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Tag: TVs

  • Google Just Renamed The Chromecast App

    Google Just Renamed The Chromecast App

    Google announced that it has renamed the Chromecast app to fit better with its strategy of providing cast technology across more device. When the app was first launched, the Chromecast name made sense because Chromecast was the only device that utilized it at the time, and Google had to do so some branding around that device, which has since proven pretty popular.

    Since Chromecast was released, however, more devices have emerged to use Google Cast, including speakers, Android TVs, game consoles, etc.

    Now, the app is simply called the Google Cast app. The updated app is rolling out this week on both Android and iOS.

    Along with this announcement, Google announced support from the new VIZIO SmartCat P-Series displays and VIZIO soundbars and speakers.

    “The P-series now comes with Google Cast built in, which means you can use your smartphone or tablet as your remote to cast your favorite entertainment directly to the big screen,” says product manager Adam Champy. “Simply tap the Cast button from apps like Netflix to watch Daredevil, YouTube to stream daredevil stunts, or Google Play Music to get pumped for your own stunts. You can also mirror any website from the Chrome browser on your laptop. So whether you’re planning your next vacation and looking through flights and hotels with the family, or want to share a video from your last epic trip, just look for the Google Cast extension in the corner of your desktop browser.”

    “The P-Series also supports casting Ultra HD (up to 4K) and Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range content (bright, clear colors!),” Champy adds. “Included with every P-series is VIZIO’s 6” Android tablet remote, a tablet that lives in the living room and can cast all your favorite content.”

    Image via Google

  • U.S. TV Shipments Down 9% in 2013

    U.S. TV Shipments Down 9% in 2013

    A large portion of Americans are now perfectly happy with their (relatively) thin HDTVs. Consumers in the U.S. even skipped 3D TV for the most part, quickly identifying it as the fad that it was.

    Market research firm IHS this week released a new report showing that U.S. TV shipments during 2013 fell to just 34 million, down from 37.5 million the year before. That represents a significant 9% year-over-year drop for the U.S. TV set market and the first time in five years that the number of yearly shipped TVs had been this low.

    The reason for this decline isn’t hard to figure out. U.S. consumers are perfectly happy with their current displays and seen no need for an upgrade. Manufacturers may find sales in ultra HD technology, which all TV brands were heavily promoting at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES). However, it could be a while before prices drop and enough 4K video content is created for consumers to justify a new TV purchase.

    “The TV market in the United States has reached a point of saturation following a period of huge growth in years past, especially as the flat-panel-TV craze set in,” said Veronica Gonzalez-Thayer, analyst for TV systems at IHS. “As a result of the market’s maturity, and also because of lingering uncertainties in the economy, American consumers have been less eager to rush out and buy new replacement TV sets.”

    The IHS report found that LCD TV set shipments dropped 6% last year, down to just 31.9 million. At the same time, Plasma displays appear to be dying off with only 2.1 million shipped in the U.S during 2013. This represents a huge 42% drop from the number of sets shipped just the year before.

    Image via Samsung

  • AMOLED Tech To Expand in the TV Market

    AMOLED Tech To Expand in the TV Market

    If this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) taught consumers anything, it’s that TV manufacturers will be leaning hard on Ultra HD to sell TVs in the coming years. Already component manufacturers are gearing up this year to make over 500% more Ultra HD panels than they did in 2013.

    As the TV market moves toward Ultra HD, manufacturers will be competing on which display technology they utilize to achieve 4K resolutions. In the midst of all this, it now appears that AMOLED display technology is set to become a major portion of the TV market.

    Market research firm IHS today predicted that AMOLED panel shipments could top 10 million units in the year 2018. The firm bases this forecast on the increased interest in AMOLED demonstrated at CES earlier this month. A flexible AMOLED display from LG was of particular interest at the show, demonstrating a possible marketing strategy for future displays.

