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Flat panel TVs at the heart of furniture accidents

by Steven Kim posted May 19th 2009 at 6:41AM

The Ring monsterNormally when we hear about children and flat panel displays not mixing, we think of "look with your eyes, not your hands" lessons spelled out in fingerprints on the TV. A recent study, however, has turned up an increased number of furniture-related accidents involving children and is pointing a finger right at flat panel displays. According to the study, almost half of the accidents reported involved a TV falling onto a child (we'd love to see what portion involved shoddy particle board furniture). That über-thin new set of yours is easy on the eyes, but don't be fooled -- with its narrow base and high center of gravity (or suspect mounting), it's a dangerous animal waiting to pounce on the little ones. All kidding aside, if you can't keep the kids from climbing the furniture and gadgets, at least make sure you set the TV up safely; or you could opt for a sturdy CRT-based RPTV or a ceiling mounted projector.
[Via DigitalLanding]

Analyst: '09 YTD Blu-ray sales double those of '08, 10.5 million Blu-ray households in the U.S.

by Richard Lawler posted Apr 16th 2009 at 11:07AM

Adams Media Research hasn't always had the most positive outlook on Blu-ray numbers, but its latest report indicates that despite the current state of the economy and the still-high price of Blu-ray discs the format is continuing to grow, with year to date numbers that nearly double those from last year at around 9 million compared to 4.8 million at this point in 2008. As usual, Andy Parsons of the BDA had a positive quote to give Video Business, since he was "delighted" by the figures, which also included an estimated total of 10.5 million Blu-ray households (including dedicated players and PS3s, no word if laptops played into that figure.) It's another year later, and there've been many more Blu-ray players sold so the growth isn't surprising, but there's also a lot more competition looking for the 1080p crown,but it looks like most are still hopping on the Blu bandwagon.

DisplaySearch sez 50% of flat-panels will be "green" by 2011

by Darren Murph posted Jan 23rd 2009 at 12:24AM


While many TV makers have rushed to announce that their future sets were Energy Star 3.0 compliant, there's apparently quite a few manufacturers out there with aways to go in the eco-friendly department. A new report from DisplaySearch has it that in 2008, just 20% of flat-panel display shipments had "green features," while that percentage should rise to 50% by 2011 and 70% by 2012. So, just what does a set have to do to be classified as "green?" It needs to meet one of the following conditions: use environmentally friendly components and materials, achieve lower power consumption by using new components or technologies, be compliant with environmental regulations such as waste disposal, use production processes that reduce energy and materials consumed, be completely or partially recyclable after useful life or use green or eco-friendly concepts in product design. Seriously, just one of those? Not too high a hurdle, guys.

[Via CEPro]

Economy, HD adoption to blame for higher stay-at-home entertainment numbers

by Darren Murph posted Dec 19th 2008 at 6:50AM


We've already waded through a number of research reports that found individuals more likely to stay at home and get their entertainment during rough economic times, but an insightful piece from Parks Associates takes a more deliberate approach to analyzing what's really going on. When looking at just how many people are viewing video-on-demand content now versus two years ago (it's way up, by the way), it's easy to attribute that -- along with the downturn at the box office -- to a flagging economy. However, the report also notes that HD adoption in general has boomed over the past two years, giving citizens access to more high-quality at-home entertainment than ever before. As Kurt Scherf, principal analyst at Parks, so satisfactorily put it: "As we're seeing high-definition TV penetration reach 50% of households and home theater penetration well over 20%, we're seeing consumers want to enjoy those investments as much as possible." Nice thinking outside of the box there, Kurt.

[Via VideoBusiness]

Analyst warns against low-end HDTVs, says it could cost you in the end

by Darren Murph posted Dec 11th 2008 at 1:43PM


David Berman, director of training and public relations for the Home Theater Specialists of America, is clearly not a far of bargain bin HDTVs. We're not talking Vizio and the like, we're talking Sansui and these crazy labels you've never, ever heard of outside of the occasional Black Friday mention. According to him, he'd steer clear of any low-end HDTVs, as "the primary methods low-end manufacturers use to cut manufacturing costs are to remove key technologies and features that reduce performance, reliability, and service." It's tough to say exactly how accurate that is overall (at least in a "blanket statement" type sense), but in theory, we tend to agree. Particularly these days, when one can find a name brand set with decent specifications and a respectable warranty for next to nothing, there's hardly a reason to cut corners for an extra $25 to $50 savings. Just do Top Ramen for a few nights and you're even stevens!

