Day 4 - IFA International

The Home Appliance Sector 

Smiles at IFA 

IFA 2009 buIldS upon mAjor SucceSS 

oF THe lAST edITIon 

Monday 7 th 

September 

2009 

Hall 5.2 

Stand 101 

Hall 4.2 

dAY 4 

IFA is more than ever 

“The Consumer Lifestyle 

Show”. The first days of 

IFA 2009 have again seen 

crowds packing the Home 

Appliance halls. White 

goods were introduced to 

IFA for the first time last 

year and met with huge 

success, due to the fact that 

these items and consumer 

electronics are converging 

among sales channels. 

Proof of the success of 

the IFA formula as a true 

“lifestyle” show comes 

through the fact that this 

year, there are three extra 

halls of home appliance 

exhibitors, with new faces 

including the likes of 

Dyson and Russell Hobbs, 

"Three extra halls 

of home appliance 

exhibitors this 

year…" 

not to mention countless 

other small appliance 

manufacturers. 

The enthusiasm of this 

sector is extremely high. 

This is particularly true in 

Germany, where the market 

has been resilient, up 3% 

over the past year. This was 

echoed in the weekend 

keynote by Dr Reinhard 

Zinkann (pictured, left), 

Managing Director and 

Co-proprietor of German 

appliance giant Miele (see 

feature – page 8). 

conTenTS 

04 > NEWS 

07 > KEyNotE rEviEWS 

12 > MArKEt & tECHNoLoGy trENDS 

17 > MEEt tHE viSioNAriES 

21 > SPECiAL FEAtUrE: ACCESSoriES 

26 > ProDUCt trENDS 

33 > GrEEN PAGE 

34 > trADE NEWS 

37 > WHErE to Go iN BErLiN 

KeYnoTe 

revIewS 

Fabio 

de'longhi 

Dr. Reinhard Zinkann, Managing Director and Co-Proprietor at Miele & Cie. KG 

When Accessories 

Become Essential! 

All too often, accessories 

are not taken into account 

“upstream” of an A/V 

installation, or are not 

suggested by sales people 

when consumers purchase 

home entertainment 

products. Good examples 

are those of cabling and 

mounting solutions. 

Manufacturers and 

distributors of accessories 

have a very important 

presence at IFA, and take 

advantage of the event 

to underline the fact that 

they both add value for the 

client, and add sales for 

retailers! . See our special 

section, page 21 

Vogel's Product - Hall 25 / Stand 137 

Chief Executive 

Officer, De'Longhi 

Group 

“Looking to the future, we intend to 

achieve 5%-10% growth” 

See page 7 

Hamid 

Akhavan 

Chief Operator 

Officer, Member 

of the Board of 

Management 

Deutsche Telekom 

AG 

“The future innovation of 

telecommunications rests on open 

collaboration between CE, computer 

and telecom companies …" 

See page 11 

DREAM WITH 

YOUR EYES OPEN 

EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW OF THE MOVIE AVATAR 

HALL 5.2 

ONLY IN CINEMAS DECEMBER 

© 2009 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved. 

www.ifa-international.org 

PAN_Avatar_230x60_IFA_Int_Cover_39L.indd 1 

21.08.2009 13:39:43 Uhr

newS 

TrAdInG 

reSulTS 

Announced bY 

euronIcS AT IFA 

EURONICS International, Europe’s largest 

grouping in the consumer electronics 

market, achieved sales totalling 14.4 billion 

euros during last year’s trading. As a result 

this cooperative group reported 14.3 per 

cent growth in 2008, as reported at the 

international press conference by the President 

of EURONICS, Werner Winkelmann. Until now 

EURONICS members have been affected in 

widely differing ways by the economic crisis. 

While sales in Germany, France and Italy were 

in some cases even slightly above the previous 

year’s level, there were significant decreases 

in Spain, the United Kingdom and several 

member countries in Eastern Europe in 2009. 

Read feature article – page 35 

Hall 23 / Stand 104 

mIele SAleS boom 

In AnnIverSArY 

YeAr 

The family-owned company Miele & Cie. 

KG is facing the second half of 2009 

with confidence as it celebrates its 110th 

anniversary. The company’s German General 

Manager, Christian Gerwens, says he expects 

a two to three per cent increase in sales this 

year. “We are aware of a high level of demand 

for energy-efficient home appliances”, he 

says. IFA is a boon for the high-end appliance 

firm: “In 2009 we expect sales to increase 

by five to ten per cent compared with IFA 

2008”, says Gerwens. This translates to tens 

of millions of Euros in business. 

Hall 2.1 / Stand 101 

cHrISTmAS SAleS HIKe expecTed 

For blu-rAY dISc plAYerS 

According to the Blu-ray Disc 

Association (BDA), by the end of 

this year around one in ten of all 

households will be equipped with 

a BD player. Thanks to a greatly 

expanded offering, reduced 

prices and a far greater choice 

of movies, this year’s sales are 

expected to double during the 

final three months. According 

to Niels Leibbrandt, Chairman 

of the European Promotions 

PluralMedia, an advanced 

training initiative, has been 

launched at IFA Berlin. The 

initiative aims to aid the service 

sector, creating a link between 

the manufacturers of appliances 

and end-users. It provides 

an opportunity for them to 

acquire the latest, applicationbased 

knowledge about 

convergence, multimedia and 

home networking. Participating 

companies will be able to obtain 

certification from the technical 

supervisory organisation TÜV 

Rheinland. 

PluralMedia has been developed 

by the InfoTip company, a joint 

IT service enterprise which has 

been created by a number of 

Committee of the Blu-ray Disc 

Association, “It’s going to be a 

blue Christmas”. For 2009 the 

association is expecting sales of 

Blu-ray Discs in Europe to reach 

31 million, which is three times 

as many as were sold last year. 

More than 1,500 film titles are 

already available in this new 

format, with around 100 new 

ones being added each month, 

according to Nicolas Denissen, 

manufacturers of leading CE 

brands for the benefit of dealers. 

The PluralMedia concept is 

supported by the industry 

associations Bundesverband 

Informationswirtschaft, 

Telekommunikation und 

neue Medien e.V. (BITKOM), 

Bundesverband Technik des 

Einzelhandels e.V. (BVT) and 

Zentralverband Elektrotechnikund 

Elektronikindustrie e.V. 

(ZVEI). 

"A survey has revealed that 19 

million Germans do not know 

to whom to apply to in order to 

install modern entertainment and 

communication technology”, 

according to BITKOM Chief 

Executive Dr. Bernhard Rohleder. 

Director Media for the Internet 

outlet Amazon. The fact that 47 

per cent of households already 

possess HD-compatible flat 

screen TV sets but only six per 

cent of them are able to receive 

programmes of this quality will 

help to boost demand, Niels 

Leibbrandt explained. 

plurAlmedIA oFFerS conSumerS A 

STArTInG poInT For Home A/v Help 

See special feature on Blu-ray Disc – Page 12. 

And eleven million of them 

would be prepared to pay 

someone to come to their 

homes and carry out such work. 

PluralMedia offers consumers a 

starting point for this process for 

the first time. 

The PluralMedia initiative is set to 

be a model for other countries in 

Europe, each of which have their 

own individual issues concerning 

retail training. 

IFA International’s Wednesday 

edition will carry a full detailed 

report on the initiative as 

part of our feature on home 

networking. 

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4 www.ifa-international.org IFA International • Monday, 7 th September 2009

news 

Koreans scoop eIsa Green awards 

samsunG and LG eLectronIcs taKe awards 

for “Greenest” products 

wIndows 7 

a “maIn 

theme” at Ifa 

The EISA Green Panel Awards 

2009-2010 were announced 

over the weekend at a ceremony 

in the ICC in Berlin. The annual 

award previously only pertained 

to TVs, however this year, 

mobile phones have also been 

taken into account. 

LG’s KM900, otherwise known 

as the Arena, is not only striking 

in appearance but is also the 

‘greenest’ fully featured mobile 

phone on the market today. 

The Arena is up with the best 

in terms of its environmentally 

friendly packaging but sets 

the standard in respect of 

component and material 

application, as analyzed by 

SIMS Recycling. Beauty and 

intelligence combine in the 

Arena to produce a genuinely 

Winner - European Green 

Mobile Phone 2009-2010 

-> LG KM900 (Arena) 

‘green’ mobile phone. 

Large flat screen TVs are 

among the most power 

hungry and intensively used 

of domestic appliances. 

Samsung’s UE40B7000 (black 

version UE40B7020) is leading 

the charge for fully-featured 

TVs that deliver stunning HD 

pictures while respecting the 

environment. 

Its advanced LED-based 

backlight technology uses 

significantly less energy than 

traditional LCD TVs and even 

complies with the stricter EEC 

requirements to come. What’s 

more, this ultra-thin panel also 

allows for smaller and more 

economic packaging, enhancing 

its ‘green’ credentials. 

Read more about the EISA awards – Page 33 

The PC world is 

buzzing about the 

release of Microsoft 

Windows 7 – said by 

many to revolutionise 

the market following 

the luke-warm market performance 

of the Vista platform. 

Windows 7 is being shown to the 

public for the first time at IFA 2009, 

offering, according to Stefan Engel, 

Chief Executive of Acer Computer 

GmbH, “considerable B2B and B2C 

potential”. 

The new Operating System features, 

such as the support for touchscreens, 

offers completely new 

possibilities to users. Acer’s new allin-one 

PC, the Acer Aspire Z5600 

with touchscreen and Windows 7, is 

being shown to the general public 

for the first time at IFA 2009. This 

manufacturer is also offering an 

upgrade option on other items. 

IFA International • Monday, 7 th September 2009 

www.ifa-international.org 5

at w w w.ifa-international.org 

KEyNOtE rEVIEW 

DE’LONGHI fOrEcasts 

sPEctacULar GrOWtH 

“LOOKING tO tHE fUtUrE, 

WE INtEND tO acHIEVE 

5%-10% GrOWtH” By Gary Smith 

De’Lohngi Group CEO Fabio de’Longhi 

At his keynote speech 

on Saturday, DeLonghi 

Group CEO and Vice- 

President Fabio De’Longhi 

revealed the reasons 

behind the spectacular 

growth of his company: 

“At root, we are a company 

that is always changing 

and evolving because we 

all believe that to survive 

you have to re-invent your 

company every day,” he 

said. “And it’s a philosophy 

that has turned a small 

family-owned business 

employing 320 people in 

the 1970s into an operation 

that now has offices in 24 

countries, 6,500 employees, 

five factories, a stock market 

listing and a 2008 turnover 

of €1.2 billion.” 

The company is now 

the world’s number one 

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manufacturer of oilfilled 

radiators and the 

European N o 1 in portable 

air-conditioning and food 

preparation (through 

Kenwood). It is also 

the global number one 

manufacturer of espresso 

machines. 

This has all been achieved 

thanks to a relentless drive 

that made full use of the 

strong industrial culture in 

the family factory. “Building 

on the know-how that we 

already had and given the 

oil shortage at the time, 

we started making electric 

radiators,” continued 

De’Longhi. “But we quickly 

realised that the product 

cycle was a kind of trap in 

that we would be making 

the radiators starting in 

January and then you’d 

spend the whole year selling 

your inventory. Despite this, 

the company had a turnover 

of €10 million by the end of 

the decade.” 

In the 80s, the company 

expanded its product range 

with the Pinguino portable 

air-conditioning and 

focussed on building the 

brand through a high profile 

Formula 1 sponsorship, 

which put the brand on 

the map internationally. It 

also transformed the airconditioning 

market forever. 

“Previously, the airconditioning 

market had 

belonged entirely to 

installers, but by building a 

portable unit we broke that 

monopoly and awareness of 

the brand on the international 

market grew significantly 

as a consequence,” said 

De’Longhi. “So by the end 

of the 80s we had reached a 

turnover of €370 million and 

the number of employees 

had more than quadrupled 

to 1,400.” 

As a result of the success 

of the Pinguino, De’Longhi 

felt the need to create an 

international distribution 

network. “It was time to 

start opening offices abroad 

and so we started with the 

US and Mexico in 1986 and 

it’s something that we’re still 

working on. In 2009, we 

opened offices in Portugal, 

Brazil and Poland to bring 

the total to 24,” he said. 

Alongside the development 

of the international 

distribution network, the 

company brought the 

Alfredo oven to the market 

and its first espresso 

machine. Behind the launch 

of the coffee-maker lies an 

unexpected drama. 

“We thought it would be a 

good idea to acquire some 

expertise so my father 

bought an espresso machine 

maker,” he said. “It was a 

Friday when my father made 

the deal but by the Monday 

we realised that we would be 

obliged to sell the company, 

because all the company’s 

customers said that if we 

acquired it, they would no 

longer buy its products. So 

had to start from scratch but 

in the end, that was no bad 

thing.” 

By the end of the 90s the 

company was employing 

2,000 people and had a total 

turnover of €550 million. 

