnest portion of 9.9mm and the thickest portion of 28mm. (The one in the back is facing front.)

The ZX1 series features the thinnest portion of only 9.9mm. The model unveiled this time is a 40-inch product. It uses an edge LED backlight. With white LEDs arranged on four sides of a light guide plate, the backlight is thinner than those using a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL). The TV has a contrast ratio of 3,000:1.

The main unit is composed of a monitor alone, and a tuner is built in the "Wireless Media Receiver." The monitor and the tuner transmit signals with each other via 5GHz wireless communications. A speaker unit is incorporated in a stand portion of a tabletop stand. When the TV is hung on a wall, dedicated speaker unit is attached below the monitor.

When hung on a wall: The distance between the wall and the front surface is less than 50mm. The Wireless Media Receiver (left) wirelessly communicates with the monitor.

The thickest portion of the monitor measures 28mm. The company developed a dedicated wall-mounting unit with a thickness of 19.5mm. With this unit, the distance between the wall and the front surface of the TV is less than 50mm.

The mounting unit can be tilted up or down. The monitor weighs 12.2kg, and the dedicated wall-mounted speaker unit is 1.8kg. Thus, the TV weighs less than 15kg in total when it is hung on a wall.

Insertion of three interpolation images enables 240Hz driving speed

The W1 series with 240MHz driving speed (40-inch model)

The W1 series employs the "Motionflow 240Hz" technology to enable a 240Hz driving speed. The "Motionflow 240Hz" is an advanced version of the "Motionflow," which creates double-speed images after correcting the blur in each of the original 60fps images.

While the existing version of the technique creates and inserts one interpolation image to enable a 120Hz driving speed, the new version generates three interpolation images. The W1 series comes in 46- and 40-inch models.

Local dimming by RGB LED backlight

The XR1 series with enhanced picture quality (46-inch model)

The XR1 series is a high picture quality model equipped with RGB LED backlights. The TV features a virtual contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1, which is enabled by local dimming. To enhance the moving picture performance, the XR1 series employs the "Motionflow Pro 120Hz," which is designed to deliver smooth images by combining the 120Hz driving speed technology and partial blinking of backlight. The series comes in 55- and 46-inch models.

New engine reduces flicker noise

The X1 series with reduced noise in small areas (40-inch model)

The X1 series is equipped with a new image processing engine called "Bravia Engine 2 Pro," which can reduce flicker noise. The series comes in 52-, 46- and 40-inch models.

The previous version, the "Bravia Engine 2," significantly reduced noise in darker areas, while the new engine incorporates the DRC-MFv3 chip for executing additional arithmetic processing to reduce flicker noise around areas that are moving subtly. Thus, the engine enhances the resolution without emphasizing the edges of the image.

Providing "high added value" and "larger display sizes"

The latest models all have a display that is at least 40 inches in size.

"We decided to offer 40-inch or larger models because the proportion of the 37-inch or larger models increased from 20% in October 2006 to 33% in July 2008," said Takao Yoshikawa, director of the FTV Business Division of the TV Business Group of Sony.

Meanwhile, Sony plans to continue providing 30-inch class models as the J and F series. The company also intends to continue expanding the market for low-price TVs to "try to work on both markets," according to Yoshikawa.

The expected market price of the KDL-40ZX1 in the ZX1 series is about ¥490,000 (approx US$4,507). The KDL-46W1 of the W1 series is about ¥400,000, and the KDL-40W1 in the same series is about ¥290,000. For the XR series, the KDL-55XR1 is about ¥750,000, while the KDL-46XR1 is about ¥600,000. The KDL-52X1, KDL-46X1 and KDL-40X1 in the X1 series are about ¥530,000, ¥430,000 and ¥320,000, respectively.

Source here

Panasonic to Release Youtube-compatible PDP TVs w/ 1TB HDD

Aug 27, 2008 20:59
Naoki Asakawa, Nikkei Electronics

The "PZR900 series" PDP TVs to be released in September 2008

The series supports playback of YouTube videos

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co Ltd will successively release the "PZR900 series" PDP TVs featuring YouTube video playback capability from Sept 10, 2008, in Japan.

The company has already released other YouTube-compatible TVs in the North American market (See related article).

YouTube playback capability will only become available from Sept 30. Users can start viewing YouTube after downloading a dedicated software application via Matsushita's Website.

