IFA - Official Day 4 - Berlin 2014

DAY 4

Hall 3.1 / 103 Hall 3.2 / 201

Hall 21B / 104

Monday 8th September 2014

Fasten Your Seatbelts Turbulence ahead with fundamental market changes both in terms of offering and distribution The incredible hike in the quality of products presented at IFA this year by the top manufacturers from China – our regional spotlight today – together with the first clear announcement from these companies of their ambition to become number one in all market categories, promises a real battle for the end of this year and the start of 2015. This recutting of the pack comes at a time when the very way products are demonstrated, perceived and sold is being revolutionised. A significant case at hand is that of newlyformed Dixons Carphone retail group, which this week entered the FTSE 100, and will redefine the way products are experienced instore. Its two leading lights,

(…) the very way products are demonstrated, perceived and sold is being revolutionised Group Chief Executive Sebastian James (pictured left) and Deputy Chief Executive Andrew Harrison, are at IFA to lay out their bold new strategies to their manufacturing equals… and also, exclusively, to the readers of IFA International.

See pages 13 & 15

CONTENTS 04 > NEWS 13 > TRADE TALK 15 > PRESS CORNER 16 > EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS 21 > LIVING ROOM LIFESTYLE 43 > SPOTLIGHT ON CHINA 45 > WHERE TO GO IN BERLIN

Olaf Adam Journalist Vendors and manufacturers will have to adjust their communication strategies and the channels they use with the same speed and regularity or they will be left behind by a fastchanging market. See page 15

THOUGHT LEADERS

Daniel & Andreas Sennheiser CEOs, Sennheiser The most important thing to keep innovation culture going is to accept that whatever was successful today is built on an achievement from the past and is building towards the future.

See page 16

Living Room Lifestyle

Sebastian James Group Chief Executive, Dixons Carphone Read our exclusive interview on pages 13 & 15

In today’s lifestyle feature, we sit down and relax in the living room of the future - or is it the living room of today? From the most amazing TVs you have ever seen to the best sound you’ve ever heard and everything else that keeps the heart of the home beating, this year IFA spoils us for choice, quality and innovation.

See our special section from page 21.

Henry E. Juszkiewicz

Chairman and CEO, Gibson

Wiebo Vaartjes

CEO, WOOX Innovations When you have multiple flags, then you can steer the appropriate product development to the appropriate consumer and really get a much better penetration of the market. See page 28

News

EDITORIAL Nest’s Smart Products Richard Barnes Editor-In-Chief

It’s A Question Of Choice 90 years ago, IFA introduced the wonderful new concept of radio, and with the onset of television after the Second World War came the first choices between channels. The world was truly brought into our homes for the first time and we could choose, within certain limits, what we wanted to watch.

The problem was choice – there wasn’t enough. With the arrival of the internet we had access to so much information it was mind-boggling. It’s still overwhelming, and as the TV screen gradually gains more and more access to the endless sources of information online, the problem lies in how to choose. Yes, the problem is again choice – too much of it.

The ease with which anyone can produce and publish material online makes finding quality content a difficult task. On the other hand, with the arrival of incredible, massive new UHD TVs, it has become evident that the primary source of images may indeed be the web.

So what will the internet be, or look like in five or ten years’ time?

The Internet of Things aside, the permutation is going to be massive. Here at IFA 2014 you may get a few glimpses of that future, and in our Living Room Lifestyle section you can already get a peek at the growing number of AV devices that will access the wealth of sound and vision that will stream into our lives in the years to come.

Create Conscious Homes Matt Rogers of Nest tells IFA how a simple thermostat changes lives Matt Rogers Nest co-Founder and VP of Engineering

Matt Rogers, co-founder and Vice President of Engineering at Nest, a company dedicated to smart solutions for the home, delivered an inspiring keynote that continued the theme of 90 years of innovation and problem-solving at IFA. At Saturday's keynote adress, Jens Heithecker, Director of IFA, introduced Nest as a different kind of Silicon Valley start-up success. Matt Rogers, and Nest CEO and co-founder Tony Fadell, were well-established in the tech industry - Rogers worked for Apple designing the iPod and other devices - when they joined forces to create not another social network, but smart thermostats and sensors that revolutionise energy and safety management in the ‘conscious home’.

Nest (acquired by Google for $3.2 billion this year) has employed ‘thoughtful ideas’ to find simple solutions for home energy use, especially heating. Nest created a nextgeneration smart thermostat that senses when users leave the house and forget to change the temperature. The thermostat learns the user’s schedule, programs itself and can be controlled from a smartphone. When taught well, the Nest Thermostat can lower heating and cooling bills by up to 20%.

Rogers told the audience that since it was founded in 2010,

“Nest is solving real problems in real family’s lives”, said

Nest is solving real problems in real family’s lives Rogers, who also described Nest Protect safety alarms packed with the latest sensors that monitor everything from smoke to unsafe carbon dioxide levels in the home.

Released in 2014, they are already saving lives, he said.

IFA International is a CLEVERDIS Publication • 65 avenue Jules Cantini - Tour Méditerranée – 13006 Marseille, France • Tel: + 33 442 77 46 00 • Fax: + 33 442 77 46 01

• SARL capitalised at e128,250 • VAT FR 95413604471 • RCS Marseille 413 604 471 • info@cleverdis.com • www.cleverdis.com • During IFA: Press Center – Hall 6.3 – Room 411 • Tel: +49 (0)30 3038 81450 • Fax: +49 (0)30 3038 81457 • info@ifa-international.org • www.ifa-international.org

• Publisher: Gérard Lefebvre • Publishing Director: Jean-Guy Bienfait • Managing Director: Jean-François Pieri • Project Manager: Bettina Badon • Editor-in-Chief: Richard Barnes • Editorial Coordination: Bianca Newby, • Editorial team: Stuart Braun, Neil Crossley, Andy Fry, Bob Snyder • Photos: David Nivière • Art Director: Hélène Beunat • Design & Page Setting: Guillaume Kaercher, Guillaume Vinrich • Webmaster: Benjamin Ras • With the participation of: Calypso Barnes, Eva Grunenberg, Samridhi Sundrani, Monia Tazamoucht •To contact them : first name.last name@ifa-international.org • Cover: © Dixons Carphone - Registration of Copyright September 2014

Information presented in this publication is purely indicative in order to illustrate subjects contained therein. No guarantee can be given as to the accuracy of data or content at time of printing and thus the latter should not be used for professional or commercial ends. While all efforts have been made as to accuracy and pertinence of content and data contained in this publication, CLEVERDIS may in no case be held responsible for the consequences, whatever their nature may be, that may result from the interpretation of this data or content, or any eventual errors therein. Any reproduction of the content of this publication, even partial, by any means whatsoever, is strictly prohibited without the prior autorisation of the publisher. Any copy, whether by photography, photography film, magnetic tape, disc or other means constitutes a forgery, liable to punishment under French law according to the legislation of 11th March 1957 covering copyright. All brands cited in this publication are registered trade marks and/or belong to companies which are their respective proprietors. The publishers and editorial staff decline all responsibility as to opinions formulated in this publication by those interviewed or cited therein. Their opinions are entirely their own, and are included with the understanding that they contain, to our knowledge, no malicious intent. The inclusion of all texts, photographs and other documents supplied by those included in this publication imply the acceptance by their authors of their free publication therein. Documents and photographs will not be returned. It should be understood that this publication contains forwardlooking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include assumptions relating to the timing of the recorded date. If any of these risks or uncertainties materialises or any of these assumptions proves incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the expectations outlined in these statements. Cleverdis assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements during the period of publication.

Photo Credits and Copyright: All Rights Reserved.

www.ifa-international.org

IFA International • Monday 8th September 2014

5

News

EISA Awards Herald New Structure A “stronger and more modern EISA” announced at another spectacular annual award event The annual EISA awards, which took place in Berlin’s Kempinski Bristol hotel on September 5, saw the world’s top consumer electronics companies receive deserved industry recognition. The 2014 event was also the first for the “new look” EISA. “A product is a reflection of the people behind it. The really successful products are the ones with a soul,” said EISA President Jorge Gonçalves in the opening speech, while also thanking EISA’s outgoing Vice-President Olaf Adam, and welcoming Ljubisa Miodragovic to the role.

The EISA Jury, consisting of 50 editors-in-chief of special interest magazines from 20 European countries, voted together over the summer

It‘s recognised by all the industry that EISA could be something like a case-study in terms of its longevity, and the capability to maintain a remarkable level of recognition and prestige for the EISA Awards over 32 years. There is also no doubt that this has been possible as a consequence of the fact that we have been able to move side-byside with manufacturers and consumers in almost all situations. However, this reality puts a very high

The way consumers see, understand and use media has changed dramatically over the last 10 years for the best products for the period 2014-2015, in a total of 56 categories. This year EISA has accepted two new members, one from Croatia and the other from Ukraine.

We asked EISA President Jorge Gonçalves about the new EISA structure.

level of responsibility on our shoulders and the EISA staff has been for quite some years looking attentively to what is happening around EISA and how EISA can make adjustments that will help the association maintain its landmark position in the consumer electronics world.

This new structure was

implemented at the end of 2013 and is the result of a long, mature reflection, t h o ro u g h d i s c u s s i o n s among EISA staff, and very open-minded debate that took place during two EISA general assemblies.

So what’s changing in the market?

The way consumers see, understand and use media has changed dramatically over the last 10 years. These changes can also be seen in the consumer electronics market. Some product categories are shrinking; new ones have emerged and have changed consumers' buying behaviour and their corresponding lifestyle.

EISA's previous Panel Structure dated back to the mid-nineties, with some small changes and additions that occurred in between.

How does this translate into a new structure?

The new Expert Groups, totalling six, better define the expertise of the EISA members and make it more flexible for members to participate in discussions related directly to the field of expertise they represent. The new EISA Expert Groups are as follows: Hi-Fi, HT Audio,

Jorge Gonçalves EISA President HT Display & Video, In-Car Electronics, Photography, and Mobile Devices. The result will be a stronger, better and more relevant EISA Awards, and easier to implement combined awards that join together opinions from different Expert Groups. We have now a stronger and more modern EISA, fit for the challenges of the years to come.

FOR THE FULL LIST OF THIS YEAR’S AWARDS: www.eisa.eu

PARTNERS Cleverdis, publishers of IFA International, are partners of EISA, who again this year have done an incredible job in supplying key information for our highly-regarded CE Buyers’ Guides.

For new product categories, it can be difficult to decide just what makes a product sellable, and thanks to the expertise of EISA’s top editors, we are able to outline the key selling points to look for when it comes to technology, features and design.

EISA selection panel and award winners gather at Kempinski Bristol hotel in Berlin

6

News ADVERTORIAL

© Philips

With its detachable wireless speakers, the Philips Fidelio E5 goes a step beyond a traditional home theatre solution (…)

Philips Fidelio E5 wins EISA European Home Theater Solution 2014-2015 with unique Surround on Demand concept The Philips Fidelio E5 is the ideal solution for high definition home cinema audio without the clutter of multiple wires and boxes. Its sleek speakers feature a unique design that allows the top to detach, creating four independent wireless speakers for a full surround sound experience.

In its citation, the EISA jury commented: “With its detachable wireless speakers, the Philips Fidelio E5 goes a step beyond a traditional home theatre solution, offering consumers the ability to switch effortlessly between normal stereo and a 4 . 1 - c h a n n e l s u r ro u n d experience. Switching is simple – just a matter of removing the two rear speakers from the top of the stereo cabinets and placing them in the surround positions. When reverting to two-channel playback, the speakers re-charge their batteries. The inclusion of aptX Bluetooth streaming, Dolby Digital/ Dolby Pro Logic II decoding and dual HDMI inputs transforms the Fidelio E5 into a versatile home theatre hub, and the performance from its soft-dome tweeters, fullrange drivers and separate wireless subwoofer is as accomplished with music as it is with movie and TV material. And not only does the E5 sound good – www.ifa-international.org

it’s also beautifully made.”

Using robust proprietary wireless audio technology, the Fidelio E5 system is free to operate without n e t w o r k i n t e r f e re n c e .

The result is a completely wireless surround system with lossless audio quality for both music and movies.

Philips’ Crystal Clear Sound technology reproduces the sound source – whether it’s an action movie, a musical or a live performance – faithfully, precisely and without any distortion.

The Fidelio E5 keeps audio processing to a minimum so that the purity of the original audio content is preserved and greater sonic accuracy is delivered to your ears.

also features a wireless subwoofer with patented double BASS technology for richer sound and deeper bass.

The Fidelio E5 automatically detects when the detachable speaker is ‘docked’ and reconfigures the tower to work as a single speaker while recharging the detachable units’ battery.

With two HDMI inputs, replaying crystal clear, multichannel Dolby Digital or DTS sound from your

TV, Blu-ray player or games console is incredibly simple.

You can also enjoy music direct from a smartphone, tablet or laptop with aptX® and AAC quality Bluetooth streaming, and for the ultimate simplicity, the Fidelio E5 is also equipped with NFC for simple onetap device pairing.

The E-Series is designed to blend seamlessly into your home environment. The lower half of the tower is covered in a luxurious black wool speaker cloth while the stainless grill features warm cedar accents along with a leather handle to assist in detaching and moving the detachable speakers.

The Philips Fidelio E5 is available with a recommended retail price of €e699.

