CNET Interview with TI's CEO

CNET runs an interview today with Texas Instruments CEO Richard Templeton, a good deal of which focuses on DLP technology. Among other things, Templeton notes that while people tend to think of DLP as it relates to HDTVs, projectors still account for 60 percent of TI's DLP business.

Read the full interview here:

http://news.com.com/The+reinvention+of+Texas+Instruments/2008-1082_3-5844415.html?tag=html.alert

MTV and VH-1 Coming in HD

Media giant Viacom plans to launch a high-def music channel early next year that may be called MHD, Multichannel News reported Monday. Details are sketchy at this point, but Viacom apparently trademarked the "MHD" brand in late July and told the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that the new offering would feature “entertainment services, namely high-definition-television programs featuring music, live action, drama, comedy, animation, news and general entertainment.”

Cuban: Consumers Not Getting Full HD

HDNet's Mark Cuban said last week at an industry confab that HD picture quality is being sacrificed in the name of compression so that satellite and cable operators can fit more channels in their lineups. He told TV manufacturers that they should insist the network operators show the highest picture quality possible to fully take advantage of the technology behind the HDTVs they build.

The Denver Post has the full story here:

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_2981415?rss

Panasonic to Launch 65-Inch 1080p Plasma

Panasonic will launch the industry's first 1080p 65-inch plasma on November 1, the TH-65PX500. From the release:

The TH-65PX500 delivers spectacular true-to-life images with outstanding detail. The large 65-inch display highlights unique characteristics of plasma display panels such as excellent handling of fast-paced movement, dynamic contrast, bright crisp images and natural colors. The model incorporates the latest 1080p PEAKS (Picture Enhancement Accelerator with Kinetic System) panel drive circuit to optimize performance of the plasma display panel.

The high-end model of the VIERA TV line has two built-in digital and two built-in analog tuners. As it has an SD Memory Card slot, users can watch one digital channel while recording another onto the SD Memory Card (in MPEG4 format) without using a separate recording device. They can watch recorded programs on SD-compatible devices such as D-snap SD Multi Cameras and mobile phones.

While loaded with advanced features, the TH-65PX500 consumes 26 percent less power per year compared to the preceding 65-inch HD plasma display TH-65DX300.

The TH-65PX500 has an HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) port for an easy single-wire digital audio and video connection.

Panasonic has also added a low-cost and energy-efficient VIERA PX50 digital HDTV series. The 50-inch TH-50PX50, 42-inch TH-42PX50 and 37-inch TH-37PX50 feature the same PEAKS System (a plasma panel, processor and driver) as the higher-models in the PX500 series to ensure superb picture quality. The new models use up to 43 percent less power per year on average as compared to the PX300 series. The new PX50 models have realized the compact design, reducing the width by 70 mm with speakers being placed below the PDP screen.

The models have an SD Memory Card slot, providing connectivity with other SD-compatible devices. Photos taken with LUMIX digital still cameras can be displayed in a slide show format on the large VIERA TVs.

All four models incorporate a Deep Black Filter on the surface of the protection glass to suppress external glare and reflection. Panasonic's own Real Black Drive System provides a contrast ratio of 3000:1 in dark areas, achieving exceptionally deep and rich blacks. The panels have a long life of about 60000 hours. All the models come with easy-to-use remote controllers and can access Panasonic's T-Navi portal service.

Mr. Masaaki Fujita, Director, PDP TV Business Unit, Panasonic AVC Networks Company, said, "We are striving to provide consumers with greater value at the lowest cost. Plasma TVs are becoming the global standard for large flat panel TVs. In fact, plasma displays account for over 90 percent of the global flat-panel TV market for 37 inches and larger."

Sony Announces New Line of LCD Flat Panels

Sony last week introduced its new line of LCD flat-panel displays, dubbed BRAVIA for "Best Resolution Audio Video Integrated Architecture." While actual models were not yet unveiled, Sony did reveal that the first models to carry this new sub-brand will be five LCD TVs ranging in screen sizes from 26- to 40-inches.