It also had a significant 

global footprint. “The start 

of the 21st century was very 

important for us because 

we were listed on the Italian 

stock exchange and in 2001, 

we bought Kenwood which 

gave us a huge opportunity 

in kitchen appliances,” 

De‘Lohngi said. 

“We were also faced 

with the collapse of the 

dollar, which obliged us 

to relocate some of our 

manufacturing to China 

and that affected the way 

that we did business. We 

partnered with TCL in order 

to market and manufacture 

air-conditioning units for the 

Chinese and Asian market. 

We also got together with 

Nespresso and both joint 

ventures have been very 

fruitful.” 

In 2008, the company had a 

turnover of €1,2 billion and 

now employs 6,500 people 

globally. “Since relocation it 

has been the supply chain that 

we consider to be the most 

important element, alongside 

a meaningful regional 

presence and customer-centric 

organisation,” De'Longhi said. 

“Looking to the future, we 

intend to try to achieve 

5-10% growth in revenues 

year-on-year and we will 

be trying to reinforce our 

leadership positions in 

various product categories. 

Alongside that we will be 

working hard to improve 

our position in the kitchen 

and ironing categories. We 

are also looking at new 

categories but we will not 

be moving back into large 

domestic products. We 

stopped doing that and 

we won’t be going back. 

But you might see some 

acquisition activity in the not 

so distant future.” 




keynote review 

keeP CALM 

AnD CArry on 

ZinkAnn urges 

inDustry to give 

ConsuMers whAt they 

Don't know they neeD 

Keynote speaker Dr Reinhard Zinkann, Managing 

Director and co-proprietor of Miele and Chairman of 

the home-appliance division of the German industry 

association ZVEI, talks exclusively to IFA International. 

As you mentioned in 

your keynote speech, 

the economic crisis has 

triggered a rethinking 

process, not only across 

the industry, but also 

among consumers. Could 

you elaborate? 

The industry has to deliver 

innovations that not only 

meet the growing needs 

of consumers, but also give 

consumers good reasons to 

buy a product right now. 

The objective is to stay 

calm in time of crisis. The 

challenge is not to compete 

on price, but to compete 

on product. And the 

relevant aspects are energy 

efficiency, sustainability and 

social responsibility. In a 

nutshell, we need to deliver 

products with lower energy 

consumption and greater 

user convenience. 

How is Miele responding 

to the crisis? 

We are in a fortunate 

position, because we 

are at the top end of the 

market, and durability and 

sustainability have always 

been our core values. They 

have been our main focus 

since the company was 

founded 110 years ago. 

Secondly, we have always 

been technology leaders in 

our field. A good example 

was way back in 1929, when 

the first global economic 

crisis hit. At that time, 

Miele introduced the first 

dishwasher in Europe — and 

it cost the equivalent of a 

domestic maid's salary for 

three years. Everybody in 

the marketplace said, "The 

people at Miele are crazy! 

Nobody has asked for a 

dishwasher, nobody needs 

a dishwasher and nobody 

can afford a dishwasher — 

so why are they launching a 

dishwasher?" Nevertheless, 

our founding fathers 

decided to go ahead with 

the product, which was 

way ahead of its time. So 

our philosophy has always 

been to think ahead and to 

try to imagine products that 

the consumer is not asking 

for today, but that they will 

want to use in the future. 

So you will continue to 

introduce products that, 

in a sense, people didn't 

know that they actually 

need? 

Exactly and on the other 

hand, to optimise the 

products we have, to offer 

the consumer even more 

convenience. The slogan 

of our company is 'Always 

Better'. And Always Better 

means being always 

different and always asking 

yourself what you can do to 

improve your product. 

In this respect, has 

the crisis helped to 

develop new ideas? 

No, the crisis has nothing 

to do with developing 

new ideas, because our 

development pipeline is 10 

years and longer. Of course, 

as a result of the crisis, some 

people are trying to cut 

costs here and there, but 

we decided to stick to all 

the goals we had already set 

for development and new 

product launches. And we 

also decided to stick to our 

marketing budgets. 

You were talking about 

introducing products that 

people didn't actually 

know they needed, 

like the dishwasher in 

1929. Do you have any 

current examples of this 

approach? 

All I can say is that, for the 

next two years, we have 

a lot of innovations in the 

pipeline. I'd like to give you 

a recent example. When 

we introduced the builtin 

steam oven, which was 

an idea inspired by Asian 

cooking, nobody was 

interested. Everybody said: 

"We cook in a different 

way in Europe, so we don't 

need that." But now, we 

are market leaders in steam 

ovens, which are now in 

their fourth generation. In 

the beginning, we only had 

one competitor, but now 

nearly all our rivals have their 

own steam-oven range. 

Another example is the 

built-in coffee machine. We 

launched this at the time that 

the espresso, cappuccino 

and café latte craze had just 

started. But we decided to 

go in a different direction 

from our competitors and 

design a built-in coffee- 

Dr Reinhard Zinkann, Managing Partner Miele & Cie.KG 

maker rather than a freestanding 

model. And it was 

a huge success. 

How are design trends 

evolving at the moment? 

There are a couple of design 

trends coming up. Probably 

the most relevant one is that 

more and more products, 

even in the lower price 

range, now have electronic 

intelligence. 

Another trend is making 

products easier to use and 

understand. The principle we 

follow is that, if we want our 

products to last for 20 years, 

then we need designs that 

the consumer will still like in 

20 years time. That means, if 

we are too modern – if we 


keynote review 

slavishly follow every passing 

trend in terms of colour and 

materials – people are likely 

to start thinking they look 

old-fashioned after a certain 

length of time. It might take 

five years, maybe 10 years, 

maybe 15 years, but people 

change their ideas about 

design and their tastes 

change to. As our goal is 20 

years of sustainability, we 

believe it's better that the 

consumer loves their Miele 

product from first to last. 

We want our consumers to 

love our products because 

of their value proposition 

as well as because of their 

design. As a result, although 

I wouldn't call our approach 

to design minimalistic, it's 

definitely on the subdued 

side. 

Could it be described as 

'classic' design? 

I'd call it classic, but modern. 

Materials and colours may 

change, but we like our 

products to fit perfectly 

with the design of the 

kitchen, so we are looking 

into integrated solutions. 

In addition, there is a clear 

trend towards open design, 

with kitchens becoming 

more and more part of the 

living area. Dining spaces 

are also increasingly being 

integrated into the kitchen. 

This means that kitchen 

appliances and kitchen 

cabinets are much more on 

display today than they were 

in the past, which makes 

good design even more 

important. If your kitchen 

is situated somewhere at 

the back of the house and 

you just use it for cooking, 

you will have completely 

different design demands 

than if your kitchen is part 

of your living space. 

What is Miele doing in 

the area of sustainable 

development? 

We believe that our 

responsibility to the 

environment is becoming 

more and more important. 

Miele products are designed 

to last for 20 years. And 

when they reach the end of 

their lifecycle, we want them 

to be very easy to recycle. 

That means we look for 

materials that can be easily 

recycled and that will do no 

harm to our environment. A 

good example is our washing 

machines, which have castiron 

counterweights. All our 

competitors use concrete, 

but iron is very easy to 

recycle. 

What are the major 

trends in the homeappliance 

sector as we 

head towards the end of 

2009? 

As I mentioned earlier, two 

major trends are lower 

energy consumption and 

greater user convenience. 

And it's quite clear 

that energy efficiency, 

sustainability and social 

responsibility will be hot 

topics in the future. 

I've been looking forward to 

IFA – and one of the reasons 

is that IFA brought a lot to 

tHe APPeAL iS in tHe DetAiL 

ZinkAnn emPHASiSeS tHAt tHe Home iS tHe Hub 

of An emotionAL SociAL network 

the market last year. As a 

spokesman for the German 

home-appliance association 

ZVEI, I can say that IFA's 

decision to include home 

appliances was a major step 

forward for all of us. IFA is 

the only truly international 

show covering all aspects 

of consumer electronics 

and, as a result, the entire 

trade comes here to Berlin. 

The channels for brown 

goods, white goods and 

many grey goods are 

essentially the same and 

now the trade can find all 

the information it needs 

in one place. That's not 

only very convenient for 

the trade, but it's also very 

convenient for us, in that in 

enables us to meet all our 

important accounts during 

IFA. 

Sustainability as an allencompassing 

policy 

continues to gather 

importance in the 

domestic appliances 

market, according to 

Dr Reinhard Zinkann in 

his keynote speech on 

Sunday. “The level of 

confidence people place 

in a brand hinges on how 

sustainable they believe 

it to be, while products 

need to give customers a 

feeling of responsibility,“ 

he said. “Energy saving is 

an incredible pull factor. 

The question is ‘Will 

consumers be willing to 

spend more on using less?’ 

Yes they will. Customers 

will pay a few hundred 

extra Euros for something 

more energy efficient. 

But the product needs to 

be right and it needs to 

be capable of meeting 

customers’ expectations 

for sustainability” 

Domestic appliance 

companies must be kept 

abreast of long-term social 

trends, he observed, and he 

referred to the burgeoning 

trend for cooking as a 

prime example of a steadily 

ascending market. Healthy 

eating and the use of 

premium ingredients was 

key to this trend among 

the affluent, he said, 

and domestic appliance 

manufacturers should offer 

premium products such as 

the lava stone grill to meet 

the high-end needs of this 

market. 

“People are using excellent 

ingredients in their kitchens 

and they want to invest 

in quality equipment,” he 

said. He also highlighted 

the importance of 

appliances such as builtin 

coffee machines and, 

in particular, the premium 

combi steamer. “No other 

appliance offers such 

diversity and convenience,” 

he said. Zinkann focussed 

on the issue of ‘cocooning’, 

the current buzz word 

of peoples’ increasing 

tendency to withdraw into 

private life. 

“The home is the hub of an 

emotional social network 

and will have paramount 

importance,” he continued, 

“and people have more 

exacting requirements of 

appliances. We need to be 

producing design that will 

be timeless and not look 

out of place in the home in 

20 years time.” 



CONfERENCE & EvENT 

ifA iNTERNATiONAL KEYNOTES 2009 

What direction will technology take? What will future standards look like? How will these developments affect my present business model? 

You will find out all about these topics at the IFA International Keynotes - in exciting lectures from international top managers from the CE 

and Household Appliances industry. They will convey their insider knowledge to you regarding the latest product developments, industry 

trends and strategies. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to meet the industry stars and to get the latest industry news firsthand. 

Ferdinand Kayser 

President & CEO 

of SES ASTRA 

7 th September 2009 

@ 9:45 – 10:30 a.m. 

Location: Hall 7.1a, IFA 

International Keynote Area 

SES ASTRA, the right partner 

for business - shaping new 

markets, driving innovation, 

developing HDTV. A recipe for 

joint success 

Statement of Motivation 

As the most important Consumer 

Electronics trade show IFA creates 

strong impulses for the industry 

and also gathers many of our 

key stakeholders. IFA therefore 

represents a perfect opportunity for 

us to meet with our partners and 

to align our business activities and 

innovations in the field of satellite 

broadcasting with their business 

initiatives and objectives. 

We are very pleased to participate in 

this year’s IFA keynote that offers an 

ideal platform to demonstrate how 

SES ASTRA drives growth along the 

value chain and creates business 

opportunities for broadcasters, 

hardware manufacturers, retailers 

and installers. 

Abstract of Speech 

As the leading satellite operator in 

Europe, ASTRA delivers services to 

more than 122 million homes and 

transmits more than 2,500 television 

and radio channels in Europe. 

Ferdinand Kayser, President & 

CEO of SES ASTRA will show how 

ASTRA drives growth along the 

value chain and fosters innovation 

in television by applying three 

principles: partnership, neutrality 

and innovation. 

Using the example of HDTV he will 

demonstrate how ASTRA is working 

to build and grow new TV markets 

and stimulate digitalisation. 

With nearly 80 High Definition 

channels from Europe´s leading 

broadcasters ASTRA today 

represents the most important 

HDTV platform. The recent launch 

of HDTV across Europe will create 

new market dynamics and proves 

that satellite remains unrivalled for 

the transmission and reception of 

broadcast television. 

Find out how ASTRA´s neutral 

market approach facilitates 

different business models; creating 

opportunities for broadcasters, 

hardware manufacturers, retailers 

and installers. 

MEDiENPOLiTiK@ifA 2009 

Location: ICC Berlin - Saal 3 

A SHIFT OF PARADIGM IN DIGITISATION 

– FREE MARKETS IN A COMPETITIVE 

ENVIRONMENT 

Next Generation Broadcast – 

a new era is about to begin. 

New business models and 

technological developments are 

shaking up the media industry 

structures and setting new 

challenges. 

The specialist forum 

medienpolitik@IFA 2009 

examines the fundamental 

changes in the media industry, 

which are currently amplified by 

the transition to high-definition 

media, the digitisation of 

broadcasting networks, the 

ability to individually address 

end devices, the continuing 

integration of IP technologies 

in broadcasting and consumer 

electronics devices, as well as 

an ongoing convergence as a 

result of increasingly networked 

households, the availability of 

broadband internet access, and 

satellite and cable reception. 

medienpolitik@IFA targets 

media policy decision-makers, 

journalists, experts from 

federal state broadcasting 

corporations and federal 

government, representatives 

of private and public sector 

networks, the CE industry and 

dealers, associations with a 

media industry focus, experts, 

scientists and interested 

consumers. 

