Group Forms to Develop Wireless HDTV

A group called WirelessHD has formed to develop and promote the transmission of HDTV signals wirelessly, hoping to eliminate the rat's nest of cords, cables and other wires that lurk behind most of today's home theater systems. WirelessHD is comprised of six leading HDTV manufacturers -- LG Electronics, Matsushita (parent of Panasonic), NEC, Samsung Electronics, Sony and Toshiba -- as well as SiBEAM, a start-up whose technology the group will use. The consortium has been operating informally until today and intends to standardize wireless HD signals sometime next year before bringing to market products that will be part of HDTVs and other CE components.

According to the companies, "WirelessHD, which intends to specify the unlicensed, globally available 60 GHz frequency band, will enable wireless uncompressed high-definition, high-quality video and data transmission and is first targeted to be built into HDTV's as well as a wide range of audio video (A/V) devices, both fixed location and portable."

AT&T to Roll Out HDTV over IPTV in 15 Markets This Year

AT&T said today in its third-quarter earnings report that it is testing HDTV over IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) in Houston and that it plans to introduce the new high-def offering in 15 markets by the end of this year. AT&T U-verse has been available in parts of San Antonio since June and now has 3,000 customers but so far has lacked an HD component. The U-verse website says that the HD package will cost $10 a month, which is pretty much in line with competing offerings from cable and satellite.

The Traditional CRT Continues to Fade from View

The AP ran a piece today picked up in numerous newspapers regarding the impending death of the cathode-ray tube TV in favor of flat-panel LCD and plasma. There are some interesting data in the article from research firms DisplaySearch and iSuppli, but the one thing that stuck out at me was the complete lack of any mention of rear-projection technologies such as DLP and LCoS. I get some heat from time to time from readers who bemoan my focus on flat-panel displays, but the truth is that the industry seems much more focused in that direction. It’s not that microdisplay technologies don’t provide a quality picture at a good price, because they do. There just doesn’t seem to be that much buzz surrounding them recently.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/gear/2006-10-22-crt-demise_x.htm?csp=34

BusinessWeek Compares HDTVs, Names Favorite

BusinessWeek has joined the list of publications reviewing HDTVs and goes so far as to name Sharp's new 52-inch Aquos LC-52D62U its “favorite set.” This week’s edition has a whole slew of HD related articles, so it's worth checking out.

Cisco: HD Video Conferencing Will Be Big Business

Cisco Systems yesterday took the wraps off its new high-definition video conferencing system dubbed TelePresence. Available in December, the base model for one-on-one meetings is priced at $79,000 per station while the advanced unit for larger meetings goes for $299,000 per station. Cisco is hoping that it can both simplify and improve the quality of video conferencing, which has long been touted as a way for companies to make their meetings more efficient but has consistently failed to live up to the hype. The company says that TelePresence could be a billion-dollar business within 5 to 7 years.

Samsung to Focus on LCD Profits Rather Than Growth

Samsung Electronics is shifting its LCD focus to profitability from capital investment as a means of growth, a sign that the competitive market for LCDs will soon take a toll on manufacturers' profit margins. Until very recently, competitive pressures have forced an arms race among the likes of Samsung, Sony and Sharp to invest in new production facilities while also slashing prices. It doesn't take an economist to figure out that that is a recipe for long-term failure, so Samsung is adopting the viewpoint that its eighth-generation plant soon to come online will be sufficient to grow its capacity, particularly for large panels 50-inches and up. Stable growth and increasing profits will be the mantra from now on, especially as demand for LCDs slows in the first half of '07.

The Wall Street Journal, which is free today courtesy of Philips, has the full story.

Start-up Enables HDTV on Your Laptop

Pennsylvania-based start-up AutumnWave yesterday announced the release of an over-the-air antenna that enables users to receive HD and other digital broadcast TV signals on their laptop computers. The OnAir GT, which retails for $179, uses essentially the same technology as a standard over-the-air TV antenna, with the primary difference being its more compact form factor suitable for travel. CNET has a review.

