According to a new report from DigiTimes today, Apple has been trying to buy OLED panels from Samsung and LG, and have not met with much success. Both companies debuted remarkable new OLED and AMOLED based HDTVs at this year’s CES conference. Though it may be disappointing to Apple, it’s not all that surprising that they wouldn’t be eager to share. Apple’s iTV has been generating massive amounts of buzz despite still being little more than a rumor. If Apple really is working on it, as seems likely, it would be a major competitor to Samsung’s and LG’s newest and best products. It stands to reason that they would want to keep the core technology of those products under wraps, at least for a little while.

While rumors of a release date for an iTV have been vague at best, many have suggested that the device would launch in the second half of 2012. If Apple is indeed having difficulty securing display panels, that could be a significant setback that could push any release date into 2013 or later.

The survey revealed that 8% of customers want to buy a new television before the Super Bowl. Surprisingly, of those who bought a new TV last year for the game, over half of them plan on buying an even newer television for this year.

It seems a bigger and better picture quality trumps the actual live game; why chance sitting in the nose bleed section when you can almost be on the field with a high-def TV set? 25% of those surveyed said the size of their TV depended on how pleasurable their viewing experiences would be. According to consumers, high resolution is the most important factor when purchasing a new TV; sound quality even came in second to picture quality. According to Jeff Haynes:

“Bigger is better. The reason people are spending more is they are upgrading the size of their television. Consumers have moved from wanting televisions around 42 inches to now buying 46 inches to 55 inches, the TV has become the center piece of the American family room and the difference in just a few more inches is noticeable.”

As online shopping gains momentum, in-store television buying is on the decline. The survey say 67% of people planning to buy a tv before the big game, plan on purchasing theirs online rather than the old fashioned store.

According to a new infographic from NM Incite and Oxford Communications, mRoby wasn’t the only company whose plan to bring in a big name backfired (Bieber was reportedly paid $100,000 for his appearance). While the celebrities who put in appearances at CES generated a lot of buzz, almost all of it was about the celebrities themselves. Of all the tweets mentioning celebrities at CES, a paltry 15% included any reference to the brand or product they were there to promote.

The infographic also includes some other interesting tidbits about CES. Apparently Samsung was the most talked-about brand, while tablets were the most talked-about products (followed by smart phones and TVs). Check out the full infographic below and let us know what you think in the comments.

There has been no shortage of amazing things on display at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. The unofficial themes of the show this year have been TVs and thinner gadgets. Some of the biggest buzz, though, has come from Samsung’s new 55-inch Super OLED. This remarkable HDTV is made with OLED pixels, each of which emits its own light and consists of RGB subpixels, promising a sharper image than has been possible with previous HDTVs.

In addition to the positive buzz it has generated, the new TV has garnered a slew of awards. According to a Samsung press release the accolades include Popular Science’s Best of CES 2012: Products of the Future award, G4 TV’s Best of the Best Products, Stuff Magazine’s CES Hot Stuff Award, and CES’s own Best of CES Innovations 2012 in the Video Displays category.

Samsung showed off the TV at their press conference and made highlights available on YouTube. Check out the video embedded below and let us know what you think in the comments.

[Source: Samsung Press Release] ]]> http://www.webpronews.com/ces-2012-samsung-oled-awards-2012-01/feed 1 http://www.webpronews.com/ces-2012-atlona-linkcast-2012-01 http://www.webpronews.com/ces-2012-atlona-linkcast-2012-01#comments Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:27:44 +0000 Shaylin Clark http://www.webpronews.com/?p=88699 Atlona, a company that specializes in digital connectivity technology, announced their new LinkCast system today at CES. The system, which has won an Innovations Design and Engineering Award, transmits HD video signal wirelessly and seamlessly from a variety of devices to users’ HDTV. The basic system consists of a base station that connects to the TV’s HDMI port, and a System Expander that connects to the HDMI port of an outgoing device – game console, Blu-ray player, tablet, PC, etc.

The LinkCast system promises to radically simplify the experience of connecting devices to TVs, and to eliminate the bundles of cords sticking out of the back of so many of our entertainment systems. The video signal is transmitted in resolutions up to 1080p with latency of less than a millisecond. The LinkCast system will be available in February. The basic system – Base Station and System Expander – costs $299.99. Additional System Expanders will sell for $119.

Geekbeat.tv caught up with Atlona at CES and got a demonstration of the system. Check out the video below and let us know what you think in the comments.

[Source: Atlona Press Release]

Meanwhile, there are products from Samsung, Sony, Vizio, and more still in the pipeline. Last week Google made an announcement about the new partnerships, and published a video showcasing some of the new features coming to a Google TV near you. Check out the video below, and let us know what you think in the comments.

