Consumer Electronics Daily News

Blockbuster, 2Wire Unveil ONDEMAND Movie Download System

Blockbuster Inc., and 2Wire, a provider of integrated broadband solutions, are partnering for the 2Wire MediaPoint digital media player, an easy-to-use, on-demand video solution that offers movie fans instant access through their television sets to BLOCKBUSTER ONDEMAND content, including thousands of titles from the latest movie releases to classic favorites.

For a limited time, the MediaPoint digital media player is available free with the advance rental of 25 BLOCKBUSTER ONDEMAND movies for $99 at www.blockbuster.com. Unlike subscription-based services, which typically offer movies years after their release, BLOCKBUSTER ONDEMAND includes hot new releases, many available within weeks of leaving theaters. After the initial 25 rentals, movies are available for as little as $1.99 each. The players will begin shipping in time for the holiday season.

"The MediaPoint digital player, featuring BLOCKBUSTER ONDEMAND, is entertainment made easy. We are bringing Blockbuster, and the thousands of movies in our digital library, straight to customers' televisions," says Jim Keyes, Blockbuster Chairman and CEO. "The player is simple to use, delivers DVD quality video, and there's no monthly subscription commitment. We are delighted to team with 2Wire to give consumers this great entertainment product."

Easy to install, the MediaPoint digital media player works seamlessly with any broadband connection, either wirelessly via built-in Wi-Fi or wired via Ethernet cable, to deliver the hottest new movies, classics, foreign films and television shows from the BLOCKBUSTER digital library. With full fast-forward, rewind, and pause capabilities, the viewing experience is DVD quality, no matter the speed of the broadband connection. Movies can be played right away or saved to watch later. Additionally, the player supports HD video content and can be connected to HDTVs.

BASF, OSRAM Make White OLED Breakthrough

BASF and OSRAM Opto Semiconductors have developed a highly efficient white organic light-emitting diode (OLED). For the first time, an OLED not only is able to achieve a light yield of more than 60 lumens per watt (lm/W), but also, at the same time, meets the international Energy Star SSL Standard with regard to color requirements. Lighting efficiency describes the ratio of luminous flux given off by a lamp to the amount of power consumed; the greater the yield, the less energy is lost. Although this efficiency benchmark had previously been achieved, until now the color values of OLEDs have not been within the acceptable band for color coordinates around the Planck curve, as defined by the ENERGY STAR SSL Standard. The color values of the new OLED are within this band – its light retains the white color at different levels of intensity.

By developing a white OLED with a high light yield, the two companies have completed a major step on the way toward commercial OLED lighting. In the development laboratories of Siemens Corporate Technology (OSRAM is part of the Industry sector of Siemens), highly efficient semiconductor materials from BASF Research were combined with standard materials – and thereby new standards set with regard to color coordinates and efficiency. BASF and OSRAM are conducting this research together within the framework of the “OLEDs for Applications on the Lighting Market” (OPAL) project. The OPAL project is being sponsored as part of the OLED Initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF).

The new OLEDs contain phosphorescent metal complexes as emitter materials and customized complementary materials, which ensure optimum constancy of the color temperatures. That means that, owing to the use of new materials, the diodes are very color-stable even when there are variations in luminous intensity. The challenge now is to optimize the life of these OLED tiles, especially by stabilizing the blue emitters.

For more information go to www.osram-os.com or www.basf.com.

Crestron Eagles Program Donates Home Theater

Crestron hosted the first Eagles Program dedication ceremony at Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital today, unveiling the new home theater donated to provide comfort and entertainment for America’s heroes recovering from injuries sustained during combat overseas. The Crestron Eagles Program was conceived by Crestron President George Feldstein to honor the service and sacrifice of our wounded warriors returning home from battle.

“This theater system represents the largest single donation any military hospital has ever received,” explains Pete Baca Jr., USMC Ret., CTS. “They may get a thousand or even five thousand dollars, but they were amazed when I told them what we wanted to do.”

