With Samsung’s high-end TV sales doing well, the company is now looking to launch cheaper television sets according to Reuters. Demand for lower-end TVs has been on the rise in recent months, with major South Korean retailers teaming up with local manufacturers to provide flat-screen models that are as much as 40% cheaper than Samsung sets. “As long as there’s demand, we’re open to get into that segment,” Samsung’s executive VP of visual display, Kim Hyun-suk said. “We’ve been preparing to introduce cheap models and have been studying to optimize production costs and retail prices. Those models will be ready for sale in one or two months.” Samsung is the world’s largest TV manufacturer and is aiming to sell 50 million units this year, with half of those shipments being Internet-enabled smart TVs.

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Prototypes of Apple’s upcoming HDTV are already being tested by multiple potential carrier partners Apple is trying to woo, The Globe and Mail reports. The Canadian paper calls the iTV “a product that has the potential to revolutionize TV viewing by turning conventional televisions into gigantic iPads,” and claims at least two Canadian carriers are currently testing the Apple television in their labs. Apple’s forthcoming iTV can be controlled using voice commands or by making gestures in the air, and it supports Web browsing as well according to the report. Apple is said to be in talks with Canadian carriers Rogers and BCE regarding potential broadcast partnerships in Canada, though the content and terms Apple is seeking are unclear. Apple is expected to launch an iOS-powered HDTV later this year that will replace the conventional remote control with voice commands interpreted by Siri. The iTV may also offer a customized channel subscription model and iOS app support according to earlier rumors.

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Apple will launch its own HDTV called the “iTV,” analyst Peter Misek of Jefferies & Company said on Monday. We’ve written dozens of reports on Apple’s alleged upcoming HDTV, and most speculate that the device will run a version of iOS along with the company’s Siri voice engine that will remove the need for a traditional remote control. Misek also said that Apple is in talks to partner with carriers such as Verizon Wireless and AT&T for access to exclusive and non-exclusive content, Bloomberg reported on Monday. Best Buy recently leaked possible details on the iTV and the retailer’s survey suggested the device will have a 42-inch display and a $1,499 price tag. The TV could launch near the middle of this year, although a recent report suggested that the television’s launch might be pushed back due to limited display availability.

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Best Buy has reportedly been testing the waters for a possible “iTV” offering from Apple. According to The Verge, the retail giant has been circulating a customer survey that provides some very specific details about an Apple HDTV to gauge consumer interest. Here are the details:

• 42-inch 1080 LED display
• Runs iOS
• App Store functionality
• iCloud for access to all your music, TV shows, movies, photos, and videos
• iPhone and iPad as a remote control with AirPlay to push content from your devices to the TV
• Built-in FaceTime camera and microphone (we’d imagine Siri, as well)
• Netflix, YouTube, Flickr support
• $1,499 price

This list, while detailed, could be easily have been put together by anyone familiar with Apple’s current Apple TV product, though the 42-inch display size and price of $1,499 could be solid indications of what we can expect from Apple. The Cupertino-based company is rumored to be preparing to launch its first HDTV featuring iOS and Siri later this year.

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Apple has been widely rumored to be readying a Siri-enabled television for release this year, but a new report claims component availability issues will prevent the highly anticipated “iTV” from launching in the first half. Citing unnamed sources within Apple’s supply chain, DigiTimes on Friday reports that Sharp, rumored to have been contracted to supply display panels for Apple’s debut HDTV, is not yet ready to ship the indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) panels Apple will use in its iTV. According to the site’s sources, upcoming HDTV models from Samsung and LG will occupy much of the OLED panel capacity during the first half, so Apple has chosen to instead utilize IGZO panels. Sharp is reportedly not yet ready to mass produce its latest IGZO panels, however, and Apple’s iTV launch may have been pushed to the second half as a result. Apple’s iOS-powered iTV will reportedly support apps and feature voice controls powered by Siri as well as access to on-demand content through iTunes.

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Last summer, Cablevision was one of the first cable providers to release an app for watching live TV on mobile devices. The Optimum App for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch allows Optimum subscribers to watch live television when connected to their home networks. Cablevision is now testing the Optimum App for Laptops, which transforms a user’s laptop into an additional TV when connected to a home network. A beta version of the application is currently available to select customers for a limited time and we managed to put it through the paces on Thursday. Check out our hand-on photo gallery below and hit the break for some quick impressions.

