Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Today's High-Def Headlines

DirecTV Adds 21 HD Networks - MCN

Executives at Smithsonian HD were right: The channel and 20 other high-definition TV services launched this morning on DirecTV, raising the satellite TV provider’s national HDTV service array to 31 channels. DirectTV's Web site lists the services, which also include newbies CNN HD and TBS HD (ahead of the Major League Baseball playoffs on that service) and sports outlets Big Ten Network and NFL Network HD.

Scripps, Comcast Unveil Carriage Deal - MCN

Scripps Networks and Comcast officially announced Wednesday that they had reached a broad multi-year carriage agreement that includes the right to distribute HGTV HD and Food Network HD. Comcast already has launched the networks in Boston and parts of New Jersey, and will continue to expand availability to markets over the coming year.

Comcast Adds 5 HD Networks in Philly - MCN

Comcast said that Tuesday it has added A&E HD, Food Network HD, HGTV HD, National Geographic HD and NFL Network HD in most of its hometown market and surrounding counties. Comcast, which like other cable TV operators is facing an HD-centric marketing onslaught from satellite-TV provider DirecTV, said the five HD networks have joined the lineup in Philadelphia and nearby Bucks, Delaware and Montgomery counties and in New Castle, Del.

High-Definition TBS Feed Should Please Red Sox Fans - Boston Globe

Comcast Corp. is giving Red Sox fans a bonus next week, adding the TBS network to its high-definition lineup on Tuesday, a day before Major League Baseball's playoffs start. TBS signed a seven-year deal with Major League Baseball last year, for a reported $110 million annually, to broadcast the first round of the playoffs and share the second round of the playoffs with the Fox network, which will continue to air the World Series.

Sharp's Blu-ray Recorder to Reach 1 Terabyte - Reuters

Sharp plans to launch a Blu-ray recorder with a 1-terabyte hard drive, as it competes with the HD DVD camp. The model will have the largest storage capacity of any Blu-ray player thus far. The 1-terabyte model, capable of recording 127 hours of high-definition digital programming, will go on sale December 1 in Japan for about $2,615 (300,000 yen).

FAQ: What Does the Digital-TV Switch Actually Mean? - CNET News

Federal officials say American households will have plenty of time to make sure their gadgets are ready for the congressionally mandated switch to all-digital broadcasts after February 17, 2009. The key is knowing what your options are. As the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Federal Communications Commission stage back-to-back public events here this week, CNET News.com has compiled a list of questions and answers designed to ward off a DTV D-Day.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Today's High-Def Headlines

Best Buy: Consumers baffled by HDTV - CNN Money
As Best Buy gears up for its important high-definition TV sales months, a new survey from the No. 1 electronics retailer reveals that almost 90 percent of Americans still don't understand HDTVs - and close to 50 percent underestimate the cost of buying one. This is especially troubling for Best Buy as the retailer is banking on flat-panel HDTV purchases to fuel a big chunk of its fourth-quarter profit and sales.

Blu-ray or HD DVD: Which Side Are You On? - WSJ
It's becoming a holiday tradition: The two competing high-definition DVD formats are gearing up for the Christmas season, each hoping to consign the other to the dustbin of consumer electronics and declare victory. And just as last holiday season, Santa isn't going to declare a winner yet. In fact, a vexing contradiction has settled into the marketplace that is likely to prolong the fight between the Toshiba-backed HD DVD and the Sony-backed Blu-ray formats.

Sling Media Acquired by EchoStar - Yahoo/Macworld
Sling Media announced on Tuesday that it has been acquired by EchoStar, owner of the Dish Network satellite network. The deal, valued at $380 million, will be paid in cash and EchoStar options. Sling Media is best known for its Slingbox and SlingPlayer. The Slingbox allows you to watch your home television from anywhere with a fast Internet connection.

