Business News Holding

Tag: lcd

  • LG Delivers First HDTVs To Instantly Stream Netflix


    LG is introducing the first HDTVs capable of streaming Netflix movies without the need for an external device such as game console or set-top box.

    The online movie rental service will be available in North America on LG’s new 47-inch LCD HDTV LH50 and 50-inch plasma HDTV PS80.

    The Full HD 1080p HDTVs have Netflix instant streaming software embedded directly in the sets.

    While movie choices are automatically displayed on the TV screen and can be viewed instantly through the HDTV, Netflix members have to first add movies and TV episodes to their individual instant Queues, via the Netflix Web site.

    Earlier collaboration between LG and Netflix resulted in the first Network Blu-ray Disc Player to offer consumers the ability to instantly watch thousands of movies and TV episodes streamed from Netflix.

    Peter Reiner, senior vice president, marketing and strategy at LG USA said there were 2.5 million North American households looking to purchase a networked TV.

    He said incorporating broadband connectivity into its new HDTVs became a natural progression of the partnership with Netflix.

    "Both LG and Netflix are committed to offering consumers easy access to entertainment on demand and LG’s newest HDTVs make it easier than ever to access thousands of movies and TV shows instantly," he said.

  • LG Launches First Eyestrain-Minimising HD Monitors


    LG Electronics’ HD widescreen LCD monitors – the W53 series – will be available in the UK from next month, the company announced today.

    The monitors are the first with automatic brightness control technology specially designed to reduce eyestrain during extended use, according to LG.

    This feature apparently automatically optimises the picture settings and the brightness of the screen based on the light in the room and the content being viewed.

    The company says that by lowering the intensity of the backlight, it also reduces the W53’s power consumption, making it a more energy efficient option.

    Another little innovation aimed at further avoiding eyestrain is a timer that reminds users to take a break from their work at predetermined intervals.

    Soyeon Shin, marketing manager, LG Electronics Business Solutions Company, said LG conducted extensive research around monitor usage in Europe and found one of the main complaints people had was eyestrain, caused by the screen being either too bright or too dark.

    "To address this, LG has incorporated the world’s first full suite of features that optimises the brightness of the screen in its new W53 series, ultimately reducing eyestrain," he said.

    The W53 series’ Cinema Mode feature enables users to eliminate distractions often found when watching online videos, such as pop up adverts, by blacking out everything except for the video clip.

    There is also a proximity sensor under the monitor’s bezel which detects when a hand approaches the screen and activates lights to make buttons easy to find. When not in use, the lights disappear.

    Screen sizes for the W53 series range from 18.5" to 27" and all monitors larger than 21.5" offer a 1920 x 1080 full HD resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio.

  • Samsung Leading Global TV Brand, Full HDTV Sets Now Fifth of Market


    Samsung has maintained its place as the world’s biggest TV brand for the third year running.

    With a 21.9 per cent market share, the South Korean electronics manufacturer is some way ahead of second placed Sony, according to DisplaySearch.

    The findings are published in the researchers latest Quarterly Global TV Shipment and Forecast Report.

    They also show that the 1080p share of global TV shipments exceeded 20 per cent of units for the first time in Q4 of 2008.

    China remained the largest market for TVs on a unit basis, accounting for just over 19 per cent, followed by Western Europe and North America at just less than 19 per cent.

    However, on a revenue basis, North America remains the world’s largest TV market despite strong quarter-on-quarter (Q/Q) revenue growth in Western Europe.

    LCD TV picked up market share in every region, with especially strong share gains in China and Eastern Europe.

    As the brand leader, Samsung remains clear at the top, holding its revenue share nearly unchanged at 21.9 per cent, more than 7 share points higher than second placed Sony.

    Sony, however, enjoyed the strongest share growth and Q/Q revenue growth among the top five.

    Samsung was also the overall unit shipment leader and was in the top three rankings in each technology category (except OLED) and led LCD TV shipments.

    Sony enjoyed strong Q/Q revenue growth, but its year-on-year (Y/Y) revenues declined by 7 per cent due to ASP erosion. LGE rounded out the top three TV brands worldwide at 11.5 per cent revenue share.

    It also maintained a very slight advantage over Samsung in the high growth emerging market segment.

    The report also showed that despite the difficult economy and concerns about consumer spending, demand for larger screen sizes grew during Q4 2008.

    The share of TVs shipped at 40"+ screen sizes reached an all-time high of 23 per cent, up from 19 per cent in Q3 2008 and 18 per cent in Q4 2007.

    This was largely the result of significant discounts by manufacturers and retailers, both hoping to avoid excessive inventory after the holidays.

    The volume weighted average price for 32"+ TVs fell 19 per cent Y/Y during Q4 2008, while under 32" was unchanged from a year ago.

