Today's High-Def Headlines

Sharp Shows Low Power LCD TV - TWICE

At an “Environment Showcase” staged for the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs G8 Hokkaido-Toyako Summit, Sharp demonstrated a prototype 26-inch LCD TV that was said to consume one-third the power of conventional LCD TVs of similar size, according to a report from the Nikkei News Service. The TV was said to use one third the power of Sharp’s current 26-inch LC-26GH3, which was introduced in 2007, and was expected to use half as much power on an annual basis, the company said.

FiOS TV Adding Big Ten Network - B&C

Big Ten Network will be available on Verizon Communications’ FiOS TV service in both standard-definition and HD under terms of a carriage agreement between the regional sports network and the telephone company. FiOS TV was already offering Big Ten Network in the Fort Wayne, Ind., area, and the Internet-protocol-TV service will launch the RSN region-by-region during the next few months.

Charter to Add FSN, 5 Other HD Channels in HD - Madison.com

With pennant race fever brewing, Charter Communications announced Wednesday that it will be adding Fox Sports Net Wisconsin and five other channels in high definition in its Wisconsin markets on Aug. 20. Charter, the dominant cable provider in the Madison area, said in a news release that it also will add Animal Planet-HD, Smithsonian Channel-HD, TBS-HD, In-Demand-HD and The Movie Channel-HD.

Today's High-Def Headlines

CBS Evening News Gears Up for HD - B&C
As it prepares to launch the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric in HD later this month, CBS News is putting the final coat of polish on a glossy new control room that will not only support the newscast's move to the 1080-line interlaced HD format but also give CBS producers and directors more space and an improved work flow for events such as Election Night. The HD control room has been one of several engineering projects underway at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street in New York, where the network is engaged in a multiyear plan to revamp its production facilities and playout infrastructure.

Syntax Files Chapter 11 - TWICE

Olevia-branded LCD TV supplier Syntax-Brillian said it has issued a voluntary petition to enter Chapter 11 reorganization, and has excluded its Vivitar digital camera business, which it is seeking to sell off. The company said Monday it is seeking bankruptcy protection as it attempts to sell certain assets to a newly-created company, Olevia International Group, which is under common ownership with TCV Group, a key OEM resource for the company.

Zenith Converter Box Adds Analog - TWICE

LG has just started shipping its first Zenith-branded digital TV converter box with analog pass-through capability to enable residents living in areas with low-power broadcasters to continue receiving both digital and analog TV signals after the government mandated transition date of Feb. 17, 2009. The company said the Zenith DTT901 digital TV tuner with analog pass-through is now available nationwide at a $59.95 suggested retail price, which is the same price as the current Zenith DTT900 model, and like the earlier box, the DTT901 is eligible for $40 coupons from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

Today's High-Def Headlines

Sony Predicts HDTV Leadership - TV Week

Sony, which trailed Samsung among worldwide liquid-crystal display television set makers in the first quarter, said last week that it expects to be the market leader in high-definition TVs by 2011. Also by then, Sony expects to return its LCD operations to profitability while building its Blu-ray-related operations into a business that will approach $10 billion in annual sales.

MGM HD Staffs Up After Carriage Deals - MCN
The MGM HD channel is staffing up, after signing carriage deals with Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Dish Network. The programmer said it hired Gracelyn Brown as vice president of programming, overseeing programming and scheduling for the channel and related video-on-demand service. She had been director of programming at KTLA in Los Angeles.

RCN Adds 10 HD Channels In N.Y. Market - MCN
RCN is adding 10 new HDTV networks to its line-up in the New York City market, officials said last week. The new HD services include Discovery Channel HD, Animal Planet HD, TLC HD, HGTV HD, The Science Channel HD, Lifetime Movie Network HD, Food Network HD, Travel Channel HD, Versus/Golf HD and NFL Network HD.

DISH Network Adds Four More Local HD Markets - MCN
DISH Network has launched local HDTV service in Albany – Schenectady – Troy, N.Y.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Lansing, Mich.; and Syracuse, N.Y., officials said Thursday. In January, Dish Network unveiled plans to enhance its HD programming lineup throughout the year. The satellite provider says it remains committed to reach its year-end goal of 100 local HD markets and 100 national HD channels. It now offers HD locals in 65 markets, reaching more than 69% of U.S. TV households.

Verizon Adding 15 New HD Channels for Hoosiers

Today must be the day for new HD channel announcements. Verizon FiOS TV is at it as well, saying that it is adding 15 new high-def channels in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. The newbies are Big Ten Network, Bravo, CNBC, HBO West, History, The Weather Channel and USA Network. Eight more will soon be added: CNN, Lifetime, TBS, Showtime West, Showtime 2, Starz Comedy, Starz Edge and Starz Kids & Family. According to Multichannel News, Verizon said that it will offer "all available major HD programming" by the end of this year.

Cablevision Prepping New HD Channel Blitz

New York-area cable giant Cablevision will add 15 new high-def channels beginning on July 28th and concluding on August 1st in an expansion that will increase its total HD offering to 60 channels. The new HD channels will include AMC, Animal Planet, Discovery, FOX News Channel, FX, Hallmark Movie Channel, Nickelodeon, Travel Channel, The Weather Channel and WE tv. Multichannel News has the full story.

