Comcast Offering Universal HD

I'm a little late on this one, but Comcast is offering Universal HD in many of its markets throughout the country. It was rolled out in time for the Winter Olympic coverage that began last week but I never saw an actual announcement from either company.

Cox, Time Warner, DIRECTV and DISH also offer Universal HD in at least some parts of the U.S.

DISH Launches HD Locals in Chicago

DISH Network said today that local broadcast channels are now available in high-definition over its satellite network to subscribers in Chicago. This announcement comes on the heels of HD locals being rolled out in New York City and Los Angeles last week. The following Chicago local TV channels will be available: ABC Ch. 7 (WLS), CBS Ch. 2 (WBBM), NBC Ch. 5 (WMAQ) and FOX Ch. 32 (WFLD).

DISH says it will reach more than 50 percent of U.S. TV households with local HD channels by year's end.

MovieBeam to Launch HD Movies Online

Disney spinoff MovieBeam today is launching an online movie rental service that will be the first to feature HD films. The offering requires a special set-top box from Cisco division Linksys that will cost about $200 after rebate. High-def movies will cost $4.99 to view, compared to $3.99 for first-run standard format movies. Older HD titles will cost $2.99 each.

MovieBeam, which uses datacasting technology over the Public Broadcasting System network, will initially be available in 29 U.S. cities.

Reuters has the full story:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060214/tc_nm/media_moviebeam_dc

Sony Reports Bravia LCD Malfunction

Sony has discovered a malfunction in 400,000 Bravia flat-panel and rear-projection LCD displays that it sold beginning late last year that causes them to stay turned on or not be switched out of stand-by mode after 1,200 hours of viewing. In addition to being sold in U.S., the malfunctioning units were also sold in Japan, China, other Asian countries and South America.

Reuters reports that customers who own a Bravia LCD and have it connected to a digital cable set-top box can have their HDTV upgraded automatically. However, if you've only got analog cable, Sony must send a technician to your house to fix it manually.

More here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060214/tc_nm/japan_sony_dc

18 Million DTV Sets to be Sold in '06: CEA

The Consumer Electronics Association projects that more than 18 million digital TV sets will be sold this year, up 50% from 2005. CEA president Gary Shapiro made the comments in a statement praising President Bush for signing legislation establishing Feb. 17, 2009 as the cutoff date for analog TV broadcasts.

TNT HD Launches on DIRECTV

DIRECTV announced last week that it has reached an agreement to offer TNT HD as part of its $10.99 a month HD package, beginning on Feb. 17. The deal was consummated in time for TNT's high-def broadcast of the NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 19 in Houston.

DIRECTV's HD package now consists of Discovery HD Theater, ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD, HDNet, HDNet Movies, TNT HD and Universal HD. HBO HD and Showtime HD are also available to subscribers of those premium channels, as are HD local channels in select markets.

Bright House, Comcast, DISH Network and Time Warner Cable also offer TNT HD.

DISH Launches HD Locals in NYC, L.A.

DISH Network announced today that it has launched local channels in high-def in both New York City and Los Angeles, just in time for its customers to watch Super Bowl XL on FOX this Sunday. ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX are included in the package, and the local channels in both standard-definition and HD are available for $5 a month. DISH's stated goal is to offer HD locals reaching more than 50% of U.S. TV households by the end of this year.

DISH's launch of HD locals, as well as already-reported launches of ESPN2 HD and Universal HD, utilizes MPEG4 technology that requires a new compatible HD receiver. The ViP211 model, which is the first that supports both MPEG2 and MPEG4, carries a $49.99 upgrade charge for new lease customers.

The company also announced a promotion through RadioShack that offers new customers next-day installation if they sign up before Feb. 28th.

Congress Finally Approves 2009 DTV Transition

After months of negotiations and competing bills, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget bill that sets Feb. 17, 2009 as the cutoff date for analog TV broadcasts. Since the Senate already passed a bill with the same DTV language, the measure now goes to President Bush for his signature.

Included in the bill is a provision for a nearly $1 billion subsidy to help consumers purchase digital-to-analog converter boxes by giving each household up to two $40 vouchers.

http://news.com.com/Early+2009+set+for+end+of+analog+TV/2100-1028_3-6034105.html?tag=fd_nbs_ent&tag=nl.e703

Sharp Reports Strong LCD Demand

Sharp said this week that demand for its industry-leading LCD flat-panel displays was strong in the last quarter of 2005, which helped generate a 20% increase in its quarterly profit. The company netted $371 million in the period, which essentially matched Wall Street's expectations.

More from Reuters:
http://news.com.com/Sharp+profit+up+20+percent/2100-1047_3-6033831.html?tag=nl

Forbes Highlights HDTV

Forbes.com has a slideshow of what it terms the "coolest" HDTVs and HDTV-related products. Among them are HP's 1080p DLP that uses wobulation and Samsung's 82-inch LCD flat-panel.

Here's the link:
http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/2006/01/23/hdtv-plasma-lcd-cx_gd_0124feat_ls.html?partner=rss