    Global TV shipments fell more than 5 per cent Y/Y in the last quarter of 2008 to 57.7M units from more than 60M units a year earlier.

    This is the first Y/Y decline in total TV shipments for more than two years.

    Due to ASP declines, total TV revenues fell even more, declining by 7 per cent to just over USD $30 billion despite flat panel technologies picking up more than 10 per cent unit share.

    Combined flat panel TV revenues — which includes LCD, plasma and OLED technologies — posted the first annual decline in a given quarter, falling 3 per cent Y/Y despite 17 per cent growth in unit volume with falling prices affecting revenues.

    Globally, flat panel TV share surged from 57 per cent in Q3 200808 to 66 per cent in Q4 2008 as rapidly falling LCD prices stimulated a shift from CRT to LCD, especially at smaller screen sizes under 40".

    Annual LCD TV shipment results for 2008 as a whole were 105M units, up 33 per cent Y/Y.

    DisplaySearch said the positive results also pushed LCD TV past CRT TV worldwide for the first time on an annual basis and mark significant progress in the transition from tube to flat panel technologies.

  • LG Broadband HDTVs To Stream Netflix Movies


    LG Electronics has announced the first broadband-enabled HDTVs with Netflix streaming software embedded directly in the set.

    The new LCD and plasma “broadband HDTVs” will be able to show Netflix’s library of movies, TV episodes and HD content directly on the set without needing an external device.

    The HDTVs will join the Korean companies LG BD300 Network Blu-ray Disc Player, the first high-def format player to stream movies instantly from Netflix.

    LG is also preparing five new models of Blu-ray Disc players and home theater systems for 2009.

    Netflix members pay from USD $8.99 per month for unlimited instant streaming and unlimited DVDs from a catalog of more than 100,000 DVD titles in more than 200 genres.

    LG Electronics and Netflix will demonstrate the broadband HDTVs this week at the CES in Las Vegas.

  • Samsung Promises Thinnest Ever HDTV


    Samsung is to unveil a flat-panel HDTV measuring a waif-like 6.5-millimeters at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

    The TV set is reported to be between 6.5mm and 7mm across its width and has an LED (light emitting diode) backlight.

    There are suggestions that the TV tuner is not actually in Samsung’s set – located instead in a base station.

    That aside, if the dimensions are confirmed it would be the thinnest LCD TV yet demonstrated.

    Currently that accolade is held by Philips, which unveiled an 8mm prototype LCD television at the IFA electronics show in Berlin last year.

    At the same event Sony showed a 9.9mm set that is already available – making it the thinnest LCD TV in retail stores.

    Samsung has a news conference for Wednesday at which the TV set is expected to take centre stage.

  • New Display Technologies Stalking LCD


    Cost remains a key factor in ensuring LCD is the display of choice for most handsets.

    But a report from ABI Research suggests a number of new and not-so-new display technologies are vying for a chunk of LCD’s vast market share.

    It points out that since LCD is a mature technology, it has a cost advantage that ensures its future as the primary display technology for some time to come.

    But while LCD displays have improved greatly over the years, their performance still falls short in a number of key areas such as power consumption and readability in bright light conditions.

    Kevin Burden, ABI’s research director, said this is where new technologies are looking to capitalize.

    He said that Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) could be the ones most suited to take on LCD.

    “Of the challengers OLEDs are among leading contenders because of the maturity of their development and their use in other devices, such as televisions, which will strengthen their supply chain,” he said.

    Samsung recently announced plans to introduce a mobile handset on the consumer market with an active matrix (AM) OLED display.

    The SCH-W690 is a clamshell design HSDPA handset that will be introduced initially in the Korean market.

    Its significance is the incorporation of a 2.6 inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 240×320 pixels and 262k colors.

    In contrast to OLEDs, the ABI report suggests that Qualcomm’s micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)-based “mirasol” display is finding its first role in secondary screens found on clamshell handsets.

    In 2009 Qualcomm will open a dedicated mirasol display factory in Taiwan which is a major step towards ramping up its supply chain.

    E-Ink, the “electronic paper” display in Amazon’s Kindle, is also targeting the handset market.

    Though it is physically robust and boasts very low power consumption, E-Ink’s current lack of color handling and low refresh rate may limit its immediate appeal, but also has opportunity as a phone’s secondary display.

    However all these displays face one big hurdle: they cost more than LCD displays.

    The enormous volumes in the mobile phone market means that even a differential of a few cents can make the difference between adoption and rejection.

    Over time, though, prices will fall and as Burden notes: “It’s a long road ahead for these new display companies, but even a niche in the handset market could prove very profitable indeed.”