AT&T Jumps Into TV Competition - Akron Beacon-Journal
On the first day it was allowed under a new state law, AT&T Ohio applied for a 10-year statewide franchise to expand its video services in competition with cable television. The new franchise legislation, which took effect Monday, was signed into law in June by Gov. Ted Strickland.

HDTV Insights Poll Results - Westinghouse press release
Imagine the day when finding favorite TV programming is as easy as saying "TV, tune in the Super Bowl, please" or "TV, please find me a great action movie to watch!" Voice recognition is just one of the gee wiz features that top consumer wish lists according to a new poll conducted by HDTV leader Westinghouse Digital Electronics, one of the top four LCD TV manufacturers in the U.S. Respondents came up with a wide variety of coveted features when asked, "If you could design a TV yourself, what would you add?" Top answers included: Voice recognition, Touch Screen, 120hz Refresh Rate, Wireless, Energy Conservation, Built In DVR, Built In DVD, Bluetooth.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Today's High-Def Headlines

National Geographic Bolsters HD Library - MCN
National Geographic Digital Motion has inked partnership and acquisition deals that will expand its high-definition offerings by more than 170 hours. The digital film archive, which contains images from more than 40 years of National Geographic Television and documentary film production, has acquired partial collections from Pawl Achtel and Bernd Proschold. It has also secured licensing agreements with BlackLight Films, Giorgio Oldani Editore, Glusic and J. Michael Media.

TBS Steps To Plate For MLB Playoffs - MCN
TBS will pitch to baseball fans a comprehensive package of on-air and online coverage of Major League Baseball’s divisional playoff series, beginning Oct. 3. On-air, TBS’s coverage of the four divisional playoff series will be buttressed by extensive pre- and post-game shows and will feature an roster of veteran baseball announcers such as Atlanta Braves play-by-play man Chip Caray, veteran sports announcer Dick Stockton, and MLB Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn.

DirecTV Curates Smithsonian - Hollywood Reporter
Smithsonian Networks has inked a carriage agreement with DirecTV that marks the first for its new high-definition channel, which is set to launch this week. Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between Showtime Networks and the Smithsonian Institution, is set to begin broadcasting its original programming on a new linear channel, dubbed Smithsonian Channel, on or around Wednesday.

DisplaySearch Slates HD Conference - TWICE
DisplaySearch’s Fifth Annual HDTV Conference on Oct. 10-11 will bring representatives of some of the high-definition TV industry’s biggest companies together for combined sessions on all sources of HD content and hardware. The event will take place at the Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City. In addition to presenting insights from leading executives, DisplaySearch, The NPD Group, Wedbush Morgan, Goldman Sachs and Kersey Strategies will present findings from HD-related market intelligence reports valued in the hundreds of thousands of dollars to educate attendees on segments of HD penetration and future growth opportunities.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Today's High-Def Headlines

Cox Adds Four HD Discovery Networks to Cable Lineup - TV Week
Cox Communications on Wednesday announced it will be adding four high-definition networks from Discovery Communications. High def simulcasts of Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet and the Science Channel will be rolled out on a market-by-market basis, the company said. Customers will be able to see such shows as “Deadliest Catch,” “Dirty Jobs” and “Meerkat Manor.”

The Weather Channel Secures Cable Carriage for HD Service - B&C
The Weather Channel said its new high-definition service is now ready to go and has secured carriage with one major cable operator in addition to satellite-TV operator DirecTV, which will offer the new channel as part of its dramatic HD ramp-up. The Weather Channel HD is now being pumped via fiber to DirecTV headquarters in California, spokeswoman Connie Malko said, although DirecTV hasn't yet begun broadcasts from its new DirecTV 10 satellite.

Dish Offers HD Customer Discounts on Sharp LCD TVs - MCN
In yet another salvo in the HDTV wars, EchoStar’s Dish Network is offering HD subscribers a discount on Sharp Aquos LCD TV sets, officials said Thursday. Through Jan. 31, 2008, both current and new qualifying Dish Network DishHD customers may enjoy up to $800 of savings on a variety of Sharp’s most popular line of flat panel HDTVs.

