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Digital distribution not expected to rule packaged media anytime soon
Whoa, vaquero -- calm your jets. This is just a projection, which may or may not prove to be indicative of reality. That said, there's still quite a lot here to discuss, particularly since we've been hearing so much hubbub over the supposed explosion of digital distribution. Media Control GfK International has forecast that sales of Blu-ray Discs will increase some 150 percent to $2.9 billion, up from $1.1 billion in 2008. For those keeping count, digital distribution only generated $1.5 billion last year, and that's including every penny made from VOD and broadband services. In-Stat analyst Michael Paxton was quoted as saying that the "bandwidth required to stream any type of HD video is way beyond what most households have," and he continued by noting that the "convenience factor is still not there for streaming media." You owe it to yourself to hit up the read link for the full report before blasting your opinion in comments below, but we suppose we can't stop you either way.
Apple crosses the magical 1% mark in global phone market share
Look out, world -- Apple's on the hunt for that number one spot in worldwide mobile market share! Of course, it's got like a bazillion miles to go before it gets there, but achieving that magical 1 percent is always a day worth tearing up about. According to data in a recent ABI Research study, iPhones now make up 1.1 percent of all cellphones, which is a pretty nice bump from the 0.3 percent share the original iPhone held in 2007. As expected, Nokia's still making everyone else look bad with 38.6 percent, while Samsung (16.2 percent) notched the silver and Motorola / LG tied for third with 8.3 percent apiece. Number lovers can dive into the links below for more where this came from, and feel free to dispute the facts 'til your heart's content down in comments.[Via Electronista]
Netflix profit up 45% in Q4, nears 10 million total subscribers
Analysts were already anticipating a killer Q4 for Netflix, and unlike practically every other company on the face of the planet, it delivered. The movie rental firm somehow managed to see net income rise to $22.7 million in the quarter, up from $15.7 million in Q4 2007. Revenue was also up by 19 percent, and subscriber growth was pegged at an amazing 26 percent. All told, the firm ended the quarter with 9.4 million subscribers, decimating its own forecast of ending Q4 with 9.15 million customers. Of course, some (Netflix included) are quick to assert that the recession has actually boosted business, with many consumers opting to stay home and rent versus taking the family out for a pricey night at the cinema. Netflix is now projecting to end 2009 with anywhere between 10.6 million to 11.3 million customers, and given all the hardware deals it keeps landing, we don't see a reason why it won't get there. Way to buck the trend, Netflix -- we needed some bright news today.[Via AP]
Video game sales surpass DVD / Blu-ray for the first time
Hold on to your caps, folks -- you're about to hear some positive economic news. Baffling, we know. According to Media Control GfK International, worldwide packaged media sales managed to creep up six percent in 2008. Interestingly, it seems that video games were doing the bulk of the driving, as for the first time in recorded history, sales of games exceeded sales of DVD and Blu-ray Discs. Back in 2007, games accounted for 47 percent of the equation, while it scooted up to 53 percent in 2008; analysts are expecting that figure to rise further and hit 57 percent in 2009, though much of this shift has to do with the digital distribution of content and not the disinterest in movies overall. Remember, we're talking about packaged media here. Per usual, loads more numbers await you in the read link if you're the ones and zeros type.[Via CDFreaks, image courtesy of OrlandoSentinel]
Nokia ships one millionth 5800 XpressMusic, does a little dance
Okay, so we're going on the assumption that the 500,000 figure uttered by Nokia CEO Olli Pekka Kallasvuo during this week's Q4 earnings call was a touch old -- you know, considering that the outfit is now trumpeting the shipment of a cool million. Following a (very!) successful UK launch, Nokia has just shipped its one millionth Tube, which is the handset maker's first mass market touchscreen device. And to think -- it hasn't even debuted in many corners of the globe yet.
Nokia ships half a million 5800 XpressMusic handsets in 30 days
If this were coming from any other mouth, we'd definitely second guess it. As it stands, though, it's hard to dispute the words of Nokia's CEO when it comes to matters involving Nokia. Mr. Olli Pekka Kallasvuo stated rather proudly during the firm's Q4 results call that it had shipped just over 500,000 5800 XpressMusic mobiles (better known as the Tube) in just 30 days. That figure becomes even more impressive when you realize that shipments only occurred in select markets, though it should be noted that "units shipped" and "units sold to end users" could indeed be very different things. Still, half a million in just a month ain't too shabby in today's economy, so here's the kudos you're clearly due, Nokia.