7 th September 2009 @ 2-3 p.m. 

Welcome to high definition – will HDTV be the driving force behind 

digitisation? 

Is the new standard of television viewing sufficient as an argument to 

introduce audiences to the world of digital HDTV? How can we accelerate the 

digitisation of households and help to make HDTV a success? 

8 th September 2009 @ 12a.m.- 1 p.m. 

Welcome to the digital world: interoperability – an opportunity? 

Digitisation goes hand in hand with commercial business models which 

are increasingly focused on addressability and encryption. Can we halt the 

fragmentation of the markets by ensuring interoperability? 

8 th September 2009 @ 2-3 p.m. 

Welcome to convergence – does anyone still know their way around? 

The networked living room and hybrid devices which bring TV broadcasting 

and internet broadband to a single screen are proof that the world of 

convergence has now finally arrived. At the same time new alliances of 

content providers and industry are being forged. Do consumers and regulators 

still know their way around? Who are the winners and losers in this process? 



KEYNOTE REVIEw 

COLLABORATION IS KEY TO TELECOMMUNICATIONS 

INNOVATION, SAYS AKHAVAN 

KEYNOTE SpEAKER ExpLAINS HOw 

Download Podcast 

TELECOMMUNICATIONS CAN dRIVE THE dIgITAL LIfESTYLE 

Download Video 


The future innovation of 

telecommunications rests on 

open collaboration between 

CE, computer and telecom 

companies, said Hamid 

Akhavan in his keynote 

speech on Saturday. The 

COO and Member of the 

Board of Management at 

Deutsche Telekom AG, was 

outlining the ways in which 

telecommunications can 

drive the digital lifestyle. 

“We have to open up 

our innovation into a 

collaborative model,” he said. 

“We do risk allowing third 

party developers to access 

the network capabilities that 

we have, and our legacy 

business could be at risk 

of cannibalisation. But on 

the other hand, we know 

the only sustainable model 

in the long-term is to have 

collaborative innovation." 

Akhavan said that 

telecommunications 

companies would benefit 

from new revenue sources, 

while third party developers 

would have access to 

enabling capabilities that 

they would not otherwise 

have. But the most 

important benefit would be 

to the consumers, he said. 

“They will see thousands 

of new products coming 

to market, based on the 

best ideas and the best 

capabilities, all combined 

as a result of this open 

collaboration,” he said. 

Akhavan highlighted how 

far telecommunications 

has come in the last two 

decades, from the very 

first SMS message – ‘Merry 

Christmas’ – in December 

1992 to the 3.5 billion text 

messages now sent globally 

each day. Innovation 

in the industry is on an 

“acceleration pa th”, he 

said, adding that the rate of 

innovation will increase now 

that the focus is on software, 

rather than hardware. 

Consumers are driving the 

telecoms revolution, he 

observed, and listening to 

the customer is the most 

important part of innovation. 

But he stressed how ever 

increasing functionality 

has slowed the progress of 

telecoms. 

“85% of consumers 

complain that technical 

complexity is a burden,” 

he said. “We mustn’t let 

functionality get in the way 

of usability.” 

One solution is to have 

services on the network, 

instead of the device, he 

said, with a ‘single signon’ 

that will enable users 

to access everything from 

their webmail to eBay with 

just one log-in. Networks 

will automatically detect the 

type of device being used, he 

said, and re-format displays 

accordingly to optimise the 

image quality. 

“Today’s utmost mark of 

quality is simplicity,” he said. 

Akhavan went on to outline 

what Deutsche Telekom had 

learned from listening to 

its customers. “Customers 

are driving this telecoms 

revolution,” he said, “and 

listening to the customer is 

the most important part of 

innovation.” 

He said that customers have 

a real need to participate 

and share with friends and 

communities. Customers 

reported wanting features 

such as time-shifting and 

video-on-demand (VOD). 

He also predicted that 

mobile phone will be the 

primary source of music in 

the near future. 

“We are empowering users 

to define what they want 

and helping to shape their 

preferences,” he said, before 

referencing a quote from 

Thomas Edison – “There is a 

way to do it better – find it”. 


Hamid Akhavan, COO, Member of the Board of Management Deutsche Telekom AG 



MARKET & TECHNOLOGY TRENDS 

RETAiL PRiCES Of BLu-RAY TiTLES 

iNSTRuMENTAL iN SuCCESS Of fORMAT 

fuTuRESOuRCE REvEALS 40% PRiCE DROP 

iN PAST Six MONTHS 

In 2009, Blu-ray title prices 

have declined rapidly 

and the pricing gap is 

narrowing, according to 

Futuresource Consulting’s 

price tracking service. 

The service shows that in 

February the average Bluray 

price for new release 

movies in the UK was 

£27.29. By the beginning of 

August this had dropped to 

£16.74 – a sizeable decline 

of 40%. 

Catalogue pricing has also 

fallen, but not by such a 

significant amount. From 

an average price of £16.87 

in February, this dropped 

to £14.25 in August; 

representing a decline of 

15%. When looking at the 

average catalogue price 

across the three largest 

e-tailers, (Amazon, Play 

and HMV), the price drop 

is far more significant, with 

the average catalogue price 

hitting £11.22. 

Back in Q4 2008, both in 

the USA and the UK the 

premium for purchasing a 

new release title on Bluray 

compared to DVD was 

between 30% and 80%. 

However, for catalogue 

BD titles this premium 

was considerably higher, 

and in some instances 

was as much as 300%. 

Although it has never been 

disputed that consumers 

will pay more for Blu-ray, 

the premium in the market 

in 2008 was clearly not 

sustainable. 

“Pricing is becoming an 

increasing area of focus 

for Blu-ray,” says Alison 

Casey, Head of Global 

Content at Futuresource 

Consulting. “Although a 

number of new BD releases 

are beginning to achieve 

healthy sales volumes, 

catalogue titles continue to 

disappoint. The retail price 

of Blu-ray titles, particularly 

when compared to DVD, is 

a key factor in holding back 

sales. Research shows that 

Blu-ray player owners are 

making a value judgement 

call when deciding whether 

or not to pay the Blu-ray 

premium; often continuing 

to buy some titles in 

standard definition.” 

“The focus on Q4 this year 

is intense and many in the 

UK home video industry 

believe it will be the most 

challenging yet,” says 

Casey”. “In judging the 

success of this critical sales 

period, it will not be just 

about units shipped, it will 

also be about the price the 

consumer pays. As a result, 

the weekly tracking of DVD 

and Blu-ray prices is likely 

to become even more of 

a focus for the industry as 

we move into the run up to 

Christmas.” 

Average Price For New Release 

Movies On Blu-ray Declines By 

40% Between February and 

August 2009 

(Source: Futuresource Weekly Online BD & 

DVD Price Tracker) 

Hall X.X / Stand XXX 



ON A BLU STREAK 

2009 SHAPES UP TO BE A BANNER YEAR FOR BLU-RAY By Gary Smith 

Blu-ray Disc Association's Niels Liebbrandt: "The Blu-ray market continues to go from strength to strength" 

It may have been a 

difficult year for the wider 

CE industry, but Bluray 

continues its market 

ascent, as consumers see 

the undeniable benefits 

of the format on their flatscreen 

TVs. 

For Niels Liebbrandt, 

Chairman of the Blu-ray Disc 

Association (BDA) European 

Promotion Committee 

and Senior Manager of 

Technology Marketing at 

Sony, 2009 has been an 

exciting year. "Despite the 

difficult economic conditions, 

the Blu-ray market is 

continuing to grow," he said. 

"Consumers are increasingly 

aware of HD technology and 

there is a growing demand 

for products and services. 

It's no wonder that Blu-ray 

is once again a hot topic in 

Berlin." Although 47% of 

European households now 

own an HD-compatible flatscreen 

television, only 6% 

are receiving HD broadcasts. 

Blu-ray can provide these 

households with unrivalled 

HD picture and audio quality, 

unlocking the true potential 

of their televisions. "More 

and more film fans are 

discovering the rich detail 

and vivid colours delivered 

by HD formats," Leibbrandt 

said. At IFA, the BDA's 

members are presenting a 

wide range of new Blu-ray 

disc players, from entry level 

up to high-end models. With 

the average price of Blu-ray 

discs also falling, investing in 

a player has never been so 

attractive. "A wider range of 

players and the constantly 

growing availability of BD 

titles in all genres is providing 

a huge boost to the Blu-ray 

market," Leibbrandt added. 

"In 2009, we expect there 

to be 31 million Blu-ray discs 

sold in Europe, which is three 

times as many as last year. In 

addition, with over 20% of 

European homes expected 

to be BD-enabled by the end 

of 2011, the Blu-ray market 

continues to go from strength 

to strength." Unsurprisingly, 

the BDA chief is feeling 

positive: "In Japan, which 

has enjoyed HD broadcasts 

across many TV channels for 

some years now, close to 

70% of the already large Bluray 

market comprises models 

that also record. That's a sign 

of the future for Europe and 

the US." He added: "We are 

now starting to see DVD 

players being replaced by Bluray 

players, along with a large 

and growing presence of HDenabled 

screens in homes 

and a downward price curve 

that greatly resembles what 

happened when the DVD 

market started to really catch 

fire. But perhaps the most 

exciting development is that 

we have already established 

the guidelines for 3D Blu-ray. 

There will be no compromise 

on quality. We will have 

finalised the specifications 

by the end of the year and 

I expect the first discs to 

appear in 2010." A key player 

in terms of Blu-ray innovation 

is Philips, which unveiled 

a range of BD players at 

its IFA press conference, 

including a new SoundBar 

model and several full hometheatre 

systems. The Philips 

SoundBar with Ambisound 

is aimed at design-conscious 

consumers looking for 

superior sound and picture. It 

also incorporates a complete 

home-theatre system, with 

integrated HD Blu-ray disc 

playback for sharp images 

in Full-HD 1080p and an 

optional dock for iPod. The 

Philips' range of hometheatre 

systems offers a 

great listening experience 

combined with HD Blu-ray 

disc playback. The HTS7540 

full home-cinema system is 

aimed at consumers with 

more space. It includes a 

5.1 system, which delivers 

HD pictures and surround 

sound in a stylish design. 

With its four floor-standing 

pillars, magnetically shielded 

centre speaker and 8-inchhigh 

subwoofer, the system 

is designed to deliver bestin-class 

audio quality for all 

kinds of content. The news 

this week that Toshiba — the 

company that led the charge 

against Sony's BD with its HD 

DVD format — has introduced 

its first Blu-ray disc player 

this week, gives the format 

the final seal of approval. 

Toshiba's BDX2000 provides 

1080p digital and supports 

Blu-ray Disc Profile 2.0, which 

Sony calls BD-Live, to take 

advantage of interactive 

features through an ethernet 

connection. It offers a variety 

of downloadable content 

with Blu-ray DVDs, including 

bonus scenes, shorts, trailers, 

subtitles and interactive 

movie-based games. The 

Toshiba player features a 

polished-front panel that 

drops down to reveal the 

player's primary functions. 

The device can be connected 

to digital TVs using an HDMI 

connector. Connecting to 

Toshiba's Regza LCD TV 

enables the user to control 

both devices from a single 

remote control. 




GROwTH DRivEN bY iNNOvATivE pRODuCTS 

GfK RELEASES LATEST DATA ON TECHNiCAL CONSuMER EquipMENT MARKETS 

The worldwide markets 

for consumer electronics, 

audio/video, photo, IT and 

telecommunications are 

continuing to expand in 

spite of the crisis. In 2009, 

consumers will spend 2% 

more on products in the 

audio/video, photography, 

IT and telecommunications 

segments, with total global 

expenditure for the year 

as a whole forecast at EUR 

494 billion (USD 706 billion). 

These are the findings of a 

continuous survey carried 

out by GfK Retail and 

Technology in more than 80 

countries. 

With sales growth of 

8%, Japan is currently 

the region with the most 

rapid expansion, followed 

by Africa with growth of 

6% and China with 5%. 

A decline of 3% in North 

America and 5% in Europe is 

expected. The three largest 

product categories are also 

enjoying an uninterrupted 

growth trend. Mobile 

phones and televisions each 

increased by 4% in terms 

of value, while consumer 

PCs grew by 2%. In each 

of these categories, which 

account for 78% of the total 

market, innovation is the 

main growth driver. This is 

underlined by new products 

such as smart phones, 

flat-screen televisions and 

notebooks. The smaller 

product groups also made 

a positive contribution to 

the overall development; for 

example, the global sales 

volume of Blu-ray players is 

expected to grow by 117% 

this year, with sales of 

portable navigation devices 

rising by 17%. 

Consumer electronics 

in Europe 

In 2009, European consumers 

will spend around 11% less 

on consumer electronics. 