For further information on the latest Philips innovations from IFA2014 visit www.ifa.philips.com www.facebook.com/ PhilipsSound

» HALL 22 / STAND 101

Each tower features a 3-inch full range driver plus a premium soft-dome tweeter, while each of the detachable surround speakers has one 2.5-inch full-range driver. And, for maximum convenience, the Fidelio E5 system IFA International • Monday 8th September 2014

7

News ADVERTORIAL

JBL Authentics L16 Winner of the EISA Award 2014 for ‘Best Compact Hi-Fi System‘

© JBL

EISA said: “With styling that echoes the company’s legendary L100 Century bookshelf model from the 1970s, this desktop speaker system sees a single walnut-veneered wooden enclosure housing three drivers per side, each powered by a dedicated 50W amplifier.

It also offers wireless playback via AirPlay for Apple products, DLNA for Android users, Bluetooth with NFC, twin USB inputs for charging devices, and an optional Qi charging pad can be connected for those with devices that support it.

For turntable lovers, one input can be switched between a line-in, phono MM or MC. Signal processing is at 24-bit/96kHz and includes Harman’s Clari-Fi technology,

8

which is designed to improve the sound of compressed music files.

A compact classic, this stylish desktop system deserves pride of place in any music-lover’s living room.”

OUTDOOR EXHIBITION SPACE FGFKT / 100

News

UPSURGE IN HIGH-END TV DEMAND According to the NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Global TV Shipment and Forecast Report, more 4K UHD TV sets were shipped in the second quarter (Q2) of 2014 than all year in 2013 - shipments in Q2 were 2.1 million sets, compared to 1.6 million in 2013. With many brands introducing their 2014 model ranges in Q2, UHD TV is now the “musthave” for high-end TV viewing.

Shipment by region has also shifted.

China dominated demand for UHD TV in 2013 as the destination for around 80% of shipments in each quarter. But with China receiving only 60% of global UHD TV shipments in Q2 2014, demand is spreading across diverse regions.

UHD TV SHIPMENTS BY REGION 2,500

100% 90% 80%

2,000

70% 1,500

60% 50%

1,000

40% 30%

500

20% 10%

0

Q2

Q3 Q4 2012

Q1

Q2 Q3 2013

Q4

Q1 Q2 2014

Middle East & Africa Latin America Asia Pacific China Eastern Europe Western Europe North Europe Japan China

43%

11%

0%

Changhong Champions Smart Society Fast-growing Chinese firm explains central role of consumers in driving product innovation and development.

Yorkson Wang, Changhong Managing Director of Overseas Strategy & Development, said his company is committed to integrating smart solutions at the heart of everything it does: “We are creating smart products for connected homes. But we are also working with local governments to create technologies for smart communities and smart cities. Now, a lot of our pioneering smart city work is in China. But in a couple of years we will bring total smart solutions to Europe. In addition to smart products, areas we are looking at include transport, education, healthcare and home security.”

Changhong has built a strong reputation in sectors such as TVs, set-top boxes, fridges, aircon and small appliances. Priorities at IFA 2014 include the launch of a new series of smart TVs which function without remote controls and a smart fridge that can hook up to the home network. Explaining the success of its products, Wang said a lot of focus is placed on getting the consumer experience right: “We work hard to make sure users have a great experience. Good products begin with talking to consumers, not in a lab or a factory.”

According to Wang, IFA is a key date in the company’s calendar: “Europe is a priority market for Changhong, so IFA has become a very important platform. It is a great way for us to show people what we do and communicate with our customers about our plans.”

Looking ahead, Wang believes the consumer electronics and appliances market is at a critical juncture. “The industry will not be the same as it is today.

We will be part of a much longer industrial chain where content and partnerships play a bigger part. We will see new products being launched much more quickly, every few months, that can be upgraded automatically through the internet.”

Changhong is one of a new wave of Chinese manufacturers transforming the global consumer electronics and appliances business.

Yorkson Wang Managing Director of Overseas Strategy & Development, Changhong

Hall 25 Stand 173

SISVEL AD

www.ifa-international.org

IFA International • Monday 8th September 2014

9

News

Life’s Getting Better

Michiko Ogawa Director, Technics

Jeong Seok Lee, Vice President – Brand Management Division – Global Sales & Marketing Office, LG – on the branding roadmap of the Korean giant

Superlative Sound

Technics returns to the market with an inspiring new Director – giving Panasonic a new edge in high-end audio

Jeong Seok Lee Brand Management Division Vice President– Global Sales & Marketing Office, LG

Jeong Seok Lee was placed in charge of branding for LG Electronics earlier this year, having come from a five-year marketing & communication role at the AE company (Air Conditioning and Energy). We asked what his current role entails and what his ambitions are for the brand.

I am setting the brand strategy for all the company. We have a very close relationship with all the different companies under the LG umbrella. You know the main slogan at LG is “Life’s Good”. For many years this has been written under the logo, but we have not activated it enough, so my mission is to revitalise the Life’s Good philosophy. While our brand is widely known the task is not to make it better known, but to make it a more lovable brand, inspiring customers.

LG has announced very positive results in the market despite the tough competition from China and elsewhere. How do you manage to retain this good health?

Regarding the Chinese companies, we believe there is a strong threat, it’s obvious. As you know I was working until recently in the AE company, and the air conditioning field www.ifa-international.org

my mission is to revitalise the Life’s Good philosophy was the first one hit by the “Chinese Effect” in the early stages. For smartphones and TV the situation is ok for the moment, but we expect there is a kind of threat coming.

Therefore not to experience the same situation in these other fields, we are focusing on building the brand, it’s the only way to survive in this kind of situation. We also need to continue with meaningful innovation.

Hall 11.2 Stand 101

Considering its reputation for sonic excellence, it’s fitting that Technics has Michiko Ogawa as its new Director. Ogawa is a former Technics audio engineer and renowned jazz pianist and, as such, is well qualified to talk about the emotional impact of music and the brand’s commitment to outstanding sound. We asked Ogawa about Technics’ objectives and why the brand is being relaunched right now.

The most important mission of the new Technics is to deliver emotionallyengaging musical experiences that are unique to each of us. Through the new Technics products we are striving to offer listeners the feeling of ‘rediscovering music’, by helping them to have such uniquely emotionally engaging experiences.

Technics has always been committed to delivering superlative musical experiences and we felt that the rising popularity of digital highresolution audio would allow us to apply our decades of audio technology development and know-how to create a digital high-end audio system fit for the rapidly-evolving digital network era.

Accordingly, our new products are based on a concept called the ‘Technics Definitive Sound’, which builds upon these decades of audio technology research and development. The concept is comprised of three major technical elements: ‘Accurate Digital Technology,’ which ensures signal transmission with precise phase and gain characteristics, and ideal power conversion; ‘Noiseless Signal Technology,’ which thoroughly reduces noise to realise equipment ideal for digital audio; and ‘Emotive Acoustic Technology,’ which realises a clear sound image and spacious soundstage with an ultra-wide bandwidth and high dynamic range.

The most important mission of the new Technics is to deliver emotionally engaging musical experiences that are unique to each of us What kinds of products are being introduced, and what will be the key sales geographic rollout?

We will introduce two series of Technics hi-fi audio products. Firstly, the R1 reference-class system comprises of a stereo power amplifier, a network audio control player, and floor-standing speaker systems. Secondly, the C700 premium-class system consists of four hi-fi components (a stereo integrated amplifier, network audio player, compact disc player, and speaker system) designed to deliver refined, emotionally-engaging sound through adopting the essence of the technologies employed in the reference-class system. These products will be initially introduced in Europe before also rolling out to other regions.

Hall 5.2 Stand 101

IFA International • Monday 8th September 2014

11

News ADVERTORIAL

KAZAM LIFE B6

KAZAM THUNDER 350L

KAZAM THUNDER 340R

KAZAM proofs its promise to deliver best price/performance ratio at IFA 2014 One of the main trends we are seeing at IFA 2014 is surely the push of a multitude of challengers into the smartphone market. European brand KAZAM is one of them, offering smartphones and mobile phones with attractive design, reliable technology and fresh concepts – all this at an attractive price point. The brand brings a full service offering, which facilitates the use of the smartphone as a communication centre. Free services include the delivery of smartphones with KAZAM Screen Protection, one free change of the display when broken (within the first 12 months).

Unbeatable price does not come at the cost of quality, as high quality and powerful technology remain a priority.

At IFA 2014, KAZAM has several product innovations on show – all united by one motto: user-specific: Each product concentrates the features that really add value for a specific application.

Each user can define features that make sense for him personally and include the apps he wants.

KAZAM caters for individual needs and usage scenarios with attractive product innovations.

Product highlights include the Thunder 350L, with p a r t i c u l a r l y f a s t LT E connection, the Rugged Smartphone Thunder 340R and the Feature Phone B6, as well as the new Tornado flagship model.

12

TORNADO2 5.0 OCTA CORE – TECHNOLOGY MEETS DESIGN The Octa Core smartphone offers the best equipment and quality at a good price.

With this product KAZAM enters the German market of high-performance smartphones. The elegant Tornado2 5.0 includes a 1.7 GHz Octa Core-Processor for the highest speed and functionality. The recommended retail price is EUR 299, with 1GB RAM internal memory enables faster surfing and constant performance. The 5 inch (12,1cm) HD IPS-Display works with HD-resolution (1280x720 Pixel). The Tornado2 5.0 also includes an 8 megapixel camera.

The KAZAM Tornado2 5.0 has DualSIM, exchangeable

batteries and a microSD slot for an expendable memory capacity of up to 64 GB like all KAZAM smartphones.

In addition to the entrylevel phones of the KAZAM Trooper family and the high-performance mid-level smartphones of the Thunder series, this adds a high-end offer with the usual KAZAM standard of quality.

Another product highlight is the Thunder 350L Quadcore smartphone, which allows for high-speed internet surfing. Videos and images can be watched on a brilliant 5 inch QHD display with IPStechnology – all for only EUR 199 rrp!

KAZAM caters for fans of the outdoors with the Thunder 340R – a reliable partner even in extreme conditions and

weather – whether at the construction site or during a mountain hike. Thanks to its particularly resistant IP67certified housing, it resists wind and weather and up to 30 minute dives at depths of up to1 m and a pressure of up to 1.5 tons.

The new generation of Feature Phone is the KAZAM Life B6. For just EUR 79, this model is an attractive and cost-efficient option for anyone wanting to simply make calls with their mobile.

KAZAM PRODUCTS ARE ON SHOW AT IFA AT THE INGRAM MICRO MOBILITY STAND.

Each KAZAM product concentrates the features that really add value for a specific application.

Hall 9 Stand 204

UNIQUE SERVICE OFFER KAZAM Screen Protection and KAZAM Rescue.

For each registered smartphone, KAZAM offers a unique service: the KAZAM Screen Protection allows for free replacement of a broken display (once in the first 12 months), while the KAZAM Rescue service allows users to get in touch with a multi-lingual service team to resolve problems – either on the phone, or via remote access.

Trade Talk

Helping Customers Navigate the Connected World

Dixons Carphone creates a whole new scenario in the field of electrical retailing The £3.7bn tie-up between Dixons Retail and Carphone Warehouse is of course by far the biggest news on the trade scene this year. The company says it will specialise in the convergence of the mobile and electrical markets: the Internet of Things. But where will it lead to, and what real advantages will be brought to the customers? We put the question to group Chief Executive Sebastian James and Deputy Chief Executive Andrew Harrison visiting IFA together for the first time Sebastian James: During the Genesis of this merger we were talking about how Dixons could sell connected telephony and started to think about the connected world in our stores. The more we looked at it, the more excited we became about what we could offer our customers and how we could become the only retailer on the planet to offer customers a true end-to-end connected world service.

What's interesting about

no longer a stand-alone.

Is this the thinking that brought you to work together?

Andrew Harrison: Very much so. Carphone Warehouse has been the market leader in connectivity and mobile technology and obviously Dixons is the leader in consumer electronics.

We are fortunate in that we get to spend so much time with all the manufacturing and network partners and look at where they are

(…) we will be opening over 400 Carphone Warehouse stores within the Currys and PC World Stores in the UK both Dixons and Carphone Warehouse is that we both shared a common vision about making people’s lives better through technology, so our ability to do that is one of the key reasons behind the merger.

Here at IFA we are seeing mobile becoming the heart of the CE, appliance and IT ecosystems and www.ifa-international.org

investing and what their priorities are. So with that in mind, we've tried to build this partnership ahead of the curve, so that we have got a unique set of capabilities that really no one else in the market has got in order to take advantage of changing technology.

What’s changing in the way people use electrical

Andrew Harrison

Deputy Chief Executive of Dixons Carphone plc

devices in their daily lives?

SJ: What we observe is that whereas today there are nine connected devices in a typical UK household, the forecast for the next three or four years is that that number will rise to 70. What people are now expecting is that the content they have and the data that is produced by the things they do in their daily lives will be accessible to them in every single way. Whether that be in entertainment, health, wellness, security or home environment control, we are finding that people are using their phone – their principle connected device – as the remote control for their entire lives. That is a very fundamental change, and it’s quite recent as well.

What will visibly change

for people visiting your stores and what will change / be improved in terms of service?

