Today's High-Def Headlines

DirecTV Is Now John Malone's TV - MCN
With John Malone’s Liberty Media now its largest shareholder, DirecTV last week promised to keep focusing on video, particularly HDTV, as a weapon against cable’s bundle of TV, phone and Internet services — a triple play deemed invincible as recently as a year ago. Just one day after Malone got his hands on the nation’s largest satellite operator, DirecTV told Wall Street analysts that video would still be king. Why not? DirecTV has become the arms leader in high-definition programming, counting 92 national networks in its arsenal against what it says are fewer than 30 in major markets from cable operators.

Verizon Hopes to Go Into Extra Innings - MCN
Verizon Communications said it is currently in negotiations with Major League Baseball to offer the league’s Extra Innings package to FiOS TV subscribers, but the telco cautioned that there’s no guarantee a deal will be done by the time the season starts. The Extra Innings package offers subscribers as many as 60 out-of-market games a week during the regular season, with some contests available in high-definition.

No Profit Bonanza Likely From Analog TV Cutoff - TWICE
About 30 million TV screens will be affected by the end of full-power analog TV broadcasting in 2009, but that may not be much of a windfall for consumer electronics manufacturers and retailers, according to a report from Digital Tech Consulting. The report, entitled “The End of Analog TV: The Opportunities and Inhibitors of the U.S. Digital TV Transition,” said the transition will mean a boost in TV reception products from set-top converter boxes to off-air TV antennas, but much of that will be in low-margined gear.

iSuppli: Samsung Tops In 4th-Quarter LCD TV Share - TWICE
Samsung outpaced all brands in North American LCD TV market share during the fourth quarter of 2007, knocking Vizio, the leader for the prior two quarters back to third place, according to a flat-panel TV brand share report issued by market research firm iSuppli. Samsung's fourth-quarter unit-shipment market share rose to 14.2 percent, up from 12.8 percent in the third quarter, iSuppli said. The South Korean company had been in second place in the third quarter.

Best Buy to Help Pay Customers' DIRECTV Bills (press release)
Ready for HD? Best Buy is ready to help you pay your bills. Beginning March 2, Best Buy will launch a relationship with DIRECTV where Best Buy will pay $30 monthly on new customers' DIRECTV bills. Designed to encourage customers to experience the best in high definition, Best Buy will actually pay a portion of customers' bills in the form of a credit appearing on each monthly statement.