Each model houses a 1-Tbyte HDD for recording terrestrial/BS/CS digital broadcasts. However, they cannot record analog broadcasts. Supporting Dubbing 10, the PZR900 series allows users to copy recorded programs (or move recorded copy-once programs) to HDDs in Matsushita's recorders connected to its i.LINK port, and further move and record the copied programs on DVD and Blu-ray Disc media.

The PZR900 series products' contrast ratio is 30,000:1, the same as that of the "PZ800 series" released in April 2008. They also cover 120% of the color range area defined by the HDTV broadcast standard (ITU-R BT.809).

Source here

Sony's Blu-ray Recorders Sharpen Videos for Old TV Sets

9 05, 2008 20:36
Naoki Asakawa, Nikkei Electronics

Sony Corp will launch six Blu-ray Disc recorders featuring its "CREAS" image processor LSI, which enhances color gradation, in series from Sept 27, 2008.

"CREAS is effective for any existing TV equipped with an HDMI interface, no matter whether it is a Sony product or not," said Shoji Nemoto, senior vice president and director of Audio and Video Business Group of Sony.

CREAS consists mainly of two circuit blocks. The "HD Reality Enhancer" in the first block stresses the outline (sharpness) and enhances color gradation (smoothing) of 8-bit video signals that are input. It analyzes color information of hundreds of surrounding pixels and determines the intensity of sharpness and smoothing processing by each pixel.

"When the edges of the surrounding pixels are strong, for example, it mildly processes sharpness," a Sony spokesperson said. Internal computing is performed on 14-bit or higher quality video, and 14-bit video signals (YUV4:4:4) are output to the circuit in the second block.

The "Super Bit Mapping for Video" circuit in the second block works to convert the 14-bit video signals to 12- to 8-bit signals in accordance with the feature of the panel, on which the video is output. During the process, the circuit slightly increases amplitude of color signals so neutral colors can be rendered to reproduce 14-bit equivalent video even if it is output on a display that can only render 8- or 10-bit video.

The technique is similar to dithering as a signal processing, but Super Bit Mapping "increases amplitude at high space frequencies in an effort not to cause the processing to appear as noises, in consideration of characteristics of human vision," the spokesperson said.

All the six Blu-ray Disc recorders feature a capability to record MPEG-2 TS format digital broadcasts after transcoding them into the MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 format. Minimum data rate that they can directly record HDTV video at is 4Mbps (when recording in LR mode). HDTV video can be recorded for 24 hours on a 50-Gbyte disc, according to Sony.

The recorders employed NEC Electronics Corp's "EMMA" series SoC as their main chip. Each model mounts three image processing LSI chips, EMMA, a transcode LSI and CREAS. As for Blu-ray Disc playback, the six new models all support BD-Live.

Extract hot keywords from EPG data

(Continue to the next page)

Extract hot keywords from EPG data

For recording, the new models incorporated the "x-Midokoro (highlight) Magazine," a function to extract keywords to draw interest and lead trends from EPG data and display them in a form like a TV magazine.

"If x-Omakase/MaruRoku (the automatic recording function) is a function that extracts individual interests, x-Midokoro Magazine is a function that highlights the public interest," Sony said. "We hope users will take advantage of both functions in accordance with their needs."

As the function only uses EPG data for extracting keywords, there is no need to obtain information via the Internet.

The "BDZ-X95" and "BDZ-X100," high-end X-series models, feature the "DRC-MFv3" IP conversion LSI chip, two HDMI ports and two digital tuners. Both models support the "Odekake/Okaeri Transfer" function to transfer recorded video to other devices including the PSP and Walkman.

The X95 houses a 500-Gbyte HDD, whereas the X100 houses a 1-Tbyte HDD. Street pricing is expected to be around ¥200,000 (approx US$1,881) for the X95 and ¥280,000 for the X100.

The "BDZ-L55" and "BDZ-L95," L-series models focusing on the link with camcorders and other peripheral devices, are provided with a "one touch dubbing button," which allows users to easily copy videos from peripheral devices. Only the L95 is equipped with a "multi memory card slot," which supports major memory cards, as well as two digital tuners.

The L55 houses a 320-Gbyte HDD and the L95 mounts a 500-Gbyte HDD. Street pricing for the L55 and L95 is expected to be about ¥130,000 and 170,000, respectively.

