While many of the HDTV markets in Western Europe are relatively mature, a trio of surveys from ABI Research suggests Germany still has plenty of room for growth. Of the 1,000 German respondents, only 38% claimed to own at least one HDTV, a penetration rate significantly lower than the data collected in France and the UK. Among these consumers, Samsung captured the highest share at 27%, with Philips following at 22% of respondents.

Parks Associates released new research today revealing consumers in Western Europe value multidevice access to recorded TV programs over other new video services, including access to live TV.

In NSR’s recently released Global Satellite Manufacturing and Launch Markets (GSMLM) report, a possible GEO Launcher over-supply, and thus the return to strong competition, was mentioned as a possibility in the launch market. However, recent developments from ILS/Krunichev and SpaceX may end up limiting the supply and the corresponding competition.

The enterprise customer is the most attractive yet elusive for the satellite service provider 

Signaling the drawing to a close of the northern hemisphere summer, two major events on the satellite industry calendar, which regularly bring together significant numbers of industry representatives to Europe in early September, will additionally feature gatherings that will focus on initiatives in which GVF, together with key industry, and other, partners, is taking the lead.

According to a new report from Digital TV Research, rapid expansion meant that Brazilian DTH subscriptions overhauled cable as the most popular platform with considerable panache during the first six months of 2011. Further change is ahead as the government will soon amend legislation to allow telco to offer full IPTV services.

Among Chinese respondents, HDTVs were the second most cited device when considering CE purchase intentions in the next six months, according to a recent trio of surveys conducted by ABI Research on the Asia Pacific consumer electronics markets. Smartphones were number one, with nearly 60% of respondents; only 43% of respondents were interested in HDTVs. Purchase intent was similar in South Korea, with smartphones and HDTVs representing the top two device categories at 47% and 22% of respondents, respectively.

Russia, China, Japan and India are among the countries challenging the US in Space leadership according to the fourth annual Space Competitiveness Index Report by Futron.

Los Angeles, Calif., August 4, 2011 by Michelle Elbert

Government and military clients are looking to meet global challenges yet spend more efficiently. In the US, deficit-reduction efforts have caused DoD and its various branches to make serious changes in how it acquires goods and services.

Back in 2007, NSR viewed the longer term outlook in the maritime segment likely to “benefit products in Ku- and C-band ultimately and provide stronger competition to L-band services...”, recognizing that VSAT flat monthly fees with Mbps data rates provided a more predictable return-on-investment than the traditional MSS pay-per-byte model. Then Inmarsat on July 1, 2011 announced new rates that seem to go counter to this view and could drive a growing base of the smaller boat community towards the flat, predictable VSAT service fees.