Flat Screen Tvs - Plasma Tvs - LCD Displays and HDTV

Earlier this evening Kelly Perdew, a software executive, was chosen as Donald Trumps new Apprentice. I'm sure it must have been a great episode, unfortunately I missed it. Looking back, I'm sure if I had a TiVo, it would have been one of my Season Pass recordings list. The widely popular show is #2 on the top 25 Season Pass recordings list; second only to Desperate Housewives.

Maybe TiVo should have done their TiVo Giveaway today, so Comcast customers could use their free TiVo DVRs to record the Apprentice.

Posted by Nana at 11:28 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

EchoStar Communications Corporation announced today that its DISH Network(TM) will offer local TV channels by satellite television to Meridian, Miss., and the surrounding area. With this market addition, DISH Network local channels are now available in 152 U.S. markets, covering more than 93 percent of all U.S. TV households.

This is the first time local TV channels are available on satellite in the Meridian area, providing an alternative to local cable TV service. The following local TV channels will be available: ABC Ch. 11 (WTOK), CBS Ch. 24 (WMDN) and NBC Ch. 30 (WGBC).

DISH Network, with the lowest all-digital price in America, now offers local channels as part of its Digital Home Advantage. Starting at $29.99 per month, this package offers customers free installation for up to four TVs, with no commitment and no hardware to buy and includes more than 60 popular TV channels such as ESPN, Discovery and TNT, plus local Meridian TV channels.

Customers can call DISH Network or a local satellite TV retailer to learn how to get a free multi-satellite dish antenna required to receive Meridian-area local channels. DISH Network also provides digital video recording technologies, high definition TV and nearly 100 international channels to the Meridian area.

"DISH Network has expanded its ability to serve local markets with local channels over the years, growing at a rate unmatched by any pay-TV company," said Eric Sahl, vice president of Programming. "We are proud to add Meridian to our list of markets served. Customers in Meridian now have more programming and product choices at a better price, with the ability to watch the news, weather and sports that matter most to them."

DISH Network offers local channels via satellite to seven counties in the Meridian area: Choctow, Sumter, Clarke, Kemper, Lauderdale, Neshoba and Newton counties.

DISH Network offers local channels in all 50 states, plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, and now in Meridian, Miss.

For customers who do not subscribe to Digital Home Advantage, local channels will be available at $5.99 per month with a $1 credit for the net cost of $4.99 until a local FOX affiliate becomes available.

For more information on DISH Network, visit http://www.allsat.com

Posted by Nana at 08:44 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Pending transaction further enhances Audiovox's position as a leading supplier of satellite radios

Audiovox Corporation today announced that its subsidiary, Audiovox Electronics Corp. (AEC) has signed a letter of intent to acquire certain assets comprising the business of Terk Technologies Corp. ("Terk") for a purchase price of $13.6 million plus a debenture based on achieving future revenue targets.

Terk is a leading provider of satellite radio receivers and digital antenna products. The Company has an agreement in place to provide existing and develop future car stereo aftermarket products for XM. Some of the Terk's other products include TV and AM/FM antennas with an emphasis today on High Definition (HD) technology. The companies anticipate based on due diligence that Terk's Net Sales for the year ended December 31, 2004 will be approximately $50 million.

Commenting on the deal, John Shalam, Chairman, President and CEO of Audiovox Corporation stated, "The proposed acquisition of Terk marks our first transaction since the sale of our Wireless business to UTStarcom. Terk brings significant expertise in the specialized satellite radio industry, which we have identified as a fast growth high tech market and we believe it will serve to strengthen our position for future growth in that segment."

Patrick Lavelle, President and CEO of AEC stated, "This purchase is yet another step we are taking to further expand our portfolio of technology driven products. It is synergistic to our existing distribution channels as well as internal operations. We already enjoy a leading market position in satellite radio and with the addition of Terk, believe we have further strengthened that position."

In addition to the Terk branded products, Audiovox will also assume the exclusive distribution rights in the United States for Vogel's line of high end LCD and Plasma TV mounting systems. Lavelle further stated, "We are also excited about the potential of the Vogel line due to the projected growth of the flat panel market in the U.S."

The consummation of the purchase is subject to a number of conditions including completion of a definitive agreement and fulfilling due diligence and other terms and conditions customary or applicable to this transaction. The Company anticipates a closing by December 31, 2004 or shortly thereafter.

Shalam concluded, "We continue to evaluate additional business opportunities that can contribute to our company's growth. With a clean balance sheet, little debt and access to capital, Audiovox is well positioned to be a player in the M&A market and it is our intent to continue to pursue strategic acquisitions that will help grow both our top- and bottom-line results."

About Audiovox

Audiovox Corporation is a leading international distributor and value added service provider in the consumer electronics industry. The Company currently conducts its business through Audiovox Electronics Corporation (AEC), a wholly owned subsidiary. AEC is a recognized leader in the marketing of automotive entertainment, vehicle security and consumer electronics products. The company is number one in mobile video and places in the top ten of almost every category that it sells.

Among the lines marketed by AEC are its mobile electronics products including mobile video systems, auto sound systems including satellite radio, vehicle security, and consumer electronics products such as portable DVD players, flat-panel TV's, extended range two-way radios, multi media products like MP3 players, and home and portable stereos. The company markets its products through an extensive distribution network that includes power retailers, 12-volt specialists, mass merchandisers and an OE sales group. The company markets products under the Audiovox, Jensen, Acoustic Research, Advent, Code Alarm and Prestige brands. For additional information, visit http://www.audiovox.com.

Posted by Nana at 06:02 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

BenQ Canada has claimed the number one market share positions in Q3 2004 for projectors and LCD monitors, with 22 per cent and 24 per cent of the total market, respectively. The Company achieved this landmark, which it cites from figures by DTC World Wide (for the projectors) and Evans Research Corp. (for LCD monitors) only 11 months after launching its products in Canada. The Company's year-to-date revenue was CDN$94 million, with Q3 revenue up 52 per cent over the second quarter of 2004.

"Other manufacturers wait decades to achieve the type of stunning success that we've attained in less than a year," stated Jimmy Davlouros, Vice President and General Manager for BenQ Canada. "BenQ Canada will never settle for being a follower. We're a young, creative organization, determined to raise the bar on accessible, innovative consumer technology."

"BenQ has quickly emerged as a major player in the industry, especially in LCD technology," added Michelle Warren, Analyst with Evans Research Corp. "The Company had captured 10 and 14 per cent of the LCD market in the first and second quarters, respectively, before pulling in 24 per cent in the third."

According to Evans Research, BenQ’s 17’’ LCD monitor accounted for the bulk of revenues, while the 19’’ monitor experienced the largest increase in activity.

"We are thrilled with how quickly and thoroughly consumers have embraced BenQ Products,” Davlouros added. “And now that we've come this far, we're not about to rest on our laurels; our 2005 product line up promises to be even bigger and better, especially with the introduction of our new 8ms powerhouse 17" display."

BenQ expects to continue its success in the Canadian market in several categories, including LCD TVs and digital audio players; as well as optical disk drives, such as DVD recorders and CD burners, a category for which the Company is already the number two market share holder in, according to Evans’ reports.

Davlouros adds that he is extremely confident in BenQ's future financial success. "We estimate fourth quarter revenues to close at CDN$60 million, and we anticipate 2005 year end revenues to total CDN$250 million."

For more information, visit www.benq.ca.

Posted by Nana at 05:44 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Texas Instruments announced that is has shipped its 5 millionth DLP™ subsystem, reflecting the increased demand and growth of DLP products within the last year. It took five years, from 1996 to 2001, to ship the first million DLP units, and just under two years to ship the second. TI announced its 3 millionth shipment in March 2004, and has shipped the last 2 million DLP units in just 8 months.

The advantages of DLP technology, including no burn-in or fading, deep rich colors, and incredible, industry-leading contrast have led more and more manufacturers to choose DLP technology. The inherent speed advantage of DLP technology also allows for a 1-chip architecture that provides razor-sharpness that will not misconverge over time, and excellent reproduction of fast video such as sports and live action, with no motion lag.

Continued manufacturer innovation and differentiation has led to increasing momentum around DLP-based projectors and DLP TVs: DLP Front Projection products have experienced nine consecutive quarters of gain bringing DLP to 40% marketshare worldwide; continued expansion in customers and products in the DLP TV category has led to more than 75 DLP TVs available on the market at more than 11,000 retail outlets; and 100% of digital cinema screens are equipped with DLP Cinema™ technology.

“We continue to be impressed with the pioneering work of our customers around DLP technology and look forward to seeing entirely new categories of products and cutting-edge designs at CES in January,” said John Van Scoter, General Manager, DLP Products, SVP Texas Instruments. “Our goal is to provide DLP imaging solutions to our customers that allow them to offer consumers an immersive visual experience. It is ultimately about the experience our customers products create.”

Texas Instruments DLP™ Products and many of its customers will be at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas January 6-9 to showcase what is new and exciting with DLP TVs and home entertainment projectors.

Posted by Nana at 01:26 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

If you are one of the unlucky Bay Area Comcast Customers that have to wait for DVR service, TiVo, Inc has some good news for you.

This Friday, December 17, from 11 AM to 1 PM you can get a TiVo Series2 DVR Box for Free. You still have to pay for the service.

The give away will be at TiVo's headquarters in Alviso. Just make sure you arrive early, I'm sure there's going to be a huge line. You'll need a current(within the last 60 days) original Comcast cable bill with a matching photo id, and a new toy or piece of clothing to donate to The Family Giving Tree charity.

Make sure you check TiVo's website for full details.

Posted by Nana at 11:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Humax USA, the "Easy-Digital" company, today announced that its new DRT800 DVD Recorder with TiVo service has received a Top Choice Award by the editors of DVD ETC. Magazine for its outstanding value in combining an 80-hour digital video recorder (DVR) with the TiVo service, a DVD recorder, and a progressive scan DVD player, all for a price of $399.

The Humax DRT800's 3-in-1 functionality coupled with TiVo's best-of-breed service and intuitive user-interface allows consumers to easily find, record and burn their favorite TV programs and movies to DVD and play them back, all within the same unit. Ideal for capturing and recording celebration activities this holiday season, home movies can also be easily transferred to DVD via the camcorder audio and video connections located on the unit's front-panel, which includes a Digital Video (DV) Input.

DVD ETC. Magazine editor-in-chief Clint Walker said, "We awarded the DRT800 with our Top Choice Award because it represents the pinnacle of value product in digital video recorders and finally welcomes the mainstream consumer in cost effective components that make living in the digital domain easier."

Humax USA Business Development and Strategic Marketing VP Tony Goncalves said, "We are honored to have been recognized by DVD ETC. Magazine for this award. Just recently hitting retailer's shelves and already receiving accolades from the press, retailers and consumers, the DRT800 is quickly proving to be a must-have for anyone interested in watching and recording their favorite TV programs and movies, making it this holiday season's ultimate consumer electronics gift choice."

For $399 after a $100 TiVo service activation rebate, the Humax DRT800 is available at retailers nationwide including Amazon.Com , Buy.com!,Good Guys, Humaxusa.com, J&R Music, Sam's Club, Best Buy, Circuit City, and TiVo.com.

TiVo Service
For only $12.95 per month for the first box and $6.95 per month for additional boxes, the TiVo service included with the Humax DVD Recorder offers the same intuitive user-interface from TiVo that consumers love, and the popular service features only available from TiVo, such as Season Pass(TM), WishList(TM), Online Scheduling, and Home Media Features that provide the ability to connect a TiVo box to a home network, view digital music and photos through a home theater system, and access multi-room viewing. Furthermore, with the advanced search capabilities of the TiVo service, not available from other DVD recorders, consumers can quickly find and record specific shows that can be burned to DVD, making it ideal for traveling or archiving to watch when and where they want.

Key Features of the Humax DRT800 DVD-R with TiVo Service

• 3-in-1 Humax offers easy-to-use interface for recording, playback and burning TV programming to DVD.
• 80 hours of recording capacity on Hard Disk Drive.
• Broadband connection allows you to connect to your home network to enjoy the Home Media Features that enable consumers to access digital photos and music from their PC, schedule recordings online, and access programming from multiple TiVo boxes.
• Only the TiVo service burns DVDs in background; you can still record and watch live TV.
• Only the TiVo service allows you to manage what's stored on the hard disc. You never have to worry about a program getting deleted.
• Now Playing menu makes it easy to find the shows you recorded onto DVD.
• Only the TiVo service works with any programming source including cable, digital cable, satellite, and antenna.
• Includes DV input for camcorder transfers directly to DVD and a set of Front AV inputs for easy access to analog video transfers.

Consumers can find a complete list of participating retailers at http://www.humaxusa.com

About Humax
Founded in 1989, Humax Co. Ltd of Korea is one of the world's leading digital satellite set-top box manufacturers, exporting its products to more than 90 countries across the globe. Listed on the Korean stock exchange (KOSDAQ), the company's international headquarters and R&D facility are based in Korea with offices in Dubai, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US. In 1997, the company opened a manufacturing facility in Northern Ireland that won a Queen's Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2002. Further production facilities are located in Korea, India and China. Humax recorded revenues exceeded US $300 million in 2003 and has announced plans to increase this figure to $1 billion by 2006. Humax's US headquarters are located in Irvine, CA. For additional information please visit http://www.humaxusa.com or phone toll free - 1-866-HUMAXUSA.

About TiVo Inc.
Founded in 1997, TiVo (Nasdaq: TIVO), a pioneer in home entertainment, created a brand new category of products with the development of the first digital video recorder (DVR). Today, the company continues to revolutionize the way consumers watch and access home entertainment by making TiVo the focal point of the digital living room, a center for sharing and experiencing television, music, photos and other content. TiVo connects consumers to the digital entertainment they want, where and when they want it. The company is based in Alviso, Calif.

Posted by Nana at 07:38 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Discovery Communications, the leading global real-world media and entertainment company, today announced it will extend availability of Discovery HD Theater(TM) in markets outside of the United States, affording viewers around the globe the opportunity to explore their world in illuminating visual detail through high definition television.

"With today's announcement, Discovery Communications extends its leadership position in the U.S. and the world by providing an all-HD network to international markets," said Judith A. McHale, president and CEO of Discovery Communications. "Discovery Communications is positioned to lead the HD programming arena internationally given the universal appeal of Discovery's brand, our proven expertise in launching international networks and our tradition of providing visually rich content to our viewers throughout the world."

In June 2002, Discovery Communications launched Discovery HD Theater(TM) in the U.S. Today, Discovery HD Theater(TM) is one of the most widely distributed HD networks in the country. The U.S. network, which offers HD programming from the company's top brands including leading networks Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, will be the model for the international network. The international network will be offered as a stand-alone channel or in programming blocks. The company plans to offer the network worldwide, focusing in markets where HDTV is gaining a foothold, such as Canada, Mexico, Korea, China, Japan, Germany and the UK.

Discovery Communications has established an extensive presence around the world. Offering customized schedules and a compelling blend of global and regional programming, the company currently operates 10 international television brands delivered via 85 feeds in 35 languages.

Discovery Communications, Inc. is the leading global real-world media and entertainment company. DCI has grown from its core property, the Discovery Channel, first launched in the United States in 1985, to current global operations in more than 160 countries and territories with over one billion cumulative subscribers. DCI's 60 networks of distinctive programming represent 21 entertainment brands including TLC, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, Discovery Health Channel, Discovery Kids, Discovery Times Channel, The Science Channel, Military Channel, Discovery Home Channel, Discovery en Espanol, Discovery HD Theater and FitTV. DCI's other properties consist of Discovery Education, Discovery.com and 120 Discovery Channel retail stores. DCI also distributes BBC America in the United States. DCI's ownership consists of four shareholders: Liberty Media Corporation, Cox Communications, Inc., Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, the Company's Founder and Chairman.

Posted by Nana at 07:08 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

X2 Corporation, a global manufacturer and direct marketer of digital lifestyle products, today announces the MEGA 865 Media Center PC. The system is designed to be the heart of a far-reaching, next generation digital convergence system by combing full Personal Video Recorder (PVR) capability to record up to 1,600 hours of broadcast television or video- with no monthly program update fees - with a variety of other complementary features. The MEGA 865 uses up-to-date technologies and features to provide consumers with a unit that can function as the center of their digital entertainment universe, along with the ability to share pictures, download and listen to music, link to mobile devices, watch movies and programs, play games, connect to home theater components and systems, access all media/data types, connect to other PC's, and more.

Unlike most Media Center PCs which are really converted PCs, the MEGA 865 was designed from the ground up as a "true" Media Center PC. As a result, the MEGA 865's digital features are seamlessly integrated making them more functional and interactive. This integration is exemplified by the advanced front color control panel display, which displays info such as current mode, CD and/or DVD playback status (chapter/time/track info), audio and video info/settings and volume plus PC environment data such as internal PC temperature and HD status. The included remote controller is designed to work seamlessly with all of the MEGA 865's various functions without the need for a keyboard . The MEGA 865 also features X2's Instant Play technology that allows the MEGA 865 to turn on almost instantly, like more traditional electronics components, to play movies, videos and music or view photos without the need to boot up to Windows, saving power and boot-up time.

Looking almost nothing like a PC, the MEGA 865 is equipped with a powerful Intel Pentium 4 processor with hyper-threading. The MEGA 865 small, cube shaped footprint makes it the ideal size to put on a bookshelf and even has optional matching bookshelf speakers. The core of the center contains up to 2GB of DDR400 memory and up to a 400GB hard drive. The MEGA 865 also has a built-in 802.11b+g Wi-Fi Wireless LAN and 10/100 fast Ethernet LAN networking connectivity for the sharing of digital video, sound, and data with other computers in the network or around the world via Internet. Plus, with the MEGA 865's many ports including IEEE 1394 Firewire ports and USB 2.0 connectivity it is easy to link to all of the various digital toys and gadgets including digital cameras , webcams, scanners, printers and more.

Posted by Nana at 07:02 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Strategic Alliance Created for Global Expansion and Leadership in Digital Projection InFocus, a worldwide leader in digital projection technology and services, and TCL Corporation, a leading multimedia consumer electronic products company in China, and through its joint venture with Thomson is the world’s largest manufacturer of televisions, today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to form a 50-50 owned joint venture named South Mountain Technologies (SMT) for the development, manufacturing and sales of rear and front-projection engines and projectors. Each of the parties has committed to invest US$10M in the joint venture for a total of US$20M, to be invested over the course of 2005. Initially, each of the parties will expend up to US$1.5M to cover start up organisational expenses pending approval of the transaction by Chinese governmental authorities.

The new company will integrate the low-cost, high-quality manufacturing capabilities of TCL with the innovative technology leadership of InFocus in digital projection product design. SMT will leverage InFocus’ extensive experience with imaging devices utilizing multiple technologies for rear projection and front projection engines to provide the best price performance solutions to customers around the world. Established as an affiliate Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) company, SMT will manufacture and sell projection solutions to the parent companies and other brand operators in both China and the broader global markets.

Manufacturing of product will commence upon approval of the joint venture formation by the Chinese authorities, such approval is anticipated to be received within 3 to 4 months. SMT plans to begin shipping rear projection engines for sale in the second quarter of 2005.