The low-end "BDZ-T55" and "BDZ-T75" house a 320-Gbyte HDD. Only the T75 is equipped with two digital tuners. Street pricing for the T75 and T55 is anticipated to be about ¥140,000 and 110,000, respectively.

Along with these six recorders, Sony will release the"BDP-S350" and "BDP-S5000ES" Blu-ray Disc players as well. Both models support BD-Live. The BDP-S5000ES features the "CREAS" image processor chip as the new Blu-ray Disc recorders do. The players will be launched Dec 6, 2008. Street pricing for the S350 is expected to be around ¥45,000, while the suggested retail price of the S5000ES is ¥294,000.

Naoki Asakawa, Nikkei Electronics

Source here

Once in crisis, Sony adjusts to digital age

BERLIN: When Howard Stringer took the helm at Sony three years ago, the Japanese company was in crisis. The consumer electronics business that had produced the transistor radio, the Trinitron TV and the Walkman, was losing money. Sony had been overtaken by Samsung of Korea, which had correctly anticipated the huge consumer demand for flat-panel TVs.

By January 2006, Sony had so few new products to brag about that Stringer had to call the actor Tom Hanks on stage during his keynote speech to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to help him buy time as he promoted the Sony Reader, a hand-held digital book reader.

"I clutched that Reader for an hour and sold it and sold it and sold it," Stringer said at the Internationale Funkausstellung in Berlin, the largest consumer electronics convention in Europe. "It was all I had."

Almost three years later, Sony's digital distress appears to be a thing of the past. At the IFA, which ends Wednesday, Sony showed off an array of products defined by superlatives: the EX1, the first high-definition wireless home entertainment system; the ZX1, the thinnest LCD TV in the world; and the Z4500 line of LCD TVs that process screens four times as fast as a conventional LCD TVs.

"We have spent a lot of time over the last three years adjusting our business for the digital age," Stringer said. "We are now making more money than we have ever made before. Our core businesses are working for us."

Samsung remains a formidable competitor, and will stay atop the TV business by expanding its line of larger, expensive LCDs - going head to head with Sony in its strongest segment, Jongwoo Park, the president of Samsung's digital media business, which includes TVs, said during an interview at the IFA.

"I am well aware Sony is aggressively trying to build market share," Park said. "But we are going to stay on top because we can use the power of our market share."

Sony also faces other challenges. In mobile phones, Sony Ericsson, the 50-50 joint venture, remained a distant No.5 in cellphones with an 8.2 percent market share in the second quarter, according to Strategy Analytics. In gaming, Sony lost the equivalent of $1.14 billion during its last financial year, but the business has since become profitable, Stringer said, as sales of PlayStation3 games offset losses on the hardware.

Under Stringer, Sony has invested heavily in software development, as consumer electronics and computing merge. In the year through March, Sony added 17,500 employees, many of them software engineers in Eastern Europe, India, California and Asia, Fujio Nishida, president of Sony Europe, said. Since 2005, Sony has cut 10,000 employees as it closed 11 old-generation TV factories.

"Howard was evangelizing internally within Sony for a stronger emphasis on software, how software adds value to devices," a former Sony U.S. executive, who did not want his name used because he was uncomfortable commenting on a former employer, said. "In every meeting I was in, he was trying to change some of the hardware culture."

Most importantly, Stringer has reduced the insular mentality that had balkanized Sony's electronics, movie, gaming, music and mobile businesses, said a former senior Sony Europe executive, who also did not want to publicly comment on his former employee. "I used to have to force people to sit down and talk with each other," said the former manager.

Stringer, one industry expert said, is seeking to deliver on the reform goals set by his mentor and predecessor, Nobuyuki Idei, who in the 1990s initiated the push into software and promoted Stringer to head Sony's U.S. operations.

"Sony over the past few years has been investing significantly in software and raising the user experience, working to tie together its broad family of products," said Ross Rubin, an analyst at NPD, a research company based in Port Washington, New York. "Sony's brand trust still remains far ahead of Samsung as a purchase motivator, but Samsung has certainly been very aggressive about building its brands."

Stringer's cross-marketing initiatives will be seen in the upcoming James Bond film, "Quantum of Solace," scheduled for release Nov. 3. Sony Pictures shot the film in high-definition, with scenes showcasing new Sony electronics. Joint marketing campaigns are being timed at Sony sales outlets and electronics product launches.