Aside from the general 

economic environment, 

one of the main reasons 

for this development is the 

negative sales trend in flatscreen 

televisions, previously 

a key pillar of growth. This 

is due to the rapid fall in 

average prices, which is 

more than offsetting the 

current volume growth. The 

highly encouraging threedigit 

growth in the area of 

Blu-ray players is not enough 

to compensate for declining 

sales in the TV sector. 

GfK Retail and 

Technology 

All in all, 50% of sales in 

the first half of the year 

were generated in the three 

largest West-European 

countries. Germany 

accounted for the highest 

share of 19%, followed by 

the United Kingdom with 

16% and France with 15%. 

The rest is spread across the 

other 24 European countries 

for which GfK Retail and 

Technology collects regular 

comparable data. Current 

sales development in 

Europe as a whole, which 

is based on the euro, is 

being impacted by negative 

exchange rate effects from 

the United Kingdom and 

various Eastern European 

markets. The following chart 

shows the developments 

in the individual countries 

adjusted for exchange rate 

effects. 

GfK is forecasting total 

European consumer 

electronics sales of 

approximately EUR 54 billion 

in 2009. 

TV sets: further 

growth in demand 

As in previous years, 

televisions remain one of 

the key growth drivers in 

the European consumer 

electronics market in terms 

of units sold, with demand 

rising by 25%. At the same 

time, however, constant 

price pressure meant that 

sales declined by 7%. 

The reasons include the 

continued strained economic 

situation in a number of 

countries, as well as the 

high growth rates recorded 

in the first half of 2008, 

which was characterized by 

extremely high sales due 

to the European Football 

Championship. While 

traditional CRT televisions 

are essentially irrelevant 

nowadays, one in every eight 

euros is spent on a plasma 

TV. Thus, LCD TV now takes 

the lion’s share of 88% in 

turnover, with particularly 

big increases in the larger 

screen sizes of 37 inches 

and more. 32-inch screens 

remain the most popular 

segment, being chosen by 

one in three customers. In 

light of these trends, GfK 

is forecasting sales of 43.5 

million LCD and 4.3 million 

plasma sets in total Europe 

in 2009. Full HD TVs are 

becoming increasingly 

popular and now represent 

49% of LCD TVs and 23% 

of plasma TVs sold. The 

average expenditure on 

televisions in the first half 

of 2009 has fallen at just 

under EUR 600. There were 

declines within segments 

with similar product 

features; for example, 37- 

inch LCD TVs and 50-inch 

plasma TVs each recorded 

losses of 20%. 

The generation of additional 

consumer demand, and 

hence price stabilization, 

will depend on the success 

of new features such as 

LED backlights and 200Hz 

panels. 

DVD players and 

recorders: market 

buoyed by Blu-ray 

players 

The European market for 

DVD players and recorders 

is becoming increasingly less 

significant. In the first half 

of the year, the number of 

units sold declined by 13%, 

with sales by revenue falling 

by as much as 20%. 

The traditional DVD player 

market declined by 14% 

in terms of units sold and 

25% in terms of sales. 

These losses were partially 

offset by the strong growth 

enjoyed by Blu-ray players, 

which quadrupled their 

sales in the first half of 2009 

compared with the same 

period of the previous year. 

However, sales growth in 

the Blu-ray segment was 

less pronounced on account 

of the sharp fall in prices 

(to an average of EUR 252 

between January and June 

2009). 

At +147%, however, 

development remains 

extremely positive. This 

means that Blu-ray players 

are now responsible for onethird 

of sales in the European 

DVD player segment. Sales of 

DVD recorders fell by 32%, 

meaning that this product 

category now accounts 

for only 41% of the overall 

DVD hardware sector. GfK 

is forecasting sales of 18.7 

million traditional home 

DVD players, 2.1 million Bluray 

players and 4.6 million 

DVD recorders in 2009. 



EuROpE: 

CONSuMER 

ELECTRONiCS – 

TuRNOvER 

bY COuNTRiES 

Europe: Consumer electronics - turnover by countries 

Consumer Electronics / Hardware* 

Europe 

Sales Value %** 

Turnover by Countries 

1. Half year 2009 vs 1. Half year 2008 

Source: GfK Retail and Technology 

19 

Germany 

0 

16 

Great Britain 

-3 

France 

-4 

15 

Italy 

-8 

9 

Germany 

-14 

8 

Netherlands 

-18 

5 

Other Western Europe 

-8 

13 

Russia 

-10 

7 

8 

Other Eastern Europe 

-13 

1. Hy. 2009 

Total (in €): 12% 

* TV / Video / HiFi / Portable Audio / Car audio 

* * All in Euro except of development rates Great Britain, Russia, Other Easter Europe (in local currencies) 

Source: GfK Retail and technology 




Discover the Consumer Lifestyle World! 

Daily, starting at 10 a.m., trade visitors will be able to obtain background information on industry 

trends and product debuts relating to key topics at IFA 2009. Morning daily tours for trade visitors 

will begin at 10 a.m. at the Trade Visitor Reception in Hall 1.1 / 2.1 at the South Entrance. Afternoon 

tours will begin daily at 1.30 p.m. in Hall 24. Eight theme tours are scheduled, with visits to 3 to 4 

leading brand manufacturers respectively. 

TOpIcS OF ThE mORnIng TOURS FOR TRADE VISITORS 

home cinema (TV and audio) 

Home Cinema represents a genuine home movie 

experience and conjures a desire for higher quality sets for 

listening and viewing. 

IpTV / web TV 

With IPTV, viewers are able to receive TV programmes via an internet 

connection. As well as allowing telephone and internet access 

a telephone connection also makes it possible to watch television. 

Web TV enables broadband transmission of television programmes 

and movies over the internet. The only difference is in the quality of 

the transmissions. 

3D TV 

3D television is a hot topic at IFA. 3D television captures 

numerous different viewing angles and employs a 3D 

screen to realistically reproduce TV programmes in three 

dimensions. 

Large home appliances – 

ecology 

The manufacturers of domestic appliances have long been aiming 

to employ modern concepts to improve energy efficiency and 

increase resource savings. Thus from 1997 to 2007, a 30 per cent 

increase in energy savings was achieved for washing machines, 

40 per cent for dishwashers, and even around 45 per cent for 

refrigerators. 

TRADE VISITORS’ TOUR 

TOpIcS OF ThE AFTERnOOn TOURS FOR TRADE VISITORS 

Wireless hDTV 

The first wireless television sets in full high-definition 

quality are one of the highlights at IFA. All connections are 

wired into an external media box which transmits wireless 

audio and video signals to the television set with no loss in 

quality. 

Entertainment centres / 

media servers 

Media centres represent a collection of numerous multimedia 

programmes on a common graphical user interface 

(media servers). They combine devices which store mp3 or 

mpeg files and play them back over a television set or hifi 

system. 

IFA 2009 

Digital imaging (photos / videos) 

Digital imaging describes all stages of electronic image processing. 

Source materials are digital images and videos produced by digital 

cameras, but also slides and negatives digitalised using scanners. 

Digital imaging consists of processing, editing, archiving and 

presenting these media using computers, as well as printing and 

duplicating photos. 

Small home appliances – 

lifestyle 

The latest domestic appliances not only make life better and easier, 

but are also pioneering lifestyle trends with easy-to-use, stylish 

control panels, intelligent technology, outstanding design and 

efficient energy usage. 

Please note: the guided tours are all in German, there are no English ones.

Meet the visionaries 

sKY-hiGh eXPeCtations 

ses astra's sateLLite PLatForM Drives DiGitaL-tv UPtaKe 

Ferdinand Kayser, President 

and CEO of SES ASTRA, 

believes his company can 

play a stellar role in the 

rapidly evolving media 

landscape. He tells IFA 

International why… 

How has SES ASTRA 

helped to stimulate the 

growth of digital TV in 

Europe? 

Today, 50% or 122 million 

out of the 243 million TV 

homes in Europe are already 

receiving their TV content 

digitally. And this success 

has largely been driven by 

SES ASTRA and the satellite 

infrastructure in general. 

The digitalisation rate 

of satellite is three times 

higher than that of the 

cable networks. One of 

the reasons for this is that 

our infrastructure is already 

100% digital, which means 

we do not need to upgrade 

in order to go digital. We are 

ready. 

Today, satellite provides 

more than a quarter of all 

TV households with their 

digital TV signals. Last year, 

SES ASTRA alone gained 

6.1 million digital-satellite 

households, reaching a 

total of 47.2 million digitalsatellite 

homes in Europe. 

These figures show that 

we are clearly a leader in 

terms of the digitalisation of 

European television and we 

intend to remain so in the 

future. 

HDTV has been slow to 

take off in Europe. What 

has SES ASTRA done to 

promote this? And what 

else can be done to 

stimulate uptake? 

SES ASTRA is a pioneer of 

HD and has been involved 

with its introduction in 

Europe from the outset. 

We have worked closely 

with the industry to help 

develop the HD-Ready 

standard. Moreover, by 

driving digitalisation in 

Europe, we have establish 

the foundations for the 

launch of HDTV. There is 

no better infrastructure 

for HDTV transmission 

than satellite in terms of 

reliability, bandwidth and 

geographical reach. 

Today, SES ASTRA 

broadcasts nearly 80 HD 

channels from Europe's 

leading broadcasters and 

reaches 3 million HD homes. 

As a result, we are the most 

important HD platform in 

Europe. 

And there is more to come. 

By 2010, we expect to 

be broadcasting 100 HD 

channels. With the steady 

launch of additional HD 

channels, digitalisation will 

be boosted still further. 

More than 100 million HD- 

Ready TV sets sold in the 

European market prove that 

the TV viewer is ready for 

HDTV. We are convinced 

that the growing number 

of HD channels will further 

drive the proliferation of HD 

equipment in the European 

market. We also expect to 

have almost 50 million HD 

viewers in Europe by 2013, 

with satellite being the 

largest distribution platform. 

We were the first to talk 

about HDTV and we will 

continue to inform viewers 

about its advantages. But in 

the end, I'm convinced that 

the brilliant pictures and the 

exceptional sound quality of 

HDTV speak for themselves. 

Where do you believe 

satellite is headed with 

regards to IPTV? 

SES ASTRA transmits 2,500 

TV channels and services, 

and serves 122 million 

households in 35 countries 

across Europe and North 

Africa. We are fully convinced 

that satellite is, and will 

remain, the most powerful 

infrastructure to broadcast 

television to large territories and 

markets. Hundreds of channels, 

large bandwidth and broad 

geographical reach no other 

infrastructure is able to come 

close to such performance. 

The technological advances 

of satellite constantly 

breathe new life into the 

broadcasting industry. Take, 

for example, HD and 3D. 

We expect the demand 

for satellite bandwidth to 

increase significantly over 

the next few years. This is 

why we are investing nearly 

400m this year in order to 

both replace and grow our 

capacity offer. 

Looking at the competition 

from new technologies such 

as IPTV, we believe we are 

also well positioned. We 

have expanded not only in 

the geographical sense, but 

we have also grown our 

business along the value 

chain. 

As a neutral technicalservice 

provider, we not only 

deliver direct home services 

to millions of households, 

but we also serve cable 

and IP infrastructures and 

customers, including KDG, 

T-Home and Orange. And 

we also invest in new 

technologies, such as 

broadband, mobile TV and 

hybrid reception. 

In the last month, a new 

consortium to which we 

belong, HbbTV which 

stands for Hybrid Broadcast 

Broadband TV launched 

an initiative to harmonise 

SES ASTRA'S Ferdinand Kayser: "There is more to come" 

broadcast and broadband 

standards. The aim is to 

build a homogeneous 

receiver population, 

providing customers with 

the combined richness of 

broadcast and broadband. 

"SES ASTRA transmits 

2,500 TV channels and 

services, and serves 122 

million households in 35 

countries" 



on the show floor 

no lIMIts wIth lG’s new 

BorDerless tVs 

sl9000 leD BACKlIt lCD sets AnD 

sl8000 UnVeIleD At IfA 

LG Electronics unveiled two 

new home entertainment 

products at the 2009 IFA 

that define LG’s theme for 

this year, Live Borderless . 

According to LG Electronics, 

this will instantly make sense 

to anyone who sees the 

company’s Borderless TVs, 

which appear to be a single, 

uninterrupted sheet of glass, 

as well as they are the first 

TVs to completely eliminate 

the seam between the 

screen and the surrounding 

bezel. “We want LG to 

be the top name in home 

entertainment,” said Simon 

Kang, CEO and President 

of LG Home Entertainment 

Company. “To make that 

happen we’ve listened 

closely to our customers 

and have invested heavily 

in product development. 

The Borderless TVs we’re 

introducing show exactly 

what we’ve accomplished, 

setting new standards in 

home entertainment. These 

TVs look better than any 

others on the market and 

the viewing experience 

they provide is second-tonone.” 

LG is introducing 

two Borderless TVs, the 

SL8000 and SL9000, which 

blend modern style and 

technological innovation. LG 

say that they have dedicated 

significant research and 

development efforts in their 

new design with the goal of 

breaking out of the accepted 

conventions of how their 

TVs are supposed to look. 

