Parks Associates Invites Media to 5th Annual CONNECTIONS at CES

Parks Associates invites media to attend the 5th Annual CONNECTIONS™ Summit and Networking Reception at CES from 9:45 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. on January 6, 2011, in Rooms S206-207, South Hall, Las Vegas Convention Center.

Analysts will begin the CONNECTIONS™ Summit with a roundtable discussion of the latest consumer research and market trends for the connected lifestyle. Sessions will feature executives from over 25 technology companies speaking on topics such as operator strategies for value-added services, connected CE, smart grid and residential energy management, and video services for multiple platforms. Agenda available at http://www.parksassociates.com/events/connections/summit/2011/agenda/agenda.html .

President Stuart Sikes will also be participating at the CES Digital Health Summit on January 8, and Senior Analyst Brett Sappington will moderate a next-gen video session at Broadband Unlimited @CES on January 5.

Sessions include:
9:45-10:45 - "Analyst Roundtable: "The Connected Home is Here!"
11:00-12:00 - "Operator Strategies: Video, Services, and Support"
12:15-1:15 - "Monetizing Connected Consumer Electronics"
1:30-2:30 - "Executive Roundtable: The Smart Grid & the Home Area Network"
2:45-3:45 - "Anytime Anywhere Entertainment & Communication – Mobile Apps"
4:00-5:00 - "Video Everywhere: Key Strategies"

Visit Parks Associates at Booth #20554, South Hall 1.

Ralink First to Offer Per-Packet Antenna Diversity Technology in World’s Smallest and Most Integrated 802.11n Wi-Fi Router-on-a-Chip

Ralink Technology Corporation, a leading developer of high performance wired and wireless networking solutions, today announced the world’s first 802.11n router-on-a-chip to include per-packet antenna diversity technology. With MIPS CPU, 5 port 10/100 Ethernet MAC/PHY, PMU, radio, baseband and power amplifiers all contained on a single die, Ralink’s new RT5350 delivers the high performance, smaller size and attractive pricing required for integration into today’s high volume router, broadband connectivity, and consumer electronics products

The RT5350 router-on-a-chip includes an 802.11n media access controller (MAC) and baseband, a 2.4GHz radio and FEM, a 360 MHz MIPS® 24K™ CPU core, and a 5-port 10/100 Ethernet MAC/PHY. The RT5350 requires fewer components and includes almost everything needed to build an AP router from a single chip. The embedded chip level per-packet antenna diversity function enhances load balance and coverage. These results in almost 40 percent faster WLAN throughput over range compared to conventional 1x1 single antenna competing solutions in a multiple-client environment. The USB port can be configured to access external storage for Digital Home applications. In addition, the RT5350 has multiple hardware interfaces (SPI/PCM/I2S/I2C/UART/GDMA) to enable interoperability with many possible applications. Moreover, it features a configurable boot clock rate to prevent 3G, LTE frequency interference.

To read the complete article, please click here.

CONNECTIONS US - Now accepting speaker submissions

Interested in Presenting Your Company's Vision at CONNECTIONS 2011?

Submit today to be a speaker at the 2011 CONNECTIONS U.S Conference in Santa Clara, California.

CONNECTIONS addresses critical business issues pertaining to the converging entertainment, media, and service markets for consumers. The CONNECTIONS audience is 550+ top executives, media, and thought leaders in the digital living markets. Presentations include information and analysis on the following subjects: New Business Models; Case Study; Consumer Trends, Factors, or Research; Challenges/Opportunities; Technology Trends; Standards/
Interoperability Issues.

Event Topics include:

• ENTERTAINMENT PLATFORMS & VALUE-ADDED SERVICES
• MOBILE
• NEW MEDIA AND DIGITAL CONTENT
• CONSUMER ELECTRONICS
• HOME SYSTEMS & CONTROLS
  

Accepting submissions for this event until January 31, 2011.

Convergence of Content, Platforms, + Entertainment among the Key Themes at CONNECTIONS U.S. 2011

Parks Associates announced the topics and the call for speaker submissions for the 15th annual CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference & Showcase. The international research firm will host the executive conference on June 28-30, 2011, at the Santa Clara Convention Center.

The CONNECTIONS™ audience includes over 550 executives, media, and thought leaders gathered to discuss the future of the digital lifestyle, network with partners in the digital living markets, and examine ideas, technologies, and business issues critical to the converging entertainment, media, and service markets for consumers.

