TWICE back issues from January 2005:
Holiday sales up, but lackluster: sales didn't keep pace with a great Black Friday; some chains went promotional.(TWICE CES News)
Jan 06, 2005; ... NEW YORK -- After returns are processed, gift cards redeemed and closeout sales tallied, the holiday season will likely prove more ho-hum than ho-ho-ho for retailers. Despite red-hot holiday demand for CE--especially iPods, flat-panel displays, digital cameras and video-game ...
Satellite radio turns to home, portable users.(TWICE CES News)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- Aficionados of satellite-radio's programming diversity will enjoy a greater diversity of listening options this year when satellite-radio suppliers expand their selection of dedicated headphone portables and dedicated hometuners. In 2005, at least 13 companies will ...
Samsung makes big move in '05 HDTV lineup.(TWICE CES News)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- An 80W-inch high-definition plasma TV set, a 57W-inch HD LCD set, expanded DLP rear-projection HDTV offerings and a line of ultra-thin-tube direct-view CRT HDTV sets and monitors will highlight Samsung's CES television offerings this week. At the same time, Samsung ...
MP3 tops headphone CD in sales, features.(TWICE CES News)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- Dollar sales of MP3 portables exceeded headphone-CD sales for the first time in 2004, attracting still more newcomers into the market and prompting major portable audio suppliers here to step up their MP3 focus. Many of the new products are hard disk drive (HDD) ...
Component audio sees major changes in forms, functions.(TWICE CES News)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- Home theater receivers are changing their function in home entertainment systems, and component speakers are changing their form. Receivers are morphing into the hubs of home entertainment and distributed-audio systems, while speakers are assuming more stylish ...
HD optical disc battle will heat up at CES.(TWICE CES News)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- The backers of two competing formats for next-generation optical video disc systems spent the weeks leading up to International CES jockeying for position by releasing a spate of strategic alliance announcements that have apparently left the field in a dead heat. ...
Toshiba plans 4th quarter HD-DVD launch.(TWICE CES News)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- Toshiba will use International CES to announce plans to launch its first HD-DVD player and recorder in the fourth quarter of 2005, said Jodi Sally, Toshiba Digital A/V Group marketing director. The news follows recent independent announcements from Warner Brothers, ...
Panasonic bows broad integrated HDTV line.(TWICE CES News)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- Among a host of new video product announcements at International CES, Panasonic will introduce six digital plasma TV models for 2005, three LCD rear-projection TV sets, a pair of DLP rear-projection HDTV sets, and three DIGA DVD recorders with additional recording support for ...
Sony displaying full PC range during CES.(TWICE CES News)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- Sony plans to show off a full range of computer products this week at International CES, including TV/PC combo unirs, and new displays with a special emphasis on how Vaio computers will integrate high-definition video editing. Sony's entire 2005 CES effort is ...
Kodak to add Wi-Fi features to EasyShare.(TWICE CES News)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- Fresh off encouraging news from the market research firm IDC, which put the camera company within 10,000 units of displacing long-reigning Sony at the top of the category in the third quarter, Kodak hit CES with its first Wi-Fi camera and printer dock in addition to several ...
Autosound business welcomes iPod, MP3 in its 2005 offerings.(TWICE CES News)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- Autosound suppliers are moving quickly to adapt their head units to the Apple iPod and other MP3 players, in one of the most dramatic shifts in autosound in years. The soaring popularity of the iPod has led suppliers to race to adjust their CD receivers to interface ...
JVC expands line with HD-ILA, LCD models.(TWICE CES News)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- JVC is hitting CES with an expanded lineup of rear-projection HDTV sets based on its HD-ILA micro-display technology, while also adding an expanded selection of direct view LCD TVs and a focused selection of fully integrated plasma sets. Also to be unveiled are ...
LG makes flat-screen statement in HDTV.(TWICE CES News)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- LG Electronics is using CES to make a flat-screen statement by introducing lines of plasma and LCD TVs, highlighted by a 60W-inch high-definition plasma TV with built-in DVR, a 55W-inch 1080p LCD TV, and a 23W-inch LCD TV with built-in DVD player. The company is ...
