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Two markets going from strength to strength – DE/AT/CH and BENELUX

OVAB Europe’s Digital Signage Business Climate Index (DBCI) has been used to analyse the 2014 DACH and Benelux markets. In DACH, the Index began the year very positively; despite losing some momentum from Q2 onwards, the results were overall in the upper positive section. The DOOH market recorded a very good year, with advertising revenues … Read more

4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Specs are Great but is it too Late?

Victor Matsuda, chairman of the Blu-ray Disc Association, has discussed the upcoming UltraHD Blu-ray standard and what it will offer over streaming video. Because physical media has a much greater bandwidth than most internet connections, UltraHD Blu-ray will reach transfer speeds of up to 108Mbps for 66GB dual-layer discs and 128Mbps for 100GB triple-layer discs … Read more

ZVEI Predicts Low Growth in Germany

Klaus Mittelbach, CEO of Germany’s ZVEI trade association, has predicted that sales of electrical goods in the country will rise 0.5% this year, to almost €174 billion. Results from last year’s sales are still being calculated, but ZVEI is confident that growth will be positive. Sales were up 2.4% YoY between January and November, and sales … Read more

ZTE Sees 94% Jump in 2014 Profit

ZTE reported a 94% increase in net profit for 2014, at CNY2.6 billion ($420 million), thanks mostly to growing sales of smartphones in its overseas markets. Turnover for the year was 8% higher at CNY81.2 billion ($12.9 billion).  The company aims to double smartphone sales to 20 million units in the US market this year and has … Read more

Samsung Drops Qualcomm

‘People with direct knowledge of the matter’, speaking to Bloomberg, have said that Samsung will not use Qualcomm processors in its upcoming Galaxy S6 smartphone. The company will instead use its own microprocessors, after testing revealed that the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chip overheated.  LG, meanwhile, has said that the G Flex 2 will be launched with … Read more

TV Panels Remain Steady and Monitors Fall in January

TV panel prices have remained steady in early January, as global top tier brands are still showing strong demand, DisplaySearch data shows. Samsung and some leading Chinese vendors (with reasonable levels of demand in emerging markets) are still ordering panels to meet Q1’15 forecasts. DisplaySearch says that panel makers currently intend to keep increasing the … Read more

Vehicle Panels to Rise With JDI

To expand vehicle panel module production, Japan Display will invest NT$800 million ($25.5 million) into Taiwan-based subsidiary Kaohsiung Opto-Electronics. Sources in Asia said that the investment should raise Kaohsiung Opto-Electronics’s monthly substrate production to 450,000 by the end of 2016 (currently 180,000) and create 400 new jobs.     

Colombia Passes 8 Million TV Subs – Unofficially

The BB Business Bureau of Argentina estimates that there were almost 8.1 million pay-TV subscribers in Colombia at the end of 2014, up 4.3% YoY. Official figures from the Autoridad Nacional de Television put the number at 5.1 million; the BBBB’s result includes estimates for piracy and industry under-reporting, adding 15% and 11% to the total, respectively. … Read more

IPTV Continues to Lead in Montenegro

Montenegro digital TV connections

At the end of 2014 digital TV subscribers in Montenegro, across all platforms, fell 0.8% (1,242) QoQ, but were up 3.8% (5,692) YoY. The total subscriber base was 154,393, representing 79.26% of households. IPTV remained the leading platform (41.63% share), followed by DTH (33.27%) and MMDS and cable (12.97% and 11.8%, respectively).    

New Google Play Highlights Software Focus

The Google stand was, naturally, dominated by Chromebooks – Google’s low-cost notebook product that is seeing rising adoption in the education market. However, the main news was Google Play for Education (GPE): an initiative for devices running the company’s Android OS, and which is now being launched in the UK. GPE provides teachers with a … Read more

LG Launches Pro:Centric Set Top Box For U.S. Hospitality Market

LG Electronics has introduced a new set-top box that will bring the power and convenience of its Pro:Centric Internet-protocol television (IPTV) platform to even more hotel rooms. Available now, LG’s new hotel set-top box, the Pro:Centric Smart STB-3000, provides advanced smart interactive IPTV functionality as well as a broad range of compatible third party System … Read more