Consumer Electronics Daily News

LG Electronics Sues Vizio Over Patents

Low-cost HDTV maker VIZIO is being sued by rival LG Electronics in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas for allegedly failing to enter into a licensing agreement for use of their patents of digital television technology.

"Ironically, VIZIO has been a large indirect customer to LG Electronics for plasma technology," VIZIO reported in a statement regarding the lawsuit. "Through close collaboration with LG Electronics, VIZIO achieved a 25 percent market share of Plasma HDTV shipments in North America as of the second quarter of 2008, and John Morriss, VIZIO VP & GM of Core Products, has confirmed that the filing of the suit is 'a regrettable occurrence, and we fully expect this new development will influence future material sourcing decisions.'"

VIZIO’s suppliers have licenses for a vast array of digital technologies, and VIZIO believes that these licenses extend to VIZIO’s products, the company said. VIZIO has notified its suppliers of the lawsuit and expects full support and cooperation by them in the defense of the lawsuit. Accordingly, VIZIO does not believe that the suit will have a material adverse impact on VIZIO’s business.

The V, VIZIO, Where Vision Meets Value names, phrase and symbols are trademarks or registered trademarks of VIZIO, Inc. All other trademarks may be the property of their respective holders.

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Dell Preloads Movie Onto New PCs

Dell announced today the next era in personalization of the PC with the launch of its inaugural pre-loaded movie service. Starting today, coinciding with the DVD release, Dell’s movie selection premieres with one of the top grossing films of 2008 –- Iron Man from Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment. For the first time, consumers have the power to customize select Dell desktops and laptops with exclusive pre–installed movie bundles to enjoy personalized entertainment right out of the box.

Through www.dell.com/movies for $20, Iron Man fans can order a special digital edition with a bonus featurette pre-loaded on select Inspiron, Dell Studio and XPS laptops and desktops. With this feature, Dell is easing the process of acquiring digital entertainment for consumers by installing premium content factory-direct to PCs.

“Paramount Digital Entertainment is excited to be working with Dell to offer consumers great movie content like Iron Man and other movie packages through Dell’s powerful distribution and personalization platform,” says Malik Ducard, Paramount’s Vice President of Digital Distribution for North America. “Our respective businesses answer to the consumer, and we are pleased to do just that with such an innovative and forward-thinking company.”

Dell plans to expand future entertainment selections and will continually refresh its offerings to include more Hollywood blockbuster and perennial classic movies.

Samsung, Shazam Partnering on Music Distribution Services

Mobile music discovery provider Shazam and Samsung today announced a partnership which sees the Shazam service embedded into Samsung mobiles, including the latest Beatb (M3510) and the Beats (M3200) mobiles. The Shazam application on Samsung’s new phones allows users to seamlessly discover music simply by holding their mobiles to the tune for just a few seconds and then go on to buy identified tracks through operators’ dedicated music stores.

Shazam fully integrates with operators’ music stores to allow users to download tracks directly to their handsets. T-Mobile is the first operator to offer this service from its own music store integrated onto Samsung’s new music phones.

Samsung and Shazam are actively working together to integrate Shazam’s music application into Samsung’s variety of lineups -- not only for music specialised mobiles but also those in the style categories.

Younghee Lee, VP Marketing at Samsung explains: “We see features like Shazam’s music recognition as very important to enhance the consumer’s experience for music on-the-go. Music recognition and purchase will be a core feature of our music phones.”

The Shazam application enables music lovers to tap into a vast database of more than six million tracks and is already used by 20 million music lovers around the world in over 60 countries.

For more information, visit www.shazam.com.

Peerless Adds Mounts for Sharp AQUOS TVs

When Sharp designed its Ultra-Thin AQUOS LCD TV Series, they turned to Peerless Industries, Inc., for support. Peerless matched Sharp’s engineering and design masterpiece with one of its own: Peerless Slimline Ultra-Thin Universal Mounting Solutions -- the world’s thinnest universal mount. Securing the screen only 0.4 inches from the wall, the Slimline is virtually no-profile so any one of the mount models disappears behind the screen allowing the TV to hang flat to the wall like a work of art.