VoIP equipment is becoming more diverse.(TWICE CES News)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- As VoIP technology blurs the line between data and voice, a similar eliding of distinctions is occurring in the equipment market as traditional voice vendors are integrating data technologies into their products, and data suppliers pour voice technologies in their own lines. ...
Calacci joins new Thomson unit.(appointment of Rick Calacci)(Brief Article)
Jan 06, 2005 ... INDIANAPOLIS -- Rick Calacci, former Toshiba and Sharp sales executive and most-recently Moxell Technology's president, joins Thomson as part of the company's newly-organized Connectivity Business Unit. Mike O'Hara, executive VP of Thomson, appointed Calacci and three company ...
Sony unveils Qualia SACD at CES.(TWICE CES News)(Model 007 )
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- Sony will unveil, here, an executive shelf system for SACD and CD stereo playback that is designed to perform a ballet in addition to delivering state-of-the-art two-channel sound. Model 007 will be sold under Sony's elite QUALIA brand as an SACD system. The free ...
CES: expect the unexpected.(Viewpoint)
Jan 06, 2005; ... For those who are reading this in Las Vegas, welcome to the 2005 International CES. While the show's producer avoids making predictions, I will. This will probably be the largest CES in history, easily surpassing last year's record attendance of over 130,000. There are going to ...
Industry calendar.(Calendar)
Jan 06, 2005 ... International CES Jan. 6-9 Las Vegas www.cesweb.org CEA Winter Summit Feb. 17-19 Lake Tahoe, Calif. www.ce.org ...
Philips debuts distributed audio for do-it-yourself customers.(TWICE CES News)(Wireless Music Center WACS700)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- Philips' do-it-yourself music-server solution is a six-zone pedestal-mounted tabletop stereo system with AM/FM tuner, CD player/ripper, and 40GB HDD. It streams compressed music simultaneously to up to five speaker-equipped tabletop clients. The system, called the ...
2003-2004 market share reports by category.(Illustration)
Jan 06, 2005 ... With the cooperation of The NPD Group of Port Washington, N.Y., TWICE is pleased to present dollar share reports for a variety of consumer electronics categories. All information is based on retail point-of-sale data for the period of January through September 2004. NPD collects ...
CEA addresses key issues in nation's capital.(Washington Watch)
Jan 06, 2005; ... WASHINGTON -- The consumer electronics industry enjoyed a record sales year in 2004, the 20th anniversary of the Supreme Court's Betamax decision. It's no accident that the decision, which enabled home recording rights, set the stage for the industry's spectacular growth over the past two ...
Mobile video price moves seen as sales decline.(TWICE CES News)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- After many years of high growth, 12-volt video sales declined last year, with many blaming OEM sales as the culprit. According to NPD Techworld, Port Washington, N.Y., sales of mobile video dropped 20 percent in dollars and 22 per cent in units for the ten months ...
MP3 unseats headphone CD via innovative products.(TWICE CES News)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- Here is a company-by-company rundown of many top suppliers' portable media player introductions that will take place during International CES. Archos: The company's next-generation portable media player has morphed into a Linux-based touch screen PDA. The 30GB ...
RCA brand features more HDD models in 2005 lineup.(TWICE CES News)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- Thomson's RCA brand is introducing more HDD models that include a next-generation AV portable and RCA's first 5GB portable, which will be the company's first audio-focused portable with jpeg viewer. Seven new flash models include the brand's first 512MB models. All ...
Recently combined Philips unit introduces '05 accessories line.(TWICE CES News)(Brief Article)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- Accessories products new for this year from the recently combined Philips Consumer Electronics, North America, and Philips Accessories and Computer Peripherals, North America (Gemini), include a touch-screen remote, two headphones and two cables. The RC9800i ...
Coby introduces portable DVDs, MP3 player.(TWICE CES News)(Brief Article)
Jan 06, 2005 ... LAS VEGAS -- Coby Electronics is introducing an MP3 player and two types of portable DVD players during International CES this week. The MP-C741 MP3 player has 256MB built-in flash memory and FM radio, with up to 512MB memory when using an optional SD/MMC card, Coby said. The ...