Handset makers ponder larger-than-usual price cuts to counter bulging inventories
Samsung already declared that the handset market simply isn't what it used to be, and now it seems like a bunch of its rivals are begrudgingly nodding their heads in agreement. According to a new report from Reuters, Nokia and some of its main competitors have begun to "slash prices as demand falls and retailers cut inventories after lackluster holiday sales." Not surprisingly, demand for new handsets was down in the critical last quarter of 2008, and the falling demand at a time when retailers are looking to scale back on inventory holdings has left many with few options. eQ Bank analyst Jari Honko noted that there are just "two ways to cut inventories -- writedowns or dump them on the market," and it seems that most of the cuts thus far have occurred on the mid- to high-end handsets in Europe. Not to be disrespecting any bottom lines, but can we North Americans get a little of that discount love over our way?[Image courtesy of Guyana Providence Stadium]
Retailers give thumbs-up to newest line of Blu-ray decks
We've got to say -- we agree with the "retailers" here. According to a new report on VideoBusiness, the Blu-ray players unveiled at CES 2009 are being smiled upon by those that'll have to move 'em. Panasonic's Profile 2.0 DMP-B15 portable Blu-ray player was seen as one of the more attractive units, with airport-based InMotion Entertainment deciding that it would carry this very unit as its first BD deck in order to appeal to travelers. As expected, reactions were somewhat mixed on Panny's DMP-BD70V VHS / Blu-ray player, though it is anticipated that a small niche of consumers will eat it up. All in all, the entire '09 lineup was seen as a nice step forward from decks we've seen in the past -- our only question is do you agree? Which BD unit from the show had you most interested?
LG overtakes Motorola for third place in global handset shipments
Half a year ago, Motorola was still clinging tight to the number three spot in terms of worldwide handset shipments, but boy -- what a difference six months makes. According to numbers compiled by DigiTimes, LG Electronics managed to ship just over 100 million mobile phones in 2008, while Moto checked in with "just" 99.9 million shipped. That makes LG the third largest handset maker in terms of shipments, barely beating out Moto and Sony Ericsson who placed fourth and fifth, respectively. As expected, Nokia and Samsung are still holding down the top two spots, but it's the continued slippage of Motorola that's most significant here. You know what they say about being on rock bottom, right? We bet Motorola's wondering if that mantra applies here.[Via phonescoop]
Carphone Warehouse sees retail sales rise 13%
Who says everyone has to report bum quarters these days? The Carphone Warehouse -- which is only Europe's largest, most recognizable independent mobile phone retailer -- has just reported that retail sales during its most recent quarter were up 13 percent to just over £1 billion ($1.48 billion). Moreover, its connections were up 3% to 3.7 million and subscription connections rose 3% to 1.3 million, though revenues of its TalkTalk Group were down slightly (2%) to £347 million ($514 million). Still, bigwigs at the firm aren't ignorant to the market, noting that "weaker trading conditions" are likely to continue, and thus, affect future numbers. Still, we'd say these guys deserve a round of golf claps for just breaking into '09 in the black.[Via mocoNews]
Sony sells its 50 millionth PlayStation 2 in North America
Joining the all-important 50 million club today is Sony, which has just recently moved its 50 millionth PlayStation 2 game console here in North America. For those with short-term memories, the PS2 hit the scene in the year 2000, well before the iPod, Windows XP and America's current president took their rightful places. NPD numbers estimate that around 43 million of these 50 million units were sold here in the US of A, and if you're really looking for some staggering numbers, get a load of this: In November 2008, 206,000 PS2s were moved in America, while just 172,000 more PS3s were sold in the same window. Talk about longevity / sluggish adoption, respectively.Update: We meant 172,000, not 1,720,000.
Crestron records best sales ever, asks "what recession?"
The world at large may be having some trouble with their credit, but Crestron customers are clearly not being affected. Just a day after the US government reported the worst jobless rate since 1945, the home automation company has come forward with its best month of sales in its 40 year history. Moral of the story? Touchpanel control of one's HVAC is really, really, really important these days.
Analyzing WoW's growth by the numbers
When you get down to the nitty gritty numbers, World of Warcraft's growth has stayed fairly consistent over the last three years or so. This of course is after the initial boom in 2005, and thanks mostly to a continued schedule of expansions the last two years. But where will it go from here?Over at WorldIV, they take a very detailed look at the statistics that may effect WoW's future, based on its past. Will it reach 13 million subscribers by the end of 2009? That's the big question, as the two authors of this article dissect the factors that will affect that possibility. Even if you're just curious about the growth patterns that WoW has enjoyed since it's release, this article will educate you on any curiosities you may have.
