LED backlights used in 20 percent of LCD TVs sold in US during Q3

EL SEGUNDO, USA: One out of every five liquid-crystal display televisions (LCD TV) sold in the United States during the third quarter used light-emitting diode (LED) backlighting, a dramatic increase from the same period in 2009, as availability of sets equipped with the technology soared, according to the market research firm iSuppli, now part of IHS Inc.

LED-backlit LCD TVs accounted for 19.6 percent of TV purchases in the third quarter, up from 17.9 percent the previous quarter and from 4 percent during the third quarter of 2009, an iSuppli survey of U.S. consumers has revealed.

“On the demand side, consumers are attracted to LED-backlit LCD TVs by attributes including their thinner form factors, improved picture quality, better color saturation, power savings and other green attributes,” said Riddhi Patel, director and principal analyst for television systems at iSuppli.

“On the supply side, television and panel makers are investing in technology and offering a plethora of products to take advantage of LED-backlit LCD TVs, including product differentiation, innovation, low power consumption and the potential to reap the benefits of higher revenue.”

The majority of US consumers in the third quarter continued to buy older non-LED-type LCD TVs — also known as cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL)-backlit sets. The share of the overall US television market for CCFL LCDs rose to 65.3 percent, up from 64.6 percent in the second quarter, with the increase coming at the expense of other display technologies, including plasma, rear projection and cathode ray tube.

The 1.7 percentage point expansion in the share of LED-backlit LCD TVs was more than double the rate of increase seen for CCFL-type LCD TVs, iSuppli data show.

For the other technologies, plasma purchases accounted for 13.5 percent of the US TV market in the third quarter, down from 14.2 percent during the second quarter. Both rear-projection TVs and tube-type cathode ray tube (CRT) televisions continued on a trajectory of irreversible decline, down to 0.9 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively.

The figure presents iSuppli’s data on US TV consumer purchases from the first quarter of 2009 to the third quarter of 2010.Source: iSuppli, USA.

Consumer interest was also on the rise for Internet-enabled television (IETV). In the third quarter, among consumers who said they connected their televisions to the Internet, almost 50 percent bought sets with the option for built-in Internet connectivity, compared to those who accessed the Internet through other means, such as a game console, an Internet-enabled Blu-ray player, a PC or laptop, or a digital video box.

Among the key applications for IETV, the most popular were YouTube, for watching personal videos; and Netflix, with its Instant Watch feature that allows direct streaming of movie and video content.

The favorite LCD TV size was in the 40- to 49-inch range, accounting for 44.8 percent of all purchases during the period. The 32-inch continued to be popular for use in secondary bedrooms, evident in the 23.2 percent share of consumers buying TVs in the 30- to 39-inch sizes. Among those who bought plasma televisions, the 42-inch was the preferred size.

The share of 3-D TVs among overall purchases was negligible, barely registering a blip. Nonetheless, of the 3-D TVs that were purchased, most were bought in the 50-inch-and-larger sizes by higher-income groups.

“Picture quality was rated as the most important criterion when buying a television, trumping even the presence of advanced technologies like LED backlights or Internet connectivity,” Patel said.

“Next to picture quality, price and screen size followed in significance. On the other hand, brand name is losing its once-powerful allure and is now less influential in the decision-making process, because front-of-screen performance among different brands in store environments is perceived to be similar by consumers. Consumers today buy what they believe to offer the best picture quality, and brands able to demonstrate superior front-of-screen performance in stores tended to win over the customer.”

Among brands, Vizio dominated at Walmart and club stores across the country, while Samsung led in other retail areas.

The results of the quarter are taken from iSuppli’s US TV Consumer Preferences survey, which polls more than 2,200 US households randomly each quarter from a continually refreshed pool of more than two million, to find out what people buy, where they buy their televisions, what they pay, and why they bought a particular set.

Source: iSuppli, USA.

What’s NOT going to happen in technology markets in 2011

NEW YORK, USA: For the sixth consecutive year, ABI Research puts a different twist on the traditional December activity of surveying the year just past and speculating about what the new one will bring, with a white paper titled "What’s Not Going to Happen in 2011." The paper is available for free download from the company's website.

As 2010 winds down, we seem to be receiving conflicting messages. Economic recovery is slow, but corporate profits are up. Budgets are tight, yet innovative companies continue to rewrite the rule-books. So it’s a bold pundit who will make definitive statements about what is going to happen even in the short-term. That doesn’t stop many from trying though, often with hilarious results.

Slightly easier is discerning the developments that are unlikely to take place in the coming year. So nearly two dozen of ABI Research’s experts have put their heads together to debunk some of the most-hyped predictions about what will happen in tech-related industries around the world.

They cover a vast range of topics including mobile devices and applications, femtocells, mobile commerce, home entertainment, 4G, Wi-Fi, telematics and location-based services, mobile networks and mobile Internet devices, home networking, automotive technologies, RFID and NFC, and much more.

