Xbox TV update arrives

REDMOND, Wash. Dec. 4, 2011- A revolution is happening in the living room. Xbox 360 is transforming how you enjoy TV entertainment and is giving you the power to control it with your voice. The next generation of TV entertainment begins with the announcement by Microsoft Corp. of the launch of an all-new Xbox 360 experience including the first group of new, custom applications from world leading TV and entertainment content providers on Xbox LIVE.

“A new era in entertainment begins where all your entertainment is together in one place — your games, movies, TV shows, music and sports,” said Don Mattrick, president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “With this update, Xbox 360 system owners will experience Kinect voice control integrated with Bing search, making your TV and entertainment experiences more social and personal than ever.”

Microsoft has just built and delivered it: A single box that ties together all the content you want, made easily accessible through a universal, natural, voice-directed search. This is now the benchmark against which all other living room initiatives should be compared,” said James McQuivey of Forrester Research in “Engaged TV: Xbox 360 Leads The Way To A New Video Product Experience,”* Sunday, Dec. 4. “…with more than 57 million people worldwide already sitting on a box that’s about to be upgraded for free, Microsoft has not only built the right experience, it has ensured that it will spread quickly and with devastating effect.”

Demand for Smart TVs "nearly double" that for 3DTVs

Parks Associates Research Shows Consumer Interest in TVs with Built-in Internet Connectivity Nearly Doubles Interest in 3D TVs
One in five U.S. broadband households intends to purchase a new flat-panel TV before the end of 2011, making it the most popular CE product this holiday season, according to new consumer research from Parks Associates. Among households intending to purchase a flat-panel TV, 73% plan to select a set with advanced features such as 3D capabilities or built-in Internet connectivity, but the demand for smart TVs (sets that connect to the Internet) is nearly twice the demand for 3D TVs.
“Smart TVs are now pushing into the mainstream, whereas previously smart-TV buyers were largely early adopters and those from high-income households,” said Kurt Scherf, VP, principal analyst, Parks Associates. “The combination of a maturing product ecosystem with great holiday deals is putting smart TVs within the reach of the American middle class.”
The firm’s Consumer Decision Process: Holiday Intentions study reports middle-class households with annual incomes of $50,000-$75,000 are responsible for the spike in smart-TV purchase intentions. Twenty percent of middle-income households intend to purchase smart TVs this holiday season, compared to only 12% of households with incomes above $75,000.
While solid consumer interest in smart TVs may be good news for equipment manufacturers, increasing consumer access to over-the-top (OTT) video content, through sites such as YouTube, is worrisome for pay-TV providers. According to the report, consumers who intend to purchase a smart TV this holiday season are also more likely than average pay-TV subscribers to cancel or downgrade their pay-TV service within the next 12 months.
“Smart TVs expand a household's available content choices without raising content costs,” Scherfsaid. “Consumers pay a premium for the device now, but our research indicates these purchases could be part of a long-term plan for many budget-conscious households to reduce their overall expenditures.”
Parks Associates will present “Smart TV 2012 Outlook” at CONNECTIONS™ Summit at CES on Tuesday, January 10, 2012. Parks Associates analysts and speakers from Rovi Corporation, LG Electronics, Best Buy, and LEVEL Studios will discuss television's evolving role as the foundation of the connected home and its influence on the in-home entertainment/information experience.
For more information, visit www.parksassociates.com or contact sales@parksassociates.com, 972-490-1113.

About Parks Associates: Parks Associates is an internationally recognized market research and consulting company specializing in emerging consumer technology products and services. Founded in 1986, Parks Associates creates research capital for companies ranging from Fortune 500 to small start-ups through market reports, primary studies, consumer research, custom research, workshops, executive conferences, and annual service subscriptions.
The company's expertise includes digital media and platforms, entertainment and gaming, home networks, Internet and television services, digital health, mobile applications and services, support services, consumer apps, advanced advertising, consumer electronics, energy management, and home control systems and security.
Each year, Parks Associates hosts industry webcasts, the CONNECTIONS™ Conference Series, and Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer.

