Cablevision Adds HGTV, Food; BIO Up for DirecTV

Cablevision said this morning that it has added HGTV HD and Food Network HD, bringing to 43 the number of high-def channels it offers its New York-area customers.

In related new channel news, DIRECTV yesterday added BIO HD to its ever-expanding lineup of high-def nets. The satcaster now offers somewhere around 60 national HD channels, not counting PPV and sports packages.

HD DVD Sales Reach 750,000

Following some nice price cuts and relatively aggressive Black Friday promotions, the HD DVD Promotional Group reports that 750,000 HD DVD players have been sold, a figure that includes Xbox 360 gaming consoles with add-on HD DVD modules.

Rundown of New HD Programming

USA Today runs a nice piece today highlighting some new high-def channels like Smithsonian HD and the programming they're producing. World's Finest Cars looks fantastic, as does Stories From the Vault.

WealthTV Gains Charter Carriage in Louisiana

WealthTV said yesterday that it has inked a carriage deal with Charter Communications in Louisiana to distribute its HD programming. WealthTV offers a variety of lifestyle and aspirational content.

WealthTV is also in the news for a filing against Time Warner Cable that it made with the FCC, complaining of discrimination by the cable giant in its dealings with independent programmers such as Wealth.

HD Compression & Upconversion

Multichannel News has a couple of interesting pieces this morning on how much HD content is actually "high-definition" (hint: it's less than you'd like) and how cable, satellite and telco video providers are handling the issue of HD video compression. The articles aren't too technical and offer good insight into what happens to your HD video signal before it actually reaches your television.

Black Friday Brings More Shoppers Spending Less

Initial estimates from retail's Black Friday haul over the weekend suggest that while more of you were out shopping the day after Thanksgiving than last year, you didn't spend as much money as you did in '06. And fewer of you bought flat-panel TVs than a year ago. Read the National Retail Federation's report on TWICE.

I ventured out on Friday to see what was going on at the local Circuit City and while the lines were astronomically long, the prices didn't really seem all that more aggressive than normal sales. Furthermore, what was on sale tended to be older models that the Circuit was clearly trying to get off its store shelves. So I don't blame consumers for not spending more -- the only reason to stand in those ridiculous lines is if the deals are fantastic enough to make it worth your time. This year -- especially compared to last -- they weren't.

Charter Cable Planning Big HD Expansion

Charter Communications is planning to double its high-def channel offerings by the end of next year, from about 20 to over 40. Much of the increase will come via the previously reported implementation of switched digital video technology. More from Multichannel News.

VIZIO Maintains LCD TV Lead: iSuppli

Market research firm iSuppli has released data showing that upstart VIZIO continues to lead the North American LCD TV market, accounting for 13% of unit shipments in the third quarter. Samsung is number two at 12.8% and closed the gap between itself and VIZIO substantially since the second quarter of the year. Sharp rounds out the top three at 12%.

This is somewhat interesting because it contradicts data that iSuppli rival DisplaySearch released two weeks ago showing Sharp at number one, followed by VIZIO and Samsung. Near as I can tell, the discrepancy lies in the fact that iSuppli measures TVs shipped while DisplaySearch counts TVs sold.

Verizon Offering Free LCD TV With FiOS Sign-Ups

Verizon is offering new customers of its FiOS TV service a free 19" Sharp Aquos LCD TV. The promotion, which began last month in the New York metro area, has been expanded to include Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maryland, Virginia and Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

To get the free Sharp Aquos, customers must sign up for Verizon's triple play offer that includes TV, phone and Internet services, and must agree to a two-year contract. Customers can opt for a $200 Best Buy gift card in lieu of the LCD TV.

Black Friday Looming Large

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, kicks off the holiday shopping season and is both highly anticipated and seriously dreaded in the retail community. Most stores are promoting some signficant sales in connection with the annual event, including this latest missive from Wal-Mart that expands Black Friday to include Thanksgiving Day as well, at least online.

It's somewhat funny that in Wal-Mart's press release, the retail giant highlights specials on Polaroid HDTVs because five minutes earlier, I received a press release from the Home Theater Specialists of America (HTSA) discouraging people from buying low-end brand HDTVs like Polaroid. From that release I quote:

"Even more disturbing is the poor or non-existent warranties on many less expensive models. Flat panel TVs are still high technology. Consumers who shell out $599 and $699 for a large flat panel are expecting manufacturers to stand behind their product if a problem arises. With these cheap models, though, the consumer is often on their own even within the limited one year warranty period. With Polaroid's HDTVs, for example, they will not repair them after the warranty period expires. So buy a Polaroid today, have a problem 366 days from now, and it's a good as junk. "

Now HTSA may have a point about the warranty issue. The problem is the model lines they encourage people to buy are all at the higher end of the brand spectrum, specifically "Sharp D92, LG Opus, Hitachi V Series & Director Series, Pioneer Kuro and Sony XBR 4 and 5." Not that these aren't great HDTVs because they are, but many people can't afford them. When faced with the choice between a lesser brand HDTV and no HDTV at all, I would vote for the non-brand name HDTV every time.

Charter Expanding HDTV in L.A. Via SDV

Charter is hooking up with BigBand Networks' switched digital video (SDV) technology to increase its HD offerings in the Los Angeles area. SDV essentially allows cable operators to send out a digital video signal just to customers requesting a particular channel rather than to all customers, as is the case with traditional cable broadcasting. Most of the cable companies are utilizing SDV in some way to expand their channel lineups without a large increase in coax network upgrades.

