Portable Media Centers Challenged by Plethora of Substitute Products
Portable Media Centers ? both Microsoft-based and non-MS-based media players with video, audio and photo capabilities ? will face stiff competition from less-expensive application-specific alternatives such as MP3 players, portable DVD players, and new portable photo storage technologies.
According to research consultancy The Diffusion Group, while PMCs offer consumers an "all-in-one" package, its $500 price tag will make single application devices much more attractive to consumers.
"The most unique function of the PMC is its ability to store and playback digital video," says Dale Gilliam III, analyst with The Diffusion Group.
"But given that the penetration of PVRs among U.S. households remains poor and the PVR value proposition remains lost on most consumers, demand for a portable PVR is likely to remain very low for the next several years.""Additionally, there are several portable PVR-like alternatives now available that are much less expensive than PMCs and better suited for storing and viewing video content," continues Gilliam.
"If viewing TV content is perceived to be a primary driver for PMC adoption, portable TVs are now much less expensive and optimized for portable video viewing.
On the high-end, Sony's new LF-X5 offers live digital TV viewing with integrated Wi-Fi connectivity and a 7-inch viewing screen.
While cost prohibitive for most consumer (carrying a price of more than $1000), we expect the price of these units to drop to around $500 within 24 months."Of course, PMC proponents could make the same argument ? that PMCs will likely enjoy the benefits of technological innovation and rapid price reductions, thereby making the converged device much more price competitive with application-specific alternatives.
Moreover, promotional strategies on the part of Microsoft and its hardware partners are likely to be aggressive, especially given the tie in between PMCs and Microsoft's Media Center PCs.
Between rapid declines in material costs and aggressive promotional strategies, TDG anticipates that the price of portable media centers will decline by more than 50% to below $250 by the end of 2006.TDG's latest topic paper, On the Future of Portable Media Centers, discusses the impact that substitution products will have on consumer demand for PMCs.
The topic paper is the precursor to TDG's forthcoming analysis of the PMC marketplace, Portable Media Centers: Competitive Analysis and Forecasts, a report which features an examination of both supply- and demand-side issues and features primary data from TDG's latest consumer survey.
On the Future of Portable Media Centers is now available for free download at the Company's website:
www.tdgresearch.com.About The Diffusion Group ? The Diffusion Group is a "think tank" of consumer technology analysts charged with providing timely, actionable intelligence designed to best position new consumer technologies for rapid diffusion. TDG is committed to providing market research and strategic consulting services based on conservative, real-world analysis and market forecasts grounded in consumer research. For more information about The Diffusion Group, visit our website at www.tdgresearch.com or email e-mail protected from spam bots.Press Contact:Andy Tarczon214-677-9723.
EDTV: What You Should Know Before You Make That Purchase
Enhanced Definition Television ? also known as EDTV ? is one of the many modern viewing technologies of our time. Often confused with HDTV capability, this is actually a compromise between standard TV and HDTV. In fact, the visual benefits are at least twice that of standard television, since EDTV technology offers a minimum resolution of 480p when used on a monitor. As a result, you'll find that this type of system is more expensive thanstandard television, yet cheaper than HDTV technology.While there's been a hew and a cry to purchase the more expensive ? and higher quality ? HDTV, there are actually some advantages to the "second best" EDTV version. First, there can be as much as a $1200 price difference between the two, and ? in some scenarios ? the viewing quality of EDTV is superior to that of its pricier counterpart.
For instance, there's only a 10% difference in quality when you're viewing two plasma TVs that have been produced by the same manufacturer, but the EDTV soars...
EDTV: What You Should Know Before You Make That Purchase
Tvs > EDTV: What You Should Know Before You Make That Purchase
New Online Bingo Game Gives Players a Chance to Win $10,600
CyberBingo Corporation, the leading online bingo company as voted by Gambling Online magazine, has recently announced the addition of a new bingo game where players will have a chance to win $10,600 in cash every week.
This $10,600 guaranteed bingo game will be played every Saturday in CyberBingo's popular multi-part format, where each game is comprised of three parts and three prizes.
According to CyberBingo Director of Marketing, Aidan Bailey, "CyberBingo's philosophy is to really connect with our bingo audience and to offer promotions that will truly make them respond to us and feel a part of our online community.
The $10,600 guaranteed games aim to give discerning bingo players an opportunity to win a once in a lifetime jackpot on a weekly basis.
This is yet another first in online bingo and demonstrates CyberBingo's commitment to our players," says Bailey.In addition to the new weekly $10,600 game, CyberBingo offers exciting online bingo tournaments,...
Tvs > New Online Bingo Game Gives Players a Chance to Win $10,600
Home Safety Tips: Arm Yourself Against The Threat Of A Break-In
(NC)?In 1999, Statistics Canada reported that there were approximately 92,485 break and enters reported to police, however, some of these crimes remained unreported. Property crime losses ranged from little or nothing of value to materials costing hundreds of thousands of dollars.Unfortunately, burglars can do much more than steal your possessions. They can commit rape, robbery, and assault if they are surprised by someone coming home or pick a home that is occupied."If you have been a victim of a burglary, chances are that you will be vulnerable to a burglary a second time," explained Patrice De Luca, V.P. of Marketing and Business Development for Protectron Security Systems. "The burglar will know how easy it was the first time they targeted your home.