The Borderless SL9000 LED 

Backlit LCD TV delivers state 

of the art picture quality to 

compliment its cutting edge 

design. Its LED backlight 

makes possible a dynamic 

fine contrast ratio of 

3,000,000:1. Other features 

include Bluetooth and HD 

DivX compatibility. 

The SL8000’s stylish 

exterior hides a top-end 

Full HD 1080p SuperIPS 

panel, which can be finely 

tuned using LG’s Expert 

Mode. TruMotion 200Hz 

ensures that fast onscreen 

action is super sharp and 

a dynamic fine contrast 

ratio of 150,000:1 gives 

the TV impressive clarity. 

LG’s in-house Intelligent 

Sensor reduces energy 

consumption, helping 

to make both TVs more 

environmentally friendly. 

LG was able to create the 

super-slim SL8000 Model 

by developing their own 

Injection Compression 

Molding technique. Special 

laminate films reduce glare 

and improve picture quality. 

Upgrades to the invisible 

speaker system enabled 

LG to make powerful 

sound an integral part of 

its Borderless TVs, while 

retaining their slim profiles 

and seamless finishes. 

In addition to its new 

LCD TVs, LG’s home 

entertainment highlights 

at its stand in Hall 11.2 

will include innovative and 

stylish plasma TVs, home 

theatre systems, video 

devices, data storage devices 

and projectors. LG will also 

debut several new smart 

technologies built into its 

products. In order to enable 

audiences around the world 

to have a say in LG’s newest 

offerings, the company is 

organising a forum with top 

European tech bloggers. 

LG will further extend its 

online reach by fully utilising 

social networking tools such 

as Facebook and Twitter. 

And German artist Edgar 

Mueller will create 3D works 

of art related to the Live 

Borderless theme at Berlin’s 

Hauptbahnhof (Central 

Station). 





SPECIAL FEATURE - ACCESSoRIES 

The Hama Power Line 

The iPhone to HDMI converter 

The VGA/Stereo to HDMI Cable 

HAMA'S DEVICE SQUAD 

LISTEnIng To CUSToMERS HELPS 

FUTURE-PRooF DEVELoPMEnT 

After 10 years in Hama's 

R&D, Karl Schabert is 

now Team Leader of the 

accessories manufacturer 

and distributor's customerservice 

hotline. 

Combining his experience in 

product development with 

what his team learns about 

customer needs, Schabert 

now advises the company as 

to what products it should 

be developing. "Cables 

are now a vital part of 

our accessories business, 

but they will become less 

and less important in the 

future," he said. "This is 

partly because cables are 

something that most people 

prefer to hide away and it's 

partly because of the sorts 

of products we are currently 

developing. For example, 

the HDMI Power Line 

adaptor, which can be used 

to transmit content from a 

PC or a hard disk to your TV 

set, is a device of the future. 

But it's also a classic example 

of the sort of prototype 

that has come directly from 

customer feedback. There 

is a significant and growing 

demand for devices like 

this." 

The Power Line has a 

broadcast range of up to 

100 metres, is completely 

secure so that neighbours 

cannot pick up the signal 

and also features a remote 

control that operates the 

media source from the room 

in which the TV is located. 

"Power Line will be available 

by the end of this year and 

we expect it to retail for 

around €300," Schabert 

said. 

Continuing with the HDMI 

theme, Hama has also 

developed a cable accessory 

prototype that allows 

devices that do not have an 

HDMI output to be viewed 

on TV by correcting the 

resolution and digitising 

the output. "It's called the 

VGA/Stereo to HDMI Cable 

and it's very close to being 

launched. It will be out at 

the beginning of October 

and will be priced at around 

€150." 

Perhaps the most impressive 

prototype currently being 

developed is the iPhone 

to HDMI converter. "This 

is a piece of firmware that 

up-scales the 700:400 

and 640:480 output of 

an iPhone or iPod Touch 

to 1080i," Schabert said. 

"That means you can watch 

content in Full-HD on your 

TV from those devices 

without any compromise 

on quality or any problems 

with pixelation. Videos and 

TV series that have been 

downloaded from iTunes 

can also be watched in HD." 

External speaker systems are 

another area that Hama is 

watching closely. "As screens 

become thinner and thinner, 

there is inevitably some loss 

of quality in the onboard 

speaker systems," Schabert 

said. "And until there is 

a major breakthrough 

in speaker technology 

that precludes the need 

for traditional resonance 

chambers, we are sure to 

see a rise in demand — not 

necessarily in multi-speaker 

systems, but certainly in 

three-way sets." 

What extra value do you 

get from a 120 dB cable? 

Is it really worth the extra 

cost? 

Hama's Karl Schabert 

believes it is: "The extra cost 

is mainly about the quality 

of the shielding and there 

are solid reasons to invest 

in a good cable, especially 

in the modern world, where 

there are so many potential 

sources of interference. 

We do a demonstration 

for the public on the Hama 

stand, which shows what 

happens to picture quality 

when someone is using a 

common household device, 

such as a power drill, near 

a TV connected by a poorly 

shielded cable. It's obvious 

that it really affects the 

picture." 

With many TVs connected 

by cables with little or 

no shielding, Schabert 

recommends a minimum of 

75dB: "Among the nearly 

17,000 accessories we offer, 

the very best cable is 120 

dB. I would recommend 

that anyone living near a TV 

transmitter, a mobile-phone 

mast or even a railway 

line should invest in a well 

shielded, quality cable." 

Hall 7.2C / Stand 101 



SPECIAL FEATURE - ACCESSoRIES 

VogEL’S 8000 SERIES 

SHoWCASED AT IFA 

CLEAn UP WITH THE 8000 SERIES 

ACCESSoRIES 

Anyone who has been 

frustrated by unsightly wires 

trailing from their TV or 

multimedia devices should 

welcome the solution 

offered by the new 8000 

Series from Vogel’s. 

The Vogel's cable column 

accessory conceals cables 

and is specially designed 

to complement the next 

generation of flat-screen 

mounts. Ultra-thin (just 

2cm/0.8-inch), this spacesaving 

column comes in 

lengths of 64 and 94 cm 

(25.2-inch / 37-inch) and can 

hold up to 10 cables. The 

cable column is also supplied 

with an A/V support 

module. 

“The A/V multi-support 

module offers neat storage 

space for all of your AV 

equipment just underneath 

the flat screen,” said Ingrid 

Rutjens of Vogel’s. “You 

can adjust its height, width 

and depth to fit any size of 

device. Consumers can add 

another dimension to their 

viewing position with the tilt 

module. This can be moved 

up or down by 15 degrees, 

making it easier to see the 

screen, while lying on the 

sofa or in bed. A smart 

AutoLock single-click system 

holds the module safely in 

place.” 

The latest addition to the 

8000 Series accessories line 

is the universal cable cover. 

An alternative to the cable 

column, the cover is also just 

2cm thick. Easy to mount 

and made from aluminum, it 

is available in several colours 

and two different models, 

both 94cm/37-inches long. 

The small version can hold 

up to four cables (EFA 8740) 

and the large version can 

hold up to eight cables (EFA 

8741). 


VOGELS 8000 motion+ set 

SAnUS SYSTEMS SAVE on 

InSTALLATIon TIME 

XF228 AnD LF228 DESIgnED FoR 

PRoFESSIonAL AV InSTALLERS 

Sanus Systems , a division of 

Milestone AV Technologies, 

is shipping two new 

VisionMount HDpro Series 

full-motion wall mounts 

with the easiest postinstallation 

adjustment 

technology available. 

Models XF228 and LF228 

are being offered within 

the Sanus HDpro Series, 

a collection of products 

designed specifically for 

professional AV installers. 

“We’ve really listened to the 

needs of pro-AV installers 

and have put a lot of thought 

into the engineering of our 

HDpro products,” said Steve 

Frank, Sanus Director of 

Product Management. “The 

features on the new XF228 

and LF228, from postinstallation 

adjustment to 

cable management, make it 

incredibly easy for an installer 

to create a professional TV 

display in any room, and in 

significantly less time than 

is required to install mounts 

without these features.” 

The XF228 and LF228 also 

offer 28 inches (71 cm) of fullmotion 

extension, Virtual 

Axis tilting technology for 

effortless viewing angle 

adjustment without the use 

of tools, and an open wallplate 

design that provides 

generous space for cable 

management. In addition, a 

patent-pending adjustable 

tension ring(s) allows the TV 

to move freely, so it’s easy 

to find and keep the perfect 

viewing angle. 


How Close Can You Get? 

Sanus Super Slim Tilting Mount Positions TVs Just 20 mm (0.82”) From the Wall 

AdVerTOriAl 

New tilting model for ultra-thin mounts 

offers low-profile depth and exclusive 

design features for quick installation and 

ease of use 

Sanus Systems, a division of Milestone AV 

Technologies, the largest manufacturer of flat panel 

TV mounts worldwide, has announced it will be 

shipping the VisionMount VLT15 Super Slim Tilting 

Mount in Q4, 2009. Sanus introduced the new Super 

Slim mount category in July with an initial offering of 

two low-profile models. Sanus Super Slim mounts are 

designed to maximize the sleek appearance of ultrathin 

LCD and plasma TVs, allowing them to be placed 

extremely close to the wall, and are the only mounts 

in the industry to offer post-installation adjustment 

and cable management features at such a low-profile 

depth. 

The VLT15 saves valuable time for installers, while 

maintaining excellent tilting capabilities with the 

exclusive Adjustable Virtual Axis tilt technology. 

Innovative design features make the Super Slim VLT15 

easy to install and use. 

• INDUSTRY FIRST - Adjustable Virtual Axis 

tilt enables up to 10° of tilting capabilities and 

accommodates TVs of variable thicknesses to 

prevent unwanted sagging when the TV is in an 

upright position. 

• ProSet post-installation height and leveling 

adjustment allows up to 1.3 cm (50") of movement 

for perfect TV positioning. 

• A locking mechanism securely holds the TV to 

the wall plate and locks with an audible “click,” 

indicating proper installation. 

• Quick-release tabs stay hidden but can be pulled 

down to unlock the TV from the wall plate, allowing 

easy access behind the TV. 

• ClickStand props hold the TV 7.8 cm (3.08") from 

the wall for additional work room when needing to 

get at cables or AV component hookups. 

• A unique rail design allows the installer to shift 

the TV left or right on the wall plate for desired 

placement, even with off center studs. 

Universal TV brackets allow Sanus Super Slim mounts 

to support most LED, LCD and plasma TVs. The VLT15 

supports TVs from 94 – 165 cm (37"-65") and up to 

68 kg and will be available in Q4 2009. 

CONTACT: 

Inside Sales & Customer Service Department 

Milestone AV Technologies BV 

europe.sanus@milestone.com 

(p) +31 (0)40 2324700 

(f) +31 (0)40 2324710 

Visit Sanus @ IFA: Hall25 / Stand 125 



SPECIAL FEATURE - ACCESSORIES 

MONSTER DRIVES IPOD 

AND IPHONE ACCESSORIES 

The new Monster Cable 

iCarPlay Wireless 800 

lets music lovers transmit 

their favourite songs 

wirelessly via their iPhone 

or iPod through any 

FM radio station, while 

simultaneously charging 

the device using Monster's 

smart charger circuitry. 

Sound solution: Monster's new 

iCable 800 

To provide a clear sound, 

advanced audio circuitry 

rejects cell-phone 

interference, while the 

external antenna improves 

signal transmission. 

Best of all, the iCarPlay 

Wireless 800 is equipped 

with Monster's innovative 

M-Drive multi-function 

control — a one-knob 

feature that lets users keep 

their eyes on the road at all 

times. It also features the 

Auto-Scan 3D, which finds 

the best available radio 

station in the area. 

"Monster has always 

been the iPod and 

iPhone accessory leader, 

setting new standards 

in industrial design, 

technology, innovation, 

product performance and 

packaging style," said 

company CEO Noel Lee. 

"Now we are building on 

this commitment with 

a host of new products 

that will make it easier 

than ever to enjoy all 

your favourite iPod and 

iPhone entertainment on 

the road. All our Apple 

accessories are designed to 

offer value-added features 

and lifestyle benefits at 

the best possible price, 

while allowing users to 

expand the performance 

capabilities of their Apple 

products in new and 

exciting ways." 

Monster also offers 

options for consumers with 

auxiliary input-equipped 

stereos in their cars. Unlike 

wireless transmitters, the 

new iCable 800 for Car 

with Xtra Low Noise Double 

Helix cable construction 

provides a direct wired 

connection to a car's 

audio system, allowing it 

to deliver music with full 

fidelity, completely free of 

static and FM interference. 

For users who want to 

be able to charge their 

iPod or iPhone on the 

road, the iCarCharger 

1000 uses a 30-pin dock 

connector to charge the 

device, while playing 

audio through a minijack 

cable with internal 

cable management. It also 

features built-in navigation 

controls on the back of the 

cigarette-lighter adapter 

plug, enabling easy music 

playback. 