DIRECTV Keeps Adding More HD Channels

DIRECTV has added a slew of new high-def channels this week, including six national channels and 13 regional sports offerings. The newest additions to the HD lineup are:

• Biography HD
• Country Music Television HD
• MTV HD
• Nickelodeon HD
• Spike TV HD
• VH1 HD

In the regional sports department, DIRECTV now offers:

• Altitude HD
• Comcast Sports Net New England
• FSN Arizona HD
• FSN Bay Area HD
• FSN Cincinnati HD
• FSN Florida HD
• FSN North HD
• FSN Northwest HD
• FSN Ohio HD
• FSN Rocky Mountain HD
• FSN South HD
• SportsSouth HD

In related news, DIRECTV was hit with a temporary restraining order by a federal district court judge that prevents the satellite provider from moving HDNet and HDNet Movies to an HD tier on Dec. 15 as it planned.

DTV Not a Concern for 22% of Analog TV Owners

The Consumer Electronics Association has released the results of a survey it conducted showing that 22% of analog TV owners plan to "do nothing" when the Feb. 17, 2009 analog broadcast shutdown occurs. The government is planning to launch a coupon program next month to help subsidize the purchase of digital-to-analog converter boxes for analog TVs still in use, but this CEA data shows that there is still quite of work to be done to help educate folks who will be impacted by the transition.

More from Multichannel News.

This was my 700th post on this blog since I started it a couple years back. Thanks to all who keep reading!

Verizon FiOS TV Adds Discovery Channel HD

Verizon has launched Discovery Channel HD in all of its FiOS TV markets and will add TLC HD, Animal Planet HD and The Science Channel HD next year. Verizon FiOS TV now offers about 30 HD channels in each market it serves.

AT&T Launches U-verse in Austin; Ohio on Deck

AT&T announced this week that its U-verse IPTV service boasting 30 HD channels is now available in Austin, Texas. U-verse has steadily made its way throughout the Lone Star State, launching initially in San Antonio last year before expanding to Houston, Dallas and now Austin.

In a related development, the state of Ohio has granted AT&T a statewide video franchise, the first of its kind in the Buckeye State. AT&T already offers U-verse in the Cleveland area and now appears poised to launch it in the greater Columbus region.

HDNet Suing DIRECTV Over High-Def Tier

Mark Cuban's HDNet has filed a lawsuit against DIRECTV over the satcaster's plan to move HDNet and HDNet Movies to an optional $4.99 HD tier next month. The tier, which is currently free on a trial basis, consists entirely of specialty HD channels that aren't simulcasts of other SD channels and also includes MGM HD and Smithsonian HD. You can read more details about the suit, including comments from both sides, at Multichannel News.

By my count this is the 8,371st lawsuit filed against DIRECTV this year, although I may be off by one or two. Just kidding, but it does seem like pretty much everyone in the industry is taking aim at the company. I can see HDNet's point here -- I've always been against high-def tiers because plenty of consumers aren't even aware they exist and cable/satellite sales reps often do a poor job of communicating the need to add them separately in addition to the free ones you get with the HD receiver.

I also see DIRECTV's point though, which is that without a corresponding linear SD channel, DIRECTV has no additional revenue source by which to pay HDNet, MGM, Smithsonian et al their monthly carriage fees. Having an HD tier enables customers who want these specialty channels to pay for them separately, while those who don't, don't.

That said, DIRECTV already charges a $9.99 HD access fee. Is it really necessary for them to charge an extra five bucks for HDNet and the handful of HD-only channels? I'm not so sure...let me know what you think.

Cablevision Adds CNN HD

Cablevision announced today that it has added CNN HD to its high-def lineup, bringing to 42 the number of HD channels it offers in the New York metro area.

Cox Cable has also been rolling out CNN HD in a number of its markets. The news channel made its HD debut on DIRECTV last month.

Charter Inks Deal for Weather Channel HD

Charter Communications has reached an agreement to carry the Weather Channel HD. According to CED Magazine, the company plans to offer 100 HD "viewing options" (includes video on demand titles) by the end of this year.

Verizon Planning 150 HD Channels for FiOS TV

Verizon said last week that it will roll out 150 HD channels to FiOS TV customers next year, in addition to 1,000 HD On Demand titles. The telco will start by more than doubling the number of HD channels next spring, to more than 60 including additional sports channels.

According to the company, Verizon does not compress the HD signals it gets from content providers before sending them to subscribers, unlike some cable and satellite competitors. This practice of non-compression will continue as the 125+ new HD channels are rolled out.

Sharp, Samsung Reclaim Top Positions in TV Sales

DisplaySearch has come out with new data showing fast-growing Vizio has slid back into second place in the LCD sales battle, having been outpaced by Sharp -- which reclaimed the top spot for the first time in 2 1/2 years. Sharp now has 11.3% of the North American LCD market share with Vizio right behind at 10.9%.

Panasonic retained the number one position in the plasma display market that it has owned for as long as anyone can remember, although it was down somewhat from 32.8% in Q2 to 30.0% in Q3. Samsung is second in plasma market share at 19.8%, up significantly from 15.7% in Q2.

Overall, Samsung is the flat-panel TV industry leader with an 11.8% market share. Vizio is second at 10.2%, followed by Sharp at 10.0% and Sony at 8.6%.

I love this kind of data -- thanks to DisplaySearch for making it available for all of us to digest.

DIRECTV Adds NHL Network HD

DIRECTV said late last week that the NHL Network is now available in both HD and SD to DIRECTV customers subscribing to CHOICE XTRA and above programming packages, as well as those with a subscription to NHL CENTER ICE.

NHL Network will broadcast 50 live regular-season games this season all in HD in addition to its daily live signature show, NHL on the Fly, classic games, documentaries, instructional shows, highlights and more.