How TV Makers Are Selling the Idea of 3-D at Home

Maret 30, 2010 — aboen

THE consumer electronics world thrives on the latest new thing. And this year that would be 3-D. It was once considered a quirky technology gone nowhere, but, because of the popularity of “Avatar,” television makers now are racing to bring multidimensional viewing to the living room.



A scene from a Samsung commercial for its 3-D television set.

Samsung Electronics is introducing 15 3-D television models with a live-action three-dimensional commercial created by the same technical production company that made “Avatar,” James Cameron’s popular film.

And just like the 1950s when the technology was popular in the country’s theaters, special spectacles — which look nothing like the paper versions but come at an additional price — are required for the full visual experience.

But for all the razzle-dazzle, Samsung knows that, with hefty price tags, consumers need to feel they are not buying into a one-off phenomenon. So the company has worked with DreamWorks Animation and the pop band Black Eyed Peas, and is talking to Hollywood studios and other companies about creating and providing 3-D content for home viewing.

TV manufacturers are betting on 3-D. There are forecasts that consumers will buy 3.5 million to 4 million such sets, or about 10 percent of all United States television sales, this year. But that may be optimistic. Different and incompatible technologies mean that one maker’s glasses, for example, cannot be used on another’s television model.

“The glasses go for a premium — around $150 — which means it’s costly, for example, to have a few people over for a Super Bowl party, unless it’s ‘bring your own compatible spectacles,’ ” said Ross Rubin, an analyst for NPD Group, a market research firm.

Tim Baxter, president of Samsung Electronics America, said that electronics companies were working to come up with a single standard, but he conceded that it would not happen immediately. Even so, he said that Samsung executives believed that 3-D technology was ushering in an era where “there will be less passive sitting back and watching television, and a more immersive, interactive experience.”

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He said that the high-definition TVs, which can be switched from 2-D to 3-D with the push of a button, built on Samsung’s previous experience with such technology. Its research found that more than 90 percent of United States consumers were aware of the technology, but fewer than a third had experienced it.

“We’ve already sold a couple of thousand units in less than two weeks,” Mr. Baxter said. The first two models — the 46-inch and 55-inch — are now in stores, and the remaining sets will be available in the next 60 days, he said. The best seller is the wider model, he said, because “early adopters gravitate toward the bigger screen.”

Panasonic also has introduced its 3-D products and sent a fleet of tractor trailers on a tour to acquaint consumers with the technology. This month, LG Electronics began promoting its new Infinia series of televisions, which feature 3-D. The 30-second spots, created by Young & Rubicam, part of WPP, are appearing during the N.C.A.A. basketball tournament on CBS.

LG’s 3-D televisions will be in stores in May or June, the company said. Sony’s 3-D products will be available in June.

Samsung is spending about $100 million this year on marketing and advertising its 3-D products. That included promoting its 3-D line with a Black Eyed Peas concert in Times Square on March 10.

For its signature advertising spot, Samsung hired the Oscar-winning cinematographer Mauro Fiore, who used the fusion 3-D camera technology that was employed to make “Avatar.” The 30-second commercial, called “Dedicated to Wonder,” was created by Chicago’s Leo Burnett agency, part of the Publicis Groupe.

The commercial shows a family at the wall of a huge aquarium. The father reaches over and, using his finger, carves out a block of the water — manta rays, fish and all — then transports it home and places it inside the Samsung 3-D television. As the family settles in on the sofa, a manta ray swims out of the television.

“It’s so real that the family’s little boy reaches out to touch it,” said Bob Price, Leo Burnett’s creative director. A 15-second snippet of the commercial was shown during this year’s Academy Awards telecast. The full campaign began on March 21, with ads scheduled to run in a number of prime-time programs. The ads will also appear on cable, and a print version will run in Architectural Digest, Entertainment Weekly and ESPN magazines, among other titles.

Peggy Ang, Samsung’s marketing director, said the company would advertise online at entertainment and sports sites and was looking at gaming sites. Samsung is on Facebook also and had 130,000 page views immediately after its Academy Awards spot, she said. Samsung also plans to advertise in Imax theaters and in conventional theaters before 3-D movies.

Samsung is pursuing partnerships with film studios, cable networks and others to supply content, Ms. Ang said, but she predicted that “3-D content will proliferate because industry sees the potential for it.”

Anthony Chukumba, an analyst for BB&T Capital Markets, said the increased offerings, like ESPN’s 3-D broadcast of World Cup soccer in June, DirectTV and Discovery’s planned channels, as well as more 3-D movies and video games, would increase consumer awareness.

“The fact that these are also 2-D televisions also means that if you are looking to buy a television, you may want to future-proof by purchasing 3-D and wait for the content to catch up,” he said.

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On Sunday, Samsung introduced a second commercial that showcases the DreamWorks animated film “Monsters vs. Aliens.” Under the arrangement, Samsung can include a 3-D copy of the space-invaders-meet-weird-earthlings movie along with a Blu-ray player and set of 3-D glasses that are bundled in a separate “starter-kit” package.

The studio also will convert its “Shrek” movies to 3-D, including the fourth installment that is scheduled to be released in May. DreamWorks has agreed to let Samsung include 3-D “Shrek” versions as part of its promotional bundle.

