Fox News, QVC Now in High-Def

May Day is HD launch day for the Fox News Channel, which will be available tomorrow on select Time Warner Cable systems including New York City and San Antonio. Broadcasting & Cable reports that Fox News HD will borrow the "HD wing" graphic from sister channel Fox Business Channel HD and will use it to display news headlines, weather forecasts and sports scores (a la ESPNEWS).

No word yet on when other video providers such as DirecTV, DISH and Comcast may be getting Fox News HD.

Also now available in high-def is the home shopping channel QVC, according to Multichannel News. QVC is currently looking for distribution partners for its HD feed.

Sony & Samsung Ramping Up LCD Manufacturing

Sony and Samsung have decided to up the manufacturing capabilities of their joint S-LCD plant in South Korea, TWICE reports today. The new arm of the factory will begin production a year from now and will cost about $1.8 billion to open.

Verizon FiOS TV Adds Quarter-Million New Customers

Verizon said yesterday that it added 263,000 new FiOS TV subscribers in the first quarter of 2008, bringing its total to 1.2 million. Verizon is now the nation's 9th-largest cable company according to Multichannel News, and is just behind Mediacom and Suddenlink, both of which it will likely surpass this quarter. 

Panasonic, Pioneer Formalizing Partnership

Panasonic will begin manufacturing all of the plasma panels used in Pioneer plasma TVs next year and will absorb about 200 of Pioneer's plasma engineers this summer, according to reports in Nikkei Business Daily and TWICE. Formal details of the partnership will be presented next month but the broad outlines of the venture are now in place.

JVC Shuttering Japanese TV Plants

In an effort to become more profitable, JVC said Friday that it is closing down its Japanese LCD manufacturing facilities as well as those in Scotland and will instead move the work to its plant in Thailand and a contract manufacturer in Poland, TWICE reports. The company will not, however, cease selling LCD TVs in Japan as had been rumored -- but it will now only sell 42-inch and larger models there, which are more profitable.

DISH Continues Local HD Ramp-Up

DISH Network announced this morning that it has added local HD broadcast networks in 8 new markets. They are:

1. Burlington, Vt.
2. Greensboro/Winston-Salem, N.C.
3. Greenville, S.C.
4. Huntsville, Ala.
5. Jackson, Miss.
6. Knoxville, Tenn.
7. Mobile, Ala./Pensacola, Fla.
8. Providence, R.I.

Samsung Emphasizing Design With "Touch of Color"

TWICE has the story of Samsung's new Touch of Color (ToC) flat-panel TV design that features, among other items, red accent borders around the bezel that can look like crystal in appearance depending on the lighting.

CEA Says Half of U.S. Homes Will Have HD by End of '08

The Consumer Electronics Association released its annual report on household CE ownership, research which predicts that over 50% of U.S. homes should have an HDTV by the end of this year. Overall, average American families spent over $1,400 each on consumer electronics products last year, up $120 from '06. More from TWICE.

Consumer Reports Reviews Sony's New OLED

An interesting read if you've got a few minutes is the new review out from Consumer Reports on Sony's 11-inch OLED display (retail price: $2,500). The review is positively glowing -- in spite of an astronomical price tag for such a small TV, CR says the picture quality is stunning and that they absolutely cannot wait for the technology to manifest itself in larger screen sizes. 

The State of Wireless HDMI

CNET's NewsBlog runs an item this morning on some wireless HDMI products that have been announced over the last couple of years with the goal of determining if any of them are actually for sale. The upshot? Nada, at least not yet. The Belkin FlyWire seems to be the best bet although it's not yet available and will run about $500 when it makes its expected debut this October.

For any of you who have a wall-mounted plasma or LCD TV, you know that having a wireless HDMI option would be ideal so that you wouldn't have to worry about running an HDMI cable through the back of your wall to the corner of your room where it then connects to your receiver or cable/satellite box. HDMI has fast become the de facto standard for AV hookups but the wireless angle remains an elusive holy grail.

Cable HD Compression Story Won't Go Away

It started out as a relatively obscure post on the AVS Forum, a techie haven that deals with all things HD and home theater related: Comcast and the other cable companies are increasingly relying on compression techniques to cram more HD channels into the relatively limited amount of video bandwidth they have in their networks. Now the mainstream press has picked up on the story, with the AP running a piece this morning that's been printed in dozens of newspapers across the country. 

Comcast defends its practice of compressing three HD channels into one 6 Mhz analog channel -- compared to the normal two HD channels in the same space -- and notes that viewers are pining for more and more HD channels. With limited bandwidth available, Comcast says that some form of compression is necessary (although Verizon's FiOS TV service doesn't compress due to the much higher bandwidth available through an all-fiber network). 

