By 2010 just under 30 million households in the US, Europe and Japan will have acquired a standalone hi-def disc player or recorder, according to Screen Digest. Screen Digest expects that sales of stand-alone Blu-ray and HD DVD players and recorders will initially be rather slow. It anticipates sales of 430,000 stand-alone Blu-ray/HD DVD players… Continue reading Blu-ray And HD DVD To Battle For Market Dominance

Private equity firms are preparing a £10 million bid for NTL, as shareholders lodge a formal complaint against the company for rejecting a £9 million offer last year, according to a report in today’s Times. The cable giant has seen its share price fall 20% in the past four months, despite its recent £3.4 billion… Continue reading NTL Could Face $10 Billion Bid

WPP has acquired a 3.4% stake in WildTangent, an online games publisher that sells in-game advertising. WPP says that this initiative will enable clients of WPP companies to tap into WildTangent Game Network, an in-game advertising network that includes hundreds of online and downloadable games from WildTangent’s own studios, in addition to titles from publishers… Continue reading WPP Moves Into In-Game Advertising

WPP has acquired 25% of the issued share capital of Visible Technologies, an internet marketing firm, and entered into an option to acquire a further 26%. Visible Technologies specialises in innovative products and services that help brands manage their reputation on the internet, as well as track, analyse and participate across consumer-generated media communities, such… Continue reading WPP Acquires Stake In Internet Marketing Firm

Nokia, ITV and FremantleMedia have officially launched the third series of The X Factor, which will arrive on our screens this Saturday.The now renowned panel of Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh, will judge the singing talent of the latest bunch of pop wannabes, with Kate Thornton once again taking on the hosting role.Nokia’s… Continue reading The X Factor Returns With Nokia Sponsorship

The number of households with HDTV service are projected to grow from 15 million in mid-2006 to 20.3 million at the end of 2006, according to a new study from In-Stat. The high-tech market research firm says that this growth is tempered by the fact that it is occurring in a relatively small number of… Continue reading HDTV Households To Reach 20 Million By End Of 2006

Online ad spend will reach $15.7 billion in the US this year and $25.9 billion by 2011, according to a new study from JupiterResearch. Search is forecast to dominate internet ad spend over the coming years, with search spending for this year projected to total $6.5 billion, or 41.4% of total online ad spending. In… Continue reading Online Adspend To Reach $25.9 Billion By 2011

British kids and teenagers have a huge appetite for playing online games, contributing to the online games audience growing over 16% in the last year, according to new research from Nielsen//NetRatings. This 16% growth, over four times the rate of overall internet growth, shows just how popular online gaming is becoming. In June, 28% of… Continue reading Youngsters Fuel Growth Of Online Game Sector

The portable media player (PMP) sales will reach 5 million units by the end of 2006, up from just 390,000 only two years ago, according to new research from In-Stat. The research reveals that the video iPod in particular has helped to boost sales of PMPs, with consumers becoming more aware of portable video, additional… Continue reading Portable Media Player Market To Grow

By the end of 2011, nearly half a billion people will be watching TV on their mobile phone handsets, according to a new study from IMS Research. The research, entitled Mobile TV – A Complete Analysis of the Global Market, forecasts that mobile TV delivered over the mobile phone data network should experience strong growth… Continue reading Mobile TV To Experience Strong Growth