MELICONI 

APPLIES 

LOGIC 

The Logic 12 remote control 

has an LCD screen that 

displays the functions of each 

of the original remotes that 

it is replacing. Designed for 

maximum comfort, the new 

remote can control up to 12 

devices and is compatible 

with the majority of brands 

currently on the market. 

The Logic 12 can also be 

customised. Programming is 

a simple matter of visiting the 

Meliconi website in order to 

gain access to the enabling 

codes. Alternatively, place the 

Meliconi remote in front of the 

device it is replacing and it will 

learn the functions via infrared. 

The device also allows 

the user to customise key 

functions for optimum ease of 

use. 




MEET THE VISIONARIES 

YUjI NISHIYAMA 

VP AND DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER 

PLANNING AND MARkETING 

AUDIO-VISUAL SYSTEMS GROUP 

SHARP CORPORATION 

"MADE 

IN kAMAYAMA!" 

IFA INTERNATIONAL VISITS SHARP HQ 

AND PLANT IN FACT-FINDING TOUR 

By Richard Barnes 

In the run-up to this year’s IFA, in order to give IFA visitors the 

most in-depth coverage of the market currently available, we 

travelled to Asia to get the “inside line” on what’s happening 

with the world’s top manufacturers. 

Here, we take you to Sharp’s HQ in Osaka, as well as visiting the 

Kameyama II plant… and bigger things are in store. 

When we talk about a 

Generation "whatever" 

plant, this pertains to the 

size of the “mother glass”, 

the substrate from which 

LCD panels are cut to 

form the heart of current 

day LCD TVs. Basically, the 

bigger the substrate, the 

more cost effective it is 

to produce large screen 

TVs. But producing a very 

large mother glass like 

the Generation 8 at 2160 

× 2460 mm is not easy. 

Visiting the Kameyama II 

plant in central Japan, we 

witness the huge waferthin 

shimmering sheets 

of glass being shuttled 

delicately by robots from 

one part of the plant to 

another, before finally 

being churned out as 

gleaming new LCD 

TVs. Kameyama II also 

exports pre-cut panels to 

Europe where they are 

assembled into TV sets. At 

Kameyama we also take 

a sneak peek, with Sharp 

PR person Juri Katsuragi, 

at some of their stateof-the-art 

products and 

technologies, such as 

one with a built-in Bluray 

Disc recorder, or a 

triple-view set that allows 

people to watch different 

programmes on the same 

screen from different 

parts of the room! 

Following the visit, Juri 

accompanies us back to 

Osaka where we meet 

with Yuji Nishiyama, Vice 

President and Deputy 

General Manager — 

Planning and Marketing 

— Audio-Visual Systems 

Group for Sharp Corporation. 

We ask the simple 

question that begs to be 

asked… What are the 

latest big developments 

in LCD TV? 

Last year you already spoke 

about the XS-1, and we 

were very proud to have 

launched the “High End” of 

the spectrum… a little like 

the F1 racing car of LCD TVs! 

This set included an RBG 

backlight with local area 

dimming with a very thin 

profile. From this, we have 

been able to take advantage 

of the technology and 

apply it to future products. 

This will in fact be our 

cornerstone on which we 

build for the future. We 

indeed believe that the LED 

backlight is the way to go. 

It’s mercury-free and its 

advantages include reduced 

electrical consumption, so it 

is environmentally friendly 

and has the potential to 

further increase picture 

performance. But the LCD 

panel, technology wise, 

has not yet reached its full 

potential. There are many 

aspects that can be improved, 

such as the response time, 

colour reproduction and 

viewing angle. We can 

continue to bring exciting 

new developments into 

the market. Some people 

claim that PDP has some 

advantages, but these can 

now all be addressed with 

LCD technology. 

Talking about environmental 

consciousness this 

is very much part of your 

company’s philosophy. 

Please tell us more about 

this… 

We are very proud that we 

established the Kameyama 

factory with the aim of 

bringing not just new 

technology but also making 

it environmentally friendly 

such as a water recycling 

system that completely 

purifies water generated 

during manufacturing 

processes. We are very 

proud of that. We are 

also ‘aggressively’ using 

renewable energy, namely 

from solar panels that 

together with a cogeneration 

facility supply 

one third of the electricity 

we use. This factory is a 

symbol of our commitment 

to be friendlier to the 

environment. 

Customers are aware of this 

and in Japan they actually ask 

for panels and sets produced 

in this plant… the “Made in 

Kameyama” brand. Where 

it’s made, how it’s made 

and the environment, are all 

important in terms of raised 

consciousness. 

The TVs themselves 

are becoming more 

environmentally friendly 

too… 

As for the XS1 set, the 

annual power consumption 

for the 65-inch model is 

down approximately 26% 

compared to Sharp's 2007 

model. We launched the 

32” DE5 that uses about 

half of the energy of the 

previous year and just 

a quarter of the energy 

of similar models on the 

market five years ago. LCD 

itself already represented a 

much more energy efficient 

development and we are 

pursuing how to reduce 

energy consumption even 

more, such as in stand-by 

mode, to enhance customer 

convenience. We also pay 

attention to the materials 

used in producing LCD 

TVs, by carrying out tests 

on products for chemicals 

and working to abolish or 

reduce the use of chemicals 

that have a negative effect 

on people's health or the 

environment. 

Please tell us about the 

Sakai plant, where you 

are ahead of schedule. 

When the economy 

crashed, the government 

applied counter measures 

to stimulate the trade. It’s 

called eco-point. When 

you purchase a product in 

this programme you get a 

rebate, and this is helping to 

increase demand here. Also, 

we’re seeing healthy growth 

in the Chinese market 

despite tough competition 

from local manufacturers. In 


MEET THE VISIONARIES 

order to meet that demand, 

we decided to enhance 

capacity at Kameyama and 

to bring forward the launch 

date for Sakai. We plan 

to start operations at the 

new Sakai plant in October, 

which is ahead of our initial 

plan to start in March 

2010. Despite the worldscale 

economic recession, 

we have already had an 

improvement in demand 

overall and we are in a good 

position to take advantage 

of this and have a strong 

next year. The Sakai plant 

is not exclusively Sharp, but 

it’s more like a 21st century 

style industry collaborationmanufacturing 

complex. 

There are glass and colour 

filter production facilities 

alongside. With the 

production of LCD panels, 

efficiency matters such as 

the distance of transporting 

component parts, so we 

save both money and cut 

down on CO 2 

emissions by 

grouping these processes in 

one place. We have adopted 

environmental lessons from 

the Kameyama plant and 

work together with Sakai’s 

local authorities and utility 

companies to implement 

environmental policies and 

practices from which other 

companies on the site can 

also benefit. There has been 

a lot of cooperation between 

all companies involved and 

we’re happy to take the lead 

in this. 

What new products are 

on show at IFA? 

At IFA we are going to 

release the new series LE 

600 and 700 which are 

going to adapt some of the 

technology we learnt from 

building XS1. In the current 

economic climate in Europe, 

it is not the time to put in 

something extra that will 

push the price higher. It is 

like adapting the technology 

from an F1 racing car for 

an ordinary automobile. 

It demonstrates to the 

client that by using the LED 

backlight technology, the 

picture quality can be 

further enhanced, and these 

sets are the cornerstone for 

building future LED backlight 

TVs. So the XS1 is high end 

and the 600 and 700 series 

are affordable sets using 

future technology. A wider 

range of people will be 

able to buy LED backlit TVs. 

The new sets will be using 

white LED technology and 

will be reasonably priced. 

We are pushing the trend 

for larger size LCD TVs, and 

with the launch of the Sakai 

plant we can reinforce this 

trend with the ‘key-size’ LCD 

TV being 60”. Especially in 

the US and Chinese markets, 

they find 60” a decent size 

as the centrepiece for their 

Sharp stand at IFA 2009, showing new range of LED backlit LCD TV's. 

Home Theatres, yet at an 

accessible price point. 

What’s your long term 

vision for the consumer 

TV market? 

We’re in the midst of working 

on that. We need to create 

more value for the customer 

while remaining competitive 

in the market. Simply 

competing on price does not 

bring new customers. We 

need to attract more diverse 

consumers rather than just 

attacking the same markets. 

For LCD TVs, our company 

direction in the near future 

is to aggressively shift 

totally towards the LED 

backlighting system. We 

have an adequate R&D 

history in LED technology 

and we recently announced 

that we are entering the 

LED lighting sector with 

9 different models. The 

physical shape is like a regular 

screw in light bulb and fit in 

the same sockets as ordinary 

incandescent bulbs. In other 

words they are simple and 

easy to use as replacements 

for ordinary lamps. They also 

feature adjustable colour 

and dimming functions. 

These are perfectly adapted 

for the Home Theatre 

environment as they change 

with the movie, not only in 

intensity but also the colour 

of the light. We saw the 

potential and invested in 

manufacturing LED technology, 

so now it makes 

sense for us to pursue LEDbacklighting 

system for LCD 

TV. In device technology 

we produce LED, Solar and 

LCD panels and we continue 

to look for ways to foster 

these technologies and 

to incorporate them into 

finished goods. 

LCD technology continues 

to improve rapidly in 

performance, so it would 

be very challenging for any 

other technology to catch 

up and become viable. The 

LCD panel industry is such 

a big industry now, as it 

attracts more technological 

advancements because it is 

competitive and has a lot of 

potential and attracts further 

investment to improve upon 

it, so I am not too concerned 

about the future. 

sharp_xs1e 




PRODUCT TRENDS 

VERBATIM FEELING SECURE WITH 40 YEARS EXPERIENCE 

NEW 6x BLU-RAY BD-R recordable disc fastest on markET 

Verbatim president Gary Milner 

40 years since founder 

Reid Anderson began 

loading data tape into 

cassette casings in a 

San Fernando garage, 

Verbatim are celebrating 

this significant anniversary 

at IFA this year 

by launching the fastest 

Blu-ray BD-R disc on the 

market. 

“Reid was a pioneer who 

recognised the emerging 

market potential for digital 

data storage and since then 

we have never stopped 

innovating,” says Verbatim’s 

new president Gary 

Milner. “Verbatim is now 

synonymous worldwide 

with high-quality storage 

media.” Today Verbatim is 

part of Mitsubishi Kagaku 

Media (MKM), and their 

focus is very much on the 

security of data stored 

on Verbatim products. 

“Encryption and security are 

an important and growing 

market segment, both 

for the private consumer 

and for corporate and 

governmental agencies,” 

says Rüdiger Theobold, 

Verbatim Marketing and 

Business Development 

Manager. “That means the 

protection of sensitive data 

through secure 128-bit 

encryption as well as robust 

and safe casings that protect 

data stored on our hard disk 

drives from knocks, drops 

and dust.” The portable 

500 GB Verbatim Secure 

HDD protects data through 

their VerbatimSync Software 

that both synchronizes 

and encrypts data stored. 

The importance of data 

encryption means that 

Verbatim now offers secure 

data storage solutions 

across the whole of their 

range. Renowned for their 

optical storage media, 

Verbatim entered the hard 

disk drive market at IFA two 

years ago. The new InSight 

model features a data screen 

displaying the designated 

drive name and data usage. 

Technological changes in 

the digital data storage 

business continue to evolve 

at a rapid pace. Verbatim 

launched the fastest 25GB 

Blu-ray BD-R with a 6x 

recording speed this year 

at IFA. “External hard drive 

and flash memory products 

continue to grow rapidly, 

but it is with the double 

layer DVD and especially 

in the Blu-ray arena that 

we are anticipating a lot 

of exciting opportunities 

in the forthcoming year,” 

comments Milner. Verbatim 

also have a double layer 

50GB Blu-ray BD-R at 2x 

speed and a competitively 

priced 25GB 2x speed Bluray 

manufactured using 

AZO dye technology, a 

process owned by their 

parent company Mitsubishi 

and used in regular products 

such as CD-R. “Blu-ray today 

is relatively small but it is 

set to grow exponentially,” 

says Milner. “The Japanese 

market is more substantial 

with 40 million recordable 

Blu-ray discs sold in the 

past year with just 4 million 

in Europe. This is about to 

change though with the 

imminent growth of HD TV 

in Europe boosting sales 

as Blu-ray BD-R is the ideal 

format for recording and 

archiving HD TV. In the UK 

for example the BBC HD 

channel will permit you to 

record and time shift their 

HD programming.” Further 

innovations for Verbatim at 

IFA this year include the USB 

– Executive, a portable hard 

drive range that they boast 

are 25% faster than standard 

USB portable hard drives. 

The portable drives now 

come in a range of striking 

colours and there is even 

a limited edition gold USB 

2.5 inch HDD to celebrate 

their 40 th anniversary. The 

MediaStation HD DVR is a 

new multimedia network 

hard drive with 1 TB 

capacity which features 

full functionality as a home 

multimedia player and 

recorder. It is an expansion 

of the MediaStation range 

that Verbatim launched 

last year. “The demand 

for storage is increasing 

exponentially. People like 

collecting, archiving and 

storing by nature,” observes 

Milner. “Customers want a 

high quality product that 

is very secure and, as the 

market increases, there is a 

need for all four different 

types of data storage devices 

that we offer. Our extensive 

distribution base gives the 

Verbatim brand a broad 

reach. Worldwide we are 

the no.1 brand for optical 

media storage.” 