    That 10 million units would represent a huge increase from this year’s predicted 50,000 AMOLED panel shipments. Production is expected to ramp up slowly in 2014 and 2015, with panel shipments not reaching the one million mark in either year. By 2016, however, AMOLED shipments are expected to jump to 2.1 million and the surge could begin in 2017 with a predicted 5.1 million AMOLED panel shipments.

    “AMOLED televisions were on center stage at CES, led by LG Electronics, Samsung and Panasonic showing a variety of new sets, including models with a range of screen sizes, ultra high definition (UHD) resolution and curved and even bendable displays,” said Vinita Jakhanwal, director of emerging displays and technology at IHS. “The high profile of the products and large number of sets at CES indicates that television brands remain committed to promoting AMOLED technology. Although previous AMOLED TV initiatives have been stymied by production issues, these are expected to be overcome and sets are expected to enter high-volume production in the coming years.”

  • Over 3 Million Ultra HD Panels Shipped Last Year

    Television manufacturers are betting big on Ultra HD TV sets, pushing the technology hard to customers that are largely satisfied with their large-screen HDTVs. This year’s Consumer Electronics Show was packed with Ultra HD displays from nearly every manufacturer, with Sharp going so far as to show off what it has branded an “8K” display.

    The good news for manufacturers is that prices on Ultra HD devices are soon set to drop to consumer-friendly levels, giving 4K a much better chance than the failed 3DTV movement. HDTV shipment are already predicted to skyrocket in 2014, and now component manufacturers are gearing up for this year’s flood of orders.

    DigiTimes today reported that shipments for Ultra HD panels hit 3.1 million during 2013. According to the report’s unnamed “market observers” a large portion of those shipments (1.34 million) came during the fourth quarter of 2014, showing just how quickly production on Ultra HD displays is being ramped up.

    Taiwanese manufacturer Innolux currently leads the Ultra HD panel industry. The DigiTimes report estimates that Innolux accounted for 60% of the Ultra HD panels shipped during 2013.

    DigiTimes’ sources have predicted that Ultra HD panel shipments should reach 20 million units during 2014. This would represent an over 500% increase in shipments from last year, and is in line with earlier predictions. The increased supply is expected to help prices drop in the coming years as more 4K content is produced, which could lead to a viable consumer market for the devices.

  • CES 2014: LG and Samsung Show Off Flexible OLED TVs

    CES 2014: LG and Samsung Show Off Flexible OLED TVs

    With 3D TV all but abandoned and ultra HD set to take off this year, manufacturers have turned to the odd to impress attendees at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

    Both LG and Samsung this week are showing off flexible OLED TVs at their CES booths. Why exactly consumers would want such technology is unclear, but the technology does follow from the curved smartphones that the Korean manufacturers released last year (the Galaxy Round and the G Flex).

    LG’s display is 77-inches and features an ultra HD resolution. The company seem genuinely interested in marketing such a device to consumers at some point in the future. LG claims the display has been tested over “tens of thousands of hours” already and that the range of flexibility on the device has been set to optimize viewing preferences for consumers. LG Home Entertainment CEO Hyun-hwoi Ha even engaged in a bit of hyperbole about the technology, saying, “What curved is to flat, flexible is to curved.”

    Samsung’s marketing for their flexible displays was similarly silly, with Samsung Display SVP Brian Berkeley saying, “This new form factor will really begin to change how people interact with their devices, opening up new lifestyle possibilities.”

    Samsung’s flexible OLED TV is also an ultra HD, but tops LG’s display at 85 inches. As seen in the Samsung video below, the device comes with an automatic system that can bend the TV out from its case:

  • CES 2014: Vizio Unveils 120-Inch Ultra HD TV

    Vizio this week has one-upped Samsung in what is sure to become an ongoing ultra HD TV size pissing contest.

    Just before the end of 2013 Samsung unveiled its 110S9, a 110-Inch ultra high definition (UHD) TV. Today at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Vizio revealed that it will soon sell a 120-inch UHD TV.

