Hinen emphasizes wireless HDMI, 3D

	Daniel Lee, general manager of Hinen

The supplier is updating its product range to stay ahead of the competition.

Hinen Electronics (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd specializes in HD products, accessories for Apple devices and computer peripheral components.

Leveraging its strong R&D capability, the supplier is developing a new set of wireless HDMI products to gain an edge over competitors. Below are the excerpts of Global Sources’ interview with the maker’s general manager Daniel Lee discussing strategies adopted to enhance products, services and quality.

Our main focus is on wireless HDMI products based on 2.4 or 5GHz Wi-Fi, which we plan to release in 2Q11. As one of the key providers of HDMI products in China, Hinen is committed to offering overseas buyers improved designs and high quality.

The Rare 3D TV will be a major trend, displacing glass types. In response, we are planning to embed 2D and 3D solutions in our current products. For HDMI switches, we will try to convert 2D to 3D frames to let our customers experience higher resolution even if their source video frame is in 2D.

The company boasts flexible customer design and manufacturing capability. We focus on the integration of hardware and software to differentiate us from competitors. In accessories for Apple products, for instance, we merge Apple’s hardware and Apple OS 4.2 software. Hinen also has a strong R&D team consisting of 20 experienced engineers, and the number is expected to touch 30 this year.

The yuan appreciation and rising costs are giving export-oriented companies a lot of pressure, and we are currently working on solutions to address these. We are optimistic of overseas business in 2011. With strong demand from emerging markets, we think that the whole HDMI market will sustain a 10 percent growth rate this year.

Hinen has already established mature trading relationships with buyers in Europe and North America. The most promising markets for us are areas in South Asia such as Malaysia and Singapore, where demand is growing and there are not many competitors.

Yes, labor costs have gone up by about 5 percent, while material outlay has risen by 3 to 5 percent. To cope, we have shifted production to areas with lower labor spending such as Jiangxi province, especially our labor-intensive lines. Other departments such as the R&D team remain in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. The company is also expanding volume to reduce purchasing costs.

The HDMI Licensing, LLC authorized our company in early 2007. We purchase raw materials from many areas other than Japan. Although our production will not be affected by the earthquake, I think that demand for HDMI products from Japan will decline slightly.

Foreign-invested Hinen operates two factories manned by 2,000 workers. It began designing HDMI cables, adapters, switches and splitters in 2004-05, and started launching them in early 2006. The company offers customized package designs and translation services in many languages. Delivery can be in as less as three weeks.

The maker serves customers in Europe, the US, the Middle East and Asia. Among its major clients are RadioShack, Vivanco and Monoprice.

For more information on Hinen, visit www.globalsources.com/celink.co.