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DTS looks to expand its reach with Neural Audio acquisition

by Darren Murph posted Jan 7th 2009 at 7:44AM


DTS, the company responsible for all those DTS-HD Master Audio tracks that you adore, has just announced that it's picking up Neural Audio in order to expand its reach. The company that it's acquiring is described as an "audio technology business that licenses branded intellectual property solutions for the creation, distribution and playback of music, movies, broadcast programs and video games," and DTS is hoping to use this to get branded technology offerings into satellite radio, automotive and gaming markets. The deal cost DTS a stiff $7.5 million for "certain assets and liabilities," and it may end up forking out up to $7.5 million more over the next five years if "certain conditions" are met. Way to look ahead, DTS -- now, we're totally expecting 7.1-channel Blu-ray surround systems in our 2010 model year vehicles. Cool?

Funai to acquire Philips' North American Blu-ray / DVD operations

by Darren Murph posted Dec 23rd 2008 at 10:45PM


We already saw the writing on the wall, but now the deed is purportedly done -- or close enough, anyway. Reuters has it that Japan's Funai Electric will take over Philips' North American DVD, Blu-ray and other audiovisual operations starting next month. It's anticipated that the deal will boost Funai's North American sales by around $332 million, and of course, maintaining that well-known Philips badge is sure to be of assistance in that department. The agreement lays out that Funai will make periodic royalty payments to use the Philips brand rather than just buying up the whole thing outrightly. First the TV division, now this -- is there anything left of Philips worth caring about in the US?

Analyst scratches head over potential AT&T / EchoStar deal

by Darren Murph posted Dec 6th 2007 at 12:52AM

No sooner than chatter began flying over a potential AT&T / EchoStar deal, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. is wondering who actually thought (or still thinks) that this is a match made in heaven. According to media analyst Craig Moffett, "the very notion of an AT&T / EchoStar combination is based on a flawed premise; i.e. that AT&T needs video in order to compete with cable." He went on to say that AT&T is losing phone lines to cable because cable simply "has a marginal cost advantage," and noted that pairing up the two "does nothing to address AT&T's underlying cost problem." Stepping back, we actually see quite a bit of logic in Mr. Moffett's reasoning, and when you mix in the fact that AT&T's U-Verse could pose "a strategic threat to EchoStar," one really wonders how effective a partnership would be.




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