Today's High-Def Headlines

TiVo Debuts $299 HD DVR for Cable - Multichannel News
As part of a lobbying campaign to win the hearts and minds of cable operators, TiVo today announced a lower-priced HD digital-video recorder, the TiVo HD box, which, at $299, is nearly one-third the price of the $799 TiVo Series 3 HD DVR. Scheduled to be available in retail channels in August, TiVo HD is designed “exclusively for cable,” according to the company, with support for multistream CableCARDs.

NYC City Hall Gets 103” Plasma Makeover - TWICE
Panasonic’s 103-inch 1080p plasma TV is the new centerpiece of the renovated New York City Hall “bullpen,” which reopened today after a major renovation to the entire building.
Panasonic, working with the assistance of Tom Campbell, technology advisor to Mayor Michael Bloomberg on the system, donated the $69,999 monster high-definition TV to the city of New York for the new high-tech central command complex, dubbed “the bullpen.”

Toshiba Ships First U.S. Notebook Computer with HD DVD-R Drive
Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced the availability of the Qosmio(R) G45-AV680, a cutting-edge audio-video notebook computer with Dolby(R) surround sound technology and the first U.S. model to feature an HD DVD-R optical drive and full 1080p playback resolution.

Samsung SDI Reports $150M Net Loss - TWICE
Samsung SDI, a manufacturer of plasma display panels (PDPs) and cathode ray tubes for TVs, posted a worse-than-expected $150.9 million net loss Friday, blaming falling plasma TV prices for the result. The company said continued forecasts for falling prices and compressed margins do not bode well for a significant turnaround in the near term.