Report asserts that pay-TV should watch out for digital downloads

by Darren Murph posted Dec 2nd 2008 at 5:09AM


Seriously, who's not on watch for digital downloads these days? DVDs? Check. Blu-ray Discs? Check. Pay-TV operators? Check. According to new data gathered by Research and Markets, "console-affiliated media portals such as Microsoft's Xbox LIVE and Sony's PlayStation Network will soon become formidable competitors to incumbent pay-TV services." As the report notes, the digital downloads available via these services will eventually become "compelling alternatives to traditional TV programming by providing a more immersive, interactive video experience." Of course, this "research" comes at a time when everyone and their mother are jumping on this bandwagon, but it's still reasonable to assert that most anything providing access to content via the internet has a serious chance to replace traditional pay-TV services. Whether or not that actually happens en masse, however, remains to be seen.

Global TV shipments up 6% year-over-year to 53 million units

by Darren Murph posted Nov 26th 2008 at 8:46AM


Open wide -- it's time for your latest dose of DisplaySearch numbers! The latest figures from the research firm have found that global TV shipments are up (imagine that, right?) 6% year-over-year and 11% from Q2 to Q3 2008. In fact, over 53 million units were shipped, though it's hard to say how many are still collecting dust in warehouses given the downturn in consumer spending. As predicted, the research points out that Q4 isn't likely to be nearly as rosy, but if we're sticking to last quarter, you should know that China had the largest quarterly gain at 15%, while North American shipments rose 12% year-over-year. We've spoon fed you the highlights, and per usual, we'll leave the nitty-gritty to the number crunchers in attendance.

[Via Digital Home, image courtesy of ZoneaUnlimted]

Research shows HDMI climbing, DVI slipping

by Darren Murph posted Nov 21st 2008 at 5:11PM


It was already made clear that both HDMI and DVI have a struggle on their hands with DisplayPort entering the picture, but new research from In-Stat asserts that HDMI is still on the up and up while DVI is slowing fading away. The report found that HDMI sockets were included on a staggering 95% of all digital televisions shipped worldwide in 2008, which unsurprisingly goes down as "the greatest volume for HDMI in any product." It also found that the "vast majority" of DVI shipments occurred in PC and PC peripheral markets, noting that DVI-enabled product shipments would decline at an annual rate of 30% through 2012; in the same breath, we're told that HDMI-enabled product shipments would increase at an annual clip of 23% over the same period. Now, if only this research would have included DisplayPort, we'd really have ourselves a showdown.

[Via CNET]

Research finds that people still heart physical discs, greatly prefer Blu-ray to streaming

by Darren Murph posted Nov 14th 2008 at 12:43PM


While the "HD streaming rulez!one11!1!" bandwagon was quickly filling up after Netflix announced that it would be bringing such a service to the Xbox 360, the numbers just don't substantiate the claims that physical discs are doomed anytime soon. Sure, for the budding technophile, streaming is just the next great thing, but for the average joe / jane, the tried and true disc still holds a great deal of importance. A recent study by market research firm SmithGeiger found that out of over 2,000 surveyed, "HDTV owners familiar with Blu-ray favor the format over downloading and streaming by a margin of nearly 10-to-1, with about 70% of respondents citing the fact that there's a physical disc to keep as a key factor in their decision to buy Blu-ray." It also found that 96% of BD users were "familiar with downloading and streaming services, but that two-thirds believe watching a movie on Blu-ray is a better overall entertainment experience." Sure, BD has its flaws, but not having to re-rent an HD film after a remarkably short 24-hour window sure is nice, huh?

[Image courtesy of TechFresh]

Singulus CEO predicts Blu-ray machine delivery peak in 5 to 6 years

by Darren Murph posted Nov 10th 2008 at 1:37PM


Sony's Rick Clancy spared no mercy when bashing claims that Blu-ray would be old hat within five years, but now we're seeing yet another bigwig predict a similar fate. Singulus, a German company responsible for pumping out Blu-ray duplicators and the like, has recently spoken up via its CEO to suggest that Blu-ray will peak (in terms of delivery of Blu-ray machines) within five to six years. Additionally, CEO Stefan Baustert suggested that the BD market will grow somewhat in 2009, and he boldly predicted that 50% of US households will own a Blu-ray player within two years; of note, he said the same level of penetration wouldn't occur in Germany before 2011 or 2012. Oh sure, it's not like this guy's a clairvoyant or anything, but we'd suspect he knows his business pretty well.

