Analyst Roundtable What's Hot in 2011 WEBCAST - JAN 20

What will be the defining consumer and technology trends of 2011?

Join Parks Associates on Thursday, January 20th at 1 pm CENTRAL for the webcast, Analyst Roundtable What's Hot in 2011, and learn more about CES 2011 announcements and notable trends in the digital home and CE industries. This event provides primary consumer data and trending, predictions, and forecasts for a number of product and service categories.

Parks Associates research finds:
-- U.S. sales of smartphones will reach nearly 60 million in 2011
-- Internet tablets will reach more than 13 million in 2011
-- By 2014, annual worldwide shipments of Internet-connectable CE will reach close to 300 million units
-- 80% of flat-panel TVs sold in the U.S. and Western Europe will have 3D capabilities

***Register for this complimentary event:
http://parksassociates.com/events/webcasts/registration/webcast_registration-free.htm

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JAN 20 | 1 PM - 2:15 PM CENTRAL
Analyst Roundtable What's Hot in 2011 WEBCAST
***Presenters include: The Parks Associates Analyst Team ***

This webcast features analysis and forecasts from Parks Associates examining:
-- Connected consumer electronics
-- 3D TV
-- Gaming
-- Mobile and portable devices, with a focus on smartphones, tablet computers, and e-readers
-- Broadband and digital television services
-- Advanced advertising
-- Digital home technical support services
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We look forward to you joining us for this Webcast!

Technicolor Develops 3D Certification Program

Technicolor wants to be sure 3D is comfortable to watch.

With that in mind, the company has introduced a 3D Certification program aimed at broadcasters and network service providers, to ensure that 3D material meets minimum quality requirements before it is delivered to consumers. The foundation of the service, dubbed Technicolor Certifi3D, is an in-house developed 3D analysis software tool.

Technicolor's new 3D analysis software was developed by its Research and Innovation team. Utilizing the left and right source masters, the software is designed to build a 3D model in real time giving an accurate pixel count for objects that are too close or too far away from the viewer that would result in discomfort. It also automatically detects and flags conflicts with the edges of the TV screen, another source of discomfort for 3D in the home.

Initially, the certification program will be available in London and Los Angeles. Eventually the service would be available worldwide.

For the complete article, please click here.

3D Gadgets Descend on Christmas

Step into any electrical store and you can't escape the way TV manufacturers have designated this to be the 3D Christmas. There are plenty of sets vying for attention, none of which are definitively the best; although, in this area, plasma screens currently seem to have the upper hand over LCDs.

More exciting are the other devices starting to overcome the obstacles inherent in 3D technology. With much of the content, for instance, originating in the cinema, a projector seems a natural way to view it. The LG CF3D shows 3D in a form that can be viewed using inexpensive, lightweight polarizing glasses.

Outside the realm of multidimensional offerings are a couple of other notable gadgets for the home. The audiophile will appreciate the Harman Kardon GLA-55 multimedia speakers, which are as loud as they look, while coffee lovers will envy the compact Miele CM5100 freestanding coffee machine, with its wide variety of easy-to-use programs. Meanwhile, the diamonds around the edge of the £5 million Stuart Hughes iPhone 4 could just solve the phone's infamous aerial problem.

For the complete article, please click here.

Latin America economic progress & tech innovations driving TV-services growth

Television services in Latin America will grow by double digits over the next five years, outpacing service growth in Asia and other emerging markets.

The report, Television Services: Global Outlook (2nd Edition) reveals the Latin American region will achieve a cumulative annual growth rate of 10% through 2014, compared to less than two percent in Western Europe and North America. Already major players are seeing better-than-expected results. DirecTV recently tripled its quarterly Latin America subscriber additions, due in part to demand for World Cup coverage.

While Asia and Eastern Europe are exciting emerging markets, Latin America will be the next land of opportunity for television services. Growth in the region and technological innovations, as well as changes in TV service regulations, will help fuel the boom in the area’s consumer television services. Over the next few years, we will see advanced services including IPTV, interactive features, and even 3D TV introduced into these markets.

Telefonica and other telcos are anticipating legal changes in Brazil and Argentina that will allow them to offer television services. Colombia, one of the few countries to allow telcos to provide TV services, has seen increases in competition and service variety as a result, including gaming and other interactive TV features. Parks Associates’ analysts report Net and Telefonica in Brazil and Cablevision in Argentina have demonstrated trials of 3DTV.

