Hardware (DVD, TV, PMP, Set-top Box, …) News

HDMI Forum releases Version 2.0 of the HDMI specification
Sep 4, 2013 – HDMI Forum has announced the release of Version 2.0 of the HDMI Specification. The update offers increased bandwidth to support new features such as 4K@50/60 (2160p); 32 audio channels; as well as dynamic auto lip-sync and extensions to CEC.
News categories: HDMI Forum, Digital TV, IFABerlin, Smart Home, Smart TV

Hillcrest motion, gesture and cursor control for Hisense smart TVs and set-tops
Sep 4, 2013 – Hillcrest Labs and Hisense have announced a strategic partnership by which Hisense will deploy Hillcrest's patented Freespace® in-air pointing and motion control software in its next-generation of Smart TVs and Pulse set-top boxes.
News categories: Hillcrest Labs, Hisense, Digital TV, Middleware, Set Top Box, Smart TV

LCD TV growth strong in China; demand in developed regions declines
Sep 3, 2013 – According to NPD DisplaySearch, Q2'13 overall worldwide TV shipments were down 3% Y/Y, though LCD TV shipments managed to grow 4% Y/Y. The overall trend in total shipments, while still negative, is showing some improvement from last year.
News categories: DisplaySearch, Digital TV, Market Research, Smart TV

ZON goes live with ThinkAnalytics Recommendations Engine
Sep 3, 2013 – ThinkAnalytics has announced that Portugal's ZON has gone live with the ThinkAnalytics Recommendations Engine. ZON's high-end subscribers can now experience personalised recommendations and intelligent navigation, making it easier to find content.
News categories: ThinkAnalytics, ZON Multimedia, Cable TV, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Middleware, Portugal, Set Top Box

CinemaNow first to launch Disc-to-digital service in Canada
Sep 3, 2013 – CinemaNow has officially launched their Disc-to-digital service. With the service, Canadians can take their physical DVDs, convert them to a digital format in the convenience of their home, and watch them on CinemaNow.
News categories: CinemaNow, Canada, DVD, Streaming

uWand selected by Vestel to bring direct pointing control to Smart TVs at IFA 2013
Sep 3, 2013 – uWand, the camera-based direct pointing remote control technology, has announced at IFA 2013 an agreement with Vestel to bring direct pointing and gesture control to Android-powered Smart TVs.
News categories: Vestel, uWand, Digital TV, IBCShow, IFABerlin, Smart TV

Emerging markets opt for Smart TVs at greater rate than mature markets
Aug 30, 2013 – According to the NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Smart TV Usage Study, consumers in emerging markets are twice as likely as those in mature markets to purchase an internet-enabled smart TV in the coming 12 months.
News categories: DisplaySearch, Market Research, Smart TV

First CCAP deployments underway
Aug 30, 2013 – Infonetics has released excerpts from its 2Q13 CMTS and Edge QAM Hardware and Subscribers report. The global CMTS and edge QAM market declined 4% in 2Q13, to $313 million, as lower-cost CMTS downstream and edge QAM channel shipments dominated the product mix.
News categories: Infonetics, Cable TV, CPE, Market Research, USA

TiVo adds Opera Software to Roamio
Aug 29, 2013 – Opera (OSEBX:OPERA) and TiVo (NASDAQ: TIVO) have announced a technology integration to enhance the power of web technologies on TiVo devices with the Opera Devices SDK, as well as open up the world of HTML5 TV apps through the Opera TV Store.
News categories: Opera Software, TiVo Inc, Apps, Cable TV, Digital TV, Middleware, Set Top Box