The home theater means so much more than mere entertainment to these men and women who are undergoing long-term physical and occupational therapy. “We treat the person rather than the injury,” says Colonel Terrence McKenrick, Commandant of Walter Reed. “These Warriors in Transition receive physical rehabilitation, occupational therapy and professional education so they are fully prepared to re-enter society.” The emotional aspect of recovery cannot be underestimated. Colonel McKenrick explains that socialization is vital for emotional health and a complete recovery.

The ribbon cutting was a simple celebration of valor, commitment and hope. The community room was transformed into a state-of-the-art digital home theater, adorned with banners, flowers and balloons to mark the special occasion. The more than forty “warriors in transition,” including five brave soldiers who had recently received their Purple Hearts and Bronze Stars, were overwhelmed by the technology and the generosity exhibited by Crestron and its partners.

Crestron donated an Adagio® home theater system, CEN-IDOC interface for iPod, TPMC-8X Isys i/O™ WiFi touchpanel and a 52-inch HD plasma. Chris Wildfoerster, Director of Business Development at Crestron, called upon partner companies to contribute to complete the system. “It took just one phone call to each partner,” says Wildfoerster. “Once I explained what we were doing, everyone wanted to help.” LG Electronics, Velodyne, Triad and Marshall Furniture each contributed to this life changing gift. Jose Rodriguez of Dal-Media and Kevin Busza of ICD Systems donated their time and talents for the system installation and programming.

For more information, visit www.crestron.com.

CEA-CNET: Consumer Confidence Up Slightly in November

Consumer confidence in the overall economy increased slightly in November following a record low October level, according to figures released today by the Consumer Electronics Association and CNET. The CEA-CNET Indexes also showed consumers are slightly more likely to spend on CE and technology products.

The CEA-CNET Index of Consumer Expectations (ICE) reached 170.0 in November, an increase of 6.3 points from last month. The ICE, which measures consumers’ confidence in the overall economy, reached the 170 mark for only the second time since February but remains below the level reached last November. 

“Consumers are feeling slightly more confident that the economy will improve in the months ahead, although much uncertainty remains,” says Shawn DuBravac, CEA’s Economist. “The additional stimulus from gas prices moving back down nearly two dollars a gallon and a new administration set to take office has consumers more positive about the direction of the economy over the next 12 months. Holding back consumer confidence, however, is concern over the employment outlook as consumers continue to worry about jobs.”

Consumer confidence in CE and technology also climbed in November. The CEA-CNET Index of Consumer Technology Expectations (ICTE), which measures consumers’ confidence in consumer electronics and technology, rose 11 percent, reaching 84.2, the third highest month since December 2007. Although the ICTE increased eight points in November, it is still about five points lower than this time last year. 

For more information, visit www.ceacnetindexes.org.

Retailers Ask, How Black Will it Be?

Conflicting Consumer Spending Reports Make One Thing Certain -- CE Retailers Are Uneasy About The Coming Black Friday And What It Foretells For The Rest Of The Season

In three days, the most anticipated shopping day of the year will once again be upon us; and while CE retailers are eagerly anticipating the holiday, few are approaching this holiday season with anything other than trepidation given the current economic climate.

Unfortunately, many analysts and industry insiders are having similar fears, and this week's annual ritual of consumer spending predictions for Black Friday and beyond are painting a picture of confusion and conflict that provide no clear signs of relieft for already-weary retailers.

First up is The NPD Group, which reports that consumers plan to cut back this holiday season on consumer technology purchases. While the firm's annual Consumer Technology Holiday Snapshot Report, reveals that flat-panel TVs, desktop and notebook PCs, MP3 players, digital cameras, GPS devices and digital picture frames are once-again topping holiday wish lists, about one-quarter to one-third are putting off their big-ticket buys. Of the 23 percent of consumers who were considering buying a flat-panel TV (40”+), 33 percent said because of the economy now they definitely are not going to buy one. DSLRs were on the shopping lists of about 12 percent of consumers, but now 25 percent of that group said they probably won’t go ahead with purchasing a higher-end camera.

