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Samsung Takes the Lead in LCD Sales
Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 05:30 PM ETTags: Samsung (all tags)
With around seventeen percent of the total LCD market share, Samsung once again takes its spot at the top of the LCD sales chart.
After being overtaken by Vizio at the end of 2009, Samsung has retaken the throne as the worldwide leader in LCD sales. Vizio’s placement in larger chain stores like Target and Wal-Mart, as well as their low cost televisions had garnered them the top sales spot for nearly a year.
The analysts at iSuppli speculate that Samsung’s heavy promotion of LED backlit televisions – or LED TVs as Samsung likes to call them – as well as price cuts on many of Samsung’s models is responsible for the shift in Samsung’s direction.
Interestingly, among the top LCD suppliers, nearly all have seen a market share decrease thanks to additional low price competitors. Samsung, who held over a fifth of the market in late 2008, now has just below 17%. Vizio went from 20.5% a few months ago to 15.7%, and Sony dove from 16.5% in 2008 to a share of 7.8% now.
The only company among the big name suppliers that managed to increase its market share at all over the last quarter was LG, who went from a 7.4% share to holding 8.1% of the market.
iSuppli notes that package deals are expected to be the big motivator this holiday season. Bundling a TV together with a Blu-ray player, game console, or an audio package can make the purchase more attractive to a customer than simply offering a discount. Expect brands that can offer multiple products in one purchase like Sony and Samsung to lead the way this holiday season.
Source: iSuppli
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Sharp Wins ITC Ruling – Recommended That Some Samsung LCDs Be Banned
Mon Nov 16, 2009 at 10:00 AM ETTags: Sharp, Samsung, High-Def Retailing (all tags)
After much deliberation and investigation, the International Trade Commission has determined that certain new Samsung LCD televisions contain patented technology belonging to Sharp.
Specifically which models would be prohibited from entering the US under this ruling is still a bit of a mystery, but with four total patent violations, it’s likely that this will affect more than a few displays.
The patents in question involve technologies created by Sharp, and not licensed to Samsung for use. Two of these patents have to do with liquid crystal alignment, which affects brightness and response time. Another is for a display with a wider viewing angle, and the fourth has to do with a technology created to reduce display flickering.
Samsung has a sixty day window to continue bringing these displays into the country – just enough to make sure that they have a happy holiday season – pending further review. If it is determined that the ban on these items would be against the public interest, the ruling by the ITC can be overruled.
Samsung states that they have workaround technology for their displays, and that their sales will not be affected. “We are fully committed to honor our responsibility to our business partners and are taking appropriate actions to meet the market demand for Samsung LCD panels and products without any interruption,” said Samsung spokesman James Chung.
Source: Reuters
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Samsung Releases Two New HDTV Ready LCD Monitors
Thu Oct 29, 2009 at 04:00 PM ETTags: Samsung, LCD (all tags)
Samsung announced the availability of a pair of HDTV ready monitors today, a 19” model with a 720p resolution and a 23” model with a full HD 1080p resolution.
With up to two HDMI inputs on the back and an integrated digital tuner, these monitors can be used for more than just the computer. Samsung’s Young Bae, director of Information Technology, says that these monitors were made especially for those with space restrictions. “With more users viewing HD broadcast, watching Blu-ray movies and playing video games on their monitors, the [19”] 933HD+ and [23”] 2333HD are space savers for those looking for a multi-purpose monitor to place in a tight space, like a studio apartment or dorm room.”
Both monitors come with built-in stereo speakers and component inputs. The 2333HD sports a pair of HDMI inputs while the 933HD+ only has one. They each feature a dynamic contrast ratio of 10,000:1 and a 5 millisecond response time.
Available now online and in stores, the 933HD+ can be had for $249 and the 23” 2333HD for $329.
Source: Press Release
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Samsung Releases Two New HDTV Ready LCD Monitors
Thu Oct 29, 2009 at 04:00 PM ETTags: Samsung, LCD (all tags)
Samsung announced the availability of a pair of HDTV ready monitors today, a 19” model with a 720p resolution and a 23” model with a full HD 1080p resolution.
