When northeast Japan was hit by tsunami following a devastating earthquake two weeks ago, we provided an account of the direct impact suffered by Japanese consumer electronics companies including Sony, Panasonic and Toshiba. However, a fortnight later more details have emerged regarding the potential disruption to the supply chain of flat-screen LCD HDTV production – affecting even non-Japanese manufacturers – ... Read More »

Freesat, the UK free-to-air (FTA) digital satellite TV platform backed by BBC and ITV, has received a timely boost in terms of DVR (digital video recorder) support from hardware manufacturers. Korean conglomerate Samsung and American firm EchoStar have both unveiled personal video recorders (PVRs) equipped with Freesat HD tuners this week. The Samsung SMT-S7800 is – surprisingly – the company’s ... Read More »

Lakeside Shopping Centre, the popular out-of-town retail complex located in Thurrock, will see its first Panasonic store open this coming weekend. Owned by the HCS (Home Cinema Store) Group which boasts brick-and-mortar (in Romford and Basildon) as well as online (MultizoneAV.com) presence, the new shop can be found on level two within a stone’s throw away from House of Fraser. ... Read More »

North America is no longer the largest market for sales of LCD TV displays in the world. The throne now belongs to China, according to the most recent data from Korean market research and consulting firm Displaybank. Within the Chinese LCD television market, LED-backlit models enjoyed healthy growth last year, but shipment of 3D-capable sets remained sluggish. Each month, Seoul-headquartered ... Read More »

As a TV brand, Mitsubishi hardly has any presence on the high street in the United Kingdom, but it has come to our attention that the manufacturer is officially withdrawing from the global flat-panel LCD TV market this year. The Japanese corporation’s US subsidiary announced last week that it is restructuring its TV business and workforce to concentrate on producing ... Read More »