    Vizio’s new Reference Series (R-Series) televisions come in two sizes, a 65-inch and a 120-inch, and feature full 4K resolutions, 10-bit color, and 384 active LED zones for fine-tuned contrast. They also feature video modes allowing the TVs to display content in a variety of frame rates, allowing movies to be viewed in 24fps or PC games to be displayed in up to 120fps.

    Of course, Vizio’s R-Series TVs are more than just screens. The devices will come with a fully array of smart TV features and streaming video/music apps. All of this is powered by a dual-core V6 processor and a quad-core GPU.

    Vizio has not yet announced pricing or release date information. If Samsun’g $150,000 110S9 is any indication, though, Vizio’s new R-Series will be very expensive and sold primarily to businesses and a handful of very rich individuals.

  • Affordable 4K TVs Are Coming Soon

    With TV manufacturers now giving up on mistake that was 3D, the entire industry is now looking for ultra HD to increase TV sales in the coming years.

    So far the technology has shown promise, but real sales growth has been hindered both by exorbitant hardware prices and a severe lack of ultra HD content. However, these factors could change sooner than many think and 2014 could end up being the year that 4K TV becomes the next big TV product category.

    The Wall Street Journal today reported that prices for ultra HD TVs are set to come sliding down in the coming months. While current models sell for the same prices as cars (Samsung’s 110-inch ultra HD TV costs a ridiculous $150,000), new models will soon hit levels that average consumers can afford.

    According to the journal, the price erosion for ultra HD is being led by Chinese brands that are putting the technology in smaller screen sizes and selling sets for under $1000. Brand name electronics companies are expected to show off competing models next week at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Already Polaroid is rumored to have a $999, 50-inch ultra HD TV that will be on display at CES.

    Though a lack of 4K content is still a stumbling block for sales, that too could change come next week. It is rumored that Google will be displaying 4K YouTube content at CES in the booths of LG, Sony, and Panasonic. Other big content providers are also ramping up for 4K content, with Netflix debuting the second season of House of Cards in 4K in February, and Sony already releasing 4K movies through its 4K Video Unlimited service.

  • Black Friday 2013: Check Out Deals From Walmart, Target and Best Buy

    With Black Friday just two weeks away, retailers are beginning to release their ads, so let the chaotic holiday shopping preparation begin! Whether you’re shopping for young kids, teenagers or yourself, there are a lot of great deals to be had during the Black Friday 2013 weekend.

    Read below for a breakdown of the Black Friday deals at some major stores. If you have any Black Friday shopping tips, whether it has to do with deals or contending with the crowds, feel free to post them in the comments section below.

    Walmart

    Once again, Walmart’s Black Friday ad is a little confusing. They have three different windows of shopping times that you can get different deals in, with the first “event” starting at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. This supposedly helps limit the chaos from previous years where you had people trampling each other to get into the store for certain items.

    Walmart Black Friday ad
    Starting time: 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day

    Best deals: Vizio 60-inch Smart HDTV for $688 (Event 1); iPad Mini 16 GB for $299, plus you get a $100 Walmart gift card (Event 1); Backyard Grill with four burners for $99 (Event 1); Monster Trax ATV 12-Volt Battery-Powered for $99 (Event 1); Beats by Dre headphones for $114.95 (Event 2); RCA 7-inch tablet for $49 (Event 2); iPhone 5C for $45, plus you get a $75 Walmart gift card (Event 3); Canon Powershot digital camera, 16 MP and 16x zoom for $79 (Event 3).

    Target

    Unlike Walmart, Target is giving people a small window to let their Thanksgiving meals settle before shopping. A lot of their doorbusters don’t quite compare to Walmart’s, but there are a lot of good deals, especially if you’re shopping for kids.