More info to come as I get it...

Rainbow Pitching VOOM Networks to Cable Ops

Multichannel News reported last week that Rainbow Media is trying to negotiate carriage agreements for its suite of VOOM HD channels with the cable companies that VOOM used to compete against. Rainbow is adamant that the VOOM networks be carried as a package deal and not piecemeal and is readying a Q1 '06 expansion from the current ten channels to 21. No word on when the first cable carriage deal might be inked, and so far the networks are only offered as a $5 a month tier to DISH Network HD customers.

Sony Intros New Rear-Projection HDTVs

Sony Electronics this week introduced two new sets in the line based on its Silicon X-tal (Crystal) Reflective Display (SXRD(TM)) technology delivering full 1920 x 1080 high-definition resolution. An excerpt from the release:

The 1080p (progressive) KDS-R60XBR1 and KDS-R50XBR1 Grand WEGA models compliment two existing SXRD products -- the 70-inch QUALIA(TM) 006 micro-display and the QUALIA 004 front projector.

"SXRD is the next milestone in the evolution of high-definition television and a standard for the ultimate picture performance," said Randy Waynick, senior vice president of the Home Products Division for Sony Electronics. "If you're looking for the full power of HDTV, these models deliver like no other."

At the heart of the models are three new 0.61-inch SXRD panels, making them the world's smallest -- one each for red, green and blue color reproduction -- delivering more than 2 million native pixels (1920 x 1080) for a full high-definition picture.

The panels produce a contrast ratio of 5000:1. Refinements to the panel circuit layout enabled Sony to reduce the pixel pitch on an individual panel to just seven micrometers, resulting increased pixel density, yields, quick response time and a brilliant film-like picture.

The KDS-R60XBR1 and KDS-R50XBR1 units will ship in September for about $5,000 and $4,000, respectively through SonyStyle.com, at Sony Style retail stores (www.sonystyle.com/retail) and at authorized dealers nationwide. Pre-orders begin on Aug. 16 at www.sony.com/WEGA-SXRD.

DIRECTV HD Update

I called DIRECTV this week to see about getting their HD service set up at my house and gleaned a few interesting nuggets from the conversation. According to the rep I spoke with:

• They've cut the price of the standard HD receiver from $299 to $199.
• They've cut the price of the HD TiVo receiver from $599 to $499 after $100 mail-in rebate.
• Most major markets (including San Diego, where we live) will be able to receive HD local channels via the satellite by the end of the year. She also said that customers with the current generation of HD receiver will be able to trade them in for an upgraded MPEG-4 capable receiver at no additional charge (other than shipping cost) after the HD locals are available.
• All NFL Sunday Ticket games that originally air in HD on CBS and FOX are available in HD on DIRECTV.

I still think that DIRECTV should offer a lease option on the equipment, which I believe puts them at a serious disadvantage compared to DISH Network and the cable companies. The $100 price cut is nice, but $199 is still a decent amount of money to fork over for something you can get elsewhere for $5 a month.

The HD local channels coming online later this year, which I've written about previously, should help offset a signficant advantage currently enjoyed by cable. While an over-the-air antenna may bring in some local HD channels for satellite customers, it's just too hit-and-miss to amount to a good long-term strategy for either DIRECTV or DISH. There will be -- and likely already is -- serious pressure on the latter to develop a way to respond in kind if it hopes to remain competitive with its rivals.

ESPN and ABC to Show '06 Soccer World Cup in HD

ESPN and ABC announced this week that they have teamed up with Soccer United Marketing to show all 64 matches of the '06 FIFA World Cup in high-def. The World Cup will take place in 12 cities throughout Germany and will run from June 9th to July 9th. Pre-game, halftime and post-game segments will also be presented in HD. It's a milestone of sorts for the two networks and the game of soccer, as it marks the first time that all 64 matches will be shown in HD in the U.S., an effort that will require a minimum of 20 HD cameras per game.

