Samsung’s VP of LCD Business addresses consumer buying decisions for TV’s

Scott Birnbaum, Vice President, Samsung LCD Business will present the keynote, “TV Technology in the New Age of Consumer Buying” on Wednesday, June 9 at 10:00 at CONNECTIONS.

Mr. Birnbaum will address how the buying decision for today’s TVs has become more complex and more important in the list of home priorities. Consumers are no longer simply satisfied with a good picture and a decent warranty. Consumers are looking at TVs as exceptionally thin wall hangings; energy-efficient Energy-Star rated appliances; and providers of crystal clear, movie-like viewing experiences. The presentation will compare thinness of panels, edge-lighting and energy efficiency, as well as contrast ratios, aspect ratios and the importance of faster refresh rates. As stereoscopic 3D also enters the TV picture in 2010, Mr. Birnbaum will cover how 3D can best be married with 2D to usher in a new dimension in post-HD customer satisfaction.

Wal-Mart agrees to buy video company, Vudu

According to a New York Times article on Monday, Wal-Mart has agreed to buy Vudu, a movie service Silicon Valley start-up.

Vudu competes directly with the video-on-demand services of the cable companies, but they Vudu has tried to stand out from competitors with its large selection of HD movies, user friendly interface and social media integration via Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Pandora.

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Roku Upgrades Hardware to Support HD Content

Roku, maker of the player that lets Netflix (NSDQ: NFLX) subscribers stream online movies to a digital TV, said Monday it has upgraded the hardware to support high-definition content.

Roku plans to roll out over the next few weeks at no additional charge software that adds advanced compression technology to the $100 player. The application, which will be sent over the Web as an automatic update, makes it possible to stream HD movies over an average consumer broadband connection, according to Roku.

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