In February, Sony also won the battle to define the high-definition TV standard when a consortium backed by Toshiba abandoned the HD-DVD format, leaving the Sony Blu-Ray disc as sole survivor. The string of victories has brightened the mood at Sony, Nishida said.

"By the end of 2010, our goal is to be the market leader in TVs," Nishida said.

Some of Stringer's changes have been more radical. Sony now makes LCD TV panels in a 50-50 joint venture with Samsung in Tangjeong, South Korea. A second LCD factory near Osaka, a joint venture with Sharp in which Sony will own 34 percent, is to open by the end of 2009.

The turnaround is also evident in the company's financial results after three years of cost cutting, layoffs and restructuring under Stringer, an affable, Welsh-born former president of CBS in the United States with dual U.S. and British citizenship.

In the year that ended March 31, Sony's profit tripled to ¥369.4 billion, or $3.4 billion, as sales rose 6.9 percent to ¥8.87 trillion. In consumer electronics, which make up about two-thirds of Sony's sales, operating income more than doubled to ¥356 billion.

In tandem with a financial recovery, Sony is bidding to recapture the title of TV innovator, beating Samsung to market with the first ultra-thin TV screen made from organic light-emitting diodes. OLEDs are made of carbon-based evanescent film that eliminate the need for back lighting and shrink the entire panel to just five millimeters thick, the width of three credit cards.

Samsung, the industrial giant that is also the world's largest computer chip maker, remains a formidable obstacle to Sony's comeback bid.

In the second quarter, Samsung was the global TV leader by revenue for the 10th quarter in a row, with a 22.8 percent market share.

Sony was No.2 with 12.5 percent, according to DisplaySearch, a research firm in Austin, Texas.

Source here

Intel(R) and Yahoo!(R) to Bring the Internet to Television

Intel Corporation and Yahoo! Inc. today previewed plans for the Widget Channel, a television (TV) application framework optimized for TV and related consumer electronics (CE) devices that use the Intel Architecture. The Widget Channel will allow consumers to enjoy rich Internet applications designed for the TV while watching their favorite TV programs. The Widget Channel will be powered by the Yahoo! Widget Engine, a fifth-generation applications platform that will enable TV watchers to interact with and enjoy a rich set of “TV Widgets,” or small Internet applications designed to complement and enhance the traditional TV watching experience and bring content, information and community features available on the Internet within easy reach of the remote control. The Widget Channel will also allow developers to use JAVASCRIPT^®, XML¹, HTML¹ and Adobe Flash® technology to write TV applications for the platform, extending the power and compatibility of PC application developer programs to TV and related CE devices. In addition to supporting the Yahoo! Widget Engine, Yahoo! will also provide consumers Yahoo!-branded TV Widgets that are customized based on its category-leading Internet services.

TV Widgets will enable consumers to engage in a variety of experiences, such as watching videos, tracking their favorite stocks or sports teams, interacting with friends, or staying current on news and information. Viewers will be able to use TV Widgets to deepen their enjoyment of the programming they are watching, discover new content and services, or share their favorites with friends and family. TV Widgets can be personalized because they will be based upon popular Internet services such as Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo! Sports, Blockbuster^® and eBay^® that viewers have customized for use in their daily lives.

“TV will fundamentally change how we talk about, imagine and experience the Internet,” said Eric Kim, Intel senior vice president and general manager of the company’s Digital Home Group. “No longer just a passive experience unless the viewer wants it that way, Intel and Yahoo! are proposing a way where the TV and Internet are as interactive, and seamless, as possible. Our close work has produced an exciting application framework upon which the industry can collaborate, innovate and differentiate. This effort is one of what we believe will be many exciting new ways to bring the Internet to the TV, and it really shows the potential of what consumers can look forward to.”

“On the PC and mobile devices, Yahoo! is a leading starting point for millions of consumers around the world,” said Marco Boerries, executive vice president, Connected Life, Yahoo! Inc. “Yahoo! aims to extend this leadership to the emerging world of Internet-connected TV, which we call the Cinematic Internet™. By partnering with leaders like Intel, we plan to combine the Internet benefits of open user choice, community, and personalization with the performance and scale embodied in the Intel Architecture to transform traditional TV into something bigger, better and more exciting than ever before. By using the popular Yahoo! Widget Engine to power the Widget Channel, we intend to provide an opportunity for all developers and publishers to create new experiences that can reach millions of TV viewers globally. Yahoo! plans to enable the Cinematic Internet^™ ecosystem, which will benefit consumers, device makers, advertisers and publishers.”