“Peerless Slimline is the perfect system for mounting Sharp’s Ultra-Thin TVs, but the true beauty is that Slimline® is universal,” says Rich Fiorino, Senior Director of Business Development, Peerless Industries, Inc. “Slimline® is the thinnest universal mount available today. So, it offers the strength and style to support a very wide range of technical and décor needs.”

Peerless Slimline® Ultra-Thin Universal Mounting Solutions are offered in three universal sizes for TVs up to 60 inches. Prices range from $129 to $199. In-wall A/V and electrical accessory boxes are also available. Peerless extends its offering to support an on-the-wall cable management system and shelving units to hold A/V components. For more information, visit www.peerlessmounts.com.

Pioneer Introduces Their First DivX Certified Blu-ray Players

DivX, Inc. (NASDAQ:DIVX), a digital media company, today announced the DivX Certification™ of three new Blu-ray player models from Pioneer (BDP-LX71, BDP-LX08, BDP-51FD).

DivX technology enables a high-quality experience for digital video and DivX Certification of these new Blu-ray players allows consumers to play back DivX video saved on CDs or DVDs. Pioneer’s first DivX Certified Blu-ray Disc Players, featuring high-quality image and sound, will be available across Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand starting in October (BDP-LX08 to be released in Europe only).

“Our standard DVD players that obtained DivX Certification have shipped worldwide, meeting the increasing consumer demand for devices that play high-quality DivX video. By supporting DivX in our newest Blu-ray Disc Player, we are now able to provide consumers with a greater video experience,” says Ryuichiro Yoshimura, General Manager of Video Planning Department, Pioneer Corporation.

Products that bear the DivX Certified logo have undergone a rigorous testing program to ensure interoperability, security and visual quality. DivX Certified products enable consumers to create, play and share high-quality video content across a wide range of devices and platforms.

For more information on Pioneer BDP-LX71, BDP-LX08 and BDP-51FD, visit www.pioneer.eu.

Circuit City Stumbles Again, Reports Q2 Losses

Circuit City reported its second-quarter earnings this morning, detailing a net loss of about $239 million on $2.3 billion in revenue. According to CNet, the electronics giant has lost more than $400 million in the last six months.

As a result of the current financial skid, new Circuit City CEO James Marcum told investors this morning that the company is initiating a massive overhaul to right the ship, and even hinted that it may halt new store construction or investigate the closure of underperforming stores.

Marcum and other company executives said that in the coming month, the company will be rolling out a variety of new in-store marketing efforts designed to improve the holiday shopping experience, boost consumer confidence and help the company move more aggressively to regain marketshare and improve its bottom line before the end of the year.

For more information, visit www.circuitcity.com.

SanDisk Announces World’s Largest Mobile Phone Memory Card

SanDisk Corporation today announced it is bringing to market its 16GB microSDHC™ and Memory Stick Micro (M2)® mobile memory cards -- the world’s largest removable storage capacity for mobile phones. Best Buy Mobile and Verizon Wireless stores are the first major retail outlets in the United States to carry the 16GB capacity.

The fingernail-sized 16GB memory cards allow consumers to “wake up” the many storage-intensive features offered by today’s portable handsets such as music and video playback, high-definition digital camera functions, gaming and GPS applications. In addition to the mobile phone, consumers can use the 16GB microSDHC card in a multitude of other devices, including video cameras, GPS receivers or MP3 players with a microSD™ slots such as SanDisk’s Sansa® players.

“Handsets have become far more than just phones - they’ve become mobile jukeboxes, mobile offices, even mobile movie theaters,” says Avi Greengart, Research Director for Mobile Devices at Current Analysis. “Flash memory cards have increased in storage capacity, but even an 8GB card may be too small for anyone with GPS map data, a few movies, a game or two, a presentation file and other applications. There is an acute need for more mobile storage capacity. 16GB gives consumers the ability to carry their digital content with them and still have room to do more with their mobile phones.”

