Thursday, July 31, 2008

DISH Throws Down Its Own HD Gauntlet

Innovation begets innovation, as does competition. That's what we're learning about the HD industry this week, as DISH Network today announced its answer to the news that came out of DIRECTV, Cablevision and Verizon FiOS two days ago. DISH is adding 17 new HD channels, which we previously covered, but is also launching three new programming packages that are HD-only, meaning that if you never watch non-HD programming, now you don't have to pay for a bunch of standard-def channels you don't want.

The all-HD TurboHD packages start at $24.99 a month for 40 HD channels (Bronze Package), run $32.99 a month for 50 HD channels (Silver Package) and top out at the Gold Package with 55 high-def channels for $39.99 a month.

DISH says it now has over 100 national HD channels and is on target for 150 by the end of this year, although both of those totals include a litany of pay-per-view high-def channels that I don't really consider to be "real" channels that can be put in the same category as say, ESPN HD or HGTV HD. (DIRECTV uses the same funny math in calculating its HD channel totals.)

Like DIRECTV, DISH is also going to start releasing on demand HD movies in 1080p format, although it appears that DISH will beat DIRECTV to the punch by launching "I Am Legend" in 1080p on demand tomorrow.

The 17 new HD channels are: ActionMax HD (DISH Network Ch. 313), CBS College Sports HD (Ch. 152), Lifetime HD (Ch. 108), Lifetime Movie Network HD (Ch. 109), Planet Green HD (Ch. 194), Encore HD (Ch. 340), HBO 2 HD (Ch. 301), HBO Comedy HD (Ch. 307), HBO Family HD (Ch. 305), HBO Latino HD (Ch. 309), HBO Signature HD (Ch. 302), HBO West HD (Ch. 303), HBO Zone HD (Ch. 308), Starz Comedy HD (Ch. 354), Starz Edge HD (Ch. 352), Starz Kids & Family HD (Ch. 356), and Starz West HD (Ch. 351).

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

DIRECTV, Verizon, Cablevision Drive HD News

Yesterday was one of the busiest days for HD news that we've seen in many months, with industry powerhouses DIRECTV, Verizon and Cablevision all announcing major developments in their HD product offerings.

First off, DIRECTV fired off a press release in the morning announcing that it will add 30 new HD channels in mid-August, including ABC Family HD, Planet Green HD, Showtime Extreme HD and Showtime Showcase HD, as well as additional pay-per-view channels and Regional Sports Networks. (Still no Travel Channel HD, which is odd considering that it's now available on many cable systems.) 

DIRECTV also said that later this year it will begin offering movies in 1080p to compete with the Blu-ray format, which to my knowledge is the first instance of 1080p content being available over a cable or satellite network. By the end of this month, DIRECTV will transmit all of its HD programming in MPEG-4 and it will also soon add 44 new markets where it will offer HD local broadcast channels.

Whew!

For its part, Verizon made a big splash in the news by launching its FiOS TV service in New York City, complete with 100 HD channels and 400 HD video on demand titles. Among the new HD channels Verizon now offers are Animal Planet, Big Ten Network, Bravo, CNN, CNBC, Disney, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, History, Outdoor Channel 2, Planet Green, QVC, Science Channel, Sci-Fi, TBS, TLC, Toon Disney, Travel Channel, USA, Versus/Golf, Weather Channel & World Fishing Network. There are also 11 new Cinemax HD channels, 13 new HBO channels in HD and 13 new high-def channels from Showtime & Starz.

Not to be completely outdone, New York City cable provider Cablevision added another 15 channels to its high-def lineup, bringing the total it offers to 60. The newbies include AMC, Animal Planet, Discovery, Fox News, FX, Hallmark Movie Channel, IFC, Nickelodeon, Science, Speed, Spike, The Weather Channel, TLC, Travel Channel & WE.

The real lesson here is that competition is the consumer's best friend. DIRECTV really shook up the industry last fall with its plans to have 100 HD channels by the end of '07, which spurred the cable companies into ramping up their own high-def offerings. With Verizon and AT&T getting into the act on the telco side, and DISH working to keep up with DIRECTV in satellite capacity, many consumers now have four legitimate options when it comes to choosing their HD service provider. The industry has come such a long way from just 18 months ago when many service providers only offered a dozen or so HD channels. So enjoy it!

