Today's High-Def Headlines

MSNBC Sees High-Def Debut Next Spring - MCN
MSNBC, having missed the window to launch in HD for this year’s election season, expects to have its high-definition simulcast ready for affiliates in the second quarter of 2009. The news network had been aiming to launch its HD offering in the fourth quarter of 2008. That turned out to be “a little aggressive,” MSNBC president Phil Griffin said.

Comcast Launches MSG HD in New Jersey - MCN
Comcast is adding MSG HD and MSG Plus HD for its digital cable customers in Northern New Jersey, officials said Thursday. Sports fans can now watch more than 300 live sporting events in high definition annually on MSG HD and MSG Plus HD, including exclusive coverage of the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders and New York Liberty.

DirecTV Adds Three Local HD Markets - MCN
DirecTV Wednesday began offering local high-definition programming in Colorado Springs-Pueblo, Colo., Davenport, Iowa-Rock Island/Moline, Ill. and Dayton, Ohio. The nation’s largest satellite provider now offers local HD programming to nearly 85% of U.S. TV households.

Ion Media Promises HD by First Quarter - TV Week
Coupled with a rebranding in May, Ion Media Networks announced Monday the network is going HD beginning in the first quarter of 2009. Ion Media encompasses Ion Television, formerly Pax TV, as well as qubo and Ion Life. Ion Television will be the first to jump to HD in first quarter ’09, with qubo and Ion Life following later in the year, the company said.

DisplaySearch Sees Flat-Panel Maturity - TWICE
Shipments of panels used in flat-panel TV sets (LCD and plasma) are likely to continue to slow down beyond the current economic crisis as the HDTV market begins to mature, DisplaySearch warned Wednesday in its latest Quarterly Worldwide FPD Forecast Report. From 2001 through 2008, flat-panel display shipments grew at a compound annual rate of 10 percent. From 2008 to 2015, the compound annual growth forecast is 4 percent due to market maturity, as flat-panel displays have captured most of the market previously served by cathode-ray tubes (CRT), the report indicates.

DISH Adds 21 MPEG-4 Markets - TWICE
DISH Network said Thursday it has expanded the transition to its MPEG-4 platform by 21 markets, to a total of 52 markets in the eastern half of the United States since the transition began in August. New customers in 52 designated markets in the eastern half of the U.S. who sign up for any DISH Network HD package will receive the system on all televisions connected to DISH Network service, the company said. This includes all standard- and high-definition programming broadcast in MPEG-4 via the service provider’s MPEG-4 HD and HD DVR receivers.

Samsung BD Update Brings Netflix Access - TWICE
Samsung said Wednesday that the Netflix and Pandora online entertainment content services are now available for current Blu-ray Disc player models. Access to the Netflix streaming movie/TV program service is made possible through a firmware update available starting today to current owners of Samsung models BD-P2500 and BD-P2550.