With up to two HDMI inputs on the back and an integrated digital tuner, these monitors can be used for more than just the computer. Samsung’s Young Bae, director of Information Technology, says that these monitors were made especially for those with space restrictions. “With more users viewing HD broadcast, watching Blu-ray movies and playing video games on their monitors, the [19”] 933HD+ and [23”] 2333HD are space savers for those looking for a multi-purpose monitor to place in a tight space, like a studio apartment or dorm room.”
Both monitors come with built-in stereo speakers and component inputs. The 2333HD sports a pair of HDMI inputs while the 933HD+ only has one. They each feature a dynamic contrast ratio of 10,000:1 and a 5 millisecond response time.
Available now online and in stores, the 933HD+ can be had for $249 and the 23” 2333HD for $329.
Source: Press Release
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Samsung Creates World’s Thinnest LCD
Tue Oct 27, 2009 at 12:00 PM ETTags: Samsung, Industry Trends (all tags)
At 3.9mm thick, Samsung beats the competition by a full 2mm.
There will eventually come a time when we’ve all got ultrathin OLEDs stuck to our walls receiving wireless information from a base unit, and the thin wars will be over. This is not that time.
Samsung recently announced their newest display, nicknamed the “Needle Thin LCD”, which measures an amazingly thin 3.9mm. Over 2mm thinner than a standard #2 pencil, the new display sets a new record for the world’s thinnest LCD display.
The new Samsung LCD features LED backlighting, though whether it is edge lit or features local dimming is as of yet unstated. The display does offer a 120Hz refresh rate and a contrast ratio of 5,000:1.
Pricing and availability are unknowns at the moment, though Samsung is expected to get this display out as soon as they can.
Source: Trading Markets
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Samsung Creates World’s Thinnest LCD
Tue Oct 27, 2009 at 12:00 PM ETTags: Samsung, Industry Trends (all tags)
At 3.9mm thick, Samsung beats the competition by a full 2mm.
There will eventually come a time when we’ve all got ultrathin OLEDs stuck to our walls receiving wireless information from a base unit, and the thin wars will be over. This is not that time.
Samsung recently announced their newest display, nicknamed the “Needle Thin LCD”, which measures an amazingly thin 3.9mm. Over 2mm thinner than a standard #2 pencil, the new display sets a new record for the world’s thinnest LCD display.
The new Samsung LCD features LED backlighting, though whether it is edge lit or features local dimming is as of yet unstated. The display does offer a 120Hz refresh rate and a contrast ratio of 5,000:1.
Pricing and availability are unknowns at the moment, though Samsung is expected to get this display out as soon as they can.
Source: Trading Markets
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SamyGo Hack Adds Functionality to Samsung TVs
Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 11:00 AM ETTags: Samsung (all tags)
The SamyGo hack for Samsung televisions adds improved networking, better USB playback, and enables the use of non Samsung WiFi dongles.
Not that we encourage this sort of thing, but those inclined to try their hand at a little bit of firmware hacking may find the SamyGo project pretty appealing. Thanks to the use of the Linux kernel in Samsung televisions, the firmware is familiar enough to many developers that they’ve been able to add a bit of functionality to the televisions.
There’s a lot to learn before you can jump into this, though those with programming experience may feel up to the challenge. Those willing to take a shot though will be rewarded with, among other things, the ability to use a non-Samsung WiFi dongle. The hope, according to one of the people heading the project, is to one day get Firefox running on Samsung sets.
While none of this is official of course, many companies keep a close eye on these developments. If hackers are able to get Firefox running on a Samsung TV, or improve video quality, there’s no reason that we shouldn’t expect to see Samsung tackling a similar task in a future firmware update.
Source: Hack A Day
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Samsung Adds Amazon and Blockbuster Support
Fri Oct 16, 2009 at 12:00 PM ETTags: Samsung, Amazon, Blockbuster, Streaming Content (all tags)
Samsung has officially released the new firmware for their TVs, HTiBs, and Blu-ray players, which will enable access to Blockbuster and Amazon’s digital delivery services.