SJ: Firstly, in the UK anyway, we are not going to change any of our brands. We will continue to run with all three brands. In the last 20 years, each of those brands has spent over £1 bn developing a market position, and they have over a 95% consideration rate in their respective categories.

So the PC World, Currys and Carphone Warehouse brands will stay. In terms of staffing, our plan is that we will be opening over 400 Carphone Warehouse stores within the Currys and PC World Stores in the UK and we will be effectively using the technology and connectivity understandings in Sweden to roll across all of our Elkjøp Nordic stores in

Sebastian James

Group Chief Executive of Dixons Carphone plc

Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway; and actually while we're at it Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Customers will begin to see and they are already seeing in nine of our stores now, embedded connectivity as part of our retail proposition. In the Carphone stores, our aim is that customers will be able to order through any channel, and have delivered to any Carphone store, the vast bulk of the smaller products that we sell. That means that nearly everybody will effectively have a “dropbox” staffed by our people, who can offer our services within five minutes of where they work or live. And I think that's going to be quite unique.

What are your personal f e e li n g s ab o u t t h i s merger?

IFA International • Monday 8th September 2014

13

Trade Talk

We passionately believe that the future is about multi-channel.

AH: From my perspective, this is something we felt very passionately about, this world of converging technologies between consumer electronics and mobile. I think from a Carphone Warehouse perspective we saw in America how well it could work, with what we did with Best Buy and how well it works within that environment. That was probably at a time when actually what we were trying to do was put as many mobile devices in people's hands and then build out of these amazing ubiquitous mobile and fixed the networks. The exciting thing for me, is that we are now at a stage where people have the most powerful computers within arms reach - on brilliant networks.

The next phase of connectivity comes when all devices and things that people do within peoples’ lives get ticked off one by one.

SJ: in terms of personal feelings about this, of course I think it's a massive responsibility. Andrew and I are responsible for 45,000 people working in our business. I think we are keenly aware that we are responsible for not only ensuring those livelihoods are secure, but also that we build a great place to work. I am feeling very excited about the future, as we want to double the value of the company and we think we can do it in the next few years. I think I would be being dishonest though if I didn't think it was quite a scary prospect bringing these two giant companies together. But I think we are very blessed with the people we have working here, so we are pretty confident we can do it.

Some UK media have claimed this was a move to thwart the onset of all online sales operators. How do you react to that?

SJ: We think we are different to pure-play retailers in a number of important respects. We have found a way to price the vast bulk of our goods in line with or better than online retailers and do www.ifa-international.org

that profitably, whilst providing service to customers in our stores and allowing them to touch, look and feel these devices. I am acutely aware that when people buy a large television or washing machine or computer, they are making a significant investment in terms of their wages and we think it's our duty to do that really well.

At the moment, our online growth is faster than our principal online competitors in the UK and most of our markets, and we certainly believe that we can flourish alongside them, if not defeat them.

Why do you believe your sales process is better?

AH: One of the most important things we do is to have conversations every day in our stores with customers about what they are trying to get out of technology and what it can do for them. That is the power that we have, there are literally thousands of transactions happening every minute of the day and thousands of conversations where we have added real value to both our customers and to our suppliers. In the past year Carphone Warehouse has also introduced the biggest digital workforce in the UK. We have deployed a tablet-based sales process, Pin Point, throughout the whole business where we are giving real-time pricing information against our competitors. We are providing real access to live tariff information showing people millions of options on a screen, showing interactive videos. And part of those processes and those journeys will roll out across all of the Dixons Carphone business.

SJ: It's interesting, more than 80% of our customers use both online and in-store channels.

We passionately believe that the future is about multi-channel.

We can’t find any global player in single-channel in our sector that is making money, and we think that the reason for that is very simple.

It’s that customers making these decisions want to see and look and touch and feel. They want great advice, and the combination of Carphone Warehouse’s digital sales force technology and our ability to showcase, demonstrate, talk about and give really good advice about a product is absolutely unique. We couple that with a really good online experience in a way that we don't think any of our principal competitors can do, whether online or offline, so we do think our sales process is better.

THE CRITICAL EYE – AND COMMENTS OF THE MEDIA AT IFA Each day in IFA International, we will be bringing you feedback from media at the show, helping buyers and manufacturers get a better understanding of how they work at IFA.

INSIGHTS OF IFA JOURNALIST VETERAN Olaf Adam is a leading European journalist and has, for years, been vice-president of EISA - the European Imaging and Sound Association. This is his 14th year at IFA but, he quips, it feels like the 100th.

We asked Olaf what he sees as being the hottest topics at this year’s show Certainly 'cloud' again, as in the ongoing trend of devices and services to communicate with each other. Growing screen sizes and 4K/UHD resolution of TVs will be something everyone speaks about, especially if broadcasters finally announce specific plans to roll out 4k broadcasts to the general public.

What are the hottest product categories?

Wearables, for sure, although the market is still waiting for solutions that the consumer actually wants and accepts.

Any tips for a breakthrough name, service or application at IFA? I believe it is about time that 3D Printing will make a significant step towards mass market awareness. If it does, this has the potential to really change people's lives.

Do you think vendor s / manufacturers should change the way they communicate to the industry? If so, how?

Well, as a communication professional the answer can only be 'yes'. The way we communicate changes constantly and rapidly, and that includes all areas: private, B2B, B2C. This means, vendors and

Olaf Adam Journalist

manufacturers will have to adjust their communication strategies and the channels they use with the same speed and regularity or they will be left behind by a fastchanging market without even knowing why.

How important is IFA for you in your information gathering process and what do you find are the most useful aspects in this respect?

If it were only for information about product releases and announcements, reading a few dozen e-mails would do the job quite efficiently. But shows like IFA are essential if you want to get a deeper understanding of the market, of the things people are interested about and what will come next. IFA brings together thousands of professionals that are here for the same purpose and speaking to as many of them as possible can give you an idea about the shape of things to come one piece of the puzzle at a time.

IFA International • Monday 8th September 2014

15

Exclusive Interview

Joint CEOs Daniel & Andreas Sennheiser

In the end, the product bears our name, so that's a very personal commitment

Creativity and Determination

Not just at the heart of Sennheiser’s latest campaign This year keynoting at IFA, the flamboyant but down to earth Sennheiser brothers are forging new territory for their iconic brand. Speaking of iconic, we asked them which, for them, have been the most iconic products to date Daniel Sennheiser: The most iconic headphones definitely are the HD 414s – these started headphonemania as it were. Launched in 1968, the HD 414 was the world’s very first pair of headphones to work on what we now call the “open” principle. Before, hi-fi headphones used to be sealed, closed models, and now these headphones provided a completely new listening experience: the systems were open to the ear and the outside world, and thus reproduced a very natural and, well, open sound with a good bass response. The HD 414 opened up a completely new market.

Andreas Sennheiser: Another milestone in headphone design is the Orpheus. The Sennheiser engineers had set to work with the intent to build the best headphones in 16

the world, and the result was a set of electrostatic headphones combined with a magnificent tube amplifier. Named Orpheus HE 90/HEV 90, this system was launched in 1991, unanimously praised by the specialist press as the bestsounding headphones ever.

DS: The youngest iconic headphones are the HD 800s, launched in 2009.

These are Sennheiser’s current top-of-the-range headphones, with natural, detailed sound of unique spatiality. At its heart is a 56mm sound transducer in a patented annular design. By this special design it became possible for the first time to have a really large diaphragm – which results in a very pure sound reproduction at low frequencies – without having the disadvantages of undesired resonances at high frequencies that large diaphragms usually cause.

How are you planning to keep up your innovation culture and continue finding new ideas?

DS: The most important thing to keep innovation culture going is to accept that whatever was successful today is built on an achievement from the past and is building towards the future. We call this creative dissatisfaction, and it is the core of what we do. What we try to do is to observe our existing customers: how they work and what they do, and really try to figure out what problems they are confronted with in the way they work, and to find smart solutions for that.

The cultural part, which is the core of all this, is to go beyond what exists.

With more and more manufacturers in this sp ace , how do y ou differentiate?

AS: We are in the privileged situation in that we have some of the smartest people in the audio space, so we always have significantly more ideas than we can

bring to market especially as a privately owned, independent company that we are, so we always want to be a step ahead and to anticipate what the consumer wants and needs.

Sometimes that's easy and sometimes that's not so easy but we believe that by making better products, not only on the performance side, but also when it comes to quality, the materials, the whole package, and in this respect, Sennheiser aims to deliver more, and more consistently, than anyone else in this space.

For the MOMENTUM family, your social video project “What ’s Your MOMENTUM?” features 100 stories from people working with sound.

What makes this project so special?

DS: Some people seem to be ahead of others. They have a certain push, a fire that lets them go further.

They do what others don’t do - what no one has done before. These are amazing stories of creativity and determination. The campaign spotlights people

who are not followers but develop their own ideas, and are basically changing the world, and it mirrors our philosophy, it's the message that we aspire to.

It's an attitude that drives all the people working at Sennheiser and all the artists and other inspired people who use our products.

How involved do you personally get in your company’s projects?

AS: That depends a lot on the type of projects. Right now, for example, we are building an innovation campus, and of course we are heavily involved in this. When it comes to product development, our involvement depends a lot on the products themselves.

If it's not a key product, we might not become very involved, but if it's a flagship product like the Digital 9000 in recent times we’re very involved; or the Orpheus in the early 90s – there, our father was heavily involved – so it depends a lot on the type of project.

DS: When it's about landmark or flagship

Exclusive Interview

The HD 800s are the ‘youngest’ iconic headphones and Sennheiser’s current topof-range product.

The Orpheus HE 90/HEV 90 system, launched in 1991 and renowned for being the most expensive headphones in the world

Sennheiser HD 414 – the first headphones to work on the ‘open’ principle and the start of Headphone-mania

– they’re core company values … being able to give a keynote at IFA is a huge privilege… projects, which have also a very strong brand aspect, we are deeply involved in order to ensure that it really reflects our name. In the end, the product bears our name, so that's a very personal commitment, so my brother and I really try the products ourselves, every single new product that we bring to the market.

So you have the golden ears. But are there other people around you who have golden ear s as well?

AS:Actually, there are better golden ears at Sennheiser than ours. We consider ourselves as very demanding users, but we have people who tune and tweak the products to the quality they need to be. www.ifa-international.org

What are the key product trends at the moment?

DS: : We see several key trends. One is obviously the combination of lifestyle and substance, which we also manifest in the MOMENTUM series. Lifestyle was there for a while, and then we saw people moving back to substance and higher quality. We see also announcements from companies that they are moving to a higher bit rate and higher audio quality.

Obviously, on the playback side, you need to have higher quality as well, but you also need better build quality, better materials and sustainability.

The other trend is the modularity of systems like we manifest in our cooperation with PhoneBloks.

It's in my opinion a trend towards independence.

People don't necessarily want to buy into a closed system; they want to be able to change the design and modular components of the system, in order for them to have more longevity and to be a more personalised product as well.

The third trend is that of connectivity which is very much through wireless products but also through the wire-bound products, and obviously at the moment, the biggest challenge with this is the standards. No one really knows where they’re going; but we are completely neutral in that as well, we are independent and can meet whatever standards there are. The consumer should not actually have to worry about all this; it should all be seamless and intuitive.

How will people listen to music in ten years’ time?

What’s changing?

AS: High-resolution audio is one change that we see happening right now, and

it's going to accelerate. People will also increasingly start valuing the emotional impact that sound can bring to their lives. For the emotion, the feeling, it comes with the sound, and you can test this yourself very easily. If you watch a horror movie without sound, it looks ridiculous but if you turn on the sound and switch off the picture, it will still be scary. People will still be using their ears but people will have much more personalised and immersive sound requirements, meaning basically the emotional connection will be much more present – be it in live performance, be it at home – but also through headphones. And we are working on technology that allows the user to be completely immersed in sound and to obtain a completely different emotional experience.

That is something where the value will significantly change.

DS: People in Berlin for the IFA should go and see the David Bowie exhibition.

It's an absolutely unique exhibition with unique immersive 3D audio but also with interactive tracks.

This is the kind of thing we are talking about.

The final question is about IFA, because as you are giving a keynote at the show it must be a big step in the promotion of your company. How do you feel about delivering this keynote and how important is IFA in the promotion of Sennheiser?

DS: IFA is one of the most important electronics shows in the world. It's basically in our backyard in Berlin so we feel very connected to Berlin.

AS: For many years already it has always been a highlight for us, to present ourselves to our customers, but also to the end consumers and obviously being able to give a keynote at IFA is a huge privilege and a platform we don't want to miss!

IFA International • Monday 8th September 2014

17

Exclusive Interview

The Next Wave of Tele

TP Vision’s Nico Vernieuwe with his company – and Philips TVs powered by Android, and an enhanced TV experience thanks to the unique Ambilight (celebrating its ten year anniversary), superior design, award-winning picture quality and an overall “smarter” experience; those are among the key elements of TP Vision’s thrust at IFA 2014. We asked Nico Vernieuwe – Chief Commercial Officer – TP Vision to further explain the strategy of TP Vision.

Nico Vernieuwe Chief Commercial Officer TP Vision

As long as we keep developing TVs that really underline the TV’s role as a central entertainment hub, we will solidify our position in the market.

18

Here at IFA TP Vision presents new Android powered Philips TVs. Why do you focus so heavily on Android?