THX upgrades select standard.(TWICE CES News)(Brief Article)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- THX Ltd. has upgraded its six-year-old THX Select performance standard for audio electronics by incorporating elements of its top-end THX Ultra2 standard, which was unveiled in 2001. The new standard is called THX Select2, and the company expects the first THX ...
Mobile headsets spotlighting fashion, function.(TWICE CES News)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- Improved sound quality, greater comfort and a heightened sense of style are among the key features manufacturers are building into their latest mobile headsets for 2005. Those aspects of fashion and function are designed to meet a growing array of consumer needs as cellphones ...
Bluetooth units making inroads in headset area.(TWICE CES News)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- Bluetooth may not be as prevalent in the United States as in Europe, but 2005 could well represent the biggest growth year yet for the wireless technology this side of the Atlantic. And headset manufacturers are ready with an array of Bluetooth products being launched at CES. ...
Logitech creates link between headset, phone.(TWICE CES News)(EasyFit mobile headset)(Brief Article)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- While the majority of cellphones feature a 2.5mm headset jack, a number of phone manufacturers--including Nokia, Samsung, and Siemens--feature non-standard, proprietary connectors on at least some of their handsets. As a result, headset manufacturers have been forced to ...
Plenty of choice in sat radio headphone.(TWICE CES News)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- in satellite headphone stereos, here's what dealers will find at CES. Tao: In launching the Tao consumer electronics brand for active-lifestyle consumers, Atlanta-based Giant International plans April or May shipment of the $349-suggested Tao XM2Go. The price ...
In-Stat says radio's conversion to digital is clearly underway.(TWICE CES News)(digital broadcasts)
Jan 06, 2005; ... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- The conversion of radio from analog to digital is underway. Not only do consumers in the United States presently havethe choice of two digital satellite radio providers, but there are also over 10 radio stations broadcasting digitally in three markets in the ...
Unwired Technology will debut pilot override Bluetooth system.(TWICE CES News)(Pilot Override )(Brief Article)
Jan 06, 2005; ... PLAINVIEW, N.Y. -- Unwired Technology has developed a new system for wireless headphones that allows parents to interrupt their children's video programming and speak to their children through their headphones. In addition, Unwired said it has been appointed a Tier One supplier ...
Cutting-edge consumers prefer big-box CE stores: survey.(Retailing)(consumer electronics)
Jan 06, 2005; ... ROCKVILLE, MD. -- Big box specialty stores--particularly Best Buy--remain the favorite place for techno-savvy movers-and-shakers to shop for CE, followed by wholesale clubs/discount chains and e-commerce sites. That's the word according to Change-Wave Research, an investment ...
Target setting sights on CE.(Retailing)(consumer Electronics)(Brief Article)
Jan 06, 2005; ... MINNEAPOLIS -- Target is aiming to further bolster is burgeoning CE business. The segment, which grew 14.3 percent in 2003 to account for $16 billion in sales for the upscale discounter, is getting a series of enhancements this year. For starters, the company will ...
Retailers face legal woes over taxes, ads and ageism.(Retailing)(advertising)
Jan 06, 2005; ... NEW YORK -- Some retailers may have been naughty rather than nice in their business practices, based on recent lawsuits filed against some of the largest chains in CE. In a flurry of recent actions, Best Buy, Circuit City, Wal-Mart, Target and Office Depot have been the object ...
Partsearch founder focuses on returns.(Retailing)( CEInteractive )(Brief Article)
Jan 06, 2005 ... NEW YORK -- Dean Summers, founder and former president of replacement part resource Partsearch Technologies (see story, p. 90), has formed a new venture, CEInteractive (CEI), which will help retailers and vendors address the challenge of product returns. "Electronics retailers ...
Blockbuster puts on its game face.(Retailing)
Jan 06, 2005; ... DALLAS -- With its core video rental business under assault by DVD subscription services, and widespread adoption of direct movie downloads looming ahead, Blockbuster has gotten busy retooling its business model. In the last few months, the former Viacom unit has changed ...
Study: CE brand value varies by product category.(Retailing)(consumer electronics)
Jan 06, 2005; ... FULLERTON, CALIF. -- In consumers' minds, brand awareness does not necessarily equate to brand value, and a brand's value can vary greatly by product category. Those are among the chief findings of a new consumer research study by marketing consultancy Coyote Insight, based ...
