As TV retail prices continue to fall, rent-to-own (RTO) chains are adding larger sizes of sets, cutting into the technology gap that once existed between rental and retail, Aaron Rents and Rent-a-Center (RAC) executives said on separate earnings calls. While RTO chains once typically lagged 18 months behind the introduction of new CE technology at retail, they're now getting quicker access to products driven by customer demand, the executives said.

Home versions of the Dolby 3D system used in theaters may be coming, a patent search found. Dolby Labs hasn’t discussed applying what’s called spectral separation technology used in its system to displays other than cinema projectors. Dolby didn’t respond to requests for comment. A hint that Dolby’s system also can apply to home TV and PC displays is found in U.S. patent application 2010/0060857, filed by the company in May 2008.

D&M’s Denon introduced Monday two new Blu-ray 3D players, including a $399 entry-level model that also will play Super Audio CDs and DVD-Audio discs. Both models will be able to play Blu-ray 3D discs once they get firmware upgrades in September, said Jeff Talmadge, director product development and systems integration.

Best Buy and its Carphone Warehouse subsidiary will open 8-10 Best Buy Europe stores by next March, short of its goal of having nine in place by this fall (CED Dec 1 p1), senior executives said Monday at a U.K. investor conference. But both retailers are “absolutely committed” to expanding the chain and will incur $54.1-$67.8 million in capital expenses in the coming year, CEO Roger Taylor said. The chains also will invest $108.2-$123.7 million in Best Buy Europe this year, he said.

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. -- The main barriers to making glasses-free, autostereoscopic 3D work for home entertainment will linger for three to five years, David Naranjo, Mitsubishi’s director of product development, predicted at the 3D Gaming Summit. Challenges posed by the current need to use special glasses to view 3D content include a lack of interoperable glasses to work with different brands of 3D TVs (CED April 23 p2).

Best Buy is experimenting with sales of electric vehicles in the U.S. as part of its broader environmental efforts, a spokeswoman told us Friday. Earlier in the day, Best Buy U.K. announced it would sell and showcase electric vehicles along with green CE products in special “GreenTech” areas of its stores there.

Microsoft’s game business was among the few blemishes for the company in its Q3 ended March 31, the company said. Xbox 360 console shipments decreased 12 percent from Q3 last year to 1.5 million units, while game revenue fell 4 percent, Bill Koefoed, general manager of investor relations, said on an earnings call.

LG Display and AU Optronics forecasts for a 10 percent increase in their Q2 LCD panel unit shipments likely will come from market share gains, not market growth, executives with both companies told analysts. With demand growth expected to be flat, any moves to increase share could trigger price cuts, analysts said.

The Basel Action Network is trying to get states to incorporate the e-Stewards certification program that it recently launched into their e-waste recycling regulations. But questions abound about “how much states will be able to use the e-Stewards program because they don’t have jurisdiction over exports,” said Sarah Westervelt, BAN’s e-waste project coordinator. States have started approaching BAN and are “very interested” in exploring how much of the e-Stewards principles they can incorporate into their regulations, she said. “We are in the early stages of interfacing with states."

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. -- There’s “no reason” 3D TVs should cost more than other sets, said David Coombes, Sony Computer Entertainment America’s platform research manager for developer support. They'll actually probably cost less than current 2D TVs because the cost of manufacturing TVs has dropped, he said Wednesday at the 3D Gaming Summit.