We are the first TV brand to market TVs that have Android fully integrated, certified

by Google. We realised that with the integration of Android into our Philips TVs we can seriously boost the overall Smart TV experience by combining the huge choice of TV-specific apps in the Google Play Store and the services and apps from the Philips Smart TV offering in a single Smart TV portal.

We believe that this is truly beneficial to consumers and therefore we focus so strongly on this.

Could you please be more specific about how consumers will benefit from Philips T Vs with Android?

In combination with Philips TVs’ exceptional processing power the Android operating system allows a fast and fluent user experience. Next to this, users get access to a wealth of apps that add to the existing TV services such as catch-up TV, videoon-demand, and Smart TV with hundreds of online TV channels. And thanks to the large app developer community we are sure that the app and service offering dedicated to TVs will quickly increase. Not least, because app developers prefer open platforms with a large user base against proprietary solutions. Consequently, we expect that we will be in

the vanguard of having new apps available on our Philips TVs powered by Android.

The Google Play Store gives consumers access to a great number of games playable on the large screen. We also partner with OnLive to integrate their online game services into our offering.

They offer many consoleclass games running now on Philips TVs without the need for a console.

Will the integration of Android into your Philips TVs be limited to high-end TVs only?

No, not at all. It is true that we started integrating Android into our higher-end Philips TVs. This is how it goes with most innovations.

They start in the high-end sets and then trickle down the range. Already by 2015 the majority of our Philips Smart TVs will be powered

by Android.

Other brands are focusing on UHD. Why don’t you jump on this bandwagon?

Of course we are an important player in the UHD game. We have 13 UHD sets in our current 2014 product range. All our Android powered Philips TVs feature 4k UHD. We now have a large range of Philips UHD TVs covering different design flavours – the range spans, for example, the flagship 4K Ultra HD 9809 series with the best-of-the best in Philips picture quality on board, the 8909 series, which is the world’s first curved Android™ powered Ultra

HD TV, and the ultra-slim, frameless 7909 series. TVs which we just introduced here in Berlin at the IFA show. But we have much more to tell: for example the Ambilight success story.

Is there any news about Ambilight?

Of course, there is. This year we celebrate Ambilight’s 1 0 t h a n n i v e r s a r y. We continuously enhance the Ambilight experience. Earlier this year we introduced the Ambilight gaming mode that allows Ambilight to even follow fast gaming and action scenes. It makes the gaming experience on Philips TVs truly more immersive.

We also continued on the integration of Philips hue into our Philips TVs. The connection of Ambilight with the Hue lighting system expands the Ambilight experience into the living room to deliver an even greater effect.

In general, the TV market is a very tough one. Where are you positioning the company at the moment in the different European regions and what is your vision for the next couple of years in that respect?

Our mission is to bring continuously innovations to the market benefiting consumers. Our innovations have to truly enhance the viewer’s experience and need to be beneficial to consumers. As long as we keep developing TVs that really underline the set’s role as a central entertainment

Exclusive Interview

vision

industry – roadmap for the coming months hub, we will solidify our position in the market.

Currently, we are number three in Europe. I think being a profitable number three is a very good position in Europe to start from. In each of the regions and countries we are aiming to improve our position. With high-end Philips TVs such as the 8000 and 9000 series models we are positioning the Philips TV brand as an A-brand with TVs offering superb design and great picture quality.

We continue to invest in picture quality, which always has been one the key pillars in the Philips TV strategy. All Philips TVs from the most affordable sets to premium TVs carry the hallmark of great Philips picture quality. We are constantly improving and integrating new picture quality features into our new Philips TVs; distance adaptive sharpness, for example. Viewers’ perception of pictures on a TV screen depends on the distance between them and the front of the TV. Thanks to a built-in camera, the TV will automatically adapt its picture setting according to the distance between the viewer and the front of the TV. As said, we have many interesting things to show and tell.

addition, we can bank on TPV’s strength in R&D set development resources and on their shareholders such as CEC, that are very committed to the TV business. All this will help us strengthen our position in the market. Yet, our most important asset has always been and will be in the future the Philips brand.

Everything we are doing is in respect and in continuation of our long-standing Philips TV heritage.

PHILIPS TVS BECOME CENTRAL ENTERTAINMENT HUBS

TP Vision strengthens its efforts to position Philips Smart TVs as the central entertainment hub at home.

Via the Philips Smart TV portal, they provide direct access to a variety of TV broadcast and internet services and to video and music sources.

In addition, Philips Smart TVs powered

by Android™ combine the diverse offerings from Google Play Store and Philips Smart TV platform in a single Smart TV portal. This allows users to access a huge library of apps and content, games, and video services. A suitable selection of ports and interfaces allows users to easily connect other devices including mobile devices, media players, hard disk drives, and PCs to Philips TVs. A smooth

user experience is indispensable for TVs, which are intended to serve as a versatile entertainment hub at home.

Philips TVs offer seamless content integration to combine the best of the classical TV and the Smart TV world. To keep navigation easy, Philips TVs map all the features, services and content – independent from the source - onto a single user interface.

The Philips Smart TV portal provides, for example, a unified and personalised recommendation section that considers all available sources including catch-up TV, videoon-demand offerings, and streaming services.

New 9800 flagship Philips Ultra HD TV Powered by Android features four-sided ambilight and the ultimate in picture quality

Since mid 2014, TPV is 100% owner of TP Vision.

What kind of support are you getting from TPV? Unknown to many, TPV is the largest display manufacturer in the world, producing 75 million displays per year, ranging from monitors over TVs and all-in-one PCs to large-size public signage screens. TPV’s manufacturing scale and power is the right way forward to create a sustainable business. In

www.ifa-international.org

IFA International • Monday 8th September 2014

19

LIVING ROOM

LIFESTYLE SOUNDBARS STREAMING SOUND SYSTEMS CURVED HD TV WELLNESS

TELEVISION MARKET: LIONS’ SHARE FOR SMART TVS Following a relatively poor year for TV sets in 2013, this segment regained some momentum in 2014. Latest figures from GfK indicate that new technology such as Ultra HD, curved UHD, OLED as well as the further development of smart TVs imbued the market with fresh impetus. The trend for larger screens promises to deliver further growth potential. In addition, the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, which almost totally dominated this summer, gave the market a considerable boost in the right direction for the second half of 2014.

In this regard, the market in Western Europe for LCD TVs experienced significant positive developments, registering growth of 6.7% in the first half of 2014 in comparison to the same period in the previous year.

In fact, double-digit growth was recorded in both May (18.4%) and June (27.4%) against the previous year, mainly owing to the FIFA World Cup. In the first half of 2014, 67% of turnover in the television market could be traced back to the smart TV segment.

Smart TV and connectivity are now ongoing key criteria for a new TV set www.ifa-international.org

The Living Room Will Never Be the Same

The Living Room is no longer a “TV Room.” Now it’s the heart of a home system with wireless capillaries that extend digital life-blood to smartphones, tablets and other devices.

While it may be hard to imagine the Living Room (the Lounge or Sitting Room depending upon what region of the world you are from) as part of the mobile lifestyle, there is no part of our lives untouched by our mobile devices.

The always-on viewing and listening habits of consumers is changing how we the use the room mostly known for relaxing, socialising and entertainment.

Once the heart of the home, the “TV Room” is now the heart of a home system with wireless capillaries that extend digital life-blood to smartphones, tablets and devices—as well as to other rooms in the house.

Primary devices include the smartphone, tablet, laptop, television systems, set-top boxes, and Blu-ray players -- as well as home automation devices, gaming consoles, home theatre projectors, and home audio systems.

Today our mobile devices have become an extension of our TV viewing experience.

TV researcher Nielsen’s recently gathered some hard numbers in the US on the “second screen” trend. First, they found a majority of people (about 70%) read about other things when they watch television (researching something specific like a recipe, or just browsing the web).

About 50% of tablet users, and 35% of smartphone users, will also search for info related to the show they’re watching, and around 20% of tablet users, and 13% of smartphone users, will access social networks for updates about the show they’re watching.

This will only increase as TV and cable companies figure out how to adapt second screens into their programming offers.

This makes smart TV and connectivity the twin key criteria for a new TV set. In

speaker system including a central control centre has been well received by consumers, says GfK. As the number of devices proliferates, consumers look for ways to control every device in the home with a single device.

Some larger, broadline manufacturers will try to unite under their own brand; while other specialists will try to offer control of diverse devices under common standards.

With that control comes the ability to more easily sell consumers not only devices but the higher margin content (apps, movies, TV content, games, and more). The transformation of the living room into a digital hub for the home has never been a more important battle for IFA exhibitors.

2014, according to GfK, the market for TV sets regained momentum, spurred by the further development of smart TV and new technology such as Ultra HD, curved UHD and OLED. It’s not just “vision” in the living room that is changing; the internet and mobile are now disrupting home audio as well.

Home audio systems that can be connected to the internet are increasing in sales and revenue, notes GfK. Through the connection with mobile internet devices, these systems offer access to internet radio and internet streaming services.

The concept of multi-room audio continues to pick up speed. Fitting several rooms in a single house or apartment with a connected

SOUNDBARS? As TV screens nowadays often lack adequate sound quality, soundbars represent the most attractive solution to improved sound experience in the living room. Soundbar sales have increased dramatically in 2014.

The popularity of audio streaming via Bluetooth has also had an impact on the soundbar market because it allows an easy connection with smartphones and tablets.

Development of Sales Value with soundbars (in million EUR) in EU6* 81 63 43 24

Jul 13

35 22

23

Aug 13

Sep 13

Oct 13

32

Nov 13

Dec 13

Jan 14

Feb 14

40 28

27

Mar 14

Apr 14

May 14

33

Jun 14

*EU6 : DE, ES, FR, GB, IT, NL

There are at least two types of soundbars. One is a traditional “bar” a few inches tall and a few inches deep, that sits below your TV, in

front of the TV stand.

Pedestal-style sound bars are typically a foot or more deep and designed to be a platform upon which your HDTV rests.

IFA International • Monday 8th September 2014

21

HALL PLAN SHUTTLES

Hall 3.2 - Stand 201 Hall 3.1- Stand 103

Hall 21B - Stand 104

www.ifa-international.org

IFA International • Monday 8th September 2014

23

Hall 25 - Stand 135

Hall 25 - Stand 122

Hall 25 - Stand 173

Hall 6.2 - Stand 202

Hall 5.2 - Stand 101

Hall 22 - Stand 101

Hall 25 - Stand 136

Hall 25 - Stand 105

HALL PLAN

Hall 7.1C - Stand 107

Hall 6.1 - Stand 109

Hall 3.1 - Stand 104

Hall 9 - Stand 106

Hall 6.1 - Stand 115

Hall 9 - Stand 307

Hall 8.1 - Stand 106

Hall 3.1 - Stand 104

Hall 1.1 - Stand 102

Hall 2.1 - Stand 201

24 www.ifa-international.org

Hall 8.2 - Stand 101

Hall 15.1 - Stand 184

Hall 3.2 - Stand 108

Hall 3.2 - Stand 207

Hall 17 - Stand 113

Hall 14.1 - Stand 127

Hall 17 - Stand 107

Hall 17 - Stand 104

Hall 3.2 - Stand 111

Hall 17 - Stand 115 Hall 15.1 - Stand 198

Hall 1.2 - Stand 115

Hall 1.2 - Stand 108

Hall 1.2 - Stand 114

Hall 1.2 - Stand 113

Hall 1.2 - Stand 212

Hall 4.1 - Stand 211

Hall 7.1B - Stand 105

Hall 4.1 - Stand 205

Hall 5.1 - Stand 101

Hall 7.2C - Stand 101 Hall 9 - Stand 203

Hall 3.1 - Stand 109

Hall 1.1 - Stand 201

Hall 8.1 - Stand 112

Hall 6.2 - Stand 120

Hall 9 - Stand 110

www.ifa-international.org

• 2013 25 IFA International • Monday IFA International 8th September 2014

LIVING ROOM

LIFESTYLE

Jean-Michel Jarre: Designing Technology with Emotion The legendary composer and performer explores the art of audio technology with his JMJ brand Jean Michel Jarre tells IFA International about the inspiration for his unique sculptural loudspeakers with high-end sound.

The idea when we founded the brand was to think about how an artist and musician could contribute to a sound system for the 21st century.

Sound has to be either invisible or very visible. And if it is very visible it has to be a statement, like the Hi-Fi system in the old days was a statement. So we thought it could be interesting to explore different design concepts. Some units have a more technology-oriented design, and others, like the skull or the bulldog, can be a piece of contemporary art that makes music.

and they become really involved in developing the acoustic part of the sound. If you have a skull making music and you don’t want to make a Disneyland kind of statement, it has to be technologically better than more classical or traditional shapes. So we pay a lot of attention to the sound for the skull or the bulldog to show that you can have fun with a high-tech product.

How did you develop the sound quality?

Asia is probably our biggest market. Europe is also important and we are now going to develop distribution in North and South America for 2015.

Sound is obviously something that I’m quite obsessed with.I work with two engineers in the studio,

Where are your biggest markets?

Jean-Michel Jarre with his AeroSkull HD Loudspeaker range at IFA

What are you hoping to achieve at IFA? It’s actually developing the identity of the brand.

Investors are obviously part of the game. But I think what is very important nowadays is to get an identity, to be specific and to be different.