The 50-50 joint venture will consist of an offshore parent holding company with three wholly owned subsidiaries; a manufacturing research and development subsidiary in Shenzhen, China, and research and development centers in the U.S. and Norway.

“By forming a joint venture between two industry leaders such as InFocus and TCL, we are creating a design and production powerhouse capable of manufacturing the world’s most innovative, lowest cost projection products, while significantly reducing our costs in delivering Big Picture solutions to businesses, schools and homes,” said Kyle Ranson, President and CEO of InFocus Corporation. “SMT is the next phase in the evolution of our offshore manufacturing strategy as we take advantage of TCL’s economies of scale and low-cost manufacturing expertise to license our technology to a broader market space through an affiliated OEM manufacturer.” Commenting on the partnership, Robert Hu, Senior Vice President of TCL Corporation and President of TCL Components Strategic Business Unit said, “We are very excited about our strategic alliance with InFocus. The joint venture is a key element of a major initiative in our global business expansion into digital video products, by providing us leading edge optical engine and projection designs from InFocus for our Thomson, RCA and TCL brands.”

South Mountain Technologies (SMT), headquartered in Shenzhen, China, will develop products with engineering teams seeded from InFocus in the United States and Norway, and TCL in China. SMT will leverage the local expertise of each engineering site to develop low-cost, high-quality products for global OEM customers. As part of the venture, David Glaess, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Research and Development at InFocus, will become the Chief Executive Officer of SMT.

“South Mountain Technologies represents the integration of the best of the best in projection design and high volume consumer electronics manufacturing,” said David Glaess, future CEO of SMT. “I look forward to leading SMT in its strategy to leverage the unique strengths of TCL and InFocus, and bring successful profitable growth to SMT, InFocus and TCL.”

Posted by Nana at 10:49 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

New lenses upgrade digital projectors to produce more film-like video images

Livonia, MI (PRWEB) December 15, 2004 -- Integrated Media Systems, Inc., today announced that it has added the IMX image processor by Cygnus Imaging to its product line of enhancement lenses for home theater projectors. These lenses are user-installable over the projection lens of the projector and convert the pixel structure of the image to a smooth, sharp image using optical interpolation techniques.

"We're proud and excited to take on the IMX line", said Tim Knittel, President of Integrated Media Systems, Inc. "With its broad industry acclaim and almost magical properties to produce beautiful video images from almost any digital projector, the IMX lens continues to play an exciting role in the growth of home theater. And now with lower pricing it has become an affordable upgrade to much larger range of home theater systems."

IMX processors are designed to fit over the lens of hundreds of different projector models. An additional model is also offered that can be mounted in front of the projector. The lenses are user-installable and adjustable. For more information visit www.cgns.com/IMS_Home.htm.

Integrated Media Systems, Inc. is a distributor of specialized audio/visual products for consumer home theater and commercial presentation markets. For more call 1-866-4HT-LENS or visit www.htlens.com.

Posted by Nana at 10:45 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

During the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), January 6 -- 9, 2005, Brillian Corporation will hold private sessions to discuss its 2005 initiatives and demonstrate its latest products, including its award-winning 720p HDTV monitor, new high-performance 1080p HDTV monitor, and new near-to-eye product concepts.

Brillian's management team, including former Sony executive Bill Fox, Brillian's new senior vice president, Sales, will be on hand at the Las Vegas Hilton to answer questions and showcase the company's Gen II liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCoS(TM))-based products. The new 1080p HDTV monitor features a six-megapixel light engine, which projects the highest contrast and brightest images available today in an LCOS rear-projection TV. The technology's inherently high pixel fill factor, continuous gray levels, and extraordinary black-level performance create the industry's most stunningly realistic images.

Space is extremely limited and appointments are only available January 6 -- 8, 2005. To schedule an appointment, call or email:

• Edelman Public Relations: Chad Giron at +1.323.202.1052,
  chad.giron@edelman.com
  
• Brillian Corporation: Deanna Krause at +1.602.410.8681,
  deanna.krause@brilliancorp.com
  

About Brillian Corporation

Brillian Corporation designs and develops rear-projection HDTVs targeted at high-end video/audio OEMs, high-end video/audio retailers, ProAV/CEDIA distributors, and their base of dealers and custom installers looking for breakthrough performance and image quality. The company is the first and only provider of Gen II LCoS(TM) technology used in these products. In addition to its high-definition televisions, Brillian also offers a broad line of LCoS(TM) microdisplay products and subsystems that OEMs integrate into proprietary HDTV products, multimedia projectors, and near-to-eye products such as monocular and binocular headsets. Brillian's LCoS(TM) microdisplay technologies address the market demand for a high-performance display solution with high image fidelity, high-resolution scalability, and high contrast ratios. The company's website is www.brilliancorp.com.

Posted by Nana at 10:04 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

With HDTVs Topping Many Consumers' Gift Lists, Comcast Helps Identify the Information Consumers Need to Make the Right Choice at Holiday Time

In a recent survey of consumers' views and understanding of high-definition television (HDTV), 49% of Americans said that HDTV would be a critical component of their ultimate home entertainment experience and 43% said they do not expect to ever buy a standard television again. The results of the poll, conducted on behalf of Comcast, the country's leading cable, entertainment and communications company, also show that HDTVs are shaping up to be the gift that shoppers will be treating themselves to this month, with over half of respondents who say they are planning on buying an HDTV set this holiday season will buy one for themselves.

However, as consumers' interest in HDTV rises, so do questions about how to identify what equipment they need and the best way to get high-definition channels in their homes. When asked if it is true that someone gets the high- definition experience just by plugging in an HDTV, 40 percent of survey respondents said that they didn't know.

To help address these and other questions consumers may have as they shop for HDTV sets, Comcast is sharing the following tips to help consumers with their HD buying decisions this holiday season:

• The difference is clear. HDTV offers six times the picture clarity of traditional analog. HDTV gives you the clearest picture available today.

• All HDTV is digital, but not all digital TV is HDTV. To get HDTV's
  crystal clarity, make sure the digital television carries the HDTV
  resolution of either 720p (progressive) or 1080i (interlaced).

• Select the right resolution for your set size. 1080i resolution
  provides a better picture on larger screens, while 720p resolution is
  better suited for smaller screens.

• All HD providers are NOT equal. Make sure you understand what HD
  programming your service provider can offer and what equipment is
  needed. For example, can you get local network affiliate's HD signal
  or only the national network feed; are premium movie channels
  available in high definition at no additional charge; and does your
  provider offer on demand programming in high definition? Are you
  required to purchase special equipment to receive HD channels and can
  you record HD programming?
  

"We know customers are presented with a multitude of information about HD - from the types of sets to the increasing amount of programming choices, some of which are available only with cable," said Dave Watson, executive vice president of operations for Comcast. "We want to help cut through the clutter and make it as easy as possible for customers to enjoy the cable-powered home entertainment experience that's right for them."

Comcast is offering information and support for shoppers this holiday season. Comcast has a presence in nearly 1,000 retail locations and representatives will be available at many of those sites to help answer consumers' questions about HDTV and connect them to Comcast HD service. Visitors to Comcast's website (http://www.comcast.com) also can log onto an HD tutorial with Frequently Asked Questions and an HD demo as well as sign up for service online.

Comcast's HDTV offering includes high-definition programming from most major broadcast networks, including ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and PBS, when available from the local network affiliates; as well as Discovery HD Theater, ESPN HD, HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, STARZ!, INHD, INHD2 and regional sports networks, including Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, Mid-Atlantic, Chicago, and West, where available. INHD and INHD2 are available only to cable customers and offer an exceptional variety of sports, movies, travel, and nature programming.

Comcast makes it easy for customers to enjoy HD service. Customers with an HD-capable television can rent an HDTV-enabled Digital Cable set-top box so they do not need to purchase additional equipment to receive HD channels. Comcast also is now offering HD digital video recorders so customers can record their favorite HD programs. The company also offers select HD movie titles as part of its video-on-demand service.

The Comcast survey was conducted by ICR/International Communications Research of Media, PA, between November 17 and November 22, 2004 using a random nationwide sample of 750 households. The results are based on the responses of households with televisions.

About Comcast

Comcast Corporation (http://www.comcast.com) is principally involved in the development, management and operation of broadband cable networks, and in the provision of programming content. The Company is the largest provider of cable and broadband services in the United States, serving more than 21 million cable television customers and more than 6 million high-speed Internet customers. The Company's content businesses include majority ownership of Comcast Spectacor, Comcast SportsNet, E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, G4techTV, The Golf Channel, International Channel and Outdoor Life Network. Comcast Class A common stock and Class A Special common stock trade on The Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbols CMCSA and CMCSK, respectively.

Posted by Nana at 09:31 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Starting on New Years day, late fees at Blockbuster will be a thing of the past. But don't think that means you never have to return your DVDs, movies and games. The same deadlines apply, but now you have a 1 week grace period to return stuff. After that, you'll be billed for the cost of the DVD or game. You still have 30 days to return the item if you don't want to "buy" it, but you'll be charged a "minimal" restocking fee. This may seem like a downside, but I can't count how many times I've been charged late fees for a DVD that's only a few minutes late. As you may have guessed, this decision is going to cut into blockbuster's earnings; they estimate they'll be missing out on $250 to $300 million in operating income. I knew charging a late fee was big business, but "DANG, that's a lot of money!"

Posted by Nana at 04:44 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

You can't "TiVo your favorite tv show" anymore. According to TiVo, Inc, TiVo® is a registered trademark. That means it's not a noun, or a verb. It's also not possessive, so "TiVo's anything" is also not correct. Oh, and one last thing, it can't be plural either. The folks over at TiVo, Inc would rather have you "purchase two TiVo DVRs" instead of "two TiVos".

It's all quite complicated to remember, and I'm sure most people are going to keep on referring to TiVo "incorrectly". I don't think there's much that can be done about that. But, the company is aggressively going after the media to make sure they use the correct terms when they talk about TiVo. Maybe if TiVo is used correctly in the media, the rest of us will get it. Let's see how long it takes to get it right.

Posted by Nana at 11:51 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

New, User-Friendly Features Including Title Search, Extended Channel Banner, Enhanced Graphics & Headend-Configurable Services Menu

Pioneer Digital Technologies, Inc., the leading provider of interactive program guides for multiple cable platforms, today announced that its Passport DCT(TM) 2.5 software navigation system with new feature upgrades has received Motorola's Horizon Program Acadia validation for Motorola digital set-tops. This latest Passport DCT edition introduces a variety of product improvements and new user-friendly features including intelligent title search, QuickInfo(TM) extended channel banner, enhanced graphics and a headend-configurable services menu. The new look and feel of Passport DCT 2.5 takes on a similar look to Pioneer's recently released Passport Echo product for DVR set-tops.

"We are continuously working with our customers to create navigation user
interfaces that provide our customers with the most value from the deployment
of advanced services while leveraging their current installed base of legacy
set-tops," said Neil Jones, senior vice president, Pioneer Digital
Technologies, Inc. "With this latest release of Passport DCT, operators can
provide additional functionality to their customers and give them easy access
to all of their service offerings."

Passport DCT 2.5 unique feature upgrades include:

• Title Search delivers a virtual keyboard interface allowing for easy
  title entry and seamless program searches with a remote control.
  
• Quick Info allows viewers to use quick clicks of the 'Info' button on
  the remote to see an extended channel banner, enabling full-screen
  video viewing while also providing instant access to complete
  information available for any program listing in the channel lineup.
  
• Enhanced Graphics introduces a sleek graphical interface with new rich
  color scheme and dimensional detail.
  
• Scaled Video Support enables the display of "Picture-in-Graphics" in
  the IPG Time, Theme and Title views on DCT 700, 2500, 5100, 6200
  set-tops.
  
• Enhanced HD Output Format Controls allow viewers to select the aspect
  ratio and video output format from the settings menu for HD capable
  Motorola set-tops such as the DCT5100 and DCT6200.
  
• Subtitle Support within the guide enables the consumer to easily
  select from a variety of languages to enable broadcasted subtitles
  including English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.
  
• Secondary Audio Programming is user-configurable support of secondary
  audio soundtracks that enables subscribers to watch particular
  programs in an alternate broadcasted language, such as Spanish when
  available.
  
• Closed Captioning allows viewers to enable or disable the display of
  closed captions; select an analog and a digital closed caption
  service; and customize the text style appearance of digital closed
  captions.
  
• Latin American Markets supports an operator-configurable setting used
  to force the display of on-screen subtitles; offers a configurable
  parental control for Latin American ratings; and allows for the
  modification of pricing information fields to support the display of
  non-U.S. currencies.
  

For cable operators, Passport DCT 2.5 introduces its new QuickMenu(TM) feature, a headend-configurable menu of any of the operator's services including premium and interactive services or Passport menus which can be launched quickly by the subscriber with the remote. Cable operators can add value to and differentiate their service by customizing the QuickMenu into categories of their choice to help subscribers navigate a broad offering of programming and drive interest for key services including Video-On-Demand, Pay-Per-View, Premium channels and Music. Passport DCT 2.5 also supports Broadcast Messaging, a feature that allows messages to be sent from the cable headend to set-tops in the field, supporting cable operator marketing and communications efforts.

For more information on Passport DCT 2.5, visit: www.pioneerdigital.com.

About the Motorola Horizon Program

Motorola created the Horizon Program to facilitate independent software vendor (ISV) partners in the development and implementation of interactive TV solutions, including IPGs, VOD, personal video recording (PVR), Internet access, gaming, targeted advertising, e-mail, and commerce applications. These applications enable broadband network operators to create additional cash flow and decrease customer churn. ACADIA validation is used as a benchmark for broadband network operators as they choose the software, content, and applications to deliver to their subscribers. The ACADIA Application Integration Center, a wholly owned subsidiary of Motorola Broadband, is the supporting facility for the Horizon Program. It provides resources and expertise to take applications and other software solutions from prototype to commercial deployment. ACADIA is an independent development and integration entity, with a staff completely dedicated to supporting the Motorola Horizon Program.

About Pioneer Digital Technologies, Inc.

Pioneer Digital Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of interactive navigation software to the cable television industry. More than 7 million copies of its Passport(TM), Passport DCT(TM), and Passport Echo(TM) navigation and application suites are deployed nationwide to cable systems on a variety of digital cable set-top platforms, from basic standard definition digital set-tops to advanced high-definition digital video recorder set-tops. Today it is the only company with guides in both of the major headend platforms, compatible with virtually every deployed digital cable set-top box in the Americas. For more information, visit www.pioneerdigital.com.

Pioneer Corporation, the parent company of Pioneer Digital Technologies, Inc., is a leader in optical disc technology and a preeminent manufacturer of high-performance audio, video, computer and cable equipment for the home, car and business markets. The company focuses on four core business domains including DVD, display technologies, Digital Network Entertainment(TM) and components. Founded in 1938 in Tokyo, Pioneer Corporation (NYSE: PIO - News) employs more than 36,000 people worldwide. Its shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

Posted by Nana at 10:53 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Momentum Continues as BendBroadband Becomes 5th U.S. Cable Operator to Select Powerful, Emmy(R) Award-Winning Moxi HDTV, DVR Platform

Digeo, Inc., the developer of the Moxi(TM) Media Center software platform, today announced that BendBroadband, a leading independent cable operator serving central Oregon, has begun commercial deployment of the Motorola Broadband Media Center (BMC) with Moxi(TM).

The Motorola BMC with Moxi, an advanced digital set-top that integrates high-definition television (HDTV) with a dual-tuner digital video recorder (DVR), enables subscribers to watch one channel while recording another. This innovative product will give consumers single-device access to their digital content from television programs and movies to music, games, photos and information on demand (i.e. weather, news and sports).

BendBroadband joins industry leading cable providers Adelphia Cable, Charter Communications, Comcast Corporation, and Sunflower Broadband in agreeing to commercially deploy the Motorola BMC with Moxi to its subscribers. The product is currently available in more than 25 markets across the nation.

"The Motorola BMC with Moxi provides a much more compelling home entertainment experience," said John Farwell, Director of Finance, Marketing and Sales for BendBroadband. "This product delivers on the promise of digital cable -- it's easy-to-use, packed with fun, profitable features and is designed to grow with us, providing enjoyment for years to come."

Leveraging the advanced capabilities of the Motorola Broadband Media Center, Moxi is one of the first software platforms designed specifically to support cable's expanding menu of content and services. Utilizing the powerful processor, internal hard drive, and built-in cable modem of the Motorola BMC, the Moxi service offers a competitive choice for delivering digital home entertainment. Designed for casual browsing and rapid search, the Emmy® award-winning Moxi Menu allows viewers instant access to current and future program listings whether they originate from live broadcast, on-demand programming, or local DVR recordings. The Moxi interface is both easy-to-learn and fun-to-use, giving viewers a much higher level of choice, convenience and control.

"We're thrilled that BendBroadband has joined our growing roster of cable customers," said Jim Billmaier, chief executive of Digeo. "This deployment demonstrates how well suited the BMC with Moxi is for regional cable operators. We remain committed to helping cable operators of all sizes deliver services that will forever change consumers' home entertainment experience."

BendBroadband also plans to continue its partnership with Digeo early next year by deploying the Moxi two-TV solution that delivers the industry's lowest-cost, multi-room media center.

Key features of the Motorola BMC with Moxi include:

• Pause and instant replay live TV
  
• Single program or series recordings by titles
  
• Two weeks of guide data to help consumers plan viewings and set
  recordings
  
• Rapid and responsive menu browsing
  
• Smart search using title or keywords
  
• Option to record first-run episodes only and avoid repeats
  
• Favorite Channels menu which provides consumers quick access to their
  most-watched channels
  
• Easy-to-browse categories for movies, sports, kids, news and music
  
• An interactive Ticker that provides instant updates on weather, sports
  and news regardless of what channel the consumer is watching
  
• Fun, family-friendly games that can be played using the remote control
  
• Digital photography features allowing consumers to watch slideshows on
  their TV
  

About Digeo, Inc.

Digeo, Inc., provides media center software and services that inspire consumer loyalty, generate new incremental revenue, and position cable as the leading source for home entertainment. The Moxi(TM) platform from Digeo powers a new generation of media centers through which cable operators can deliver high-revenue services and applications-such as digital video recording (DVR), high-definition TV, and on-demand and pay-per-view content-to the whole home at competitive cost per TV. The multi-TV architecture and breakthrough Emmy® award-winning user interface of the Moxi platform provide all Moxi applications including DVR, DVD, information on demand, jukebox, photos, games, and more from any cable access point in the home using existing wiring. Digeo has also developed an innovative chipset that integrates essential media-center functionality and can substantially reduce future set-top box production costs.

Additionally, Digeo offers the Digeo(TM) iTV service to over one million subscribers, which is the most widely deployed cable iTV service in North America. With Digeo iTV, cable operators can increase the value of their existing digital set-tops by offering field-tested services that have demonstrated increased customer satisfaction and churn reduction, and effective cross-selling of video-on-demand (VOD) and pay-per-view (PPV) offerings.

Moxi(TM) Media Center customers include Comcast, Charter, Adelphia, Sunflower Broadband and BendBroadband. Digeo is primarily backed by Paul Allen's Vulcan Inc. The company has offices in Kirkland, Wash., Palo Alto, Calif. and Longmont, Colo. For more information, please visit www.digeo.com.