After installing Microsoft Silverlight, we were able to jump right into the application. The program features a clean and simple UI, giving users the ability to quickly access the TV guide and jump between various channels. Available channels are dependent on a user’s plan, thus ensuring that users only have access to the channels included in their standard cable subscriptions. The program also allows users to enable closed captioning and various parental controls.

The app is still a beta, and unfortunately there are definitely some issues to be worked out. Changing channels was sluggish, buffering was very slow and on numerous occasions the application completely froze. By no means was it unwatchable, however the user experience clearly has plenty of room for improvement. Picture quality was decent though, and all in all, the app is a welcomed addition to Cablevision’s Optimum portfolio and we can’t wait to get our hands on the finished product.

Boxee will begin shipping its new Boxee Live TV tuners this week according to a post on the company’s blog. The new device is a dongle that provides Boxee Box owners with the ability to watch local broadcast TV stations. The Boxee Box accessory costs just $49.99 and it is likely best for those who have turned to Boxee to replace their cable television subscription, not those who are using it as a supplement. The Boxee Live TV tuner supports the following:

• Social Channel Listings – We’ll show you what’s on, what your friends are watching, and how many people total are watching a show as you flip through channels.
• Sharing – Share the traditional Boxee way on Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr AND you can now passively share to Facebook using our Live TV Timeline App – turn sharing on and whatever you’re tuned into will post to your Facebook ticker automatically.  It’s easy to switch off too so your friends don’t need to know about your addiction to HSN.
• Edit Channels - Quickly hide channels from your lineup that don’t speak your language or have pissed you off with bad programming decisions like taking Arrested Development off the air.  Easily rename WNDHCTA 7.2 to NBC.
• All-In-One Interface – done watching a show on broadcast, easily jump into more episodes from the web. It’s the best of both worlds all on the same remote.

LG had a number of gorgeous HDTVs on display at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and apparently we aren’t the only ones who noticed how strong LG’s next-generation televisions are. Mere rumors of an HDTV in the works from Apple has set the industry aflutter, eying apps, voice and motion controls, and the Android OS in an effort to recapture consumers’ interest ahead of whatever Apple may be planning to announce as soon as this summer. Now, a new report from Bloomberg suggests Google may be in negotiations to enter the TV space as well. Unnamed sources speaking with the business news site claim Google is currently in talks with LG to create a Google TV-powered HDTV in a partnership said to be similar to the arrangement Google had with HTC and then Samsung to build Nexus-branded smartphones. Google is also reportedly working on a Nexus tablet and with connected TVs in the spotlight this year, a Nexus TV could be a crucial next step for the Mountain View-based company.

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Ahead of the company’s Consumer Electronics Show keynote, Lenovo announced a flurry of Android-based devices on Sunday evening. First up is the new S2 smartphone, and while it doesn’t feature a much anticipated quad-core chipset, the specs are more than suitable. The S2 sports a 1.4GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor with a VGA front-facing camera and 8-megapixel rear shooter. The device will run Android 2.3 on a 3.8-inch display with Lenovo’s custom skin on top. The company also announced a new Android 4.0 tablet, the IdeaTab S2, featuring a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 1GB of RAM and a 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 IPS display. The IdeaTab will be released with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and have a docking ability similar to what ASUS has done with the company’s Transformer tablets. When connecting the tablet to the keyboard dock, the IdeaTab gains 9 hours of battery life for a total of 18 hours, access to two USB 2.0 ports, a multitouch trackpad and an SDHC card reader.

Lastly, the company announced the 55-inch 3D K91, the world’s first smart TV running Android 4.0. The K91 features a dual-core Snapdragon processor, HDMI, Wi-Fi, an SD card slot, and a 5-megapixel front facing camera. The K91 is not considered a Google TV device, however, but it has access to the Android Market and Lenovo Store for thousands of apps. The IdeaTab S2 tablet, S2 smartphone and K91 smart TV are currently available in China, with worldwide availability coming at a later date. Lenovo’s press release can be found after the break.

