Vizio Inc

The future of television could be sitting in an Irvine laboratory. To illuminate images, these sets use light-emitting diodes behind the screen, resulting in TVs that can be far thinner, brighter and more eco-friendly than other flat-panel models. LED-backlit TVs -- an evolution of the standard LCD set -- have been on the market since 2004. But the sets in this lab have something that could catapult the technology into the mainstream. A far lower price.

The future of television could be sitting in an Irvine laboratory. To illuminate images, these sets use light-emitting diodes behind the screen, resulting in TVs that can be far thinner, brighter and more eco-friendly than other flat-panel models. LED-backlit TVs -- an evolution of the standard LCD set -- have been on the market since 2004. But the sets in this lab have something that could catapult the technology into the mainstream. A far lower price.

William Wang likes being disruptive, and television shoppers are paying the price -- a lower price. In 2002, when plasma TVs were selling for $10,000, the Taiwanese-born entrepreneur set out to sell one for $2,999. He fulfilled his ambition a year later, shipping a 46-inch model with a $2,799 price tag, about half what other brands then charged. Now his Irvine-based company, Vizio Inc., is the No.

William Wang likes being disruptive, and television shoppers are paying the price -- a lower price. In 2002, when plasma TVs were selling for $10,000, the Taiwanese-born entrepreneur set out to sell one for $2,999. He fulfilled his ambition a year later, shipping a 46-inch model with a $2,799 price tag, about half what other brands then charged. Now his Irvine-based company, Vizio Inc., is the No.

Samsung Electronics Co. of South Korea, the world's largest maker of liquid-crystal display televisions, may be barred from selling TVs and computer monitors in the U.S. after losing a patent case filed by Japanese rival Sharp Corp. The U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington said Wednesday that Samsung violated Sharp's patent rights and ordered both sides to submit arguments on whether an import ban should be imposed. In a notice on its website, the agency said it wanted to consider the effect of a ban on "competitive conditions in the U.S. economy."

Sony Corp. unveiled a top-level organizational shake-up that signals key shifts in the Japanese company's priorities in consumer electronics as incoming Chief Executive Kazuo Hirai works to turn around massive losses. Hirai, promoted a month ago to replace Howard Stringer as the company's top officer effective Sunday, has restructured the electronics business around three "pillars": mobile, games and digital imaging. As of Sunday, the new mobile group will include both Vaio laptops and the Sony Ericsson cellphone business, while the games segment will include all PlayStation products.

In just under eight years, Vizio Inc. has gone from a no-name brand to the nation's top seller of LCD televisions. Now the Irvine company has set its sights on becoming the largest consumer electronics company as it quietly rolls out such home entertainment gadgets as speakers, Blu-ray players, headphones and even Internet routers. FOR THE RECORD: Vizio: An article in the Dec. 25 Business section about TV maker Vizio Inc.'s branching into other types of consumer electronics said that most of the company's 300 employees work in sales.

Oops, Vizio Inc. did it again. The scrappy Irvine television company caused heads to turn when it became the No. 1 supplier of flat-panel sets during the second quarter of 2007, much to the dismay of more established players such as Sony Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. At the time, Vizio, led by industry veteran William Wang, was able to exploit a lull in shipments by the two electronics giants as they prepared inventory for the more important second half of the year.

The influential lobby group Consumer Electronics Assn. is fighting what appears to be a losing battle to dissuade California regulators from passing the nation's first ban on energy-hungry big-screen televisions. On Tuesday, executives and consultants for the Arlington, Va., trade group asked members of the California Energy Commission to instead let consumers use their wallets to decide whether they want to buy the most energy-saving new models of liquid-crystal display and plasma high-definition TVs. "Voluntary efforts are succeeding without regulations," said Doug Johnson, the association's senior director for technology policy.

As broadcasters prepare for the government-ordered switch to digital television next year, federal regulators sent their own signal Thursday: Retailers and manufacturers face stiff penalties if they try to take advantage of consumer confusion. The Federal Communications Commission announced plans to levy more than $3.9 million in fines against seven major retailers, including Sears Holdings Corp., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Circuit City Stores Inc.

California is putting big-screen television sets on a diet. Starting in 13 months, new TV sets will have to meet energy-efficiency standards that slash the amount of electricity they consume. The regulations also will lower owners' monthly electric bills. The first-in-the-nation criteria, approved unanimously Wednesday by the five-member California Energy Commission, is aimed at cutting the amount of electricity used by new high-definition TVs of up to 58 inches by a third starting Jan. 1, 2011.

At the Consumer Electronics Show, models walked around with large, lightweight flat-screen televisions showing vivid nature scenes, executives waved next-generation "magic" remote controls and audiences were treated to demonstrations of massive, wall-size TVs. On Wall Street, Apple Inc. pulled off its own TV trick as its stock hit a record high. Though the Cupertino, Calif., iPhone maker didn't attend the CES, Apple cast a huge shadow over the world's largest personal electronics show Monday as rumors continued to spread that it had its own TV in the works.