Parks Associates is accepting speaker submissions in five core areas:

Entertainment Platforms & Value-Added Services
Customer and Technical Support
Service and Device Management
Set-top Boxes and Residential Gateways
Applications as Drivers
Broadband Value-added Services
New Roles and Functions for Devices
Virtualized Services and Applications/Software
Digital Music “Cloud Locker” Services
Internet TV Services
Video-on-demand

Mobile
Mobile Entertainment
Encoders and Content Management for Mobile Video
Mobile Internet Devices
Smartphones
Web Devices and the Cloud
Convergence in Voice Services: FMC/Femotcell/Voice beyond Commodity

New Media and Digital Content
Social Media
Content Management: DRM
Emerging Business Models for Digital Media Monetization
TV Advertising Technologies
Contextual and Behavioral Ad Targeting
Online Video
Publishing Content for Three Screens
Cloud Encoding
Content Storage

Consumer Electronics
Connected TVs
3DTV
Home Networking Requirements
Gaming
Retail Experience
User Interfaces
Shifting Content

Home Systems & Controls
Home Area Network
Service Providers - Home Management and Controls
Appliances & Smarter Energy Management
Wireless and Powerline Controls
Entertainment Networks & High-end Media Servers

CONNECTIONS™ panelists present information and analysis with content including new business models, technology trends, case studies, challenges/opportunities, standards/interoperability issues, and consumer research. CONNECTIONS™ runs multiple tracks focused on targeted topics so that the event maintains its unique perspective on current Digital Living areas while looking forward to the next wave of innovation and consumer adoption.

For more information, visit www.connectionsconference.com .

Forty-seven million European households will have connected TV by 2014

Parks Associates will bring together executives from Ralink Technology, Rovi, Gigle Networks, Visiware, and Samsung Electronics Europe to participate in a special panel at the CONNECTIONS™ Europe technology summit next month.

CONNECTIONS™ Europe will address key issues for manufacturers, operators, and content developers on value-added services, mobile data applications, Web-enabled CE devices, and consumer access to video content.

The special session “Consumers and Connected Consumer Electronics” will be Monday, November 15, at 4:45 p.m. and feature an interactive panel addressing new business models, key applications for Web-enabled CE, and technology trends in the design of connected solutions.

New research from Parks Associates indicates the number of European households with a connected TV will grow from less than 4 million in 2009 to 47 million in 2014. The number of households with a connected Blu-ray player will jump from 5 million in 2010 to approximately 66 million in 2014.

The interactive session will include the following participants:

David Borison, VP, Marketing, Ralink Technology Corporation
Richard Bullwinkle, Chief Evangelist, Rovi Corporation
Andy Melder, VP, Business Development, Gigle Networks
Colas Overkott, CEO, Visiware
Vassilis Seferidis, Ph.D., Director, European Business Development, Samsung Electronics Europe

For information or to register, visit http://www.connectionseurope.com.

Zeitera joins CONNECTIONS Europe 2010 Sponsor List

Parks Associates welcomes Zeitera, a leader in the market for intelligent content recognition solutions across the broadcast, Internet, and consumer electronics ecosystem, to the newest list of sponsors for the 2010 CONNECTIONS Europe Summit in Amsterdam.

Zeitera is a privately held Silicon Valley startup located in Mountain View, CA. and is backed by experienced technology investors with successful track records in building technology companies. Zeitera's team is comprised of experts with a wealth of experience in image processing, data-mining, building large-scale systems at successful start-ups as well as at established technology companies like Sony, AOL, Google, IBM, and Nokia. Zeitera is headquartered in Mountain View, CA.

For more information about Zeitera, visit http://zeitera.com.

We thank you for your continued support!

RoxioNow Platform to Power Instant Access to Hollywood Movies on New Range of Connected HDTVs and Blu-ray Disc Players

Sonic Solutions announced that Haier, one of the world's largest home appliances and consumer electronics manufacturers, has chosen the RoxioNow platform to provide its customers convenient, trouble-free access to a broad library of Hollywood entertainment. As part of the agreement, entertainment services powered by the RoxioNow platform will deliver movies and TV shows over the web to a new line of Haier-branded Blu-ray Disc players and HDTVs.

The RoxioNow platform serves a broad range of premium content, including new movies and next-day TV programs, to a growing, multi-manufacturer ecosystem of home and mobile electronics including PCs, connected TVs, set-top DVRs, Blu-ray Disc players, smartphones, and mobile media devices. The platform enables retailers and consumer electronics companies to participate in the entertainment supply chain, add value to product offerings and form ongoing relationships with customers.