    Target Black Friday ad
    Starting time: 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day

    Best deals: Nikon L320 with a 26x zoom and 16MP for $99; 50-inch Element flat screen TV for $229; 7-inch Nook 8GB for $79; Assorted Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360 games that range from $10 to $35; Monopoly, Jenga, Clue and other games for $5; Hot Wheels Mega Loop for $25; Razor folding scooter for $15; 6-volt ride on vehicles for $99; Kitchen Aid stand mixer for $199.

    Best Buy

    It probably goes without saying that Best Buy is the best place to start out at if electronics make up the bulk of your shopping list. If you’re looking for an iPad 2, Best Buy is without a doubt the place you want to show up to early.

    Best Buy Black Friday ad
    Starting time: 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day

    Best deals: Apple iPad 2 16 GB for $299.99; 55-inch LG flat screen HDTV for $499.99; 39-inch Insignia flat screen HDTV for $169.99; Dell Inspiron 15.6-inch laptop with a 4 GB memory for $177.99; Insignia 8-inch tablet with 8 GB hard drive for $79.99; Toshiba 16 GB flash drive for $5.99; Vizio 50-inch Smart TV for $599.99; Various Xbox 360, Wii and PS3 games ranging from $11.99 to $29.99; Microsoft Surface tablet for $199.99.

    Again, these are just some of the deals from three of the bigger retailers that have released their ads. If you have any tips on Black Friday 2013 deals, post them in the comments section below.

    [Image via YouTube]

  • 4K TV Market Predicted to Take Off Next Year

    Now that the 3D TV movement is essentially dead, manufacturers are pushing 4K TV as the next big reason for consumers to buy a new TV. With 4K content almost nonexistent and 4K TV sets priced far higher than similar-sized HDTV units, those manufacturers haven’t had much luck yet.

    Next year could be the tipping point, though, if a new DigiTimes report can be believed. The report predicts that 4K TV panel shipments will hit 26 million by the end of 2014 – nearly ten times as many as are expected to ship this year.

    The report’s unnamed “industry sources” state that prices for 4K TV panels are already expected to fall next year as manufacturers begin to truly expand their 4K TV offerings. Most 4K TV sales are expected to come from China, though most of those will be what DigiTimes is classifying as “entry level” sets (39- to 50-inch displays). However, the report’s sources state that Samsung and Sony are expecting to see “significant increases in shipments” for high-end 4K TVs (those with 55- to 85-inch displays) to established markets in the west.

    Though the fast growth of the industry will be good news for manufacturers, it is also tempered by the realization that content and low prices will have to lead the market. Last week market research firm ABI Research predicted that it will take until 2018 for just 10% of North American households to have a 4K TV. That is when, according to ABI, we can expect 4K content to catch up and 4K TV prices to drop along with manufacturing costs.

    (Image courtesy Samsung)

  • 4K TV Adoption Coming Along Slowly

    With 3D TV a bust, the TV industry now set to contract for the second year in a row. With established markets now content with their current HDTV sets, TV manufacturers are looking for 4K TV to be the next set-selling technology.

    Unfortunately for those manufacturers, it will take years for 4K TV to become a real player in the market. Research firm ABI Research today released a report predicting that it will take until the year 2017 for just 5% of North American households to adopt 4K technology. After that, though, 4K is expected to take off with the firm estimating that 10% of North American households will have a 4K TV in 2018.

    Much of the reason that 4K TV sets are not selling comes down to content and price. There simply isn’t enough 4K content for consumers to consider upgrading their TV sets. This is especially true when mixed with the fact that the least expensive branded 4K TV sets sell for several thousand dollars minimum.

    The uptick in 4K sales that ABI sees coming in four years will be a factor of these situations changing. Video services such as Sony’s Video Unlimited 4K download service are expected to mature in the coming years. Manufacturing costs will also drop quickly, leading to lower, consumer-friendly prices for 4K TV sets. These combined factors are expected to drive 4K TV sales through the end of the decade.