Sony Shines Blu-ray on PS3 Sales Campaign - Financial Times
Sony is to step up its marketing campaign for the PlayStation 3 and emphasise that the games console is a Blu-ray disc player. The move is aimed at boosting both the PS3 and the Sony-backed DVD format ahead of the Christmas holiday sales season. Kaz Hirai, president of the games unit, told the Financial Times his division was working closely with Sony Pictures and Sony Entertainment to “get the Blu-ray message out”. It was a delicate “balancing act” for Sony Computer Entertainment.

NPD: HD Disc Launch Slower Than Expected - TWICE
Among those who currently own HDTVs, 52 percent are familiar with the availability of high-definition DVD players, but only 11 percent expressed strong intentions to buy one in the next six months, according to a new survey released by The NPD Group. In addition, 73 percent of HDTV owners surveyed said their current traditional-format DVD player still works well for them, so they do not need to replace it, while 62 percent said they are waiting for the prices of high-definition players to fall.

GAO: No One In Charge of DTV Transition - MCN
Federal Communications Commission chairman Kevin Martin rejected charges made Wednesday on Capitol Hill that his agency and the Bush administration have failed to take command of the national conversion to all-digital TV broadcasting in early 2009. “There is no confusion at the [FCC]. We are committed to putting polices in place to ensure a smooth transition,” Martin said through a spokeswoman. “Last week, the [FCC] unanimously adopted rules to ensure that analog cable subscribers can still view broadcast stations after the transition.”

Sharp Invests In Pioneer To Jointly Develop Products - TWICE
Sharp and Pioneer have agreed to form capital and business ties, with plans to join forces on the development of next-generation consumer electronics products. Pioneer said it will issue 30 million new shares to Sharp for $357.3 million on Dec. 20. The private placement will make Sharp the top shareholder of Pioneer, with a 14.28 percent stake.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Today's High-Def Headlines

No sign yet of the new DirecTV HD channels that were rumored to launch today...

MGM Launching HD Channel on DirecTV - Reuters
Film and television studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc unveiled plans on Tuesday to launch a high-definition television channel this fall on the DirecTV satellite service with a mix of movies and original programs. The channel is MGM's first stand-alone HD service in the United States and it marks a major expansion for the studio.

MGM HD Eyes Comcast Launch - MCN
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios is in talks with one of its owners, Comcast, as well as other distributors about carrying its new domestic HD channel, which will launch on DirecTV. MGM doesn’t have a final carriage deal with Comcast yet for MGM HD, “but we’ve been talking to them all along,” said Douglas Lee, MGM’s executive vice president of Worldwide Digital Media. “They’ve always been supporters of this channel. We expect that we’ll get carriage, because we think we’re a good proposition.”

Did Studios Trade HD DVD Backing for Cash? - Reuters
Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger says he's disappointed by some studios' recent decision to back the HD DVD format and accused them of taking "easy money" for their decision. Iger, who made the comments Tuesday when he spoke to investors at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia Conference, did not name the studios to which he was referring. Disney backs Sony's Blu-ray format, which had appeared to be pulling ahead of Toshiba's HD DVD in the format war before Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation SKG signed exclusivity deals in August to distribute next-generation films on HD DVD for the next 18 months.

Harry Potter HD Discs To Arrive Dec. 11 - TWICE
Warner Home Video will release the first five “Harry Potter” movies in the high-definition Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD formats on Dec. 11, in addition to a limited-edition gift set featuring the movies and interactive extras in a choice of standard DVD, high-definition HD DVD or Blu-ray Disc formats. The announcement includes the new release of the fifth installment of the series -- "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix."

TI Kicks Off $100M DLP Ad Campaign - TWICE
Texas Instruments has kicked off its 2007 DLP integrated advertising campaign, which includes television spots on "Monday Night Football," NCAA football games and Nextel Cup NASCAR racing. The $100 million effort will also employ billboards, radio and will expand online advertising, targeting sites used for consumer research before making HDTV purchases, as well as on banner ads and spots on ESPN.com.