More Connected Devices in the Home and On the Go, Easier Access to Content and a Desire for In-Car Connectivity Set to Take Center Stage at Upcoming CES

IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 9, 2011-
News Highlights 
• More than one-third of survey respondents experience "connectivity withdrawal" when away from technology. 
• More devices than ever are competing for wireless connections in the home. Nearly four times as many respondents have six or more wireless devices today than just two years ago. 
• Two-thirds of respondents said they would stream video content to multiple wireless devices if their cable or satellite provider offered the service. 
• Almost 90 percent of respondents would prefer to connect devices like digital music players to stereo systems wirelessly rather than using a cable. 
• Navigation systems, driver safety features and online entertainment are top considerations for automotive purchases.

Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM), a global innovation leader in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications, today unveiled the results of a new consumer poll conducted by JZ Analytics, demonstrating an increased appetite for seamless and pervasive connections. 
The November 2011 poll of 1,025 consumers explored technology trends on the go, in the home, and on the road and revealed details of consumers' desire for a more connected lifestyle. In response to increasing consumer demands, connectivity technologies are set to feature prominently at the upcoming 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show to be held January 10-13 in Las Vegas. 
Connecting in the Home
Multi-screen home entertainment is becoming a reality with the benefit of technologies and standards such as Transcoding, DLNA, Wi-Fi, MoCA and Powerline Networking. Based on survey findings:

• Consuming online video: Two-thirds of people surveyed say they watch more than two videos a day (68 percent), while a quarter say they watch at least five videos a day (24 percent). 
• Consuming overall digital content: 87 percent estimated that they consume more than 10 hours a week of digital content. More than half of all respondents (54 percent) consume more than 20 hours a week. 
• Multi-screen entertainment in the home: Almost two-thirds (62 percent) said they would stream content that can normally only be watched on their TV to wireless devices such as laptops, smartphones or tablet PCs throughout the home should their cable or satellite provider offer the service. 
• Connected televisions: Two-thirds (67 percent) are more likely to purchase a new HDTV that can easily connect directly to wireless devices such as smartphones, tablets or laptop PCs and the internet vs. one that cannot.

Connecting on the Go
Consumers are connecting more devices to the Internet and to other devices than ever before, and want to spend less time configuring those connections and more time enjoying them. Consumers are demanding seamless, pervasive connectivity — something that will be possible with new technologies such as 802.11ac and Wi-Fi Direct. Based on survey findings:
• "Connectivity withdrawal": Demonstrating the importance of connectivity in people's lives, the survey explored the notion of "connectivity withdrawal" — the feeling of stress or anticipation of not being able to get online with a mobile phone, laptop or tablet. 35 percent said they've suffered from connectivity withdrawal, while 30 percent said it happens at least once a week. 

 • Configuring wireless connections: More than a quarter of those surveyed said that they've had to wirelessly configure and connect a device in the last month (28 percent). Less than half (46 percent) found the experience a pleasant one, so there's room for simpler connectivity technology. 
• Consuming content on the go: Of those who own a capable mobile device, one-third (32 percent) say they consume more than 10 hours of content a week while on the go, and more than half (51 percent) say they consume more than five hours a week.

• Number of wireless devices people own: 22 percent of those surveyed claimed to have six or more wireless devices in their homes. When asked to compare that to just a couple of years ago, the change was staggering. The percentage of people with six or more devices has almost quadrupled in the last three years (then = 6 percent). 

Connecting on the Road
Consumer demand for entertainment and safety features in vehicles is high, increasing the need for auto makers to include more complex networks in cars they produce. Ethernet technology is set to become the standard for in-car connectivity to help address consumer needs while reducing cost, complexity and weight. Based on survey findings:
• Importance of features in vehicle purchasing decisions (percentage ranking as important / not important / unsure): 
o Driver safety features such as automated collision avoidance: 70% 
o Navigation system, GPS: 69% 
o Real-time access to traffic reports, other downloaded data: 52% 
o Easy attachment point for iPod or other MP3 player: 50% 
o Easy attachment for smartphone or tablet: 43% 
o Surround view park assist: 41% 
o Automated park assist system: 35% 
o Infotainment (Rear-seat entertainment, etc.): 33% 
o Internet access: 31% 

