Wi-Fi Enabled Televisions Among Highest Growth of New Product Introduction

SOAWorld Magazine has posted a fascinating article about the “1H09 Wi-Fi Products Tracker Database” directory:

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the “1H09 Wi-Fi Products Tracker Database” directory to their offering.

The Wi-Fi Products Tracker Database provides summary data of branded WLAN end-products by product name, vendor, 802.11 technology, category, and subcategory in pivot-tables for quick analysis of trends. Detailed data is provided for in-depth analysis of product releases from 2007 to 1H09

Wi-Fi Connectivity Becoming Pervasive on Devices. Over 1000 New Wi-Fi Products Are Launched in 2008

Wi-Fi enabled products continue to proliferate across nearly all categories, including computing, networking, consumer electronics and mobile devices. Over 1,000 new products were launched with Wi-Fi in 2008; 2009 promises to surpass that mark, reports this latest report.

Among the key growth areas is stationary consumer electronics (CE) devices with Wi-Fi. Stationary CE devices include products that require access to a power source, such as televisions and digital photo frames. In 2008, manufacturers introduced nearly 100 new Wi-Fi enabled stationary CE products, up from 22 in 2007. Introductions are increasing in 2009, with over 55 in the first half of 2009.

Digital photo frames and digital audio players with Wi-Fi were among the key device types to see a surge in product introductions in 2008 compared to 2007. In 2009, Wi-Fi enabled digital televisions are among the highest growth of new product introductions for stationary CE devices. Philips consumer electronics was among the most aggressive competitors, pushing an array of new Wi-Fi-equipped digital audio players and digital TVs. In the digital photo frame category, adoption of Wi-Fi in 2008 new product introductions was broad-based across 17 different competitors

Recent research found the following:

Hewlett Packard had the most Wi-Fi enabled new product introductions of any manufacturer in 2008, and nearly tripled their new product introductions in 2008 compared to 2007.
Cisco leads the market in first half of 2009 with 802.11n-enabled product introductions overall. Samsung electronics leads market in 802.11n consumer electronics.
802.11 b/g solutions are still the dominant Wi-Fi technology in new product introductions in 2008. However, 802.11 Draft n 2.0 solutions are gaining rapidly, and are expected to become the most popular Wi-Fi technology across most product categories by the end of 2009.
Philips, looking to grab a market leadership position in Internet-enabled television sets, released more Wi-Fi enabled television sets than the rest of the market combined.

Recent research, 1H09 Wi-Fi Products Database is part of the new “Wi-Fi Product Database”. The database provides detailed tracking of the progression of Wi-Fi adoption in computing, consumer electronics, mobile phones and other electronic devices that are announced.

The database includes a detailed log of branded WLAN end-products by product name, vendor, 802.11 technology, product category, and subcategory. The data is provided in formatted pivot-tables for analysis of technology and product trends, as well as competitors.

In-Stat Says Digital Photo Frame Market Will Get Connected

A recent post on NewsBlaze.com predicts – and rightly so, in my opinion – that prices for wireless digital photo frames will continue to go down, and that people are falling in love with their wireless frames and learning to use them for many different purposes!

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – (BUSINESS WIRE) – The market for digital photo frames has taken-off, particularly since prices dropped to affordable levels in the first half of 2009, reports In-Stat (http://www.in-stat.com). However, due to difficult economic conditions and the trend to purchase digital photo frames as gifts pre-loaded with pictures, most units shipped still lack advanced features such as wireless connectivity to the Internet. Nevertheless, wireless-enabled photo frames are a key growth driver as they will grow at twice the rate of overall digital photo frames in 2010.

“Prices for connected frames will continue to decline, and as manufacturers educate consumers about these devices; the mass market will become more comfortable using the Internet services connected frames support,” says Stephanie Ethier, In-Stat analyst. “Applications such as sharing and downloading pictures over the Internet, as well as streaming Internet radio and video from online sites like YouTube, are expected to be primary drivers.”

Recent research by In-Stat found the following:

• Worldwide unit shipments of all digital photo frames are expected to reach 50 million by 2013.
• Nearly 60% of US respondents to In-Stat’s consumer survey identified integrated wireless connectivity as a desired feature on their next digital photo frame purchase.
• The total silicon opportunity for digital photo frame suppliers will exceed $550 million by 2013. Microcontrollers comprise the largest opportunity in non-wireless enabled devices.
• The bill of materials for a wireless 8-inch digital photo frame will fall below US$36 by 2013; the LCD, the wireless module and the enclosure are the dominant cost items.

