PRoDUCT TREnDS ToShIBA
PRoDUCT TREnDS ToShIBA DEBUTS BLU-RAY DISC PLAYER BDX2000 ALLowS USERS To USE InTERACTIVE FEATURES Home entertainment company Toshiba has underscored its commitment to high definition entertainment with the launch of the Toshiba Blu-ray Disc player. The BDX2000 provides Full HD 1080p digital output which offers consumers the superior quality of high-definition audio and video content. Supporting BD-Live (Profile 2.0), the BDX2000 also allows users to take advantage of interactive features through an Ethernet connection. From interactive content enabled on select Blu-ray Discs and Bonus View support for picture-inpicture capability, Toshiba’s “Blu-ray technology has matured and has established itself on the market. Our extensive experience in the DVD and home cinema sector has helped us offer a player that we can be proud of and has convinced us that we can hold our ground in the fast-growing Blu-ray Disc market,” explained Frank Eschholz, Business Development Manager at Toshiba Europe GmbH. “Using the Regza- Link function, the new BDX2000 can connect with a Regza LCD TV via an HDMI cable and display full high definition content with a single remote control. For added convenience, the BDX2000 features an SD card slot, making it an entertainment hub in the home by allowing consumers to showcase photos and videos with ease.” Hall 21 / Stand 101 A whoLE LoT oF m-BoXES hYUnDAI PRoDUCES A RAnGE oF FULL hD mEDIA PLAYERS AnD RECoRDERS Hyundai Corporation, a well-established name in the fields of motors, construction and semiconductor have been pushing into the CE market, producing a multitude of products such as mobile phones, small home appliances, TVs and many other product fields. According to Ho-Min Kwak, Brand Business Team Manager, the company distinguishes itself by offering products that deliver true value and many innovative features to the consumer, while offeringunique value for money. They have launched a range of media player/recorders including two M-Box Lights, the HMB-L100 and HMB-L110 which are USB media players with powerful codec support. They support h.264, MKV, AVC 1080p codec with Dolby Digital and DTS audio decoding. The M-Box HMB-P500 and P550 players have a SATA HDD bay (Single bay : HMB-P500, Dual Bay : HMB-P550) which stores up to 2Tb of AV content in HDD with high def 1080p playback of most AV files including H.264, MKV, AVC,WMV9, RMVB video codec with Dolby and DTS Audio decoding plus most of audio and photo files. They also have network functions for the Samba client, Samba server and FTP Servers. Alongside these Hyundai has also just launched the HMB-R500/550 with AV input for recording and time shift and the HMB-R600/650 with built in MPEG2/4 tuner. Hall 7.2B / Stand 101 24 www.ifa-international.org IFA International • Wednesday, 9 th September 2009
PRoDUCT TREnDS nAVIGon FoCUSES on ThE RoAD AhEAD oRIEnTATIon AnD nAVIGATIon ARE InCREASInGLY BEComInG A FUnDAmEnTAL hUmAn nEED At this year’s IFA, Navigon has showcased its latest navigation systems and software, including premium models Navigon 8410 and Navigon 8450 Live, as well as high-end products such as Navigon 6310 and Navigon 6350 Live. The company has also introduced new features in its premium devices, such as photo-realistic navigation in European cities and a capacitive touchscreen, real glass display. Here, Navigon CEO, Egon Minar, discusses the company’s objectives and the future of navigation devices. How is Navigon ‘navigating’ the stormy economic times? It goes without saying that the difficult economic situation at present, which makes the competition even tougher, is affecting us too. However, we were very well prepared for it, and so still see growth potential for Navigon, both nationally and internationally, as we offer customers premiumquality products in all price categories at very fair terms. And with innovations and new collaborations, we create interest in new devices and services even for those customers who already use mobile navigation but who want to be at the cutting edge of technology. An example of that could be navigation via the use of a mobile phone or smartphone, or upgrades of existing navigation devices. So owing to our large number of innovative products, new services and our strategic partnership with T-Mobile, we’ve been able to create the prerequisites to maintain and Navigon CEO, Egon Minar even improve our current market position in spite of the crisis. What is your ‘roadmap’? Initially, we will be remaining loyal to our highly successful product line. All our new devices, from our premium models Navigon 8410 and Navigon 8450 Live, the highend products Navigon 6310 and Navigon 6350 Live, and our new, entry-level devices Navigon 2410 and 1410, are equipped with the very latest navigation technology, at a very competitive price– performance ratio. We combine flexible modular technology with low-cost basic devices for which customers can purchase additional individual functions as required. We also have new technical solutions such as Real City3D, the new feature highlight of our premium model range, and the new Navigon LiveServices, with dynamic and personalised real-time content. Orientation and navigation are increasingly becoming a fundamental human need, and we address this with our pedestrian navigation, developed specially for PNAs (Personnal Navigation Assistant). Mobile phone and smartphone navigation is also a very important area. Use of our MobileNavigator software on many T-Mobile mobiles and smartphones, such as the iPhone or Google G1 and G2 touch mobiles, is enabling us to open up entirely new possibilities for access to mobile navigation and mobile services. How is distribution of your devices evolving? Are channels changing? We continue to rely on the classic, tried-and-tested distribution channels, on specialist retail in particular. Specialist retail is of great importance to us, since many customers want a personal consultation. Our collaboration with T-Mobile has also led to the opening up of many new sales channels, such as T-Punkt shops, of which there are over 800. Our MobileNavigator software has been a great success there, as it is ideally positioned for our target group. The App Store, which stocks our MobileNavigator software for the iPhone, is another important new platform for us. These distribution channels make it possible for us to adapt to the various needs of our customers. Where do you see the future of navigation devices? The market for navigation remains an exciting one. In the future, Navigon will continue to provide flexible solutions for intuitive navigation with many connecting services. This is due to our collaborations with first-class OEM partners or strategic partnerships, such as with T-Mobile Deutschland GmbH. Despite the process of concentration that can be observed in the navigation market, we assume that tough competition and very short product cycles will continue to be the norm. The market demands constant innovation, which requires a great deal of knowledge from the companies involved. For this reason, only specialists will win through in the long-term. Navigon today is one of the world’s leading companies in mobile navigation, and we are constantly and intensively working to ensure that this remains so. How important is IFA for Navigon? The IFA in Berlin is of great importance for us, as it provides us with both a national and international communication platform of the highest order. All the important companies in the CE sector will be presenting their new products and innovations there. Besides this, the trade fair offers a unique opportunity to meet with industry representatives, and to make contact with potential partners. The IFA is also of particular importance with regard to our own customers, many of whom will be there to find out more and to be inspired – often deciding to make a purchase there and then, too. Hall 9 / Stand 209 IFA International • Wednesday, 9 th September 2009 www.ifa-international.org 25