Monday, July 28, 2008

Today's High-Def Headlines

Time Warner Cable Builds HD Roster in NYC - MCN
Time Warner Cable buttressed its high-definition roster in three of New York City’s boroughs today, while bolstering its digital-cable and Hispanic offerings. The nation’s No. 2 cable operator today made Biography Channel in HD (channel 763), Starz Edge HD (channel 677), Starz Kids & Family HD (channel 678) and Starz Comedy HD (channel 681) available to its customers in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island.

Weaker demand for plasma display panels in North America and China resulted in relatively flat 1 percent 2Q quarter-to-quarter unit growth, to 3.5 million global second-quarter plasma panel shipments, coming off strong growth levels seen in the first quarter, according to a new DisplaySearch shipment and forecast report.

antel said Friday it will unveil at next month’s CEDIA Expo a line of weatherproof 720p and 1080p combination LCD TV/mirrors. The three model line includes the 20- ($1,200 suggested retail), 32- ($2,755) and 42-inch ($5,800) screen sizes, all of which are shipping now via special order. The sets are water-resistant so they can be placed outdoors or in bathrooms, showers and saunas. When in the off position, the sets’ screens convert into full-functioning mirrors.

Comcast Media Center has signed transport agreements for 14 additional HD channels, bringing to 20 the roster of HDTV channels that will be available through HITS. The additional HDTV services, which represent eight programming groups, will be delivered via the Comcast Media Center’s Quantum MPEG-2 programming service, The center’s most recent transport agreements will add: History HD from A & E Television Networks; Animal Planet HD, Discovery Channel HD, HD Theater, Science Channel HD and TLC HD from Discovery Communications; ABC Family HD and Disney Channel HD from the Disney-ABC Television Group; Fox News HD from Fox News Channel; Lifetime Movie Network HD from Lifetime Networks; USA HD and SCI FI HD from NBC Universal; Outdoor Channel HD from Outdoor Channel; and Travel Channel HD from Travel Channel Media.

LG Display Co Ltd (034220.KS), the world's No. 2 maker of liquid crystal display (LCD) screens, said on Sunday it would cut its panel output by around 10 percent until August because of weakening global demand. South Korea-based LG Display joins Taiwan rivals AU Optronics Corp (2409.TW) and Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp (3009.TW) in the move to reduce production and ease an oversupply as market conditions deteriorate faster than expected.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Today's High-Def Headlines

Electronics Giants to Create Wireless HD Standard - Washington Post
Sony, Samsung and other consumer-electronics heavyweights are uniting to support a technology that could send high-definition video signals wirelessly from a single set-top box to screens around the home. The consortium due to be announced Wednesday is an important development in the race to create a definitive way to replace tangles of video cables, but doesn't end it -- both Sony and Samsung also are supporting a competing technology.

3-D Video: Coming to Home Theaters? - MCN
You’ll probably still need special glasses. But 3-D movies and other video could become routine home-entertainment options within the next few years. The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, a New York-based technical society for the motion imaging industry, has established a task force to define the parameters of a “stereoscopic 3-D mastering standard” for home video.

Citing the philosophy of their founder, executives of Matsushita Industrial Electric shared details with visiting members of the press about the company’s Earth-friendly environmental impact management efforts, known company wide as the “Eco Ideas” strategy. The massive company-wide effort by Matsushita — soon to be officially renamed as a company to its more famous brand name, Panasonic — aims to increase the energy efficiency of its products, significantly reduce the company’s carbon emissions, and promote the proper management and disposal of chemical substances used in the production process.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Today's High-Def Headlines

Vizio Readies Up-Market Counter Attack - TWICE
Faced with a counter attack from first-tier flat-panel TV competitors moving into the discount store and warehouse club chains with more price aggressive models, Vizio will retaliate this summer and fall with high-performance offerings that the company said will maintain its strong value proposition in better-featured products.

Verizon Communications recently announced that it planned to add 25 high-definition channels to its FiOS TV lineup this month, bringing its HD offerings up to some 60 HD channels. And FiOS has said that it planned to have 150 HD channels by the end of 2008. But FiOS TV vice president of content and programming Terry Denson stressed that the ultimate goal is to be “the clear categorical leader” in HD programming by “any measure.”

