Monday, December 08, 2008

Today's High-Def Headlines

HD: A Mixed Bag For The Holidays - MCN
This year’s holiday season looks to be a mixed bag for high-definition TV. The slumping economy is likely to have a chilling effect on HDTV set sales, but the stakes for operators promoting their high-def offerings remain high — and the opportunities still loom large. According to two recent studies, HDTVs are now in about one-third of all homes, making it increasingly important for pay TV operators to deploy a strong high-definition offering if they wish to retain current customers. And the Consumer Electronics Association predicts that some 27.7 million new HD sets will be sold in 2009.

How to Buy a Flat-Screen HDTV - Washington Post
Before you drop hundreds or thousands of dollars on the wrong flat-panel HDTV, read our comprehensive breakdown of everything you need to know. Our advice might just help you save some money. LCD and plasma screens may look similar, but the underlying technologies are quite different, as are, consequently, their strengths and weaknesses.

Sharp To Ship Aquos LCD/Blu-ray Combos - TWICE
Sharp will ship in January a pair HD Aquos LCD TVs with integrated Blu-ray Disc players, according to Mike Troetti, Sharp Electronics Marketing Company of America (SEMCA) president. The first sets slated to arrive next month and will have screen sizes of 32 and 42 inches. The 42-inch model will feature 1080p Full HD resolution and 120Hz frame-rate processing. Both will include a multi-slot loading mechanism for Blu-ray, DVD and CD discs.

Tee Time For Golf Channel HD - MCN
After sharing channel space with Comcast Corp.-owned Versus, Golf Channel will tee off alone in high-definition Dec. 8. With commitments from its parent, as well as DirecTV, Dish Network, Cox Communications, Verizon's FiOS TV and Cablevision Systems Corp., Golf Channel HD is expected to be in 12.5 million homes by January. Officials for the service said other operator deals are pending that could add another 3 million homes to that total.

Creative Intros Vado HD Camcorder - TWICE
Milpitas, Calif. — Creative introduced a high-definition version of its Vado pocket video camera today, ratcheting up the competition in the burgeoning market for inexpensive flash camcorders. It follows on the heels of Kodak’s Zi6 and Pure Digital’s Mino HD. Like those models, the Vado HD records 720p video at 30 fps but it includes an HDMI cable for outputting 1080i video to HDTVs.

DirecTV Adds PBS HD Channels - TWICE
Delivering on a previously announced arrangement with the nation’s public television stations, DirecTV said it will begin offering local Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) TV stations in high definition to 14 markets across the country starting Wednesday. DirecTV said it will continue to roll out PBS HD channels in additional local markets through the end of the year and in 2009 — ahead of the Feb. 17 digital transition deadline, when high-power analog TV broadcasting is mandated to end.

TV's Next Big Things - WSJ
Television makers, whose products went from big and bulky to sleek and flat in a matter of 10 years, are looking for the next breakthrough. Industry leaders Sony Corp., Sharp Corp. and Panasonic Corp. are all developing new displays designed to stand out on store shelves increasingly filled with similar-looking products. The effort is especially important as the economic slowdown hammers average selling prices on the latest flat-panel televisions and as value brands close the technology gap with the top-tier companies.

Tribune Co. Weighs Filing for Chapter 11 - WSJ
Tribune Co. is preparing for a possible filing for bankruptcy-court protection as soon as this week, according to people familiar with the matter, in a sign of worsening trouble for the newspaper industry. In recent days, as Chicago-based Tribune continued talks with lenders to restructure its debt, the newspaper-and-television concern hired investment bank Lazard Ltd. as its financial adviser and law firm Sidley Austin to advise the company on a possible trip through Chapter 11 bankruptcy, people familiar with the matter say.

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