Today's High-Def Headlines

I hope everyone enjoyed the long holiday weekend, which for me ran into yesterday. Here's what's going on in the world of HD:

DISH Network Launches the History Channel HD
EchoStar Communications Corporation and its DISH Network satellite TV service today launched The History Channel HD, making DISH Network the first major multichannel distributor to provide the network to viewers. The addition will bring DISH Network's total national HD channel lineup to 39 -- the most in the pay-TV industry.

LG Adds Features, Cuts Price of Dual HD DVD Player - Reuters
South Korea's LG Electronics Inc. introduced on Wednesday an updated version of its high-definition DVD player that supports both Blu-ray and HD DVD, offering a possible solution to the format war. But at about $1,000, the BH200 "Super Blu Player," while 16 percent less than the model LG unveiled in January still costs twice as much as stand-alone Blu-ray or HD DVD players.

Panasonic Sees Steady Demand for Plasma - Reuters
Panasonic expects demand for large plasma televisions to slide in the next two years but to hold steady after that at about 30 percent of the total market for large, flat-screen TVs, an executive said on Thursday. "Plasma can keep 30 percent of the market in TVs of 37 inches and above," said Hiro Wada, who is in charge of product planning for visual products and display devices at Panasonic. He said plasma currently had 40 percent of that market.

AT&T Planning More HD Channels By End of Year
AT&T U-verse TV will soon launch new content, including more High Definition (HD) channels. This expanded lineup builds on AT&T's already robust channel offerings. New channels scheduled to be added by the end of this year include Lifetime Movie Network HD, History Channel HD, Animal Planet HD, TBS HD and Versus/The Golf Channel HD.

Pioneer Unveils Kuro Ad Campaign - TWICE
Pioneer will give its Kuro flat-panel TV line a major push in the next phase of a coordinated advertising and marketing campaign designed to protect and promote the premium nature of Pioneer’s products while communicating the emotional impact delivered by their enhanced picture and sound quality. Russ Johnston, Pioneer Electronics USA marketing and product development senior VP, said the company developed a coordinated advertising campaign with roughly triple the total budget investment spent in the past, including more than double its expenditure on “traditional media.”

It's Not Your Grandpa's 3-D as Technology Expands - Hollywood Reporter
You've got your popcorn and a drink, your main squeeze is by your side, and you're settling in to watch the latest hit movie. You slap on your 3-D glasses and fixate on the big screen.You're in your living room. Sound odd? It might not be that far off.

Reports of Plasma's Demise Premature, Makers Say - Washington Post
Plasma television technology has a bright future despite an onslaught on its home turf from rival LCD (liquid crystal display) TVs, makers of plasma screens told Reuters at the IFA consumer electronics fair in Berlin. Last year, four times as many LCD TVs as plasma TVs were sold, according to research firm iSuppli, which predicts that ratio will leap to seven to one this year, as LCD encroaches on plasma's traditional territory of larger screens.

HD DVD Camp Touts Advanced Features, Low Cost - TWICE
Not to be outdone by the Blu-ray Disc Association, the HD DVD Promotions Group held its own press conference at IFA, today, to laud the HD DVD format. HD DVD is strong in Europe, representing 75 percent of all studio HD releases, said Ken Graffeo, HD DVD Promotions Group co-chair and Universal Studios strategic marketing executive VP. In addition, in stand-alone players, the format has a 70 percent share and a 4-to-1 attach rate of movies to hardware sales, seven times that of Blu-ray, Graffeo said.

Division Over Next-Generation DVDs Deepening - Reuters
Hollywood studios are becoming deeply divided over which high-definition technology will replace the DVD, increasing prospects that it will be years before next-generation players become standard equipment in U.S. households. Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation signed exclusivity deals to distribute their next-generation discs on Toshiba's HD DVD format for the next 18 months, a move that evened a contest in which Sony's Blu-ray Disc appeared to be pulling ahead.

Panasonic Signs Official Worldwide Olympic Partnership Agreement
Panasonic, the leading brand by which Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is known, announced today it has signed an agreement with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to renew its Official Worldwide Olympic Partnership for another eight years through to the 2016 Olympic Games. The signing ceremony, held at The Banqueting House in London, was hosted by IOC President Jacques Rogge, and Fumio Ohtsubo, President of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Launches 'Living in High Definition' Nationwide Truck Tour
Panasonic, a leader in High Definition flat panel TVs, started the ignition today on the Living In High Definition Nationwide Tour -- a multi-truck tour that will travel the country to bring consumers a hands-on experience with its suite of High Definition products including its industry-leading line of 1080p Plasma HDTV's, Blu-ray Disc Players and Home Theater Systems, HD Camcorders and LUMIX Digital Still Cameras.