About BendBroadband

BendBroadband is the dba (doing business as) for Bend Cable Communications LLC, a privately owned, Oregon-based company serving Central Oregon since 1955 with a variety of services including: basic and digital cable, HDTV, high speed Internet service and local programming. The company is dedicated to providing quality communication, entertainment and customer service to Central Oregonians. For further information, please contact BendBroadband's customer service department or visit their website at www.bendbroadband.com.

About Motorola Broadband Communications Sector

The Motorola Broadband Communications Sector provides a scalable, integrated end-to-end system for the delivery of broadband services that keeps consumers informed, entertained and connected. Its technology enables network operators and retailers to create and execute on new business opportunities by providing innovative products and services to the home.

Customer-responsive design and manufacturing expertise further contribute to the company's position as the world's leading supplier of digital cable set-tops and cable modems. For more information about the Motorola Broadband Communications Sector, visit www.motorola.com/broadband.

About Motorola

Motorola, Inc. is a global leader in wireless, broadband and automotive communications technologies that help make life smarter, safer, simpler, synchronized and fun. Sales in 2003 were U.S. $27.1 billion. Motorola creates innovative technological solutions that benefit people at home, at work and on the move. The company also is a progressive corporate citizen dedicated to operating ethically, protecting the environment and supporting the communities in which it does business. For more information: www.motorola.com.

Posted by Nana at 10:45 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Home Media Networks` Next Generation Home Entertainment Software Includes Weekly TV Data

Home Media Networks Ltd, Europe's leading developer of media center software, today announces the release of ShowShifter 3.10, the latest version of its popular home entertainment software that replaces the TV, VCR, DVD and CD player in the home.

One of the highlights of the latest version is ShowGuide, which has been comprehensively updated and enhanced with new features. ShowShifter's ShowGuide is automatically populated with data retrieved either direct through the DVB signal or via the Internet, and shows up to seven days worth of upcoming programming.

Other updates to ShowShifter 3.10 include a simplified front end interface, an improved MPEG2 writer to produce a more DVD-compliant stream, an in-built MPEG Demux to aid viewing quality and the support of the BDA DVB cable and satellite standards.

Now boasting over 700,000 users worldwide, ShowShifter allows users to watch, record and time-shift (pause) TV, play DVDs, CDs and MP3 music files all through one interface. The ability to control ShowShifter with a remote control and its unique Farview interface enables the consumer to use the product from anywhere in the room with a simple, unified interface for all home entertainment components (DVR, DVD, CD, etc), as with conventional home entertainment products.

'Other PVR products have come and gone, but ShowShifter remains the leader in its class thanks to regular improvements to ensure that our customers get the best entertainment experience that technology allows,' explained Home Media Networks CEO John Croft. 'This release couples new techniques, such as BDA support and in-built Demux, with the EPG functionality requested by our user base.'

Evaluation versions of current English and international versions of ShowShifter can be downloaded from www.showshifter.com.

About Home Media Networks Ltd
Home Media Networks Ltd is a company focused on the fast growing digital entertainment sector, producing software that runs on standard PC platforms to allow the user to watch, record and pause analogue and digital TV, play DVDs, and listen to MP3 music files. Its solution, ShowShifter, allows the user to pause a TV show to be replayed later and can be controlled remotely using a standard infrared remote control. Through unique FarView technology interaction works equally well close up or at a distance from the screen. Showshifter is a replacement for TV, VCR, DVD and CD players in a traditional household, thus introducing numerous cost savings for the consumer. Home Media Networks Ltd is headquartered in Edinburgh, UK. ShowShifter can be downloaded from www.showshifter.com.

Posted by Nana at 10:36 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

ON DEMAND, Digital Video Recorders, HDTV and Comcast High-Speed Internet Available to Many Chicagoland Customers - Just in Time for the Holidays

CHICAGO, Dec. 14 Just in time for the holiday gift-giving season, viewers in Chicagoland will soon have access to unprecedented control of what and when they watch television. Customers will also have the ability to put the Internet to work for them in fun and exciting ways. The future of television and broadband is now, as Comcast today announced the completion of its $350 million broadband network upgrade.

As a result of the upgrade, Comcast customers will have access to ON DEMAND and Digital Video Recorders to control their television viewing like never before, and High Speed Internet with download speeds of up to 4Mbps, plus outstanding online content and features.

"The days of 'appointment television' are over. With ON DEMAND and DVRs, Comcast home entertainment is all about customization, and watching what you want, when you want," said Joseph Stackhouse, Comcast senior vice president for the Greater Chicago Region. "Our DVRs are much more affordable than competitive products, like TiVo -- we don't charge for the box itself, and the monthly service charge is lower. And ON DEMAND is a value-add service that makes Comcast Digital Cable a more attractive, robust service than any satellite company could provide."

Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) will be available to everyone in the Greater Chicago Region in early 2005, allowing customers to digitally record up to 40 hours of programming to watch and re-watch shows on their schedules. DVRs will be available for only $9.95 a month. And Comcast's dual-tuner DVRs make it possible to record one show while you watch another, or record two shows simultaneously.

Comcast Digital Cable customers automatically have access to ON DEMAND, available in many areas currently but with total distribution by early 2005. ON DEMAND offers thousands of programs from a wide variety of cable networks - as well as a growing library of new-release and favorite films - most at no additional cost. Video-on-demand technology is not available from satellite companies.

"People are busier than ever, and television and movies at home are among the best ways to relax -- especially when you can choose your own programming," said Stackhouse.

Also as a result of the upgrade, for the first time, all Greater Chicago Region consumers now have access to a broadband high-speed Internet connection. Comcast High-Speed Internet offers everyone in the region the Internet's richest selection of multimedia content like never before. The lightning-fast Internet connection is 100 percent pure broadband, featuring a host of included services such as Video Mail, that allows the sender to send a 45-second video message without clogging his or the recipient's hard drive with large files, and The Fan(TM) a free multimedia player built in to Comcast High-Speed Internet.

Comcast High-Speed Internet is delivered to customers' homes via our broadband network, and customers can talk on the phone and surf the Internet simultaneously. Customers also can watch cable television while using the service. The service is "always-on"; customers aren't required to dial-up to access the Internet.

"We are proud to be the first to offer broadband high-speed Internet throughout the Greater Chicago Region," said Stackhouse. "The fast broadband connection will allow Comcast customers to enjoy their hobbies -- from gaming and downloading music to online shopping and chatting -- more than ever before."

More than 10,000 miles of upgraded broadband networks and newly constructed routing centers will increase the reliability of all of Comcast services in the Chicagoland area. Most importantly, the upgrade will allow the company the ongoing ability to offer new products and services to almost 4.2 million homes.

"Our employees have worked very hard completing this upgrade over the past two years to ensure that Comcast offers not only fast and reliable service to Chicago, but also the latest in home entertainment technology," Stackhouse said.

ABOUT COMCAST CABLE

Headquartered in Philadelphia, Comcast Cable is a division of Comcast Corporation, a developer, manager and operator of broadband cable networks and provider of programming content. Operating in 17 of the United States' 20 largest metropolitan areas, Comcast is one of the leading communications, media and entertainment companies in the world. Providing basic cable, digital cable, high-speed Internet and telephone services, Comcast Cable is the company to look to first for the communications products and services that connect people to what's important in their lives. The company's 55,000 employees, in six divisions, serve more than 21 million customers.

Comcast Cable serves more than 1.7 million customers in the Greater Chicago region. Comcast, whose regional offices are located in Schaumburg, Ill., employs more than 4,700 people in Illinois, Northwest Indiana and Southwest Michigan.

Posted by Nana at 10:30 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Thomson today announced that it will support next-generation DVD formats by manufacturing HD DVD and Blu-ray discs through its Technicolor business and providing consumer HD DVD players through its THOMSON and RCA brands. Next generation DVD formats provide higher resolution video and audio, advanced navigation, web connectivity and other advanced features. Other essential features include advanced content access and robust content security technology, which are critical for content owners. In addition, the development of the next-generation DVD formats is expected to fuel the continued consumer acceptance of high definition television around the world.

HD DVD is the new high definition DVD disc standard being developed by the DVD Forum, which represents over 230 consumer electronics, information technology and content companies. HD DVD is based on the same physical disc structure as current DVD discs, which ensures backward compatibility and enables manufacturing of the discs at reasonable cost. The new HD DVD format was recently endorsed by major Hollywood studios, including Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Studios. The commitment to support HD DVD will ensure that Thomson's studio customers that have selected this format will have HD DVD discs and players available for the planned launch in late 2005.

Thomson, which is also a founding member of the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), will continue to participate and support the development and production of the Blu-ray Disc format. The BDA regroups over 70 companies, including Sony, Dell, HP, Hitachi, LG Electronics, Mitsubishi, Panasonic (Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.), Pioneer Corporation, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, TDK, 20th Century Fox and The Walt Disney Company.

"Our tradition is based on being a trusted service provider to content owners, independent of format choices," said Quentin Lilly, President, Technicolor Home Entertainment Services. "We will support the format our studio customers select to grow their businesses and support their growth with the highest quality replication, distribution and other media services available in the industry today."

"We believe that the timing is right for the introduction in 2005 of high-definition DVD players that Thomson will market under the RCA brand in the U.S. and the THOMSON brand in Europe in support of the content roll-out. While HDTV is just beginning in Europe, our experience with other digital entertainment products tells us that the steady growth of HD content will fuel continued growth of the category," said Mike O'Hara, Executive Vice President of Thomson's consumer Connectivity business segment.

Certain statements in this press release, including any discussion of management expectations for future periods, constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements due to changes in global economic and business conditions, consumer electronics markets, and regulatory factors. More detailed information on the potential factors that could affect the financial results of Thomson is contained in Thomson's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

About Thomson - Partner to the Media & Entertainment Industries

Thomson provides technology, systems and services to help its Media & Entertainment clients -- content creators, content distributors and users of its technology -- realize their business goals and optimise their performance in a rapidly changing technology environment. The Group intends to become the preferred partner to the Media & Entertainment industries by offering end-to-end solutions to content creators, video network operators and retailers through its Technicolor, Grass Valley, RCA and THOMSON brands.

For information about Thomson, please visit www.thomson.net.

Technicolor Home Entertainment Services (THES), part of Thomson's Services division, provides complete DVD, CD and Videocassette manufacturing and distribution services ranging from compression and authoring through to packaging, shipping and returns processing for leading Hollywood studios, independent rights holders, software developers, OEMs, game manufacturers, record labels, promotional agencies, direct marketers and more. Recognized as an optical industry pioneer and the world's largest manufacturer and distributor of Videocassettes, DVDs and CDs, THES has the high-volume replication capabilities and superior technology to produce all major CD and DVD formats quickly and efficiently. A leader in the development and implementation of CD and DVD anti-piracy technologies designed to protect content for customers, THES has the worldwide capacity to produce more than 1.5 billion DVDs annually along with the capacity to produce more than 500 million Videocassettes and more than 300 million CDs annually. Major Hollywood clients include: The Walt Disney Co., Warner Bros. Pictures, Universal, Paramount, DreamWorks SKG, MGM, and New Line Cinema. Software publishing customers include Microsoft, Vivendi Universal Interactive, Electronic Arts, and Hewlett-Packard.

For more information: www.technicolor.com

Posted by Nana at 03:03 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Akai Becomes Latest Major Consumer Electronics Company to Adopt SRS Labs' Powerful Virtual Surround Sound Technology

SRS Labs, Inc., one of the world's leading providers of advanced audio, voice and surround sound technologies, and Akai, a global leader in value creation of advance technologies for consumer electronics specializing in audio and video home entertainment products, today announced that Akai U.S. is featuring SRS Labs' TruSurround XT® virtual surround sound technology in its new advanced display products. SRS TruSurround XT is the next generation of TruSurround, which is the established standard for creating virtual surround sound from any type of audio material over only two speakers. The first products from Akai featuring TruSurround XT are advanced display television models including projection and LCD that are expected to begin shipping in the first quarter of 2005.

TruSurround XT delivers a premium virtual surround sound experience from any multichannel source over just two speakers or headphones, transforming any audio material, including mono, stereo or surround encoded, into breathtaking virtual surround sound. Two powerful audio techniques are included in TruSurround XT that further increase the quality of the audio experience. SRS Dialog Clarity(TM) improves dialog intelligibility during passages of movies where soundtracks have been mixed for cinema sound systems and loaded with the latest special audio effects. This patented SRS algorithm enhances signal clarity, thus dramatically improving dialog intelligibility. SRS TruBass®, a patented bass enhancement technology, delivers deep, rich bass over small speakers and headphones for improved low frequency performance up to an octave below the limitations of the speaker drivers. TruSurround XT and its predecessor, TruSurround, have been included in tens of millions of TVs, DVD players and other consumer electronic devices from dozens of companies around the world.

"Akai is a well respected brand name in consumer electronics and we are very proud that they chose to feature our virtual surround technology," said Lupita Ho, director of strategic IC platform development for SRS Labs in charge of the home entertainment market. "Our brand continues to build momentum as we continue to become a 'must-have' audio enhancement feature for consumer electronics products. The addition of a powerful name such as Akai is proof that our initiatives are becoming increasingly successful. We look forward to working with Akai on the launch of their upcoming products."

Akai has a large distribution network with retailers in over 40 countries on six continents and continues to grow through many more wholesale and retail distribution partners. Akai is a significant and familiar Japanese brand to the consumer, with a heritage of high quality and technologically advanced products. The company has taken further steps to these advancements with the adoption of the SRS technology for its products.

Rodney Rad, director of marketing for Akai USA said, "We are very proud that our products now have SRS Labs technology included. We are always looking for ways to provide better technology to our consumers. SRS is one of our many steps in accomplishing our goal."

For more information on licensing SRS technologies, contact sales@srslabs.com or call (949) 442-1070. To hear an online demonstration of SRS technologies, visit www.srslabs.com/Demonstrations.asp.

For more information on Akai products, contact Rodney Rad at rr@akaiusa.com of call him at (818) 702-2279.

About Akai USA

APH USA, LLC is the exclusive sales and marketing company for Akai home audio, home video, and home and portable consumer electronics products in the United States. APH is committed to creating the very best in home entertainment. APH will continue to strive to make products that are ahead of their time, products that will help consumers expand their creative horizons; products that will help facilitate the coming integration of sound, graphics and picture into new realms of home entertainment.

About SRS Labs Inc.

SRS Labs is a recognized leader in the advancement of audio and voice technology. The company works with the world's top manufacturers to provide a richer entertainment experience through patented sound techniques. SRS Labs' technologies can be heard through products ranging from televisions, flat panel displays, DVD players, mobile phones, car audio systems, headphones and notebook and desktop computers. The company also offers hardware and software tools to professionals and consumers for the creation, production and broadcast of content featuring SRS Labs' technologies. SRS Labs' wholly owned subsidiary, ValenceTech, is a Hong Kong-based semiconductor company that designs and sells custom ASICs and standard ICs to leading manufacturers worldwide. Based in Santa Ana, Calif., the company also has licensing representation in Hong Kong, Japan, Europe, and Korea. For more information about SRS Labs, Inc. please visit www.srslabs.com.

Posted by Nana at 01:26 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Research and Markets http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c11085 has announced the addition of Worldwide LCD TV 2004-2008 Forecast and Analysis: Thin Is In to their offering.

This study examines the worldwide LCD TV market for the years 2004-2008. Healthy supply and aggressive brand competition in the LCD TV market will lead to mass-market prices, which in turn will lead to the selling of these products within mass-market channels such as Wal-Mart and Costco along with traditional computer and audiovisual establishments. Following the well-charted path laid forth by LCD monitors, LCD TV performance will become commoditized, unit growth for certain size segments will depend entirely on price, brand loyalty will fade, and healthy Internet sales will follow ? markedly different from traditional face-to-face TV-buying habits.

"The emergence and maturation of the LCD TV market will impose slow but inevitable downward pricing pressure on all television technologies in the near term. LCD TVs, of course, need to come down in price, come up in size, and then exhibit both trends at the same time to be a legitimate threat against direct-view CRT and RPTV. As such, the demise of the CRT-based television is not slated to happen until well after the end of our forecast period." ? Eric Haruki, research manager, Displays and Projectors research.

Posted by Nana at 01:21 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

- BBK Electronics leverages DMN-8602 for DVD recorders, while reducing risks and costs
- DMN-8602 reduces cost, design complexity, and time-to-market through its high level of system integration (http://www.lsilogic.com/products/recorder_dvd_dvr_dtr/dmn_8602.html)

LSI Logic Corporation, a leader in multimedia processing for the Digital Home, today announced that BBK AV & Entertainment Corp. (affiliated to BBK Electronics Corp.) has developed its latest line of full-featured, cost-effective DVD recorders by leveraging the LSI Logic DoMiNo(TM) 8602 (DMN-8602) DVD recorder system processor. BBK is ranked in the top three AV manufacturers in China and is at the forefront of driving the latest technologies.
"By leveraging the DMN-8602, we benefited from LSI Logic's expertise in approaching products from both a chip and system level," said Tony Chen, general manager of BBK AV Division. "We were able to streamline our product development cycle, reduce risk and get to market quickly with a cutting-edge solution."

The DMN-8602 leverages the industry-leading integration of the DoMiNo 8600 (DMN-8600), the industry's first single-chip DVD recorder solution. The DMN- 8602 further integrates an NTSC/PAL TV encoder and a USB controller, and requires only a single unified memory subsystem. The integration of these functions into a single chip reduces design complexity and provides system designers with a considerable savings on the overall bill of materials.

"The DVD recorder market is continuing to see strong growth," said Umesh Padval, executive vice president of the LSI Logic Consumer Products Division. "We have had a long-term relationship with BBK on VCD and DVD products over the last 10 years, and we are pleased that they have entered the DVD recorder market using our industry-leading DMN-8602."

The DMN-8602 features LSI Logic's Direct Digital Dub(TM) technology that simplifies the transfer of personal digital content from a camcorder to DVD over FireWire, with one-touch control via a single remote. Additional advantages include LSI Logic's proprietary pre- and post-processing technologies, TrueView(TM) Pro and TrueScan(TM) Pro. These motion compensation-based technologies provide advanced progressive scan output and impressive noise handling on analog inputs.

LSI Logic's Consumer Products Division provides innovative digital media processing and silicon solutions to industry-leading, worldwide consumer electronics manufacturers. With a complete line of cutting-edge products for DVD, DVR, EVD, video game, digital and HDTV, set-top box, and professional video production/broadcasting devices, LSI Logic delivers entertainment into and throughout the Digital Home.

About LSI Logic Corporation

LSI Logic Corporation focuses on the design and production of high- performance semiconductors for Consumer, Communications and Storage applications that access, interconnect and store data, voice and video. LSI Logic engineers incorporate reusable, industry-standard intellectual property building blocks that serve as the heart of leading-edge systems. LSI Logic serves its global OEM, channel and distribution customers with Platform ASICs, standard-cell ASICs, standard products, host bus adapters, RAID controllers and software. In addition, the company supplies storage network solutions for the enterprise. LSI Logic is headquartered at 1621 Barber Lane, Milpitas, CA 95035. http://www.lsilogic.com.