This experience will forever change your life. However, for a small amount of time and money you can make your home more secure and reduce your chances of being a victim."According to De Luca, many burglars will spend no longer...
Home Safety Tips: Arm Yourself Against The Threat Of A Break-In
Tvs > Home Safety Tips: Arm Yourself Against The Threat Of A Break-In
Home Electronics: The Facts About Plasma TV
Not so many years ago, homes across the country watched their favorite TV shows on a bulky floor model that took awhile to warm up before you could see the picture, didn't offer anything in the way of remote control manipulation and offered a washed out image on the TV's cathode ray tubehosted screen...and folks were thrilled to have such marvelous technology in their midst. Today, all of that's been changed, with the introduction of plasma TV.Instead of trekking to the local theater to catch a favorite flick, those who own a plasma TV can get pretty much the same experience in their own homes. If the thought of shelling out the amount of money that one of these sets costs makes you flinch, think of how much you'd be spending to buy movie tickets, and your perspective willchange. If you multiply the number of movies that you'll watch on your plasma set by $8.00 (the average price of a movie ticket these days), you'll see that the set will quickly pay for itself. Even if your purchase...
Home Electronics: The Facts About Plasma TV
Tvs > Home Electronics: The Facts About Plasma TV
Hard-to-Find Plasma Blood Donation Centers in Reach Now
US-based company, BloodBanker.com, is helping to raise awareness of the values of donating plasma blood through the creation of an information-packed website: www.bloodbanker.com/plasma/.The site is designed for anyone looking to donate blood. It lists the hard to find plasma blood centers, where donors get paid to donate; and whole blood centers where generally the donor does not receive an honorarium. Potential donors will be able to access a comprehensive directory of plasma and whole blood donation centers around the United States, as well as benefit from information and advice."Our site will act as a valuable resource for folks looking to find paying plasma donation centers and for anyone else interested in donating blood out of goodwill," stated Philip Michaels, CEO of BloodBanker.com. "As well as offering important advice on giving blood, we have provided a detailed directory of plasma and whole blood...
Hard-to-Find Plasma Blood Donation Centers in Reach Now
Tvs > Hard-to-Find Plasma Blood Donation Centers in Reach Now
Phil's Games and Leisure -- Where it's Always Time to Play
Phil's Games and Leisure (www.philsgames.com) is off and running. A new Internet retail outlet, Phil's Games and Leisure specializes in products designed to help customers get the most out their leisure time.Phil's Games offers a variety of products designed to make leisure time more enjoyable. There are home theater systems, DVD players, flat-screen TVs, video game consoles and titles and even turntables, or, as they are called today, "nostalgia style stereos."The business also offers digital cameras and camcorders as well as a full line of supplies to the game that's all the rage on television and elsewhere ? Texas Hold ?Em Poker."There is one thing common to our society today ? we have less leisure time," said owner Phil Watson. "Phil's Games hopes to help people make the most out of their most precious resource ? time to relax and enjoy themselves."Watson says his goal is to offer competitive pricing and outstanding...
Phil's Games and Leisure -- Where it's Always Time to Play
Tvs > Phil's Games and Leisure -- Where it's Always Time to Play
CTL Corporation Introduces Reseller Friendly 42" Plasma ED Television
CTL Corporation announced the introduction of its Nexus? Ex4200 Enhanced Definition 42" Plasma Display Television at the 2005 INTERFACE Conference in Portland, Oregon. With a suggested retail price of under $1989, CTL developed the product as part of it's "Channel First" Program, which is designed to allow independent and specialty CTL resellers the opportunity to compete against multi-national discount chain stores with high quality, feature-rich yet profitable products."We saw an opportunity in the 42" ED Plasma space to offer our resellers a product which they can use to differentiate themselves from the discount chains," said Mike Mahanay, CTL's Director of Marketing. "With the Ex4200, our resellers win by selling a better quality product to their customers at a lower price than the discount chains ? all while maintaining a healthy margin." The Nexus? Ex4200 features a 42" Enhanced Definition 16x9 Plasma screen, a 2000:1 contrast ratio and a super bright 1000cd/m2 brightness rating....
CTL Corporation Introduces Reseller Friendly 42" Plasma ED Television
Tvs > CTL Corporation Introduces Reseller Friendly 42" Plasma ED Television
A to Z guide in buying Dish Network online
First thing first, what is Dish Network?Owned by the company Echostar, Dish Network (or trade mark as DISH Network), is the United States second biggest Satellite TV provider. Dish Network provides up to 256 TV channels of 100% digital picture.Satellite broadcast licensed in 1987, Dish Network currently dish up about 10 million satellite TV customers in United States. With up to 256 TV channels served in three major packages (Dish Network All American Top 60s, 120s, and 180s) and various free satellite equipments, Dish Network is the one of the best TV setup currently in the market. Huge programming choice, crunchy digital image, HDTV-ready with SuperDISH packages, digital video recording, and the best of all, it is CHEAPER than the cable TV!*See it your self in the comparison guide in http://www.satellitetvissue.comAre the equipments really free?Yes, absolutely! Worth $1500, these satellite TV equipments is totally free to get...
A to Z guide in buying Dish Network online
Tvs > A to Z guide in buying Dish Network online