  • Shoppers To Be Tempted With Reduced Price HDTVs And Bundled Blu-rays


    Greatly reduced HDTV price tags and packages bundling sets and blu-rays are among the retailing treats likely to be on offer to US shoppers this holiday season, according to DisplaySearch.

    With the US economy ailing, Paul Gagnon, DisplaySearch’s director of North America TV market research, said stock market declines have impacted on people’s investments and consumers weren’t generally saving very much money.

    Paul Gagnon, director of N.American TV market research,DisplaySearch

    He said this could impact on their purchasing decisions during the Thanksgiving weekend and Black Friday holiday period, traditionally one of the busiest weeks of the year for the US CE and PC industries.

    “It’s an interesting time we’re in now," he said. “To combat this, retailers are expected to pull out all the stops this holiday season—lowering HDTV prices, offering bundled electronic packages with HDTVs and Blu-ray disc players, using ‘creative’ financing deals when possible such as in-store credit or ‘pay when you get your tax return’ options with the hopes of achieving their sales targets this holiday season.

    "Keeping shopper traffic high for the holiday season will be a priority for both retailers and TV manufacturers.”

    Speaking in a webinar exclusively for DisplaySearch clients, Gagnon detailed several potential TV scenarios for the 2008 holiday season:

    •   Consumers will become increasingly conservative in discretionary holiday spending, despite discount and promotion opportunities—leading to negative Y/Y Q4’08 shipment growth.
    • Consumers will take advantage of the best bargains and low price points—causing retailers to hit their unit sales targets, but miss revenue goals and negatively impact margins.
    • Consumers will continue to spend as they have on larger sizes and better featured sets—taking advantage of dramatically lower prices and sggressive retail promotions.
    • Consumers will turn to discount stores such as Costco and Walmart in greater numbers for electronic purchases this holiday season, in order to save money and get more shopping done in fewer trips.

  • Canon Rises To Nikon's HD DSLR Challenge


    It has been described by Vincent Laforet, one of the world’s top professional photographers, as having the “potential to change our industry”.

    Nikon was the first to announce a DSLR capable of recording high def video in the form of the D90, which can capture full-motion video at up to 720p resolution and at 24 frames-per-second (fps).

    Now Canon’s latest offering has gone even further.

    The soon-to-be-launched Canon EOS 5D Mark II DSLR can record full 1080p video clips at 30 (fps).

    According to Laforet the camera, which is expected to retail for USD $2,799.99, performs better than many USD $100,000-plus video cameras.

    The EOS 5D Mark II, which can also record standard definition video, has a 3” Live View LCD.

    Up to 4GB of video can be recorded per clip or up to 30 minutes of footage, despending on what comes first.

    Video is recorded in the .mov format using an MPEG-4 video compression, and linear PCM sound without compression.

    An external stereo mic can be connected, or you can simply use the built-in monaural mic.

    Video can be played using HDMI on a wide-screen TV.

    New York-based Laforet, who Canon allowed 72-hours to try out a prototype of the camera, said of his experience: “The time I did have with a prototype of the Canon EOS 5D MKII will possibly change the path of my career as well as the photography industry to some degree.”

    He said the “game changer” of a camera produces the best stills in low light that he has ever seen.

    “What you can see with you eye in the worst light – such as sodium-vapor street lights at 3 am in Brooklyn – this camera can capture it with ease,” he said. “It produces the best video in low light that I’ve ever seen – at 1080p.”

    Laforet was allowed to try out the camera on condition he produced a video and stills completely independently from Canon USA.

    Despite having never shot a film before he made a video with less than 12 hours of pre-production with a USD $5,000 budget – which included USD $2,000 for a one hour helicopter flight over the city.

    The short film was shot over two nights with two models, three assistants, a co-director, one editor, and one makeup artist.

    Laforet said a top commercial film editor who regularly edits RED camera footage, and who saw the raw footage from the 5D MKII, said it was “far superior to the RED camera” in terms of low light performance.

    The EOS 5D Mark II digital SLR will be available at the end of November in a body-only configuration for an ESP of USD $2,799.99; or in a kit with Canon’s EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM zoom lens for USD $3,649.99.

    Please let us know what you make of the footage. Is the EOS 5D Mark II a game changer?

  • HDTV sales surpass 10 million in UK

    Sales of HDTVs healthy but viewers face problem of content gap

    Cumulative sales of HDTVs to date surpassed 10 million in the UK, according to a report by GfK Retail and Technology.

    In the first six months of 2008, more than 2 million were added and the market research firm expects the cumulative total to be approaching 15 million by the end of 2008.

    While the UK lags behind other nations such as the US in HDTV pentration, the GfK report said the figures were significant considering it was a product which only really started selling in significant quantities in 2004.