Hall 25 Stand 171

Intelligent TV From Toshiba To s h i b a E u r o p e i s showcasing a prototype of its new U series Ultra HD 4K TV at IFA 2014 ahead of the product’s launch in 2015.

It’s Toshiba’s first Ultra HD model to feature MediaGuide Replay – an intelligent personalised auto-recommendation service – originally introduced in Toshiba’s L74 series. The new set comes with even more new intelligent features and functionality. Part of this new functionality will augment the user experience between the TV and a companion www.ifa-international.org

device, such as a tablet, while adding new intuitive features enabling greater convenience whether at home away.

Commenting on the launch, Olivier Van Wynendaele, Head of Smart TV at Toshiba Europe said, “There’s been a lot of work done over the past year in improving the smart TV experience, adding new features and value. Content providers have been developing their offering as well, such as Netflix, YouTube and so on, and this development will help drive the market.

The way people receive and watch TV is changing, and broadcast TV is little by little

Olivier Van Wynendaele Head of Smart TV at Toshiba Europe

being supplemented by other, more interesting and interactive experiences.”

Hall 21 Stand 101

IFA International • Monday 8th September 2014

27

LIVING ROOM

LIFESTYLE

When Philips Audio Comes Under the Gibson Brand ANYTHING Is Possible

WOOX Innovations – makers of Philips audio products – are at IFA for the first time with new parent company Gibson Two legendary names with an incredible passion for music have come together as it was recently announced that Gibson had acquired WOOX Innovations – manufacturers of Philips audio products. But what prompted Gibson to join the WOOX adventure? IFA International Editor in Chief Richard Barnes put the question to Gibson CEO, Henry Juszkiewicz Henry E. Juszkiewicz: I’ve always considered ourselves as a music company, and while we were in a segment of the music business for many years – the guitar business – I also considered ourselves as a growth company. Since 1986, we’ve grown on an annual rate in excess of 20%, so we were always thinking beyond guitars and musical instruments. I was already on the board of the CEA years ago, and we

(…) our goal is to be 50% of the global music lifestyle business participated in that show even though we were only really a musical instruments company; but I knew we would at some point be a more significant player in the music business. I always felt the industry was not 28

doing things properly as far as the consumer was concerned, so it was my ambition to correct that.

The way to do that is to be in the entire music business and not just a segment, to bring it all together so that you have a systematic approach to consumer fulfilment. It’s a long vision, and frankly I would have never dreamed to be involved with Philips and WOOX and Wiebo and his brilliant management. I feel very lucky that this was a possibility and that we were able to act on it. The vision of really being the leading music company in the world is what has driven me for many years, and our goal is to be 50% of the global music lifestyle business.

Through other take overs?

Probably more acquisitions, but I think there are some brilliant products. Woox already has five or six hit products here at IFA that in my opinion are way under exploited. Brilliantly executed, very relevant to consumers. And I think if we can bring awareness to these products we can grow significantly.

Wiebo, you’ve already spoken to us about the importance of heritage in sound research and quality. How important is that in this synergy with Gibson?

Wiebo Vaartjes: I think that’s the core of it. Our heritage is important for our business, and even more so the strengh of our teams in delivering great sound design and innovation. And when we got into contact with the Gibson team, we recognised that they had the same passion for sound and music and entertainment that we had. Combining these competencies and being able to deliver all this on a global scale was quite interesting for them. The word “powerhouse” keeps coming to mind.

Henry, was it this “passion for sound” that drew you into Philips/WOOX? Absolutely. I think great businesses are built on passion. Henry Ford was passionate about cars, Mr Honda was passionate about engines, Steve Jobs was passionate about his technology. It’s passion that makes greatness, and that ultimately goes to the benefit of consumers. The DNA of both companies is very similar. We had very passionate, almost crazy passionate inventor/ innovators in our company, such as Les Paul, who among other things also invented multi-track recording. Wurlitzer is another example – who invented the first electric music player. At the core of Philips is great innovation.

They invented the compact

Left to right

Henry E. Juszkiewicz

Chairman and CEO, Gibson

Wiebo Vaartjes

CEO, Woox Innovations

cassette. They invented the CD, the DVD, the SACD, the MP3. Everything you listen to, including the file format, was a Philips innovation, and they still have that passion and drive. It’s kind of like we’ve known each other for a long, long time, and it’s very powerful what we can do going forward.

What’s going to happen with the Philips brand?

WV: Together with this deal, there is a seven-year brand license. So you will see here at IFA that we are still part of the Philips brand. We are together with the television group and Philips consumer lifestyle promoting the brand and its positioning as we used to do when were an integral part of Philips. If we combine the capabilities and competencies of our organisation now with

those of the other brands in the group, you can develop a multi-brand strategy, which is Philips first, but then very clearly accompanied by other brands in the consumer electronics domain.

HEJ: We feel it’s a family. I approach it from a classic branding point of view. If you fly only one flag that limits you to whatever that flag is in the mind of a consumer. When you have multiple flags, then you can steer the appropriate product development to the appropriate consumer and really get a much better penetration of the market.

Hall 22 Stand 101

LIVING ROOM

LIFESTYLE

Focus on Personal Health and Wellbeing Philips Consumer Lifestyle President & CEO Pieter Nota on Philips’ new roadmap Pieter Nota President CEO, Philips Consumer Lifestyle

IFA PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS The Saeco GranBaristo Avanti is the world’s first fully automatic connected coffee machine for home use. With inspiration from the best baristas, it opens up the world of coffee for consumers and shows them how to create their favourite coffee at home.

In the area of Personal Care, Philips is introducing the Philips Shaver Series 9000, which – combined with the Philips Grooming app – enables men to maximise their shave.

The Philips Shaver Series 9000 features Contour Detect Technology which allows the shaving heads to flex in eight different directions, following the contours of the face and removing up to 20% more hair in one pass. The Philips Grooming app was developed to provide men with personalised shaving and grooming advice, giving them the confidence to achieve the look they want.

Hall 22 Stand 101

www.ifa-international.org

Philips Consumer Lifestyle has, as we all know, been re-centring its business. But what does this mean for distribution channels?

IFA International put the question to Philips Executive Vice President, Chief Executive Officer of Philips Consumer Lifestyle and member of the Executive Committee, Pieter Nota.

At Philips, we strive to make the world healthier and more sustainable through meaningful innovation. Our goal is to improve the lives of 3 billion people a year by 2025.

To better reflect our mission and vision, in recent years, Philips Consumer Lifestyle has shifted its business to fully focus on Personal Health and Well-being. We have successfully found new partners for our Television, and Audio and Home Entertainment businesses, ensuring continued Philips branded innovation in this space. With Philips Consumer Lifestyle, we will further focus on growth within the core businesses of Personal Care, Health & Wellness and Domestic Appliances, enabling people to be healthy, enjoy life and live well.

What exactly remains in the CL section?

Philips Consumer Lifestyle’s ambition is to be a leader in Personal Health and Well-being, empowering people to make positive changes for a healthier lifestyle.

We are leveraging important mega-trends

such as the growing interest of consumers in their personal health and wellbeing and their desire to look and feel good and the way that consumers are looking for connected solutions that are smart and personalised. With our Personal Care, Health & Wellness and Domestic Appliance businesses we provide consumers with superior solutions that make a real difference to their lives.

W hat key pr o duc t s from your organisation will be making a splash at IFA? At this year’s IFA, Philips is introducing a broad range of connected products and smart applications that respond to the need and expectation of consumers for greater connectivity, personalisation, control and convenience. I would like to highlight the following introductions: The Philips Sonicare for Kids with the Brush Busters app is supporting parents to get their kids into good brushing habits.

This app turns brushing into a game with fun characters and rewards, helping children learn to brush properly and regularly.

(…) we will further focus on growth within the core businesses of Personal Care, Health & Wellness and Domestic Appliances (…)

Also for families, the Philips Smart Air Purifier is a great solution for those living in megacities. Via the app, connected to the air purification device, it provides real time data on air quality in and outside of the home and can be activated from anywhere.

This enables people to control the air quality in the home, at any time, from anywhere.

What would you say dif ferentiates Philips as a company in the market today?

At Philips, innovation is in our DNA. We are a technology company that cares about people, investing in the space where innovation and people meet. We do not innovate for technology’s

sake, we know that innovation is only meaningful when it truly makes a difference to people’s day-to-day lives.

How do you leverage IFA and how important is the show as par t of y o u r m ar ke t i n g strategy?

Philips has been present at IFA since the very first show in 1924. It is inspiring to see how both Philips and IFA keep evolving, based on the important mega trends in the world.

IFA has transformed into a true global innovations show, a perfect place for Philips to introduce its latest innovations.

For our German team, it is also a key moment in the year to meet with trade partners.

IFA International • Monday 8th September 2014

29

30

LIVING ROOM

LIFESTYLE

Dominating The TV Super-Size Race TCL Multimedia’s Didier Juin confirms his company again breaks the TV size barrier at IFA TCL continues to forge new territories in the TV market and this year has an even more spectacular stand than in 2013. We asked Senior Vice-president Didier Juin what the highlights are this year.

Didier Juin Senior Vice-president, TCL

The most exciting product is our spectacular 110-inch curved UHD TV

Hall 21B Stand 104

www.ifa-international.org

There are a number. But the most exciting product is our spectacular 110-inch curved UHD TV. You might remember that last year we had a 110-inch flat UHD TV – the largest in the world.

This is the world’s largest curved display. It’s not exactly for the average consumer, who will be more interested in the 55inch flat and curved UHD TVs. We are exhibiting our new Color Line range plus a number of other new UHD products.

Where is TCL positioning itself in the UHD T V market? How is the brand perceived?

Let’s first talk about the main UHD markets in the world.

In fact the biggest market is China. If you consider that the market is 40-million products, 25% of the market is UHD. Europe this year will account for about one million pieces, with the biggest market so far being France. In France, we are a top three player if we count our brands Thomson and TCL together.

We introduced a 49-inch UHD set from TCL. It has been very well received, and it’s in line with our motto of “affordable innovation”.

We launched the product in May and the rollout is positive. We are selling in France, Poland, Spain and Italy and we will start selling it in Germany right after IFA.

We continue making use of the dual branding strategy we started a few years ago.

The brand has considerable equity in a number of European countries, but in those countries where it is not the case, we are giving priority to TCL. The Thomson brand will continue to grow in Europe. France remains the key country, but we are progressing in Poland, Germany and Italy. Our cooperation with Technicolor for the licensing of the brand will continue at least for the next five to ten years so we continue to believe this is a win-win situation, having the two brands together – enabling us to address different market segments.

Which geographic areas are the “sweet spots” for TCL in EMEA, and how is this developing?

The number one territory is the UK. Then there’s Benelux and Russia, where we are making very good progress. We will invest and accelerate our presence in those markets from next year onwards. We believe that the fact we have a broader range of UHD models will help us establish and position the brand. We want to communicate on the affordable innovation.

UHD is a perfect vehicle for this.

Are you partnering with your sis ter company Alcatel OneTouch on any operations?

We did some promotional actions together around the Soccer World Cup in Brazil.

We had a joint promotion, bundling operations offering tablets for the purchase of UHD sets. On a broader level we are demonstrating the interoperability of their smartphones and tablets with our products and the next step is to demonstrate 4K/2K content f ro m s m a r t p h o n e t o

television. This will be the communication we will put in motion in Q4. Now we are going to interoperability and also the 4K/2K where we really believe we can offer a broad number of products with UHD. What do you see as being the key trends in the industry at the moment?

Number one is UHD. Another technology is on the horizon – OLED – which could well be the next wave of the technological revolution for TV. Curved TV is interesting, as a different kind of viewing experience.

We plan to have a new OLED line in our new China Star factory by Q2, 2015.

How important is IFA for you and how is your booth evolving this year?

IFA is extremely important for us. It’s a unique opportunity to meet all the trade, our partners, to display our latest products and show our capabilities in terms of technology. It’s THE event for TCL in Europe.

TCL Multimedia CEO, E. Hao demonstrating 110-inch curved UHD TV

What about Thomson?

Where is the brand going in Europe today and what is its future?

IFA International • Monday 8th September 2014

31

LIVING ROOM

LIFESTYLE

Multi-Room Audio Giving Homes the Hi-Fi Edge

Panasonic sounds out the latest high-end audio innovations at IFA Michael Friedrich, Manager Product Marketing at Panasonic Marketing Europe, explains how wireless digital audio is transforming the home hi-fi system.

Michael Friedrich Manager Product Marketing at Panasonic Marketing Europe Hall 5.2 Stand 101

Please tell us about your latest multi-room audio systems?

Digital audio has changed listening habits and consumer interest in multiroom systems is growing.

Music no longer has to come from a physical source like a CD, but can come from a variety of digital sources such as streaming. Our systems have developed with these changes. We’ve created a flexible system that allows the same music to

be enjoyed by all through a number of different speakers in different rooms, or alternatively allows different music to be selected and played from each speaker. On top of delivering a powerful, high quality sound, our Multi-Room Hi-Fi System is easy to set up and operate.

What differentiates your product offering at this year’s IFA? Panasonic has a great history providing superior

and innovative home audio systems, and our new multi-room system is no exception. The ALL Series product system is unusual for the wireless music world as it lets you use original music and internet radio streaming service control apps instead of an integrated product app.

