Warner Music has always been one of the more outspoken opponents of the iTunes revenue sharing and pricing model. But during his keynote speech at the GSM Association Mobile Asia Congress in Macau, Warner's CEO Edgar Bronfman changed his tune and conceded that his company had it all wrong.
"We used to fool ourselves," he said. "We used to think our content was perfect just exactly as it was. We expected our business would remain blissfully unaffected even as the world of interactivity, constant connection and file sharing was exploding. And of course we were wrong.
Apple key to future growth
"How were we wrong? By standing still or moving at a glacial pace, we inadvertently went to war with consumers by denying them what they wanted and could otherwise find and as a result, of course, consumers won," he concluded.
Warner's CEO also spent a considerable amount of time lauding Apple's services to the music industry and pointed out that it has become a key component to the future of that industry.
"For years now, Warner Music has been offering a choice to consumers at Apple's iTunes Store the option to purchase something more than just single tracks, which constitute the mainstay of that store's sales," he continued. "And with Apple's cooperation to make discovering, accessing and purchasing these products even more seamless and intuitive, we'll be offering many, many more of these products going forward."
Bronfman did not elaborate on what his company has planned for the future, but with a new outlook on the music industry, it seems Apple will play an important role in his company's strategy in the near future.
Wi-Fi and HD TVs unite
LG unveiled a new 52-inch LCD HD TV on Wednesday that boasts a full HD (1080p) picture and Wi-Fi. Dubbed 52LG71, the HD TV will be able to pull HD content over a local wireless network and, according to LG, you won't need a separate media hub or extender to watch the videos. A more in-depth announcement with full details on pricing, specs and availability is expected at CES in January.
Envision has unveiled a new line of HD TVs called Omni, which should appeal to the cost-conscious consumer in all of us. The Omni line of HD TVs includes 26-, 32- and 42-inch options that offer a 720p resolution and a viewing angle of about 170 degrees.
The 42-inch version (L42W761) features a 1,200:1 contrast ratio and two HDMI inputs, while the 32-inch HDTV (L32W761) has only one HDMI input and an improved contrast ratio of 1,500:1. Finally, the 26-inch Omni (L26W761) offers just an 800:1 contrast ratio and 1 HDMI input. The L42 will be released next week for $999 (£483), while the L26 and L32 are available now for $479 (£231) and $649 (£313), respectively.