The offers will be part of a national in-store marketing program, with 5,000 kiosks available for prospective buyers to sample 3-D. The 3-D line includes LED, plasma and LCD models, with the 46-inch model selling for $2,600, and 55-inch model for $3,300. The bundle, which includes two pairs of active-shutter glasses and a 3-D DVD, costs an additional $350.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/business/media/30adco.html?ref=technology#

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Governor, lawmakers agree to early budget package

Maret 30, 2010 — aboen

Reporting from Sacramento — After weeks of bickering over how to cut the deficit-ridden budget, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and lawmakers agreed Monday to trim $1.1 billion from mass transit but give new tax breaks to home buyers and green-technology companies.

The governor, who signed part of the package into law Monday evening, said the tax incentives — which could add to the budget woes — are crucial to the state’s economic recovery.

“The package of bills as written will provide significant benefit to the state’s general fund and will help put Californians back to work,” he said in a statement. He expects to sign the rest of the package later in the week.

The linchpin of the legislation is the tax credit of up to $10,000 for first-time home buyers and those purchasing newly built homes. It would take effect May 1.

Another element of the package would allow companies that buy green-technology manufacturing equipment to avoid sales tax on those purchases for 10 years. It would start immediately.

The agreement came after Schwarzenegger announced last week that he would not approve the transit-reduction package that the ruling Democrats pushed through the Legislature. The governor pressed for deeper cuts and cited lawmakers’ failure “to take meaningful steps to stimulate job creation.”

With the tax breaks in place, the governor changed direction, approving the plan to divert $1.1 billion from mass transit to pay down the deficit, which is estimated at $20 billion.

To get at the money, lawmakers and the governor are rewriting gasoline-tax laws, swapping a levy that state law designates for mass transit with a tax that can be directed to closing the deficit.

The plan preserved more than $400 million in the budget for bus and rail systems, at the insistence of Democrats. Schwarzenegger had initially pushed to eliminate state funding for mass transit entirely.

Many local transit agencies are supporting the compromise.

“This is probably just about the best we can do right now,” said Jane Reifer, who chairs Transit Advocates of Orange County.

Monday’s deal marks the first dent Sacramento has made in California’s deficit. Schwarzenegger vetoed earlier legislation that Democrats said would have cut more than $2 billion more from the budget. The governor said the plan relied on unrealistic assumptions and ultimately would not save the state as much as the Democrats claimed.

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) has called the early-year budget actions a “down payment” on the deficit. Lawmakers have largely avoided the politically sticky task of slicing away at education, health and human services so far this year, hoping an improved economy and help from Washington will shrink the deficit to a more manageable size.

The tax break for home buyers won’t help with that task. Lawmakers are setting aside $200 million to pay for it. Buyers can receive 5% of a home purchase price back as a state tax credit, up to $10,000, as long they reside there for two years.

A similar program that passed last year was wildly popular. Buyers snatched up all $100 million in available credits within months.

The green-technology credit approved Monday passed unanimously in both houses — a rare feat in the fractious Capitol — and lawmakers hailed it as an important investment in California’s burgeoning green industry.

“It will create jobs,” said Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield (D-Woodland Hills).

There is no cap on the green credits, which worries some activists.

“They absolutely should have a cap on there,” said Lenny Goldberg, executive director of the California Tax Reform Assn. “You don’t know how it’s going to be used and misused.”

shane.goldmacher @latimes.com
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/22/local/la-me-budget23-2010mar23

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UFC 111 -Return to New Jersey

Maret 28, 2010 — aboen
UFC 111

UFC 111

http://hotfile.com/dl/35015981/c188c2f/UFC.111.PPV.HDTV.XviD-KYR.part1.rar.html

http://hotfile.com/dl/35016013/436ca79/UFC.111.PPV.HDTV.XviD-KYR.part2.rar.html

http://hotfile.com/dl/35016002/fd28c37/UFC.111.PPV.HDTV.XviD-KYR.part3.rar.html

http://hotfile.com/dl/35016151/f8c22ef/UFC.111.PPV.HDTV.XviD-KYR.part4.rar.html

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Watch The Pregnancy Pact Tonight on TV

Maret 28, 2010 — aboen

About The Pregnancy Pact:
Inspired by a true story, the film explores the costs of teen pregnancy with a story of a fictional “pregnancy pact” set against the backdrop of actual news reports about teen pregnancy from June 2008. Sidney Bloom (Thora Birch), an online magazine journalist, returns to her hometown to investigate the sudden spike in teenage pregnancies at her old high school. Almost immediately, she comes up against Lorraine Dougan (Nancy Travis), the head of the local conservative values group and mother of Sara, a newly pregnant 15-year-old. Meanwhile, the school nurse (Camryn Manheim) tries to convince the school to provide contraception to students to address the pregnancy epidemic but is met with great opposition from the school and community.

As the number of pregnant girls climbs to 18, a media firestorm erupts when Time Magazine reports that the rise in the number of pregnancies at the school is the result of a “pregnancy pact.” As the mystery unfolds about whether or not “the pact” is real, Sidney soon realizes that all of the attention is disguising the much larger issues that are at the core of the story.

http://dailypostal.com/2010/03/27/watch-the-pregnancy-pact-tonight-on-tv/

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