Thanks to this you can enjoy all the latest features those specially developed apps have to offer. The ALL Series is also equipped with a wide range of sound

enhancing technologies including noise shaping technology to reduce jitter; and XBS Master, which amplifies low-frequency sounds to achieve robust bass.

In which direction is the home audio market moving in general?

Over the last few years we’ve seen cloud services become increasingly important for audio lovers.

So that there are more products offering greater versatility to connect with external sources such as our ALL Series.

Sound Values

Striving for more than just great audio With major interest at IFA for high-end audio, Harman, with its swathe of brands such as AKG, harman/kardon, Infinity, JBL, Lexicon and Mark Levinson, is again attracting the attention of buyers. We asked Michael Mauser, President Lifestyle Division – HARMAN, how his company’s business is changing over time

Michael Mauser President Lifestyle Division, Harman

Outdoor Exhibition Space FGFKT/100

32

We have seen doubledigit growth over the past years in consumer and incar audio. A major part of this is in the wireless and portable field. In our fiscal year 2014, there has been strong growth in these segments, and the demand by consumers for high quality audio is growing.

In particular we are seeing this in the in-car segment.

Another factor that is

changing is that we are becoming more and more global every year. Of course we are already global, but the growth markets covered by the lifestyle division – eight regions – are in BRIC and in particular in China.

From a technology point of view everything is going wireless, and software algorithms are becoming an essential element in the success of a product, as are

specific apps for the setting up of a system as well as for the controlling of the system. These are key differentiators.

HD Audio is another trend. How is Harman reacting to this?

I think it’s just a question of time. The real question is whether it will take two years, three years… I can’t predict. But I expect the transition to come very fast. The point is you have to be ready to handle it.

A number of providers are already streaming HD content, and the opportunity to download HD music is increasing and becoming cheaper,

with more and more titles available.

How important is IFA for you and why?

It is important for us to share what we are doing and to energise our markets – as we are really passionate about our products. In interviews, we transfer this passion to the press. We are working very closely with our partners and customers, who have all been instrumental in our fantastic growth of late. In addition to the home and multimedia products on show, we have cars featuring our in-vehicle products, so we can share the entire story of what we do.

BUYERS' GUIDE SOUNDBARS STATE OF PLAY

KEY SELLING POINTS

Cinema experience for one’s home? Not only should the image quality be impressive, but also the quality of the surround sound speakers, which contributes to an authentic atmosphere.

Consumers today can choose between simple sound projectors with integrated bass, soundbar systems that come with a separate subwoofer, or so-called sound bases. But what makes a GOOD soundbar? ...

MARKET Soundbars experienced a massive hike in demand in 2013. Compared to the previous year, sales more than doubled in the period January to December. In December last year about 80,000 soundbars were sold in Germany alone and generated a clear increase in turnover of 121% in the Christmas business, compared to December 2012. Particularly the relatively new segment of sound bases was able to increase its popularity among consumers last year.

DEVELOPMENT OF SALES VALUE WITH SOUNDBARS (IN MILLION EUR) IN EU6*

In EU6*, turnover with soundbars amounts to 224 million Euro in the first half of 2014.

100

81 80

63 60 40

35

43

32

40 28 27

TECHNOLOGY Sound Matters!

Most consumers will use the Sound Bar to enhance the flimsy sound of their flat screen TVs and not care much about virtual surround technologies.

As many products also support music playback via Bluetooth or other wireless connections, a good, solid stereo sound is more important than elaborate surround simulations.

The Evolution: Sound Bases Many manufacturers now offer products that are slim as a Sound Bar but deep enough so that a TV can be placed on top of them.

Through the larger available volume given a certain height these offer a very sophisticated sound close to that of standard box speakers.

Wireless Subwoofer Many Sound Bar and Sound Base products, especially the ultraslim versions aimed at the mass market, come with an additional subwoofer that should connect wirelessly to the main unit.

Systems with a wired connection for the subwoofer will only be accepted in the lower end of the market, if at all.

DESIGN

Inputs and HDMI Pass-through Most mass market soundbars / sound bases will feature at least one HDMI 2.0 input (with pass-through of the video signal to the TV via an HDMI output) as well as other digital and analogue connections. The HDMI 2.0 output supports the Audio Return Channel (ARC) to accept audio directly from the connected TV over only one cable.

File Format Support Some newer models now offer USB inputs that can be used for playing different media file formats. For audiophiles FLAC support with at least 192 kHz/24bit is a plus, some soundbars can even be connected directly to a PC to play music from there.

Wireless Music Streaming Most soundbars and sound bases will be able to play music streamed from a user's mobile device via Bluetooth. Support of the higher quality aptX Bluetooth protocol will differentiate the more sophisticated products that aim to replace the consumer's main music system.

Mix and Match Many TV manufacturers will now offer soundbars or sound bases with a design matched to their TV sets to promote additional sales. For high-end TV sets, manufacturers will use materials with higher quality.

Fitting For Growing Screen Sizes In most markets, the screen-sizes of sold TVs increase constantly. This will be reflected by a growing demand for soundbars and sound bases that fit well with larger TVs. Slim Is Not Everything While mass market products will continue to be as slim as possible, certain products aimed at the consumer who desires a non-intrusive sound solution without compromise in sound quality will continue to exist.

These are usually bigger, feature expensive materials and a design with certain references to traditional loudspeakers.

33

24

22 23

Jul 13

Aug Sep Oct Nov Bec Jan Feb Mar Apr May jun 13 13 13 13 13 14 14 14 14 14 14

20

INNOVATING @ IFA KLIPSCH REFERENCE R-10B

* EU6 = Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, Netherlands

This new two-way soundbar from Klipsch is compatible with most Bluetooth wireless enabled devices and also offers aptX audio coding technology for lossless, high-quality music streaming. A Dolby Digital Decoder allows the soundbar to automatically reproduce detailed, high-quality sound no matter what format of sound is coming from the TV’s output.

CONTACT Bettina Steinbrenner Marketing Manager Home Consumer Electronics GfK Retail and Technology bettina.Steinbrenner@gfk.com

THE FUTURE

FEATURES

Soundbars and especially sound bases will continue to be a very interesting market segment which currently seems to be increasingly divided into two: While the mass market demands affordable and ultra-slim products with many features, the upper end of the market is willing to invest into products that look and sound as good as 'real' high-end speakers.

» HALL 1.2

STAND 208

DEFINITIVE W STUDIO SOUNDBAR The W Studio is Definitive Technology’s flagship wireless soundbar that perfectly blends high-performance theatre sound with hi-resolution musical reproduction. It uses Definitive Technology’s proprietary Spatial Array technology that creates an HD room-filling 5.1 channel surround sound experience.

» HALL 1.2 / STAND 204

Our thanks to EISA for their help in compiling this buyers’ guide.

» HALL 1.2 / STAND 204 » HALL 22 / STAND 101 » HALL 1.2 / STAND 204 » HALL 1.2 / STAND 204 » HALL 1.2 / STAND 101 www.ifa-international.org

IFA International • Monday 8th September 2014

33

SOUNDBARS PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

LIVING ROOM

LIFESTYLE

© Philips

ADVERTORIAL

THE SLIMMEST EVER PHILIPS SOUNDBAR AND SUBWOOFER DELIVER BIG SOUND FOR AN IMMERSIVE TV AND MOVIE EXPERIENCE AT HOME The Philips ultra-slim soundbar and subwoofer offer remarkable sound with a sleek and smooth finish, for those who want powerful sound when watching TV and movies without sacrificing space in their living rooms.

At less than three centimetres thin, the soundbar packs a big sonic punch and includes an array of six, twoinch neodymium woofers along with two one-inch premium soft-dome tweeters for crystal clear sound.

The subwoofer includes two 6.5inch woofers and double bass ports, delivering supreme bass performance in an incredibly thin 83mm package.

As a result, it can be easily placed anywhere in your living space – even under your sofa.

“We asked consumers where they wanted to place their subwoofer, and a resounding three quarters of them found the concept of a subwoofer that can be placed both horizontally and vertically very appealing”, said Rodney Chan,

34

Video and Home Cinema Business Line Leader, WOOX Innovations. “Our ultra-slim soundbar and subwoofer have been designed to enrich your TV and film experience without adding clutter to your living space.”

For an immersive viewing experience, the system features Dolby Digital virtual surround technology, as well as DTS digital surround.

Working together, the powerful soundbar and subwoofer deliver an incredible 320W for massive sound dynamics. The system is also great for enjoying music from any smart device. Just touch any NFCenabled smartphone or tablet to the soundbar and seamlessly connect via Bluetooth. Ensuring great wireless music streaming quality, the system includes aptX and AAC Bluetooth streaming.

The ideal pair for use in a stylish home, the system provides great sound with one cable via HDMI ARC.

In addition, the wireless subwoofer means that you can cut the cord with the soundbar.

The Philips ultra-slim soundbar and subwoofer (HTL6145C) is available for e449 in key European markets from September. The Philips ultra-slim soundbar will also be available in a different subwoofer configuration and colour (HTL6140B, HTL6140S) for e399.

For further information on the latest Philips innovations from IFA2014 visit www.ifa.philips.com www.facebook.com/ PhilipsSound

» HALL 22 / STAND 101

LIVING ROOM

LIFESTYLE

SOUNDBARS PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT UNIQUE SELLING POINTS

YAMAHA YAS-203 The YAS-203 has a sophisticated design characterised by an elegant, smoothly curved form and a combination of high gloss and textured finishes. Its unique bass extension processing technology delivers an immersive, detailed sound that fills the room. The wireless subwoofer with A-YST II reproduces deep bass with clarity and power. A large volume cabinet reproduces TV sound with high quality. The wireless subwoofer allows flexible placement.

» HALL 1.2 / STAND 101

1 User-Friendly A compact and practical product, suitable for small living spaces 2 Sound quality DSP sound technology delivers exceptional listening experience 3 Product appearance High-quality design and workmanship; wallmounting included

UNIQUE SELLING POINTS 1 User-friendly Slim, low-profile soundbar design allows positioning in front of a TV 2 Connectivity Has Bluetooth wireless music streaming compatibility 3 Control A dedicated smartphone app provides convenient control and operation.

GRUNDIG GSB 980 The new GSB 980 soundbar from Grundig guarantees an exceptional music experience with its 2.4GHz wireless subwoofer and DSP sound technology. The subwoofer delivers strong bass. Thanks to Bluetooth, the device can play music and movies from various devices such as smartphones or tablets within a radius of 10m, meaning no cable chaos. The GSB 980 also features two HDMI inputs and one HDMI output.

» HALL 23 / STAND 101

KITSOUND OVATION Whether you want to create your own home cinema system or turn your lounge into a nightclub, the KS Ovation soundbar is capable of filling your entire room with sound. With four different ways to connect to media, this soundbar is the ultimate audio solution. As well as two HDMI inputs and an optical audio cable, you can also connect via Bluetooth.

» HALL 22 / STAND 101

UNIQUE SELLING POINTS 1 Discreet Ovation is discreet, slim and stylish and can be mounted onto the wall.

2 Connectivity Bluetooth range is up to 10 m.

3 Choice of modes The music mode, movie mode and night mode ensure the perfect sound balance for any occasion.

HARMAN JBL CINEMA BASE Designed to complement flatscreen TVs, the JBL Cinema Base projects stunning virtual surround sound from a sleek, selfcontained package. It connects with a single cable to the TV using HDMI, optical or analogue, and plays music wirelessly from Bluetooth, smartphones or tablets. It can be programmed to obey the TV remote’s volume and power commands.

» OUTDOOR EXHIBITION SPACE FGFKT/100

UNIQUE SELLING POINTS 1 Volume control Harman Volume keeps sudden volume changes (eg ad breaks) from disrupting the experience.

2 Functionality The compact all-in-one footprint is designed to support most existing television stands up to 60 inches.

3 Added-feature Mobile devices can be charged with the convenient built-in USB charging port.

www.ifa-international.org

IFA International • Monday 8th September 2014

35

BUYERS' GUIDE STREAMING SOUND SYSTEMS STATE OF PLAY Historically, the primary way to access content was through ownership. Watching a film, reading a book, listening to a song or playing a video game generally relied on first owning it.

The field of streaming sound systems has changed all that, and today it is one of the most complex, but also one of the most exciting fields in our industry. Having begun with simple internet radio systems and iPod docks some years ago, the sector has exploded, with a huge range of device styles and applications.

MARKET Audio systems that allow music streaming continue to be highly popular in 2014. Network music systems which facilitate multi-room solutions are especially in demand. Several major manufacturers are stepping into the space which had until recently only been occupied by specialist audio companies. Mainstream brands such as Panasonic, JBL, LG and Samsung are showing all-new product at this year’s IFA. The advantage for the mainstream providers is that such a system may be coupled with other devices such as TV, tablets etc.

SOLD X’000 UNITS OF CONNECTED AUDIO DEVICES IN EU6*

+122%

Network Music System Connected AHS

118.8 59.0 Jan 12-Jun 12

KEY SELLING POINTS TECHNOLOGY Bluetooth Support for “audiophile” Bluetooth, dubbed aptX is highly recommendable. While still a compressed transmission format, it nevertheless offers better sound quality than a standard Bluetooth connection.