To meet rising demand for high-definition-capable facilities, GlobeCast America has been investing heavily in upgrading its U.S. infrastructure for transmission and playout of HD signals. As part of that process, it has improved its global fiber network and has nearly completed the upgrade of its Culver City, Calif., operations.

LG Electronics reported higher quarterly sales and operating profit on both a global and parent basis, mainly from strong cellphone and flat-panel TV sales. On a global basis, sales jumped 22.1 percent to $12.534 billion and operating profit was $843 million, which results in a 6.7 percent profit margin for its fiscal second quarter, ended June 30.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Today's High-Def Headlines

Smithsonian Puts Its Brand on HD - MCN
This summer, producers of the new series Aerial America will wing their way across the United States as part of an ambitious plan to film all 50 states in high-definition. Aerial America, which has already completed filming California and Hawaii, is only one of several high-profile original series shot in HD that the Smithsonian Channel hopes will make it a major player in the HD space.

Mojo HD is getting into the Olympic spirit with a series of profiles on some of the U.S. athletes that have a chance to medal in Beijing. Working with USA Today Live, the TV arm of the national newspaper, Mojo has created a 10-part, all high-definition series exploring the mindsets and motivations of athletes from an array of different sports.

Direct-to-home satellite operator Dish Network said late Thursday that it will launch 17 new national HD channels Aug. 1, meeting its previously stated goal of broadcasting 100 national HD channels by year-end some five months ahead of schedule. Dish will also unveil an HD-only programming packed called “TurboHD” that starts at $24.99 per month, which it called the first 100%-HD-programming package offered in the pay TV industry (it must not be counting the failed Voom satellite service).

Dish Network had added local HDTV channels in the Beaumont – Port Arthur, Texas, market, officials at the satellite company said Friday. Dish Network now offers local channels in 66 markets reaching more than 69% of U.S. TV households, continuing its commitment to reach its year-end goal of 100 local HD markets.

William E. Boss, Jr., 86, who was known as “Mr. Color TV” for his role in bringing the technology to market while working as an executive with RCA, died here July 16, according to a report in the Indianapolis Star newspaper.

Charter Launches WealthTV in Virginia, North Carolina & South Carolina (press release)
WealthTV, the premier lifestyle and entertainment network, announced today that on August 13, it is launching on Charter Digital Cable® throughout North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, including in the cities of Asheville, Hickory, Boone, Greenville, Spartanburg, Suffolk, Sanford, among others. Currently, Charter offers WealthTV’s high definition Video on Demand (HD VOD) programming across its entire VOD enabled footprint, providing choice and convenience for its customers to watch what they want, when they want. Charter has 200 plus HD movies and shows available anytime On Demand.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Today's High-Def Headlines

DISH Network's Latest Satellite Successfully Launched - CED
Dish Network’s plans to offer more high-definition (HD) channels received a big boost with the successful launch of the EchoStar XI satellite. The launch of the satellite, which was built by Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), took place last night and was followed up by the news that its solar arrays were deployed earlier this morning.

Organic Light Emitting Diode televisions, with their minuscule energy consumption and super-clear pictures, are perceived by some as the wave of the TV-buying future. While the only OLED currently on the market is Sony’s XEL-1, an 11-inch number priced at a tidy $2,500, panel shipments for OLEDs are estimated to grow faster than any other flat-panel application, almost doubling every year through 2015, NPD Group unit DisplaySearch said this week.

DirecTV has expanded the battle for the best HD packages between cable and satellite to the on-demand realm with the nationwide launch of a VOD platform that has over 4,000 titles, including about 150 in HD. Until recently, cable, which has lagged behind satellite providers in linear high-definition channel counts, had been heavily promoting its VOD platform as way to differentiate its offering and provide consumers with a greater array of programming choices.

Sony revealed at a press review here Wednesday that it is now shipping its $399 BDP-S350 Blu-ray Disc player, which is approximately 40 percent smaller than the previous model, uses between 30 percent and 40 percent less packing material and has been re-engineered to significantly reduce its power consumption.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

NFL Network to Show 42 Preseason Games in HD

If you're ready for some football, the NFL Network is where you'll want to tune in for preseason games that kick off next month. The league-owned channel will show more preseason games than ever -- 54 -- with 42 of those being shown in high-def. Of those 42 HD games, 8 will be live while the rest will be on tape delay. More from Mediaweek.

