Trying to Make Sense...The only way that the recent Panasonic NR makes sense to me is if SIO has adopted a new strategy for their Hi-Fi product. If, instead of selling product outright, they adopt a pay-per-use "rental" paradigm where a user pays a royalty per use of the product directly to Sensio.
By doing so the product (chip) is only active during display of the movie or broadcast. SIO could, potentially, make more money "renting" the chip over multiple uses than by selling it outright once.
GLTA,
Donkey