About Broadcom 
Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM), a FORTUNE 500® company, is a global leader and innovator in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications. Broadcom® products seamlessly deliver voice, video, data and multimedia connectivity in the home, office and mobile environments. With the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-a-chip and embedded software solutions, Broadcom is changing the world by connecting everything®. For more information, go to www.broadcom.com.
Broadcom®, the pulse logo, Connecting everything®, and the Connecting everything logo are among the trademarks of Broadcom Corporation and/or its affiliates in the United States, certain other countries and/or the EU. Any other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

Rovi and Pace to Deliver Integrated Hybrid IP Solution 
Solution Helps Streamline Service Provider Migration to Next-Generation Architecture 

Santa Clara, Calif. - 12/1/2011-Rovi Corporation (NASDAQ: ROVI) and Pace plc, a leading developer of products and services for broadband and broadcast operators, today announced that they are combining respective strengths in applications and service platforms, and in hardware and middleware, to jointly develop an integrated hybrid Internet Protocol (IP) solution. The new solution, targeted to be available in the USA, Canada, and Latin America, will be designed to help service providers develop and deliver new, advanced subscriber services that allow them to differentiate themselves in the marketplace.
Pace and Rovi expect to design the joint solution to utilize Pace’s hybrid video gateway platforms, and to feature a new Rovi TotalGuide search and discovery platform based on a customizable application and service framework. The joint solution is expected to use standard web technologies like HTML 5 and be powered by Rovi Cloud Services.
The solution will be designed to integrate easily with the existing cable ecosystem in the Americas. As both Rovi and Pace technologies are already widely deployed in the pay TV industry, the new solution is expected to build on their existing infrastructures, accelerating service providers’ time-to-market and the speed at which they can transition to cloud-based services.
“Our complementary products and broad footprints put Pace and Rovi in a strong position to launch a solution that can help service providers successfully compete in a rapidly shifting entertainment marketplace,” said Mike Pulli, President, Pace Americas. “Together, we intend to give service providers the tools to offer their users a superior entertainment experience and flexible service platform, helping them to make sure that their services can really stand out in the market, and be adapted quickly to support the latest consumer trends and opportunities.”
The combined solution will be designed with the goal of giving service providers control over how and when they innovate and develop their cloud-based services. It is expected to incorporate Pace’s advanced hybrid video gateway devices, which offer service providers unparalleled performance, reliability and flexibility for delivering next generation broadcast and IP entertainment services. Working with the Pace gateways and middleware, the Rovi TotalGuide experience is expected to be entirely rendered in an embedded browser. Such an implementation could enable fast customization and service additions, as well as delivering a consistent experience across multiple devices, from TVs to smartphones and tablets.
“As a market leader in gateways and set-top boxes, Pace is an ideal collaborator to help develop a solution that is compatible with the current infrastructure, while also providing the customization capabilities service providers need to deliver distinct offerings,” said Corey Ferengul, EVP Products at Rovi Corporation. “We believe the flexibility, ease, and technological power of our planned hybrid solution holds great promise for service providers and for consumers, who can ultimately benefit from a richer palette of entertainment features and capabilities.”

About Pace plc
Pace (LSE: PIC) creates technologies, software, hardware and services for the broadcast and broadband industries. Pace solutions empower cable, telco and satellite operators to simply and cost-effectively innovate at the speed they want, in the way they want for their subscribers. Pace has built up its experience and expertise over 25 years and this is recognized by a customer base of over 160 operators around the globe.
Headquartered in the UK, Pace operates in markets across the world, and employs around 2300 people in locations that also include the USA, France, India and China. 
About Rovi Corporation
Rovi Corporation is focused on revolutionizing the digital entertainment landscape by delivering solutions that enable consumers to intuitively connect to new entertainment from many sources and locations. The company also provides extensive entertainment discovery solutions for television, movies, music and photos to its customers in the consumer electronics, cable and satellite, entertainment and online distribution markets. These solutions, complemented by industry leading entertainment data, create the connections between people and technology, and enable them to discover and manage entertainment in an enjoyable form.
Rovi holds approximately 5,100 issued or pending patents worldwide and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, with numerous offices across the United States and around the world including Japan, China, Luxembourg, and the United Kingdom. More information about Rovi can be found at http://www.rovicorp.com/.