Networked video game consoles are the most used devices for bringing web video to the TV in the US – and look set to remain so until 2013, according to an In-Stat report.
It found that 29 per cent of US 25 to 34 year olds with game consoles already use the devices to watch streaming video off the Internet.
High Definition TV News
LG is introducing the first HDTVs capable of streaming Netflix movies without the need for an external device such as game console or set-top box.
The online movie rental service will be available in North America on LG’s new 47-inch LCD HDTV LH50 and 50-inch plasma HDTV PS80.
Movavi has announced an expansion of its popular online video conversion service.
The upgraded Online.movavi.com service now enables users to fine tune a number of conversion parameters – codecs, resolution, video and audio quality, bitrate, and other key elements demanded by more sophisticated users.
North America is expected to account for a large proportion of the world’s new IPTV subscriptions during the next few years.
But there are many themes needing to be addressed as this new digital TV platform is rolled out.
Next month, the leading IPTV service providers, content providers, analysts and key technology vendors will be coming together for the IPTV World Forum North America.
They will be considering all the key topical issues affecting the industry at the two-day event (21-22 July 2009) in New York.
XStreamHD has boosted its executive team ahead of a national launch with the appointment of Jude Panetta as vice president of operations and Jack Wrigley as vice president of business development.
The direct-to-home Full HD transport network company is to launch later this year, offering 1080p images and 7.1 surround sound through a USD $400 box.
Value HDTV brand Vizio has introduced 31 new models, including its first HDTV with 240-Hz technology and an LED backlight.
The company also announced that it has filed a patent-infringement suit against LG Electronics, and that a similar case against Funai is continuing.
Panasonic has announced the release of two of what it describes as the lightest HD camcorders ever made.
Each model weighs just 0.5lbs (0.2KG) but boasts high-powered 16x optical zoom capabilities and can shoot 1920 x 1080 Full-HD videos.
This Friday sees US television going 100 per cent digital, a move that has impacted on over a quarter of households which have had to invest in new TV sets and/or services to prepare for the June 12th changeover.
However, researchers say that the switch to digital has changed traditional viewing habits.
Microsoft has just unveiled what it describes as a revolutionary new way to play Xbox 360 video games on HDTVs without the need for a controller.
Called Project Natal, the sensor, which combines an RGB camera, depth sensor, multi-array microphone and custom processor in one device, could have uses far beyond just gaming.
Shipments of set-top boxes are expected to peak this year, at least in mature markets, and then commence a gradual decline.
However the rolling series of analog TV shutoffs in countries around the world, combined with the strong uptake of HDTV sets, mean that HD STBs will form a growing fraction of the total market, according to ABI Research.