Digital Trends
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has announced it has started work on clearing its waitlist of more than 4.1 million requests for $40 coupons to offset the cost of digital television converters. Although the United States has largely put off its digital television transition until June 12, 2009, millions of households that depend on over-the-air broadcasts still aren’t ready to receive DTV signals—meaning they’ll lose TV service once analog broadcasts cease.
The Open Mobile Video Colation (OMVC) has announced that some 63 broadcast stations in 22 U.S. cities have committed to launching mobile television broadcasts during 2009. The stations cover about 35 percent of U.S. television households, and includes NBC, ABC< CBS< FOx, Ion, CW, and MyNetworkTV affiliates, along with nin PBS stations are are in discussions to join the launch.
A hard deadline to end analog television broadcasts will help “foster the creation of new, high-skill jobs and it will promote America’s technology leadership in an increasingly competitive world,”said Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) President and CEO Gary Shapiro in testimony delivered today before a congressional committee. Shapiro made his comments before a hearing held by the HouseCommittee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet regarding a staff discussion draft of the DTV (digital television) Transition Act of 2005.
Although Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) is still the dominant display technology in the TV market, flat-panel technologies are taking increasing amounts of the market, according to In-Stat a high-tech marketresearch firm. In many countries, even some of those with digital terrestrial broadcasting, flat-panel TVs are the only digital TVs available. The growing popularity of flat-panel units ishighlighted by a recent In-Stat consumer survey. “Flat-panel TVs are overwhelmingly popular, with 66% of U.S. respondents who plan to buy a DTV in the next two years planning to purchase a flat-panelTV,” said Michelle Abraham, In-Stat analyst. “Plans for a flat-panel TV purchase were greater among younger respondents than older.”
The broadcast industry should stop pushing for regulations on other industries, “remove its shackles” and market the value of its digital service to consumers, said Consumer Electronics Association(CEA) President and CEO Gary Shapiro. Shapiro shared his views on the digital television (DTV) transition and the broadcast industry in a speech delivered yesterday during NAB2005, the annualconvention produced by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) this week in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“Broadcasters face significant challenges in the digital age – challenges they have refused to tackle and opportunities they have refused to embrace,” stated Shapiro. “But these challenges are not insurmountable. Indeed, those who play these changes to their advantage will succeed in the digital age.
The company has decided to invest, by 2010, a total of USD 110 million in the projected second DTV plant to respond to Europe’s rapidly growing DTV demands, together with its first plant inMlawa.
LG Electronics and the Polish government signed an investment agreement at the Press Center of the Polish investment agency (Palilz) on April 11. Among participants in the event were Yoon Sang-han,Executive Vice President and concurrently head of Digital Display unit, No Seog-ho, President of the Polish Subsidiary, Polish Economic Minister Jacek Piechota, investment agency head AndrzejZdebski,and other personnel. Under the agreement, the company will invest in constructing another DTV plant and the Polish government will provide full support.
As Americans prepare for the nation’s unofficial holiday — Super Bowl XXXIX – consumer electronics retailers are ringing up huge sales of digital television (DTV) products. According to figuresreleased today by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), December 2004 factory-to-dealer sales of DTV products hit 927,000 units, marking a 45 percent increase over December 2003. Total DTVsales for 2004 reached 7.2 million units, an increase of 75 percent compared to year-end 2003.
With November 2004 holiday sales of 844,000 units, the 10 percent increase in December sales demonstrates that retailers know that an upgrade to a high-definition television (HDTV) is a priority to consumers before this year’s Super Bowl,” said CEA Director of Market Research Sean Wargo
The product, packing 30 games, is Commodore branded and utilises the actual operating system used on the original Commodore 64. The games are not just replicas of the originals – they actually are the originals.
The controller (also containing the computer’s electronics and a compartment for the 4 AA batteries that power it) is a replica of the recognisable Competition Pro 5000 Joystick – and plugs directly into a TV for instant fun at home or away!
Since its launch in 1982, the C64’s role in the evolution of the modern games industry was incredibly powerful and the echoes of its influence still reverberate through the industry today.
This is marking a 136 percent increase in unit sales over October 2003 and a 102 percent rise in dollar sales.
“We expected DTV sales to be strong in the final months of the year, but to see the numbers in print is an exhilarating affirmation of DTV’s success,” said CEA Director of Industry Analysis Sean Wargo. “Year-to-date DTV sales total 5.4 million units and are on track to meet CEA’s initial forecast of 6.9 million units.”
“In a report released late Wednesday, the firm predicted that DTV shipments will reach 86.6 million units in 2008, rising at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 44.5 percent from 19.9 million units in 2004. The year 2004 will be particularly stellar for DTV, with unit shipments expected to grow by 114 percent from 9.3 million in 2003. ADVERTISEMENT
Worldwide DTV shipment revenue will double by 2008, reaching $62.8 billion in 2008, up from $31.4 billion in 2004, the firm said.
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