Four Screens Are Better than One with Lenovo’s New “Personal Cloud” Vision
Latest Product Development Links Gadgets in Pockets, Briefcases and Home

CES 2012, Las Vegas – January 8, 2012: Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY), the world’s number two PC company, is flexing its innovation muscle at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show and beyond, to create a seamless digital experience for its customers across multiple devices, be it PCs, tablets, smartphones or Smart TVs. Lenovo recently unveiled its “Personal Cloud” vision, marking the transformation of the company from a “personal computer” manufacturer to a “personal cloud solution” provider that integrates hardware, software and cloud computing together. The Company’s direction is evident in a variety of new products, including the IdeaTab S2, Smartphone S2 and K91 smart TV.
“Lenovo is breaking down the barriers of device differentiation and weaving together hardware, software and cloud services that are connected, experiential and dynamic,” said Liu Jun, senior vice president and president, Mobile Internet and Digital Home business group. “We understand our users need more than just the traditional keyboard and screen for a truly satisfying digital experience. Our Personal Cloud vision integrates all devices, from tablets to TVs, for a comprehensive mobile Internet experience anytime, anywhere.”
IdeaTab S2 10 Struts New Specs and Multimedia Prowess
Thinner than its predecessors, the IdeaTab S2 10-inch is just one-third of an inch thin and, at a feather-light 1.1lbs, is one of the lightest 10-inch tablets available today. IdeaTab S2 features the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8960 dual core CPU and Android 4.0 operating systems to offer a better multimedia experience. Running Lenovo Mondrian UI, the user-friendly IdeaTab S2 10” displays customized content and includes easy access to the Lenovo App Shop and the Android Market for thousands of useful apps, such as Amazon Kindle, ooVoo, Angry bird and mSpot. Its detachable design, combined with a light keyboard dock, can deliver an incredible 20 hours of battery life, which is great for both entertainment and productivity.
S2 Smartphone Boasts Security and Photography Creds
The S2 smartphone includes the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon technology and Android 2.3 operating system. The device includes a unique Kernel-level security system to protect personal data, prevent phishing, and control network and SMS traffic. Users can also take advantage of its 8MP super camera to capture amazing panoramic photos on the go. S2 is also ready for the Cloud, and instantly syncs photos, music, videos and personal information with a dedicated online storage space for easy sharing across multiple devices.
K91—the World’s First Smart TV to Run Android 4.0 OS
As the world’s first smart TV powered by QualComm’s 8060 Snapdragon dual core CPU, the K91 is also the world’s first smart TV running the Android 4.0 operating system – which will revolutionize technology in the living room. Its smart “Sandwich” UI unites three major smart TV functions, including Video On Demand (VOD), Internet applications and traditional TV programs. The online HD VOD is tailored to an individual consumer’s viewing history, and delivers the best picture and audio quality with 3D FPR technology delivering flicker-free video on a full HD IPS panel at 240hz with SRS TruSurround. Internet applications include thousands of choices from the Android Market and Lenovo Store, including console games. Additional smart TV features include voice control with natural language processing and speech recognition technology, allowing viewers to use voice commands to control the remote. Video interaction is even possible with the built-in 5MP webcam, which integrates face recognition technology for security benefits and advanced parental control. With cloud support, consumers can access their favorite songs and videos with ease, share files between the TV and their tablet, smartphone or PC, and even control the TV via tablet and smartphone.
The IdeaTab S2 tablet, S2 smartphone and K91 smart TV are available immediately in China. Lenovo will be releasing these products worldwide at a later date. More information on these products is available at www.lenovo.com

Google has teamed up with Marvell for the next-generation Google TV platform. Marvell’s ARMADA 1500 dual-core chipset will be featured within future products and will debut at next week’s Consumer Electronics Show. The ARMADA-based Foresight Platform is designed to deliver superior 3D video and graphics with rich audio and TV-friendly Web content. The dual-core chip will also deliver PC-like processing power with advanced cell-phone like power management for more energy efficiency. ”I believe this is a major breakthrough movement and it’s just the beginning of our bigger vision,” Marvell co-founder Wel Dai said in a statement. ”The same forces that are revolutionizing today’s television experience will transform numerous vertical applications for small businesses and large enterprises, enhancing the way we all work, connect with each other and collaborate globally.” Everyone remembers the initial launch of Google TV, especially the lackluster performance and future abandonment of the Logitech Revue, so Marvell and Google have their work cut out for them. Read on for a copy of the full press release.

Marvell and Google Team Up to Transform TV into the Command Center for the ‘Connected Lifestyle’

Marvell’s new revolutionary ARMADA-based “Foresight Platform” powers new Google TV, offers best of television and multimedia experience for the new generation of Smart TVs, set-top boxes, Blu-ray players, and beyond

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – January 5, 2012 – Representing a major breakthrough in the convergence of TV, gaming, streaming video, popular web apps and social media, Marvell (Nasdaq: MRVL), a worldwide leader in integrated silicon solutions, today announced that the new Foresight Platform, powered by the Marvell® ARMADA™ 1500 HD Media System-on-a-Chip (SoC), has been designed into the next generation of Google TVs debuting at CES 2012. Google chose the ARMADA 1500 Foresight Platform for its one-of-a-kind ability to deliver the full continuum of rich multimedia entertainment on single-chip architecture. Using Marvell’s award-winning Qdeo™ video processing technology, the ARMADA-based Foresight Platform is designed to deliver superior 3D video, impressively rich audio, striking 3D graphics and TV-friendly Web content.