There are a total of 65 NFL preseason games so I'd say that 42 of 'em in HD is pretty good by any standard, considering they're all exhibition games that don't count for anything.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Today's High-Def Headlines

Sharp launched Friday a nationwide consumer promotion timed with the start of Major League Baseball's (MLB) All-Star Week, July 11–15. The project, called the "Winning Lineup" sweekpstakes, will involve a retail blitz and multiple live activations in and around New York City during All-Star week. During the campaign, Sharp will award more than 1,000 prizes including trips, dozens of Aquos products and 12 chances to meet an MLB player. Twelve grand-prize winners will receive an Aquos LCD TV, “delivered” personally by an MLB player.

Overseas Computer Growth May Affect HDTV Pricing - TV Week
China’s business boom may put a crimp in your ability to buy a high-definition television in a few years. Demand for desktop computers with flat-screen monitors in regions such as Latin America and China is likely to surge as businesses with more purchasing power update their offices, according to a report from NPD Group unit DisplaySearch this week.

Satellite TV provider Dish Network will be adding 17 HD channels to its roster, reaching its goal of 100 national high-def channels by the end of the year. The 17 new channels include ActionMax HD, CBS College Sports HD, Lifetime HD, Lifetime Movie Network HD, Planet Green HD, Encore HD, seven different HBO HD channels and four Starz HD channels.

Cable companies looking to win back customers who have moved over to satellite providers and other multichannel service operators may be rethinking their strategy of focusing on high-definition video-on-demand offerings. Instead, they’re hoping an increased inventory of HD linear channels will prove attractive. Companies such as Time Warner Cable may capitalize on satellite’s flattening subscriber base by increasing HD selection, Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett wrote in a note to clients this week.

Sony and a group of Japanese manufacturers including Toshiba and Matsushita said they plan to work jointly on the development of mass-producible large-sized OLED panels for TVs, according to a Reuters report Thursday. Although details of the collaboration were to be announced later, Sony said it would join other firms, including joint ventures with Toshiba and Matsushita Electric Industrial, in the project, which is being initiated by the Japanese government.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Today's High-Def Headlines

At an “Environment Showcase” staged for the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs G8 Hokkaido-Toyako Summit, Sharp demonstrated a prototype 26-inch LCD TV that was said to consume one-third the power of conventional LCD TVs of similar size, according to a report from the Nikkei News Service. The TV was said to use one third the power of Sharp’s current 26-inch LC-26GH3, which was introduced in 2007, and was expected to use half as much power on an annual basis, the company said.

Big Ten Network will be available on Verizon Communications’ FiOS TV service in both standard-definition and HD under terms of a carriage agreement between the regional sports network and the telephone company. FiOS TV was already offering Big Ten Network in the Fort Wayne, Ind., area, and the Internet-protocol-TV service will launch the RSN region-by-region during the next few months.

With pennant race fever brewing, Charter Communications announced Wednesday that it will be adding Fox Sports Net Wisconsin and five other channels in high definition in its Wisconsin markets on Aug. 20. Charter, the dominant cable provider in the Madison area, said in a news release that it also will add Animal Planet-HD, Smithsonian Channel-HD, TBS-HD, In-Demand-HD and The Movie Channel-HD.

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Today's High-Def Headlines

CBS Evening News Gears Up for HD - B&C
As it prepares to launch the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric in HD later this month, CBS News is putting the final coat of polish on a glossy new control room that will not only support the newscast's move to the 1080-line interlaced HD format but also give CBS producers and directors more space and an improved work flow for events such as Election Night. The HD control room has been one of several engineering projects underway at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street in New York, where the network is engaged in a multiyear plan to revamp its production facilities and playout infrastructure.

Olevia-branded LCD TV supplier Syntax-Brillian said it has issued a voluntary petition to enter Chapter 11 reorganization, and has excluded its Vivitar digital camera business, which it is seeking to sell off. The company said Monday it is seeking bankruptcy protection as it attempts to sell certain assets to a newly-created company, Olevia International Group, which is under common ownership with TCV Group, a key OEM resource for the company.