National 3D Demo Days

As we indicated in our Trends in 3DTV report, educating consumers about 3DTV is one of the biggest challenges that the CE industry faces. Experiential marketing is going to play a more important role than it has played for the launch of other consumer electronics. 3D requires "being seen". Considering that most of the existing advertising channels are two-dimensional, manufacturers will have to rely on retail channels and road shows to promote their products. We are likely to see more initiatives like the National 3D Demo Days, currently promoted by CEA and ESPN.

3DTV coming of age soon

Jim O'Neill wrote a very nice overview of 3DTV on FierceIPTV.

The concept of 3D is becoming more of a reality as 3D-ready consumer electronics become more affordable and the availability of content increases.

There are many obstacles on the way to success: low consumer engagement, difficulties in marketing 3DTV effectively, advertising issues, etc.

However, as I told Jim, "there is no doubt in my mind that 3D is here to stay, and it will be a standard feature in sets being sold."

Increasing consumer awareness, lower prices, and quality content will contribute to its success.

More content and lower costs will push 3D into more CE

Parks Associates reports a modest increase in awareness of 3DTV among U.S. broadband households in 2010, but the mainstream viability of 3D depends on availability of premium video content and not one-off events such as the World Cup.

The firm’s latest report Trends in 3DTV finds 13% of households are familiar with 3DTV, an increase from 10% from the previous quarter. In some cases, 48% of these households are willing to pay for 3D content, provided they have access to the right types of content, including movies and TV shows.

Efforts such as the ESPN 3D broadcast of the 2010 World Cup are great experiments and effective in building awareness of the technology, but they have not resulted in extraordinary 3D TV sales. As content and service providers launch new 3D channels and Blu-ray discs, consumers will start to see more value in this technology, and shipments will increase as a result. By 2014, 80% of the TVs sold in the U.S. will be 3D-ready.

Parks Associates research indicates 3D movies generate the most interest from U.S. consumers. One-third or fewer of consumers are willing to pay for 3D television shows and sporting events, but nearly one-half are willing to pay for 3D movies. Trends in 3DTV provides a detailed overview of 3D technology and examines business strategies by industry segment. The report analyzes the availability of content, reviews issues and progress with each content delivery method, and describes the impact of 3D on CE.

Parks Associates hosts 'Trends in 3D TV' webcast, June 24

Join Parks Associates on June 24th at 1 pm CENTRAL for the Trends in 3D TV webcast. This will be a great opportunity to learn more about latest 3D TV consumer research and the business opportunities and implications for CE manufacturers, content creators, and service providers.

Pietro Macchiarella, Research Analyst will present analysis and forecasts from Parks Associates examining the following questions:

-- What challenges will 3D TV present within the digital content and CE ecosystem?
-- What opportunities will it offer?
-- What is the consumer mindset regarding 3D?

3D TV advocates are moving quickly to bring this technology to market, despite lingering skepticism of its mainstream viability. Several 3D services have launched in Europe and the U.S. (from industry heavyweights such as Sky, DirecTV, Comcast, and ESPN), and CE manufacturers are starting to deploy 3D-ready models at retail.

Click here for registration information.

What will consumers add next to their home networks and life?

A 3D TV? A smartphone? A smart meter?

Digital Lifestyles: Outlook 2010, a new industry report focuses on the consumer, with an emphasis on expanding and enhancing user experiences in communications, entertainment, support, and connectivity.

This report provides analysis, forecasts, and industry and consumer drivers for a variety of digital lifestyle categories including: Access Services, Television Services, Mobile Services and Devices, Digital Media and Gaming, Trends in Consumer Electronics, Digital Home Tech Support, and Home Systems.

Samsung keynote at CONNECTIONS™ explores future of LCD technology and 3D TV

Parks Associates announced Scott Birnbaum, Vice President, Samsung LCD Group, will deliver the morning keynote, “TV Technology in the New Age of Consumer Buying,” at CONNECTIONS™ on June 9, 2010.

CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference and Showcase, in its 14th year, will take place June 8-10, 2010, at the Santa Clara Convention Center. CONNECTIONS™ is the premier event for research and analysis of connected home technologies and digital living solutions, with over 600 executives attending each year.

Mr. Birnbaum will speak at 10:00 a.m., June 9, on the future of LCD technology, the accelerated movement toward a 16:9 aspect ratio, and the prognosis for 3D in the home. He will explore the implications for TV design and manufacturing as consumers demand thin, energy-efficient form factors that provide crystal-clear, movie-like experiences.