Home Theater Store defies Dallas' doldrums.(Retailing)
Jan 06, 2005; ... HOUSTON -- When the going gets tough, the tough get going. That would certainly describe Texan Mihir Mody, CEO of specialty A/V chain Home Theater Store, which operates seven high-end CE boutiques in Houston, Dallas, and Austin. Despite softness in the Dallas-Ft ....
HTSA elects new board.(Retailing)(Home Theater Specialists of America)(Brief Article)
Jan 06, 2005; ... CHESTER SPRINGS, PA. -- The Home Theater Specialists of America (HTSA) has elected a new slate of board directors for 2005. Succeeding Mihir Mody of Home Theater Store as president is Roger Koehler, principal of The Big Picture in Englewood, Colo. "Growth in both ...
Sales staff loaners: you gotta hand it to them.(Retailing)(consumer electronics industry)
Jan 06, 2005; ... The average DVD remote has forty or more buttons that may actually require more than occasional utilization while viewing movies and photos or listening to music. So. So think about Bob, the brand new consumer electronics salesperson, as he walks out to greet his first customer. ...
Cut your taxes by donating excess inventory.(Guest Column)
Jan 06, 2005; ... With the holiday selling season over, your retail business may be sitting on an important tax deduction and you probably don't even realize it. The deduction lies in your excess, overstock inventory. By donating that nonmoving merchandise to charity, your company can earn a ...
Partsearch expands service offering.(Retailing)(Brief Article)
Jan 06, 2005; ... NEW YORK -- Partsearch Technologies, which integrates with retailers and manufacturers online and via phone to help consumers and servicers find original replacement parts and accessories, is expanding its product offerings and facilities. The company has recently implemented a ...
Tuner mandate impacts TV plans.(Video)(televisions)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- Television manufacturers this year will be introducing sets as small as 25 inches that comply with the next phase in the digital tuner mandate issued by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell in 2002. But early attempts to seed the market with ...
Progress on plug-and-play standard.(Video)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- A workable two-way, plug-and-play agreement between cable operators, CE manufacturers and a host of related industries is inching forward, albeit with tough issues slowing the process and no hard deadline in place. Nearly 100 representatives from cable, CE, retail, ...
Camcorder makers look to break niche.(Video)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- The continued growth of digital formats and an influx of new technologies was not enough to spur camcorder sales beyond its traditional boundaries of 5 million-6 million units in 2004, according to manufacturers and analysts. According to research firm IDC, the U.S ....
New camcorders usher in epic memories.
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- Epic filmmaking is no longer the sole preserve of James Cameron or Steven Spielberg, as the new camcorder introductions at CES make clear. Now consumers' treasured memories will be recorded in 16:9 widescreen and even surround sound, transforming backyard barbeques and ...
Advanced technology TV sales forecast.(Video)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
Jan 06, 2005 ... <Pre> USA LCDTV Total End User Market Value Forecast 2001-2007 2001a $4,659.69 2002a $4,053.62 2003a $2,781.84 2004a $1,807.32 2005a $966.13 2006a $345.39 2007a $55.38 Note: Table made from bar graph. USA MD RPTV Total End User ...
Digital TV sales forecast.(Video)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
Jan 06, 2005 ... <Pre> Digital TV Sales Forecast North America Integrated Digital Television Shipment: (Thousands of Units) Technology2003 20042005200620072008 CRT118 1,259 3,255 6,395 8,299 12,171 RPTV 1,004 2,780 3,387 3,583 3,449 ...
Bi-directional cable draws near.(Guest Column)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- The intersections between consumer electronics and the cable television industry increased significantly in 2004, and if a ground-breaking agreement with Samsung Electronics announced in October is any indication, it will continue to multiply in 2005. Throughout ...
Broadcasters will pave DTV path.(guest column)(digital television)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- Looking for evidence that local broadcasters are delivering on the digital promise and charting the course toward the next generation of television? Then head to Chicago, Baltimore, Seattle or San Diego, where every station in the market is now broadcasting in ...
Custom suppliers try traditional, untraditional.
