Today's High-Def Headlines

In This War, How to Ally With Both - NY Times
The electronics industry has spent billions of dollars on a stupid and unnecessary battle between the next-generation DVD formats: Blu-ray and HD DVD. And so far, it’s all been pretty much for nothing; consumers aren’t touching the things. Nobody wants to risk buying a DVD player that can play only half of the world’s movies.

CR Survey Finds DTV Confusion - TWICE
Despite growing awareness of the pending cut-off of analog TV broadcasts, consumers continue to show significant confusion on the matter, a study conducted by Consumer Reports has found.
The Consumer Reports National Research Center conducted a national telephone survey that found that 74 percent of respondents were aware of the transition, but have major misconceptions about its impact.

HDNet to Carry Shuttle Launch - TV Week
HDNet will be the exclusive high-definition telecaster of the Space Shuttle Atlantis launch Feb. 7. The telecast of NASA’s 24th U.S. mission to the International Space Station will start at 2 p.m., with the launch scheduled for 2:45 p.m., HDNet said in a statement.

Matsushita Profit Up 22%, Outlook Unchanged - Reuters
Panasonic maker Matsushita Electric Industrial reported a 22 percent gain in quarterly operating profit on brisk demand for its digital cameras and flat televisions, and it stood by its annual outlook that falls short of market expectations. Matsushita has been weathering slowing growth in the plasma TV market relatively well because its hefty output capacity can help it cut production costs, but it now faces a firmer yen and the risk of a U.S. recession.

FAQ: What the Digital TV Switch Actually Means - CNET News.com
In a little over a year, some analog television sets will go dark in the U.S., but avid TV viewers shouldn't panic. Chances are, most Americans won't even notice. February 17, 2009, is D-day for broadcasters to turn off their analog broadcasts and switch to digital. For most TV viewers, the switch will come and go without much notice. But for a small minority of the population, who still get their TV over the air using rabbit-ear antennas, some adjustments will have to be made.