It should be pointed out that the major broadcast networks and channels like ESPN and HBO are not being subjected to their higher rate of compression. In any event, I would recommend that you check out all the HD options available to you (cable, satellite, telco, over-the-air) at the homes of friends or relatives who have them before you decide on one, and certainly before you sign any kind of contract. It may be that your cable company does a better job of lab testing than Comcast seemingly does or it may be that you can actually get Verizon FiOS or AT&T U-verse and not have to worry about it. But you should ask around and try to gauge the HD picture quality for yourself before you get something installed that you'll later regret.

DISH Adds CNN, Sci-Fi and USA in HD

DISH Network said Friday that it has added the high-def feeds of CNN (channel 200), Sci-Fi (channel 122) and USA Network (channel 105) to its HD lineup. The three new channels are available to any DISH subscribers with the America's Top 100 package or higher who also subscribe to the Essentials HD add-on.

Armani Does HDTV

If you're looking for a little more style out of your next LCD flat-panel, Giorgio Armani has just the ticket for you: he has teamed up with Samsung to co-design LCD TVs. According to Reuters, "the lean LCD television comes with a stylish remote control and a special mode lighted power switch that customizes the Armani and Samsung logos."

Call me crazy but I'm guessing that this thing will command a significant premium over a standard Samsung LCD. I just hope it has more than a pretty remote and Armani logo to justify the price.

DISH Says Satellite Failure Won't Hurt HD Plans

Multichannel News has the story of DISH Network's latest filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission in which the company says the failure of satellite AMC-14 won't hurt the company's ability to continue its aggressive HD rollout in 2008. The satellite, which was launched by SES Americom last month and insured for $150 million, is floating around space somewhere unable to be put into proper orbit, causing SES to declare it a total loss to the insurer.

DISH says it will launch two additional satellites this year that will enable the company to offer 100 national high-def channels and local HD broadcast networks in 100 U.S. markets.

DISH Rolls Out More HD Locals

DISH Network this week has launched HD local broadcast networks in several new markets:

• Baltimore
  
• Cleveland
  
• Columbia, S.C.
  
• Green Bay, Wisc.
  
• Milwaukee
  
• Richmond, Virg.
  
• Tampa
  

Lifetime HD Coming to a Telco Near You

Women's cable network Lifetime Television yesterday announced the launch of an HD feed of its channel and said that it has already signed carriage deals with AT&T U-verse and Verizon FiOS TV. Interesting that its initial distribution deals are with telcos rather than cable or satellite providers. More from TV Week.

JVC May Shutter Japanese TV Business

A report from the Nikkei News Service picked up by TWICE says that JVC is considering a plan to withdraw from the Japanese flat-panel TV market, focusing solely on Europe and North America. If the plan comes to fruition, JVC would be the first Japanese TV manufacturer to retreat from Japan, yet another signal that falling prices and declining profit margins are hurting the ability of manufacturers to stay competitive in the LCD TV business.

JVC is merging with Kenwood later this year, a move that may also be impacting the possible pullout from the Japanese TV market.

Comcast Ups HD Ante in San Francisco Bay Area

Comcast said today that it has added AMC HD, Animal Planet HD, CNN HD, Food Network HD, Sci-Fi HD and TLC HD to its high-def lineup in the San Francisco Bay Area. The cable giant now offers 36 high-def channels in the Bay Area along with 400 HD On Demand titles.

'Survivor' Coming in HD

Reality shows have long been a favorite of network suits due to their low production costs. With no seven-figure talent to pay (other than a semi-famous host from time to time), no expensive scripts to buy and fairly cheap sets to build, reality shows are the epitome of low-budget programming. This also explains why they're almost never shot in high-definition: if the networks are skimping on costs everywhere else, why would they spend 30% more on production if they don't have to? Currently only a few reality shows are in HD -- one on each network: FOX's 'American Idol', ABC's 'Dancing with the Stars' and NBC's 'American Gladiator'. 

Well CBS has decided to class up its reality genre this fall by filming the 17th season of 'Survivor' in HD. Trade pub Variety has more details but the short version is that CBS will be using Sony equipment to make the high-def leap. It won't be easy or cheap considering the quantity of cameras used in the show's production or the sometimes unique nature of the camera shots, but the program's scenic backdrops should add a tremendous visual appeal in HD.