“The extraordinary economic turmoil we have seen will have a tremendous impact this season as consumers have said that they will probably or definitely hold off on products that have grossed the highest revenue over the last several holiday seasons,” says Ross Rubin, Director of Industry Analysis at NPD. “To take the best advantage of the consumers who still plan to buy these products, retailers will need to consider where consumers are cutting back on features and where they are switching bands or simply skimming on accessories.”

From ABI Research the news is a bit more encouraging. Their recent survey of 1600 households has shown that not all consumers intend to cut back on spending, and some are even thinking of spending more than last year.

“ABI Research is anticipating that all consumer electronics manufacturers and retailers are right to expect difficult times ahead,” says Research Director Michael Wolf. “But we also believe that there are certain segments that will fare better than others, including digital TVs and video game software.”

While 47 percent of respondents plan to decrease spending during the 2008 end-of-year holidays, a surprising 40 percent expect to spend about the same as usual, and 13 percent – mostly younger consumers – actually foresee a spending increase.

Wolf continues, “One surprising result was that 18 percent indicated that they were planning on purchasing an HDTV this holiday season, a relatively big-ticket item when compared to the other products we asked about. This result is likely due to a couple of factors, one being that many consumers are likely gearing up for the digital TV transition in February, 2009. Another perhaps more important factor is that overall HDTV prices have continued to plunge.”

Whether consumers plan on bucking the sagging economic trends or keeping their wallets closed this holiday shopping season still remains to be seen. But Black Friday is only a few days away...

Geek Squad Pulls Back the Curtain on Software Tools

Dissatisfied with existing resources, Geek Squad has developed two new diagnostic and malware tools to help customers combat and repair technology problems.

The Geek Squad has filed patents to cover the aptly titled Ludicrously Automated Spyware Eradication Resource (LASER™) and Facilitates Accuracy, Consistency and Efficiency (FACE™) tools. Both were developed by the Geek Squad Technical Tools Team to help diagnose hardware problems, and to detect and remove malware on Windows PC platforms. Now used by Geek Squad Agents in service to civilians worldwide, LASER and FACE help ensure accuracy in malware detection and eradication.

“We treat millions of people a year who suffer from computer breakdowns, and a growing number of these crashes are due to the ugly consequences of a bad case of malware,” says Michael Sherwood, lead architect of the Geek Squad Technical Tools Team. “When our agents couldn’t find a solution we liked, we went to our basement lab and built a few of our own.”

LASER and FACE are components of the Geek Squad MRI, a master computer repair toolkit created for – and used exclusively by – Geek Squad. With the MRI, Agents set up and customize the applications on new computers, as well as repair computers that suffer from problems such as excess icons, runtime slowdown, and virus and malware infestations.

“We believe we have the most advanced computer repair toolkit in the industry,” says Sherwood. “LASER and FACE are great new weapons in the fight against computer problems. Of course, as more threats develop, we’ll keep coding, and we expect this is only the beginning.”

For more information, visit www.geeksquad.com.

Sharp Brings AQUOS Advantage Program to Mid-Size Models

Sharp Electronics has expanded the AQUOS Advantage program, bringing best-in-class support to customers who own or purchase 37- and 32-inch screen class (37” and 31 35/64” diagonal respectively) AQUOS LCD TVs. Previously, the customer service program was only available to consumers with 42-inch class (42 1/64” diagonal) or larger AQUOS LCD TVs. This free program is already delivering an enhanced experience to its more than 140,000 members, but beginning this month, mid-size screen AQUOS owners will be provided expanded customer support, priority repair services and a personalized homepage with comprehensive information about their AQUOS product.

“We’ve received tremendous response and positive feedback for the AQUOS Advantage program, and have found that our customers truly appreciate the premium level of customer service,” says Charles Schaefer, Senior Vice President, Services and Solutions Group, Sharp Electronics Corporation. “We decided to expand the program to include consumers that own screen sizes in the mid range, bringing the ultimate consumer experience to a wider base of our customers.”

Sharp created the AQUOS Advantage program after extensive research with consumers across the country revealed that service offerings and premium service levels are what customers value most throughout the product ownership lifecycle.