Posted by Nana at 01:12 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Reliable, high-speed IP network leverages existing coax to support state of the art Digital Home consumer experience

Ucentric Systems and Entropic Communications are teaming up to deliver whole-home digital entertainment networking using an Internet Protocol (IP) network in the home that leverages existing coaxial cable. Entropic IP networking silicon chipsets combined with Ucentric Whole-Home software platform allow multiple high-definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) sessions of DVR (digital video recording) functionality and sharing of personal media such as music and photos to multiple display devices throughout the home over a reliable, high- speed (270Mbps) IP network. The combined solution will be showcased at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2005 in Las Vegas, January 6-9.

"We're pleased to work with Ucentric to provide a reliable and engaging platform to move high-quality digital media throughout the home," said Patrick Henry, Entropic president and CEO. "Our combined solution allows CE manufacturers to take full advantage of Entropic's multimedia transport technology and Ucentric's modular and customizable software suite for delivering compelling, broadcast quality applications throughout the home on a robust and low-cost IP network."

"Entropic has been a leader in leveraging existing in-home cable to create secure and dependable multimedia networks that support broadcast quality video, including HDTV, high speed data, Internet, voice, and multi-room gaming," said Michael Collette, Ucentric chief executive officer. "IP networking for Whole-Home entertainment is critical in the mass deployment of home media servers and media sharing in that it overcomes the bandwidth issues of moving HD content around the home and affords the reliability of an IP network at the lowest possible cost to CE manufacturers."

Entropic's c.LINK-270 chipset, when built into a variety of consumer electronics such as set-top boxes, digital video recorders, and televisions permits seamless networking over the existing coaxial cable infrastructure at speeds as high as 270Mbps. The high speed and reliability of coax make it the ideal medium for networking high-bandwidth applications such as video.

Ucentric's Networked Media Center software platform includes a Whole-Home DVR(TM) application featuring a single recording library, shared among multiple television sets that allows users to independently record, pause, play, rewind and fast forward live or recorded programming from any TV in the network. Additional applications available from Ucentric include Whole-Home Music(TM) and Whole-Home Photo(TM) applications that allow users to access, share, and transfer their complete digital music and photo collections to any connected device in the home.

About Ucentric Systems

Ucentric is a leading provider of home media networking software for the new digital home. Its patented technology enables the secure, high quality digital distribution of HD and SD video signals from broadcast, satellite or cable sources to all connected rooms in the home, over low-cost, in-home wired or wireless networks. Ucentric's embedded software platform provides CE manufacturers and operators maximum integration and branding flexibility for enabling multi-TV DVR, whole-home music and other networking applications for advanced set-top boxes, home media servers and entertainment PCs.

Ucentric is a member of the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) and the Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) Forum and actively supports CableLab's Open Cable initiative. Based in Maynard, Massachusetts, Ucentric is backed by Polaris Venture Partners. For more information, please visit www.ucentric.com.

About Entropic Communications

Entropic Communications is a privately held semiconductor company based in San Diego, Calif., enabling home networking for digital entertainment. Entropic's products allow consumers to easily share digital entertainment throughout the home by leveraging the existing coax infrastructure to fundamentally change the way content such as movies, music, and images are stored and networked by the average user. For more information: www.entropic.com.

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Studio Audience Gets TiVo(R) DVRs as Holiday Gift in On-Air Giveaway
The studio audience on today's episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show will have a holiday to remember. The host of the hottest daytime talk show on television will give each member of the studio audience one of her favorite gadgets, a TiVo® Series2(TM) DVR as a holiday gift.

"When you give the gift of TiVo (Nasdaq: TIVO - News), you get a uniquely enthusiastic and excited reaction from the gift recipient, and it was great fun helping Ellen capture that moment with her studio audience," said Matt Wisk, Chief Marketing Officer at TiVo. "With a TiVo DVR, fans never have to miss an episode of Ellen because they weren't home in time. Every episode will be recorded and waiting for them."

As part of her "12 Days of Christmas," promotion, DeGeneres arranged for her entire studio audience to receive the 80-hour TiVo Series2 DVR with product lifetime service*. She unveiled the gift during a segment that will air nationally today.

The TiVo boxes include the highly acclaimed, exclusive set of TiVo service features including Season Pass(TM) and WishList(TM), as well as the home media capabilities that allow broadband subscribers to connect to all the content they love, including digital music and photos. TiVo Series2 boxes work with any TV setup including antenna, cable, digital cable and satellite, and allow subscribers to record up to 80 hours of their favorite shows without the hassles of videotape.

About TiVo Inc.

Founded in 1997, TiVo, a pioneer in home entertainment, created a brand new category of products with the development of the first digital video recorder (DVR). Today, the Company continues to revolutionize the way consumers watch and access home entertainment by making TiVo the focal point of the digital living room, a center for sharing and experiencing television, music, photos and other content. TiVo connects consumers to the digital entertainment they want, where and when they want it. The Company is based in Alviso, Calif.

A product lifetime subscription to the TiVo service covers the life of the TiVo Digital Video Recorder (DVR) -- not the life of the subscriber.

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BY Joshua Freed

MINNEAPOLIS -- Hanging stockings by the chimney with care? Retailers hope that St. Nicholas soon will be there -- to hang a 42-inch plasma-screen TV.

As prices drop for high-end televisions, sales are leaping. Retailers expect to sell twice as many plasma-screen televisions and three times as many LCD televisions this year, according to the Consumer Electronics Association.

And with new sellers such as Dell and Wal-Mart now in the market, retailers are looking for new ways to differentiate themselves.

Dell and some other sellers will deliver a TV free of shipping charges. Wal-Mart, competing on price, offers a 42-inch plasma TV for $2,000 at many of its stores, about $1,000 less than many other sellers. Many Best Buy stores will send a technician to visit prospective TV buyers at home, at no charge, to measure and suggest other products. more...

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First-tier LCD-monitor makers, including ViewSonic, BenQ, Acer, and the Chi Mei group (under the CMV and PolyView brands), have had to double their production lead times to four to six weeks as continued LCD-panel price drops during the traditional peak season have caused a surge in demand, according to company sources.

With a large amount of orders emerging towards the end of November, demand began to exceed capacity at the first-tier makers, the sources explained. In addition, demand has strengthened in December, the sources added.

Delivery of orders received in late November and early December will have to wait until January 2005, the sources said.

Second-tier makers, such as Amtran Technology, Jean, and Sampo Technology, have not had to extend their lead times, but they did report that their November shipments grew 20-30% on-month.

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All around the world sales of flat screen tvs are picking up. Seems like everyone, including me are looking for a flat screen TV under the Christmas tree. Here's an interesting article from the Financial Times about this hot market.

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Breakthrough DVD player offers High definition and WMV9 playback

Australian home theatre designer Zensonic Corporation has announced a groundbreaking DVD player with wireless networking and the ability to directly connect a hard-drive.

The Zensonic Z500 networked digital media player gives users four connectivity options in one unit: wireless networking, gigabit Ethernet wired networking, optical disc playback and USB 2.0 hard drive connection.

It has unprecedented file format support including high definition Windows Media® Video 9, DivX® and MPEG4 playback. In addition it also supports HighMAT™ (High Performance Media Access Technology). HighMAT is a standard way of organising digital media files on burned discs for easy browsing and playback through a DVD player or other digital player. It is already implemented in Windows® XP, Ahead Nero and other popular CD/DVD writing products and solves the problem of confusing, unordered lists of files on burned discs, instead presenting easy to navigate interfaces.

The Z500 server software is not only available for Windows, but also Mac OS X and Linux.

"First generation digital media players forced users to compromise," said Zensonic CEO Raaj Menon. "It was generally a choice between a DVD-based player or a networked player."

"The Z500 offers both of these capabilities in one, and adds the option for the direct attachment of a USB 2.0 hard drive for the fastest and most convenient transfer of digital media from home PCs," he said.

The USB 2.0 port can be used for either a USB flash memory device or a USB hard drive, including Apple iPod* and other music players that can be used as a hard drive for convenience. Alternatively, the Z500 can play digital media files burned on to all popular optical formats including CD-R(W), DVD±R(W) and even dual layer DVD±R(W).

The Z500's music playback capability handles all the formats enthusiasts have been waiting for, including the high definition FLAC lossless compressed format, OGG, AAC (commonly used in Apple iTunes**), MP3, Windows Media Audio 9 (including digitally rights managed WMA9), CD Audio and others.

Video playback is also astonishingly comprehensive. The Z500 handles playback in Windows Media Video 9, DivX® XviD, MPEG-4, QuickTime MPEG-4, MPEG-2, MPEG-1, DVD, and other formats.

High resolution photos can be played back, preserving resolution if displayed through a high definition TV or monitor. The device supports popular image file formats including JPEG, TIFF, RAW and others.

The Z500 is engineered from the ground up for high performance networking, with Gigabit Ethernet networking and 54Mbit/s*** 802.11G wireless networking integrated.

Likewise, the Z500 has stunningly comprehensive sound output options. Both coaxial and optical outputs are available for flawless digital connection to home theatre amplifiers, while advanced sound decoding capabilities allow direct playback of 5.1 channel Dolby Digital soundtracks through analogue outputs.

The internet is just a button away on the Z500, with instant access to stock quotes, local weather and more. Internet radio stations can be streamed from sources offering the popular PLS and ASX formats.

An easy to install and use Zensonic server application called Z-Drive is supplied with the player to make sorting and streaming digital media files from multiple PCs simple. It is available for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.

The player can even be controlled directly from a PC or Mac if a user prefers, or through the supplied Zensonic backlit remote control with scroll jog-shuttle for easy menu navigation.

The unit is powered by Sigma Designs' EM8620L media processor. The power of this chipset can be enhanced and extended over time by Zensonic software upgrades, which are automatically downloaded and installed by Zensonic Z-Update. Users never have to worry about whether they have the latest firmware for their player - if an internet connection is available, they always will.

"It is exciting to see a player which utilises the full capabilities of our chipset," said Ken Lowe, vice president of strategic marketing for Sigma Designs. "Zensonic's player strikes a balance between feature richness and affordability which we believe will become a trend within high definition Windows Media DVD players."

The Zensonic Z500 will be available in March at a recommended retail price of AU$429.

First prototypes will be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, January 6-8, 2005.

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In about a month you’ll be able to take a peek at what kinds of DVDs your friends have been watching. Netflix has announced that they will be adding a social networking feature to their service. This will work like Friendster and other social networking sites where you invite friends into your personal network. Once you invite a friend into your network, you’ll both get to see what each other have watched, along with opinions and reviews about the DVD.

If this works it should help differentiate Netflix's service from other competitors like Amazon, Blockbuster Entertainment and Wal-Mart. The company has been under attack ever since they all introduced their own DVD Rental Services.

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Amazon.com announced to today that they have launched their DVD Rentals service for its UK customers.

The service offers two plans right now. At the low end £7.99 plan, customers will be able to rent 4 DVDs a month, and have up to 2 DVDs at home at a time. The higher priced £9.99 plan allows for 6 DVD rentals a month, and a total of 3 DVDs at home at any time. The DVDs arrive in 1-2 business days, and shipping and return postage is free for customers.

Both plans include a 10% discount on DVDs purchased from Amazon.co.uk.

This marks the beginning of tougher competition for rival service Netflix, they already cancelled plans to expand into the UK market, and have cut prices in the US in anticipation of Amazon's entry in this market. At this time, there is no mention of a launch date for a similar service of Amazon's US customers. But I expect it will happen very soon.

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According to PVRblog, looks like TiVo To Go is coming out soon. Very soon, TiVo users will be able to take their favorite shows with them on the road. It would be nice if this means you can also take your shows with you on a Portable Media Center as well.

If you are not familiar with TiVo To Go, here's a press release from earlier this year:

TiVo announced today it intends to deliver a new service release in the Fall of 2004 called “TiVoToGoTM.” For the first time, TiVo subscribers with Home Media Option(TM) will be able to move their favorite programs stored on a TiVo DVR to a laptop for viewing on the road, or to any PC. For those who have a PC equipped with a DVD burner, programs can then be burned to DVD so users can take the TiVo experience with them wherever they go.
"We’re now giving consumers the freedom and control to determine where they enjoy entertainment, whether it’s at home, in a car, on a plane – or anywhere on the road," said Brodie Keast, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the TiVo Service.

How "TiVoToGo" Works
Accessing “TiVoToGo” requires a TiVo Content Security Key and TiVo-enabled versions of the Sonic Solution MyDVD® and CinePlayer(TM) applications.

Sonic Solutions, the leader in DVD creation software, has teamed with TiVo to develop TiVo-enabled versions of Sonic’s MyDVD and CinePlayer applications. Once this software is installed on the PC, the new TiVo-enabled MyDVD and CinePlayer software from Sonic will make it easy to find the “Now Playing” programs on any networked TiVo DVR in the home.

Once selected, the secure and encrypted TiVo recorded programs are moved to the PC, where the TiVo Content Security Key is used to unlock the files for playback or burning, preventing files from being shared online, outside of the user’s home network.

The TiVo Content Security Key and the TiVo-enabled versions of Sonic Solution’s MyDVD and CinePlayer applications will be sold as a bundle at www.tivo.com.

The "TiVo to Go" service upgrade, TiVo Content Security Key and the Sonic software will all be available in Fall 2004.

The Future of "TiVoToGo"
These new mobile services are just the beginning. TiVo expects that other software and hardware makers will develop additional capabilities in the future designed to work with "TiVoToGo."

BravoBrava! is a technology company that has already developed mobile services that will allow remote programming of the TiVo Series2 DVR from cell phones and demonstrated these new capabilities at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). "TiVoToGo" scheduling from your cell phone or PDA extends remote scheduling beyond the PC keyboard, giving subscribers the ability to schedule recordings while on the go. Just heard about a new episode of the latest reality show? Just grab your cell phone and tell your TiVo Series2 DVR to record it for you.

About TiVo
Founded in 1997 with the mission to dramatically improve consumers' television viewing experiences, TiVo is the creator of television services for digital video recorders (DVRs). TiVo's leadership has defined and inspired the entire category, earning the company patents for pioneering inventions associated with DVR software and hardware design. TiVo was the first to deliver on the promise of consumer choice and control over TV viewing, building a loyal and passionate subscriber base with over 97% of customers surveyed recommending TiVo to a friend. This enthusiasm has contributed to overwhelming growth over the past year, and the total subscriber base exceeds 1 million. TiVo is headquartered in San Jose, CA. Additional information can be found at www.tivo.com.

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Ergotron Inc. has announced the expansion of its Neo-Flex line with the Neo-Flex LCD stand, an adjustable stand for LCD monitors and small LCD TVs. According to the firm, the stand allows users to upgrade their LCD to “the same quality of ergonomic adjustability found in premium desktop monitors”.

The durable stand provides five inches of vertical movement, so that it can be positioned where the user wants it. With “fingertip effort”, Ergotron explains, customers can raise or lower the monitor five inches (130 mm), pivot it right/left or up/down, or rotate the screen for portrait/landscape viewing. A patented lift and friction system provides smooth, easy adjustment, adds the Company.

The Stand attaches easily to flat panel monitors that are VESA-compliant and weigh between six and 16 pounds.

The Neo-Flex LCD stand is currently available in Canada through Tech Data Canada and SYNNEX Canada, with a list price of approximately $75. For more information, visit www.ergotron.com.

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Industry Veteran Brings Consumer Electronics Expertise, Key Relationships, and Proven Track Record

In a strategic move to further expand the depth of its management team, Brillian Corporation announced that Sony veteran Bill Fox has joined the Brillian executive team as senior vice president, Sales. Fox will work to secure relationships with top-tier original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and retailers for Brillian's rear-projection, high-definition televisions. Based on Brillian's proprietary Gen II liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCoS(TM)) microdisplays, these 65-inch HDTVs offer breakthrough picture quality, with contrast ratios as high as 2000:1, and are ideally suited to OEMs looking to gain share in the top end of the fast-growth HDTV arena.

"I am impressed with the management team, the strategic vision and the technology leadership behind Brillian's offering," said Fox. "Brillian presents a compelling solution by giving OEMs and retailers a way to quickly enter the HDTV arena with a quality product assured to enhance their brand equity. And, unlike most competitors, Brillian has U.S. manufacturing expertise, which enables close collaboration with OEM customers. The HDTV era is just now unfolding. There is room for Brillian in this market and there absolutely will be demand among consumers for the incredibly high-level picture quality its HDTV products deliver."

Widely known and respected in the consumer electronics industry, Fox most recently was senior vice president and group general manager of the A/V Sales Group for Sharp Electronics. Prior to that, Fox spent 23 years at Sony Electronics Inc., where he cultivated strong relationships with national and regional retailers, and many of the key players in the consumer electronics distribution chain. In more than two decades with Sony, he held a number of executive sales and marketing positions, including serving as senior vice president, Consumer Systems & Applications; overseeing marketing for the Home Entertainment Products Division, and heading sales for both the Eastern and Western regions of the U.S.

"Establishing relationships with leading OEMs and retailers is paramount to our success," said Vincent F. Sollitto, Brillian, CEO and president. "The addition of Bill to our leadership team is a critical next step to meeting our objectives. He brings an extraordinary track record in the consumer electronics industry having played a key role in building many of Sony's most successful products and businesses. His experience, contacts and market vision will be tremendous assets as we move forward in 2005."

About Brillian Corporation

Brillian Corporation designs and develops rear-projection HDTVs targeted at high-end video/audio OEMs, high-end video/audio retailers, ProAV/CEDIA distributors, and their base of dealers and custom installers looking for breakthrough performance and image quality. The company is the first and only provider of Gen II LCoS(TM) technology used in these products. In addition to its high-definition televisions, Brillian also offers a broad line of LCoS(TM) microdisplay products and subsystems that OEMs integrate into proprietary HDTV products, multimedia projectors, and near-to-eye products such as monocular and binocular headsets. Brillian's LCoS(TM) microdisplay technologies address the market demand for a high-performance display solution with high image fidelity, high-resolution scalability, and high contrast ratios. The company's website is www.brilliancorp.com.

Brillian is a registered trademark and LCoS is a trademark of Brillian Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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New Offering will Provide Consumers with Multi-Functional Service and Greater Control Over Their Personalized Digital Entertainment Experience

LONG ISLAND, N.Y., Dec. 8 -- VCinema, Inc., formed in early 2004, today announced its plans to bring a broadband-enabled home entertainment service to the market in mid-2005. The subscriber-based service will allow consumers to legally download and create their own virtual video libraries from a vast array of content -- including feature films, TV shows, children's programming, and a large variety of other video entertainment.

The service will be delivered through VCinema's Digital Theater, a next- generation, multifunctional set-top box that integrates a high speed broadband connection, a DVD/CD player, a Digital Video Recorder (DVR), and the ability to download digital video content to rent or own. As a result, VCinema's service seamlessly marries the functions that American's most want in their television entertainment experience -- the ability to sit in their living room and with a single remote, access the high-quality movies, TV shows, children's programs and other content they love -- and watch it whenever they want. This removes the hassle of looking for discs, downloading videos to a PC located in another room from the TV, tuning in to a program after it has already begun, running out to the video store, or waiting days for online rentals to show up in the mail.