Today's High-Def Headlines

Funai To Take Over Philips U.S TV Distribution - TWICE
Royal Philips Electronics and Funai Electric of Japan said Tuesday they have reached a brand-licensing agreement under which Funai will assume responsibility for the sourcing, distribution, marketing and sales of all Philips’ consumer television activities in the United States and Canada. The five-year minimum agreement, which takes effect Sept. 1, 2008, will give Philips royalty payments in exchange for Funai’s right to exclusively use the Philips and Magnavox brand names for its consumer television offerings in North America.

Verizon Defends 'Uncompressed HDTV' Ads
Verizon Communications is standing by its claim that FiOS TV delivers “uncompressed” high-definition channels, while acknowledging that the video it distributes to customers is already compressed by programmers. Verizon is running a TV ad campaign claiming that FiOS TV delivers “pure uncompressed high definition,” touting the supposedly superior picture quality available through the service over cable.

Mitsubishi Unveils ‘Premium’ TV Focus - TWICE
In an effort to stay out of the price wars in the entry and mid-range TV businesses, Mitsubishi showed dealers and the press here last week its 2008 DLP rear-projection and LCD TV lineups that will all be positioned as “premium” lines for its retail partners. In total, the company showed three 1080p DLP TV lines and three 1080p LCD TV lines, featuring new advanced features and cabinet styling. It also gave a sneak peek of products slated for distribution later in the year, including the previously announced laser-lamp-based 1080p DLP rear-projection line, which Mitsubishi said it will call LaserVue.

Playing To Win On HDTV - Forbes
Videogames aren't just for kids--they're a national pastime. Not surprisingly, HDTV manufacturers like Sharp and Samsung are eager to help. Over the past year, they've been aggressively courting gamers by promoting high-definition televisions specially optimized to enhance videogaming. Is it all marketing hype? When are the features worth the price?

Verizon to Cease Broadcasting Analog Channels on FiOS - CED Magazine
Verizon said it will cease broadcasting analog channels on its FiOS TV service. Verizon is making the move in advance of the federal mandate to phase out analog television broadcasts in February 2009. The telco said that by eliminating analog signals now, it will avoid customer confusion later. In fact, Verizon had cut a deal with the FCC to cease analog transmission prior to the 2009 date in exchange for a waiver exempting it from the ban on set-top boxes (STBs) with integrated security, which was put into effect in July.

A Good Idea: Ask Customers What They Want

While rummaging around the Internet yesterday I came across an interesting item: Insight cable, a medium-sized operator serving parts of the Midwest, has a survey on its website asking customers which HD channels they'd most like to see added to Insight's high-def lineup. Choices include some well-known HD favorites such as CNN HD, Food Network HD and HGTV HD along with some HD newbies like ESPNEWS HD and some channels that aren't even available in high-def yet like ESPNU and Fox News.

This is an outstanding idea and Insight is to be applauded for actually caring what its customers think. Too often it seems like cable companies add high-def channels in a haphazard manner with bizarre or no rationale. [As an example, someone please explain to me how SureWest, a small cable overbuilder in Sacramento, offers 50 high-def channels but not yet ESPN2 HD. They even offer the Big Ten Network HD -- in California! -- but not ESPN2 HD. Just plain weird.]

Some cable companies like Time Warner have an email link on their website from which you can suggest new channels for them to include, but I've never seen a cable provider survey its customers publicly with an actual list of channels from which their customers can pick their top choices.

So bravo, Insight. More cable companies should follow your lead.

Today's High-Def Headlines

Sony Adds Svelte HD Camcorder - TWICE
Sony will ship a new high definition camcorder to dealers in May. The HDR-TG1 weighs in at 10 ounces and records 1920 by 1080i video to Memory Stick PRO Duo and PRO Duo Mark2 cards. A 4GB Mark2 card will be bundled with the unit. It can also snap 4-megapixel still images.

Hallmark Movie Channel HD Debuts In San Antonio - MCN
The coming out party for Hallmark Movie Channel HD came in San Antonio. The high-definition version of Hallmark Movie Channel debuted yesterday on Time Warner Cable’s San Antonio system on channel 153. The network has also gained a berth on Time Warner Cable of New York and New Jersey. Hallmark Movie Channel HD will bow on the cluster’s systems serving the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island on April 30, as part of an extensive HD expansion.

Comcast Ups HD Count in Philly - MCN
Comcast added five new high-definition channels to its lineup in the Philadelphia metro area, which includes surrounding suburbs and northern Delaware, bringing its HD count (including pay and local channels) to 31. The five HD nets are: AMC HD, Animal Planet HD, CNN HD, History Channel HD and TLC HD. By the end of the year, Comcast plans to make more than 1,000 HD movies and TV shows available on its video-on-demand services in all markets.

