DisplaySearch Announces Preliminary Session Topics And Call For Speakers For Its 6th Annual HDTV Conference

[The following is a release from DisplaySearch]

June 15, 2008

DisplaySearch, the worldwide leader in display market research and consulting, today announced the preliminary sessions and "Call for Speakers" for its 2008 HDTV Conference. The conference will be held September 15-17 in Los Angeles, California. Featuring two days of content-rich presentations from executives representing all sectors of the HDTV industry, including HD hardware, service and content providers such as movie studios, broadcasters and game companies, DisplaySearch’s 2008 HDTV Conference continues to serve as the industry’s must-attend event this fall. Companies who participated last year include THX, Dolby, the Blu-ray Disc Association, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Warner Bros., HP, Microsoft, DTS, ESPN and more. Despite growing concerns about consumer spending in North America and some preliminary indications of a slowdown in TV shipments, HDTVs remain a highly sought item, particularly LCD TVs, which continue to experience strong positive growth. Despite this, 2008 will be a year of changes for the HDTV industry: * Brands will aggressively push sales tactics to hit their growth targets amid fierce price wars * Plasma TV makers will fight for market share against LCD TVs * Consumer purchasing habits will shift toward smaller screen sizes * Up-converting DVD players continue to grow in their share of a shrinking DVD player market * Mainstream affordability of Blu-ray Disc players will increase substantially by year end. Keeping these market dynamics in mind, it is even more important for the HDTV industry to convene to learn about the impact they could have on business operations. DisplaySearch’s HDTV Conference will provide a unique venue to address these challenges head on, as well as a forum for discussion on the next steps the industry should take to ensure success. Preliminary Sessions for this year’s conference include Panel Session: The Impact of HD Featuring a panel of leading HD industry experts from all parts of the gaming, hardware, distribution, service provider and content producer industries, this panel session will provide a forum for discussion on how HD content has impacted all related stakeholders. How has the transition progressed so far? What does the future hold now that HD is far more commonplace? This panel of industry leaders will discuss the HD revolution and how it is changing the world we live in. State of the Union DisplaySearch, along with its parent company, the NPD Group, will unveil its latest market results and forecasts pertaining to the HDTV industry, as well as highlight the latest trends shaping the HD environment and NPD’s latest findings on consumer preferences. Don’t miss these valuable insights on where the industry is heading. Personal Content and HDTV: Driving an Ecosystem Consumers love watching premium, professionally-produced content on the best screen in the house, but the high resolution capabilities of HDTVs are also an ideal match for the output of personal photos, videos and music. Will consumers embrace the TV as a new photo album? How can manufacturers and retailers educate consumers about these capabilities? Discs vs. Digital: The Last Format War Blu-ray has emerged victorious in the battle against HD-DVD and consumer awareness is on the rise as the installed base of HDTVs grows. Despite this, high-definition discs are still being squeezed between up-converting DVDs and digital video-on-demand. What factors will determine if Blu-ray will supplant DVD? And, if it does, will the technology have as long a run as long as DVD did? The Connected Television: Content from Across the Living Room, the House and the World Networked televisions account for a small percentage of sales, but a variety of AV products that extend the TV’s functionality are motivating manufacturers to explore new ways of accessing content, including memory cards, Wi-Fi, power line technology and new networking options. Which technologies have the most momentum and what is the business model that supports them? Turning User Experience into a Competitive Advantage With the picture quality of premium HDTV sets advancing beyond many consumers’ threshold for added value, appealing to consumers’ sense of design and better usability has become more important than ever. How are physical design and user interfaces combining to meet consumers' growing expectations? How do we preserve simplicity and elegance, while adding more versatility? How do manufacturers develop this into next-generation products, while operating in a more cost-sensitive environment? Last Call for Analog: Courting the Late Adopter The federal coupon program is in full-swing, but cheap set-top boxes are ultimately a stop gap. The appeal of flat-panel TVs drove the early part of the HDTV transition, but how can retailers, manufacturers and service providers optimize the mass-market opportunity toward the end of the digital OTA transition? Tru2Way: Is Cable Finally Tuning Into Openness? True2Way promises to succeed where CableCARD failed, enabling manufacturers to take advantage of a wide range of cable services and new applications. Has the technology aligned the interests of manufacturers and TV service providers? Who will handle customer service issues? What new applications are on the horizon? And will customers see the benefit this time around? Reinvigorating the Audio Experience: Integrated, Speaker Bars, and Home Theater HDTV and Blu-ray can deliver a theater-like audio experience, but flat panel TVs appeal to those who want to avoid clutter and smaller enclosures have dramatically diminished the audio performance of the TV itself. Proposed solutions include next-generation TV audio technology, matched AV components and speaker bars. What are the latest trends in retailing audio? Will it help in an age where HDTV is being driven by more price-conscious consumers? HD Retailer Panel Are retailers living in an HD World? Is the DTV conversion really making a difference? Does HD mean more opportunity for retailers? Is connectivity a retailer issue? Back by popular demand, DisplaySearch will once again host a panel of leading national retailers to share what HD means to them and provide insight as to how the industry can better merchandise the HD experience. DisplaySearch’s 6th Annual 2008 HDTV Conference will be held September 15-17 at the Renaissance Hotel in Los Angeles, California. Call for Speakers DisplaySearch Conferences are known for its quality, credibility and high-caliber speakers. Speakers are selected based on their company affiliation, past experience, knowledge of the industry and topic proposed. All worldwide category experts are encouraged to submit a 100-200 word abstract and biography for consideration. Please send this information to Heather Boudreau at heather_boudreau@displaysearch.com by June 27, 2008. Registration Information Register by July 31, 2008 to qualify for an early-bird discount. Visit www.displaysearch.com/hdtv. Corporate Sponsorship & Exhibition Opportunities DisplaySearch’s HDTV Conference has several sponsorship levels available for consideration, providing companies an opportunity to generate brand awareness with HDTV Conference attendees. Sponsorships are available in Platinum, Gold and Silver packages. DisplaySearch's exhibit forum provides participants with an opportunity to see HDTV-related technologies and products firsthand. For more information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Heather Boudreau at 516.625.6133, or via email at heather_boudreau@displaysearch.com.

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