Today's High-Def Headlines

Sony Adds Svelte HD Camcorder - TWICE
Sony will ship a new high definition camcorder to dealers in May. The HDR-TG1 weighs in at 10 ounces and records 1920 by 1080i video to Memory Stick PRO Duo and PRO Duo Mark2 cards. A 4GB Mark2 card will be bundled with the unit. It can also snap 4-megapixel still images.

Hallmark Movie Channel HD Debuts In San Antonio - MCN
The coming out party for Hallmark Movie Channel HD came in San Antonio. The high-definition version of Hallmark Movie Channel debuted yesterday on Time Warner Cable’s San Antonio system on channel 153. The network has also gained a berth on Time Warner Cable of New York and New Jersey. Hallmark Movie Channel HD will bow on the cluster’s systems serving the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island on April 30, as part of an extensive HD expansion.

Comcast Ups HD Count in Philly - MCN
Comcast added five new high-definition channels to its lineup in the Philadelphia metro area, which includes surrounding suburbs and northern Delaware, bringing its HD count (including pay and local channels) to 31. The five HD nets are: AMC HD, Animal Planet HD, CNN HD, History Channel HD and TLC HD. By the end of the year, Comcast plans to make more than 1,000 HD movies and TV shows available on its video-on-demand services in all markets.

A Small-Screen Newcomer With Big Promise and a High Price - NYT
The Sony XEL-1 is a big idea in a small, expensive package. The first television available in the United States to use organic light-emitting diodes, it provides strong contrast, pure blacks and good detail in a screen that is thinner than the cord that powers it. The O.L.E.D. screen is a promising TV technology. It uses no backlight, so it requires little power to run; Sony estimates it is 40 percent more efficient for each panel-inch than a conventional L.E.D. screen.