LG has just started shipping its first Zenith-branded digital TV converter box with analog pass-through capability to enable residents living in areas with low-power broadcasters to continue receiving both digital and analog TV signals after the government mandated transition date of Feb. 17, 2009. The company said the Zenith DTT901 digital TV tuner with analog pass-through is now available nationwide at a $59.95 suggested retail price, which is the same price as the current Zenith DTT900 model, and like the earlier box, the DTT901 is eligible for $40 coupons from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Today's High-Def Headlines

Sony, which trailed Samsung among worldwide liquid-crystal display television set makers in the first quarter, said last week that it expects to be the market leader in high-definition TVs by 2011. Also by then, Sony expects to return its LCD operations to profitability while building its Blu-ray-related operations into a business that will approach $10 billion in annual sales.

MGM HD Staffs Up After Carriage Deals - MCN
The MGM HD channel is staffing up, after signing carriage deals with Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Dish Network. The programmer said it hired Gracelyn Brown as vice president of programming, overseeing programming and scheduling for the channel and related video-on-demand service. She had been director of programming at KTLA in Los Angeles.

RCN Adds 10 HD Channels In N.Y. Market - MCN
RCN is adding 10 new HDTV networks to its line-up in the New York City market, officials said last week. The new HD services include Discovery Channel HD, Animal Planet HD, TLC HD, HGTV HD, The Science Channel HD, Lifetime Movie Network HD, Food Network HD, Travel Channel HD, Versus/Golf HD and NFL Network HD.

DISH Network Adds Four More Local HD Markets - MCN
DISH Network has launched local HDTV service in Albany – Schenectady – Troy, N.Y.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Lansing, Mich.; and Syracuse, N.Y., officials said Thursday. In January, Dish Network unveiled plans to enhance its HD programming lineup throughout the year. The satellite provider says it remains committed to reach its year-end goal of 100 local HD markets and 100 national HD channels. It now offers HD locals in 65 markets, reaching more than 69% of U.S. TV households.

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Verizon Adding 15 New HD Channels for Hoosiers

Today must be the day for new HD channel announcements. Verizon FiOS TV is at it as well, saying that it is adding 15 new high-def channels in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. The newbies are Big Ten Network, Bravo, CNBC, HBO West, History, The Weather Channel and USA Network. Eight more will soon be added: CNN, Lifetime, TBS, Showtime West, Showtime 2, Starz Comedy, Starz Edge and Starz Kids & Family. According to Multichannel News, Verizon said that it will offer "all available major HD programming" by the end of this year.

Cablevision Prepping New HD Channel Blitz

New York-area cable giant Cablevision will add 15 new high-def channels beginning on July 28th and concluding on August 1st in an expansion that will increase its total HD offering to 60 channels. The new HD channels will include AMC, Animal Planet, Discovery, FOX News Channel, FX, Hallmark Movie Channel, Nickelodeon, Travel Channel, The Weather Channel and WE tv. Multichannel News has the full story.

RCN Adding 7 New HD Channels in Pennsylvania

Cable overbuilder RCN Corp. is adding Animal Planet, Discovery, Food Network, Lifetime Movie Network, Science Channel, TLC and Travel Channel to its HD lineup in Pennsylvania. The company will also begin offering HD video on demand (VOD).

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Today's High-Def Headlines

Samsung SDI to Invest $529 Million to up OLED Output - Reuters
South Korean display maker Samsung SDI Co. said on Monday it would boost production of next-generation organic displays to six times the current level by mid-2009, spending $529 million. The move comes as leading panel makers try to grab a piece of the fast-growing market for active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AM-OLED) displays, which make better-quality, slimmer and more energy-efficient screens than liquid crystal displays.

Mitsubishi Adds 16-Speaker LCD TV Line - TWICE
In addition to revealing plans for 3-D DLP packages and new LaserVue DLP screen sizes, Mitsubishi used a recent press conference, here, to formally unveiled its UltraThin Frame premium flat-panel TV line featuring an Integrated Sound Projector (iSP). The line, which ships this month, includes the 46-inch LT-46149 ($3,299 suggested retail) and 52-inch LT-52159 ($3,699) models.

Dish Network Monday added local HD service in Grand Rapids, Mich., and Memphis, and revealed its local HD rollout plans for 22 markets for the summer and fall. Right now, the nation’s No. 2 satellite provider offers HD locals in 61 markets reaching more than 68% of U.S. TV households.