Chicago Sun-Times

Media research firm Parks Associates said there are more than 300 direct-to-consumer streaming services in the United States.

From the article "What I’m thankful for in sports media" by Jeff Agrest.

“In the past year we keep seeing more and more services coming up, more niche services,” said Glenn Hower, an analyst with market research firm Parks Associates.

There’s Netflix, which has been streaming video for years and has a library with diverse choices, and newer competitors like HBO’s online channel and Dish Network’s Sling, which shows live TV. There are also specialty services such as anime-focused Crunchyroll.

From the article "HBO Now Has 800,000 Paying Subscr ...read more

Somfy, a window-motorization company that counts Chicago among its top five markets, has trained 75 window-covering dealers to install the home-automation system, which has no monthly or annual fees. Local dealers include Decloth Home Collection, Interiors Unlimited, Motorized Window Treatments and V2K Window Décor & More.

The company is competing in an increasingly crowded field, with players as varied as security company ADT, communications companies AT&T, Verizon, Comcast ...read more

Of the one in five U.S. households expected to purchase a flat-panel TV before the end of this year, 73 percent planned to get a TV with advanced features, such as 3-D capability or built-in Internet connectivity, according to the research firm Parks Associates.

From the article, "Here’s the 411 on TV in 3-D" by Lori Rackl