“Marvell and Google have teamed up to change home entertainment forever – transforming the TV into the command center for our connected lifestyle. Marvell and Google are fundamentally changing the relationship between the producers and consumers of content – from Hollywood to Madison Avenue to publishing and major news networks – creating a dynamic, two-way experience featuring real-time global news, social network, entertainment and information,” said Weili Dai, Co-founder of Marvell. “I believe this is a major breakthrough movement and it’s just the beginning of our bigger vision. The same forces that are revolutionizing today’s television experience will transform numerous vertical applications for small businesses and large enterprises, enhancing the way we all work, connect with each other and collaborate globally.”

“The Google and Marvell teams have been working closely together to bring our combined software and chipset technologies to market to grow the Google TV ecosystem of manufacturers and devices. Marvell-powered Google TV solutions will enable powerful products to be brought to market at attractive prices,” said Mario Queiroz, VP, Product Management Google TV.

For consumers, today’s digital home offers an endless choice of devices and content. For OEMs and service providers, it’s an all-out sprint to create offerings that perform noticeably better than competitors and at mass-market prices. The Connected TV Marketing Association (CTVMA) estimates 123 million connected TVs will be sold worldwide in 2014. Those consumers will expect access to the services they love – Netflix, Pandora, YouTube, Skype, Picasa and many more – in a lightning-fast, crystal-clear and resource-friendly package.

Powerful, energy-efficient, ultra-scalable and immensely affordable, the ARMADA 1500 contains Marvell’s highest-performing ARM v6/7-compatible PJ4B SMP super-scalar dual-core CPU. The chip is designed to enable PC-like processing power to support Web browsing with support for Flash™ and other key technologies – with the aid of more than 6000 Dhrystone MIPS of computing horsepower, FPU v3.0, 512KB of L2 cache and WMMX2. The Foresight Platform is energy efficient and has advanced cell-phone like power management.

The ARMADA 1500 also contains Marvell’s award-winning Qdeo video processing for state-of-the-art HD and 3D video, including scaling, noise reduction, de-interlacing, low bit-rate internet video enhancement and FRC and color/contrast enhancement. The chip offers VMeta™, a multi-format video decoder/encoder/transcoder that can decode up to two simultaneous 1080p streams as well as a host of other video formats and containers. These features make the Foresight Platform ideal for Google TV, which requires tremendous processing power for its numerous applications at a cost effective price point.

Related Links:
• Product information: [insert link]
• Marvell media materials: http://www.marvell.com/company/press_kit/

About Marvell
Marvell (NASDAQ: MRVL) is a world leader in the development of storage, communications and consumer silicon solutions. Marvell’s diverse product portfolio includes switching, transceiver, communications controller, wireless and storage solutions that power the entire communications infrastructure, including enterprise, metro, home and storage networking. As used in this release, the term “Marvell” refers to Marvell Technology Group Ltd. and its subsidiaries. For more information, visit Marvell.com.

Apple recently filed for a patent called “Dynamic Backlight Adaptation for Black Bars with Subtitles” that may be used to provide improved picture quality in its rumored HDTV. Apple explained in the patent application that the black bars above and below video on widescreen televisions can make it tough for a television panel to display blacks properly. ”These non-picture portions complicate the analysis of the brightness of the video images, and therefore can create problems when determining the trade-off between the brightness of the video signals and the intensity setting of the light source,” Apple said in the patent. “Moreover, these non-picture portions can also produce visual artifacts, which can degrade the overall user experience.” Apple’s solution would be to dynamically change the backlighting. Read on for more.

“The system determines the intensity setting of the light source on an image-by-image basis for the sequence of video images, where the intensity of the given video image is based on the brightness setting and/or brightness information contained in the video signals associated with the given image,” Apple explained. ”Then, the system synchronizes the intensity of the setting of the light source with the current video image to be displayed.”

Apple’s Siri-powered TV is rumored to be launching later this year. While earlier rumors suggested that Sharp will supply 32-inch and 37-inch panels for the device, the latest reports suggest 42-inch and 50-inch models are in the works.