What is the ROBBY WASH? 

The Robby Wash is a white ball with blue rubber 

bumper, containing washing granules 

(macromolecules) whose effectiveness has 

been tested and proven. 

This unique, exclusive system will 

revolutionise the way people do their 

laundry. 

How does ROBBY WASH work? 

There is no more need for detergents, 

just put the Robby wash in your washing 

machine for astounding results! 

How it works: 270g of macromolecules are 

equivalent to 60Kg of washing powder, all you have 

to do is to refill it whenever you need to. The activated 

macromolecules are gradually released through the 

wash, dissolving dried-in stains by generating ions 

which activate the water molecules. The increase in 

pH enables the activated molecules to penetrate deep 

into the fabrics and attach themselves to the stains. As 

the motion of the drum agitates the clothes, the stains 

come off easily and dissolve into the water. 

Save money… 

…and the planet 

Hall 6.1 / Stand 204a 



IFA EXCLUSIVE ON SAMSUNG’S R&D 

AS wELL AS ENERGy EFFICIENCy, SPACE EFFICIENCy 

wILL bE AN ENDURING TREND By Richard Barnes 

Setting a roadmap for 

the European Home 

Appliance industry is 

difficult unless one goes 

to the heart of Research 

and Development in 

the field and looks at 

what’s being planned 

for the next 3-5 years. 

In its ongoing role 

of educating and 

informing the market, 

IFA International paid an 

exclusive (and rare) visit 

to Samsung’s Research 

and Development Centre 

in Suwan-City, Korea, to 

get the “inside story”. 

We spoke to the head 

of R&D for Samsung’s 

Digital Appliance 

Division, Dochul Choi. 

How is Samsung 

achieving ever-increasing 

energy efficiency in its 

household products? 

Our goals are much the 

same across the whole 

range. Intelligence is being 

used heavily in digital 

entertainment devices and 

now IT. So by utilising the 

strong IT technology we 

have in Samsung, we can 

improve efficiency, also in 

our home appliances. 

So there’s more and 

more intelligence being 

built into your devices? 

Correct. We intend to use 

bigger PBAs and we may 

well use more powerful 

chips that offer better 

control. 

What are the main trends 

that we can expect to 

see in the next two to 

five years? 

Because usually in the 

kitchen, space is limited. 

So what we are doing is 

developing, for constant 

cavity volumes, better 

(L-R) Richard Barnes, Editor-in-Chief, IFA International and Dochul Choi, Senior Vice-President, Samsung R&D Team, Digital Appliance Division 

and more useful internal 

dimensions to offer the 

customers. 

You also research the 

look and feel as well as 

the industrial design of 

these appliances at your 

R&D Centre. Can you tell 

us about this? 

We believe that we 

understand our customerbase 

pretty well. It’s 

important to keep evolving 

so that our products always 

have a modern look. The 

traditional white goods 

look is less essential, as 

there is a trend towards an 

‘IT’ or ‘CE’ look. 

You trained as a jet and 

rocket scientist and now 

you work for Samsung. 

On an internal level, 

does Samsung work 

differently from other 

companies in terms of 

R&D? 

Samsung is perfect for 

any engineer who has 

ambition. The company 

gives you room to grow and 

basically you can pursue 

any idea that you want. 

There are no limitations. 

In Samsung there is much 

more freedom and we 

don’t have to go looking 

for funding to pursue an 

idea. 

So does that mean that 

the good ideas get to 

market quicker? 

Yes. There is no overly 

vigorous control, which 

is just one of the many 

strengths of Samsung. 

Is that the biggest 

challenge? 

Yes it is, because Samsung 

White Goods are not 

market leaders yet. So we 

do have to keep adjusting 

our products and doing it 

as quickly as possible. . 

Is there a lot of 

difference between the 

White Goods markets in 

Europe, Asia and the US 

in terms of product likes 

and dislikes? 

There is and that’s one 

reason why you need speed 

of product turnaround. 

Every country has different 

tastes and preferences and 

their kitchen culture is very 

different. Clothes washing 

habits are different too. 

You have to adjust your 

products accordingly. 

France and Germany 

are really quite similar 

as markets, whereas the 

differences between 

Germany and the US are 

much more significant. In 

the US, it’s all about scale, 

because they typically shop 

once or twice per month, 

so they want a big freezer. 

In fact, they usually want 

two freezers because they 

have the sort of space that 

many European countries 

do not. 

Is Samsung doing 

anything to increase 

its overall energy 

efficiency? 

Yes, we’ve carried out 

internal studies to see 

which of our manufacturing 

processes produce the 

most CO 2 in order to 

evaluate how good we 

are as fellow citizens. The 

conclusions form the basis 

of an efficiency drive that 

we are putting in place 

across all our factories. 

Also, in terms of packaging 

we have stopped using 

styrofoam, replacing it 

with reinforced paper 

packaging. In our European 

factories we are burning 

Butane, which is a natural 

gas and less pollutant, plus 

we’ve started looking at 

using CO 2 for refrigerators. 





Dirt Devil's Fantasy 

DIRT DEVIL'S WICKED 

RESULTS 

Dirt Devil grew by 20% in 

the first six months of 2009. 

President and CEO Ralf 

Lindner believes this is 

more than a reflection of 

Dirt Devil's quality and 

innovation. It is also a result 

of the growing 'homing' 

trend across Europe, he 

said, as recession-battered 

consumers retreat to the 

safety of their nests. 

"A study of German saving 

habits conducted by ING- 

DiBa found that 34% of 

Germans want to spend 

more time at home," Lindner 

added. "And we believe this 

trend will catch on in other 

countries as well." 

Lindner also believes that 

Dirt Devil, with its range of 

top-end products for midmarket 

prices, is uniquely 

positioned to benefit from 

homing. Take its Infinity 

VS8 Turbo, which offers all 

the bells and whistles the 

consumer has come to expect 

from bagless muticyclone 

vacuum cleaners powerful 

performance, clean exhaust 

air, washable filters, easy 

emptying, practical parking 

but without the hefty price 

tag. The VS8 Turbo retails 

for just €99, "which is a third 

of the cost of comparable 

products on the market", 

Lindner observed. 

The Dirt Devil chief was 

also upbeat about the new 

Fantasy range, which is half 

way between a compact, 

hygienic, super-suction 

vacuum cleaner and an 

objet d'art. The Fantasy 

The Dirt Devil Infinity VS8 Turbo: form and functionality 

models come in three 

elegant, oriental designs at 

the equally attractive retail 

price of €69. "We wanted 

to make Fantasy the obvious 

choice for women," Lindner 

said. "It's turned out to be 

one of the star performers 

of IFA 2009." 

He added: "Last year's 

IFA was overwhelmingly 

successful for us and this 

year is shaping up to be 

equally profitable." 


THE THOROUGHLY MODERN MICROWAVE 

High performance and 

low power consumption 

are on top of the modern 

consumer's wish list when it 

comes to microwave ovens. 

In response, Sharp has 

come up with a new line 

of compact combination 

microwaves with grill, which 

look as good as they cook. 

The R-667A series offers 

microwave or quartz-grill 

functions coupled with 

innovative design. All the 

models also have vegetarian 

and low-fat modes, making 

them ideal for healthconscious 

consumers. 

"Nowadays, customers want 

a wide range of functions 

coupled with low power 

consumption," said Beate 

Moresmau, Marketing 

and Product Manager for 

home appliances at Sharp 

Electronics Europe. 

"A healthy diet is also 

important and this is exactly 

where our microwaves come 

into play. By pressing the 

applicable button, the Sharp 

microwave automatically 

calculates the right cooking 

time for healthy food 

preparation." 

Sharp's multifunctional 

microwave grills also offer 

various food-preparation 

modes. The R-667A series' 

six microwave power 

levels and 12 cooking and 

defrosting options can cook 

any dish to perfection, from 

a vitamin-packed vegetable 

meal to crispy chicken 

thighs. 


The Sharp R-667A microwave: healthy respect 



EISA URGES MANUFACTURERS TO 

ACCELERATE GREEN INITIATIVES 

GREEN MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES FINALLY 

HAVE THEIR OWN AWARD 

Left to right: 

Brendon Gore 

Hav Avôt 

Jin Jeong 

M. S. Park 

Jorge Gonçalves 

Peter Weber 

Wilfried Oppermann 

Jooree Cho (right) NDS/SDI Project Manager 

speaking with Wilfried Oppermann 

Jorge Gonçalves and Peter Weber 

Attendees 

reading NDS/SDI 

IFA has definitively become the place at which major initiatives for the Consumer 

Electronics and Home Appliance industries are born and developed. 

This was again the case on Saturday with the announcement by EISA during a 

press conference, artfully orchestrated by Peter Weber (Head of the Press Working 

Group for ZVEI) of their first Best European Green Mobile Awards. This now comes 

alongside the Best European Green TV awards launched in 2005. 

In a impassioned presentation, 

Han Avôt (Vice-President of 

EISA) strongly underlined the 

urgency of the problem at 

hand and the total ignorance 

of the greater part of the 

general public. 

EISA, in cooperation with 

ZVEI and IFA and with the 

media support of Cleverdis 

(producers of IFA International 

and NDS/SDI Sustainable 

Development Initiatives), has 

decided to take the problem 

in hand with the objective 

of better educating the 

market and allowing the 

manufacturers who invest 

heavily in “green” solutions 

to receive a just and rightful 

Return on Investment. 

It’s thus an even more 

particular “hats off” that 

should be given to this year’s 

two winners: Samsung for 

the Green TV with their 

UE40B7000 model, and 

LG for their KM900 mobile 

phone. 

The acceptance speeches 

of LG’s Sun Jin Jeong and 

Samsung’s Brendon Gore 

were particularly well 

received, spotlighting the 

heightened consciousness 

of these two major 

manufacturers with respect 

to environmental issues. 

The objective clearly expressed 

by all those at the conference, 

including Messrs. Jorge 

Gonçalves (President of EISA), 

Peter Weber (Head of the Press 

Working Group for ZVEI), Han 

Avôt (VP of EISA), Wilfried 

Oppermann (Manager 

Sustainability & Environmental 

Projects of Panasonic); Dr Ab 

Stevels (head of the Green 

Awards — Professor from the 

Delft University of Technology 

Design and publisher of 

“Adventures in Eco-Design", 

is to cause manufacturers to 

accelerate their efforts in this 

fi eld. 



trade news 

BUYER’S VOICE 

“being 11,000 km away 

from europe, ifa is for us 

an unmissable event.” 

In this section, every 

day we will field the 

thoughts and opinions 

of buyers at IFA. Today, 

we are very happy 

to welcome Daniel 

BERARD, CEO – DBCOI. 

the Island of Reunion. 

IFA International: What 

are your main reasons 

for coming to IFA? 

IFA is a unique 

opportunity to meet the 

highest number of our 

current partners but also 

to look for new potential 

suppliers. 

How are your 

company's supply 

strategies changing at 

the moment? Why? 

Our company has been 

importing brands of the 

highest standard in terms 

of quality for 15 years. 

Nowadays, our customers, 

mainly local retailers, are 

satisfied by the quality 

of service we deliver 

among our permanent 

2000 products and are 

asking for a wider range 

of products and solutions. 

That leads us to look for 

new partners. 

How have issues 

of sustainable 

development been 

affecting your 

purchasing decisions? 

At the end of the day, 

the end user decides the 

trend. We tend to favour 

“green products” as 

long as they match price 

standard and end user 

expectations. We are also 

part of the “Green Island” 

project as an ecologically 

responsible company. 

How important is IFA 

for you as a forum for 

learning more and 

"networking" and why? 

Manufacturers usually 

reveal lots of innovations 

at IFA. As we are 11,000 

km away from Europe, it’s 

an unmissable event. It is 

also a unique opportunity 

to meet the decision 

makers. 

making a stand for brands 

korea regroups under "korea 

technology applied" banner 

By Joanna Stephens 

Like the slogan 'Intel 

Inside', Francis Kang 

wants 'Korea Technology 

Applied' to run through 

his industry's DNA, acting 

as both a brand message 

and a statement of intent. 

"I want to distinguish the 

Korean pavilion from all 

the other national stands at 

trade fairs such as IFA," said 

the Director of the Korea 

Electronics Association 

(KEA). "And I believe the 

slogan Korea Technology 

Applied will help to achieve 

that. I want it to be instantly 

recognised around the 

world and throughout our 

industry." 

Kang is in Berlin with an 

18-strong delegation of 

Korean companies from 

across the consumerelectronics 

(CE) spectrum. 

Among the products to be 

found along the 'Korean 

corridor' are portable media 

players and car-navigation 

systems; 'smart' bidets and 

language-learning devices; 

video-phones and energysaving 

technology for PCs 

and peripherals. 