The 64 matches will air on ABC HD, ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD.

Dell: Consumers Prefer Our Plasmas to Sony's

Dell released the results of a research study it commissioned in four cities that shows consumers who viewed its plasmas vs. those of Sony in a head-to-head challenge preferred the Dell models by a large margin. According to the company, nearly 70% of those surveyed chose Dell's W4200HD plasma television over Sony's KDE-42XS955 HD model, based on picture quality and price.

Guideline Research, on behalf of Dell, conducted the Dell HDTV Challenge at shopping malls in Boston, Chicago, New York City and San Francisco. It pitted the competing plasmas against each other in viewings of indoor and outdoor scenes from a high-definition movie, after which the approximate prices were revealed. The full study can be viewed at www.dell.com/HDTVchallenge.

I find it interesting that Dell compared its plasmas to Sony's, which are generally not regarded as that company's core strength. It would be nice to see Dell perform another study that pits its plasmas against industry leader Panasonic as well as others like Pioneer, LG and Samsung. That kind of Pepsi challenge would probably produce more meaningful results.

OLN to Carry NHL in High-Def

OLN, formerly known as the Outdoor Life Network, and the National Hockey League announced Thursday that they have inked an broadcast agreement for the '05-'06 season that includes NHL games in HDTV. While details of an HD schedule weren't released, the NHL has long favored showing more games in high-def, which league officials believe will help get more Americans interested in the sport.

Here's the full release:

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050818/phth019.html?.v=23

Letterman to Make HD Debut Aug. 29

As we've previously reported, David Letterman plans to join late night competitors Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien in making the switch to high-def production this fall. Broadcasting & Cable magazine is now saying that the official date for Dave's HD debut will be Monday Aug. 29th.

ESPN2 HD to Launch on DIRECTV Sept. 8

Broadcasting & Cable is reporting that ESPN2 HD will finally make its DIRECTV debut on September 8, following months of speculation after the initial carriage announcement was made in January. ESPN2 HD can currently only be seen on select Adelphia and Mediacom cable systems. The first event will be a college football matchup between Oklahoma State and Florida Atlantic, followed by Pittsburgh vs. Ohio University two days later.

Program listings for the next few months can be seen here:
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tvlistings/espnhd/index#espn2

JVC Plans RPT Price Cuts

The Japan Times reports that JVC will slash prices on its 50- to 70-inch rear-projection HDTVs and in September will introduce three new models in the U.S. in preparation for the holiday shopping season. The 70-inch high-def RPT will sell for about $9,500.

Read more here:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nb20050806a5.htm

NBA TV to Show Half Its Scheduled Games in HD

The NBA said this week that NBA TV will air more than half of its 96 regular season games in high-def. The first game will be part of a doubleheader on Nov. 5 and will feature the Indiana Pacers against the Philadelphia 76ers at 8pm EST. That game will be followed by the Minnesota Timberwolves taking on the L.A. Clippers at 10:30pm EST.

More scheduling info is available here:
http://www.nba.com/news/nbatv_050808.html

More on Sony's TV Troubles

BusinessWeek has an interesting piece today about the problems facing Sony's troubled TV unit and what new chairman Howard Stringer must do if he hopes to turn the division around.

Read the story here:
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_33/b3947074.htm

Samsung Ships New Plasmas

Samsung said today that it is now shipping the 72-series of its plasmas, which is a high-end line aimed at the specialty A/V market. The new line consists of 42", 50" and 63" models that retail for $4,199, $5,699 and $12,999 respectively.

Read more here: http://www.digitalproducer.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=34020

CBS to air the PGA Championship in HD

CBS Sports will broadcast the 87th PGA Championship in HD for the second consecutive year, during its live 18 hole-coverage of the third and final rounds. The HDTV telecast of the PGA Championship will originate from Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J. on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2005, and Sunday, Aug. 14, 2005; (2 p.m.-7 p.m., EDT; both days).