MTV to Launch First Pan-European HD service - C21Media
Viacom-owned broadcast group MTV Networks International (MTVNI) has announced plans to launch the company's first-ever pan-European high-definition TV service in 2008. The launch is designed to provide MTVNI's audiences with music and kids entertainment across platforms. The firm will achieve this by drawing upon its library of content across brands including MTV, VH1 and Nickelodeon.

Friday, September 14, 2007

Today's High-Def Headlines

Online Music Show Goes High-Def - MCN
Starting Monday with a concert from Rascal Flatts, online music series Nissan Live Sets on Yahoo! Music will also air on MTV Networks’ MHD: Music High-Definition channel. Each month, one artist performance from the Web series will be selected to air on MHD as a 30-minute concert that includes a fan question-and-answer segment. Both MHD and Yahoo! Music will cross-promote the series on their respective outlets.

Matsushita to Double Plasma Capacity at Latest Plant - Reuters
Panasonic parent company Matsushita said it will double output capacity at its latest plasma panel plant in western Japan as early as year's end, in a move to cut costs and solidify its position as the No.1 plasma TV maker. Matsushita Electric Industrial is bringing new production equipment into the plant, its fourth plasma panel factory in Japan, with an eye to boosting its capacity to the equivalent of 360,000 42-inch panels a month from the current 180,000 panels, a Matsushita representative said.

NFL Kicks Dirt At Comcast, Other Cable Operators - MCN
The National Football League, which rakes in $3.7 billion a year in TV revenue alone, is accusing the cable industry of favoring channels it owns and discriminating against unaffiliated channels such as the NFL Network through less favorable economic terms and channel positioning.
“[Cable operators] commonly disadvantage independent services by forcing them to accept inferior compensation or channel placement – or both,” the NFL Network told the Federal Communications Commission in a Sept. 11 filing related to cable system carriage of independently owned program networks.

DirecTV Celebrates HDTV Launch with Emmy Party - MCN
DirecTV is kicking off its high-definition expansion this month by hosting its first annual Emmy party, which promises to be a star-studded event at the West Hollywood Municipal Park. The nation’s largest satellite provider will hold the soiree, the DirecTV 100 HD Emmy Party, immediately following the 59th Emmy Awards Sunday.

Comcast Touts HD Offerings via New Web Site - TV Week
Comcast Monday launched HiDefHigh.com, a new Web site aimed at educating consumers about the company’s high-definition offerings. The new site, which has been in development for a couple of months, uses a Flash graphic of a talking parrot, in addition to visuals of other animals, to narrate and guide visitors through the site options and features, including TV schedule listings, pricing and installation information.

FCC Rules on Dual-Carriage - CED
The Federal Communications Commission yesterday issued rules that direct cable operators to provide a viewable signal for every must-carry channel after the digital transition for their own analog customers; and extended for another five years the ban of exclusive contracts between vertically integrated programmers and cable operators. The must-carry decision gives operators a choice "to either: (1) carry the digital signal in analog format, or (2) carry the signal only in digital format, provided that all subscribers have the necessary equipment to view the broadcast content." As a practical matter, cable operators can either transmit at least two versions (analog and digital) of every must-carry channel, incurring expense and consuming precious bandwidth, or buy a converter or new set-top for each and every one of their analog customers, also incurring expense.

Warner Remains Loyal To Dual HD Formats - TWICE
Despite reports that Warner Home Video has been offered lucrative payments to follow Paramount’s path and become an exclusive HD DVD high-definition disc provider, the company’s president Ron Sanders told TWICE at CEDIA Expo that the company has enjoyed strong sales in both formats and will likely continue to support both until that changes. Sanders also revealed that Warner will be releasing all four “Harry Potter” movies on high-definition discs in time for the holidays, and confirmed reports that Warner’s plans for its TotalHD flipper disc remain on hold.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

DirecTV Readying HD Tier of New Channels

The first signs of the coming HD tidal wave are upon us.

