Consumer Electronics Daily News

DTV Converter Boxes Coming to Best Buy

CE retailer Best Buy is planning on stocking its shelves with digital-to-analog converter boxes come mid-February in a move to capitalize on the growing consumer demand and federal regulation cutting over-the-air analog TV broadcasts by February 2009.

Only one brand will be carried inside Best Buy, according to Broadcasting & Television News, an Insignia-branded box that will retail for $50 to $70. The company is also planning to take orders for the converter boxes via a special 800 number.

For more information, click here.

Verizon: FiOS Customers Top 1 Million

In less than two years, more than 1 million customers have chosen Verizon FiOS TV, making the company the 10th largest cable provider in the United States, Verizon said in a statement today. The fiber-optic based cable, Internet and phone service is the fastest residential access option in the United States.

"Some experts doubted that we could come this far this fast," says Virginia Ruesterholz, President of Verizon Telecom. "We launched FiOS TV just 28 months ago in one Texas market. While we're delighted to pass the 1 million milestone, we know that the real winners are our customers, who now have a genuine choice for their cable television service."

In addition to rapid FiOS market growth during 2007, Verizon rolled out its interactive media guide, which gives customers more control of their viewing experience lasty year. All Verizon FiOS TV customers now have the colorful IMG, and Verizon plans to add more new FiOS TV features, including games and expanded Widgets, during 2008. The company has announced plans to provide 150 HD channels through FiOS by the end of 2008.

For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

NEC Launches AccuSync 3-Series LCDs

NEC Display Solutions of America has added five 3-Series monitors to the AccuSync display family. The new standard format LCD series replaces the current AccuSync 2-Series. The new AccuSync 3-Series product line, which includes 17-inch and 19-inch standard screen sizes, features a new cabinet design, improved brightness of 300 cd/m(squared), and improved contrast of 700:1 and 800:1 for the 17-inch and 19-inch models, respectively.

"The AccuSync 3-Series offers key benefits, like exceptional screen performance and multimedia options, all at competitive prices," Andrew Anderson, Product Manager for NEC Display Solutions, said in a statement. "Additionally, we've added the Eco Mode feature, which allows end users the ability to extend the life of the monitor and to conserve energy. This line continues to deliver the quality of the NEC brand with superior service and support."

Included in the AccuSync 3-Series line are the 17-inch ASLCD73VX, ASLCD73VX-BK, and the multimedia ASLCD73VXM-BK, as well as the 19-inch ASLCD93VX-BK and the multimedia ASLCD93VXM-BK.

For more information, visit www.necdisplay.com.

Disney, Panasonic Extend Blu-ray Mall Tour

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment and Panasonic Electronics are extending Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour to visit seven additional North American cities in 2008.

Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour, sponsored by Panasonic, travels to malls across the country educating would-be buyers on the technology through hands-on interactive kiosks, product demonstrations and a special presentation theater where consumers can experience first-hand the amazing capabilities of Blu-ray Discs. 

According to Disney, the 2008 Magical Blu-ray Tour also features first-look opportunities in each market including: previews of upcoming title releases, Finding Nemo and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe; live demonstrations where consumers will get first-hand experience playing the interactive "Gusteau's Gourmet Game" from Ratatouille, "Car Finder Game" from Disney/Pixar's Cars, "Bowler Hat Barrage" from Meet The Robinsons; as well as experience a virtual tour of "Enter the Maelstrom" from Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.

For a complete tour schedule, click here.

Super Bowl Will Drive More Than 2 Million HDTV Sales, Says CEA

More than 2.4 million HDTVs will be sold as a direct result of the impending Super Bowl, according to the third annual Sports and Technology survey conducted by the Consumer Electronics Association and the Sports Video Group (SVG).

The Super Bowl has retained the title of top driver for HDTV purchases for three years running, generating some $2.2 billion in HDTV sales this year alone. This year's survey results show the Super Bowl is followed by college bowl games, the World Series, NBA Finals and NCAA March Madness as drivers of HDTV purchases. The true impact of these sporting events on CE sales is even higher when factoring in consumer purchases of high-def accessories such as HDMI cables, universal remotes, surround sound audio systems and mounting brackets.

"We have long known the Super Bowl influences HDTV unit sales," says Tim Herbert, CEA's Senior Director of Market Research. "We are now finding ties to other technologies consumers use to enhance their Super Bowl experience. This year, 18 percent of consumers watching the game expect to have a laptop PC nearby to check stats, IM with friends or check betting lines. Another 12 percent plan to use a PC in another room to check statistics during the game and 13 percent expect to use their mobile phone for the same purpose."

