DIRECTV Offering MPEG-4 HD in Detroit

Multichannel News is reporting that DIRECTV has launched its first high-def MPEG-4 transmissions, rolling them out initially in Detroit. It is part of the company's much-ballyhooed plan to offer HD local channels in the nation's 12 biggest markets by the end of the year and in 150 markets in '07. More details as I get them...

Panasonic Picks Up CNET Editors' Choice Award

CNET says Panasonic's 37- and 50-inch "minimalist plasmas score big" and bestows upon them its Editors' Choice awards.

Here's the full review:
http://reviews.cnet.com/Panasonic_TH-37PHD8UK/4505-6482_7-31528077.html?tag=nl.e722

LG Raising Plasma Production by 50% or More

I'm WAY behind on the news since our baby was born, but in an effort to catch up...

LG Electronics, which is already the world's second leading manufacturer of plasma display panels, said this past weekend that it will increase capacity in the plants where the panels are produced by 50% next year and may add another production line in '07. Reuters reports that LG aims to become the biggest PDP manufacturer in '06, surpassing Korean rival Samsung SDI, while also fending off challenges from Japan's Matsushita, parent of Panasonic. LG expects the plasma display market to increase to 25 million panels by 2010, up from about 8 million this year.

Here's the full story:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051120/tc_nm/korea_lg_dc

McCain '08 DTV Plan Defeated

The Senate today defeated John McCain's amendment that would have pushed up the deadline for the cutoff of analog TV broadcasting from 2009 to 2008. The vote was 69-30 in favor of keeping the April 7, 2009 deadline for the switch to digital television.

Sen. McCain Wants 2008 DTV Transition

Sen. John McCain has introduced an amendment on the Senate floor that would cut off analog TV broadcasting on April 7, 2008 -- one year sooner than the 2009 deadline recently passed by the Senate Commerce Committee. McCain tried to get a 2007 deadline passed by the committee but it failed by a wide margin, so he is hoping that pushing it back a year might garner more support.

Samsung Now the Official HDTV of the NFL

Samsung has signed a deal with the National Football League to become "The Official HDTV of the NFL." The two-year, multi-million dollar marketing campaign will feature football greats Dan Marino, Troy Aikman, Steve Young and Boomer Esiason. The national ad blitz will include TV commercials, print, online and in-store exposure.

This is a smart move by Samsung, as there are few genres of content that look better in high-def than football. Additionally, the NFL is by far the most popular U.S. professional sports league, meaning that Samsung's ad dollars should be put to good use in reaching millions of football fans who haven't yet made the leap to HD.

Catching Up...

I've been out the last week in the hospital with my wife and newborn son, so I'm a little behind on the news. Please be patient as I try to catch up on everything...