[Image courtesy of The Master Shake Signal]

DirecTV gives recession the cold shoulder, sees increased profits in Q3

by Darren Murph posted Nov 7th 2008 at 3:17PM


While many mega-corps are struggling just to make ends meet, DirecTV is basking in the glow of a rather awesome Q3. The satcaster proudly announced that it saw revenues increase by 15% to $4.98 billion, all while operating profit scooted up 16% to $658 million and net income shot up 14% to $363 million. As has been the trend of late, a fair chunk of its good fortunes came from subscribers opting for "premium" services, which is a fancy way of saying that customers are totally digging HDTV, HD DVRs and video-on-demand. Oh, and now that HD is live in Latin America, we actually wouldn't be surprised to see a fruitful Q4 just a few months from now. Recession? What recession?

[Image courtesy of DayLife]

DisplaySearch reports rise in Q3 plasma shipments, but who's buying?

by Darren Murph posted Nov 4th 2008 at 4:52PM


Generally speaking, a rise in flat-panel shipments is good news. But in these curious times, we're wondering if the customers are screaming for the suppliers to slam on the brakes before slapping another shipping label on an HDTV. DisplaySearch's latest look at plasma shipments shows a 37% rise year-over-year and an 18% increase quarter-over-quarter -- question is, who's buying? We've already learned that bulging inventories are leading to near-across the board price drops, and this economy isn't exactly fostering new waves of television purchasers. Whatever the case, Panasonic is holding down the top spot in Q3 2008 with a PDP market share of just under 40%, while Samsung SDI claims the silver with 29.4%. Here's hoping all these shipments lead to record low plasma prices in just a few Fridays.

Verizon adds 233,000 net new FiOS TV customers in Q3, up to 1.6 million total

by Darren Murph posted Nov 1st 2008 at 11:55PM


Man, this is just downright eerie. If you'll recall, AT&T managed to add 232,000 net U-verse subscribers in Q3. Lo and behold, its biggest fiber rival (that'd be Verizon) added 233,000 net new FiOS TV customers in the same quarter. Coincidences aside, Verizon's pretty proud of its current position in the market, now claiming 1.6 million FiOS TV subscribers and offering the service for sale to 8.2 million premises in the United States. Just for comparisons sake, the outfit only had 700,000 subs at the end of Q3 2007, and it added just 176,000 newcomers in Q2 2008. In related news, it also managed to acquire 225,000 net new FiOS internet customers, and with cable companies jacking up rates left and right, we wouldn't be shocked at all to see even more frustrated pay-TV users make the leap to fiber in Q4.

Research sez economic troubles will increase at-home entertainment sales

by Darren Murph posted Oct 29th 2008 at 7:59AM


We hate to point out the obvious, but new "research" from Futuresource over in the UK is bringing to light the fact that many will opt for at-home entertainment versus going out on the town or perishing from boredom during this economic quandary we're currently working through. Amazing, right? According to Sarah Carroll, Director of Strategy & Continuous Services at the aforementioned firm, she reckons that individuals will go out and "purchase hot new electronics items like Blu-ray players, flat-panel TVs or smartphones" rather than dining by candlelight or going on vacation. In somewhat more interesting news, the report projects that the growth of Blu-ray in Europe's top five markets will "more than triple" between 2008 and 2009, reaching in excess of 1.8 million players shipped (Sony's PS3 notwithstanding) next year. As always, only time will tell.

[Image courtesy of AT&T]

Is Blu-ray destined to become a "videophile niche?"

by Darren Murph posted Oct 28th 2008 at 4:18PM


We can already tell you that there's not enough water in the intertubez to put out the flames that this one will spark, but we digress. Analyst Robin Harris has blurted out what we can only imagine is being secretly thought by at least a few others: Blu-ray isn't going anywhere. We'll be frank -- we politely disagree with his assertion that BD will be relegated to a "videophile niche" within 12 months, but he does make some great points about the format's inability to truly catch on. For starters, consumers are having a tough time finding a value proposition in the format, which doesn't look phenomenally better than upscaled DVD in most eyes. Second, the sheer cost of licensing involved keeps all but the biggest studios from enjoying the spoils of Blu. Lastly, he suggests that the BDA should realize that Blu-ray isn't needed in the world of HD streaming and upscaled DVD, and it must be priced accordingly. Again, some of this just seems way off base, but it's fantastic fodder for discussion, no?




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