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Philips transfers TV business to a joint venture with TPV Technology, TPV takes the controlling stake
It took almost exactly a year, but Philips is finally free of its pesky, money-losing TV problem. As planned, the company transferred its television business into a joint venture with Hong Kong-based TPV Technology called TP Vision -- an arrangement that endows TPV with a controlling 70 percent stake. (Philips will still receive royalties on top of whatever it earns through this venture, and plans to sell Philips-branded sets in the US through a separate partnership with Funai.) Though the deal was first detailed a year ago, Philips only announced today that the transaction had closed. Now that it has, the newly formed company will produce Philips-branded TVs in a bid to make it one of the "top three players," according to TP Vision chief Maarten de Vries. As you'd expect, all of the 3,300 employees that previously fell under Philips' television division will now be in the employ of TP Vision, and Philips' various manufacturing sites have been transferred over too. All of that and a healthy dose of rah-rah in the full PR below.
Panasonic details US availability for 25 of its 2012 HDTVs
Too busy multitasking to make any important decisions? You might want to bookmark this post, then, because Panasonic just spat out a wallop of a press release outlining US availability (but not pricing) details for 25 of its 2012 HDTVs. Starting with those Infinite Black Ultra plasmas we saw at CES, the 65-inch VT50 is coming later this month, but you'll have to wait until April for the 50-inch GT50. If you can settle for a set with an Infinite Black Pro panel, though, the ST50 series is available now in 50- and 55-inch sizes, with the 60- and 65-inchers coming this month and in April, respectively. Moving down the 3D Plasma totem pole, the UT50 series will start tricking out this month in 42- and 50-inch flavors, with 55- and 60-inch counterparts following in April and May. The most affordable of the models listed, the 50-inch XT50 series, will go on sale before the month's end. Had your heart set on an LED number? If you recall, Panasonic announced a boatload of those at CES, and this press release doesn't even mention all of them, but so far we know the E5 series (32 and 37 inches), the E50 series (42, 47 and 55 inches), the lower-end X5 series (32 inches) and the 47-inch TC-L47DT50 (part of the high-end DT50 series) will all be available this month. Want the best and the biggest? Panasonic is shipping its 3D-capable, 55-inch DT50- and WT50-series sets in May. Rounding out the list, there's Panasonic's first polarized 3D TVs, which will be available later this month in 47- and 55-inch flavors, with a 42-incher following in April. Got it? Good. You sure? In case you need a moment to digest all those dates and model numbers, tap the source link below to find detailed specs, along with confirmed pricing -- something you won't see anywhere in that extensive press release.
Sony divisions to elope in Vegas, celebrate the marriage of Television and Internet at CES 2012
Well, we can't decide if this is one of the cheesiest or most clever event invites in CE history. Sony's PR arm just sent us an e-vite to the marriage of Sony Electronics Home Division and Sony Entertainment Network, simplified to "Television and Internet" on the company's appropriately generic Wedsite wedding page. Now this won't be a cheap Vegas wedding by any means -- the ceremony will take place at the Bellagio Wedding Chapel on the evening of January 11th, with a "Reception Immediately Following." Since this is technically a marriage between cousins, we've spent time with both the bride (Bravia) and the groom (Sony Entertainment Network -- or SEN, when among friends), so we mean no offense if forced to choose sides in the chapel. Coincidentally, we'll already be in town, so we may pop in to greet the likes of family members "Al Gore, Father of the Internet" and HMZ-T1, aka "Aunt Madge." Care to come along? The couple-to-be's site appears to be open to all, so hit up the source link to sign the guest book and send in your RSVP.
Samsung releases CES 2012 teaser, hints at upcoming Smart TV products (video)
It's certainly not much, but with just a few words at the end of a YouTube clip, Samsung hopes to grab your interest. The Korean electronics giant has just released a "through the years" style clip that encapsulates over 50 years of advances with its television systems (i.e., the switch to color, rabbit ears, higher resolutions, DVR, 3D TVs, etc.). The clip concludes with the words "Experience the Future of Smart TV" and highlights the company's upcoming presence at CES next month. And yes, we'll be there too. Take a gander for yourself after the break.
Sharp nearing 1 million big-screen TV sales in North America, expanding global market
Sharp Corporation claims they may top 1 million big-screen televisions (60 inches or above) sold in North America alone by March of next year, and expects growth the next fiscal year. With a stronger hold on the Japanese market then its competitors, the company is expanding overseas to bolster competition and avoid Asia's current market forecast -- a projected $6 billion decline in LCD sales by 2015. According to Kozo Takahashi, head of the American operations division, big-screen purchases in the United States are set to triple this upcoming year despite a declining trend in the North American market. While audio visual equipment accounts for more than half of Sharp's revenue, the company sees the need to market its other products more aggressively in the Americas to remain globally competitive.