"We see IFA as a gateway 

to the world, especially 

Europe," Kang added. Our 

mission here is to push that 

gate open a little bit further 

and share our cutting-edge 

CE products with more 

people from more countries 

and cultures." 

It is a mission that appears 

to be working: Kang 

reported a steady steam 

of international buyers to 

the Korean pavilion in the 

opening days of IFA. This is 

particularly welcome in view 

of the challenging economic 

climate, which has taken its 

toll in Korea as in other Asian 

territories, amid fears that it 

could presage a repeat of 

the 1997-98 crisis. 

"From the fourth quarter 

of 2008 until the second 

quarter of 2009, the 

situation in Korea was very 

severe," Kang admitted. 

"However, our finance 

ministry announced in July 

that the Korean economy 

had bottomed out and 

is now rebounding. Even 

better news is that Korea 

appears to be recovering 

very fast from the downturn. 

In the CE goods market, 

that recovery is being led 

by the semi-conductor and 

mobile-phone sectors, both 

of which are once again 

performing strongly. So we 

are beginning to receive 

good signals from the 

industry." 

KEA, which was founded 

in 1976 and now has more 

than 400 members, not only 

acts as a bridge between 

Korea and the rest of the 

world, but also serves as 

a conduit between the 

country's CE industry and its 

government. "We represent 

the interests of our members 

both commercially and 

politically," Kang said. "And 

we also organise Korea's 

leading IT show, KES, which 

is held every October and 

has played a pivotal role in 

the growth of the Korean 

electronics industry." 

In 2009 KES 40th anniversary 

year and the 50th 

anniversary of the Korean 

electronics industry, the 

event expects to welcome 

over 1,000 companies from 

30 countries to its 53,500 

m 2 m exhibition venue in 

Seoul. 

"The Korean market has a 

strong 'prosumer' culture," 

Kang said. "As a result, a lot 

of foreign companies choose 

the Korea as a test-bed 

for their new technology." 

He added that KES 2009 

themes include the green 

home, wearable computing 

and the 'digital hospital'. 

Switching the focus back to 

Korea Electronics Association's Francis Kang: "We see IFA as a gateway to the world" 

Berlin, Kang reported that 

Panix Electronics languagelearning 

devices had been 

generating particular 

interest among buyers and 

visitors. 

The Panix range includes the 

PX-V2, billed as the world's 

first dictionary combined 

with a portable audio 

component, which features 

a recorded word list, a 

'word-repeatable' system 

and a personal 500-word 

'reminder' function. 

Kang also cited Hyundai 

Ubis, which is rapidly 

making a name for itself in 

the car-navigation market. 

The company's range of 

blackbox-style products 

combine ease-of-use 

with stylish design, and 

conform to the stringent 

ISO9001/14001 standard. 



trade news 

eUrOnICs: CrOwded Calendar at Ifa 

eUrOnICs wIll extend Its exClUsIve mOdel prOgramme that 

has already been a great sUCCess In germany By Emmanuel Poidevin 

Euronics International has 

consolidated its position 

as the biggest buying 

group across Europe in 

the consumer electronics 

(CE) market, achieving 

over e14.4 billion sales 

in 2008. The company 

encompasses 29 countries, 

and its members have 

so far been affected by 

the recession to widely 

differing degrees. 

“The wide variations in 

turnover growth have a 

ripple effect,” said Euronics 

International's Managing 

Director, Klaus Lahrmann. 

“Not all European countries 

are affected equally and 

simultaneously by the 

consequences of the 

economic crisis. Of course, 

this also applies to our 

members. The reasons 

for this are the significant 

differences in local market 

structures and consumer 

preferences". Spain was 

particularly hard hit by the 

recession, while the United 

Kingdom was affected by the 

exchange rate fluctuations 

and some East European 

members suffered marked 

setbacks. But the global 

sales figures decrease (by 

almost 11% since January 

2009) is in many cases 

mainly due to the massive 

collapse in prices, although 

not in demand. In order to 

compete in European retail, 

Euronics will extend its 

exclusive model programme, 

that has already been a 

great success in Germany. By 

doing this, says Lahrmann, 

the company can strengthen 

its industry partnerships. 

“Euronics gives the industry 

every incentive to agree a 

series of exclusive models in 

future years, which only this 

co-operative partnership 

will distribute,” he says. 

“Our contracts guarantee 

our industry partners top 

quality in Europe-wide 

marketing.” IFA Berlin offers 

an outstanding platform for 

the international CE sector. 

Well-known international 

brands of white goods 

were clearly strengthened 

at the Berlin event in 2008. 

And Lahrmann welcomes 

the opportunities that IFA 

2009 will present. “This has 

made the calendar more 

crowded,” he says, “but we 

are looking forward to the 

fair." 


(L-R) Chairman Werner Winkelmann and Managing Director Klaus Lahrmann 



going out 

Where to go 

inBerlin 

> 

The hollywood 

Media hoTel 

Brilliant service in a 

distinctive atmosphere. 

Berlins first movie hotel celebrated 

its grand opening in 1999. 

Founded and operated by the 

world famous film producer Artur 

Brauner, the unique 4-star-hotel 

Hollywood Media Hotel is centrally 

located on the famous shopping 

boulevard Kurfürstendamm. 

The Hollywood Media Hotel’s 

182 luxurious rooms, suites and 

apartments are each dedicated 

to famous international movie 

stars and film directors. A walk 

through the hotel is an adventure 

in itself as you can find various 

memorabilia, posters and photos 

outlining the glorious history of 

the international film community. 

All the rooms are equipped with, 

Minibar, Dolby Surround and 

Internet Access (W-LAN), VOD. 

They also have 40-50 square meters 

apartments, which are situated 

above the roofs of Berlin on the 6th 

floor and are additionally equipped 

with a kitchenette and balcony. 

In 2008, the Berlin Media Hotel 

received the "Certified Conference 

Hotel" from the German Business 

Travel Association. The 10 state 

of the art conference rooms 

are equipped with the latest 

technology and large windows 

provide the rooms with a bright 

atmosphere. The hotel owned 

cinema-theatre boasts 100 seats, a 

stage and is an ideal venue events. 

In the newly designed wellness 

and fitness centre “Cleopatra”, 

you can relax with a steam or 

Finnish sauna, solarium or enjoy a 

workout in the fitness centre. 

The restaurant “Bel Air” offers rich, 

tasteful buffet style breakfasts. 

With a view of the “Hollywood 

Hills” you can enjoy the evening 

and choose between a large 

selection of hot and cold dishes as 

well as custom designed menus. 

Kurfürstendamm 202 

10719 Berlin 

Tel : +49 30 889 100 

Metro: U1-Kurfürstendamm / U9- 

Kurfürstendamm 

> 

ResTauRanT 44 aT 

KuRfüRsTendaMM 

Your special IFA location. 

Enjoy Berlin from the bird’s eye view 

and experience the Kurfürstendamm 

live! The modern, elegant ambience 

of the Restaurant 44 invites you 

to enjoy the delicacies of the 

degustation menu from the young, 

creative chef, Danijel Kresovic. 

Instead of offering just one starter 

and the main course the guest can 

choose different dishes that come 

up to one course. The guest has free 

choice in his combination. 

“The various dishes offers the guest 

the possibility to choose different 

versions”, says Kresovic. Guests 

who prefer the traditional order of 

the menu have surely the alternative 

to get a degustation course in the 

size of a typical main course. The 

terrace of the Restaurant 44 offers a 

special location for an outstanding 

IFA business lunch. Since fall 2008 

the terrace is home to a unique 

herb garden. There are nearly 60 

herbs, from purple chilli Ecuador to 

Persian mint and all are used in the 

restaurant dishes. The Restaurant 

44 offers 100 seats and is opened 

between 6:00 am - 10.00 am (for 

breakfast), 12.00 noon - 2:30 pm 

(Lunch) as well as from 06:00 pm - 

10:30 pm (Dinner) 

Augsburger Straße 44 

10789 Berlin 

Tel: +49 30 22 01 02 288 

Metro: U-Augsburger Strasse/U- 

Kurfürstendamm 


www.trendset.biz 

37

going out 

> Riva BaR 

Shut off from the outside world by 

thick velvet curtains, Riva is a chic 

cocktail bar in one of Berlin's most 

popular nightlife districts. Named 

after Luigi Riva, a '70s Italian soccer 

star whose picture hangs behind 

the bar, this popular establishment 

can get very busy at weekends. 

The barmen will happily mix you 

whatever concoction you fancy. All 

drinks are half price during happy 

hour. 

Riva has a glowing bar in the 

centre of the railway viaduct arch 

that it is housed in. DJ Fritz spins 

on weekend nights, and the range 

of over 150 cocktails is available. 

In summer, the terrace offers great 

views of the landmark TV tower. 

Dircksenstraße Bogen 142 

10178 Berlin 

Tel: +49 30 2472 2688 

Metro : S-Hackescher Markt/U- 

Alexanderplatz 

> 40 seconds 

Clubbing in heaven. 

It takes exactly 40 seconds for the 

elevator to go to the 8th floor, 

where the club is located and 

hence the name. This beautiful roof 

top club gives a breathtaking view 

of Potsdamer Platz. Experience a 

great party night in Berlin’s world 

of rooftop dining and dancing. 

Right next to Potsdamer Platz, 

you can find Berlin’s most famous 

elevator to go up to club level on 

the eighth floor. 

The club is walled with windows 

that give a panoramic view of 

Berlin. This view gets even better 

at night, when the lights of the 

club mix with the lights of the city. 

Most fashionable Berliners come 

here to start their night with a 

drink and to enjoy the view over 

Berlin from the dance floors and 

the 3 rooftop terraces. The interior 

decor is modern lounge style with 

white leather sofas everywhere. 

Going to the club at the weekend 

is a must for an opportunity to 

observe Berliners as they party all 

night long. 

Potsdamerstr. 58 

10785 Berlin 

Tel: +49 30 890 642 41 

Metro: U-Potsdamer Platz 

> BeRlineR 

unTeRwelTen 

“Myth Germania” 

Shadows and traces of the 

Imperial Capital. 

Berliner Unterwelten is a unique 

opportunity to see places the 

public normally has no acces to: 

the underground of Berlin. 

The exhibition “Myth Germania- 

Shadows and Traces of the 

Imperial Capital” sheds new light 

onto the historical site around 

the river Spree near Central 

Station and the former ministerial 

gardens. 

The exhibit spans from the 

disastrous collapse during 

construction of the North-South 

S-Bahn line, to the planning 

of the “Great Hall”, through 

to the accumulation of rubble 

in so-called mounts of debris 

(like the “Teufelsberg”) during 

Berlin’s post-war reconstruction. 

Particular attention is paid to the 

consequences of the “relocation 

plans” for Berlin’s Jews. 

For this exhibition, the Berlin 

Underworlds' Association has 

assembled years of its own 

findings on this subject, together 

with the latest research available. 

A large variety of photos, building 

plans and architectural models 

- of the “Great Hall” and the 

“North-South Axis” - complement 

the prepared texts. In addition to 

this exposition the Association 

offers In-depth tours of Berlin´s 

underground secrets from WW2 

and the Cold War 

Brunnenstrasse 105 

13355 Berlin 

Tel: +49 30 499 105 17 

Metro: U-Gesundbrunnen / 

S-Gesundbrunnen 

> The aBBa sToRy 

Thank you for the music. 

The legendary Swedish cult band 

ABBA continues right up to the 

present day to exert a phenomenal 

appeal. The quartet may no longer 

appear together on stage, but fans 

and latter-day followers can now 

witness the seeming resurrection 

in the ABBA-Story “Thank you 

for the music”. Brought to the 

stage by successful producer, 

Bernhard Kurz (“Stars in Concert”, 

“Phantom of the Opera”, “Cats”, 

“Starlight Express”), the show 

carries the audience right back to 

the party atmosphere of the 70s. 

The two-hour spectacular features 

all ABBA’s greatest performed 

by artists who not only look 

astonishingly like the original lineup, 

but also exactly reproduce their 

sound. In small, amusing episodes, 

a presenter chronicles the meteoric 

rise of the band, beginning in 1974 

when they won the Eurovision 

Song Contest in Brighton with 

the hit song “Waterloo”. The 

presenter is none other than Uwe 

Hübner, a well-known authority 

on hit singles. The concert is a very 

special homage to the band and its 

music. 

Daily open 

Wed-Sat 20:30 pm 

Sun 19:00 pm 

Sonnenallee 225 

12057 Berlin 

Tel: +49 30 6831 0 

Metro: S-Sonnenallee 

Berlin is the city of diversity. 

And we know all about it! 

Hotels. Tickets. Infos. 

+49 (0)30 - 25 00 25 

www.visitBerlin.de 

or locally in our BERLIN infostores 

(Berlin Main Station, Brandenburg Gate, 

Neues Kranzler Eck, ALEXA Shopping Center) 

38 www.trendset.biz IFA International • Monday, 7 th September 2009

Day 4 - IFA International

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