AirPlay Apple's AirPlay technology seems to have lost some of its momentum but will still be supported by many streaming products, especially in higher price classes. For fans of iDevices, this technology must be listed in the spec sheet.

Multi-room More and more manufacturers offer entire eco-systems of wireless products that can easily form a music network in the consumer's home.

Technological challenges that had to be solved in this case are the range of the wireless connections under different conditions, and synchronising the music when played from one source to a number of end devices.

FEATURES

DESIGN

App Control: In all streaming audio systems that use a standard network infrastructure in the home (AirPlay, DLNA etc.), the ability to control all aspects of the music playback via an App on Android and/or iOS devices is a key factor.

Streaming Services Streaming Services like Spotify, Deezer or Soundcloud have quickly revolutionised the way people consume music.

Many manufacturers have integrated some of these services directly into their streaming audio products.

Integration Many streaming devices are designed to work as stand-alone products, but there are smarter solutions in the market.

Some devices can be connected to existing stereo or home theatre systems.

On The Go The most basic version of a streaming sound system is designed to fit into the palm of a hand and to be used everywhere the owner takes is. A long-lasting battery, possibility to charge mobile devices and a stylish yet rugged design are key in this category.

Docking Station Without a Dock Wireless one-box audio systems have almost completely replaced the category of products formerly know as docking stations. Although often in theory portable, these devices tend to be used as the stationary main source of music in the home.

They should reflect current trends in interior design.

Desktop Systems While too large to be taken everywhere, these are still portable enough to be used as on-demand audio systems anywhere in the house, providing background music in the study as well as for a barbecue on the patio. The design also aims to fit into any modern interior and usually incorporates some kind of integrated stand for easy set-up.

523.8 205.3 65.1 Jan 13-Jun 13

76.6 Jan 14-Jun 14

* EU6 = Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, Netherlands

CONTACT Bettina Steinbrenner Marketing Manager Home Consumer Electronics GfK Retail and Technology bettina.Steinbrenner@gfk.com

THE FUTURE

Mobile devices like smartphones or tablets now are the main source of music for many consumers, be it playing from their own library or streaming from the cloud. Wireless sound systems will continue to be the perfect match for this trend as they allow easy and versatile connection to whichever device the user owns.

INNOVATING @ IFA PHILIPS SPOTIFY MULTI-ROOM SPEAKERS The Philips Spotify multi-room speakers are the first dedicated Philips audio solution for Spotify users.

Incorporating Spotify Connect, controlling music across smartphones, tablet and speakers from the native Spotify app is effortless. Users can place Philips Spotify multi-room speakers throughout the home and stream music to every room at the same time.

Philips Spotify Multi-room Speaker SW750M

» HALL 22 / STAND 101

LG MUSIC FLOW LG introduces Music Flow, with the Music Flow Player app, whereby users can centrally manage their entire digital music library, even if music is stored across multiple devices, and control all Music Flow units in the home.

» HALL 11.2 / STAND 101 LG Music Flow Speakers (models H3, H5, H7), Sound Bar (model HS6), Network Bridge (model R1) and the companion Music Flow Player application for smartphones form a total audio eco-system for the home.

Our thanks to EISA for their help in compiling this buyers’ guide.

» HALL 1.2 / STAND 204 » HALL 1.2 / STAND 204 » HALL 22 / STAND 101 » HALL 1.2 / STAND 204 » HALL 1.2 / STAND 113 www.ifa-international.org

IFA International • Monday 8th September 2014

37

SOUND SYSTEMS PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

UNIQUE SELLING POINTS 1 Qualcomm's ALLPLAY Allows listeners to use the native control apps of their favourite streaming services 2 Dual multi-room modes Share the same music throughout the home in Party Mode or different music to each speaker location with Multi Zone 3 Sound-enhancing Technologies Second generation LincsD-Amp applies noise shaping technology; XBS Master amplifies low-frequency sounds; Multi Band Gain Control eliminates unnatural sounds; H.BASS adds harmonics

PANASONIC ALL STREAMING MULTI-ROOM SYSTEM With Panasonic’s new ALL system, users can stream to any one of their units directly from a number of music streaming apps. Party Mode sends music to multiple speakers simultaneously via a dedicated Panasonic Music Streaming App.

» HALL 5.2

STAND 101

Panasonic’s SC-ALL8 is one of three different kinds of speakers that make up the Japanese giant’s excellent new sound system.

HAMA DIR3100 INTERNET RADIO Hama is heading its digital and internet radio line-up at IFA with the leading edge DIR3100 radio. A bright 2.8-inch colour display shows what’s being played from the internet via Spotify Connect, or from an FM or DAB network. The integrated Wi-Fi streaming function lets users transfer music files from a smartphone, tablet or PC directly to the DIR3100.

» HALL 10.2 / STAND 101

Jongo T2X Multi-room Speaker

UNIQUE SELLING POINTS 1 Colour Display The current programme or playlist is vividly displayed 2 Create Favourites A Hama web interface allows users to generate ‘favourites’ playlists 3 Spotify Connect Connects directly to the user’s Spotify account at any time

UNIQUE SELLING POINTS 1 New sound Added dynamic equalisation delivers richer bass and finertuned audio at any volume 2 Smarter Speakers Smart session management lets users return to previous listening sessions 3 Fresh look Fashion speaker grilles available in a range of neutral and vibrant colours

JONGO X MULTI-ROOM SPEAKER SYSTEM

Hama Digital Radio DIR3100

Pure announces the Jongo X Series, a major update to its Jongo multi-room speaker system that delivers a fresh look, a new audio profile, and enhanced overall performance. The update builds on the recent ‘Bluetooth Caskeid’ innovation that enables users to stream any music service such as Spotify to single, stereo or multiroom speakers from any smartphone or tablet.

» HALL 1.2 / STAND 113

DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY W9 WIRELESS SPEAKER The W9 is part of Definitive Technology’s Wireless Collection, a total solution for distributing audiophile-grade music any time, anywhere in the home. The flagship wireless speaker, the W9 is created for audio aficionados with unrelenting performance expectations.

» HALL 1.2 / STAND 204

UNIQUE SELLING POINTS 1 “Tri-Polar” dispersion Three-way transducers deliver exceptional dynamic range and extraordinary bass response 2 Multi-device Streaming Music services, internet radio and your personal music libraries can be accessed via smartphone, tablet or computer 3 Definitive Technology Apps A free app allows users to mix-and-match speakers and to future-proof their home audio system

W9 Wireless Speaker

www.ifa-international.org

IFA International • Monday 8th September 2014

39

BUYERS' GUIDE CURVED HD TV STATE OF PLAY

KEY SELLING POINTS

It’s one of the THE big trends this year. While last year saw the arrival of UHD TV, this year really sees the onset of CURVED UHD. And with models such as TCL’s massive 110-inch curved TV on show at IFA, with, just behind in size-terms, Samsung and LG also sporting giant curved models, it’s an eye opener at the show.

But with such new technology, how can we differentiate from one model to another?

MARKET Ultra-HD/ 4K TV sets are gaining share in the TV market with more than 120 thousand Units sold in the 1st half of 2014 in EU6. Sizes of 50 Inches and even below are becoming more important while prices are decreasing.

Thanks to a hike in demand for curved UHD TVs worldwide, some major manufacturers will have increased the production of curved models by about 40 percent from the third quarter compared to a quarter ago. The share of curved products in Europe’s UHD TV market reached 60 percent in the period from March to May 2014. The share stood at 65 percent in Germany, 59 percent in the UK, and 54 percent in France.

MARKET VOLUME OF UHD-TVS IN EU6*

2013

24.2

Jan-Jun 2014

121.8

TECHNOLOGY

FEATURES

Technology rivals Curved UHD TVs will come with two rivalling technologies, sometimes even from the same manufacturer: OLED and LCD. While OLED has a potential advantage in terms of contrast, colour reproduction and response time, it is too early to announce OLED the clear winner as it is still a young technology and not all production problems have been solved.

Motion Rendering Because it has to address four times the number of pixels compared to Full HD, any type of image enhancement and especially motion compensation algorithms demand much more processing power. Because there are different challenges to overcome when processing motion for OLED or LCD, a simple comparison of refresh rates or other specs will not suffice. What matters is the end result, smooth, fluid and sharp rendering of motion.

Upscaling Achieving the best possible picture quality when upscaling Full HD material to four times its original resolution will be key for consumer's buying decisions.

Although individual algorithms play their part, sheer processing power is certainly needed to compute the vast amount of data required to upscale Full HD material to 4k/UHD without artefacts and/or noise.

DESIGN

Smart-TV The newest generation of Smart-TV platforms has taken the connected user experience to a level that befits these High-EndTVs. Intuitive control will be possible with touchcontrol or 'point-and-click'type remotes and voice commands.

Connectivity and content Manufacturer's will try to include as many connectivity and content options as possible and the TVs will present broadcasts, usergenerated content on the personal network or mobile devices and streaming services in one unified user experience. In terms of 4k/ UHD it is important that the USB interface can be used for playback of 4k/UHD content ant that UHD video with 60fps played.

Upgradeability Interfaces and standards for UHD, both in hardware and software, are not yet fully defined. The futureconscious consumer will watch out for UHD TVs that offer the possibility to be updated if new technologies or standards emerge, for example by putting the connectors into an easy-toreplace external box.

Thinner Bezels The second and third generation of curved TVs will follow the design trends of their flat cousins, reducing the width of the bezel to nearinvisibility to have a maximum of screen surface with a minimum of visual footprint.

Stand as Statement With a curved form factor, hanging the TV on the wall is not an option so designers focus much more on the stand than previously as it is now an integral part of the product, often containing electronics and loudspeakers.

The two main trends to chose from will be the 'bold and beautiful' approach, using expensive materials and especially well suited for more expensive models, and attempts to hide away the stand as much as possible, even by using transparent materials.

Behind the Scenes Inevitably, Curved UHD TVs will be placed in a way that allows a view of their back panels from certain positions in the room. A clean design, the use of adequate materials and a way to deal with connected cables in an organised way are more important in this category than with 'regular' flat TVs.

* EU6 = Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, Netherlands

INNOVATING @ IFA CONTACT Bettina Steinbrenner Marketing Manager Home Consumer Electronics GfK Retail and Technology bettina.Steinbrenner@gfk.com

THE FUTURE

Prices will soon move closer to mass-market levels, at least in screen-sizes below 60''. First regular 4K/UHD broadcasts will also start in Europe, and some streaming services are in preparation. Once a significant amount of 4K/ UHD content is available the technology will quickly replace Full HD. In the very high end, the 21:9 format seems to be given a new lease of life.

SONY’S NEW BRAVIA S90 UHD TV Available in 75- and 65-inches, the S90 features a slim, subtly contoured screen for immersive, natural-looking 4K pictures with four times the detail of Full HD. The screen’s precisely-calculated curve pulls viewers right into the action, ensuring life-like viewing for everyone in the room. For the first time, the S90 features Sony’s 4.2 channel Multi-angle Live Speaker system for full 360° surround sound.

» HALL 20 / STAND 101 TCL CURVED 110-INCH UHD TV TCL is showcasing its new 110-inch Curved UHD TV at IFA – the largest in the world. The massive panel boasts an LED backlit-LCD display, active 3D, dynamic backlighting and an 800 nits brightness rating. TCL integrates this sophisticated technology with a curved screen to provide a more natural field of vision for consumers, and a more enriching TV experience in general.

Our thanks to EISA for their help in compiling this buyers’ guide.

TCL Curved 110-inch UHD TV

www.ifa-international.org

» HALL 21B / STAND 104 IFA International • Monday 8th September 2014

41

WELLNESS PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

LIVING ROOM

LIFESTYLE

UNIQUE SELLING POINTS

BEURER HEALTH MANAGER APP Following the successful certification of its HealthManager app by TÜV Rheinland, Beurer has launched a new product group into the health management system under the title ‘Activity’. This group includes the AS 80 activity sensor, which continuously records the user’s physical activity and transfers the data to the Beurer HealthManager app via Bluetooth.

» HALL 4.1 STAND 205

WITHINGS HOME Leading connected health company Withings has unveiled its latest device at IFA 2014 – a state-of-the-art video monitoring and environment sensing device. Essentially, Withings Home is a smart HD camera, complete with a 135° wide angle zoom and clear night vision. As the company puts it “Home is the best way to stay in touch with loved ones while you’re away”.

» H ALL 9 / STAND 307

1 Peace of mind Withings Home helps users to gain peace of mind by knowing their living environment is safe, secure and healthy.

2 Security Home detects motion and noise and specifically recognises crying and the presence of people.

3 Environmental sensing The product is equipped with environmental sensors and can measure temperature, humidity and levels of volatile organic compound (VOC).

UNIQUE SELLING POINTS 1 Activity tracking The user’s number of steps, distance covered, calorie consumption, activity duration and achievement of daily activity targets are displayed.

2 Sleep tracking The sleep tracking function records the duration of sleep and the user's movements during sleep.

3 Comfort The AS 80 is extremely comfortable to wear, which is particularly beneficial for night-time tracking.

PHILIPS BLUETOUCH AND PULSERELIEF Philips’ commitment to delivering meaningful digital technology innovation in personal health and well-being has entered a new chapter with the launch of BlueTouch and PulseRelief. These devices utilise the Philips Treatment app to help users choose and control their levels of pain relief.