A Small-Screen Newcomer With Big Promise and a High Price - NYT
The Sony XEL-1 is a big idea in a small, expensive package. The first television available in the United States to use organic light-emitting diodes, it provides strong contrast, pure blacks and good detail in a screen that is thinner than the cord that powers it. The O.L.E.D. screen is a promising TV technology. It uses no backlight, so it requires little power to run; Sony estimates it is 40 percent more efficient for each panel-inch than a conventional L.E.D. screen.

Time Warner Adding Dozens of HD Nets in NY/NJ

Time Warner Cable of New York and New Jersey said today that it will up its high-def channel count to 50 HD networks by April 30 in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, up from 25-34 today. Manhattan, New Jersey, Hudson Valley and Mt. Vernon will get the new channels sometime by the end of the year. TWC said it will offer a total of 100 HD channels by the end of the year along with 250 HD On Demand choices.

Notable on this list is the first appearance I've seen of Fox News Channel in high-def as well as the debut of the Travel Channel HD in a cable or satellite HD lineup other than Cox (which co-owns the network).

The total list of what TWC NY will offer at the end of the month in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island is below:

Free with Digital Service
A&E HD, ABC Family HD, Animal Planet HD, CNN HD, Discovery HD, Disney HD, ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD, ESPNEWS HD, Food Network HD, Fox Business News HD, Fox News HD, Hallmark Movie Channel HD, HD Theater, HGTV HD, History Channel HD, Lifetime Movie Network HD, MHD, MSG HD, MSG+ HD, National Geographic HD, NY1 HD, Science Channel HD, SportsNet New York HD, TBS HD, TLC HD, TNT HD, Toon Disney HD, Travel Channel HD, Universal HD, Versus/Golf HD, WABC HD, WCBS HD, Weather Channel HD, WNBC HD, WNET - Thirteen HD, WNYW Fox HD, WPIX - CW HD, WWOR - My Network HD, YES HD

HD Premium Tier
HDNet, HDNet Movies, Mojo HD

Free With Sports Packages
MLB HD, NHL HD

Free with Premium Services
HBO HD, Cinemax HD, Showtime HD, The Movie Channel HD, Starz HD

Pay Per View
HD PPV

ESPNEWS HD Makes Its DIRECTV Debut

I flipped on the DIRECTV this morning with my cereal and coffee, as I often do, and was treated to a new channel: ESPNEWS HD. I had been expecting it but was happy nonetheless to welcome it into my home like an old friend. You see, I hadn't watched ESPNEWS much in the last few years that I've been an HD-aholic because ESPNEWS in standard-def just doesn't measure up with the likes of SportsCenter and Baseball Tonight over on the patriarch ESPN HD.

ESPNEWS is not just an HD simulcast of the standard ESPNEWS channel -- they've reworked it so that there's a bar at the top showing which sport is being discussed and which is on deck; there's the standard scroll bar at the bottom with the latest news; and the coolest new feature is the left quarter of the screen, where enhanced box scores are shown with player stats and pictures. It's a great addition to the standard sports broadcast and although it does have the effect of shrinking the actual broadcast picture, it's worth it considering the level of information provided.

ESPNEWS HD is on channel 207. Disney Channel HD and Toon Disney HD also debuted this morning on channels 290 and 292, respectively. ABC Family HD is coming next.

Comcast Catching Heat for HD Compression

Ever since a heads-up reader over on the AVS Forum posted his findings last week, the HD world has been buzzing with the revelation that Comcast in some instances is degrading its high-def picture quality by compressing three HD networks into a single 6 Mz channel, up from the standard two HD channels. The pictures have gotten press from a number of outlets, the most recent of which was the NY Times today.

It's easy to see the differences between the Verizon FiOS HD picture snapshots and the more compressed Comcast HD pics, so easy in fact that Comcast execs should be embarrassed to even call some of these grainy, fuzzy signals high-def. Other cable companies engage in this practice although Comcast is taking the most heat since it is in many ways the face of the cable industry.

The irony of course is that when DIRECTV initially began its HD channel blitz last fall, many of the largest cable companies blasted the satcaster for compressing its high-def signals too much, with Comcast even touting a study showing viewers preferred the quality of its cable HD picture to that of DIRECTV. I think it's safe to say that the results of that study would be a little different if it were taken again today in the markets where Comcast engages in this over-compression.

AT&T U-verse Adds 3 More HBO HD Channels

AT&T U-verse said yesterday that it has added HBO2 HD, HBO Comedy HD and HBO Family HD to its high-def lineup, bringing the total number of high-def channels it offers to more than 42-52 depending on the market.