"The demand for immediate access to high-quality, main stream content is at the heart of the rapid evolution of the digital home entertainment experience. As this market continues to emerge, it is clear that consumers are challenging service providers to deliver on three key premises -- greater convenience, choice and control," said Adam Zeitsiff, President & CEO, VCinema. "By converging core digital functionality with a secure video download service into a single solution, VCinema has answered this challenge and is prepared to emerge as a leader in the video over broadband home entertainment market."

Based on a recent whitepaper published by Parks Associates in July of 2004, slightly more then 15% of all U.S. households will purchase on-demand movies and other video content via the internet by 2008. This represents a huge opportunity for companies like VCinema to lead the emerging digital home entertainment market.

New Distribution Channel for Digital Content

In addition to directly benefiting consumers, VCinema's solution will also provide a new and secure distribution channel for content providers of all sizes, providing inherent security and digital rights management for their intellectual property, as well as the ability to help them augment their existing home entertainment revenue opportunities. With a significant increase in the industry's concern over the amount of illegal movie distribution and internet downloads, VCinema's service gives content providers the ability to combat this illegal distribution and build a growing base of legal online customers.

As a core part of VCinema's unique customer experience, the company will encode all content using an industry-standard Advanced Video Compression algorithm (AVC), which provides significantly higher video quality (full D-1, 720 x 480 resolution or better) compared to other service offerings in the market today. This, in conjunction with VCinema's progressive play technology, will allow a customer with an average broadband connection to begin watching a full-length feature film less then one minute after choosing to download the program. VCinema will also encrypt video content with its patent-pending Digital Rights Management and revolving licensing technology, as well as provide a secure, conditional-access communications path from its storage servers to its Digital Theater set-top box.

The company is in the final stages of developing its products and licensing a large variety of content from major U.S. film studios, television and cable networks, children's content providers, major sports leagues, and various other content providers around the world. VCinema will be launching its service on a limited test basis in the early summer of 2005, with a full- scale national launch currently planned for September of 2005.

About VCinema

VCinema, Inc., is a broadband-enabled home entertainment service that will allow consumers to legally download and create their own virtual video libraries from a vast array of content -- including feature films, TV shows, children's programming, and a large variety of other video entertainment. The service will be delivered through VCinema's Digital Theater, a next-generation set-top box that integrates a high speed broadband connection, a DVD/CD player, a Digital Video Recorder (DVR), and the ability to download digital video content to rent or own. VCinema is a privately held company with headquarters in Long Island, NY and offices in Austin, TX and Los Angeles, CA. For more information, please visit us at http://www.vcinema.com or email us at info@vcinema.com .

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by Liam Lahey

Though there's some uncertainty surrounding the LCD (liquid crystal display) market, overall the outlook is a sunny one.
The LCD industry suffered a decline in revenue in the third quarter of 2004, according to iSuppli/Standford Resources, but such is now the norm noted Sweta Dash, director of LCD and projection research at iSuppli. Dash wrote that after each slowdown, a new market for LCDs developed that spurred industry expansion.

Recent reports have documented the growth of LCD monitors at the expense of the CRT (cathode ray tube) market, and for the first time since flat-panels were introduced into the North American marketplace, LCD sales will surpass CRT sales in 2005.

Andres Maldonado, director, product marketing for NEC-Mitsubishi USA, said though the CRT market is indeed in steep decline, there is still opportunity to be had for low-cost CRTs.

"Initially, users found LCDs to be too expensive. At the most, they were willing to pay twice the amount they are paying now," he said. "What we talk to our customers about, from small businesses to large enterprises, is the total cost of ownership (TCO), not just the acquisition price, but the maintenance costs, energy and recycling costs. With energy prices escalating, the TCO advantages are clear on the LCD side. And that's a trend we see continuing."

David Nichols, director, display marketing for Samsung Electronics USA, acknowledged LCDs are outstripping CRT sales. On a global basis, Samsung Electronics expects to see 68 per cent of unit demand in 2005 to be for LCDs.

"The (LCD) market has been softer (in 2004) than most analysts had predicted, nevertheless it's been a very successful year for Samsung; we've experienced growth beyond our original expectations," he said. "But there will always be room for entry-level CRTs.

"The 15-inch LCD market doesn't have much of a position going forward, the 17-inch LCD price point has gone down and it's the sweet spot with consumers right now. But . . . there's still a lower-end price point that needs to be addressed and CRTs are perfect for that. Also, there continues to be some performance benefits with CRTs in certain applications that some customers want." more...

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SpatiaLight, Inc., a manufacturer of state-of-the-art liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) microdisplay devices, announced today that it closed a non-brokered private placement of $10 million original principal amount of 10% senior secured convertible notes, due November 30, 2007. Under the terms of the transaction, the purchasers of the notes will have a one-year option to purchase up to an additional $5 million principal amount of notes subject to the same terms and conditions as the original $10 million of notes.

The notes are convertible, at the option of the holders, into SpatiaLight common shares at a conversion price of $9.72 per share. At the conversion price, each $1,000 principal amount of notes is convertible into 102.88 SpatiaLight common shares. The conversion price of the principal amount of the notes is equal to a 25% premium to the ten-day trailing average of the volume weighted average price of SpatiaLight common shares ending November 29, 2004, which was $7.78.

The notes will bear interest at an annual rate of 10%, payable quarterly, and will be senior secured obligations of SpatiaLight. The interest is payable in cash or SpatiaLight common shares at the option of the Company.

Under the terms of the transaction, Robert A. Olins, the Chief Executive Officer and a director of SpatiaLight, and another shareholder of the Company, have jointly committed to provide $6 million in future financing to the Company on terms and conditions to be determined at the time of any such transaction. That financing commitment shall be reduced by any funds that SpatiaLight receives from future sales or exercises of its equity, debt or derivative securities.

SpatiaLight expects to use the net proceeds from the transaction to fund construction and equipping of its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in the Republic of Korea and for other general working capital purposes. SpatiaLight is continuing to actively pursue additional debt financing, which may include financing backed by the Export-Import Bank of the United States, to fund additional working capital needs as the Company continues its rapid progression toward mass production.

The offering of the notes was made only to qualified institutional buyers in reliance on Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act) and Rule 506 of Regulation D as promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act. The securities offered were not registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws, and unless so registered, may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offering would be unlawful.

About SpatiaLight, Inc.

SpatiaLight, Inc., founded in 1989, manufactures high-resolution LCoS microdisplays for use in High Definition televisions and rear projection monitors. The Company's proprietary SpatiaLight imagEngine(TM) LCoS microdisplays represent a solution for OEMs of large-screen rear projection monitors, home theater projection systems, video projectors, and other display applications. Utilizing more than 6.2 million pixels, SpatiaLight's LCoS Sets are designed to be incorporated into High Definition televisions and rear projection monitors. A SpatiaLight display unit, another Company product, is comprised of three SpatiaLight imagEngine(TM) microdisplays fitted onto a light engine designed by SpatiaLight and Fuji Photo Optical Co., Ltd. and manufactured by Fuji. SpatiaLight currently manufactures two models of its LCoS microdisplays. The "T-1" model has an active matrix of 1280 pixels by 960 pixels configuration and the newer generation "T-3" model has an active matrix of 1920 pixels by 1080 pixels configuration. SpatiaLight is committed to developing microdisplay technologies that will become the standard for the next generation of rear projection display devices and to providing OEMs with the most cost effective, high resolution microdisplays in the industry. For more information about SpatiaLight, please see the Company web site: www.spatialight.com.

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New Video Processor Chip Allows Manufacturers to Economically Bring to Market Next-Generation Set-Top Boxes, DVD Players and Digital Television Entertainment Systems With Advanced Video Compression Technology by Early 2005

Broadcom Corporation, a leading provider of highly integrated semiconductor solutions enabling broadband communications, today announced an advanced video decoder/audio processor chip that supports H.264 advanced video compression technology. An essential requirement for next-generation video/audio consumer products, the H.264-based compression technology (also known as MPEG-4 Part 10/Advanced Video Coding (AVC)) significantly reduces the bandwidth required to deliver high definition (HD) and digital video content over service operator networks and to store HD media on conventional DVDs and system hard disks.

The Broadcom® BCM7411 video processor chip is Broadcom's third- generation silicon implementation to support the H.264 video compression specification. Broadcom has been sampling previous generations of the chip to strategic customers since mid-year and anticipates customers will announce products incorporating the BCM7411 by early 2005. Before Broadcom's silicon solution, the only way to implement the H.264 compression standard was with software, which required a significant amount of processing power that was not cost effective for consumer applications. The BCM7411 is extremely efficient and specifically designed to enable manufacturers to cost effectively incorporate H.264 compression in a variety of high-volume product applications, including high definition DVD players, next-generation satellite and cable set-top boxes, personal video recording (PVR) products and IP set-top boxes. The key benefits that consumers will receive from equipment based on the BCM7411 include:

Improved services over satellite and cable networks due to increased
bandwidth that will be available for more high definition television
programs, video-on-demand services, and data and telephony services.

Greater digital media capacity for storing video and audio programs on
next-generation HD-DVD players.

Increased capacity for storing video and audio programming on a PVR
system hard disk.

Reduction in the bandwidth of audio/video content to a level that
allows broadcast quality services to be supported over the limited
bandwidth of IP telephony networks, thereby enabling the IP set-top
box market.

The H.264 standard represents the current leading-edge compression technology and is designed to typically improve video compression performance by a factor of between two and three times when compared to existing MPEG-2 solutions. Originally developed as a joint effort between the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and ISO Motion Picture Expert Group (MPEG) standards bodies, the H.264 specification is now becoming adopted in a wide variety of next-generation audio and video applications.

"Broadcom's introduction of this advanced compression chip, coupled with our extensive offerings for consumer electronics products, enables us to be the first company to deliver complete solutions that support these new emerging audio and video consumer applications," said Daniel Marotta, Group Vice President of Broadcom's Broadband Communications Group. "The BCM7411 chip, with its advanced H.264 technology, opens the door for new market opportunities that have been hobbled by the lack of bandwidth necessary to support them over existing network infrastructures."

"We have established ourselves as a leader in advanced compression silicon technology by bringing the most efficient video codec (H.264) to market," said Peter Besen, Vice President of Broadcom's Consumer Electronics Group. "Moving forward, the flexible silicon architecture of Broadcom's BCM7411 allows for the implementation of other codecs, such as Microsoft's Windows Media® 9 / VC-1 video codec standards, and other future compression requirements in an efficient, cost-effective and timely manner."

BCM7411 Product Information
The BCM7411 video decoder/audio processor chip supports high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) video decoding with a flexible audio format processor in a single-chip solution. The video decoder can operate as a single-channel HD decoder or a dual-channel SD decoder, and supports H.264, MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 video decoding, making it an ideal solution for both broadcast and packaged media video applications. The BCM7411 is the first video decoder to support the H.264 High Profile specification, which incorporates advanced compression tools such as 8 x 8 transforms and dynamic quantization matrices.

The programmable audio processor in the BCM7411 incorporates a multi-standard audio decoder core, supporting MPEG-4 high-efficiency AAC (AAC+), MPEG-4 AAC (ACC-LC), Dolby® Digital Plus (Enhanced AC3), Dolby Digital (AC3), MPEG-1 Layer I, II, III (MP3) and pulse code modulation (PCM). The audio decoder also supports compressed audio pass-thru to a Sony/Philips digital interface out and PCM audio mixing.

The BCM7411 incorporates a video post processor as well. The processor supports dual channels, horizontal and vertical scaling, deinterlacing, cropping and chroma unsampling, and 3:2 pull-down and on-screen display.

The BCM7411 video decoder/audio processor chip is available today in sample quantities and is expected to be available in production quantities in the first quarter of 2005.

About Broadcom

Broadcom Corporation is a leading provider of highly integrated semiconductor solutions that enable broadband communications and networking of voice, video and data services. We design, develop and supply complete system-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions incorporating digital, analog, radio frequency (RF), microprocessor and digital signal processing (DSP) technologies, as well as related hardware and software system-level applications. Our diverse product portfolio addresses every major broadband communications market and includes solutions for digital cable and satellite set-top boxes; high definition television (HDTV); cable and digital subscriber line (DSL) modems and residential gateways; high-speed transmission and switching for local, metropolitan, wide area and storage networking; home and wireless networking; cellular and terrestrial wireless communications; Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) gateway and telephony systems; broadband network and security processors; and SystemI/O(TM) server solutions. These technologies and products support our core mission: Connecting everything®.

Broadcom is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and may be contacted at 1-949-450-8700 or at www.broadcom.com.

Posted by Nana at 05:06 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Cable Company to Carry Nuggets' HD Broadcasts, Starting With Saturday Night's Denver Nuggets-Miami Heat Contest

Comcast, the country's leading cable and broadband communications provider, will carry 40 Denver Nuggets NBA games this season in high-definition television through its partnership with Altitude Sports & Entertainment. Comcast HD customers in the Denver area will be able to watch Nuggets action in crystal-clear high-definition starting this Saturday night, when the Nuggets host the Miami Heat at the Pepsi Center.

Comcast is the only Denver TV provider currently slated to carry Altitude's HDTV simulcasts of Nuggets games. The HDTV simulcasts will run on Comcast HD channel 665 in the Denver metro area. Nearly all remaining home games, plus select road games, will be broadcast in the high-resolution, widescreen format for Comcast's HD customers in Denver.

"Comcast is very proud to provide these Nuggets' HDTV broadcasts in the Denver area," said Scott Binder, senior vice president for Comcast Colorado. "We continually work to provide new and valuable programming for our customers, and we're thrilled to make these Nuggets games a part of our robust, local HDTV offering."

Comcast's HDTV service in the Denver Metro area offers 13 channels, including local ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX high-definition broadcasts, with no extra equipment to purchase or outside antennas to install.

"If you've ever had the opportunity to see a game in HDTV, then you know that sports in high-def is the future," said Altitude President Jim Martin. "This is a major commitment by Altitude to provide the highest level of service to our fans and viewers -- as well as our affiliates throughout the region -- and we're very pleased that Comcast has chosen to be the first carrier of our HD productions."

Altitude Sports & Entertainment is offered to Comcast customers in Colorado through its standard cable service on channel 25 throughout the Denver metro area and on channel 78 in Pueblo, channel 42 in Longmont, channel 35 in Fort Collins, channel 43 in Greeley and on channel 28 in most of the mountain communities.

About Altitude

Launched in September 2004, Altitude is the television home of the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Mammoth, Colorado Rapids, Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Colorado Eagles, the Big Sky Conference, Air Force Academy, Metro State, ESPN Syndication (including Big 12 Conference, Mountain West Conference and Western Athletic Conference events), the RMAC, Utah Grizzlies, and the Univ. of Wyoming, as well as other local and regional sports and entertainment programming. A full list of Altitude programming and other information can be found at www.altitude.tv.

About Comcast Cable Comcast Corporation (http://www.comcast.com) is principally involved in the development, management and operation of broadband cable networks and in the provision of programming content. The Company is the largest provider of cable and broadband services in the United States, serving more than 21 million cable television subscribers and more than 6.5 million high-speed Internet customers. The Company's content businesses include Comcast SportsNet, Comcast-Spectacor, E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, G4techTV, The Golf Channel, International Channel Networks and Outdoor Life Network. Comcast Class A common stock and Class A Special common stock trade on The NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbols CMCSA and CMCSK, respectively. Comcast serves more than 680,000 customers and employs 3,800 people in Colorado.

For more information about Comcast's products and services, please call 303-930-2000 or visit the company's Web site at www.comcast.com.

Posted by Nana at 05:02 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

LONGUEUIL, Dec. 7 - D-BOX Technology's new "Quest" motion simulator seating has won the Home Theater category Innovation Award offered by the highly regarded US Consumer Electronic Association as part of their "CES Innovation Awards 2005."
This distinction is conferred on products that stand apart through the originality of their design and their innovative technology. "Quest" seating provides the D-BOX motion simulation experience integrated into a range of cutting-edge designs at more affordable prices.

The Innovation Award offers manufacturers an exceptional showcase, since award winning designs are publicized through official Consumer Electronics Show documents, listings and press releases. CES Honourees will also occupy a privileged place in the Innovations Plus Central Plaza Showcase in January 2005, in full view of the over 100,000 industry participants who will be attending the CES Innovations annual exhibition.

The jury for this event was selected by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), an independent body that brings together the major world leaders in industrial design.

About CES:

The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is the world's largest annual tradeshow for consumer technology and America's largest annual tradeshow of any kind.

About D-BOX Technology Inc.

D-BOX Technology Inc. designs, builds and markets under the name of "Odyssee" "D-Box" and "Quest" motion simulation systems that generate movements perfectly synchronized to images and sounds. Their products are mainly intended for the home theatre and electronic game markets.

For further information concerning D-BOX Technology Inc. and its products, please visit its Internet site at www.d-box.com

Posted by Nana at 04:57 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

New projector represents the future of display technology, allowing for use in the office and home with no sacrifice in performance

With an eye towards an evolving industry that is placing equal emphasis on versatility and high performance, Hitachi America has introduced a new projector that sets the standard for projection in both the professional and consumer markets. The Hitachi Performa(TM) CP-RS55 meets and exceeds performance requirements for corporate and residential use, while its light weight and portability finally makes dual use in the home and the office a reality. The suggested street price has been targeted at $899.

"The expectations for performance in video displays has risen consistently in recent years, and projector manufacturers have responded with advanced technology that allows for increasingly brighter and clearer images," said Pete Denes, director of sales for Hitachi America. "However, until now, the market has struggled to develop a projector that can be transported from the office to the home and back while maintaining the current standards of quality. The Performa(TM) CP-RS55 dramatically alters the face of the marketplace with its ability to transcend the notion that projectors are limited to use in fixed locations."

With a brightness of 1,500 ANSI lumens but weighing only 4.84 pounds, the new Hitachi Performa(TM) CP-RS55 projector features the high-end performance required for use in corporate, as well as small business environments, and an intuitive user interface makes it ideal for home use.

Additionally, the Performa(TM) CP-RS55 model features Progressive Scan Technology, which lets users enjoy realistically beautiful images with no flicker. Its Equalizing function (Gamma Correction and Color Balance) lets users make adjustments to achieve the desired picture quality, and three Picture Mode settings (Normal, Cinema and Dynamic) allows users to choose the best mode to match the source.

Lastly, the Performa(TM) also allows for a Whisper Mode option, which reduces fan noise to 32 dB. This provides quiet performance in a variety of applications, from the living room to the boardroom or classroom.

About Hitachi

Hitachi America, Ltd., Digital Media Division, supplies high-performance multimedia products to OEMs, value-added resellers, system integrators and distributors. The division's products include LCD/LCOS projectors. More information about Hitachi's Digital Media offerings can be located at www.hitachi.us/digitalmedia.

Hitachi America, Ltd., a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., markets and manufactures a broad range of electronics, computer systems and products, and consumer electronics, and provides industrial equipment and services throughout North America. For more information, visit http://www.hitachi.us.

Hitachi, Ltd., (NYSE: HIT), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 326,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2003 (ended March 31, 2004) consolidated sales totaled 8,632.4 billion yen ($81.4 billion). The company offers a wide range of systems, products and services in market sectors including information systems, electronic devices, power and industrial systems, consumer products, materials and financial services. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's Website at http://www.hitachi.com.