Widget Channel Framework and TV Widget Developers

Underlying the Widget Channel will be a powerful set of platform technologies, including the Yahoo! Widget Engine and core libraries that expose the powerful functions enabled by the Intel Architecture. The Widget Channel framework will use established Internet technologies to dramatically lower the barrier of entry for developing applications optimized for TV. To help create new TV Widgets for the Widget Channel, Intel and Yahoo! plan to make a development kit available to developers, including TV and other CE device makers, advertisers and publishers. The Widget Channel will also include a Widget Gallery, to which developers can publish their TV Widgets across multiple TV and related CE devices and through which consumers can view and select the TV Widgets they would like to use.

Intel and Yahoo! are working with a range of industry-leading companies that are planning on developing and deploying TV Widgets, including Blockbuster¹, CBS Interactive¹, CinemaNow¹, Cinequest¹, Comcast¹, Disney-ABC Television Group¹, eBay¹, GE¹, Group M¹, Joost¹, MTV¹, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.¹, Schematic¹, Showtime¹, Toshiba¹ and Twitter¹. These and other companies and individuals will be able to innovate, differentiate and deploy TV Widgets across multiple TV and related CE devices using the Widget Channel framework. Additional information on the Widget Channel framework and the Yahoo! Widget Engine can be found at www.intel.com/go/celink and http://connectedtv.yahoo.com/newsroom.

Intel Architecture

Intel Architecture (IA) is at the heart of millions of PC-, MID- and server-based Internet clients, which has helped enable the proliferation of Internet-based content and services while providing users with an uncompromised Internet experience. Accelerating the delivery of the Internet to the TV, Intel today extended performance, headroom and connectivity of IA into a new family of “purpose built” system-on-chip (SoC) media processors for Internet-connected CE devices, including optical media players, U.S. cable set-top-boxes, digital TVs and other connected audio visual products.

Intel’s first CE IA-based SoC, the Intel® Media Processor CE 3100 (formerly “Canmore”), is a highly integrated chip which includes a high-performance IA core and other functional I/O blocks to enable high definition video decode and viewing, home-theater-quality audio, 3-D graphics, and the fusion of the Internet and TV experiences. The Widget Channel software framework is designed to work with a new generation of Internet-connected CE devices based on Intel’s purpose built SoC. The hardware and software compatibility of IA also provides support for broadcast and Internet content.

Intel also plans to release the Intel Media Processor CE 3100-based hardware development system called the “Innovation Platform” which will provide the initial development and validation environment for developers of TV Widgets on the Widget Channel.

An Open Framework

Finally, Intel and Yahoo! are working with industry members to promote the development of open and consistent standards necessary to grow the TV Widget ecosystem. As part of their efforts, the companies are sharing an early version of a development kit for the Widget Channel with selected TV Widget developers now.

Source here

Samsung teams up with Yahoo to bring TV internet service to your sofa

It may not seem like much, a matter of a few feet, negotiating a corridor and a couple of doorways, but it has become one of the technology industry's greatest challenges - dragging the internet away from the family PC and out of the home office and putting it on the television set in the lounge. After years of watching others fail to achieve it, Samsung Electronics believes that it is about to succeed.

This week the world's largest consumer electronics company will tell the IFA industry fair in Germany that it is partnering Yahoo! to provide content for a new integrated internet access service in its televisions. The InfoLive service will provide news, finance and weather information from Yahoo!, directed from the remote control. Samsung plans to provide the service on Series 7, 8 and 9 televisions in Canada, Australia, and Singapore and in selected countries in Europe by the end of this year.

As ever with such advances, timing is everything. Previous attempts have failed not because the technology was lacking but because the audience was not ready to give up the big screen to anything other than a television programme or a film. Interactivity came a poor second to sitting and watching.

But tastes are changing. Consumers are much more used to interactivity across all media, from radio phone-ins and X Factor-style votes to internet blogs and comments, and they are embracing the combination of net and television. One survey, for example, found that 43 per cent of viewers of the Super Bowl in February surfed the web on their laptops or mobile phones while watching the game on TV.

Samsung believes that it has surmounted the problem of navigation by not swamping the big screen but by adding bite-sized interactive choices. Users will be able to watch a programme while a tickertape of news items, share prices or weather forecasts runs in tandem with it. The content is accessible via an integrated Ethernet port or via Samsung's wireless LAN adapter, which connects to the viewer's broadband service.