RoxioNow powers digital entertainment delivery for a range of companies including Best Buy, Blockbuster, Dell, HP, Kmart, Lionsgate, and Sears, and is available on a broad variety of consumer electronics devices.

VIZIO Expands Internet Apps Product Line with New High Definition Blu-ray Players, HD Wireless Internet Routers Enhancing Your Home Theater Experience

VIZIO, America's HDTV and Consumer Electronics Company, announced the introduction of a wireless Internet router optimized for VIZIO Internet Apps (VIA), the platform that enables viewers to experience the best of the web and on-demand content, as well as three wireless Blu-ray players with Internet Apps, that offer consumers even more entertainment on demand, such as streaming HD movies, TV episodes, music, photos and social networking. The Dual-Band HD Wireless Internet Router prioritizes HD video and audio to VIA HDTVs and Blu-ray players, such as VIA-enabled VBR200W, VBR210, VBR220 and VBR231 Blu-ray players that are capable of streaming content from online services such as VUDU, Netflix and Pandora. The universal wireless router can also be configured to prioritize traffic to other Internet-connected devices as well as share a high-speed Internet connection to other Internet capable devices in the home, such as laptops, game consoles and smart phones. For more information, click here.

Roxio CinemaNow Continues to Expand Premium Entertainment Library

New Agreement with Warner Bros. Digital Distribution for the Electronic Sell Through of High Definition Next-Day TV Episodes

Sonic Solutions announced a new content agreement with Warner Bros. Digital Distribution to digitally distribute commercial-free TV episodes the day after they air on networks. Sonic has secured Electronic Sell Through (EST) rights for distributing standard and high-definition versions of popular TV shows including Fringe and Human Target. The agreement helps further expand the broad content library available through Roxio CinemaNow™ powered services and consumer electronic devices.

The Roxio CinemaNow entertainment platform serves a broad range of premium content to a growing, multi-manufacturer ecosystem of home and mobile electronics including PCs, connected TVs, set-top DVRs, Blu-ray Disc players, smart phones, and mobile media devices. The platform enables retailers and consumer electronics companies to participate in the entertainment supply chain, add value to product offerings and form ongoing relationships with customers.

For more information, click here.

Samsung Celebrates the Global Launch of Full HD 3D LED TV at Times Square With The Black Eyed Peas and "Avatar" Director James Cameron

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, today celebrated the worldwide availability of the first-ever Full HD 3D LED TVs with a one-of-a-kind special performance by The Black Eyed Peas in Times Square. "Avatar" director James Cameron, who has been a crucial driver in furthering the development of 3D content, also joined today's celebration.

Samsung Electronics 3D LED TV global launch celebration in Times Square was filmed in 3D by James Cameron and Vince Pace's production company Cameron/Pace, and streamed live via Dipdive.com, the popular lifestyle engine for music, arts, action and more. The Times Square surprise performance by The Black Eyed Peas kicked off Samsung Electronics' global campaign to raise awareness for its 3D TV technology leadership, which also includes worldwide launch events and a global television advertising campaign.

Together, these leaders in each of their respective industries showcase a commitment by consumer electronics, music and content organizations to bring the 3D TV vision to life in consumer homes everywhere. It also symbolizes the beginning of a new era of home entertainment.

For the full press release, click here.

Support for G.hn Grows Worldwide -- Homegrid Forum Adds New Members

HomeGrid Forum kicked off 2010 with a bang as it welcomed four new members to the global, non-profit trade group promoting the United Nations' International Telecommunication Union's (ITU-T) G.hn standardization efforts. HomeGrid Forum's new members include: Polaris Networks, Taiwan-based IC Plus Corp, the Institute for Information Industry (III) and Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI). By joining HomeGrid Forum, these companies are recognizing the importance of G.hn as the single unified standard for wired home networking in the global marketplace as the technology draws closer to silicon shipment in 2010.

The members of the ITU-T's G.hn Rappatour Group have created a specification for a single MAC/PHY technology which can run over coaxial cable, phone lines, or power lines. Consumer electronics manufacturers will be able to provide powerful devices for connecting all types of entertainment, home automation, and security products throughout the house. G.hn participants include service providers, consumer electronics and information technology manufacturers, and component and intellectual property providers from around the world.

For the full press release, click here.

Rovi Corporation Sponsors CONNECTIONS 2010

Parks Associates welcomes the Rovi Corporation as a silver CONNECTIONS sponsor.