Posted by Nana at 04:54 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

By Joshua Freed

Hanging stockings by the chimney with care? Retailers hope that St. Nicholas soon will be there -- to hang a 42-inch plasma-screen TV.

As prices drop for high-end televisions, sales are leaping. Retailers expect to sell twice as many plasma-screen televisions and three times as many LCD televisions this year, according to the Consumer Electronics Association.

And with new sellers such as Dell Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. now in the market, retailers are looking for new ways to differentiate themselves.

Dell and some other sellers will deliver a TV free of shipping charges. Wal-Mart, competing on price, offers a 42-inch plasma TV for $2,000 at many of its stores, about $1,000 less than many other sellers. Many Best Buy Inc. stores will send a technician to visit prospective TV buyers at home, at no charge, to measure and suggest other products.

"That has been a huge difference between a guy buying just a TV and a guy buying a complete solution," said Joe Brandt, the home theater manager at a Best Buy store in the Minneapolis suburb of Maple Grove.

And that "complete solution" -- such as a sound system and DVD player -- can be a way for Best Buy and others to grab sales it might have missed by selling just the TV. more...

Posted by Nana at 04:52 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Two former employees of LG.Philips LCD have been arrested for attempting to sell TFT-LCD color-filter (CF)-related technology to a Taiwan-based firm in exchange for jobs, according to reports from South Korea-based JoongAng Daily and Korea Times.

The two downloaded data for production of sixth-generation (6G) CFs from a server at LG.Philips LCD. The company has invested 370 billion won (about US$355 million) to develop the technology. According to Korea Times, the theft could have cost the company 1.5 trillion won (about US$1.2 billion).

A former researcher at the company was also indicted, without being detained, for his involvement, according to the Korea Times.

With help from the president of a local venture firm that worked with LG.Philips LCD, they were planning to offer 35,000 internal files to an unidentified Taiwanese maker in return for jobs, the Korea Times and JoongAng Daily reported. “Prosecutors said the three were offered new jobs in Taiwan, each with an annual salary of 200 million won (about US$192,000),” according to the Joong Ang Daily.

Nevertheless, Taiwan panel and CF makers that have production plans for 6G CFs all denied being involved in this incident.

Currently, Taiwan-based panel makers that have 6G CF production plans include AU Optronics (AUO), Chunghwa Picture Tubes (CPT), Quanta Display and HannStar Display, as well as CF makers Allied Material Technology Corporation (AMTC) and Sintek Photronic.

Most Taiwan TFT-LCD-related technology was transferred from Japan, but Taiwan companies started to recruit more engineers from South Korea once Japan-based makers switched their focus from large-size TFT-LCD panel production to smaller-size panel production, according to sources.

LG.Philips LCD started volume production of 6G panels this September, and the company makes panels for 32-, 37- and 42-inch LCD TVs, as well as LCD monitors, according to a company press release. LG.Philips LCD’s 6G panels use CFs made mostly in-house.

Posted by Nana at 04:49 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

SEOUL, Dec 7 Asia Pulse - LG.Philips LCD Co. (KSE:034220), the world's second-largest manufacturer of liquid crystal displays (LCD), will become a new component stock of the KOSPI 200 index from Friday, the Korea Stock Exchange said Tuesday.

LG.Philips LCD will replace AUK Co., Ltd., one of South Korea's leading chip-making equipment suppliers, it said.

The KOSPI 200 index is the main board's subindex representing the 200 largest-cap stocks.

LG.Philips LCD, formed in 1999 as a joint venture between LG Electronics of South Korea and Philips Electronics of the Netherlands, raised US$1 billion from the sale of 33.6 million shares in July.

Shares of LG.Philips closed at 35,500 won on the main Korea Stock Exchange, down 2.34 percent from Monday's close.

Posted by Nana at 04:49 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Yahoo has just launched a new line of consumer electronics products today that include mini DVD/CD/MP3 players and Home Theater Systems today. Of most interest to our readers will be the two DVD home theater systems being offered by Yahoo. Both models, the YHT-630 and the YHT-650, feature progressive scan DVD video with 5.1 Dolby surround sound audio, digital amplification, widescreen aspect viewing and advanced on screen menu displays.

YHT-630 Home Theater System

The YHT-630 is priced at $199.99 and includes the following features.

FEATURES:
210 Total Maximum System Output Power
Play DVD/DVD-R/DVD-RW/CD/CD-R/CD-RW/MP3/JPEG/Kodak picture CD/Mpeg4
Official DivX certified™ product
Plays DivX® 5, DivX® 4, DivX® 3, and DivX® VOD video content
(in compliance with DivX Certified™ technical requirements)
Widescreen (16:9) and Normal (4:3) aspect ratios
Full On Screen Menus and Information Display
Progressive Scan
5.1 Channel Surround Sound
Maximum Output per Channel
Maximum Output Power: Dolby Digital mode, 0dB input (1-CH Load)
Front 35 W x 2
Center 35 W x 1
Surround 35 W x 2
Subwoofer 35 W x 1
Parental Control Function
PLL Digital AM/FM Tuner
Speakers - 2 Front Channel with 3" Driver
- 2 Rear Channel with 3" Driver
- 1 Center Channel with 3" Driver
- 1 Subwoofer with 5 1/4 " Driver

CONNECTIONS:
Audio Out - 1
TV/Aux In - 2
Video Out - 1
Component Out - 1
S-Video Out - 1
Head Phone Jack - 1
Coaxial - 1
AM/FM Antenna Terminal

POWER:
Source AC 120V / 60 HZ

ACCESSORIES:
Full Remote Control (includes 2 x AA Batteries)
Video Cable
Audio Cable
All Speaker Cables
Owners Manual
Warranty Card

DIMENSIONS:
Main: 17.19” x 13.94” x 1.84” weight 11.61 lbs
(436.5 x 354 x 46.8 mm weight 5.28 kg)
Speakers: 4.37” x 4.66” x 3.93” weight 1.27 lbs
(111 x 118.6 x 100 mm weight 0.58 kg)
Woofer: 9.21” x 9.25” x 10.47” weight 7.21 lbs
(234 x 235 x 266 mm weight 3.28 kg)

YHT-650 Home Theater System

The YHT-650 is priced at $269.99 and includes the following features. FEATURES: 465 Total Maximum System Output Power Play DVD/DVD-R/DVD-RW/CD/CD-R/CD-RW/MP3/JPEG/Kodak picture CD/Mpeg4 Official DivX certified™ product Plays DivX® 5, DivX® 4, DivX® 3, and DivX® VOD video content (in compliance with DivX Certified™ technical requirements) Widescreen (16:9) and Normal (4:3) aspect ratios Full On Screen Menus and Information Display Progressive Scan Dolby Pro Logic II DTS Decoder 5.1 Channel Surround Sound Digital Amplifier – Maximum Output per Channel Maximum Output Power: Dolby Digital mode, 0dB input (1-CH Load) Front 75 W x 2 Center 75 W x 1 Surround 75 W x 2 Subwoofer 90 W x 1 Parental Control Function PLL Digital AM/FM Tuner Speakers 2 Front Channel with 3" Driver 2 Rear Channel with 3" Driver 1 Center Channel with 3" Driver 1 Subwoofer with 5 1/4 " Driver

CONNECTIONS:
Audio Out -1
TV/Aux In - 2
Video Out - 1
Component Out - 1
S-Video Out - 1
Head Phone Jack - 1
Coaxial - 1
AM/FM Antenna Terminal

POWER:
Source 120V AC / 60 HZ

ACCESSORIES:
Full Remote Control (includes 2 x AA Batteries)
Video Cable
Audio Cable
All Speaker Cables
Owners Manual
Warranty Card

DIMENSIONS:
Main: 17.12” x 14.37” x 2.04” weight 9.46 lbs
(435 x 365 x 52 mm weight 4.3 kg)
Speakers: 4.52” x 2.95” x 4.68” weight 1.18 lbs
(115 x 75 x 119 mm weight 0.54 kg
Woofer: 8.81” x 10.94” x 12.00” weight 7.17 lbs
(224 x 278 x 305 mm weight 3.26 kg

Posted by Nana at 11:23 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Sharp's newest display expands product lineup, and supports growing trend toward use of VGA resolution in industrial markets

CAMAS, Wash.--Dec. 6, 2004-- Sharp Microelectronics of the Americas today announced its high-resolution 6.4-inch Transmissive TFT-LCD module. This new LCD meets the performance needs of design engineers in North America integrating color VGA displays -- or upgrading existing displays -- into their industrial applications. With this new product, Sharp expands its existing product lineup, and offers engineers another option in its wide range of high-quality, cost-effective TFT-LCD solutions for the industrial market.

A leader in LCD technology, Sharp developed this 6.4-inch display (LQ064V3DG01) in response to an increased demand for next-generation displays that feature greater on-screen performance characteristics in a smaller, thinner and lighter package. The display is characterized by higher reliability, resolution and brightness, low reflection, higher color saturation, wider viewing angles and wider temperature ranges than previous generations of 6.4-inch displays.

"With more than 15 years experience in developing displays for the industrial market, Sharp has placed a priority on continued improvements to product longevity, operating temperatures, durability, shock and vibration levels as well as the total cost of ownership," said Dave Hagan, Senior Product Manager at Sharp Microelectronics of the Americas. "As a result, our industrial customers benefit from our broad line-up of display panel options that meet their performance, size and cost considerations."

Leveraging its longstanding commitment to the industrial market, Sharp developed this newest display to accommodate specific design considerations that are priority for designers of industrial applications. For example, with 350 nits of brightness, and pinouts and connectors identical to previous versions for easy drop-in, the display allows engineers to upgrade to a current-generation display technology without having to re-design the application. It is ROHS(1) compliant, and does not contain any hazardous substances that are harmful to either human health or the environment. The 6.4-inch display is targeted at the growing trend in industrial markets for devices that can support VGA resolution, such as control systems, factory automation, handheld instrumentation, test and measurement equipment, security monitors and GPS systems.

Sharp also has developed display process improvements and efficiencies, such as wider temperature range, greater shock resistance, and longer backlight life, that translate to better price and performance for displays for industrial markets.

Sharp System Solutions

Sharp's new 6.4-inch TFT-LCD integrates seamlessly with other components from Sharp, including its BlueStreak(TM) MCUs, NOR Flash memory devices, optoelectronics, and other components, to deliver well-integrated, proven system solutions for industrial devices.

LQ064V3DG01 Specifications

LCD Type:                     Transmissive mode
Screen size:                  6.4-inch
Dot Format:                   640 x RGB x 480
Display Orientation:          Landscape
Dot Pitch:                    0.204 (H) x 0.204 (V)
Active Area:                  130.56 (H) x 97.92 (V)
Number of Colors:             262,144
Outline Dimension:            161.3 (W) x 117 (H) x 12 (D)
Aspect Ration:                4:3
Brightness:                   350 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio:               250:1 (typ.)
Power Consumption:            4.7 Watts
Operating Temperature:        -10 degrees C to +70 degrees C
Backlight:                    2 CCFTs
Response Time:                30 ms (typ.)

Availability

The LQ064V3DG01 will be in mass production in Q1 2005. Contact Sharp for pricing information.

About Sharp Microelectronics of the Americas

Sharp Microelectronics of the Americas, Camas, Wash., is a U.S.-based company and a division of Sharp Electronics Corporation, which is a subsidiary of Sharp Corporation, Osaka, Japan. Sharp is a worldwide developer of core digital technologies that are playing an integral role in shaping the next generation of electronic products for consumer and business needs. Sharp Microelectronics of the Americas offers breakthrough memory, LCD, optoelectronics, CCD, RF/IR, microcontroller and System-on-Chip components, along with packaging and integration skills that help design engineers throughout North and South America bring their ambitious ideas to market. Sharp Microelectronics of the Americas is dedicated to improving people's lives through the use of advanced technology and a commitment to innovation, quality, value and design. For more information, call 800-642-0261 or visit www.sharpsma.com.

(1) The Restriction of Hazardous substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (ROHS) Directive (2002/95/EC). This directive is scheduled to take effect July 1, 2006.

Posted by Nana at 07:11 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Aiming for a 20 per cent share of the growing Indian plasma television market by 2005, Hitachi today introduced its new range of plasma and LCD TVs in the country.

Asserting that India is a 'priority market' for the company, managing director of Hitachi Home Electronics Asia Pvt Ltd Tadashi Nishiuchi said: "Our earlier successes have indicated there is a demand for high end audio-visual products in the Indian market."

A recent study has pegged Indian plasma TV market growth at 150 per cent at 8,000 units by 2004, up from 3500 units in 2003, it said.

The product is currently being launched in the four metros and cities like Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Nasik and Thiruvananthapuram.

Posted by Nana at 07:07 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

By Michael Mullaney
CORNING | It's a time of transition for the liquid crystal display industry, and manufacturers are staking billions on the future of flat-panel monitors and televisions.

The largest employer in the Southern Tier, Corning Inc. is also the world's largest manufacturer of LCD glass. The company is no stranger to wagering huge sums on up-and-coming technologies.

During the Internet boom in the late 1990s, Corning heavily invested in telecommunications technology. An industry slump in 2001 forced the company to diversify its product line and nearly halve its work force.

Not wanting history to repeat itself, it's fair to assume Corning has been keeping a close eye on the LCD market.

The company took a small step backward Thursday, projecting fourth-quarter LCD sales to be - at most - up

3 percent from the previous quarter. In mid-November, the company had forecast growth between 3 percent and 10 percent.

The revision was in part a response to two Taiwanese customers unexpectedly cutting LCD orders, company officials said.

Over the past year, LCD glass has become Corning's main moneymaker. Despite potential fourth-quarter setbacks, the company expects to end the year with 65 percent more LCD sold than in 2003.

Full speed ahead more...

Posted by Nana at 04:14 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

SOANAR has released the 1926L 19-inch medical LCD desktop touchmonitor. It carries worldwide medical certifications and is available with AccuTouch five-wire resistive touchscreen technology or IntelliTouch surface wave technology for superior image quality.

Certifications include UL/cUL 2601-1/C22.2 No. 601.1, and CE MDD. The IPX1 enclosure design (AccuTouch only) ensures that the entire touchmonitor sheds water and is safe from liquid drops and spills. The drip-proof nature of the touchmonitor allows the monitor to be sterilised with hospital-grade disinfectants. This allows it to be safely placed in patient care areas such as the operating room. The touchscreen can be activated with a gloved hand.

The screens have a 170° x 170° viewing angle, analogue and digital (DVI-D) video inputs and an S-video input and RCA jack. They have two external USB ports for peripherals and a stable tilt base that can be set from -5° to 90º from vertical. Cables are hidden from the user's view and mounting holes on base bottom allow it to be secured to the tabletop. The base is removable and reversible for wall mounting and is suitable for VESA mounting. Speakers are built into the display head. Controls are located on the side rather than the front and a lockout function is available for public use. It has a multilingual on-screen display with features including speaker volume, treble, bass, and balance.

Posted by Nana at 04:10 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

New All-Digital TV Studio Will Prepare Next Generation of Broadcast Professionals for HD Production

HAMDEN, Conn., Dec. 2, 2004 - Quinnipiac University is providing its students with an ideal training ground for the future of broadcast production with a newly constructed, fully digital high-definition TV studio that features an array of Sony HD broadcast equipment.

The technology is installed in the university's Ed McMahon Mass Communications Center, which is used to prepare students for broadcasting careers in news, sports, dramatic programming and documentary production. Using the new technology, Quinnipiac students and faculty will explore the academic, creative and practical aspects and applications of the emerging HD workflow.

"This new HD television studio demonstrates our university administration's commitment to giving students the tools they need to properly prepare themselves for a future career as they enter the highly competitive media profession," said Dr. David Donnelly, dean of Quinnipiac's School of Communications. "When they graduate, they will already be proficient working in HD while many of their peers could still be struggling to learn the basics."

The new studio features three Sony HDC-910 studio cameras, an HDW-730S HDCAM® camcorder for field acquisition, an MVS-8000A 2 M/E video production switcher with 4 channels of digital video effects, an HDWS-2000 studio VTR, an HDSX-3600 HD routing switcher, and a DMX-R100 digital audio mixing board.

The studio will be primarily used to produce the exceptional imaging possible for HDTV content at 1080i resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio. While new projects will originate in HD, the Sony switcher and router will also be used for full compatibility with legacy 4:3 standard definition content to provide interoperability with archival material and imported content.

For Donnelly, the arrival of HD production at Quinnipiac realizes his long-standing vision for the future of television. Donnelly is a national authority on high definition television and served as a member of the Federal Communications Commission's Advisory Committee on Advanced Television Service in the early 1990's to help set standards for HDTV.

Quinnipiac selected the Sony HD equipment after a comprehensive two-year process. Plans to replace Quinnipiac's aging analog studio equipment initially focused on a standard definition digital upgrade, but the possibility for creating an end-to-end all digital HD television studio became clear after a survey of the technology marketplace and head-to-head comparisons against competing technologies.

University officials also discovered that the tremendous opportunities afforded by HD could be realized for a relatively modest increase in investment.

The existing studio space was completely renovated to suit the needs of the new HD production environment. HB Communications Inc., of North Haven, Conn., managed the installation and system integration.

"We're extremely excited about the possibilities for pioneering HD education," said Donnelly. "Both our faculty and students are inspired by the opportunity to invent and develop the future of what is really a new medium."

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DIGITAL LIFE CONFERENCE, NY – Humax USA, the "Easy-Digital" company, in its partnership with TiVo (NASDAQ: TIVO), the creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVR), today redefine the DVD Recording consumer experience with the introduction of the new Humax DRT800 DVD recorder with TiVo® service. With the incredibly low price of $399, after $100 rebate, and the unmatched set of features from the TiVo service not found with any other DVD recorder, the DRT800 is the clear choice for consumers interested in the best home entertainment experience. The Humax DVD recorder with TiVo service is available today from retailers nationwide including Amazon.com, Best Buy, Buy.com, Circuit City, Good Guys, Humaxusa.com, J&R Music, Sam’s Club, and TiVo.com.

 "The VCR has never delivered on the promise of 'easy recording' and DVD recorders in the past have proven to be too complicated to be useful for consumers. The DRT800 eliminates the confusion and complexity of DVD recording and offers seamless integration of the easy-to-use TiVo service, once again raising the bar for what consumers should expect from their home entertainment," said Matt Wisk, chief marketing officer at TiVo Inc. "With the introduction of the DRT800, TiVo continues to lead in innovation and command its place in the digital living room."  "Humax’s extensive experience in delivering cost effective state of the art products is clearly displayed in this product. We’ve successfully broken the entry barrier for consumers looking for an intuitive DVD Recording experience. For an incredible value of $399, our DRT800 DVD Recorder offers consumers feature-rich DVD playing and burning functionality combined with the best-in-class DVR, TiVo," said TH Kim, president of Humax USA. "If you are looking for a DVD recorder or DVR, look no further, no other product available today offers the ease of use and full functionally offered by DRT800, DVD Recorder with TiVo service at such an accessible price point."

