In an announcement earlier this month that could be characterized as counter-intuitive, Toshiba Corp. said it will stop manufacturing LCD televisions at its plant in Dalian, China by the end of December. The company says the move is aimed at helping improve profitability – even though most companies opened plants in China to take advantage of the lower labor costs to help their profitability.
Pivot Point
What’s Better Than a Warranty? The DaVinci Group Announces WarrantyPLUS
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The DaVinci Group announced today a significant upgrade to its warranty program – already one of the best overall warranty programs available. Currently, the company offers 2-years parts and labor on all wireless products, 5-years parts and labor on all amplifiers, and an impressive Lifetime replacement warranty on all architectural speakers, volume controls, and speaker selectors. How do you improve on a solid warranty package like that?
What is The DaVinci Groups’ WarrantyPLUS™? If you’re a dealer, you’ve got to see this… [Read more…] about What’s Better Than a Warranty? The DaVinci Group Announces WarrantyPLUS
Beats in Bold Play to Save the Music
Beats Electronics, Inc., better known by their Beats by Dr. Dre brand, announced today that they are partnering with the Muscle Shoals Music Foundation in an effort to save and preserve the iconic Muscle Shoals Sound recording studio in Sheffield, Alabama. The effort comes in response to a documentary shown at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, reminiscing on the incredible influence of Muscle Shoals Sound Studio and its predecessor, FAME Recording Studios, also in Northern Alabama, for nearly two decades the unlikely center of the music business…but which have both now fallen into disrepair.
See why Beats wants to get involved…and discover the famous musicians that recorded there… [Read more…] about Beats in Bold Play to Save the Music
The Picture of Its Future is Still a Little Fuzzy at Loewe AG
German luxury TV manufacturer Loewe AG said today that it is in final stages of discussions with two different potential investors or buyers. The company, once the source of hopes by U.S. specialty A/V dealers for a more profitable step-up video line, has yet to emerge from the bankruptcy protection it invoked earlier this year.
See more on this worldwide luxury television manufacturer who is struggling to survive… [Read more…] about The Picture of Its Future is Still a Little Fuzzy at Loewe AG
Wren Sound Systems – This Bird’s Ready to Fly
Government data makes a strong case for a sustainable recovery under way – but most people in the consumer electronics industry tell me that this recovery is, at best, mediocre and, at worst, not happening. And as challenging as most are finding the economy, start-up companies tell me the headwinds are more like those of a Category 1 hurricane as they try to launch new products and services – hoping to get traction – in a very hostile start-up environment.
But one new start-up that has caught our attention – Wren Sound Systems – seems to be gaining ground with its new wireless speaker system…a product we find unique and interesting.
See what interests us about Wren below… [Read more…] about Wren Sound Systems – This Bird’s Ready to Fly
JVC Kenwood Dramatically Revises Fiscal Forecast – Now Says It Will Lose Money This Year
In documents released today but dated November 6th, JVC Kenwood Corp. announced both their results for the first half of the current fiscal year (the period of April 1, 2013 to September 30, 2013) and a radically revised forecast for their entire fiscal year (ending March 2014). Both these documents combine to reveal a company undergoing a surprising change of fortunes with sales and profits declining dramatically as compared to the same period last year…and a downward revision to their annual forecast.
JVC Kenwood now says – in contravention to their last forecast in May – that they will lose money this year.
What has caused such a turnaround in JVC Kenwood’s fortunes? See more below…
Saying Demand is for Digital Distribution, Dish Drops Blockbuster Stores
Dish Network Corporation said today it will close all remaining Blockbuster video store locations and also dismantle the DVD-by-mail service by early-January 2014. According to the company, consumer demand is clearly for digital distribution of media and physical DVDs just don’t make sense anymore.
See more on this unexpected announcement… [Read more…] about Saying Demand is for Digital Distribution, Dish Drops Blockbuster Stores
Monster Launches a Shaq Attack; Sports Star to Help Market Monster Products
Monster Products Inc. announced today that it has cut a deal with basketball superstar Shaquille O’Neal to endorse and otherwise market select Monster-branded products. The company says that O’Neal will aid in the marketing of Monster products in multiple categories “from personal audio to headphones and beyond.”
See more on this new celebrity endorsement deal from Monster below… [Read more…] about Monster Launches a Shaq Attack; Sports Star to Help Market Monster Products
Two Great Lakes State Reps Are Now One
Two well-known and established sales representative firms in the state of Michigan have merged their companies into one larger and better resourced entity. Both firms, Boyle Sales and TWC Michigan, have substantial dealer networks throughout the state and represent and support respected lines of top manufacturers in the consumer electronics industry. The new merged organization promises to be one of the top specialty electronics reps in the state.
See more details on this dramatic new development… [Read more…] about Two Great Lakes State Reps Are Now One
Lenbrook Hopes This Line Will Make You Blue
Lenbrook America held a media event last week in Manhattan where they announced the birth of a new brand of multi-room wireless (and wired) music streaming systems called Bluesound. Bluesound is designed to be positioned above brands like Sonos in terms of price and performance…but tuck underneath some of the higher-end solutions such as those offered by NAD and others. The company hopes to create a profitable step-up market for higher priced, better performing solutions in the digital domain – as once existed in the analog realm years back.