Some interesting stats on Internet-Enabled TVs from a new iSuppli survey published on July 28 has shown that Connected TV sets with built-in Internet capability — will amount to 27.7 million units in 2010 while 3-D set shipments will total only 4.2 million this year. While 3-D television shipments are set to soar in the coming years, iSuppli’s forecast shows the biggest near-term growth story is in Connected TVs.“Despite aggressive promotions from the industry and intense consumer interest generated by the blockbuster Avatar and other titles, the 3-D TV market in 2010 will be limited to a small pool of enthusiastic early adopters,” said Riddhi Patel, director and principal analyst for television systems at iSuppli. “In contrast, IETV is entering the mainstream in 2010. This is because 3-D is still dealing with a number of barriers, including cost, content availability and interoperability, while IETV provides immediate benefits by allowing TV viewers to access a range of content readily available on the Internet.”With connected TVs, Patel noted, viewers can connect to the Internet at all times by using their TV’s built-in feature, bypassing the need for a bridge device such as a set-top box, game console or Internet media adapter like Apple Inc.’s TV console. Such connectivity allows viewers to access content from a wide spectrum of providers—ranging from movie peddlers like Netflix and Amazon, to content aggregators such as Hulu, to social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
At the same time, TV brands and manufacturers are working aggressively to create partnerships with the content providers in order to keep consumers interested and happy with continually updated material, Patel added.
“The arrival of Internet-enabled TV models is part of the ongoing evolution and enhancement of TV sets,” Patel said. “Because innovation is a must in order to drive consumer adoption and replacement, the TV industry has embarked on a path of enhancing the consumer experience through interaction with their TV sets.”
Among regions, North America and Western Europe will make up the largest consumption market for IETVs from 2010 to 2014. Japan will lay claim as the third largest market only until 2012, after which it will drop to fifth place, ranking behind both China and the collective area designated as Rest of Asia-Pacific—two distinct territories counted separately in the tallies.
Semiconductor Grows Because of Connected TV
From a semiconductor perspective, connected TVs will represent a strong growth opportunity for a number of component types in the TV semiconductor space, including multi-format decoders, DRAM and interface Integrated Circuits (IC), according to Randy Lawson, principal analyst, display electronics, for iSuppli.
Combined revenue from sales of these semiconductors will rise to more than $2 billion by 2014, up from just $222 million in 2009, iSuppli figures show.
The increased semiconductor content will be needed to support various complex IETV features, including network interface capability via Ethernet to link the television to the Internet—through either a wired connection or wirelessly—Bluetooth solutions for advanced remote controls and greater video graphics support.
Collectively, the new features and capabilities needed by connected TVs will provide the TV semiconductor market with a much-needed lift in the general outlook affecting the core audio-visual processing and interface IC solutions, according to iSuppli. The prospect is encouraging, given that the general trend of integration and cost-reduction pressure has slowed growth of the market in this space in recent years.
Overall, connected TVs will represent the second-best growth area for the TV semiconductor market, next only to LED backlighting.
North Bridge Venture Partners and DFJ Gotham Ventures are among PHILO's institutional investors. North Bridge's Dayna Grayson, who joined PHILO's Board of Directors, noted, "We have spent a lot of time in the digital media space and are big believers in the future of social and interactive television. We are extremely excited to support PHILO in exploiting this burgeoning opportunity." In addition to the institutional investors, several others contributed to the financing including ENIAC Ventures and Studio Lambert CEO, Stephen Lambert, one of the most prolific worldwide television format executive producers/creators whose credits include the award-winning "Wife Swap," "Faking It," "Secret Millionaire" and, most recently, "Undercover Boss."
"We are honored to be supported by such an established and well-regarded group of institutional and angel investors," stated David Levy, Co-Founder and CEO of PHILO. Levy added, "We launched PHILO to the public just over a month ago and already the response from users and media companies has been outstanding. PHILO changes the way people approach, watch, and interact with television. The possibilities for real time social interaction, content discovery, and promotional opportunities are nearly limitless."
The new PHILO iPhone and iPod Touch app features a number of enhancements, which are also reflected in the all-new PHILO Web app. For example:
Whether it's a sporting event, a reality show, a prime time soap or the latest episode of a beloved sci-fi hit, PHILO turns every episode of every television series into an instantaneous group version of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" for users and their friends. The result is an even more engaging version of television as we know it. Built into PHILO is a series of fun interactive games as well as prizes that users can unlock as they meet up with friends and check in to more television shows.
PHILO is available in the App Store here, and the download is free.
The UK's Digital TV Group, the industry association for digital television in the UK, has nixed the possibility of the combining of the UK Connected TV specifications and those of the Franco-German HbbTV.He said: “There’s a very tight timeline and we’re working very closely, not just with Canvas, but we’ve had requirements through from Virgin, Lovefilm and Sky and we’re evaluating those at the moment. The idea is to ensure that at least the base layer of the specification, and therefore the specification of the overall platform meets those various players’ requirements.”
The UK Guardian has revealed that Ofcom's former chief policy partner Kip Meek is pegged to head Project Canvas and it's thought that all partners are in agreement over the appointment of Mr Meek except for ITV chairman Archie Norman, who one source has suggested still needs "some convincing".Meet's appointment comes just a month after the BBC approved the BBC's involvement in the venture. It's said that he will step down from his full-time role at Ingenious Media and his non-executive positions at the Broadband Stakeholder Group and Phorm.