Will mobile advertising hit critical mass in 2011? Will we all be gaming in The Cloud?

Will cars drive themselves? Will Google TV survive?

Will the iPad’s market position erode? Will TD-LTE kill WiMAX?

With its mix of expert opinion, critical assessments and wry humor, "What’s NOT Going to Happen in 2011" makes for a lively and informative read.

New Silicon Image ViaPort technology enhances DTV connectivity

2011 International CES, SUNNYVALE, USA: Silicon Image, a leader in advanced, interoperable HD connectivity solutions for consumer electronics, announced its innovative ViaPort technology for DTV connectivity, improving DTV performance, usability, and consumer satisfaction in home theater applications.

Silicon Image ViaPort technology adds an HDMI output with integrated HDCP repeater support to the DTV, allowing the user to add an HDMI sound bar or Audio Video Receiver (AVR) downstream from the DTV in a simplified manner.

The resulting HDMI output from the DTV to the external audio device enables the highest-quality surround sound, full Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) functionality, and access to the latest DTV technology features delivered through Silicon Image port processors.

Connecting current-generation DTVs to external audio equipment presents a number of usability and performance issues for the typical home theater user due to an existing topology that places the AVR between source devices, such as Blu-ray Disc players, and the DTV.

Depending on the configuration, consumers may experience excessively complicated system set-up and use, degraded audio and video performance, or both. In addition, many top-line TV features such as MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) connectivity and HDMI Specification Version 1.4 innovations such as 4k display resolution, 3D, Audio Return Channel, and HDMI Ethernet Channel, may be unusable with an older AVR.

Meanwhile, AVRs and sound bars remain a valuable part of the home entertainment system, providing the high quality audio that DTVs are now too thin to effectively provide.

As an additional advantage, Silicon Image ViaPort technology enables better and more consistent merchandising of DTVs in a retail environment. Multiple DTVs can be daisy-chained to each other, all connected to a single source device, such as a Blu-ray player. This eliminates the need for signal splitters and distribution boxes, and ensures identical presentation of digital content across all of the daisy-chained DTVs. Up to eight devices can be connected in this way when HDCP-protected content is displayed, or many more devices in a non-HDCP environment.

"Silicon Image ViaPort technology underscores our continued commitment to deliver ground-breaking innovations for DTV and home theater applications,” said Alex Chervet, senior director of product marketing at Silicon Image Inc.

"Silicon Image ViaPort technology returns the TV to its logical position as the center of home entertainment and ensures that, regardless of the placement, configuration, or HDMI capabilities of external audio equipment, best-quality audio and top-tier DTV features are delivered consistently, both in the home and in retail display environments.”

Starting in early 2011, Silicon Image ViaPort technology will be incorporated into the company’s industry-proven line-up of HDMI port processors, which are platforms for innovation that add the latest connectivity and performance features to DTVs.

Silicon Image ViaPort technology will be demonstrated January 6-8, 2011 at the 2011 International CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas, USA.

Inview, Trident Microsystems bring innovative digital TV platform

LONDON, ENGLAND: Inview Technology is working with Trident Microsystems Inc. to facilitate the launch of a fully IP-connected platform, Neelix, across millions of TV’s and set-top boxes globally.

Trident, a leading force in the digital home entertainment market, is a market leader in innovative semiconductor solutions for digital televisions and set top boxes. A pioneer in the consumer electronics marketplace for the past 20 years, Trident understands the rapidly evolving consumer marketplace and the value of being first to market with exciting solutions.

Neelix incorporates a fully integrated EPG, media browser and personal schedule tool. A recommendation engine searches out broadcast and internet content that is relevant to individual user viewing profiles. It also boasts a range of TV applications that provide easy access to internet content including video streaming, instant messaging, news and weather reports and online radio without having to use a browser or search engines -- all with no added cost at the point of manufacture.

Tektronix announces new addition to PCIe 3.0 test solution

BANGALORE, INDIA: Tektronix Inc. has announced a new addition to the industry’s most comprehensive solution for PCI Express 3.0.

The new offering provides physical layer transmitter (Tx) verification, debug, characterization and compliance testing using Tektronix DPO/DSA/MSO70000 Series oscilloscopes . With this release, Tektronix now offers the broadest and most complete set of physical and protocol layer measurement capabilities for PCI Express.

The PCIe 3.0 architecture provides a low-cost, high-performance I/O technology that includes a new 128b/130b encoding scheme and a data rate of 8 GT/s, doubling the interconnect bandwidth over PCIe 2.0. Based on the same board material (FR4) and connectors as previous generations, PCIe 3.0 represents a far more difficult test challenge with smaller margins and new jitter measurements required to account for increased signal loss in the channel.