Moreover, Samsung is seeking interactive success on several fronts. Separately, it is a partner for a venture between Yahoo! and Intel, the chip-maker, to develop what is being called the Widget Channel of interactive content. In due course, viewers may be able to check their eBay auction, view a friend's photos and instant message friends, all using the remote control from the comfort of their armchairs.

Jungwoo Park surveys these prospects from his office in the Samsung tower south of Seoul. The head of the digital media division at Samsung Electronics sees them as part of the battle to make Samsung's televisions the centre of entertainment in every living room. According to Dr Park, televisions will be the company's big driver of growth for the next five years.

“We want televisions to be centre of the home network,” he said. And the key to that is a change in Samsung's strategy. Until now, it has kept out of the game of providing content, concentrating on developing its market-leading range of high-definition sets. Now, according to Dr Park, the solutions are not just about hardware but about the software that televisions carry.

Samsung Electronics, with significant market shares in mobile phones, LED screens, white goods and other items, powered its way to a $105 billion worldwide turnover in 2007. Amid this year's global economic woes, Dr Park argues that he should provide premium products with added value to keep the customers spending.

He foresees a time - perhaps only five years away - when TV sets will been connected wirelessly to a range of devices that will “talk” to each other automatically, downloading pictures, streaming video, music and games. “No stress,” Dr Park said, with a smile.

Source here

Panasonic replaces Sony as Japan’s coolest electronics brand

Although much has been made of Sony’s recent resurgence under Sir Howard Stringer, the Tokyo monster may be surprised to learn that it has been toppled as the public’s favourite producer of quality electronics.

The finding comes from a survey of 600 people carried out in May by Japanese business newspaper, the Nikkei [subscription link].

Results showed that, “consumers who value qualities like refinement and excellent design tend to choose products made by Panasonic when they buy audiovisual devices like TVs and DVD recorders.”

The complex survey looked at products people already own and those they plan to buy next, with Panasonic rating highest in both cases for both TV sets and video recorders.

Sony, which has long been seen as the quality brand among Japanese electronics suppliers, came out amongst the rank and file that includes Sharp, Toshiba, JVC and Mitsubishi.

The Panasonic brand has traditionally been seen as solid but unoriginal, however a series of successful product launches, such as Viera TVs, since 2002 has culminated in a new sense of trust.

Nevertheless, the news isn’t all bad for Sony, as responses on video recorders and PCs showed there were more people interested in buying Sony gear in the near future than who currently use Sony products.

This suggests there may be some substance to the recent uptick in Sony’s perceived health.

Source here

LG To Offer Blu-ray Player, LG BD300, With Netflix Streaming Access

The partnership between Netflix and LG Electronics announced prior this year’s CES is ready to enter in a new phase, as the LG BD300 Network Blu-ray Disc Player is ready for launch.

The South Korean maker said that the device, which is capable to play high definition Blu-ray discs, up-convert standard DVDs to 1080p and allow Netflix subscribers to instantly stream more than 12,000 choices of movies and TV episodes, will be available at retail starting this fall.
However, LG offered also a hint about the price, with the company officials saying that the new player, the LG BD300 Network Blu-ray disc, will be priced “well under $500”

Earlier this month, Netflix said it recorded its sixth quarter with profit growth in a row on the growing number of customers and the decreasing cost of adding.

The Los Gatos, Calofornia- based company posted a net income growth for the second quarter of fiscal year 2008 of 3.8 percent to $26.6 million, or 42 cents a share. During that same period last year, Netflix earned $25.6 million, or 37 cents.

Netflix, which has more than 55 million discs and ships 1.9 million of them to customers each day (on average), saw its sales increase 11 percent to $337.6 million. The company’s leadership forecasted a second-quarter revenue of $334 million to $339 million.

Netflix reduced its prices last year in order to draw more customers. The strategy contributed to the firm’s lowest cost to bring on new subscribers since Netflix became a public company in May 2002. In May, the company introduced a new device, Roku by Netflix, which allows movies sent by mail to be watched on television. Netflix, which sends movies by mail, finished the quarter with 8.4 million subscribers, while net subscriptions rose 168,000.

Also, at this year’s E3 Business and Media Summit Microsoft announced its new collaboration with Netflix that will allow to the Xbox 360 users to stream shows and movies directly on TVs.