Sony to divide TV division into three-headed monster, looks to bounce back
Looking to make a rebound in the ailing TV business, Sony has announced that it will split its television division into three. According to Reuters, the company is looking to keep operations in check with separate departments for LCD TVs, outsourcing and next-gen TVs. The company is wasting no time, as the move will take place on November 1st. The announcement also comes in advance of Sony's quarterly earnings report this Wednesday which is predicted to be a quite a few eggs short of the full basket that was hoped for -- due in part to its inability to compete against Vizio and Samsung. There are also rumblings that the company could be looking to sell off its almost 50-percent share of a liquid-crystal display collaboration with the aforementioned Sammy. It appears moves are being made to stay in the TV game, but the real question is will Sony be able to stop the bleeding (or, perhaps more appropriately, melting)?
LG's 55-inch LW9800 3D HDTV earns THX certification, our home theater respect
Let's face it. We live in a world chock full of entertainment options. With more means of accessing the visual goods, comes less reason to leave the house. Well, LG's aiming to make the cinema experience even more passé with its 55-inch Nano Full LED Cinema LW9800 3D HDTV set. Recently shown off at CEDIA 2011, the slim, flat panel is the first passive 3D display to garner THX certification, delivering HD enthusiasts closer to true "movie experiences." The 480Hz TV utilizes film-pattern retarder tech to optimize 3D image separation, and also includes LG's Smart TV suite of streaming video services (Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, et al.) and app store. So, if you're ready to roll your eyes at Lucas' latest tweaks from the comfort of your couch, get set to fork over $3,800 and join the at-home grousing.
LG, Sharp and Philips to build developer's kit, create Smart TV app standard
A triumvirate of television titans -- LG, Sharp and Philips -- are joining forces to create a development kit, defining a common standard for their Smart TV apps. The power play addresses the problem of fragmentation, since developers will only need to make one version of an app for it to work across all three of the 'tubes operating systems. Based on open standards like HTML5, CE-HTML and HbbTV, developers should get their hands on a beta version by early October, with the finalized version due by the end of the year. The better question now is whether the Romanesque trio can drum up enough developer support to beat out competitors in an app-tastic coup d'etat, or if the likes of Vizio, Sony and Samsung will eventually join in. Needless to say, we'll be digging for more at CEDIA later this month.
Best Buy launches Insignia connected TVs with DVR-less TiVo
Right on schedule, Best Buy's announced it's good and ready to ship two Insignia-branded connected televisions with TiVo's UI -- minus the whole DVR thing, that is. The two 1080p sets, available in 32- and 42-inch flavors, are landing months after the retailer said it was buddying up with TiVo to borrow its user interface -- and only that, there's no indication these will play nicely with Premiere DVRs and their multiroom streaming at launch -- for searching content and also just getting up and running easily. As you'd expect, folks perusing these sets can watch movies from Netflix, CinemaNow, and YouTube, as well as stream from Pandora and Napster. Rounding out the list of apps are Facebook, Twitter, Photobucket, and Chumby, with more to come, Best Buy tells us. In addition to the easy access to content, the story here is that the UI plays nice with existing cable boxes, making the installation easy even if the person holding the remote doesn't happen to have a lengthy serial number on hand. Look for the 32-inch number for $499, with the 42-incher fetching $699. Find the full PR and some b-roll video after the break, along with a smattering of hands-on shots of what should be an all-too-familiar interface. %Gallery-129545%
Japan loves its 3D: more than half of all Blu-ray recorders sold last month had 3D, 3DTVs popular too
Finally, we find a market that is truly enthusiastic about 3D. Tokyo-based researchers BCN, cited by CrunchGear, report that a cool 57 percent of all Blu-ray recorders sold in Japan last month had 3D playback functionality built in, while 23 percent of all 40-inch-plus TVs sold had the ability to relay stereoscopic imagery. Both those numbers are major leaps in popularity within the nation itself and also easily dwarf penetration rates for 3D hardware in other parts of the world. 3D has apparently grown a lot more affordable in Japan, but lest you think these data are just a symptom of people upgrading their equipment without regard to its third-dimension skills, word is that there's still a chunky 30 percent premium associated with adding 3D to your BR recorder purchase. So, it would seem the trendsetting Japanese are leading from the front on this one -- awkward, unstylish glasses be damned!