The research, “Wi-Fi Represents Strongest Opportunity in Global Connected Digital Photo Frame Market” (#IN0904506ID), covers the worldwide market for wireless digital photo frames. It includes:

• Forecasts of digital photo frame unit sales and revenue (connected and non-connected) by functionality segment through 2013.
• Forecasts of average selling prices and bill of materials for digital photo frames through 2013.
• Total available market forecast for components and silicon through 2013.
• Analysis of a US consumer survey regarding digital frames.
• Profiles of digital photo frame vendors and silicon vendors including: HP, Kodak, Pandigital, Philips, Samsung, Sony, RMI Corporation, Marvell Technology Group, and Samsung Electronics.

About In-Stat

In-Stat’s market intelligence combines technical, market and end-user research and database models to analyze the Mobile Internet and Digital Entertainment ecosystems. Our insights are derived from a deep understanding of technology impacts, nearly 30 years of history in research and consulting, and direct relationships with leading players in each of our core markets. In-Stat provides its research through reports, annual subscriptions, consulting and advisory services to inform critical decisions.

In-Stat
Stephanie Ethier, Senior Analyst
781-879-3282
stephanie.ethier@reedbusiness.com
or
Elaine Potter, Marketing Coordinator
480-483-4441
epotter@reedbusiness.com

FrameChannel for the Holidays: Samsung’s New Line of Digital Photo Frame Processors

Antone Gonsalves of Information Week wrote the following article about Samsung’s new line of digital photo frame processors:

Samsung Electronics on Monday introduced a line of processors designed for digital photo frames, which some analysts say are starting to catch on with consumers.

The S5L2010 series, which Samsung plans to show off at the Consumer Electronics Show next month in Las Vegas, decode video and audio in a variety of multimedia formats, including MPEG-1/2/4, Xvid, Motion JPEG, MP3, WMA, OGG, and AAC. In addition, the system-on-a-chip, which is built on an ARM9 core, provides the platform for developers to build and run software.

Additional features include technology for touch-screen control, booting from a NAND flash device, and audio and TV output. The display controller on the system-on-a-chip supports either an analog or digital LCD screen.

Samsung is sending samples of the S5L2010 series to photo-frame manufacturers. The company expects to go into mass production in the first quarter of next year. Pricing was not disclosed.

While it has taken time for digital photo frames to win over consumers, the market to support them has begun to heat up. Global shipments are expected to increase to 22.7 million units this year, up by 58.8% from last year, according to researcher iSuppli. The devices were introduced in 2005.

Manufacturers include Eastman Kodak (NYSE: EK), which in September introduced an ultrathin wireless digital photo frame with a 7.6-inch LED, or light-emitting diode, screen that Kodak claims has greater color depth and saturation than the more common LCDs, or liquid crystal displays.

The frame, however, was pricey at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $990. Basic 7-inch digital photo frames, which don’t have Wi-Fi support, are available onAmazon (NSDQ: AMZN) for as little as $50. Other frame makers include Philips, Polaroid, Sony (NYSE: SNE), and Westinghouse.

Samsung wireless photo frames are FrameChannel-compatible, which puts them on my list of superior wireless picture frames.

Manufacturers of wireless frames are realizing that people want FrameChannel, and more and more wireless frames are being made with FrameChannel built right in.

Which is exactly as it should be!

Ten Questions for: Harry Wang, Parks Associates

Harry Wang of Parks Associates is out ahead of the pack. He’s one of the only market analyst/researcher who is paying close attention to the emerging wireless digital picture frame market. Since he’s as expert as anyone on what’s happening in the market, and where it’s heading, we approached him for the first in what we plan to be a regular monthly interview feature. We thank him for giving us some time from his busy schedule.

1. What percentage of that figure do you expect to be wireless-enabled?
I am in the process of revising of my forecast, so in 2010 digital picture frame (DPF) shipments worldwide might be revised upward as many positive developments are taking place in the market right now. Wireless will be a standard feature by then — much like Wi-Fi in today’s notebook computers. Wireless features will be supported by a variety of protocols including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or wireless USB. But it will take time for the market to reach this saturation level and my view is that before mid-2008, the market will still be dominated by non-wireless photo frames.
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