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Vizio caves on patent dispute and joins MPEG-LA licensees, gobble gobble
Chalk another one up for MPEG-LA, as the licensing group's members have dropped lawsuits against Vizio stemming from the one-time value HDTV company's refusal to license MPEG-2 technology, claiming it's suppliers had already paid the necessary fees. Despite Amtran's pleas, just like Target's TruTech brand televisions and DVD players, that argument appears to have quickly folded, . It remains to be seen what direct effect this will have on price, but between this and Vizio's notable Black Friday absence they must be serious about changing to a more upscale image, we wonder if Sony will invite them to a special reception. (Warning: PDF read link)
Samsung, Sony stay on top of the LCD sales battle
Samsung and Sony are celebrating (with their new displays no doubt) a 1-2 finish in iSuppli's second quarter LCD TV sales report. Vizio's slipped from the number one spot last year, to behind Philips, Sharp and LG, respectively, accounting for only 6 percent of the market. According to iSuppli's analysts, major name brands moving aggressively into smaller sizes and budget retailers like Wal-mart is squeezing the smaller Taiwanese competition out of the picture. Vizio bust onto the scene with extraordinary deals on flat screens, at this point does it become an also-ran as its principal supplier hooks up with the big names, or (we hope) is there at least one more hurrah coming Black Friday?
LG, Amtran hook up on LCD joint venture to go live in 2009
LG and Amtran, the manufacturer behind Vizio HDTVs, put pen to paper today on a LCD joint venture in China. Amtran will own 49 percent of the new company and set it up on its existing production base in China, with LG holding the other 51 percent. According to Reuters the plant should be up and running early next year pumping out 5 million LCD TVs a year, but that hasn't improved investor reaction, with shares in both companies falling again. As usual, keep an eye out for quality and not just a nameplate, those Insignia / Vizio / LG on the shelf next year could have a lot more in common than you think.
Vizio supplier says it paid MPEG-2 patents
Just an update on that Vizio vs. the world tiff, one of the major shareholders of the company and major manufacturer for the brand, Taiwan-based Amtran, chimes in that it already paid royalties for the disputed MPEG-2 patents between the end of 2007 and beginning of 2008. It's important to note that the company apparently had not seen the details of the lawsuit yet and couldn't give details, but we'll see how this affects things between the cheap HDTV manufacturer and MPEG LA.
LG Display on the hunt for partners, eying Amtran (Vizio)
Although we just heard that LG was scouting a few new partners in crime to tackle the always unpredictable plasma market, it seems as if the company is also seeking alliances with LCD makers. Reportedly, LG Display affirmed that it was looking to hook up with "other firms, such as Taiwan's Amtran [maker of Vizio LCD TVs]." Apparently investors were none too pleased about the suggestion, as shares of the stock fell amid concerns of linking up with what's commonly known as a bargain brand. Still, the firm is expected to enjoy "record earnings this year thanks to "a booming flat-screen TV market and tight panel supplies," and that little Olympics shindig probably isn't hurting things, either.