The new service is intended to complement the already-made available Xbox Live Video Marketplace, rather than to replace it. Those Xbox 360 owners who had already subscribed to Netflix and currently have an Xbox LIVE Gold account will get the service for free.

Netflix is competing with several similar services. For example, at E3, Sony launched its own movie and television sales and rental service through the PlayStation Network. The content is provided by Fox, MGM, Disney, Paramount and Sony Pictures and the TV shows are available for 1.99 dollars per episode, while the movies can be rented for prices between 2.99 to 5.99 dollars. Those customers who wish to buy a movie will have to spend 9.99 or 14.99 dollars.

And, of course there is Apple TV. So far, Apple’s device failed to be a success, but in January at MacWorld, Steve Jobs introduced a new, cheaper, version, along with the introduction of movie rentals on iTunes.

Apple TV Take Two has new software that ensures a seamless integration with Movie Rentals, allowing movie fans to rent and watch movies right from their widescreen TV, with no computer required. A 40-gigabyte model is sold for only $229, while a 160-gigabyte model costs $329.

Apple has added the movies to its iTunes catalog in September 2006, but due to the lack of initial support from the movies studios, the business was going slowly, compared to the sales of digital music. However, earlier this year Steve Jobs managed to convince all the major Hollywood studios to join iTunes and last month the Cupertino company said that iTunes customers are buying 50,000 movies per day.

In May, Apple has announced that it would sell movies through its iTunes on the same day as the titles are released in DVD form. Studios previously gave DVD releases a head start of as much as 30 to 45 days over other distribution outlets to help preserve a major income source.
Also, in April there were rumors that Blockbuster is secretly working on a device which will allow video content to be streamed directly to a TV. Apparently the content will be provided by Movielink, a former joint-effort of MGM, Paramount, Sony, Universal and Warner, which was acquired last year by Blockbuster. Movielink has a library of 6,600 movies.

Also earlier this month, Amazon announced a new video on demand service called Amazon VOD, which will offer 40,000 movies and television programs. Amazon’s VoD will be available through Sony Bravia Internet Video link, a $300 device for Sony’s high-definition televisions. In the future Sony intends to embed the Amazon VoD as a standard feature.

Source here

Web TV’s fast growth confirmed

Web video, and TV services like YouTube and the BBC’s iPlayer, are no longer confined to PC users, according to “Digital Media Devices Global Market Forecast,” just published by Strategy Analytics. A wave of recent announcements from major players such as Sony, Microsoft and Samsung confirms that internet-enabled TVs, games consoles and peripherals, such as Blu-ray Disc players, will soon deliver web-based content to millions of TV viewers around the world.

According to Strategy Analytics estimates, by the end of 2008 some 186 million connected TV devices worldwide will be able to access some form of internet content.

“The web video explosion has so far been restricted largely to PC users,” says David Mercer, VP and Principal Analyst. “Now it is moving to the TV screen. While business model and content partner issues are still to be resolved, the floodgates are open – web video is set to become a regular part of the TV viewing experience.”

Connected TV devices allow viewers to access the internet using a home broadband connection. The technology can be integrated into the TV itself, or more often is available through devices such as games consoles, set-top boxes, digital video recorders (DVRs) and digital media adapters like AppleTV. Sony recently announced that all of its TVs would feature web connectivity within the next three years. In the US, Sony will offer the movie, Hancock, over the internet, to owners of its Bravia TV sets, using its Bravia Internet Video Link.

“Internet connectivity is becoming commonplace across a wide spectrum of consumer devices,” says Peter King, Director, Connected Home Devices. “By 2014 more than two-thirds of all products sold will integrate Internet access.”
Source here

Gadgets feed Web videos to TV

Damian Perez recorded digital video of his son, now 11 months old, when he was born, when he started eating and when he started crawling. Next, the Shoreham, N.Y., father and CPA wanted to watch the video on his living room TV.

Not so fast.

The Apple TV he had bought to view his digital video wouldn't support the format of the videos he had stored on his computer. So he had to first convert the files.

"It was definitely cumbersome, and I probably dedicated many more hours than I should have (converting)," says Perez. "All I want to do is show my videos, pictures and music on any TV in the house."