Rovi Corporation is focused on revolutionizing the digital entertainment landscape by delivering solutions that enable consumers to intuitively connect to new entertainment from many sources and locations. The company also provides extensive entertainment discovery solutions for television, movies, music and photos to its customers in the consumer electronics, cable and satellite, entertainment and online distribution markets. These solutions, complemented by industry leading entertainment data, create the connections between people and technology, and enable them to discover and manage entertainment in an enjoyable form.

Rovi holds over 4,200 issued or pending patents and patent applications worldwide and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, with numerous offices across the United States and around the world including Japan, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, and the United Kingdom.

For more information, visit http://www.rovicorp.com/.

The HD-PLC Alliance booth at 2010 International CES

In its efforts to promote global adaptation of High-speed Power Line Communication (HD-PLC) technology, as well as further develop compatibility standards for HD-PLC-equipped products, the HD-PLC Alliance will had a booth at the 2010 International CES, the world's largest consumer electronics show.

This featured HD-PLC modules and dedicated chipsets, as well as their development environment, which can be integrated into various electronic devices to enable high-speed power line communication. Also, through the cooperation of HD-PLC Alliance member companies and companies using HD-PLC, over 50 PLC-equipped and feature-added PLC-compatible products such as PLC adapters, PLC routers, hubs and various PLC-equipped products.

This year's exhibition included advances in the ease of setup and connection of an HD-PLC network, and, as part of the HD-PLC Alliance's ongoing global warming initiative "Green Ubiquitous," an introduction to future technologies for household smart energy and smart grids. A series of demonstrations will reveal the convenience and future potential HD-PLC has to offer in an accessible format.

Research firm Parks Associates announces Call For Papers for CONNECTIONS™ 2010

Parks Associates today announced the Call For Papers for the upcoming CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference and Showcase. The 2010 conference will take place June 8-10 at the Santa Clara Convention Center.

The main topic areas for the event are Entertainment Platforms & Value-Added Services, New Media and Digital Content, Consumer Electronics, and Home Systems & Controls.

CONNECTIONS™ will address the opportunities and challenges in connected CE, 3D TV, smart grid and energy management solutions, consumer and technical support, smartphones and mobile services, social media, and content management.

For fourteen years, CONNECTIONS™ has been the premier event for research and analysis of connected home technologies and digital living solutions. The executive conference features consumer research and presentations from international research firm Parks Associates and a comprehensive agenda with over 80 speakers. Past conferences featured keynotes from AT&T, Verizon, Sony, Intel, and Microsoft.

CONNECTIONS™ attracts companies with market-leading digital living initiatives and senior executives from industries associated with the digital home, new media and content distribution, and mobile applications and services.

Early sponsors include Premier Sponsors ActiveVideo Networks, PacketVideo, and RedMere.

Submission Deadline is January 30, 2010.

For the full press release, click here.

ActiveVideo and Videon Central Form Partnership: Joint Initiative to Pipe Interactive TV to Millions of Web-Connected CE Devices

ActiveVideo Networks, the global leader in cloud-based interactive television solutions, and Videon Central, Inc., a leading provider of digital video solutions and Blu-ray Disc (BD) middleware, announced a joint initiative that is intended to dramatically speed adoption of the next generation of CE video devices.

The two companies announced that they will work together to leverage the combined strengths of Videon Central (Videon) core middleware technologies and ActiveVideo processing in the network "cloud" to significantly expand the reach and availability of rich, Web-based user experiences that are redefining interactive television (iTV 2.0). ActiveVideo anticipates that a joint solution would be available on Web-connected televisions, BD and DVD players, and other devices in millions of homes by year end, 2010.

Anticipated to be available in more than 5 million homes by the end of 2009, ActiveVideo immerses viewers in an engaging experience that combines Web video, Web 2.0 functionality and traditional television. With ActiveVideo, viewers can navigate a completely interactive environment of both linear and broadband programming including rich interfaces and graphics optimized for TV and remote control navigation; social networking; personal media; niche content; and targeted, actionable advertising. ActiveVideo uses intelligent MPEG streaming to deliver the Web 2.0 experience to a worldwide television audience through both legacy and next generation digital set-top boxes and broadband-connected devices.

For the full press release, click here.

Defining the Connected Home

The connected home is a term used frequently but often defined ambiguously. For Parks Associates, the connected home is comprised of the following elements:

• Access services - including broadband, television, landline communications, and mobile services
• Content and value-added services that complement the core access services
• Devices that connect to these access services and each other, creating a network that can share content and resources throughout the home
• Consumer electronics manufacturers, the PC industry, pay-television service providers, and broadband providers are driving the development of the connected home, for obvious reasons, as the interplay of these elements expands the businesses for all these players.