Bang & Olufsen announces 40-inch BeoVision 8 LCD
Come on, admit you: you know want a Bang & Olufsen LCD. Well, the BeoVision 8 which has just been announced, is a smaller, slightly less expensive one than the BeoVision 10 is -- so maybe you'll be able to afford it, after all. The 40-incher boasts 240Hz motion processing, resulting in a picture refresh rate that the guys at B&O say is nearly double conventional LCDs. Of course they've packed some banging B&O sound quality in there too -- and the BeoVision 8 will be available "this summer" for something in the neighborhood of $5,400. Full press release follows.
Toshiba announces partnership with RealD for 3D teevees
Toshiba's just announced a partnership with 3D gurus RealD to bring 3D viewing a little closer to home. The company plans to hit the world with support for RealD's stereoscopic format on its new Regza televisions. RealD's proprietary shutter style 3D glasses are not to be confused with the polarized ones used in theatres that the company is known for. The plan is apparently to unleash a full line of 3D Regza full HD LCDs in 2010. We don't know anything about specific models, pricing, or specific availability yet, but we'll keep our eyes open for fuller details as the CES 3D onslaught continues. The full press release is after the break.
Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide: Televisions
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today's bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. Want a gift the whole family can enjoy? A brand new television is sure to do the trick and with more HDTV content available than ever from antenna, cable, satellite, Blu-ray discs or even the internet, there will always be something to watch. Whether it's their first flat-panel or an upgrade, these picks come through in several price ranges selected to maximize your, we mean their, viewing pleasure. The only question left we can't help you with? Who gets the first turn on the remote.%Gallery-79792%
Philips launches 9704 LED Pro televisions in the UK
Philips has just announced a new 9704 LED Pro line of televisions bound for the UK. The two sets promise a 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio, a 200Hz refresh rate, and a 1-ms response time. Philips promises both models -- the 40-inch 40PFL9704 and the 46-inch 46PFL9704 -- are up to 50 percent more energy efficient than previous models, and both boast 5 HDMI ports. Both LED Pros will be available in December, with the 40-incher running £1,799 (around $2969) and the 46-inch model costing £2,499 (about $4,124).
Switched On: Toshiba and the Blu-ray Trojan Horse
Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. The Blu-ray Disc Association has positioned Toshiba joining its membership as the epilogue in the company's once pitched battle for high-definition disc domination. It could, however, merely be a new chapter in the broader story of home entertainment as it uses the players not only to fill some product-line gaps but takes advantage of their connectivity to move to a future beyond any disc standard. Back when it was tending to its fresh format war wounds, Toshiba did not always see this potential. After it exited-- and effectively ended-- the HD DVD market, the March 3, 2008 edition of The Wall Street Journal ran an interview with Toshiba chief executive Atsutoshi Nishida that detailed ambitious plans for avoiding Blu-ray. On the low end, Toshiba would improve DVD playback to seek near-parity with Blu-ray quality at lower cost. That idea was productized in Toshiba's XDE DVD players and televisions. XDE was met with mixed reviews, however, and the plummeting prices of Blu-ray hardware last holiday season cut its viability short. Flirting with connectivity on the high-end, Nishida noted that it was now possible to bridge PCs and televisions better, and that he wanted to put "even more energy" into video downloading. He may have been considering Toshiba's Qosmio multimedia powerhouse notebooks as an engine for driving high-definition content to the television. However, the long-lingering idea of bridging the PC and television, while indeed becoming easier technologically, still simply isn't worth the effort for most consumers. At CES 2009 as Sony, Sharp, Panasonic, Samsung, LG and Vizio showed off connected televisions, Toshiba didn't announce any broadband content partnerships for its premium Regza line of TVs.
NuVision debuts ten new Lucidium Deep Black 1080p displays
NuVision, a Scottsdale, Arizona-based maker of LCD televisions, has just announced an veritable avalanche of new models on the way, and we've got all the succulent details. The new displays feature the company's Digital Switching Deep Black (DSDB) technology, which supposedly adjusts backlight settings in relation to images onscreen, allowing for contrast ratios up to a whopping 15000:1; the screens also sport the company's NiDO II or NiDO III image processor / color stabilizer. Sets range in size from a moderate 22-inches to the gigantic, impressing-your-in-laws size of 65-inches. Check out a little rundown of the vital stats, prices, and release dates after the break.[Via AVguide]