This is a pretty cool idea whose ultimate success hinges on the reliability of the over-the-air signals it attempts to capture. As anyone who's attempted to hook an OTA antenna up to their HDTV at home knows, such broadcasts can be fairly unreliable, especially if you live in an area where there are hills, mountains, tall buildings or fog. But if you can get it to receive the signals, you should be able to watch local HD and digital broadcasts of your favorite sports and other TV programs, all without being confined to your living room.

RadioShack Offering Online HDTV Course

RadioShack said today that it is offering a series of online courses for consumers, one of which will help them understand HDTV. The course began on Oct. 9 and ends on Nov. 10, and consists of four primary lessons. More here.

Hitachi Plans Blu-ray Camcorder for Next Year

Hitachi is planning two camcorders for '07 that will record in 1080i, one a Blu-ray Disc model and the other supporting AVCHD. The Blu-ray camcorder will be priced around $1,500 and the AVCHD one slightly more. TWICE has the full story.

HP MediaSmart HDTV Wins DigitalLife Best of Show

HP's MediaSmart 37" LCD HDTV was named the Best Home Theater Product at this week's DigitalLife show in New York City, the conference organizers announced today. In addition to the standard LCD features, the 1366 x 768 SLC3760N boasts wired/wireless streaming of audio, video files from PC to TV as well as a TV/PC connection to Web music, photos, videos. The LCD retails for $2,199 and there's also a 10 percent off coupon available.

Dell Takes the Wraps Off New LCD TVs

Dell yesterday unveiled two new LCD HDTVs at the DigitalLife show in New York City. From the company:

Dell’s new W3207C and W3707C high-definition LCD televisions, sized 32- and 37-inches respectively, feature optimal combinations of resolution, contrast ratio and brightness that deliver vivid images and motion video with razor-sharp picture clarity even in well-lit rooms or near windows. Both the W3207C and W3707C include built-in high-definition television tuners that allow users to enjoy HD content over-the-air as well as an array of digital and analog A/V connectors that make it easy to connect to a wide range of devices such as cable set-top boxes, Blu-ray and HD-DVD players, and personal computers. All Dell televisions feature a flexible design that personalizes to meet user space preferences via either wall-mounting or TV stand.

The W3207C is available immediately in the U.S. with a starting price of $1,199. Features include:

--High-definition resolution of 1,366x768 (WXGA)
--1,200:1 contrast ratio produces detailed and vibrant colors at every image and frame when watching HD programs
--Fast 8-millisecond response time
--Integrated speakers with 30 watts of audio power enable dynamic surround sound capability.

The W3707C is available immediately in the U.S. with a starting price of $1,699. Features include:

--Large 37-inch display fits well in most family or home theater rooms
--Detachable 30-watt speakers with SRS® TruSurround XTTM feature transforms the television audio into a stunning surround sound-like experience
--Picture-in-picture mode for dual-source viewing
--Dual HDMI connectivity for connecting to DVD, Blu-ray and HD-DVD players
--Connect to a PC via the VGA connector for multimedia monitor functionality
--Extensive analog A/V connectivity including composite, component and s-video connectors enables connection to a VCR, cable set-top box, DVD player-recorder or camcorder.

Discovery's Stinchcomb Gets Promotion

The Discovery Channel's Clint Stinchcomb, widely regarded as one of the brightest minds in the media industry, has been promoted to executive VP/general manager for HDTV and New Media. He has been the head of Discovery HD Theater and is primarily responsible for the Discovery Atlas HD series that premiered earlier this month and is among the finest programming you will see this year.

Congratulations to Clint!

Update: Home Depot Now Selling HDTVs in Stores

A loyal 1080eye reader has informed me that not only is Home Depot selling HDTVs online, as I reported two weeks ago, but is now featuring them in its actual warehouse stores as well. Everyone wants a piece of the HD action!

