Paul Gray – Director, European TV Research, DisplaySearch

IFA’s first press day saw the official launch of the 50th IFA and press events from Panasonic and Sony.  As usual, they approached their communication in their own styles: Sony provided World Cup goals, Howard Stringer and a live performance by Lang Lang; Panasonic was heavier on product and technology.
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Paul Gray – Director, European TV Research, DisplaySearch

The surprise announcement that Trident intends to license its motion detection patents raises questions on the company’s intentions.

These patents are fundamental to the operation of many 120 Hz or 240 Hz frame rate conversion (FRC) systems in the market, although there are alternatives:  read more…

By Paul Gagnon – Director, North American TV Research, DisplaySearch

Apple announced an update to its Apple TV product, which has been referred to as one of Steve Jobs’s hobbies. It will now be 1/4 the size of the previous generation, and 1/3 the price at $99. With no local storage, everything is streamed to the device via wired Ethernet or built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi. It has the requisite HDMI output along with optical audio and USB, and since the power supply is integrated, there’s no power brick either.
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By Deborah Yang – Research Director, Monitor & TV, DisplaySearch

On August 20 2010 AUO and Wistron announced the establishment of a joint venture for  TFT LCD panel module manufacturing in Zhongshan, China. Total investment in the JV, tentatively named Zhongshan BriVision Optronics Corporation, is expected to be limited to $10 million; AUO will own 51% and Wistron will hold 49%.
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By Paul Semenza – Senior Vice President, Analyst Services, DisplaySearch

This week saw two deals involving Asian manufacturers investing in venture-backed Silicon Valley companies that have been developing advanced materials applicable to displays and solar cells, among other applications. Both of these companies have been in business for a decade or more, raised tens of millions of dollars, and amassed large patent portfolios, and have also lived through the “hype cycle” surrounding the printable electronics and nanomaterials segments.
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