According to media reports, DirecTV will next week launch an HD programming tier comprised of both existing and start-up high-def channels that are not simply simulcasts of existing cable networks. Examples of the new HD programmers are MGM HD and Smithsonian HD, while existing channels like HDNet, HDNet Movies, MHD and Universal HD would also be included in the $4.99 per month "HD Extra Pack."

Multichannel News reports that while the details of which specific channels will be included in the tier are still being finalized, DirecTV spokesman Darris Gringeri has confirmed the tier's impending launch. According to the company, the introduction of a $4.99 tier on top of the regular $9.99 HD fee is due to the fact that the new channels are unique without any standard-def siblings and thus carry unique costs.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Today's High-Def Headlines

Several HDTV Nets Remain Down Following Fire - MCN
Two HDTV networks were back on the air, but two others remained down Tuesday in the wake of a fire at a Stamford, Conn., building that houses facilities for several programmers and a company that does uplinking for them. A&E Network HD, The History Channel HD, YES Network HD and NFL Network HD were initially knocked out of service following an early morning fire Monday at 250 Harbor Drive in Stamford.

Dish to Televise Avalanche, Nuggets in HD - MCN
EchoStar Communications’ Dish Network and Altitude Sports & Entertainment will televise 40 Colorado Avalanche and 40 Denver Nuggets regular-season games in HDTV, officials said Tuesday. Dish Network’s HD broadcasts of Avalanche and Nuggets games, including pre- and post-game shows, will be available on Channel 360 to customers throughout Altitude’s 10-state home territory. Altitude will present the games in the 080i HD format, along with Dolby stereo sound.

Sony Unveils Blu-ray Recorders to Fight HD DVD - Reuters
Sony said it will launch four models of new Blu-ray high-definition optical disc recorders in November in Japan, as its format battle with the HD DVD camp heats up. Sony, along with Panasonic maker Matsushita Electric Industrial, promotes the Blu-ray technology, which competes with the HD DVD format, backed by Toshiba and Microsoft.

Digeo Prepares Pre-Holiday Retail Launch - TWICE
Digeo is readying the launch of its Moxi digital media receivers (DMR) for what is expected to be a pre-holiday launch through select retailers across the country. Michael Fidler, Digeo CEO, attended the recent CEDIA Expo, here, to give installers and A/V specialists a glimpse of his company’s forthcoming Moxi set-top boxes, which now include the addition of home automation control using ControlPoint technology from partner 4HomeMedia.

NME Readies New HD Disc Format - TWICE
New Medium Enterprises (NME) attended the recent CEDIA Expo to brief dealers and the press on its new low-cost red-laser high-definition optical disc format for the global market, called HD Versatile Multilayer Disc (HD VMD). The company plans a formal launch in October of its first NME-branded players through its own Web site and through several e-commerce partners including www.Amazon.com and www.PCRush.com.

New Knowledge Networks Study Shows How High-Definition TV Reception Changes Viewing Habits; No Effect on Advertising Avoidance
According to a just-released Knowledge Networks study, access to high-definition television (HDTV) programming -- one of the key digital technologies being embraced by mainstream consumers -- significantly affects viewing behavior, making users more selective about what they watch and more likely to plan viewing in advance. High-definition (HD) reception does not seem to make consumers more likely to watch commercials, though; while they find HDTV ads more "relevant," they are just as likely to click away from them as regular ads.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Today's High-Def Headlines

A High-Definition Fight Scene in Slow Motion - Los Angeles Times
Raging in the backrooms of Hollywood this summer has been a battle that will play out in the aisles of Wal-Mart and Target.Until recently, it had appeared that the two camps vying to set the standard for next-generation DVDs would settle the score this holiday season. But last-ditch maneuvering in recent weeks has all but assured that the format war will extend well beyond December, keeping many home-movie buffs from laying their money down until a winner is declared.