Sports and Technology is available free to CEA and SVG member. Non-members will be able to purchase the study at http://www.ebrain.org. players, broadcasters, webcasters, and consumer technology providers have joined the SVG to learn

Sony Debuts Mylo 2

The Wi-Fi-centric mylo™ COM-2 personal communicator has received a refresh, this time featuring enhanced Web browsing with Adobe Flash Lite 3 support (for access to Flash-based games and Web sites like YouTube.com. Available immediately at SonyStyle.com, the Mylo 2 comes with a 1.3 megapixel digital camera, extended battery life (up to 20 hours of music playback) and built-in Skype capability.

The new incarnation also incorporates a high resolution touch screen and widgets for expanded Web-based expandability. Sony’s mylo COM-2 device owners receive free (through 2010) Wi-Fi access at more than 10,000 Wayport Hotspot locations nationwide; including 9,000 participating Wi-Fi enabled McDonald's® Restaurants, 70 IHOP restaurants, 600 hotels and more.

For more information, click here.

DVD6C Revises Licensing Program

The DVD6C Licensing Group (DVD6C) consisting of nine leading developers of DVD technology and formats -- Hitachi, Ltd., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (Panasonic), Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., Sharp Corporation, Toshiba Corporation, Victor Company of Japan, Ltd. (JVC) and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc. -- today announced that it has revised its worldwide patent licensing program beginning on and after January 1, 2008, including offering a new license agreement, which offers reduced royalty rates on certain products and additional licensing options.

Key changes to the new licensing program include the following:

• Reduction of royalty rates for DVD Read-Only Discs.
• The addition of +R Discs and +RW Discs as new categories of licensed DVD Products.
• Inclusion of Time Limited DVD Discs in the DVD-ROM Disc, DVD-Video Disc and DVD-Audio Disc categories of licensed DVD Products.

For more information, visit www.dvd6cla.com.

Take-Two: Grand Theft Auto IV Coming on April 29

Video game developer Take-Two Interactive has announced a release date for the next installment in its best-selling Grand Theft Auto series. The fourth installment, GTA IV, will be on store shelves on April 29.

According to Reuters, Take-Two stock jumped more than 10 percent after the announcement of the official release date. The controversial Grand Theft Auto series is the publisher's highest selling video game franchise with the last three versions of the game selling more than one million copies each.

Available for the PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360, GTA IV is already projected by many industry watchers to likely be the best-selling game of 2008.

For more information, click here.

Computer, Video Game Industry Has Record 2007

Computer and video game software sales reached $9.5 billion in 2007, 28 percent over the previous year, and set a new record according to final data compiled by the NPD Group and announced today by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). The industry's economic impact is illustrated further through data showing that Halo 3, the best-selling title of 2007, took in more revenue in its first day of sales than the biggest opening weekend ever for a movie (Spider-Man 3) and the final Harry Potter book's first day sales.*

"The video game industry set the pace over all others in 2007, with record-breaking sales, off-the-charts consumer demand, and innovation reaching from galactic exploration to guitar simulation," says Michael D. Gallagher, President and CEO of the ESA, the U.S. association representing computer and video game software publishers. "On average, an astonishing nine games were sold every second of every day of the year." The ESA cited data showing that the industry sold over 13.4 million portable game units in 2007, easily trumping the much-hyped Apple iPhone, which sold just 4 million units.

According to the data compiled by the NPD Group, overall U.S. video game console software sales reached $6.6 billion (153.9 million units), computer games sales were $910.7 million (36.4 million units), and a record $2.0 billion (77.5 million units) in portable software sales. In terms of total units sold, approximately 267.8 million computer and video games were sold in 2007.

For more information, visit www.theesa.com.

PMA Preview: Canon Unveils Three New P&S Cameras

PMA 2008 is less than one week away, and Canon U.S.A., Inc. is getting a jump on the festivities with the release of three new A-series  PowerShot digital cameras. The expanded lineup includes the 8 megapixel PowerShot A590 IS; the 8 megapixel PowerShot A580, and color-keyed 7.1 megapixel PowerShot A470 digital cameras. Designed to bring higher end features to the entry-level P&S photographer, the new cameras range in price from $129 to $179.

"Whether capturing the expression of delight on a child's face amid a flock of brightly colored birthday balloons; the brilliant sunlight as it reflects off newly fallen snow, or the fiery-orange horizon as day slips into night, these three new PowerShot A-series digital cameras make capturing, saving and sharing memories as simple as 1-2-3," said Yuichi Ishizuka, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A.

The PowerShot A590 IS has 4x optical zoom and 19 shooting modes, from fully automatic to fully manual operation for greater creative control. It also features the Canon's optimized Optical Image Stabilization system. The A580 has equivalent 4x optical zoom, 16 shooting modes and other mid-grade features. The A470 features a 3.4x optical zoom, manual overrides for ISO speed, exposure compensation and white balance, as well as 14 shooting modes. All the units feature face and motion detection technology, as well as advanced multi-point auto focus systems.

For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.