DIRECTV to Add 25 More Local HD Markets

DIRECTV said yesterday that it will add high-def local channels in 25 additional markets by the end of the year, bringing its total local HD coverage to 74 percent of households in the U.S. The new markets will be:

-- Albuquerque, N.M.
-- Buffalo, N.Y.
-- Des Moines, Iowa
-- Flint, Mich.
-- Ft. Meyers, Fla.
-- Grand Rapids, Mich.
-- Green Bay, Wisc.
-- Greensboro, N.C.
-- Greenville, S.C.
-- Harrisburg, Pa.
-- Springfield, Mo.
-- Jacksonville, Fla.
-- Little Rock, Ark.
-- Madison, Wisc.
-- Mobile, Ala.
-- New Orleans
-- Norfolk, Va.
-- Oklahoma City, Okla.
-- Portland, Me.
-- Providence, R.I.
-- Reno, Nev.
-- Santa Barbara, Calif.
-- Spokane, Wa.
-- Toledo, Ohio
-- Tulsa, Okla.

Flat-Panel vs. RPTV: Which News to Choose

I've gotten a handful of comments over the last several weeks from people who say I focus this blog too heavily on plasma and LCD flat-panel at the expense of DLP (primarily). It's a fair criticism and as way of response, the first thing I'll say is that going forward I will try to cover other technologies such as DLP and LCoS a little more in depth. However, to a large extent I'm limited by the news and product developments coming from the manufacturing community, which lately seems to have centered around the sexier flat-panels.

It brings up a good point, though: am I missing other areas of the industry that you'd like to see covered? I try to touch on a number of different aspects of HDTV, including content and programming, TV technology and buying tips, but am of course always open to suggestions for improvements.

Thanks for your continued support!

-Mark

CEA: Consumers Remain Interested and Confused

The Consumer Electronics Association has released results of a survey it performed in July that shows 47 percent of consumers plan to upgrade to a new TV in the next year, a big reason why the overall U.S. TV market this year will approach $20 billion. CEA categorized 77 percent of consumers as "entry-level," meaning that they will spend less than $2,500 to upgrade their home theater system, 22 percent as "move-up" households who will spend $2,500 to $25,000 on upgrades, and 0.3 percent as "custom consumers" who will plunk down more than $25K.

More from Video Business Online.

Sony Offering Customizable LCD Bezels

Sony Electronics, looking to move HDTV sales beyond early adopters who trend male, is offering consumers the option of buying kits that allow them to change the color of the bezel frame that surrounds the LCD flat-panel screen. Color options for the kits, which run $299, include scarlet red, pacific blue, chocolate brown, pearlescent white, and matte black. More from the Chicago Tribune.

This isn't a bad idea at all, as plenty of consumers would likely appreciate the ability to add some color to the otherwise staid gray or silver that flat-panel displays usually offer. And at $299, the price is about right for a several-thousand-dollar purchase. My main concern would be that a bright red bezel would detract from the actual picture.

Affluent Folks Want Flat Panel TVs (Duh!)

In perhaps the most obvious survey results I've seen in awhile, TWICE reports that a company called Thomas, Townsend & Kent (TTK) has released a survey showing that wealthy Americans rank flat-panel TVs at the top of their consumer electronics wish lists. 14.5 percent of those surveyed plan to buy a flat-panel TV in the next six months, followed by 13.7 percent who will buy a home theater system and 10.4 percent who plan a video game console purchase.

I have to say that 15 percent doesn't seem like that big of a number to me. The more interesting data point is that 77 percent plan to buy their flat-panel display at Best Buy, compared to 54 percent at Circuit City and 41 percent at Wal-Mart.

Do wealthy people really shop at Wal-Mart?

Perhaps some of these folks should also consider their local home theater specialty store...

Canon-Toshiba Venture Set for '08 SED Production

Canon and Toshiba announced today that they will enter the flat-panel display market by jointly manufacturing surface-conduction electron-emitter display (SED) TVs starting late next year and into 2008. The companies are touting SED's thinner profile and energy saving characteristics as competitive advantages over plasma and LCD. However, it would seem that with flat panel display prices falling as dramatically as they have in the last two years -- and with continued price pressures from lower-cost manufacturers in Korea and China -- SED will face a significant challenge in dethroning plasma and LCD from their current positions. To wit, I have never heard anyone say of their new flat panel display, "it's nice, but how great would it be if it were even thinner..."

Sony Blu-ray Player to Debut in December

Sony announced at the CEATEC show that its first Blu-ray Disc player will go on sale in Japan on Dec. 8 at a price of about $2,500 for a model with a 500 GB hard drive. No word on U.S. availability. Reuters has more.