Learn more about how Parks Associates categorizes the major business strategies involved in the connected home. Read the September Parks Points today.

CONNECTIONS™ Summit at CES addresses challenges, opportunities as connected consumer electronics take center stage

Parks Associates announced the Call For Papers for its upcoming CONNECTIONS™ Summit at CES, taking place January 7, 2010, in Las Vegas, NV. The international research firm, which forecasts unit sales and installations of connected consumer electronics worldwide will exceed 100 million units annually by 2013, will host the Summit during the first day of 2010 International CES.

The main topics for the CONNECTIONS™ Summit sessions include trends in consumer electronics, including 3D TV and support services; new advertising models for TV and online video; advanced video services; home systems and energy management; mobile services; and digital health.

The Summit sessions, moderated by Parks Associates’ expert analysts, examine the consumer and industry trends in these digital living sectors and present strategies that fit best with the changing needs of households in the U.S. and throughout the world.

For more information or to submit to speak at CONNECTIONS™ Summit at CES, visit http://www.connectionssummit.com/. The form also offers submission options for CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on November 4, 2009. Submission deadline for both events is August 15, 2009.

Connected consumer electronics sales to exceed 100 million units annually by 2013

Consumer demand for digital media and online content will push worldwide annual sales of connected CE to more than 100 million units by 2013, according to the new Parks Associates report Home Networks for Consumer Electronics.

The market for connected CE includes networked TVs, Blu-ray players, game consoles, home media servers, and set-top boxes. Through network and Internet connections, these devices can access and display home network content such as photos and music and retrieve online content such as widgets, games, and video from Hulu and YouTube.

Diverse user scenarios create multiple challenges for technology developers, according to Scherf, including interface design as well as connectivity.

Home Networks for Consumer Electronics covers consumer and technology trends in the connected CE market and provides forecasts for multiple connected CE product categories. For more information, visit http://www.parksassociates.com/, or contact 972-490-1113, sales@parksassociates.com.

The CONNECTIONS™ conference, June 2-4, features a Connected CE track, including the panels Extending the Reach of Wired Networks and Interfaces and Bringing “Cloud Media” to Consumer Electronics Devices. For registration, or to request a press pass, visit http://www.connectionsconference.com/.

To view the full press release, click here.

TiVo, YouTube, Cisco address Online Content and Consumer Electronics

Following AT&T’s opening Keynote by Glenn Lurie, the opening session at CONNECTIONS™ - The Marriage of Online Video to CE features the following speakers:

• Tara Maitra, VP, General Manager, Content Services & Ad Sales, TiVo
• Brent Hurley, Strategic Partner Development Manager, YouTube
• Ken Wirt, VP Consumer Marketing, Cisco Systems

This panel discusses how consumer electronics companies and content providers are working together to deliver new video experiences to end users, with analysis of early deployments, current business models, and future services.

Cable and IPTV VoD resistant to economic trends, revenues to exceed $11 billion in 2013

Parks Associates workshop offers strategies to monetize video services, digital devices, energy management, advertising --

With U.S. households reluctant to cancel home services despite the down economy, growth in cable and IPTV VoD services will remain strong, with revenues exceeding $11 billion by 2013, according to Parks Associates. The international research firm is hosting the pre-show workshop Monetizing Connectivity in the Home on June 2, 2009, at CONNECTIONS™, to analyze the opportunities and successful business strategies for advanced products and services.

CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference and Showcase, taking place in Santa Clara, Calif., June 2-4, tracks developments, trends, and opportunities in the four key areas Communications & Entertainment Services, New Media and Digital Content, Home Systems, and Consumer Electronics. The Parks Associates pre-show workshop is an excellent primer to the event and includes research and forecasts for interactive video services, mobile solutions, energy management, advertising, and connected devices.

At the workshop, the Parks Associates analyst team will provide comprehensive insight, analysis, and forecasts of the digital living markets, including consumer research and the best strategies on how to gain and retain customers in a difficult economy.

Workshop Sessions
Unlocking Interactive Television Services
Connected Consumer Electronics – Cloud Media and Servers
Mobile Innovations: Service, Hardware, and Applications
Advertising in a Three-screen World
Digital Home Technical Support
Energy Management

CONNECTIONS™ includes interactive panels with over 80 speakers, moderated by Parks Associates’ expert analysts and featuring the latest research on converging content, services, and hardware. Register now at http://www.connectionsconference.com or contact sales@parksassociates.com, 972-490-1113, for more information.

For information on Digital Lifestyles: 2009 Outlook, visit http://www.parksassociates.com.