With remote storage, TV shows are kept on the cable operator's servers instead of the DVR inside the customer's home. The distinction is important because a remote system essentially transforms every set-top box in the home into a DVR, allowing customers to sign up instantly, without the need to pick up a DVR from the nearest cable office or wait for a technician to visit. Movie studios, TV networks and cable channels argued the service is more akin to video-on-demand, for which they negotiate licensing fees with cable providers.

Sony agreed to invest in a Sharp LCD unit, the Nikkan Kogyo newspaper reported, without saying where it obtained the information.

The Chinese solar company is now choosing among four sites for its first, 100-megawatt factory to build solar panels in the US, says an executive.

Japan's Panasonic said it aims for double-digit sales growth this business year in the five major emerging markets it focuses on, including China and India, despite an estimated 10% decline in overall revenues.

Sharp said it may appeal a ruling by a US trade panel that said the Japanese electronics maker had violated an LCD patent held by South Korea's Samsung Electronics.