Eliminating the need for multiple home entertainment devices, Humax has designed the DVD recorder as a 3-in-1 device which includes, an 80-hour digital video recorder (DVR) with the TiVo service, a DVD recorder, and a progressive scan DVD player that delivers sharper and more vivid playback than most standard DVD players. The DVD Recorder with TiVo service is compatible with all programming sources including cable, digital cable, satellite and traditional off-air antennas. Furthermore, unlike other DVD recorders, it allows consumers to burn DVDs in the background while recording or watching live TV.

For only $12.95 per month for the first box and $6.95 per month for additional boxes,* the TiVo service included with the Humax DVD Recorder offers the same intuitive user-interface from TiVo that consumers love, and the popular service features only available from TiVo, such as Season Pass™, WishList™, Online Scheduling, and Home Media Features that provide the ability to connect a TiVo box to a home network, view digital music and photos through a home theater system, and access multi-room viewing. Furthermore, with the advanced search capabilities of the TiVo service, not available from other DVD recorders, consumers can quickly find and record specific shows that can be burned to DVD, making it ideal for traveling or archiving to watch when and where they want.

Key Features of the Humax DRT800 DVD-R with TiVo Service

• 3-in-1 Humax offers easy-to-use interface for recording, playback and burning TV programming to DVD.
• 80 hours of recording capacity on Hard Disk Drive.
• Broadband connection allows you to connect to your home network to enjoy the Home Media Features that enable consumers to access digital photos and music from their PC, schedule recordings online, and access programming from multiple TiVo boxes.
• Only the TiVo service burns DVDs in background; you can still record and watch live TV.
• Only the TiVo service allows you to manage what’s stored on the hard disc. You never have to worry about a program getting deleted.
• Now Playing menu makes it easy to find the shows you recorded onto DVD.
• Only the TiVo service works with any programming source including cable, digital cable, satellite, and antenna.
• Includes DV input for camcorder transfers directly to DVD and a set of Front AV inputs for easy access to analog video transfers.

Consumers can find a complete list of participating retailers at www.humaxusa.com. High-resolution photography of the Humax DRT800 DVD Recorder with TiVo service is available for immediate download by visiting www.mutocomm.com/presslounge.

About TiVo
Founded in 1997, TiVo (NASDAQ: TIVO), a pioneer in home entertainment, created a brand new category of products with the development of the first digital video recorder (DVR). Today, the company continues to revolutionize the way consumers watch and access home entertainment by making TiVo the focal point of the digital living room, a center for sharing and experiencing television, music, photos and other content. TiVo connects consumers to the digital entertainment they want, where and when they want it. The company is based in Alviso, Calif.

About Humax Founded in 1989, Humax Co. Ltd of Korea is one of the world’s leading digital satellite set-top box manufacturers, exporting its products to more than 90 countries across the globe. Listed on the Korean stock exchange (KOSDAQ), the company’s international headquarters and R&D facility are based in Korea with offices in Dubai, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US. In 1997, the company opened a manufacturing facility in Northern Ireland that won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2002. Further production facilities are located in Korea, India and China. Humax recorded revenues exceeded US $300 million in 2003 and has announced plans to increase this figure to $1 billion by 2006. Humax’s US headquarters are located in Irvine, CA. For additional information please visit www.humaxusa.com or phone toll free – 1-866-HUMAXUSA.

Posted by Nana at 01:15 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

By DAVE GUSSOW / St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times

You want a new high-definition TV. But choosing is far from a black-and-white choice.

The plasma looks really good, but, oh, that price. There's an LCD, but it's on the small side, or how about a conventional tube set with HDTV capability? And what exactly is LCoS and DLP?

Yes, it can be difficult to shop for a high-definition TV.

Or, as Mike Wood says, it can be easy.

"What looks good is what matters," said Wood, who is editor of Curtco's Digital TV magazine.

It's hard not to notice the TVs when walking past a display in an electronics store, all those vivid pictures looking real enough to touch.

The potential for sticker shock remains high, as some of the best, brightest and biggest sets can cost thousands. But, they're cheaper than they were a few years ago, and experts say people don't need to spend a fortune to enjoy high-quality HDTV.

"You can get one of these HDTV picture tube sets now for well under $1,000," said Jim Barry, a spokesman for the Consumer Electronics Association. Consumer Reports magazine listed some models as low as $550, easily competitive with comparably sized traditional analog sets. more...

Posted by Nana at 01:01 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

from business week

It leads in the largest, superbright TVs. But rivals are in the game, too.

For years, Pioneer Corp.'s products have been a staple of road trips worldwide. Its car stereos sound great pumping out everything from Schubert to Snoop Dogg, and the company has a long string of achievements to its name, including the first in-dash CD player and the first satellite-based navigation systems -- which have helped make the company the world's top manufacturer of high-end car stereos. But in the living room, Pioneer hasn't been as successful, struggling to climb out from the shadow of brands such as Sony, Panasonic , and Philips.

Now, Pioneer believes it can prosper with a technology better suited to the den than the dashboard. The company is betting billions on plasma display panels, or PDPs -- superbright TVs thin enough to hang on a wall. After buying out NEC Corp.'s PDP business earlier this year for $341 million, Pioneer is one of only five companies that produce them -- and it's the leading maker of PDP TVs larger than 40 inches, usually used for home theater systems. Since launching its first PDP in 1997, Pioneer has expanded production aggressively to four factories, all located in Japan. Its latest, a $245 million facility in Yamanashi prefecture west of Tokyo, opened in September. "People want bigger and bigger TVs, and that means flat panels," says Pioneer President Kaneo Ito. more...

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By: News 8 Austin Staff

The latest in the small screens just keeps getting smaller.

LCD TVs hang on your wall like a picture. LCD stands for light crystal display and it differs greatly from traditional cathode ray tube televisions. LCDs used to be exclusively for laptop computer monitors until televisions, cell phones and PDAs incorporated the technology.

The Audiovox 15-inch LCD TV is less than three-inches deep and runs about $400. more...

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Colour television (CTV) makers expect Indian consumers to switch over to top-end plasma projection and liquid crystal display (LCD) televisions at a rapid rate. The industry expects the nascent segment sales to more than double in 2005 at 35,000 units compared with 15,000 units this year.

Leading players in the segment such as LG, Samsung and Sony are lining up a slew of launches next year to tap the new urban affluent pockets. With an average price of Rs 1,25,000, the flat panel TV market is estimated at around Rs 450 crore.

According to the industry body, Consumer Electronics and Television Manufacturers Association, companies would be more aggressively marketing the high-end TVs to bolster wafer-thin margins in the conventional cathode ray tube (CRT) TVs.

“It is a segment which is poised for a more than 100 per cent growth over five years. As internationally companies shift focus to manufacturing flat panels, prices will also keep coming down, fuelling demand in India,” said Ravinder Zutshi, vice-president (sales), Samsung India. more...

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Save 10% on this RCA 20 inch LCD HDTV at Overstock.com. Final price including shipping is only $542.92 The 10% is automatically applied to your shopping cart.

Surpass the Jones' in high performance technology with this LCD TV from RCA.

Showcasing a slim 20-inch SVGA display, this monitor boasts a 500:1 contrast ratio and a 500cd/m2 brightness rating to deliver brilliant images every time.

Click on Overstock.com
and save big on high end electronics.

Features include:

* 20-in. SVGA display
* 800 x 600 resolution
* 4:3 aspect ratio
* 500:1 contrast ratio
* 500cd/m2 brightness
* 16.7 million colors
* 160-deg. viewing angle
* Standard definition NTSC integrated tuner
* 4-H digital comb filter
* Two front speakers (6W/channel)
* Audio/video composite inputs
* S-Video input
* Component video input (YPrPb)
* RGB input (15-pin D-Sub)

Shipping: Ships within 2 business days
Warranty: 1 year - manufacturer
Materials: Electronic components
Model No: LCDS2022B
Dimensions: 17.44 in. H x 24.6 in. W x 2.97 in. D

Posted by Nana at 11:48 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

DIRECTV, Inc., the nation's leading and fastest growing digital multichannel television service provider, announced today it has acquired exclusive broadcast rights for all international cricket matches from Bangladesh through 2008, and will offer matches from the Indian tour of Bangladesh beginning Thursday, Dec. 9.

The cricket matches from Bangladesh will be available to all CricketTicketTM customers at no extra charge. DIRECTV's CricketTicketTM package, which includes more than 120 days of cricket through March 2005, is available for $199. As a special promotion through Dec. 31, customers can get the first season of CricketTicketTM for free with a one-year commitment to any South Asian package, any PREFERRED CHOICETM or higher base package ($29.99/mo. or above), and a subscription to the DIRECTV DVR service ($4.99/month). DIRECTV customers can also purchase the Indian tour of Bangladesh a la carte for $99.99.

"We are delighted to add the Bangladesh national team to our roster of cricket nations for which we've acquired host match broadcast rights," said Aaron McNally, vice president, International, DIRECTV, Inc. "This is an unprecedented offer for cricket fans and we are excited to begin the broadcast with the Indian tour, which is certain to attract wide viewership among our South Asian customers and cricket enthusiasts throughout the United States."

The Indian cricket team, which has a large worldwide following, will play a 22-day tour, from Dec. 9 through Dec. 27 that will be comprised of two tests and three one-day internationals.

DIRECTV completed licensing agreements with the Australian Cricket Board (ACB), the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCB), the New Zealand Cricket Board (NZCB) and the Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU), which gives DIRECTV access to all international cricket being played in those countries over the next four years. DIRECTV offers customers access to all of these matches via the DIRECTV CricketTicketTM package, the first-ever season-long subscription TV package for international cricket. The package was launched last month.

All new international programming will be broadcast from the 95-degree West Longitude (WL) orbital slot, requiring customers to use a new 36-inch dish capable of receiving programming from 95 degrees WL, as well as DIRECTV's primary orbital slot at 101 degrees WL. In some markets, customers who subscribe to a local channels package will require a second smaller dish.

To order or inquire about residential pricing for these channels, consumers can call (800) 378-4179.

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Expects Continued Growth Momentum this Holiday Season

• TiVo subscription base reaches 2.3 million, twice the level of a year ago;
• Service revenues grew 73% over Q3 of last year;
• New DVD recorders, new service offerings, $99 offer, and advertising expected to drive record holiday demand

TiVo, the creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), reported that it added approximately 419,000 total subscriptions in the third quarter, over twice the number it added in Q3 of last year. In the past twelve months, the Company’s total installed base has more than doubled to approximately 2.3 million.

Service revenues for the quarter were $27.7 million, a 73% increase over Q3 of last year. Net loss for the quarter was ($26.4) million, or ($0.33) per share, compared to a net loss of ($7.4) million, or ($0.11) per share, for the three months ended October 31, 2003. The increase in net loss and net loss per share for the quarter reflects the Company’s previously announced investment in subscription acquisition activities to accelerate subscription growth during fiscal year 2005.

Q3 Subscription Growth Fueled by TiVo’s Strong Brand Position in Retail
TiVo added approximately 419,000 total net new subscriptions in the quarter. Of this total, approximately 316,000 resulted from TiVo’s relationship with DIRECTV, growth of 111% compared to last year’s Q3. New TiVo-Owned subscription additions in Q3 were 103,000, representing an increase of 75% compared to Q3 of last year.

“The overall subscription growth demonstrates that the demand for TiVo is strong, and the combined retail channel is thriving,” commented Mike Ramsay, Chairman and CEO of TiVo. “Today, TiVo is available in over 4,000 retail stores, and features a broad selection of DVRs at attractive pricing, making TiVo the must-have gift for consumers this holiday season.”

Posted by Nana at 03:51 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

By Richard Shim

Consumers scrambling for sexy new flat-panel televisions may want to tune in to this less-publicized feature of the trendy boxes: They don't deliver pictures as clearly as traditional tube TVs do.

Retailers expect flat-screen televisions to be highly popular this season--and recent price drops are only expected to boost sales.

But for all the hype around next-generation televisions, flat panels have a way to go before they rival their cheaper CRT (cathode ray tube) counterparts in performance--or cost.

"Consumers think they're buying the best in technology (with flat-panel televisions), but it's more of an emotional purchase," said Bob O'Donnell, an analyst with researcher IDC. "It's part status and part wanting to be on the cutting edge."

The technologies behind flat-panel televisions--plasma and liquid crystal display--let manufacturers create larger, thinner and lighter sets. Flat panels are getting as big as 60 inches but weigh only a fraction of the largest CRT sets, the consumer versions of which are limited to about 42 inches. The comparatively petite cases of flat screens also allow them to be hung from walls, although this is rarely done because it makes sets difficult to move or adjust. Still, neither plasma nor LCD technology quite measures up to CRT when it comes to picture quality. more...

Posted by Nana at 03:27 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

LG Philips LCD said its monthly sales of large-size TFT-LCDs breached the 3 mln mark for the first time ever on rising demand for the high-margin display panels.

This new record is also based in part on its successful ramp-up of the world's largest sixth generation fabrication plant and strong customer relationships, it said.

The breach of 3 mln mark came after it broke the 2-mln mark in September, 2003.

Posted by Nana at 03:25 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Acer will start marketing 32-inch and 26-inch LCD TVs in Europe this month, according to a report in today’s Chinese-language Economic Daily News, citing sources at the vendor.

Hong Kong-based TPV Technology will manufacture the 32-inch model for Acer, while Quanta Computer will make the 26-inch model, the paper said.

Sources at Acer said the products will be sold through 3C distributors and chain stores. However, the company has not yet decided on pricing and shipment targets, the sources pointed out.

Acer plans to start selling LCD TVs in Taiwan early next year, with US sales to follow if the market acceptance is strong in Europe and Taiwan, the sources added.

Posted by Nana at 03:23 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

The Linux-Based TeraTelly(TM) Home Entertainment Server Sells for Under $2000

WESTMINSTER, Colo., -- Interact-TV(TM) (OTC: ITVI), a leading developer of home entertainment servers, today expands its Telly Home Entertainment Server line by introducing the new TeraTelly model GS1250 with 1.2 Terabytes of digital media storage in a compact device ideal for any stereo cabinet or entertainment center. TeraTelly models begin shipping in December 2004 with the first showing of the product at the upcoming January 2005 Consumer Electronics Show, Booth 26821. This introduction marks the availability of the largest home media storage capacity available to date in a single compact unit, at a ground breaking price of $1999.

Telly, the first home entertainment server built for the living room, makes it easy to store, manage, access and enjoy digital entertainment in the home. The TeraTelly model provides a vast shared digital video library that can include entire music CD, DVD and digital photo collections as well as recorded videos, home videos, and Internet downloaded videos. TeraTelly also includes DVD and CD archiving and instant access to weather, financial information and movie listings. This huge digital media library may be shared with networked Telly clients, media adapters, and PCs across any home network, whether wired or wireless, and can be managed from any web browser.

"We are seeing increased demand from consumers who have digital photos, music CDs and DVDs scattered across various devices in the home. They are looking for an easy and secure way to store and enjoy their digital media in one device, that can expand over time," stated Ken Fuhrman, CEO of Interact-TV. "A TeraTelly can store about 250 DVDs and still have room for thousands of music CDs and digital photos. Now consumers can search their entire media library from the comfort of their couch," he added.

Simple out-of-the-box setup and Telly's innovative trackball remote make it easy to access all of Telly's features from the TV screen. Telly has video and audio outputs to connect directly to a TV and stereo. Unencumbered by constraints of the traditional desktop and driven by cutting edge technology, Interact-TV's EOS(TM) Linux-based Media Platform is designed to provide customers with secure data storage and easy upgradeability. The TeraTelly Home Entertainment Server will be available directly from the manufacturer's online store at http://www.buyatelly.com and from a growing network of reseller partners throughout North America.

About Interact-TV Inc.

Interact-TV Inc. develops innovative software and products for the home entertainment server market that are designed to enhance the digital entertainment experience, creating an enjoyable and easy way to get the entertainment you want when you want it. The result is a family of outstanding products that easily integrate into home entertainment environments. Headquarters for Interact-TV are in Westminster, Colo. More information can be found at http://www.interact-tv.com.

Posted by Nana at 01:51 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

New Channels to be Added to VOOM's Lineup Include Home & Garden Television, Food Network, DIY-Do It Yourself Network, FINE LIVING and Great American Country

JERICHO, N.Y., Dec. 1 -- VOOM, the first comprehensive high- definition (HD) television service, announced today a deal with Scripps Networks to add five leading cable lifestyle channels to VOOM's package of standard-definition (SD) channels: Home & Garden Television (HGTV), Food Network, DIY-Do It Yourself Network, FINE LIVING and GAC-Great American Country. VOOM customers can now enjoy popular cable lifestyle programming on Food Network and HGTV including the "Iron Chef" series and "Divine Design." DIY, FINE LIVING and GAC will join the lineup on Rainbow 2, which refers to the 16 transponders on the SES AMERICOM AMC-6 satellite, previously leased from SES AMERICOM, a SES GLOBAL company.

"We are delighted to partner with Scripps Networks to offer VOOM customers attractive television brands such as HGTV and Food Network, two of the nation's most popular cable networks," said Tom Dolan, CEO of Rainbow Media Enterprises. "VOOM is committed to offering its customers diverse programming options, and the addition of the five Scripps networks is another significant step towards our goal of providing the best programming available in both HD and SD."

VOOM's HD package includes 39 HD favorites such as HBO HD, Cinemax HD, ESPN HD, Showtime HD, STARZ! HD, Playboy HOT HD, The Movie Channel HD, Bravo HD+ and Discovery HD Theater, as well as the VOOM HD Originals, an all- inclusive package of 21 channels created by Rainbow Media available exclusively to subscribers of VOOM. In addition, the service includes popular cable channels in SD such as TNT, Nickelodeon, Disney, TBS, CNN, A&E and AMC, as well as over-the-air digital local broadcast channels delivered in HD where available.

"As a leading provider of HD and SD programming, VOOM represents an ideal partner for Scripps Networks, particularly as our own high-definition content is under development," said John Baird, executive vice president of affiliate sales and marketing for Scripps Networks. "Additionally, the agreement with VOOM is Scripps Networks' first five-network deal, including our newest channel, Great American Country."

Additions to VOOM's channel line-up include:

• Home & Garden Television -- HGTV celebrates the emotional center of life -- the home. Its wide variety of entertaining, story-driven programming is a combination of helpful information and insights from hosts who are recognized experts in their field.
• Food Network -- Food Network is a unique lifestyle network that strives to engage its viewers with likable hosts, personalities, and the variety of things they do with food. The network is committed to exploring new, different, and interesting ways to approach food -- through pop culture, adventure, travel -- while also expanding its repertoire of technique-based information.
• DIY-Do It Yourself Network -- DIY is an informational and motivational television source that arms viewers with do-it-yourself project instruction and ideas provided by experts in categories ranging from home improvement to automotive to gardening and crafts.
• FINE LIVING -- FINE LIVING offers 100% original lifestyle programming for people looking to pursue their passions and maximize their precious free time. Covering five lifestyle areas -- Adventure, Favorite Things, Transport, Personal Space and Every Day -- FINE LIVING simplifies the myriad of options for living a balanced and satisfying life.
• Great American Country -- GAC is America's country music source, with 24-hour programming featuring country music videos, live performances from the Grand Ole Opry and the latest country news and events.

