| HIGH-DEF DISC NEWS TAGGED "PHILIPS" | Receive High-Def Disc News via RSS |  |
LG, Sharp, and Philips Working on a Smart TV App Standard
Thu Sep 08, 2011 at 12:00 PM ETTags: LG, Sharp, Philips, Smart TVs, High-Def Retailing, Industry Trends (all tags)
The set makers have released a universal SDK that will play nice with TVs from all three companies.
Just as computers have two main operating systems, less powerful devices like TVs, smartphones and set-top boxes have the choice between Android and, well, Android. Of course, they could always make their own proprietary OS, but trying to attract developers to such a limited market is a hard sell.
That's why LG, Sharp, and Philips have decided to work together on a standard that would work across all their platforms. By sharing one standard, they'll have a much easier time wooing developers. After all, making an app for three brands is a lot more attractive than making one for a single brand.
"This cooperation is nothing less than a watershed in the brief history of Smart TVs," says LG president Havis Kwon. "By working in partnership with two innovators in TVs, we've taken a major step towards creating an app market every bit as inventive and dynamic as the one that exists for smartphones."
Source: Engadget
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
Philips Sells its HDTV Business to TPV Technology
Tue Apr 19, 2011 at 10:00 AM ETTags: Philips (all tags)
Philips will retain a 30 percent stake in the TV division and will receive royalty payments of $70 million a year.
On April 1st of this year - less than three weeks ago - a guy named Frans van Houten was made CEO of Philips. He promised that the continuously unprofitable TV business would be first on his list for things to fix and he didn't disappoint. Van Houten has a solution.
That solution is to sell off a majority of the Philips TV business to a Hong Kong based manufacturer called TPV Technology. All 4,000 Philips employees will be moving to TPV, so at this time there will be no layoffs from that division.
Philips will retain a 30 percent share of their HDTV division and will be getting a bit of cash for each set sold as well as around $70 million a year in royalty payments. Not a bad start for Mr. van Houten.
Source: Endgadget
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
Philips TV Business Will Lose As Much as $169 Million
Wed Mar 30, 2011 at 12:00 PM ETTags: Philips, Industry Trends (all tags)
Things are looking bad for Philips, but those in charge say that they'll be taking clear action.
Philips is one of very few European TV companies, but things aren't looking good for the brand. The company is set to announce losses of up to $165 million dollars this year - matching the losses made last year.
Gerard Kleisterlee has been the CEO of Philips for the last ten years, but he'll be stepping down this week. Frans van Houten will be taking his place and "taking clear steps" to improve the business.
Television sales make up around a third of the revenue generated by the consumer lifestyle division at Philips, so while a loss in the TV division isn't the end of the world it's still a very big part of the business. Yearly, that's over four billion dollars.
Source: Bloomberg
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
Philips Announces World's First Wireless HDMI Blu-ray Player
Tue Jan 11, 2011 at 12:00 PM ETTags: Philips, Wireless HDMI, Blu-ray Players (all tags)
The only cord you'll use on the BDP7580 is the power cord.
One of the most interesting Blu-ray players to come out of CES 2011 wasn't from one of the companies you'd expect, like Samsung, Sony or Panasonic. It came out of Philips, a subsidiary of Funai.
The BDP7580 is the first ever Blu-ray player to boasts wireless HDMI capabilities, which allows you to connect your Blu-ray player to your TV without having to run a wire. Not only does this free up your placement options, but it helps keep the back of your set clutter-free.
The Philips BDP7580 offers plenty of streaming options as you'd expect from a player slated for a 2011 release. You can get Netflix, Blockbuster on Demand, Pandora and more. Philips doesn't specify whether or not the new Blu-ray player has wireless networking built in, but to include wireless HDMI but not Wi-Fi would be very strange indeed.
You'll be able to pick up the BDP7580 in April at a suggested price of $499.
Source: PR Newswire
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
Philips Shuts Down Its Pronto Controller Business
Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 12:00 PM ETTags: Philips (all tags)
Pronto remotes will remain available until supplies are exhausted.
There's nothing good about a business shutting down, especially when it leaves us with very little competition in the realm of higher-end universal remotes.
The Philips Pronto brand was introduced back in the 90s and while plenty of strong controllers and in-wall control panels have been brought to market, the brand just didn't perform as Philips had hoped. In 2009, Philips announced that it would be selling off Pronto.
"Following thorough research, no suitable partner was found for the acquisition of these activities," reads the official statement. "As such, Philips confirms today that it will discontinue the Pronto product line and related activities."
There's no word yet on what this means for current Pronto customers.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
Philips Takes the Cinema 21:9 Into the Third Dimension
Fri Sep 03, 2010 at 01:00 PM ETTags: Philips (all tags)
The incredibly cool set with the theatrical aspect ratio is now equipped with 3D.
It may be hard to justify the purchase of the Philips Cinema 21:9 television, since it's only practical for watching movies. Trying to view a 16:9 television show, or something broadcast in 4:3 would just feel wrong. The Philips Cinema Platinum edition doesn't solve the problem of rationalizing a one use television purchase, but it does add 3D to the mix.