Retrovo’s data reflects this in a number of ways. First is TV selling price. While certain “name brands” like Sony or Samsung used to command a significantly higher price than “off brands” like Vizio, that is no longer the case. This study shows that the selling price for Sony’s TVs is now roughly comparable to Vizio’s:

Second, and perhaps more telling, is user ratings. The study compares user ratings across major HDTV brands, and finds very little difference. While Samsung is the closest thing to a clear leader the data shows, Samsung TVs are only rated 3% higher than Vizio and LG, which are tied for second place. The lowest rated brand is Sony, but Sony TVs are only rated 2% lower than the next lowest brand, Panasonic, and only 6% lower than the “leader,” Samsung.

More and more, the study says, TV makers are turning to connectivity as a way to differentiate their products. Nearly half of all TVs above 37 inches included internet connectivity of some kind – usually to video services like Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon instant video, or audio services like Pandora. This, however, may not be enough according to the study. As the focus on internet connectivity in the TV market intensifies, the study predicts that software makers like Google, Apple, and Microsoft are well positioned to become major players in the television market. The study specifically cites recent rumors of Apple’s iTV, which may or may not be headed for a late 2012 release. With software makers treating the HDTV the way they’ve been treating the mobile phone – as a platform for software development – they stand to revolutionize the HDTV industry, and leave more traditional TVs in the dust.

What do you think? Are we on the brink of a TV revolution? Sound off in the comments.

[Source: Retrovo Blog]

Last year, during the Rose Bowl half-time break, Vizio ran what appeared to be a run-of-the-mill commercial for their products. Then, at the 16-second mark in a 30-second spot, Vizio Chief Sales Officer Randy Waynick was shown nonchalantly holding what would turn out to be Vizio’s then-unannounced 8-inch tablet. He never mentioned it or alluded to it other than to glance down at it.

This year, during a similar 30-second Rose Bowl spot, Vizio Chief of Technology Matt McCrae delivered a similar generic product message. But, barely three seconds of another unmentioned product stood out. Could this sleek thing of beauty be Vizio’s newest pride and joy?

2012 Rose Bowl Ad

2011 Rose Bowl Ad

If Vizio is ready to launch that set, we’ll likely hear about it at the Consumer Electronics Show this month.

Vizio has a history of competitively pricing their HDTVs in comparison with other manufacturers. Their Rose Bowl ads tout affordability for everyone.

Vizio has a four-year contract for sponsorship of the annual Rose Bowl. Time will tell if they continue to use their spots in half-time to “sneak peek” new products.

According to Peter Misek, analyst over at Jeffries, Sharp is in the midst of retooling their production line at its Sakai factory in order to manufacture a modified amorphous TFT LCD panel that will be used in the oft-rumored iTV. AllThingsD states that if all goes as planned, the iTV could be ready for production in early 2012 with a consumer release sometime during the middle of the year.

“Based on our discussions, interestingly other TV manufacturers have begun a scrambling search to identify what iTV will be and do … They hope to avoid the fate of other industries and manufacturers who were caught flat footed by Apple”, says Misek.

It’ll be interesting to see if Apple does release a television anytime soon. If they do, other manufactures will have to put in some extra hours to compete, as we’re sure that Apple will revolutionize the platform in some way. Misek even states: “Mainstream TV manufacturers are likely to be at least 6 to 12 months behind in a best-case scenario.”

Do you think Apple will release a television sometime next year? Tell us your thoughts below.

Would you purchase an Apple TV? Let us know.

AppleInsider reports that Brian White, of Ticonderoga Securities, was in attendance for the China electronics trade show this week, and while there he saw a note to investors. In the note he noticed “data points” which points toward a “Smart TV” launch by Apple.

White also went on to say, “our research suggests this Smart TV would go well beyond the miniature $99 second-generation Apple TV that the company released last fall and provide a full-blown TV product for consumers … The combination of Apple’s powerful ecosystem, industrial design savvy, powerful brand and ability to reinvent product categories could make Apple a powerful force in the TV world over the next few years.”

Back in January, Apple stated that they had invested $3.9 billion of their cash reserves for securing key components for various devices. Many speculated that the money was being spent on the Apple moneymakers: iPod, iPhone and iPad. It now looks like some of that money could’ve been spent readying the company for an HDTV launch.

According to MacRumors, Apple executives have said in the past that the company has no interest in the television industry. They were leery of the slim profit margins, and the overly-crowded field.

If Apple does enter the HDTV market, how many buttons do you think the remote will have?