Dish Network Corp. announced today that it is the first major pay-TV provider in the U.S. to integrate the Netflix app into its set-top box. With this system, available on their second generation Hopper, users can access their favorite Netflix movies and shows, such as House of Cards and Orange is the New Black. And this Netflix content resides side-by-side with “linear” TV channels.
Industry Trends
The Revolving Door for Managers at Kaleidescape… Spins Again
Imagine, if you will, working at a company serving a channel in which yours is the only significant participant with no major competitors – you own the segment. Not only that, but dealers love your product, the press sings holy hosannas over the quality and performance of your line, a major [legal] black cloud is behind you, and the future appears to be bright. Must be an idyllic existence…right?
At Kaleidescape, Inc., the industry’s most prominent brand of media servers, it appears to be an idyllic existence only if you are one of the two founders – Michael Malcolm and Cheena Srinivasan. For other top managers, the pressure must be constant, as there appears to be a spinning revolving door – or so it would seem as we learn again this week of more top managers exiting the company.
See more on this newest round of managers exiting Kaleidescape… [Read more…] about The Revolving Door for Managers at Kaleidescape… Spins Again
Thiel Says It Will Introduce New TT1 Speaker System at CES
Thiel Audio announced this week that it will introduce a new loudspeaker system – the TT1 – at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January. Calling it an “ultimate performance three-way loudspeaker,” the announcement is the first major launch since the current management team was put in place earlier this year.
But, the TTI was not a total surprise… [Read more…] about Thiel Says It Will Introduce New TT1 Speaker System at CES
‘Showrooming’ is in Decline, ‘Webrooming’ on the Rise – Favoring Brick & Mortar Retailers
New data from GfK’s annual FutureBuy survey of shoppers shows a dramatic turn in the effect of “showrooming” (shoppers looking at/picking items in stores, then buying them online) with a decided edge going to brick-and-mortar retailers. The survey tracks omni-channel shoppers – both those engaged in showrooming and those that conduct “webrooming” (shopping an item online, but then buying it in a retail store) – in 17 countries and across 15 product segments…including consumer electronics.
See the surprising results showing a significant swing in favor of retailers… [Read more…] about ‘Showrooming’ is in Decline, ‘Webrooming’ on the Rise – Favoring Brick & Mortar Retailers
Having Dumped Everything Else, Pioneer Makes Plans to Dominate Car Electronics
About the AV biz? Hoping Onkyo Keeps the Pioneer Name…
Pioneer Corporation
In a revealing interview with the Nikkei in Tokyo, Pioneer Corp. President Susumu Kotani said that Pioneer – after spending several months selling off all of its divisions other than automotive – is considering resorting to acquisitions in order to build a dominant position within its chosen market. A radical shift after months of divestiture, he makes clear that the company is preparing to move to offense, in order to build a new – and expanded – future.
See more on the company’s plans – including just what areas Pioneer is considering entering… [Read more…] about Having Dumped Everything Else, Pioneer Makes Plans to Dominate Car Electronics
Integration Industry Mourns the Passing of Crestron’s Founder
We learned this week that the Chairman and Founder of Crestron, Mr. George Feldstein, passed away after a long illness. The news hit many in the custom integration industry particularly hard, as Mr. Feldstein is widely credited with helping not just build a company…but with also fueling the growth of the entire industry.
See more on this notable passing… [Read more…] about Integration Industry Mourns the Passing of Crestron’s Founder
Economists Predict Rapid Ramp-Up in Residential Construction
We were fortunate enough to receive an invitation from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) allowing us to participate in their annual Fall Construction Forecast presentation, a webinar put on for the benefit of their members last week. Boy! Are we glad we attended! Not only did the organization offer up a roster of world-class economists with really interesting insight into what’s going on in the economy – they also offered reams of really valuable data delineating the latest trends in construction.
Their predictions were – to put it mildly – shocking! Read below to find out why…
[Read more…] about Economists Predict Rapid Ramp-Up in Residential Construction
Everything’s Fine, Says Control4; But Investors See Monsters Under the Bed
This story is being written on Halloween – hence, the “monsters” in the headline. On Thursday, Control4 released the financial results for their fiscal third quarter and held a conference call for analysts and investors. The numbers all looked good and the management team rightly crowed about their prowess. But during the Q&A session tough questions emerged…
See what had some analysts a little spooked… [Read more…] about Everything’s Fine, Says Control4; But Investors See Monsters Under the Bed
Ingram Micro’s Q3 Financials Show Sales Up; Profits Down
Ingram Micro, Inc. released the financial results for their fiscal third quarter (the period ending Sept. 27, 2014) showing generally positive results. Sales for the quarter increased to $11.2 billion, a $1 billion or 11% increase over the $10.2 billion for the same period last year. According to Ingram Micro CEO Alain Monié, the increase was due primarily to “new wins” and “strong market share.”
But while gross profits were up, gross margins, operating income, and net income were all down for the period…and that fact led us to take a closer look.
See our report below on the financial results for Ingram Micro… [Read more…] about Ingram Micro’s Q3 Financials Show Sales Up; Profits Down
In First Step of Transformation, Thiel Terminates Reps
In a notice emailed to dealers last Thursday sporting a spiffy new corporate logo, Thiel took what appears to be the first step in what is promised to be a stream of “regular communications from us” regarding the company’s transformation from a legendary audiophile loudspeaker brand to a…well to what, we just don’t know yet. But what we do know is that the company has begun this transformation by terminating its entire national independent sales representative sales force.
See what Thiel told dealers was the reason for terminating their local sales rep…
[Read more…] about In First Step of Transformation, Thiel Terminates Reps