Of course, the new Cinema 21:9 Platinum is a gorgeous looking television set. It sports Direct LED Pro, which kicks up the contrast to the kind of level you'd expect from a set like this. It's also got Philips ambient lighting, which can now adjust itself based on your wall colors.
The 58 inch screen, 3D capability and don't come cheap. You'll be shelling out right around $5,100 for the Cinema 21:9 Platinum, though it does come packed with two pairs of 3D glasses.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
Blockbuster On Demand Makes its Way to Philips Blu-ray Players
Fri Jul 09, 2010 at 12:00 PM ETTags: Blockbuster, Philips (all tags)
You'll start seeing the service showing up on new Philips Blu-ray players right alongside CinemaNow and Netflix.
Philips isn't a name anyone associates with high-end in the home theater world, but their latest Blu-ray players are full of features. The BDP5320 and BDP7320 can handle 1080p resolution at 24 frames per second, Netflix streaming, and now downloads from Blockbuster On Demand.
"Philips Blu-ray players," says the company's own Todd Richardson, "combined with Blockbuster On Demand, offer consumers a one-of-a-kind home theatre experience with the added convenience of not having to run out to rent a movie."
The addition of Blockbuster's download service rounds out the new players, which already include CinemaNow and Netflix. It's a big move for Philips, but it might end up being bigger for Blockbuster, who is struggling to find a foothold in the new rental landscape.
Source: PR Newswire
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
Philips OLED Mirrorwall – What a Waste of OLEDs!
Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 02:30 PM ETTags: Philips, OLED (all tags)
The good news is that Philips is ready to put OLEDs into your house. The bad news is that, well, they’re pretty pointless.
For just $15,000 per square meter, you can get dozens of OLED panels that sort of act like a mirror. “Sort of” because they don’t do a very good job of mirroring. They just sort of outline your body (or your face if you get really close) in black while the surrounding panels shine white.
Far be it from me to judge someone for their choices of lighting solutions. As I type, I’ve got the Philips amBX lighting system pulsing along to my music. I get the ambient light thing, and I get the idea of having something that’s a bit gimmicky in your home to show off. What I don’t get is why we can’t be doing something better with all those OLEDs.
If you’re into it, you can pick up a square meter for between ten and twelve thousand Euros, which comes out to around fifteen thousand dollars. If you’re just looking for a temporary setup though, you can rent the full mirror wall directly from Philips for about $15k a week.
Source: OLED-Info
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
Philips Wireless HDTV Link
Fri Oct 23, 2009 at 01:00 PM ETTags: Philips (all tags)
The latest in wireless streaming, capable of sending 1080p signals up to 75 feet, the Philips Wireless HDTV Link has officially launched.
Wireless HDMI is a much beloved idea, though the practical application tends to be either ineffective, expensive, or both. The Philips SWW1800/27, also known as the Wireless HDTV Link, certainly isn’t cheap, but it does promise strong performance.
The HDTV Link is essentially two pieces of hardware. One, a signal receiver, gets hooked in directly to your television via HDMI. It can be placed up to 75 feet away from the transmitter without any signal loss, according to Philips.
The transmitter sits with the rest of the home theater, and sends the signal to the receiver. The Philips Wireless HDTV Link features a transmitter capable of switching between four different inputs, two HDMI and two component.
Philips states that a 1080p/24 signal will suffer no degradation while being sent this way, though they’ve not stated anything about what kind of audio can be sent.
The Philips SWW1800/27 Wireless HDTV Link is available now at retailers and etailers for $799.
Source: Press Release
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
Philips Announces New Blu-ray Players
Thu Sep 10, 2009 at 11:00 AM ETTags: Philips, Product Announcements (all tags)
Berlin’s IFA expo saw the unveiling of a new flagship player from Philips.
The BDP9500, featuring a Qdeo video processor and stylish aluminum frame is set to deliver “a cinematic experience to all consumers,” says Philips.
The BDP9500’s processor helps to eliminate noise as well as enrich colors and bring depth to pictures, helped along by Burr-Brown analog to digital converters. The BDP9500 and its little brother, the BDP7500 both offer 7.1 channel analog outputs for sound and support all HD audio formats.
Philips also lifted the veil on their newest budget line player, the BDP3000. Offering standards like Full HD playback and BD Live support, the BDP3000 is geared towards customers looking to jump into Blu-ray for the first time.
Pricing and availability for these models have not yet been announced.
Source: Philips (PDF)
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
MORE HIGH-DEF DISC NEWS TAGGED "PHILIPS":
- Philips Announces New Blu-ray Players Sep 10, 2009
- Phillips Wireless HDTV Link Cleans Up the Clutter Sep 09, 2009
- Philips CinemaOne 21:9 HDTV Ad Online Jul 06, 2009
- CES: Philips Intros $349 Blu-ray Player Jan 06, 2008
» High-Def Digest home page