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- Custom-installation suppliers are trying to take some of the custom out of the business to deliver more cost-effective systems to a broader demographic. In some cases, suppliers are leveraging IP-based technology and wireless-audio distribution to reduce the amount ...
CE, PC suppliers deliver networked music in the home.(consumer electronics, personal computers)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- An eclectic mix of PC, audio specialty, and full-line CE suppliers has come together to adopt wireless 802.11b and 802.11g as the do-it-yourself solution to networking music and video throughout the house. Powerline-based networking technology, however, is still a ...
Suppliers cook up new options to serve music.(at Consumer Electronics Show)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- Multiple companies at CES are targeting the custom-installation market with a variety of upscale music servers that can be integrated with installed distributed-audio systems. The companies include the following: Escient: The company is offering its first ...
Independent A/V installers: past, present and future.(audio visual)(Panel Discussion)
Jan 06, 2005; ... NEW YORK -- For all its growth, the custom-install business is fraught with challenges for independent installers. Independents have been hammered by competition from sometimes-undercapitalized start-ups, from lighting and security installers who have encroached onto custom-A/V ...
PDAs, megapixel cameras, MP3 turning up in cellular exhibits.(personal digital assistant)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- You won't have to visit the booths of portable-audio, digital-camera, or IT suppliers to view the latest MP3 portables, digital cameras, and PDAs. Just check out the cellular booths. Here at CES, the selection of cellular phones with MP3 playback, PDA ...
Cordless looks to cellular, VoIP to grow.(voice over internet protocol)
Jan 06, 2005; ... NEW YORK -- Cordless phones are evolving. Not content to play Neanderthals wiped out by the Cro-Magnons of emerging technology, cordless makers are adapting and co-opting cellular and IP telephony, creating a series of hybrid products to stem the cordless market's decline. As a ...
Cordless phones building bridges to cellular, home security systems.(Communications)(Telecommunications equipment industry)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- Cordless phone vendors, cognizant of the success of cellular phones, have come to CES with a number of home phones that look, feel, and act like cutting-edge mobile phones, minus only the monthly subscription fee. Large color LCDs with icon-based menus, photo caller ...
Motorola cordless: room monitor, cellular bridge.(Communications)(Motorola Inc. launches new wireless telephones)(Brief Article)
Jan 06, 2005 ... LAS VEGAS -- A new series of Motorola-brand 2.4GHz digital frequency-hopping, multihandset phones includes add-on modules for cell/ land-line calling and audio/video room monitoring. The phones work with up to eight handsets and the two modules. The SD4500 series' ...
Panasonic phone taps into security system.(Communications)(Matsushita Electric Corporation of America launches security devices for home security)(Brief Article)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- A host of new technologies in Panasonic's cordless lineup includes the industry's first cordless system to control a home security system. A host of other new technologies for Panasonic includes color LCD screens, icon-based menus, photo caller ID on a 1.6-inch LCD ...
Cellular reinvents itself, spurring sales resurgence.(Communications)
Jan 06, 2005; ... NEW YORK -- The cellular industry reinvented itself in recent years, spurring a resurgence in net-new subscriber growth and handset sales. Carriers and handset makers are giving subscribers more reasons to turn in their old phones for new models sporting color screens, cameras, ...
2005 head units push DVD, removable media.(digital video disc)
Jan 06, 2005; ... After the long reign of the CD as king of the 12-volt universe, car audio is finally shifting over to DVD as an audio format. New head units from Alpine and JVC allow MP3s to be played back on DVD so that users can fit up to 8,000 songs on a shiny disc vs. 2,000 for CD. ...
Alpine unveils new OEM solutions.(Alpine Electronics Inc., original equipment manufacturers)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- Alpine's new 2005 lineup is one of the first to offer special OEM integration solutions, including the ability to work with vehicles that have existing screen-based OEM systems, the company announced. Alpine's new V-Hub module enables all Alpine Ai-net products to ...
Video suppliers aim to beat OEM competition.(original equipment manufacturers)
Jan 06, 2005; ... LAS VEGAS -- Mobile video suppliers are fighting back against OEM competition and declining prices by moving into the high end of the market, where OEMs are unable to compete and margins are strong. This year, expect to see a broader range of 15-inch and 17-inch overhead ...