(This story has been posted on the Barron's Tech Trader Daily blog, which is part of The Wall Street Journal Digital Network and can be found at http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/)
Posted by Eric Savitz
Audivox (VOXX) has some advice for cable and satellite television subscribers: Buy an antenna.
At the company's press conference at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the company asserted that you will get higher quality high-def local TV signals with an over-the-air signal, rather than the compressed version from the subscription TV providers. They're also selling they line of flat antennas - the era of rabbit ears has come to an end. Audiovox sells antenna products under the RCA and TERK brands; you can buy a nifty flat digital TV antenna for under $100.
The company also unveiled some other interesting products:
--The company introduced a line of Web-centric video players under the Webslinger brand, entering a category that has been built largely by privately held Pure Digital Technologies.
--They announced a bunch of new ear buds, including a line for small kids called Ear Buddies, and a tween and teen brand called Headrush.
--And let's not forget their anti-microbial kid-focused remote controls.
--The company is partnering with PlayStation to create a hardware platform to integrate the Sony Playstation 2 in automobile display systems. Also will work with head-rest embedded screens. So now it is easier than ever for Junior to blow away aliens while you drive to the dry cleaners. It should be available in about 6 months.
--The company also has a new deal with Qualcomm's MediaFlo unit to deliver live video into car video systems using the Qualcomm FloTV service, which is better known for delivery on cell phones. They note that 20 million vehicles have rear-seat entertainment systems. So now your kids can watch SpongeBob every time they get in the car. Audiovox says the installation will be under $500, will not require a big antenna and will require a modest monthly fee. They are in 65 markets, 78 in February, 107 by end of 2009, with 200 million pops covered. The product is about 8-10 months away.
VOXX shares fell a penny to $5.11.
Click here to go to Dow Jones NewsPlus, a web front page of today's most important business and market news, analysis and commentary: http://www.djnewsplus.com/access/al?rnd=QlCTPfzEyaX%2FJB0dJGvAug%3D%3D. You can use this link on the day this article is published and the following day.

Publié le 07 janvier 2009 Copyright © 2009 Dowjones