    It pointed out that since some homes had more than one HDTV, the number of households not yet owning a high def set “must be well over 10 million”.

    “In other words, the spectacular uptake of this product so far may not even equate to half of its potential sales,” the report said.

    However, GfK said any enthusiasm should be tempered by the sobering thought that an overwhelming majority of HDTVs are not yet relaying genuine high definition broadcasts.

    This is because the digital terrestrial platform cannot yet broadcast in HD.

    “Fortunately, there has been a sustained growth in large screen TVs, and HD is now a standard feature on all of these products,” said the report.

    “Manufacturers and retailers have also been quick to move their focus to 1080p (so-called Full HD) products.
    “By June 2008, this segment accounted for 18 per cent of flat TV market volume and 33 per cent of the turnover.”

    Intense pressure on prices is key feature

    A comparison between the 52 weeks ending June 2007 and June 2008 confirms that HD was transformed from GBP £721 down to GBP £502.

    The 32"+ large screen decline was an equally steep GBP £859 to GBP £646, despite the move to larger screen sizes.

    Narrow the parameters to 1080p only and the price in the same reporting periods plummets from GBP£1660 to GBP£954.

    Other points arising from the GfK market monitor include:

    * In the small/ medium segment (up to 26"), the HD volume share increased from 37 to 63 per cent.

    * The Internet accounted for 29 per cent of HDTV sales in the first half of 2008, compared to 17 per cent purchasing all TVs.

    * In the 12 months to March 2006, 9 per cent of HDTV sales were for use in a household bedroom, compared to 85 per cent of sales intended for use in the living room. In 2008 – HDTV sales for use in a bedroom had risen to 19 per cent, while HDTV’s bought for the living room had dropped to 73 per cent.

  • Race towards OLED TVs quickens

    Sony set the pace with the launch of its AM-OLED TV last year, now momentum appears to be growing among TV manufacturers in the race towards mass producing larger OLED screens.

    According to recent reports in Japanese newspapers, Matsushita Electric Industrial (Panasonic) has set internal directives to start offering OLED TVs by 2011.

    The company intends to use its R&D center in Kyoto as a base for a manufacturing plant solely for OLED panels.
    By next spring, the first prototype OLED TVs with a screen size of around 20 inches are expected to be produced there.
    Mass production of OLED TVs with a screen size of 40 inches and more is scheduled for 2011 in a factory in near Kobe in central Japan.

    Panasonic has said 200 engineers will be assigned exclusively for the development of the next-generation displays.
    While not denying the reports, the electronics firm did say: “Panasonic is continuing R&D on OLED panels with an eye toward the future development of the Himeji plant. At this time, there is nothing decided about how this R&D will develop into a specific business operation.”

    Meanwhile, activity in the OLED field seems to be having an effect on AU Optronics.
    The Taiwanese display panel manufacturer is reportedly considering re-opening its OLED product line.

    LJ Chen, president and COO of AUO indicated that the company has been monitoring the development of OLED technologies and, as they improve, is interested in re-opening its production line although a possible time-line is still unclear.

    HB Chen, vice-Chairman and CEO added that although AUO will not re-open the production line in 2008, the company will showcase its OLED developments in Yokohama, Japan in October this year

    But how realistic are the industry’s hopes for mainstream production of OLED TVs?

    Vinita Jakhanwal, principal analyst for mobile displays at iSuppli Corp, said the key factors determining the success of OLED in the market will be the display industry’s capability to address key issues like manufacturing costs, material lifetime and efficiency.

    “Furthermore, given that OLEDs are LCD replacements, the technology at least initially will be subjected to the price pressures placed on it by competing LCD panel products,” he said.

    LCD TV makers are introducing thinner models to compete with the flatter-than-flat OLEDs and other OLED products are making their way to market.

    These include an OLED-based DVD Global Positioning System (GPS) device for car navigation.

    Among the other initiatives is the collaborative push to promote the technology by some big name electronics firms and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).

    Ten companies including Sony, Sharp, Toshiba and Matsushita (Panasonic) are collaborating on the five-year effort, which will likely cost ¥3.5 billion (US$32.8 million).

    The project is aimed at “developing a core technology to mass-produce 40-inch or larger OLED displays in the late 2010s”.

    The positive response to Sony’s launch of an AM-OLED TV late last year has built momentum in the industry.

    While small, the display quality of the AM-OLED TV is superior to anything anyone had seen to date—and extremely flat.

    Sony is now expanding on its OLED portfolio with a 3.5-inch, 0.2mm-thick panel that will be used in high-end mobile devices.
    The company has also released in Japan the 11 inch Sony XEL-1, which is expected to reach European markets in 2009.

    We are always interested in hearing your views – when and who will be first to market with a 40 inch OLED TV?