[Via AppleInsider]

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After a slow first year, Google is finally looking to make a big splash with the company’s Google TV platform. The Mountain View-based firm announced Thursday that Sony, Samsung, Vizio and LG will all be manufacturing Google TV devices this year. Earlier, Marvell and Google announced that the platform would be switching from Intel chips to ARM processors, however LG’s TV will run on the company’s own L9 setup. Each company will be on hand at next week’s Consumer Electronics Show to show off their Google TV-powered hardware. 

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9% of consumers in the United States have already cut cable TV service from their monthly utility bills, the latest State of the Media Democracy survey from Deloitte indicates. The company also found that 11% of U.S. consumers are considering cutting cable TV. Younger generations are more likely to get rid of cable TV, too. Deloitte found that 19% of those aged 23-28 are thinking about canceling cable while 13% of Generation Xers and 7% of baby boomers said they are considering doing the same. “For the first time, less than half of all viewers say they have viewed their favorite shows live on their home TV,” Phil Asmundson, Deloitte’s U.S. Media & Telecommunications Sector Leader said. “In 2011, the number was only 49%. In 2008, it was 71%. That’s striking.” Read on for more.

Deloitte found that 35% of survey respondents are now using their DVR to watch shows at their convenience. In 2009, just 17% of viewers streamed their favorite television shows online for free, and that figure jumped to 22% last year. Just 6% of viewers said they watch their favorite show from a smartphone or mobile device, but 9% used a game console such as an Xbox or a PlayStation 3. “Cable providers should consider enhanced ways to leverage their current strengths before users flock to other options,” Asmundson said. “DVR would appear to be a strong starting point for waging that battle – but today it’s underused.”

[Via GigaOm]

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AT&T has settled a patent lawsuit with TiVo in which it will pay the DVR vendor $215 million through June 2018, including an initial payment of $51 million. AT&T will also pay “incremental recurring per subscriber monthly license fees” to TiVo through July 2018 if its subscriber base surpasses a certain level, TiVo said in a statement Wednesday. AT&T and TiVo were locked in a patent battle after AT&T began to market its own digital video recorder using a technology patented by TiVo. TiVo also recently settled similar lawsuits with Dish Network and EchoStar Corp. Read on for more.

“We are extremely pleased to reach an agreement with AT&T, which acknowledges the value of our intellectual property,” said Tom Rogers, CEO and President of TiVo. “This settlement, on the heels of our recent operational success that has resulted in the growth of TiVo’s overall subscriber base, is another major accomplishment for TiVo and we believe a great outcome for our shareholders. The combination of guaranteed payments and future additional fees paid to TiVo in the event that AT&T’s pay TV business continues to grow in-line with consensus analyst expectations, represents hard-earned compensation for our IP enforcement efforts.”

Rogers continued, “The settlement also provides us rights to innovate TiVo products and services under license from AT&T and allows us to avoid significant legal expenses that we expect would have been incurred by us during and after trial.” TiVo’s full press release follows below.

TiVo Announces Settlement of Patent Litigation With AT&T; TiVo and AT&T Enter Into a Patent Licensing Arrangement

ALVISO, CA — (Marketwire) — 01/03/2012 — TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO) announced today that it has settled its pending patent litigation with AT&T and that the companies have entered into a mutual patent licensing arrangement. Under the terms of the settlement, AT&T agreed to pay TiVo an initial payment of $51 million, followed by recurring quarterly guaranteed payments through June 2018, totaling $164 million, which together yield minimum payments of $215 million. In addition to these minimum payments, AT&T will pay incremental recurring per subscriber monthly license fees through July 2018 should AT&T’s DVR subscriber base exceed certain levels.

As part of the settlement, TiVo and AT&T agreed to dismiss all pending litigation between the companies with prejudice. The parties also entered into a cross license of their respective patent portfolios in the advanced television field.

“We are extremely pleased to reach an agreement with AT&T, which acknowledges the value of our intellectual property,” said Tom Rogers, CEO and President of TiVo. “This settlement, on the heels of our recent operational success that has resulted in the growth of TiVo’s overall subscriber base, is another major accomplishment for TiVo and we believe a great outcome for our shareholders. The combination of guaranteed payments and future additional fees paid to TiVo in the event that AT&T’s pay TV business continues to grow in-line with consensus analyst expectations, represents hard-earned compensation for our IP enforcement efforts. The settlement also provides us rights to innovate TiVo products and services under license from AT&T and allows us to avoid significant legal expenses that we expect would have been incurred by us during and after trial.”