Despite COVID-19, TV stations are “still targeting” the launch of ATSC 3.0 services in the top 40 markets by the end of 2020 (see 1904080071), Pearl TV Managing Director Anne Schelle told us. “We might not get all of them on by the end of the year, but we’ll get a respectable number.” The goal for 2021 will be to “continue to build out these markets,” said Schelle. Though “all parts of the economy are stressed” during the pandemic, 3.0 is “in a good position,” said Schelle. “We’ll come out of it providing a respectable build to meet the TV manufacturers’ needs for sales in the back half of this year.” There have been no “supply-chain issues” with critical broadcast equipment, said Schelle. “A lot of it was already pre-done” before the pandemic, and “most of the stations out there are ready for next-gen,” she said. Pearl had planned to use the NAB Show to update industry on 3.0's “application framework” it showcased at CES, said Schelle. It had partnership announcements planned for Las Vegas with vendors supplying 3.0 cable-integration equipment, she said: “We’ll be pushing those announcements” to the NAB Show Express virtual event planned for May 13-14 (see 2004130048).
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. expects continued 5G deployment. The key iPhone chip supplier was one of the few tech companies not to change 2020 guidance. Though COVID-19 will send global smartphone demand plunging by a high-single digit percentage this year, “5G network deployment continues and OEMs continue to prepare to launch 5G phones,” said CEO C.C. Wei Thursday. The company is standing by its forecast that 5G penetration of the smartphone market will reach into the “mid-teens” in 2020, he said. TSMC expects “faster penetration of 5G smartphones” compared with 4G, “with substantially higher silicon content,” said Wei. “We believe 5G as a multiyear megatrend is still strong.” The company's Q1 sales fell 1% sequentially. The “continued ramp” of 5G smartphone chips kept the decline to “much less than seasonality” trends, he said Thursday. The smartphone business, 49% of total revenue, nevertheless declined 9% on weaker global handset demand, he said. Though the company hasn’t seen “significant order reduction,” supply chain “dislocation” and weaker “end-market demand” from COVID-19 are expected to persist at least through June, said Wei. It’s forecasting the overall semiconductor market to be “flattish” to slightly down this year, he said. If COVID-19 takes “longer than that” to stabilize, “the macro economy will be much worse than we thought and definitely will affect the semiconductor industry,” conceded Wei in Q&A. “We don't know yet. Let's be hopeful that all the human beings will be safe and healthy and everything stabilizing in June.”
The market for foldable displays “underperformed” in 2019, but there’s “a tremendous amount of activity and progress,” said Display Supply Chain Consultants CEO Ross Young Monday. “We see 26 new foldable devices in development and expected to launch in the next 24 months.” Developers advanced toward “robustness and scratch resistance," he said. That may reduce “consumer concerns” and will “accelerate demand,” he said. DSSC forecast foldable-phone revenue rising at a 110% compound annual growth rate, to $70 billion in 2025. Foldable-display panel shipments will rise at a 132% CAGR to 77 million units, and smartphones will be the vast majority of foldable applications, it said.
Roku streaming players, remotes and TVs infringe five Universal Electronics remote-control patents, complained (in Pacer) Universal Thursday in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, California. One patent dates to 2011, another was granted March 24. The 2011 patent (7,969,514) describes methods for setting up a universal remote “using interactive instructions,” said the complaint. Roku TVs have an embedded receiver for wirelessly accepting “communications from a remotely located controlling device” allegedly in violation of the newest patent (10,600,317). Roku streaming players have a transmitter for beaming “communications to a display device coupled to the controlled device,” also in violation of the patent, it contended. Universal put Roku “on notice” of its infringing practices before filing suit, the remote-control maker alleged: Roku patents cite Universal’s intellectual property 290 times. The defendant didn’t comment Friday.
Sony America will pay $400 million for 5% of Bilibili, the Chinese online entertainment platform, said Sony’s Japanese parent Thursday. Bilibili built a “strong user following” among Chinese Gen Z consumers 30 and younger who are “driving consumption of online entertainment,” said Sony. The buy is in keeping with Sony’s strategy of emphasizing China as “a key strategic region in the entertainment business,” it said. They agreed to “pursue collaboration opportunities” in animation content and mobile game apps. Bilibili CEO Rui Chen said the agreements come as "we increase our domestic stronghold in animation and mobile games." Bilibili, based in Shanghai, reported $288.4 million in 2019 revenue, a 74% increase.
The UHD Alliance is developing “digital assets,” including video content, to promote Filmmaker Mode as TVs with that feature debut at retail, emailed President Mike Fidler to us Wednesday. “With the majority of retail venues not operating, it has just been slightly delayed but we will encompass the previously planned promotional material.”
Chief Administrative Law Judge Charles Bullock at the International Trade Commission granted the joint Sonos-Google motion permitting the companies to hold their May 11 settlement conference by phone amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Both sides showed “good cause” when they argued Tuesday their outside lawyers would need to travel to the conference from localities that are under stay-at-home orders (see 2004070034), said Bullock’s order (login required) Wednesday in docket 337-TA-1191. ITC staff didn't oppose moving the conference remotely. Sonos alleges Google smart speakers infringe Sonos multiroom audio patents.
“Good cause” exists during the COVID-19 pandemic for the International Trade Commission chief administrative law judge (CALJ) to let Sonos and Google have their May 11 settlement conference by phone, said a joint motion (login required) posted Tuesday in docket 337-TA-1191. CALJ Charles Bullock presides over the Tariff Act Section 337 investigation into Sonos allegations that Google smart speakers and other devices infringe five Sonos multiroom audio patents (see 2002060070). His March 11 order ruled out remotely meeting without permission and for “good cause shown.” Sonos and Google employees “with settlement authority” are in California, and their outside lawyers are there and in Illinois and Washington, said the motion. All are under stay-at-home orders. Requiring them to “travel to and conduct an in-person settlement conference would place these individuals at undue risk,” it said. “While it may be possible that some restrictions could be lifted before May 11, it is unlikely that the parties could schedule an in-person settlement conference to occur in the brief window of time after the lifting of any restrictions.”
The Society for Information Display postponed Display Week 2020 to the week of Aug. 3 and is moving the show to the San Jose Convention Center, emailed Nanosys Director-Marketing Jeff Yurek Tuesday. SID’s website Tuesday still showed Display Week June 7-12 at San Francisco’s Moscone Center. “As exhibitors, we were asked in advance about a potential move to August by the show organizers as part of a survey,” said Yurek. “I personally think it is a good move and will result in a higher quality show.” SID didn’t comment.
U.S. importers sourced 5.81 million Chinese smartphones in February, said Census Bureau data we accessed through the International Trade Commission. It's the lowest since such tracking began in 2007. COVID-19 upended the Chinese supply chain after the virus' first outbreak in Hubei province in January. February smartphone imports to the U.S. from all countries declined 29% from January, to 10.17 million handsets, and were down 25% from February 2019. China made 57% of February smartphone imports to the U.S., 19 points lower than January and eight points below its February 2019 share.