The FCC’s plan to accelerate the DTV tuner mandate deadline is scheduled to be taken up at the Commission’s next open agenda meeting, Thurs. The Commission has proposed that the deadline be moved to Dec. 31, 2006, from July 1, 2007, when all sets 13” and larger must have DTV tuners built in. CE has said March 2007 is the earliest date manufacturers can meet, while broadcast interests have urged the Commission to adopt deadlines as early as Nov. 2006, so analog-only sets no longer could be sold for Christmas next year. Broadcast and CE interests lobbied hard at the FCC in the days immediately preceding publication of the agenda item. Regardless of how the Commission rules on that deadline, several CE makers urged the FCC not to change the July 2007 date when so-called “peripheral TV equipment” -- such as VCRs and DVD recorders -- must also have DTV tuners built in. Maintaining the July 2007 date on peripheral devices “is appropriate in light of technological limitations,” CE makers told the FCC in a position statement. The state of technology for DVD recorders and DVD/VCR combos “has not yet advanced” to HDTV program recording “because of uncertainty surrounding a high-definition disc format,” the statement said. “Such uncertainty is expected to persist for a year or more.” CE also said House DTV legislation doesn’t mention peripheral equipment when it calls for sets larger than 13” to have DTV tuners by March 1, 2007 -- the date preferred by the CE industry. Meanwhile, CEA Vp-Technology Policy Michael Petricone declined comment on plans by Senate Commerce Committee Chmn. Stevens (R-Alaska) to include an import ban on analog sets as a component in a forthcoming DTV policy bill. Supporters of such a ban say it would reduce the need for large expenditures on DTV converter box subsidies. Sen. Ensign (R.-Nev.) cited such a proposed ban among the reasons why he soon would introduce an amendment reducing the $3 billion allocated by the Commerce Committee for converter box subsidies (CED Oct 27 p2).
Panasonic’s recent plasma TV market share in the Americas has hovered week to week as high as 50%, with the goal being to achieve 40% global share “by carrying this momentum into the year-end sales season,” parent Matsushita said Fri. in releasing 2nd-quarter results.
Sony’s new Bravia LCD TV line has performed better than expected since its late-Aug. launch -- especially in N. America, where the line captured 30% share of the LCD business beginning the first week of Oct., Sony said Thurs. in releasing 2nd-quarter results.
“Significant progress” is being made “assembling the key elements” needed for an XM commercial launch in Canada, CEO Hugh Panero told analysts in the company’s 3rd-quarter conference call Thurs.
The House Commerce Committee voted 33-17 for a DTV bill that allocates $990 million for DTV converter boxes during a contentious day-long markup session Wed. The bill faced dozens of amendments from Democrats, who wanted to boost the funding level for converter boxes, among other changes.
Third-quarter DLP revenue at Texas Instruments grew 40% from the 2nd quarter, but was flat from a year earlier, the firm said Mon. TI shipped DLP at levels “below consumption” in the 2nd quarter as key customers “worked down” high inventories, Vp-Investor Relations Ron Slaymaker told analysts in a conference call. The 40% sequential quarterly growth in DLP reflects that TI has resumed “shipping closer to true demand as our customers have inventory at desired levels again,” Slaymaker said. Responding to an analyst’s request for sales numbers on TI’s 1080p chipsets, Slaymaker said there wasn’t yet a sufficient base of results to offer a breakout. “Certainly 1080p is something we have pretty high expectations for,” Slaymaker said. “In fact, we believe this year, DLP will be the only readily available 1080p product available at what I'll call reasonable price points.” Answering another query, Slaymaker said TI believes 1080p, though a “premium product,” will be a reasonably priced premium product. “Our customers are offering 1080p as premium option at multiple screen sizes,” he said. “So again, it’s not at just the very, very high end of the segment. It will be offered across screen sizes at a premium price relative to 720p, but we think a lot of consumers will elect to step up, just given the future-proofing such technology brings.” He said it’s premature to discuss potential consumer demand for 1080p vs. 720p.
To the certain delight of consumer advocates like Public Knowledge and Consumers Union, CEA Pres. Gary Shapiro wrote the Senate Commerce Committee leadership urging that any DTV legislation omit broadcast flag amendments promoted by the content industry. That includes the so-called catch-all policy bill due to be considered as early as this week.
Kiosks continued to outperform core stores in sales of wireless products at RadioShack 3rd quarter, the chain said Fri. Core-store wireless sales, though lower than a year ago, managed to improve sequentially each month of the quarter, the company said. Total wireless sales in the quarter jumped 15%.
LAS VEGAS -- CE industry holiday revenue should climb 9% this year, despite consumer pessimism that is among the worst in recent memory, Sean Wargo, CEA dir.-industry analysis, told the opening session of the CEA Industry Forum here Mon.
Cable and CE negotiators have met more than 40 times the past several years -- most recently Oct. 6 -- to hash out an agreement on bidirectional plug & play devices and, while much progress has been made, much remains to be done. So concluded a joint CEA-NCTA report filed at the FCC Fri. -- the first in a series to be required by the Commission every 60 days on the status of negotiations toward an accord on “interactive Digital Cable Ready” devices ("iDCRs").