Upstart Maker Tops in Flat-Panel TVs - AP
Upstart American TV maker Vizio has been nipping for three years at the heels of household names such as Sony and Samsung. Quietly selling its affordable line of flat-panel sets in wholesale-club stores instead of electronics retailers, it knocked its foreign competitors from the top spot in the second quarter to become the largest seller of flat-panel TVs in North America.

Cox Cable Bolsters Its Equipment in Tucson - Arizona Daily Star
Cox Communications is upgrading its data network in Tucson as it faces increased competition from satellite TV providers who are offering more high-definition television programming.
The $25 million upgrade for Southern Arizona will increase Cox's bandwidth from 750 MHz to 1 GHz, allowing the company to provide more HDTV channels and video-on-demand choices.

Comcast Media Center Unveils HD Six-Pack - Light Reading
The Comcast Media Center (CMC) has hooked up with SES Americom on a high-definition television (HDTV) package tailored for HITS Quantum cable affiliates. Initially, the CMC's HITS Quantum service will offer six linear hi-def nets: A&E HD, HGTV HD, Food Network HD, National Geographic Channel HD, Starz HD, and Universal HD.

FCC Sends Signal on Dual Must-Carry - Hollywood Reporter
Federal regulators will vote Tuesday whether to approve a requirement -- long-sought by broadcasters -- that would force cable operators to carry analog and digital TV signals transmitted by some local stations. The dual-carriage requirement pushed by FCC chairman Kevin Martin is intended to ensure that millions of analog cable homes don't abruptly lose access to local TV signals when U.S. broadcasters make the switch to digital TV in 2009.

"World's Highest Resolution'' HD Surgical Cameras Used in National Geographic Channel's "Inside the Living Body''
KARL STORZ Endoscopy-America, Inc., a world leader in endoscopy and advanced video imaging technologies, is proud to announce that its Image 1(R) HD technology was used to provide key high-definition (HD) video footage highlighted in the upcoming National Geographic Channel (NGC) premiere, "Inside the Living Body." The production used several KARL STORZ Image 1(R) HD video cameras to capture highly detailed video images to underscore key aspects of how our bodies function throughout our lifetimes and will include HD video footage previously unseen on television.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Today's High-Def Headlines

TiVo Intros $299 HD DVR - TWICE
TiVo is showing CEDIA dealers its latest TiVo HD cable receiver carrying a more mainstream $299 suggested retail price. The set-top digital video recorder, which started shipping last month, is a less pricey version of the Series 3 HD unit introduced last year.

NCTA DTV-Transition Campaign Wins Plaudits From Lawmakers - MCN
The National Cable & Telecommunications Association earned broad support from lawmakers and interest groups for its TV campaign promoting cable services in advance of the February 2009 digital-television transition, while the National Association of Broadcasters objected that the industry’s claim it will make the DTV switchover “seamless” is at odds with cable opposition to so-called dual must carry. The NCTA’s four initial 30-second segments, ostensibly public-service announcements, emphasize that cable will “work just fine” after the DTV transition date, when TV broadcasters will be forced to stop sending out analog signals. The association committed $200 million in spending on broadcast ads and cable airtime over the next 18 months.

Samsung's Duo Gets Re-Priced - TWICE
Looking to stay competitive with LG’s recently announced second -generation dual-format HD disc player and other premium Blu-ray players, Samsung is announced at this week’s CEDIA Expo that it has reduced the price of its forthcoming first dual-format Blu-ray HD DVD player from the original $1,049 to a $999 street price. The BD-UP5000 Duo HD player, which still has a vague “fourth-quarter” estimated time of arrival, will feature all of the mandated and many of the voluntary standards in both the Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD formats, including HDi-based Web-enabled interactivity on the HD DVD side.