Getting added value out of already purchased products feels so nice. Samsung’s definitely upped the ante by adding the pair of services to a fairly wide range of devices.
Owners of Samsung Plasma Series 650 and above, as well as those having LEDs Series 7000 and above will now have access to Amazon’s Video on Demand service through an Internet@TV widget. This addition gives customers access to over 50,000 movies and television shows available for on demand rental or purchase. Over 2,000 of the titles are in high definition, and all can be viewed not only from the TV, but from computers and other compatible devices.
Blockbuster On Demand has been added to the same line of TVs as Amazon’s service, but also to Samsung BD -P1600, BD-P3600 and BD-P4600 Blu-ray players and Samsung Blu-ray integrated Home Theater Systems HT-BD1250, HT-BD3252, HT-BD7200 and HT-BD8200. In a case of “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” Blockbuster will begin carrying Samsung’s capable Blu-ray players in their stores.
Source: Press Release (Amazon, Blockbuster)
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Samsung Launches 65 inch LCD
Fri Sep 11, 2009 at 01:45 PM ETTags: Samsung, Product Announcements (all tags)
In a size typically reserved for Plasmas and projectors, Samsung has announced their newest LCD television.
The new LN65B650, a CCFL backlit LCD TV, towers over the competition in terms of size if nothing else. Samsung’s latest display features a massive sixty five inch LCD screen. Shipping later this month at a suggested $5,995, Samsung hopes to capture a relatively untouched market.
With a 120Hz refresh rate, a full HD 1080p picture and a 4ms response time, the LN65B650 has quite a robust feature set. Samsung makes mention of their Ultra Clear Panel technology and Wide Color Enhancer 3 as indicative of overall picture quality.
Connectivity isn’t left behind here. The LN65B650 comes equipped with Saumsung’s media suite which enables the viewing of a built in content library as well as access to services such as Flickr and YouTube. The set is DLNA compliant and features USB 2.0 ports for viewing of content from capable devices.
While Samsung’s massive LCD does come at quite a cost, especially compared to comparable plasma models, it does meet Energy Star 3.0 guidelines and features low power consumption. While the savings in electric bills won’t add up to the difference in price, it may be just enough to push an energy conscious consumer over the edge.
Source: Reuters
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Samsung Players Now Support Youtube and MKV
Tue Sep 08, 2009 at 04:00 PM ETTags: Samsung (all tags)
Thanks to a recent firmware update, Samsung’s current line of Blu-ray players have added support for a pair of popular online viewing options.
The ever popular Youtube is now viewable on Samsung Blu-ray players, joining the already competitive range of services like Netflix and Pandora, already available on 2009 models. Expectedly but disappointingly, Youtube’s HD content is unable to be streamed.
The ever increasingly popular MKV format is now supported by the players. A favorite of those acquiring digital HD content by less than reputable means, MKV is the format most commonly found when downloading HD videos.
This pair of post purchase upgrades adds significant value to Samsung’s BD-P1600, BD-P3600 and BD-P4600 players.
Source: TechRadar
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MORE HIGH-DEF GEAR NEWS TAGGED "SAMSUNG":
- UK Makes Samsung Correct Misleading Ads Sep 04, 2009
- Samsung Rumored To Show 480Hz HDTV at IFA Aug 26, 2009
- Sony Slashing Prices On TVs, PS3 Says Samsung Jul 31, 2009
- Samsung’s High End Blu-ray Home Theater in a Box Jul 23, 2009
- Samsung’s High End Blu-ray Home Theater in a Box Jul 23, 2009
- Samsung Announces Three Blu-ray Home Theater In A Box Systems Apr 02, 2009
- News From CES 2009: Samsung thinks "skinny." Jan 08, 2009
- Special Delivery - Netflix Update Arrives for Samsung Blu-ray Players Dec 05, 2008
- Samsung Announces Free Player Update For Netflix Streaming Oct 23, 2008
- Samsung: Dual-Format Blu-ray/HD DVD Player Now Shipping Dec 06, 2007
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