So in a bid to solve his file format problems, he preordered an upcoming device called a ZvBox. The gadget, from ZeeVee Inc. of Littleton, Mass., connects to a PC and the home's cable wiring. The device then displays whatever is on the PC screen onto an unused TV channel -- which can be viewed from any cable-connected TV in the home. ZeeVee expects to start shipping the $500 device July 31.

ZeeVee is just one of a number of startup companies that will be introducing set-top boxes or software in the coming weeks that will let consumers see on TV their digital photos, videos and other content from their personal computers or the Internet. While Internet-connected set-top boxes have been available for years, the companies say these latest products are sleeker, more affordable and easier to use. And many of the newer technologies claim to work with far more digital formats that existing devices.

Still, there are limits to these new set-top boxes. There are myriad formats and encryption methods for videos on the Web and on computers, meaning some videos may still not be accessible. And there's plenty of competition in the field, furthering the confusion.

Device makers are trying to tap into a small-but-growing market for Internet-enabled set-top boxes. The number of households with a device enabling Internet video on their TV is expected to increase worldwide to 300 million in 2012 from about 45 million last year, according to IMS Research.

Perhaps more important, they are responding to a desire among consumers to combine activities conducted online with watching television. A 2007 survey from market researcher Yankee Group found that nearly 62 percent of all people surf the Web on their computers while watching TV. But among 13- to 17-year-olds, the percentage is 73 percent; of the viewers between ages 18 and 24, 72 percent surf while watching TV, according to the survey.

Another set-top technology expected to be released this summer is from Icron Technologies Corp. The Burnaby, Canada, company plans to sell a chipset to set-top box manufacturers and others that connects to the computer's high-speed USB port to display the PC screen on a TV set. The box would transmit the data wirelessly or over the electrical wiring in the home. Robert Eisses, chief executive of Icron, says a device using the chipset should sell for about $300.

And a set-top box called the Pod bypasses the PC altogether, for those who mainly want to watch Web video. It will allow viewers to search the Internet and stream online videos directly onto their TV sets. Made by Verismo Networks Inc. of Mountain View, Calif., the Pod is expected to be available in August for $99. Prakash Bhalerao, the start-up's chief executive, says the Pod comes with a program guide and search functions to help viewers find and play almost any video on the Internet.

Instead of set-top hardware, some companies are introducing software that lets viewers use a remote control to easily see their videos when their PC is connected to their television.

A New York-based start-up named Boxee last month started letting consumers download a version of its free software for Apple Inc.'s Macintosh computers. Consumers who download the software and connect their computer to the TV using a special cable can play personal digital content, such as movies and music, as well as see content on the Web. Boxee says its software will be available on PCs running Windows later this year.

Similar to Boxee is OSXBMC, a free, open-source software program designed for Macs. In April, Chris Pirvan, a San Francisco-based engineer, downloaded OSXBMC and installed it onto a Mac mini, a compact and low-cost personal computer that is connected to his TV. Pirvan says he mainly wants to access digital copies of television shows he has stored on a connected storage device as well as Google Inc.'s popular video site YouTube.

Developers of Boxee and OSXBMC, which this month was rebranded Plex, say the programs play more formats than rival products directly from Apple, such as Front Row and Apple TV. Apple declined to comment for this article.

For those who already subscribe to set-top services, expansion to the Internet is on the way. TiVo Inc., which makes digital video recorders, has been steadily adding Web content to its set-top boxes since the start of this year, including YouTube, which it added last week. In March, TiVo released its Desktop Plus software for $25 that when installed on a PC can translate many formats of Internet video to play on TiVo and then send it to the set-top box.

Netflix Inc. and Vudu Inc. both use set-top boxes to stream movies over the Internet to a subscribers' television, but the titles are restricted to the companies' movie databases. This month, Netflix and Microsoft Corp. inked a deal where owners of the Xbox 360 can use the videogame console to stream movies and other programming from the Internet to their TVs.

Research still indicates that the idea of connecting a PC to the TV seems a daunting and cumbersome task for most consumers. According to a 2007 study of 2000 U.S. homes conducted by Parks Associates, a market researcher, just 2.5 percent had a PC connected to a TV in the living room.

That's one of the reasons television manufacturers are making the sets themselves Internet accessible. Companies such as Panasonic Corp. of North America, Sony Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. in recent months have added Web content to their Internet-connected TVs. Panasonic launched a series of flat-panel TVs in May that can access YouTube. Since the start of the year, Sony has added YouTube and CBS to its list of Internet offerings for TV owners.

Source here