KEYT Santa Barbara Goes HDTV
KEYT is pleased to announce it has reached an agreement with Comcast and Cox Communications to provide their HD subscribers to access KEYT, ABC News, Sports and entertainment programs in HDTV. KEYT High Definition programs are available on Cox Cable Channel 703, and Comcast Cable Channels 214 and 241.

Friday, September 07, 2007

Today's High-Def Headlines

DIRECTV is Home for 2007 MLB Postseason in HD
DIRECTV HD fans across the country will have the best seats in the house to every Major League Baseball (MLB) postseason game this fall. To date, DIRECTV is the only national multichannel video provider committed to carrying both FOX and TBS's exclusive postseason HD broadcasts. TBS in HD is scheduled to launch on DIRECTV in September and for the first time ever will feature exclusive broadcasts of the MLB Division Series and National League Championship Series. DIRECTV will also offer FOX Sports' coverage of the American League Championship Series and the 2007 World Series in HD.

Big Ten Network Dishes Up Deal - MCN
Big Ten Network, which gained national prominence with its coverage of Appalachian State’s monumental upset of Michigan last Saturday, scored big on the distribution front today, notching an agreement with EchoStar Communications Corp. This Saturday, Dish Network will broadcast two BTN games in high-definition on channel 9467: Akron at Ohio State (noon ET) and Syracuse at Iowa (8 p.m ET). The No. 2 DBS provider will officially launch the HD simulcast of the BTN the following week.

CNN HD Debuts - TV Week
CNN on Saturday launched CNN HD, a high-definition simulcast of its existing network, which will feature original series shot in HD as well as regular news programming. DirecTV has confirmed it will carry CNN HD, with launch scheduled for mid-September. CNN would not comment specifically on other carriage deals, but did say it was in negotiations.

DirecTV Preps ‘Pro’ High-Def DVR - MCN
DirecTV hopes to broaden its appeal to home-theater installers with a high-definition digital video recorder set-top -- called the HR21 Pro -- whose key features include storage for up to 100 hours of MPEG-4 HD content, twice the capacity of the operator’s current HR20 HD DVR. The box, manufactured by Samsung Electronics, is scheduled to begin production toward the end of October. Distributor and retail pricing has not yet been set, according to DirecTV director of public relations Robert Mercer.

Digital Cable Alert Is On -- for $200 Million - Hollywood Reporter
In an effort to ensure a smooth transition to digital TV in 2009, the cable industry announced the launch of a $200-million ad campaign to assure their customers that their TV sets will still work.The campaign includes four 30-second spots to be aired on broadcast and cable networks. Ads began airing in the Washington, D.C., market this week.

Aquos Blu-Ray Disc Player Launches - TWICE
Sharp used a pre-CEDIA press conference Wednesday to take the wraps off of its first Blu-ray Disc player for the U.S. market. The player is the first non-LCD TV to carry the Aquos sub-brand. The slim-profile Aquos BD-HP20U ships this month at a $549 suggested retail. It will output full HD 1080p/24 fps video and includes built-in HDMI 1.3 digital inputs.

Toshiba's HD DVD Pot Gets Sweetened - TWICE
In addition to unveiling its new super-narrow-bezel LCD TV line, Toshiba announced several offers to entice consumers to pick up one of its new third-generation HD DVD players.
Jodi Sally, Toshiba digital audio/video products marketing VP, revealed that Toshiba will continue to offer coupons to redeem five free HD DVDs with the purchase of a HD DVD player, and has expanded the list of titles from which player purchasers may select their free discs.

JVC D-ILA PJ Pair Unveiled - TWICE
JVC helped to kick off CEDIA Expo with a joint press conference from its consumer electronics and professional electronics groups. The company revealed a pair of 1080p three-chip D-ILA projectors, one from each business unit. Both feature three 1,920 by 1,080 D-ILA chips and 30,000:1 native (not dynamic) contrast ratios.