Niveus Media Server - Vail Edition now available through ADI
There's no arguing the fact that Niveus makes some pretty swank gear; the problem is finding someone to sell it to you. As of this week, though, the outfit's Media Server - Vail Edition will be available across the nation at ADI branches. Expectedly, no price is given, though it is noted that all Vail Editions sold through ADI come bundled with "an exclusive HDGiants content package, including 1 HDNet film and credit towards the purchase of MusicGiants downloads." Full release is after the break.
Laptops outship desktops for the first time worldwide
Laptops have been out-shipping desktops in the US for years upon years (upon years), but it wasn't until now that such a scenario was true worldwide. According to iSuppli, global notebook computer shipments exceeded those of desktops for the first time ever in Q3 of this year, a "watershed event" according to it. More specifically, notebook PC shipments surged around 40% to 38.6 million units, while desktop shipments slipped 1.3% to 38.5 million. We'd say this is a marvelous day and a sign of what's to come, but haven't we all known that desktops were being reserved for hardcore gaming, computational science and games of chess for years now?
HTC expects to move over one million G1 handsets in 2008, party hard in 2009
Given just how awesome HTC's most previous quarterly results were, we don't blame it for being a tad optimistic about overall G1 sales. CEO Peter Chou was quoted as saying that the G1 should sell just over a million units this year, with the second Android-powered handset coming in Q1 2009 at the "earliest." Interestingly, the report also stated that HTC was hard at work on its third Google-infused mobile, which isn't at all mind-blowing considering that we're talking about a phone company that has to make new phones in order to stay afloat.[Via mocoNews]
Blu-ray reportedly doing more than alright in Europe
Before you get all shocked and awed, may we remind you that Blu-ray has been performing well across the pond pretty much all year. We know, this beacon of shining, happy news from Futuresource is quite the contrast from what we've been hearing lately about the industry overall, but it's far from surprising. The numbers show that British consumers purchased around 462,500 Blu-ray Discs in November, which is an increase of 165% from October. 'Course, a little film called The Dark Knight probably helped out, but we digress. The figures are looking mighty good for the future as well, with Blu-ray's share in the optical disc market expected to double to 6% in France next year. Who knows -- maybe Europeans are so sick and tired of waiting for a decent HD channel lineup that they're using BD to get their high-resolution fix.
AT&T plans to more than double U-verse TV availability by 2010
Upping the stakes, are we AT&T? Just weeks after proudly announcing that it had successfully reached its goal of netting one million U-verse TV subscribers before the end of 2008, a tidbit on the outfit's official U-verse portal clearly makes known its plans for future expansion. The operator has been rolling service out to all new areas at a frenzied pace, and now we know why: it's hoping to pass around 30 million living units by the end of 2010. To put that into perspective, U-verse TV is currently available to 14 million living units, meaning that it is aiming to over double availability in just over two years. Good on you, AT&T -- now let's make it happen (and ahead of schedule, if possible).
DisplaySearch revises LCD TV forecasts for 2009, takes 'em lower
No surprises here, but the analysts at DisplaySearch have evidently been working overtime in order to revise the 2009 forecast for LCD TV shipments. We're not particularly sure where the originals sat, but if these new numbers prove true, we'll see LCD TV revenue fall year-over-year for the first time in the history of LCD TV shipments. The updated report notes that key factors in the downturn are "reductions in forecast TV prices and revised forecasts for year-over-year shipment growth for LCD and PDP TVs in 2009, down by 7 and 6 points from previous, respectively." As of now, LCD TV revenues are slated to drop 16% year-over-year, with total TV revenues falling 18%. Get a few big-screen OLED TVs out for under two large, and we bet all that changes -- don't mind that we're asking for the impossible or anything.
LCD shipments expected to skyrocket in Latin America
With DirecTV launching HD service in Latin America, we'd say it's about time its residents realized that flat-panels are the wave of the future present. According to a fresh iSuppli report, the Latin American television market is expected to make a hasty and noticeable transition between now and 2012. Reportedly, LCD TV shipments to the region are set to rise and account for over 83% of the market in under four years; meanwhile, shipments of bulky CRT sets will decline to make up around 8% of the total market. The numbers are pretty baffling when you consider that CRTs held 77.4% of the market just last year, and it's actually rather scary to think where all of those soon-to-be-unwanted sets will end up.