    “Unlike 3D, which required awkward glasses, 4K has the legs to become an industry norm,” said Sam Rosen, practice director at ABI. “This isn’t a sprint, however, and it will take time for the necessary infrastructure, installed base of devices, and content to come together before 4K becomes an integral part of how the typical TV household consumes video content. We expect this could start to happen as early as 2018 in some regions. In the meantime, many consumers will have 4K panels without 4K content, or 4K game consoles without a 4K display, and will claim a superior 4K experience even though the technical merits are not quantifiable.”

    (Image courtesy Samsung)

  • TV Sales to Drop For Second Year in a Row

    With 3D TV sets a failure and 4K TV content virtually nonexistent, TV manufacturers are offering nothing new to consumers this fall. Add in the fact that flat-panel and smart TV adoption has reached saturation levels in established markets, and manufacturers can look forward to a disappointing holiday quarter this year.

    Market research firm IHS today released its prediction for the worldwide TV market for the year 2013. The firm estimates that TV shipments will fall to an estimated 226.7 million units this year – a 5% drop from the 238.2 million units shipped in 2012. This would make 2013 the second straight year that TV shipments have declined, after a 7% drop in shipments last year over the 255.2 million TVs shipped in 2011.

    “A wide range of factors are conspiring to undermine television shipments in 2013, from economic weakness and market saturation of flat-panel TVs in mature regions, to plunging CRT sales in developing countries,” said Jusy Hong, senior analyst for consumer electronics & technology at IHS. “This is all adding up to a second consecutive year of decline for the television market.”

    It’s not only flat-panel LCD TV shipments that are expected to decline, though those popular models are expected to decline by at least 1%. IHS sees every type of TV in decline, including CRT and plasma displays. Sales of rear-projection TVs are expected to “dwindle to nothing,” according to the firm.

    In addition to mature markets becoming saturated, IHS is putting some of the TV decline on the continued global economic downturn. TV sales in Japan and Western Europe in particular have been declining for three years in a row. In addition, the disappearance of CRT TVs is causing consumers in emerging markets to think twice about more expensive flat-panel displays.

  • 75% of Americans Don’t Care or Know About Smart TV

    TV Manufacturers are scrambling for a way to increase sales now that consumers have settled in with their HDTVs. While 4K resolutions and content are still on the horizon, “smart” TV functionality is being touted as the must have for TV-watchers.

    Market research firm IHS today reported, though, that most Americans just don’t care about smart TVs. A new survey by the firm found that a full 73% of Americans “are not interested” in purchasing a smart TV within the next year.

    IHS points out that this could be due to a consumer base that is simply ignorant of smart TVs. While only 7% of consumers who are “not aware” of smart TVs intend to buy one in the next year (an odd statistic in itself), that percentage rises to 30% among consumers who are “aware” of smart TVs.

    “The latest results of the IHS U.S. TV Consumer Survey show that TV makers have both a challenge and an opportunity when it comes to selling consumers smart TVs,” said Veronica Thayer, analyst for consumer electronics and technology at IHS. “Few consumers at present want to buy smart TVs now. However, demand can be cultivated if television brands better explain to consumers what smart TVs are, what they do, and why they should buy one.”

    Only 20% of those polled indicated that they expect to buy a new TV within the next year, a drop from 31% polled one year ago. The survey also found that 90% of smart TV owners have their set connected to the internet, and that 80% of them have used their smart TV to watch streaming video services such as Netflix and Hulu. IHS stated that “two to three times” more survey participants considered internet connectivity when purchasing a TV than considered 3-D.

  • TV Sales Expected to Decline This Holiday Season

    HDTV sets are now ubiquitous throughout the U.S., with high quality, low cost sets available at retail locations across the country. While good for consumers, manufacturers are now scrambling to find a way to get consumers to spend money on TV hardware more often than once every handful of years.