Project Canvas, which is a collaboration between the BBC, ITV PLC (ITV.LN), BT Group PLC (BT.A.LN), Channel 4, TalkTalk Telecom Group PLC (TALK.LN) and Arqiva Ltd., is expected to launch early next year. Add a comment Add a comment
According to the latest DisplaySearch Quarterly TV Design and Features Report, internet connectivity has emerged as a key feature in TVs this year and the TV market is entering a new phase, as connected TVs hit the mainstream. The report, which surveyed 2010 product ranges from leading brands, notes that 55% of TV models available across Japan, North America, Europe, China and India have Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) capability. Overall, this is expected to translate to over 45 million connected TV sets, 19% of flat panel TV shipments in 2010. DisplaySearch forecasts the connected segment to reach 119 million units in 2014, accounting for 42% of all TVs shipped worldwide.
“We have seen DLNA as a solution in search of a problem for a long while, but with the surge in media streaming, the technology has found its place—creating business opportunities for TV set makers, broadcasters and retailers,” said Paul Gray, Director of TV Electronics Research. “The internet video battleground will take place in the living room, with all facets of the TV supply chain trying to stake claims. As a result, the competition is creating attractive new viewing choices for consumers, which underpins the value of the TV’s network connection.”
Source: Quarterly TV Design and Features Report
DisplaySearch research also covers the progress made in the development of energy efficient TVs, as well as enabling technologies such as LED backlights, which are forecast to be in over 80% of LCD TVs shipped in 2014. The report also provides an analysis of the latest energy regulations. “The 2013 California Energy Commission standard was seen as ambitious even last year; but some sets use only half the power necessary for compliance, a direct result of the shift in technology and increased design focus on energy,” Gray noted.
The DisplaySearch Quarterly TV Design and Features Report is a quarterly update of the issues and rapid shifts in feature development in TV sets. The 200+ page report examines and forecasts video processor and signal processing IC market development including 120/100 and 200/240 Hz frame rates and market shares for major IC vendors. In addition, the report also features forecasting for MPEG-4 decoding and the digital broadcast environment around the world; TV connectivity, such as wired and wireless networked TVs; LED backlighting; 3D capability and implementation; remote controls and chassis design; and power consumption.
In Q2’10 the report also includes details of key featuring of new 3D models launched by leading setmakers. The Quarterly TV Design and Features Report is the only report to combine all these aspects of a fast-moving market and examine how they interact, and is complete with a database of TV set featuring for over 200 models in low, mid and high positions in major regional markets. For more information please contact Charles Camaroto at 1.888.436.7673 or 1.526.625.2452, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or contact your regional DisplaySearch office in China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.
Learn more about connected TVs at the TV Ecosystems Conference: Managing the Innovation Cycle is part of the DisplaySearch August Conference Series, taking place on August 18 in San Jose, California. Confirmed speakers include Sony Electronics, Xpand Cinema, Philips Lumileds, Corning, Panasonic, Rovi, Sonic, the Natural Resources Defense Council and more. To view the latest agenda and register for the conference, visit www.displaysearch.com/tvecosystem Add a comment Add a comment
Press Release: 23rd July 2010 from Trust concludes Public Value Test not required for mobile appsThe BBC Trust has concluded that plans to launch dedicated BBC smartphone applications (Apps), for BBC News, Sport and iPlayer, do not require further scrutiny through a Public Value Test (PVT).
The decision follows an assessment of the proposals, including the commissioning of independent research into the Apps market. The Trust decided to carry out an assessment of the plans following representations received from the industry earlier this year.
The Trust's assessment looked at the BBC's plans in four areas: the potential impact of the proposed Apps, the financial implications, whether Apps would involve the BBC in a new area of untested activity, and the duration of the proposed Apps.
Trustees concluded:
On impact, that BBC Apps were likely have a positive impact on users by providing easier access to online content, but would not provide any new content. In response to industry concerns, the Trust also considered that that there would be some overlap between the BBC Apps and free Apps, but that impacts may not necessarily be large; particularly as BBC content was currently available to mobile users through their phone's web browser, that a wide range of high-quality free Apps are already available and that users may choose to access a range of Apps and online content. The degree of overlap with premium or paid Apps was also expected to be lower.
On financial implications, that these were low and not significant. The estimated cost of developing Apps is less than 1% of the current BBC Online budget – substantially less than the 10% threshold at which specific Trust approval and a change to the BBC Online service licence may be required.
On novelty, that the BBC has previously offered web applications on mobile phones, and the Trust did not consider smartphone Apps to be a new area of activity for the BBC.
On duration, that the proposed Apps would in principle be unlimited once launched, meaning that they would be a permanent addition to output.
Considering these factors together Trustees concluded that the Apps would not represent a significant change to the BBC's existing Public Services and that a Public Value Test is therefore not required. The Trust also expects the BBC to make its Apps available on other operating systems as soon as possible on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms.
BBC Trustee Diane Coyle, who led the review, said:
"The Apps market is rapidly taking off as more people choose to get their news, sport and other online content while they're on the move. The Trust has a duty to represent the interests of licence fee payers, who will increasingly expect to access BBC content in this way, but also to listen to concerns raised by industry. In this case we have concluded that while the Apps market is developing quickly and we will monitor the launch of BBC Apps, a PVT is not required."
The Trust's final decision, and independent research by Mediatique, can be found here.
the first Boxee Boxes will be shipped this November in the US and Canada instead of the forecasted end of Q2."Our vision is to make the Boxee experience on a set top box as good as (and where we can, better than) the one you already know on a PC. The goal is to play HD videos from the web or a local network in 1080p and use hardware acceleration whenever possible. And to provide a TV browser experience that can handle almost everything you throw at it, including Flash 10.1. Not to mention making all this happen for an affordable price and on a quiet device that will not feel obsolete 12 months after you buy it."
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