Report: Home brands gaining recognition
General recognition of home automation, networking and digital entertainment is on the rise according to latest results from market research company, Connection Research Services (CRS).
General recognition of home automation, networking and digital entertainment is on the rise according to latest results from market research company, Connection Research Services (CRS).
Despite agreeing that consumers are interested in home networking, non-voice mobile content and digital home entertainment platforms, market research groups are divided on the extent to which convergence is actually taking place.
According to a recently released survey, and anecdotal information, Australians are either buying big when it comes to 3G services or not at all. Poor after-sale service, questionable connectivity and a lack of education are being blamed by resellers.
With the opening game of the FIFA World Cup just days away, plasma and LCD screens continue to lead the market for digital home entertainment technology.
NSW traffic commander, Chief Superintendent John Hartley, is concerned about the safety of in-car navigation devices. If they could distract drivers they shouldn't be used while on the road, he said.
Mobile phones have become the device to which all others are converging. But which features are going to make resellers the best return?
By the end of the year, Australian consumers will be able to choose from at least three separate video on demand (VOD) services. However, some sceptics question whether the local market is ready for online film distribution.
Far from providing the industry with a boost, convergence in the digital entertainment space is forcing many consumer electronics retailers to the wall, according to managing director of Pacific HiFi, Frank DiBartolo.
Following in the footsteps of local PC manufacturers, Altech and Claritas, HP has announced it will preload its high-end M Series Pavillion Media Center range with the locally developed Ice TV software and program guide.
Thanks to a Samsung optical drive, Altech Computers has announced the release of the Maestro Pro 2 Blu-ray edition, staking an all-important first mover claim in the local high-definition DVD market.
The much-awaited launch of Intel's digital entertainment platform, Viiv, has been a mixed blessing for local manufacturers. While Intel's marketing push has stimulated interest in entertainment systems, it has also led to a crash in sales of locally manufactured Media Center Edition (MCE) PCs.
Despite research pointing to 8-18 year olds as the most media-savvy multi-tasking generation yet to hold a remote, marketing for Media Center PCs and digital home entertainment systems is largely overlooking this demographic.
If the US market is anything to go by, consumer electronics and PC vendors will need to work hard on convincing a new range of customers they can be trusted.
Despite a favourable response from consumers, the much anticipated launch of Xbox 360 has been marred by shortages and mass merchants using the consoles as loss leaders, according to All Interactive Distribution software buyer, Ryal Irwin.
Intel's Viiv platform was launched last week at Sydney's Fox Studios. The company confirmed a series of local manufacturing and content provision partners, and reinforced its intention to spend big on marketing to get the Viiv platform off the ground.