Read more here:
http://www.pga.com/news/pganews/pgamedianewsletter/cbs081005.cfm

Pioneer Debuts Two New Plasmas

Pioneer announced today the introduction of two new plasma displays: the PDP-5060HD (50") and PDP-4360HD (43"). According to the company, a newly designed Crystal Emissive Layer combines with Pioneer's PureDrive II circuitry to deliver improved contrast ratios that create the best black levels ever seen in a Pioneer plasma television. The new models utilize newly developed sixth generation plasma glass combined with Pioneer's proprietary new PureDrive II video processing -- a combination of technologies all designed to create blacker blacks, smoother transitions and generally sharper, brighter and more accurate images than previous models.

The Pioneer PDP-5060HD and PDP-4360HD will be available in September for an estimated market price of $6,000 and $4,500 respectively.

Read more here:
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20050810005669&newsLang=en

SureWest to Launch HD in Q3: Telephony

Telephony magazine reports that SureWest Communications will become the first U.S. telco to launch IP-based HDTV when it rolls out the service sometime this quarter. The company is an overbuilder in the Sacramento area that utilizes fiber-to-the-home technology as well as its own DSL network.

Read the full story here:
http://telephonyonline.com/broadband/news/surewest_2Q_results_080905/

Fox to Launch Two New HD Networks

Fox Networks Group will launch National Geographic Channel HD and FOX HD in early 2006. The latter will be a variety channel that culls HD sports programming and TV series from Fox properties including its broadcast network, cable property FX and regional Fox Sports Networks. Multichannel News reports that National Geographic Channel HD will make its debut in January '06, while the timetable for a FOX HD launch is not yet certain.

The full story is here:

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA632789.html?display=Breaking+News&referral=SUPP

HDNet to Show Shuttle Landing in High-Def

HDNet said today that it is continuing its exclusive high-definition coverage of the space shuttle Discovery by broadcasting the shuttle's landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida early Monday morning. Here are the details:

Live shuttle landing - Monday, August 8, 4:30 - 5:00 am, re-broadcasts at 6:00 a.m., 12 noon and 6:30 p.m. ET

HDNet World Report: The Shuttle Returns to Space - Tuesday, August 9, 8:00 p.m. ET

HDNet World Report: Shuttle Discovery's Historic Mission - Tuesday, August 16, 8:00 p.m. ET

Fox to Support Blu-ray

Fox Home Entertainment said today that it is backing Sony's Blu-ray standard for next-generation of DVDs, joining Buena Vista and Sony Pictures. Rival format HD DVD counts Warner, Paramount and Universal as its studio backers, indicating that the battle between the competing standards is nowhere close to being won. The only certainty at this point is that as long as there are two formats, consumers will lose and adoption of both will be slow as people hold off on buying a new machine that could ultimately prove as long-lasting as a Betamax VCR.

The Hollywood Reporter has the full story:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/business/brief_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001000449

INHD to Show John Daly vs. Niagara Falls

INHD said today that it will air golfer John Daly's attempt to become the first person to ever hit a golf ball across Niagara Falls, a distance of over 350 yards. Daly's longest drive of the year on tour is 382 yards. The one-hour special will begin this Wednesday, Aug. 3rd at 7pm EDT.

Plasmas at High Altitude

The Rocky Mountain News runs a mostly favorable review of LG's new 42-inch plasma (model DU-42PX12X) that was specifically designed for use at high altitudes (a 50-incher is also available). Essentially the company has reduced the gas pressure that causes a rather loud buzzing noise in places like Denver by using less gas inside the display. Read the full story here:

http://www.insidedenver.com/drmn/technology/article/0,1299,DRMN_49_3968267,00.html

More Major League Baseball in HD

InDemand, the digital cable provider of pay-per-view sports and movies, is making select games of its MLB Extra Innings package available in high-def. The remainder of the season -- which includes about 60 games per week, 4 of which are in HD -- can be had for $119. The full schedule of HD games is available here:

http://www.indemand.com/sports/mlb2005/schedule/MLBXI_HD_Schedule.pdf