    The jump to 4K could provide the needed boost for HDTV vendors, though 4K content is just beginning to appear, and consumers don’t seem to be as enthusiastic for the technology as they were for the jump to HD. Samsung’s scheme to update TV hardware with yearly upgrade kits is novel, though it too has not caught on with the wider consumer market.

    These difficulties could lead to a dismal holiday sales season for TV manufacturers. Market research firm IHS today released a report predicting that U.S. shipments of flat-panel TV sets will drop 7% from 2012 shipment levels during the second half of this year. Only 20.1 million flat-panel displays are expected to ship during the period. Shipments for the year are expected to drop 9% year-over-year to just 43.1 million units shipped.

    “Driven by holiday sales, the second half of the year is always critical for determining the fate of the U.S. TV market,” said Veronica Thayer, analyst for consumer electronics and technology at IHS. “However, even with TV brands offering lower prices during this year’s Black Friday than they did in 2012, sales in the second half will decelerate sharply. The U.S. television market continues to be stymied by the long-term slowdown in replacement and secondary purchases, with most U.S. homes already owning one or more flat-screen televisions.”

    The estimates corroborate recent rumors in the manufacturing industry. A recent DigiTimes report holds that worldwide TV shipments during the fourth quarter of 2013 will be down year-over-year. The report’s unnamed “industry sources” also state that demand for TVs in the U.S. and Europe have been “less-than-expected” this year.

  • LCD Panel Demand Weakening, Says Analyst

    LCD Panel Demand Weakening, Says Analyst

    Tech manufacturers are now gearing up for production runs of fall and holiday product launches. Those plans, however, have not translated to high demand for large-sized LCD panels, defined as those 7-inches or larger.

    Analyst firm IHS is now estimating that the supply of large-sized LCD panels will exceed demant by 15.9% from July to September. The oversupply is predicted to be smaller than that seen during the second quarter, but is still described by IHS as “elevated.”

    “This is the time of the year when LCD panel makers usually are ramping up production to meet holiday demand for televisions, notebook PCs, tablets and other consumer-oriented electronics,” said Ricky Park, senior manager for large-area displays at IHS. “However, the display industry is confronting the prospect of weak sales growth and a lack of visibility into future demand trends. With a combination of flagging economic conditions and the end of a popular television incentive plan in China, large-sized LCD panel supply is expected to overshoot demand by a higher margin than previously predicted.”

    The glut of LCD panels, says IHS, is due to slow growth in demand for the products. Their estimates put global large LCD panel demand to rise only 6% during the third quarter. This at the same time that LCD panel manufacturers are, according to IHS, utilizing an ever-greater portion of their production capacity.

    Part of the slow demand for LCD panels could stem from the contracting PC market. Shipments of notebook PCs in particular are dropping quickly, with tablet devices devouring the mobile PC market.

  • LG Sells Over 100 of Its 55-Inch OLED TVs

    LG Sells Over 100 of Its 55-Inch OLED TVs

    That seems like a silly headline until you realize that LG’s 55-inch OLED TVs sell for over $10,000. That means those 100 TV sets brought in over $1 million for LG.

    The Korean electronics manufacturer has begun selling pre-orders for its OLED TVs, which it debuted at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. At the time, the TVs were reported to cost $12,000 and rumored to begin shipping in March 2013.

    Now, Reuters is reporting that over 100 pre-orders have already been logged.

    While LG’s OLED TV sets are expensive, early adopters of technology are used to paying a premium for such showpieces. The cost of the TVs comes from new manufacturing processes, and the difficulty of packing in the OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology into an ultra-thin screen where LCD (liquid-crystal display) screens were once found. The new OLED TV screens are, according to LG, only 4mm thick.

    LG’s Korean rival Samsung was rumored last year to be preparing to launch its own lineup of OLED TVs before the end of 2012, but that prediction didn’t pan out. Samsung did, however, show off a curved OLED TV set at CES 2013, leading to speculation that the company is more interested in implementing the display technology into its Android smartphones.

    (via BGR)