He will also discuss the need for easy-to-understand data so consumers can understand and make informed choices about thinness, backlighting, energy consumption, contrast and aspect ratios, and refresh rates.

CONNECTIONS™ features multiple sessions on next-generation video services and the growing demand for interactive entertainment, including 3D and connected TV, personalization of applications, Internet video, and mobile applications. Sessions include industry-leading consumer research and executive analysis to highlight the next opportunities and future business strategies for video technologies and platforms, multiscreen experiences, and value-added services.

3DTV's: Early answers to some questions

The Dallas Morning News did a nice write-up last week on 3DTVs that coincided with the launch of both Panasonic and Samsung's products at retail. The article provided what I thought was a good perspective on whether the average consumer should run out and buy a 3DTV set:

"Unless you're rich and impatient, you might want to hold off for a year or two. The first batch of 3-D TVs is more expensive than standard HD sets, and analysts expect the prices for 3-D sets to drop dramatically over the next few years. Also, it will be at least a year before 3-D Blu-ray movies and TV channels are widely available. And there's a chance the technology will flop and makers will lose interest."

Overall, I think that this is pretty good advice, and I was wondering just how strong the demand would be for 3DTV sets, as I referenced in a blog last week. News from Panasonic, however, would indicate that early results were quite positive. Now, if only these consumers will be okay with waiting for the 3D release of "Avatar," on Blu-ray, which isn't supposed to happen until sometime next year.

So, there's early market demand, but one other question that I've had is whether the proprietary nature of the 3D displays themselves would present a hurdle to sales. This is why the announcement by XspanD about the release of "universal" 3D glasses is good news. The company notes that they are getting requests from both manufacturers and retailers to have a universal active pair of glasses.

Digital Media II - Analyzing the evolution and impact of digital media across multiple platforms

Digital Media II is a primary consumer survey measuring the adoption and use of existing platforms and gauges the market potential for future platforms including digital cameras, TVs, digital photo frames, and Blu-ray players.

Key Topics include the following:
- 3D TV
- The market potential for "slate" and tablet PCs
- Triggers for adoption, usage scenarios, and hardware configuration for emerging platforms
- Hardware configurations used for consuming Internet video on the TV
- Market interest in motion-controlled user interfaces
cloud media and digital locker services
- Prevailing digital media habits with PCs, MP3 players, mobile phones, game consoles, TVs, and other digital devices
- The demand for connected TVs and key video and non-video applications
- The digital media business models most likely to succeed
- The emerging websites and social networking destinations
- Online destinations for TV, PC, and mobile content
- New content sources and services

Parks Associates will survey over 2,000 U.S. broadband households. Additional countries will be added at client request.

Survey launches early March, click here for more information.

Parks Associates announces CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit Series for 2010

International research firm Parks Associates will host two CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summits in 2010. The first CONNECTIONS™ Europe of 2010 will be April 27 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This executive summit will focus on connected consumer electronics and digital media, including analysis of new monetization models and the impact of technologies such as 3D TV and smartphones.

The second CONNECTIONS™ Europe of 2010 will take place in November in Paris, France. Both events will feature Parks Associates’ expert consumer and industry research, with the company’s analysts presenting data from consumer research projects including All Eyes on Video, Consumer Decision Process, Residential Energy Management, and Digital Media Evolution.

Parks Associates projects that by year-end 2013, revenues in major Western European markets from video-on-demand (VOD) – including traditional pay-TV services and online video services – will approach 12 billion Euros.

Early sponsors for CONNECTIONS™ Europe, also members of Parks Associates’ Premier Program, include ActiveVideo Networks and PacketVideo. Visit www.parkspremier.com for more information on the Premier Program.

Parks Associates will start accepting speaker submissions for the April 2010 Summit on January 18, 2010.

CONNECTIONS Europe agenda: Connected Devices & Services

CONNECTIONS Europe will be held in Amsterdam on November 4 and covers the international landscape for connected devices and services with a European emphasis, including:

• Internet video and the TV experience
• Cloud computing and advanced TV and communications services
• Residential gateway or set-top box
• The impact of 3D TV
• The three-screen ecosystem
• The interface for online and user-generated content
• The companies best positioned to lead the connected home ecosystem

Attending CONNECTIONS Europe provides executives with networking and strategic planning opportunities.

• The development roadmap of the technologies and applications that will define the European and global digital lifestyle
• Identification of existing and emerging leaders in the connected home ecosystem
• Adoption and revenue forecasts of key connected device and service categories
• An examination of the business models which will drive the convergence in video and entertainment content and applications, online services, and communications.