Audio News for January 9, 2015

by | Jan 9, 2015 | Audio News

Highlights of Home Entertainment Report for 2014 – The Digital Entertainment Group has released its year-end report. Some of the highlights: Overall electronic sellthru spending rose 24%, with key digital categories growing at a double digit pace. Digital sales reaped higher margins as consumers embraced the convenience and accessibility of purchasing and collecting digital content. Year-over-year growth in spending for new theatrical releases soared over 60% in 2014 vs. 2013. Subscription VOD was up 25% in the fourth quarter. Total home entertainment in the U.S. spending was nearly $18 billion for 2014. UltraViolet accounts grew by more than 30%, and HDTV penetration is now over 95 million households. Blu-ray devices are at 70 million U.S. households.

DEG’s Four Awards for Most Outstanding Digital Entertainment Products of the Year – Best Hi-Res Audio Product: Sony HAP-Z1ES Hi-Res Audio Music Player; Best “4K” UHD TV: Samsung UN65F9000; Best Connected HD Device: Oppo BDP-103D Blu-ray Disc Player; Most Innovative Home Entertainment Product: Sharp SD-WH1000U Wireless Hi-Res Audio Player. There were also seven award of acknowledge Creative Excellence in Blu-ray disc and digital HD titles in 2014: New Release on Blu-ray: Guardians of the Galaxy; Classic Reissue on Blu-ray: Halloween Complete Collection; New Release on Digital HD: X-Men Days of Future Past; Classic Reissue on Digital HD: Stop Making Sense; TV on Blu-ray: Batman: The Complete TV Series Limited Edition; Hi-Res Audio Download: Kind of Blue – Miles Davis; Concert Video on Blu-ray: Quadrophenia: Live in London, The Who.

Growth of Wireless Speaker and Audio Association –  This industry group dedicated to bringing hi-res, wireless, multichannel audio products to home theater and multi-room applications, has added six new members. The membership exceeds 35 brands, all promoting the WiSA standard. New products range from entry level mass market audio speaker systems to high-end speaker systems, multi-room applications and audio transmitter and receiver modules. Enclave Audio is the first to deliver a complete 5.1 speaker system with both transmitter and recievers, from $199 to $1199. Klipsch will showcase at CES their new WiSA complint 5.1 Reference Premiere speakers, and LG Innotek will have a new series of wireless audio transmitter and receiver modules. The WiSA-complaint components offer hi-res, up to 96/24 audio, from 2.0 to 7.4 channels, while being fully interoperable with other WiSA-compliant products, allowing consumers the convenience and freedom-of-choice to mix and match components from different manufacturers.

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