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Today's High-Def Headlines

There's a ton of news coming out of CEDIA today, so without further ado:

Panasonic Adds Two Entry-Level 1080p Plasmas - TWICE
Panasonic is using CEDIA Expo to present two “more affordable” 1080p models in its 2007 plasma TV line. The new plasma sets comprise the 77 model series and include the 42-inch TH-42PZ77 ($1,799 suggested retail) and the 50-inch TH-50PZ77 ($2,799), both of which are scheduled to ship to dealers this month.

Toshiba Unveils Thin Bezel LCDs At CEDIA - TWICE
Toshiba travels to CEDIA Expo this week to unveil a pair of “super narrow bezel” Regza 1080p LCD TVs, and to demonstrate its recently announced third-generation HD DVD player lineup. The new Regza models include the 40-inch ($1,899 suggested retail) and 46-inch ($2,499) screen sizes, and are designed as a mid-step line, below Cinema Series models.

Sony Focuses On Blu-ray At CEDIA - TWICE
Sony brings Blu-ray Disc to CEDIA Expo in a big way, unveiling two new players and its first 200-disc Blu-ray Disc home server with 25GB Blu-ray Disc burning capability. The company also is presenting new Bravia 1080p SXRD video projectors, including the VPL-200, which packages the advanced features of the former Qualia 004 model with a sleeker form factors.

Second Elite Blu-ray Player To Bow - TWICE
Pioneer will unveil at CEDIA Expo its second Blu-ray Disc player, which will be sold in October under the Elite badge at a $1,000 suggested retail price. The Pioneer Elite BDP-95FD Blu-ray Disc player offers increased bandwidth capacity affording internal decoding of high resolution audio formats for: Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital+Plus, and DTS-HD as well as bit-stream output for all advanced audio formats including DTS-HD Master for 7.1 surround sound performance.

Sharp Adds 19” 768p Aquos TV, D43 Series At CEDIA - TWICE
Having just unveiled its new D64 entry 1080p Aquos LCD TV line, Sharp is using CEDIA Expo 2007 to unveil a new line of 768p Aquos sets and the company’s first 19-inch 768p SKU. The new Aquos D43U Series will include the 52-, 46- and 42-inch screen sizes, all of which offer 1366 by 768p resolution, Sharp’s Advanced Super Video LCD panel, a 7,500:1 dynamic contrast ratio and Quick Shoot video circuitry for a 6ms response time and 176-degree viewing angle.

NEC Adds New PDP, LCD Lines
NEC Display Solutions of America returns to the residential plasma TV category at CEDIA Expo, where it is unveiling a restructured residential display direction, including LCD and plasma display lines. The company has recombined its LCD TV and plasma TV business units, and is once again targeting retailers and resellers in a consumer distribution strategy. The company began to distance itself somewhat from consumer plasma TV after selling its plasma panel manufacturing operations to Pioneer.

Hitachi To Show Reel60, BD Camcorder - TWICE
Hitachi ventures to CEDIA to unveil its recently announced Blu-ray Disc camcorder and its new flat-panel TV lines featuring its proprietary “Reel60” technology. The camcorders are billed as the world’s first Blu-ray Disc high-definition models and include a hybrid model that will be capable of recording HD video to both Blu-ray discs and a 30GB hard disk drive.

Proton Shows CS LCD TVs - TWICE
Precision video display manufacturer Proton will be bringing dealers to its suite at the Westin here at CEDIA this week to show its new high-performance-value CS series LCD TV line up.
The line includes the 32-inch ($899 suggested retail), 37-inch ($1,099), 42-inch ($1,699) and 47-inch (price to be announced) screen sizes.

Discovery, NASA Partner for Space Program's 50th Anniversary - B&C
Discovery Communications and NASA are teaming up to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the space program. The announcement was made Wednesday evening at a premiere screening of In the Shadow of the Moon at the Museum of Natural History here. The partnership will span multiple platforms, with never-before-seen archival footage and special programming, beginning in the spring of 2008 and continuing through the summer.

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

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.