The new Tektronix PCIe 3.0 solution (Option PCE3) builds on the success of PCIe Gen 1 and Gen 2 test solutions. Coupled with Serial Data Link Analysis (SDLA) software, it provides a complete solution for verifying transmitter and channel performance of PCIe 3.0 designs and provides support for both the PCIe 3 Base Specification and CEM Specification measurements.

"As the release of the PCIe 3.0 specification nears completion, the hard work of designing, testing and manufacturing silicon and other components that implement the specification is now in full swing," said Jim Pappas, Director of Technology Initiatives for Intel's Data Center Group.

"Due to the complexities of the physical layer within the PCIe 3.0 specification, electrical testing will play a major role to ensure the success and performance of motherboards, adaptor cards and other server-platform components. We value the success of the PCIe 3.0 architecture within the Enterprise market and recognize the contribution Tektronix makes by delivering electrical test solutions which enable the industry."

The electrical testing support provided by the new Option PCE3 solution complements the Tektronix TLA7SA16 and TLA7SA08 Logic Protocol Analyzer modules, bus support software, and probes announced earlier this year that bring PCIe 3.0 logical and protocol testing support to the TLA7000 Series high-performance logic analyzer family.

Hard drives have a happy holiday

EL SEGUNDO, USA: Manufacturers of hard disk drives (HDD) are expected to receive a late-year boost during the holiday season as shipments rally during the fourth quarter, according to market research firm iSuppli, now part of IHS Inc.

The rise in HDD shipments in the fourth quarter will mark the second consecutive period of growth following a decline in the second quarter. HDD shipments will reach an estimated 169.2 million units during the last three months of the year, up 2.2 percent from 165.5 million units in the third quarter. Revenue in the fourth quarter is projected to climb 2.1 percent, equating to $8.9 billion.

“The fourth-quarter increases in HDD shipments and revenue reflect positive developments on several fronts, including the stabilization of prices, strong demand from the enterprise segment and a return to normal inventory levels,” said Fang Zhang, analyst for storage systems at iSuppli.

The expected growth for the fourth quarter represents a smaller increase than in the third quarter, when shipments climbed 3.4 percent and revenue rose 3.1 percent.

Nonetheless, the performance of the second half of 2010 is a major improvement from the first half. Shipments in the second quarter declined 3.0 percent and revenue fell 7.7 percent from the first quarter.

The figure presents iSuppli’s quarterly data on HDD shipments for 2010.Source: iSuppli, USA.

With their place still secure in the industry despite the small advances being made by the rival solid state drive technology, HDDs continue to be the main storage device of choice in both the consumer and enterprise segments.

iSuppli expects HDD prices to remain flat through the remainder of the year as pricing pressure eases in the wake of continued strong demand, especially in the enterprise sector, and as manufacturers maintain tight control of inventory.

HDD rankings hold
Among the HDD suppliers, the rankings are expected to remain unchanged in the fourth quarter, with Western Digital Corp. preserving its leadership position in shipments for what will be the third consecutive quarter. A perennial runner-up in the past, Western Digital seized the top spot earlier this year after reaping the benefits of its lean operating model. The company will continue to try fending off the previous leader Seagate Technology LLC, now ranked second, from regaining the pinnacle.

Western Digital is expected to ship 51.5 million HDD units in the fourth quarter, up 1.7 percent from 50.7 million units in the third quarter. In comparison, Seagate is expected to ship 49.5 million HDDs, up a smaller 0.6 percent from 49.2 million units during the same period.

On the revenue side, the rankings are reversed, as Seagate is predicted to maintain its lead in the fourth quarter with sales of $2.8 billion—up 3.7 percent from $2.7 billion in the third quarter. Western Digital, which sells product in the consumer segment at high volumes but at lower prices, is expected to remain at No. 2 with revenue of $2.4 billion, up a scant 0.2 percent from $2.39 billion in the third quarter.

Hard drive challenges
Both Western Digital and Seagate have had their share of trouble. Seagate experienced some order weakness at the beginning of the third quarter, mainly from the consumer market in the United States and Europe, but then saw orders pick up at the end of the quarter.

Western Digital believes that lower-than-expected demand early in the third quarter brought about high inventory for all HDD manufacturers. And while Western Digital was able to meet its low-end quarterly expectation, the company’s shipment and revenue market share actually declined from the previous quarter.

Rounding out the top five—with their rankings identically replicated across both the shipment and revenue categories—are Hitachi Global Storage Technology in third place, the combined entity of Toshiba/Fujitsu in fourth and Samsung Electronics in fifth.

Given the projections for a busy holiday season and solid enterprise demand, the rest of the year is likely to prove especially beneficial to Seagate and Hitachi. For the enterprise segment in the third quarter, Seagate enjoyed a 65 percent market share, while Hitachi had a 27 percent share.

Western Digital, on the other hand, can take consolation in knowing that pricing will stabilize as the year ends, which should temper the financial losses it suffered from pricing erosion in the third quarter.

Source: iSuppli, USA.