» H ALL 22 / STAND 101

42

UNIQUE SELLING POINTS 1 Improved quality of life BlueTouch and PulseRelief use groundbreaking technologies to stimulate activity and help manage pain.

2 Discreet control Both devices offer wireless and discreet control for drug-free, clinically-proven pain relief.

3 Ease of use These are easy-to-use devices that help support a healthy lifestyle.

Region

SPOTLIGHT ON

CHINA The Year of the Horse – Time to Roam TCL continues to gain market share around the world in TV and Mobile sectors KEY NEW PRODUCTS FROM TCL AT IFA 2014 UHD

TCL Curved UHD: 110inch – the biggest curved UHD TV in the world – and 65-inch Most important aspects: 4K, big screen size, curved screen TCL S76 series: 40, 42, 49, 55 Thomson A7, Z8 & Z7 Series

OLED

TCL OLED 55-inch, FHD

COLOR TOUCH

New TCL Color Touch series in blue, pink, grey, yellow and orange

CURVED

Curved (segment of 4K)

PICTURE QUALITY

uantum Dot: Q technology for improving picture quality: TCL 55-inch Dolby Vision: TCL 85inch, Up-scaling technology HDMI 2.0 Improved 2K picture quality Wide colour gamut

IMPROVED SMART TV

Thomson: Z series Cross UI (broadcast and Smart TV, more simplicity) GuideOn (enriched EPG) Quick Access (pairing of devices, QR code) Miracast – new content HbbTV TCL/Thomson: App for smart phone - > remote control and sharing of content

Hall 21 B Stand 104

www.ifa-international.org

In this, the year of the horse, China-based TCL Multimedia has been cantering away with the market share of Korean and Japanese manufacturers in TV and Mobile sectors. How is this progressing this year and what are the company’s ambitions? We put the question to the CEO of TCL Multimedia and VP of TCL Corporation, E Hao. The three major strategic initiatives for 2014 were, at first, TCL created a totally new and highly efficient Online to Offline (O2O) sales platform for the Chinese market. Second, TCL improved engagement with consumers and developers through a new online fan platform, named – T-fans – for TCL's die-hard fans. Finally, TCL established a Cultural Communications company to provide live-streaming video content in partnership with Hollywood studios.

T h ro u g h t h e s e t h re e initiatives TCL achieved its "double plus" strategy of becoming a more useroriented company while leveraging the opportunities inherent in TCL's digital media devices.

TCL is in the fourth position of the global UHD market with a market share of 10.3%. In H1 2014, there are one Korean and four Chinese players in the top five of the UHD TV market.

In Western Europe TCL has reached a market share of nearly 6% and also belongs to the top five players (UHD TV in volume). TCL’s market position in France is number three with a market share of 6.3% with Thomson and 2.4% with the TCL brand which makes a total share of approximately 9%.

W h a t a r e t h e ke y differentiators of TCL as a company operating on a global scale?

TCL hopes to have a fan base of 200 million users within five years.

TCL is the first Chinese Brand TV having its own panel factory (CSOT). And we have a more than 10year history of overseas business. We currently have 78,000 employees, 23 research and development centres, 21 manufacturing factories and about 80 sales agencies around the world.

Through the early merger between TCL and Thomson, we had a significant improvement in the aspects of technology, skills and capital.

What sets your products apart?

We place the customer first in the creative process of our new products. TCL established a T-fan platform for die-hard fans, pursuing the "double plus" strategy goal of greater customer engagement. Through this platform, users will be able to participate in TCL product

E Hao CEO of TCL design, development, testing, and evaluation of the whole process. The T-fan community have both online and offline components, including fan gatherings, family days, DIY tours, picnic lunches, and community TV game competitions.

TCL has also created a user database, mining value from users' data to provide users with better service. TCL hopes to have a fan base of 200 million users within five years.

Our products are true differentiators. This year, we created the largest curved screen (110-inch curved), the thinnest 4G phone and the first specialised doublescreen game platform in the world. The game platform is also the first of its kind in the world to be operated on a television set.

Last year we saw major advances in the way TCL

presents its products at IFA Berlin. What will be different this year?

The booth will be at the same place but the focus will be on latest products and on products sold on the European market.

Meanwhile, TCL is building a larger, more immersive home entertainment experience, led by the massive 110-inch Curved 4K UHD TV. TCL is also showing a prototype 85-inch 4K UHD TV with Dolby Vision and the 65-inch Curved 4K UHD TV. Not content to just go bigger, TCL is getting better with its cutting-edge Quantum Display TV and OLED TV. These TVs are also getting smarter, with industryleading interactive features including multi-media sharing, smart remote control and electronic program guide.

IFA International • Monday 8th September 2014

43

Region

SPOTLIGHT ON

CHINA Showcasing Cutting Edge High Tech

Technical Innovation Award Launched by IDG at IFA Jointly organised by German Industry & Commerce Ltd. and International Data Group (IDG), and supported by IDC China, the Product Te c h n i c a l I n n o v a t i o n Award selection was launched worldwide on September 6.

The theme of the 2014 Product Technical Innovation Award is "To Showcase Cutting-edge High Tech". The selection aims to promote consumer electronics companies to realise technical innovation and upgrade product features, product

images and other aspects of the user experience to further enhance and promote product adjustments and to achieve sustainable development, and to promote industrial restructuring, scientific and technological achievements transformation and industrialisation.

Jury members not only assess products on their functionality, but also more broadly on such aspects as consumer experience, convenience, durability, design, degree of portability, aesthetics, etc. Assessment is done in a highly specialised testing centre employing professional design engineers and technical experts

who evaluate the products and verify design specifications.

They’re also tested in-situ to analyse ease of operation in the modern consumer environment.

The question is asked, “does this product endow consumers with good feelings, and does it really meet their current and potential needs?” To this end, excellence in overall design and user interface are other important criteria.

Following are selected images of just a few of the winners…

AWARD-WINNING PRODUCTS OF 2014 IFA PRODUCT TECHNICAL INNOVATION AWARD QUANTUM DOT DISPLAY TECH GOLD AWARD TCL-Smart TV Quantum Dot Display SMART HOME APPLIANCES INNOVATION AWARD Changhong-CHiQ TV 65Q1C Changhong-CHiQ AC KFR-72LW/Q1V ChanghongCHiQ Refrigerator BCD-537WIPB HEALTHY FOOD PRESERVATION TECH GOLD AWARD Haier-Fridge 4D SERIES 100 SMART TECH GOLD AWARD Haier-Washing Machine HW80-BD1626 UE GOLD AWARD Samsung-Navibot Corner Clean VR10F71UCBC/SC ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLY REFRIGERATION TECH GOLD AWARD LG-Air Conditioner LP-G5011A2W DISPLAY TECH GOLD AWARD BOE-Panel 98 inch-8Kx4K ENERGY EFFICIENCY GOLD AWARD Siemens-Electric Water Heater DG65155TI LED DISPLAY TECH GOLD AWARD Philips-Smart TV 65PDL960/T3 EFFICIENT HEATING TECH GOLD AWARD Galanz-Microwave Oven G80F25MSXLVIII-ZP(MO) INDUSTRIAL DESIGN GOLD AWARD Galanz-Electric Oven KWS13E18X-F10M

44

1

2

3

4

1 BOE 2 ChangHong 3 Haier 4 TCL 5 Galanz

5

HOSPITALITY

/

RESTAURANTS / BARS

WHERE IN TO GO BERLIN

CLUBS / EVENTS / SHOPPING / CULTURE

WWW.WHERETOGOINBERLIN.COM

My Berlin One of the leading European locations for tech-driven, innovative industries Berlin is a city that – especially thanks to IFA brings technology together with culture, arts and tourism. Cornelia Yzer – Berlin Senator for Economics and Research embodies this spirit, outlining for us here the image the city wishes to convey on the international scene today.

25 years after the fall of the Wall, Berlin is the place to be. This is the image we are spreading and trust us – we know, it is true. In addition to being the Capital, Berlin with its mental and visible openness invites all kind of people and ideas. And they are here to stay: More new companies and start-ups are launched in Berlin than in any other German state, particularly in the digital economy. Products and fashion designed in Berlin are in demand all over the world. The capital is also making a name for itself as one of the leading European locations for tech-driven, innovative industries and as an outstanding region for science and research.

It is not only the close collaboration between business and research that creates value, but also the excellent support and education provided to up-and-coming talent at Berlin’s universities, applied research institutions and companies. To turn an old slogan around: Berlin is not poor anymore but rich in brains and still sexy!

With the 25-year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, many memories are brought to life. What are your personal thoughts and feelings concerning this celebration?

November 9 1989 was a gift that history rarely gives. I feel personally blessed, having experienced how the peaceful, but yet very brave revolution of the people in East Germany turned over a brutal regime with a cruel, deadly frontier, cutting through a city. I will never forget the television pictures of that night, when people beaming with joy and amazement, overcame that

www.ifa-international.org

wall and the people of Berlin West and Berlin East fell into each others arms. On the 25th anniversary with the illumination of thousands of rising balloons following the now invisible line of the wall, we want to celebrate with the whole world those unforgettable moments.

And already we have record numbers of Berlin visitors who want to share that anniversary with us.

Cornelia Yzer

What do you recommend to visitors in town for IFA who don’t know Berlin very well?

Must-sees are surely the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, the beautiful Gendarmenmarkt, the shopping boulevard Kurfürstendamm or the East Side Gallery, with its colourful Berlin Wall. However, I would personally recommend exploring the city also off the beaten track, discovering designer stores and galleries and experiencing for example how Berliners enjoy the green oasis Tiergarten. And in the evening don’t miss one of the many star-rewarded restaurants or the famous clubs. Berlin offers fascinating things for everybody; visitors have some 1,500 events to choose from every day.

If you are here for business or pleasure, Berlin simply is the place to be. Enjoy!

Berlin Senator for Economics and Research

Berlin offers fascinating things for everybody; visitors have some 1,500 events to choose from every day IFA International • Monday 8th September 2014

45

WHERE IN TO GO BERLIN

The Story of Berlin

Cultural Entertainment & Shopping Les Solistes by Pierre Gagnaire

Alexa Berlin - Worldclass Shopping Alexa has been a shopping highlight in Berlin since opening its doors in 2007 with an amazing 56,200 sq m of shopping space.

Restaurants Roel Lintermans

The Best of Belgium at the Waldorf Astoria Berlin “Semaines Belges” at the gourmet restaurant Les Solistes

by Pierre Gagnaire. From 8 to 20 September 2014, Belgian Michelin-starred chef Roel Lintermans will be serving traditional Belgian specialities with a modern twist. Try his take on Flemish national dishes and sample the delicious Belgian version of the Pierre Gagnaire Dessert – accompanied by a selection of aromatic Belgian beers.

Open Monday-Saturday from 7 pm

Les Solistes by Pierre Gagnaire at the Waldorf Astoria Berlin Hardenbergstrasse 28 10623 Berlin Tel: +49 (0)30 81 4000 2462 berlin.lessolistes@waldorfastoria.com

46

Bars IFA Oktoberfest This year, the world famous Hofbräu Bier will again be served at the IFA. In the beer tent at the foot of the radio tower, the Hofbräu caterers await the guests daily from 11 am in traditional Bavarian costumes with litre mugs of chilled beer and Bavarian specialties. Every day from 6 pm a DJ creates a great atmosphere for the after-show party. The original Hofbäu beer has been brewed since 1589 to the stringent German purity brewing laws.

The light, glowing and goldyellow Hofbräu Original has an alcohol content of 5.1% with a snow white head and a finely flavoured bouquet. Its taste is elegant, lightly malty and full flavoured with a subtle dry finish. A beer with character!

IFA Oktoberfest

Location: at the radio tower - Open Daily from September 5-10, 11 am to 10 pm Reserve places for your customers, clients, colleagues or friends here: info@dhc-catering.de or call on +49 30 679 66 55 29 www.dhc-catering.de

Some 180 stores, a large food court with 17 restaurants and an exciting children’s entertainment area leave nothing to be desired for young and old alike. Later closing times mean you can shop to your heart’s content.

Visitors should be sure to see LOXX Miniature Worlds while there, the largest model railway exhibition in the city.

Museums & Exhibitions The Story of Berlin – a first hand interactive history The permanent exhibition The Story of Berlin invites the visitor Alexa Berlin

Mon-Sat 10 am - 9 pm Sunday opening hours of food court 11 am - 7 pm, and leisure area as follows: LOXX 10 am - 8 pm; Strike Lanes Lounge Bowling 10 am open-end and Superfit 24h.

Alexa am Alexanderplatz Grunerstr. 20 – 10179 Berlin www.alexacentre.com Metro: U & S Bahnhof Alexanderplatz: U2, U8, U5, S3, S5 S7 S75

to immerse into the 800 years of history of the German capital in 23 themed rooms.

The exhibition includes multimedia elements and successfully integrates modern exhibition features together with original models and lavishly reconstructed historic facsimiles to help the visitor “feel” the atmosphere of the city then and now.

A very special feature and a must-see is the nuclear bomb shelter from the Cold War. It is an impressive reminder of the fear in the days of the Cold War. The Story of Berlin Kurfürstendamm 207-208 – 10719 Berlin Tel: +49 (0)30 887 20 100 Metro: S Bahn Savignyplatz S5 S7 S9 S75 U Uhlandstraße U1