About VOOM and Rainbow DBS

VOOM, provided by Rainbow DBS, a subsidiary of Cablevision System Corporation, is the first television service to provide a comprehensive array of high-definition (HD) programming for the rapidly growing but underserved HDTV audience. With a lineup of 39 HD channels, VOOM delivers more HD programming than any other satellite or cable service provider. VOOM's HD lineup includes STARZ! HD, Encore HD, Showtime HD, Playboy Hot HD, ESPN HD, HBO HD and Cinemax HD, as well as an exclusive package of brand-new, commercial-free VOOM HD Originals such as WorldSport, Equator and Animania. The service also includes 90 of the most popular cable channels in standard- definition (SD), 18 digital music channels, and free over-the-air digital broadcast channels in HD, where available. VOOM is offered across the continental United States through local Sears retailers; at BrandsMart USA stores; at Electronics Expo stores; through leading online retailer, Crutchfield Corporation; and through O'Rourke Sales Company's independent electronics retailers with approximately 10,000 locations in all 50 states. Customers can also purchase the service by calling 1-800-GET-VOOM or by visiting http://www.voom.com .

About Scripps Networks

Scripps Networks is comprised of the lifestyle television brands Home & Garden Television, Food Network, DIY-Do It Yourself Network, Fine Living, and electronic retailer Shop At Home. Scripps is the leading developer of lifestyle-oriented content for television and the Internet, where on-air programming is complemented with online content. In addition, Scripps Networks is aggressively developing its emerging media, including video on demand, broadband and Hispanic programming. Scripps Networks' brands collectively are available in more than 95 countries on six continents. They also are distributed to 1,000 outlets on U.S. military bases and U.S. embassies around the world on the American Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.

Headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, and Nashville, Scripps Networks is owned by The E.W. Scripps Company a diverse media concern with interests in newspaper publishing, broadcast television, national television networks, interactive media, and television retailing. Scripps operates 21 daily newspapers, 10 broadcast TV stations, Scripps Howard News Service and United Media.

Posted by Nana at 01:43 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

By WILSON ROTHMAN

The runaway success of the DVD notwithstanding, its arrival on the electronics scene was poorly timed. Most of the content published by the movie studios is in theater-style wide-screen format. You can watch a movie letterboxed - that is, squished - taking up only about two-thirds of the screen on a 19-inch tube TV, or you can watch it blown up on a giant wide-screen high-definition set.

Sweeter, maybe, but the screen of the HDTV is made up of 720 to 1,080 horizontal lines of resolution, while there are only 480 lines of picture stored on that DVD. Most people don't realize this, but DVD's are far from high-def.

This uncomfortable incongruity between the resolution of DVD's and newer TV's may be one reason that price, rather than quality, is what most people look for in a DVD player. Still, as each generation of player technology has gotten less expensive, a newer technology has emerged to drive up the price of deluxe models.

In the early days, that option was a Dolby Digital surround-sound decoder, which eventually found its way out of players and into audio receivers. The progressive-scan craze hit later, fueled largely by the myth that the feature would improve the quality of a DVD's picture on a standard-definition TV. Now that even the cheapest players in the pack boast progressive scan, a new premium DVD player has emerged, the all-digital HD upconverter, and it can sell for $100 to $200 above average prices. more...

Posted by Nana at 01:39 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

LG Electronics Designs Dell's 20inch LCD Monitor Using Techwell's TW9905 Analog Digital Video Decoder

Techwell, Inc. a leading designer of digital video decoding semiconductor solutions for the display, consumer electronics and PC markets, today announced Dell's 2005FPW multimedia monitor is currently shipping using its' TW9905 video decoder. Manufactured by LG Electronics, Inc., a leading consumer electronics manufacturer, this wide-aspect screen (16:10 aspect ratio) is Dell's first entry into large primary-use LCDs.

"We are delighted to be working with Techwell on Dell's 2005FPW. The unparalleled performance and cost benefits of their TW9905 made it an easy selection within the video decoder market," said senior vice president, LG Electronics. "Techwell and LG shared similar success on previous LCD TV projects. We are pleased that the synergy between the two companies paid off again with the rapid production of the 2005FPW multimedia monitor. Techwell provided excellent product support, which allowed for a faster product to market and we look forward to working with them again in the future."

The TW9905 is a high performance, cost effective video decoder that accepts composite, S-Video and component video signals. Part of Techwell's successful TW99xx general-purpose video decoder chip family, the TW9905 is pin to pin compatible with Techwell's flagship TW9903, which has been shipping in volume since 2002. This high quality NTSC/ PAL/SECAM video decoder uses the mixed signal 3.3V CMOS technology to provide a low power integrated solution. In addition it uses a proprietary adaptive 4H comb filter for chroma and luma separation to achieve high video quality.

"We are very proud to have the opportunity to work with the world's leading developers of computer systems and display manufacturing such as Dell Computer Corporation and LG Electronics," said Hiro Kozato, Chief Executive Officer of Techwell. "This design win is another example of Techwell's traction in the emerging flat panel display market, which further solidifies our position as a leading supplier of analog video decoder solutions."

Dell's 2005FPW's 20.1 inch WSXGA multimedia monitor is designed to allow users to see documents and images in greater detail, view spreadsheets and blueprints in their full sizes and position multiple applications and Web pages side-by-side. In addition, Techwell's TW9905 proves to be a critical integrated element as the 2005FPW includes inputs for analog, digital, S-video and composite connections. Picture-in-Picture (PIP) and picture-by-picture (PBP) features allow customers to view video and graphics inputs simultaneously. The Dell 2005FPW is currently available at Dell.com and over the phone at 1800 WWW Dell.

"As LCD monitor price points continue to drop, the technology is becoming more sophisticated and is delivering ever-increasing functionality," said Paul Semenza, Vice President, Display and Consumer Research for the market intelligence firm, iSuppli Corp., El Segundo, Calif. "As volumes in the LCD monitor market continue to increase, it will be critical for manufacturers to integrate analog video decoding to enable monitors to interface with DVD players, camcorders and other peripherals. Monitor manufacturers will be seeking video decoders that are flexible enough to accommodate all analog video signal standards, including composite, S-video, and YpbPr."

Pricing and Availability

The TW9905 is currently available to qualified customers. Production shipments commenced in June 2004. Aggressively priced the TW9905 offers a low cost solution at US $4.00 in quantities of 10KU. The device is manufactured on a .35 micron process at TSMC, Taiwan, and utilizes an option for 100 pin LQFP or PQFP package.

About LG Electronics, Inc.

LG Electronics, Inc. (Korea Stock Exchange: 06657.KS) was established in 1958 as the pioneer in the Korean consumer electronics market. The company is a major global force in electronics and information and communications products with more than 64,000 employees working in 75 overseas subsidiaries and marketing units around the world. With annual total revenues of more than US $29.9 billion (consolidated), LG Electronics comprises three main business companies: Digital Display & Media, Digital Appliances, Telecommunication Equipment & Handset. LG Electronics' goal is to enable the intelligent networking of digital products that will make consumers' lives better than ever. For more information, please visit www.lge.com

About Techwell

Techwell designs and sells mixed signal video semiconductor solutions to the consumer, industrial and automotive markets. The company's products enable the conversion of analog video sources to digital form and facilitate the display, storage and transport of digital video, HDTV, and personal computer display information. Headquartered in San Jose, CA, Techwell currently has over 50 employees in the U.S., Korea, and Taiwan. www.techwellinc.com

Posted by Nana at 01:36 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Comcast HDTV Customers Will be Able to Order Movies in High-Definition to Watch on Their Schedules with Complete VCR Functionality Comcast HDTV Customers Will be Able to Order Movies in High-Definition to Watch on Their Schedules with Complete VCR Functionality

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 -- Comcast today announced the launch of HDTV ON DEMAND for the entire Washington Metro/Virginia Region. Comcast HDTV customers in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland, Alexandria, Arlington, Reston and Prince William County in Virginia as well as the District of Columbia can watch newly released movies in high-definition.

Currently, Comcast HDTV customers can view "he Passion of the Christ" and "The Living Sea" in high-definition ON DEMAND. More titles will be added as they become available. The HD movies will be priced between $3.99 and $5.99 per selection, and once a customer orders the movie they own it for 24 hours and can view it as many times as they like during that period. To view an HD program ON DEMAND, a customer must have an HD television and a Comcast digital set-top box that is HD-capable.

"HDTV technology is unquestionably the hottest trend in the cable and telecommunications business," said Jaye Gamble, Regional Senior Vice President for Comcast's Washington Metro/Virginia Region. "Comcast continues to be a leader in rolling out new products and services in high-def. By making movies available in high-definition ON DEMAND, we are adding value to our HD service at no cost to the customer and giving them more choices of HDTV content to experience in their homes," added Gamble.

HDTV is a new standard of television featuring dramatically improved, highly detailed picture quality, improved audio quality (including surround sound) and a wide-screen, theater-like display. Some of the technical specifications include a much higher pixel count, a 6 MHz per channel wideband connection, and a 16:9 width to height ratio (vs. 4:3 traditional). HDTV technology provides video and audio that is clearer, sharper and more vibrant than standard video transmission systems.

Comcast currently offers up to 18 HDTV channels as part of the most robust high-definition service available. Customers have access to local networks such as WJLA (ABC), WRC (NBC) and WUSA (CBS) in HD. Viewers can also watch FOX, PBS and the WB in HD on Comcast. Sports fans also have great options to view high-def programming from ESPN HD and Comcast SportsNet HD. Other networks that are offered in HD include HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, Starz!, InHD, InHD2, and Discovery Theater.

ON DEMAND is available to Comcast Digital Cable customers throughout the Washington Metro/Virginia Region. This service offers consumers an extensive, diverse and ever growing library of content with the ability to fast-forward, rewind, pause, stop and restart. Comcast's ON DEMAND library includes approximately 1,800 movies and programs from leading news, entertainment, sports and children's networks like NBC, CNN, PBS KIDS, Nickelodeon, HGTV and E! Comcast also recently signed an agreement that makes news from ABC News available to Comcast's 6 million high-speed Internet customers at no additional cost.

About Comcast Cable

Headquartered in Philadelphia, Comcast Cable is a division of Comcast Corporation, a developer, manager and operator of broadband cable networks and provider of programming content. With a presence in 22 of the top 25 United States markets, Comcast is one of the leading communications, media and entertainment companies in the world. Providing basic cable, Digital Cable, high-speed Internet and telephone services, Comcast is the company to look to first for the communications products and services that connect people to what's important in their lives. The company's 59,000 employees serve more than 21 million customers.

Comcast's Washington Metro/Virginia Region serves close to one million households and has invested more than $600 million to upgrade more than 9,000 miles of fiber-optic cable.

Posted by Nana at 01:33 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Dec. 1, 2004 -- InterVideo(R), Inc. announced today InterVideo Home Theater(TM) 2.1 is now shipping with HP Pavilion and Presario's desktops and notebooks. InterVideo Home Theater is a complete entertainment center that provides users various multimedia selections that include watching and recording TV programs, viewing DVDs/VCDs, creating personal music libraries and enjoying a picture slideshow with music. This complete package allows access to all digital and audio content in the comfort of your living room with the convenience of a remote control. In addition, these PCs continue to ship with InterVideo's award-winning software, WinDVD(R) to provide high-quality and rich audio playback for watching home movies and DVDs on your PC.

InterVideo Home Theater converts HP Pavilions and Presario desktops and notebooks into an all-in-one, integrated entertainment solution for consumers for their viewing and listening needs. With the assortment of entertainment features, from recording your favorite TV shows to creating your own audio play list from audio, MP3, and WMA files, users will find InterVideo Home Theater a complete source for digital entertainment.

Also included with HP Pavilion and Presario desktops and notebooks, is InterVideo's WinDVD Creator 2. This simple-to-use editing and authoring software solution allows consumers to easily convert their own home movies into professional-looking DVD and VCDs in three easy steps.

Consumers who want even more features can upgrade to WinDVD Creator 2 and InterVideo Home Theater Web release directly from InterVideo at www.intervideo.com. A customized remote control for InterVideo Home Theater is also available from the InterVideo web site.

Availability

InterVideo markets InterVideo Home Theater directly to consumers in Web and retail channels and through hardware OEMs such as PC manufacturers and add-on card vendors. Completely hardware independent with or without a TV tuner, InterVideo Home Theater can be used with Windows(R) 2000 and XP systems. InterVideo also offers consulting services to assist OEM InterVideo Home Theater customers with product planning and customization, hardware driver fine-tuning, inter-company software integration, planning test procedures and product updates.

About InterVideo, Inc.

InterVideo is a leading provider of DVD software. InterVideo has developed a technology platform from which it has created a broad suite of integrated multimedia software products that allow users to capture, edit, author, burn, distribute, and play digital video. InterVideo's software is bundled with products sold by the majority of the leading PC OEMs. The company is headquartered in Fremont, CA, with regional offices in Europe, Taiwan, China and Japan. For more information, please contact InterVideo at 510-651-0888 or visit the company's Web site at www.intervideo.com.

Posted by Nana at 05:49 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Sharp announced the availability of compact, powerful Notevision(R) MB series DLP(TM) projectors, which combine high brightness and exceptional performance in a lightweight, mobile unit. Ideal for any business, these projectors feature DDR* DLP technology for better picture quality, sealed optics for reduced maintenance, extensive connectivity and brightness up to 3000 ANSI lumens.

"The Notevision MB series offers features like ease-of-use, unmatched compatibility and theft deterrence that are important to users in educational and collaborative work environments," said Bruce Pollack, associate director of marketing, Sharp Information Systems Group. "The new projectors incorporate DLP technology because it is the best solution for exceptional performance, high brightness and robust contrast in a compact size."

These projectors are extremely portable for business use anywhere. Weighing approximately nine pounds, the projectors can be easily moved from classroom to lecture hall or boardroom to meeting room.

High Brightness and Low Cost of Ownership

The new mid-range projector series allows users to select the brightness level that meets their needs, with settings ranging from 3000 (XG-MB70X) to 2500 (PG-MB60X) ANSI lumens. Sharp also delivers a low cost of ownership over the projector's lifespan with Low Power Mode, which conserves lamp life, ideal for rooms with minimal lighting or without windows. Low Power Mode extends the lamp life to 3,000 hours, and significantly reduces fan noise and power consumption for quiet, economical projector operation.

Remote Access and Control Software

Sharp's Display Manager Software allows one or more LAN-enabled projectors to be connected to a PC for remote control and diagnostics, such as locating and self-diagnosing system errors. It can instantly send an alert to the control PC, forward an error message to a predetermined e-mail list, expedite necessary maintenance and minimize downtime. A built-in RJ-45 LAN connection in the XG-MB70X allows for remote control, diagnostics and asset management over a Local Area Network, including the ability to monitor lamp life and anticipate bulb replacement. The PG-MB60X has optional LAN connectivity through the AN-LS1 accessory. The XG-MB70X also has a built-in Web server that allows direct control and access without needing special software.

Advanced Feature Set for Ease-of-Use

The projector series includes a friendly graphical user interface (GUI) menu screen that makes it easier for users to precisely set up the projected picture for a flawless presentation. The on-screen interactive help and easy system integration with multiple connectivity options ensure simple setup and operation. Computer connectors are color-coded for simple set-up when connecting the projector to a PC, Mac or Workstation. The series has native XGA (1024x768) resolution, making it compatible with NTSC, PAL, SECAM and DTV/HDTV video signals.

Both projectors come equipped with a 1.5X power zoom and focus, with auto focus included on the XG-MB70X.

Availability and Pricing

-- The PG-MB60X is available for a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $4,295

-- The XG-MB70X is available at an MSRP of $4,995

For more information, please contact Sharp Electronics Corporation, Information Systems Group Sharp Plaza, Mahwah, N.J. 07430-2135, call 866-4-VISUAL (866-484-7825). For online product information, visit Sharp's Web site at SharpUSA.com. Specifications subject to change without notice. All trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Sharp Electronics Corporation is the Mahwah, N.J.-based marketing and sales subsidiary of Japan's Sharp Corporation, a worldwide developer of the core technologies that are integral to shaping the next generation of home entertainment products, appliances, networked, multifunctional office solutions and mobile communication and information tools. Leading brands include AQUOS(TM) Liquid Crystal Televisions, 1-Bit(TM) digital audio products, SharpVision(R) projection products, Viewcam(R) camcorders, Carousel(R) microwaves, IMAGER(TM) digital multifunctional systems and Notevision(R) multimedia projectors. Sharp Electronics Corporation employs approximately 2,000 people throughout the U.S. supporting more than 50 product lines. *DDR (Dual Data Rate) Technology is the semiconductor chip developed by Texas Instruments, which improves the projector's contrast ratio through microscopic mirrors that recreate a video or graphic source by reflecting or not reflecting light onto a projection surface.

Posted by Nana at 12:03 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

LG Philips LCD is to invest five billion dollars in new facilities to produce next-generation flat panel displays in order to strengthen its global market leadership.

The company said it would invest 5.29 trillion won (five billion dollars) in building a "seventh generation" TFT-LCD fabrication plant in Paju, some 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of Seoul by early 2006.

Production at the plant will start sometime in the first quarter of 2006, using 45,000 input sheets of "mother glass" every month that will gradually rise to 90,000 depending on market conditions.

Each mother sheet can produce eight 42-inch TFT-LCDs or six 47-inch wide TFT-LCDs used primarily for flat panel TVs and large monitors.

The group's huge capital expenditure comes at a time when LG Philips LCD faces falling profits amid a supply glut and weak prices as competitors from Taiwan flood the market with low-priced products.

"This is a strategic investment aimed to strengthen our hold in the market in a few years time," said Kim Jae-Sam, a LG Philips LCD spokesman.

LG Philips LCD is a 50-50 joint venture between South Korea's LG Electronics and Dutch conglomerate Philips.

"The life cycle of flat panel displays is so short that we must get a head start over the competition to stay ahead," Kim said.

Analysts said the timing of the large-scale investment appeared to be right.

"Paradoxically, when the market is in a slump, it might be the best time for increasing capital expenditure to prepare for a recovery in demand in a year or two," said Bae Seung-Chul, an analyst at Samsung Securities.

He noted that South Korea's Samsung Electronics, the world's leading semiconductor-maker, had greatly increased its market share over Japanese and European competitors by investing aggressively at a time of market slowdown.

Posted by Nana at 11:58 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

In an overheated home appliance market like Taiwan's, Sharp's LCD TVs are the company's major source of revenue.

It's estimated that in Taiwan, the yearly consumption of TVs, conventional types and flat panel display included, is around 1 million, said Hiroshi Kawana, vice president of Sharp Corporation Taiwan.

"Therefore, we believe LCD TVs hold a lot of promise for the home appliances market," Kawana said.

In fact, flat panel TVs are among Sharp's biggest hits, and have generated most profits for the joint venture company in Taiwan.

Sharp Taiwan was established in 1990, a 50-50 joint venture with Sampo Corp. According to Kawana, Sharp wants to expand its product marketing in Taiwan and needs to exclusively handle the Sharp brand. Taiwan entity is mainly an import company that ships the parent company's most advanced products to Taiwan.

Early this month, Sharp Taiwan unveiled its 45-inch LCD TVs, the largest-ever to be mass produced. With the improvement in technology as well as the reduction in production costs, Sharp is telling the world that larger-sized panels are no longer pie in the sky.more...

Posted by Nana at 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)