New and existing customers can activate their membership by registering online at www.aquosadvantage.com. In addition, AQUOS Advantage members who purchase popular Sharp AQUOS Blu-ray DVD players can also receive this enhanced customer service for those products.

For more information, visit www.sharpusa.com.

Audio Authority Adds HDMI Cat 5e/6 Extender

Audio Authority Corporation, a leading provider of Cat 5 extension solutions for custom integration, announces the release of the new Model EDP-11 HDMI version 1.3 Cat 5 Extender System. The EDP-11 is a cost effective (MSRP $200.00) integrator-friendly solution that maintains pixel-perfect image quality over Cat 6 runs of up to 195 feet, and Cat 5e runs of up to 135 feet. Complaint with HDMI version 1.3, the extender supports 1080p video, lossless bitstream audio, and 12-bit per channel Deep Color.

Key Features of the EDP-11, include:

• Supports 1080p/60, 1080p/24, 1080i, 720p, 480i, and many computer resolutions
• HDMI version 1.3 compliant, HDCP 1.1 compliant
• Uses 2 Cat 5e/6 cables for signal transmission
• Maximum extension distance using Cat 5e: 115 ft. (1080p) or 130 ft. (1080i)
• Maximum extension distance using Cat 6: 145 ft. (1080p) or 195 ft. (1080i)
• Single power supply – no external power required at receiver unit
• White Decora-style trim plates included

“EDP-11 was designed to provide custom integrators a no-compromise, reliable HDMI extender, supporting all the key HDMI 1.3 features,” says Trent Davis, Audio Authority’s product manager. “The price point is exceptionally attractive, and includes a strong profit margin for the integrator.  The system has installation-friendly features like a receiver unit that requires no external power, and a wallplate form factor that fits into a home’s decor.”

The EDP-11 is available now for $200 MSRP. Discounts are available to authorized dealers and resellers. For more information, visit www.audioauthority.com.

hhgregg Launches Gaming Business Across Chain

Indianapolis-based appliance and electronics retailer, hhgregg (NYSE:HGG) today announced its entrance into the gaming business. The retailer will be selling video game bundles with popular games and various other accessories in each of its 109 locations across its nine-state network, beginning on Black Friday.

“As hhgregg continues its disciplined growth, we are committed to continually assessing our product offerings to best meet the needs of our customers,” says hhgregg Chairman and CEO, Jerry Throgmartin. “We are pleased to now offer our loyal patrons some of the most popular merchandise in the gaming market today. hhgregg will provide our customers with a convenient, one-stop gaming solution, packaging gaming consoles with its respective games, controllers and other accessories. This customer-friendly gaming package will make a great gift for the upcoming holiday season.”

hhgregg’s initial assortment of gaming inventory will include Microsoft Xbox 360 Arcade, Xbox 360 Pro, Sony PS3 and Nintendo Wii. In addition, hhgregg will offer top gaming accessories for these platforms, including “Guitar Hero” and Wii accessories. The company will also be carrying handheld gaming devices, such as Nintendo DS and Sony PSP.

hhgregg will be conducting its industry-leading training program with its sales staff to ensure they are properly educated on all gaming products. Renowned for its experienced sales teams, hhgregg associates undergo a rigorous training process to help the customer make the most informed purchase decision possible.

MERA Executive Director Jim Montoya Has Died

The Mobile Enhancement Retailers Association (MERA) announced the death of Jim Montoya, the association's Executive Director. Montoya died in his home on Friday. He was 64.

Montoya joined MERA in March of this year. "Although he was MERA’s executive director for a short time, his enthusiasm, professionalism, innovative spirit and gentle humor will be missed by everyone who knew him. He was committed to the future of the Automotive Electronics Specialist and to MERA’s membership," the company said.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Elizabeth United Methodist Church (Pike Street, Elizabeth, WV 26143, 304-275-8960) or Boy Scouts of America, Allohak Council #618 (1340 Julian Street, Parkersburg, WV 26101, 800-654-5272).

 The MERA office will be closed on Tuesday, in memory of Montoya.