avzombie.com

Will today’s launch of Grand Theft Auto IV upset the console war applecart? The franchise has long been a Sony exclusive, but GTA4 arrives on both the Xbox 360 and PS3 simultaneously, prompting a bonanza of system-bundling for games buyers. Both makers have their eye on wooing slow-moving PS2 players to their next-gen platforms. Scott [...]

[Read more →]

Panasonic continues to look strong despite the gloomy global economic climate. According to its latest financial statement, company profits jumped 30 per cent over the last fiscal year, to 281.88 billion yen from 217.19 billion yen, even though sales were down slightly (9.069 trillion yen from 9.108 trillion), a consequence of its separation from errant [...]

[Read more →]

Shares in Panasonic parent Matsushita soared after a rumour circulated that the consumer electronics giant was considering an investment in and eventual merger with, ailing rival Sanyo Electric. Both companies were quick to calm the market, issuing statements that the scuttlebutt was incorrect. Perhaps too quick…

[Read more →]

JVC is to shutter its TV production facility in Scotland as part of its global restructuring campaign. JVC Manufacturing UK LTD (JMUK) employs 300 staff and has been making TVs (originally CRT then LCD) since 1987, for both the UK and European markets. It will cease production at the end of July and initiate company liquidation procedures around September.

[Read more →]

Samsung is to challenge old rival Panasonic in the race to launch the first dedicated BD Live Blu-ray player. The two companies first went head-to-head in the global rush to release a dedicated player, and now they’re competing again to introduce players compatible with both Bonus View (Profile 1.1) and BD Live (profile 2). Panasonic [...]

[Read more →]

Not very, if a new report from Bernstein Research is to be believed. The company says that Blu-ray will achieve 25 per cent penetration in US homes in just three years, predictably fueled by a drop in the cost of individual Blu-ray discs and a reduction in dedicated player prices. Yet while Bernstein calculates that [...]

[Read more →]

According to data released by the Consumer Electronics Association, the average American has spent just over 1,400 dollars on consumer electronics over the past 12 months. Its annual Household CE Ownership and Market Potential Study reveals that the money has mainly been spent on flatscreen TVs. The average number of CE products owned per American [...]

[Read more →]

Philips may have divested itself of its set-top business, selling its STB and Connected Solutions divisions to Pace Micro Technology, but it’s still got a vested interest in the sector. As part of the deal, Philips has acquired 64.5 million Pace shares, giving it a 21.6 per cent stake in the company. The deal makes [...]

[Read more →]