For more information, visit www.wakeupyourphone.com.

HTSA Selects Control4 for New Partnership

Control4, a leader in IP-based home control and entertainment systems, today announced a strategic relationship with Home Theater Specialists of America (HTSA), a national association of home theater experts with 62 members and aggregate annual sales volumes exceeding $500 million. Control4’s complete line of home automation products is now available to all HTSA’s members.

“We continue to partner with innovative companies such as Home Theater Specialists of America, which represent high-end electronics opportunities and include some of the best custom-integrator dealers in the country,” says Jim Arnold, Senior Vice President of Sales for Control4. “HTSA understands that embracing the Control4 line will help their members expand their custom business as together we create a broad market for home automation.”

HTSA offers its members not only a combined buying power but also a whole directory of professionals available to provide advice on sales, product selection, installation techniques and marketing programs including demand and lead generation. HTSA’s Suite of Services gives members options to choose from when it comes to television commercials, store signs, truck graphics and expert advertising consultation. This unique access provides members with helpful resources that are tailored for individual stores.

Control4’s platform replaces on average four remotes in the home. In addition to the popular home theater control, the company offers convenient and sophisticated home control integration solutions including: multi-room music, lighting, temperature control, security integration and more.

For more information, visit www.control4.com.

UPA Readies Powerline Communication Smart Grid Spec

The Universal Powerline Association (UPA), tasked with developing and implementing an interoperable and open specifications for powerline communications, today announces that it is issuing two advanced market requirement documents for powerline communication-based Smart Grid and Command and Control applications.

The MRDs for Smart Grid and Command and Control applications share three fundamental principles:

• Delivering Interoperability across all C&C and Smart Grid applications;
• Maintaining an open, non-proprietary protocol meeting & exceeding industry requirements; and
• Facilitating International Regulatory approvals.

The UPA Command and Control MRD focuses exclusively on in-home applications and those that tie into the Smart Grid such as HVAC, appliance, security, lighting and energy management applications among others. The UPA's Command and Control (C&C) working group collaborates with UPA´s Smart Grid working group for the definition of the residential gateway interface.

Daniel Drolet, Chairman of the UPA Marketing Working Group, comments, "The UPA is committed to ensuring that it’s Command and Control and Smart Grid Market Requirements Documents and resulting Specifications are independently successful. Additionally, these specifications will also directly support each other allowing Energy companies and Consumers to each access and achieve their overall Powerline communication, networking and overall data management goals."

For more information about the specifications or the UPA, visit www.upaplc.org.

DBL Hosts Successful Mira Loma Open House

DBL Distributing LLC, one of the largest wholesalers of consumer electronics and accessories in the United States, hosted an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony at their new Mira Loma, Calif distribution center today. With over 100 attendees, this event raised awareness of DBL’s growing nationwide distribution presence. Taking place at DBL’s newest distribution center, the event opened with an inspiring speech by DBL’s president Henry Chiarelli, followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony and a tour of DBL’s advanced logistics distribution center.

Attendees of this great event included DBL executives, Ingram Micro executives, vendor partners and local DBL customers. Henry Chiarelli addressed the crowd with DBL’s current distribution activities and their future plans. The guests all participated in a one hour tour of the advanced logistics center, showing a behind the scenes tour the state-of-the-art automation. At the conclusion of the tour, all guests gathered together for food, refreshments and casual conversation with the different customers and participants from DBL’s vendor community.

“We celebrated a monumental accomplishment in DBL history - the ability to meet the logistical needs of our customers through multiple distribution centers,” stated Henry Chiarelli, president of DBL Distributing. “We wanted to celebrate this milestone with those who made this possible, our customers and our vendor community. It was a great event and an excellent beginning to the fourth quarter selling season.”

For more information, visit www.dbldistributing.com.