RCN Adding 7 New HD Channels in Pennsylvania

Cable overbuilder RCN Corp. is adding Animal Planet, Discovery, Food Network, Lifetime Movie Network, Science Channel, TLC and Travel Channel to its HD lineup in Pennsylvania. The company will also begin offering HD video on demand (VOD).

Today's High-Def Headlines

Samsung SDI to Invest $529 Million to up OLED Output - Reuters
South Korean display maker Samsung SDI Co. said on Monday it would boost production of next-generation organic displays to six times the current level by mid-2009, spending $529 million. The move comes as leading panel makers try to grab a piece of the fast-growing market for active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AM-OLED) displays, which make better-quality, slimmer and more energy-efficient screens than liquid crystal displays.

Mitsubishi Adds 16-Speaker LCD TV Line - TWICE
In addition to revealing plans for 3-D DLP packages and new LaserVue DLP screen sizes, Mitsubishi used a recent press conference, here, to formally unveiled its UltraThin Frame premium flat-panel TV line featuring an Integrated Sound Projector (iSP). The line, which ships this month, includes the 46-inch LT-46149 ($3,299 suggested retail) and 52-inch LT-52159 ($3,699) models.

DISH Unveils Summer, Fall Local HD Launch Schedule - MCN

Dish Network Monday added local HD service in Grand Rapids, Mich., and Memphis, and revealed its local HD rollout plans for 22 markets for the summer and fall. Right now, the nation’s No. 2 satellite provider offers HD locals in 61 markets reaching more than 68% of U.S. TV households.

DTV Is Opportunity for Cable, Concern for FCC

Broadcasting & Cable runs two pieces this morning related to the digital TV transition next February. The first covers Comcast exec Stephen Burke's comments at an industry conference yesterday in which he described the DTV switchover as an opportunity for cable to pick up new subscribers. According to Burke, Comcast believes that there is a 20-40% chance that the new converter boxes and antennas that consumers buy for getting digital TV signals won't work due to "grade-B contour" or other issues and that those folks might be inclined to sign up for cable service at that point.

The other B&C piece details the FCC's efforts at dealing with consumer complaints related to the transition. The FCC's preparation for DTV problems seems to revolve primarily around hiring enough staff to handle any issues that arise.

Panasonic: 3,000 Giant 103" Plasma TVs Installed

Panasonic is out this morning with news that it has sold 3,000 of the world's largest plasma display, its 103-inch TH-103PF10UK. The 1080p model has been installed in Las Vegas casinos, sports stadiums and executive offices -- most notably Sam's Town Hotel & Gambling Hall in Las Vegas, which installed a whopping 15 of these behemoths in its Race & Sports Book. 

VIZIO Debuts 32" and 42" Budget Plasmas

If you haven't upgraded to an HDTV yet, you're running out of excuses. If VIZIO has anything to say about it, price is no longer one of them.

The company today announced the launch of its new 32-inch and 42-inch plasma TVs at price points of $599.99 and $799.99, respectively. The new 720p plasmas are available at all 3,400 U.S. Wal-Mart stores and boast a 30,000:1 contrast ratio along with 3 HDMI inputs. 

More from the press release.

Today's High-Def Headlines

Matsushita Seen Sizing Up OLED Market - Reuters
Japan's Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. is finalizing plans to mass-produce 37-inch organic light-emitting diode TVs in three years, aiming to overtake rivals in the next-generation flat-TV race, the Sankei Shimbun daily reported on Tuesday. The newspaper said that Matsushita would be the first to mass-produce OLED TVs of over 30 inches, and that the company aimed to challenge Samsung Electronics for the top share in the global flat-TV market.

GlobeCast Invests in U.S. HDTV Upgrades - MCN

Content management and delivery company GlobeCast has upgraded its HDTV infrastructure and formed strategic alliances in the Americas in response to growing demand for the distribution and contribution of HD content between America and the rest of the world, officials said Monday. Building on its HD fiber upgrade in 2007, GlobeCast has completed the next phase of its American HD strategy with the installation of state-of-the-art encoding and converting equipment at its broadcast center in Culver City, Calif.

CableCard Set-Top Count: 6.2 Million - MCN

The 10 largest cable operators have deployed more than 6.2 million set-top boxes with removable CableCards through June 23 but just 372,000 standalone CableCard devices, according to the National Cable & Telecommunications Association. MSOs have deployed more than 2 million CableCard-enabled set-tops in the last three months, but only 25,000 standalone CableCards.

Hallmark Movie Channel HD Cinches Cox Deal - MCN

Cox Communications has entered into a multi-year carriage agreement for Hallmark Movie Channel HD, officials said Monday. The cable operator struck the deal with Crown Media Holdings, owner and operator of Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel and its HDTV service. Cox currently distributes Hallmark Channel and the standard-definition version of Hallmark Movie Channel.

Mitsubishi to Roll Out 3D DLP Packages - TWICE

Mitsubishi said Tuesday it has entered cooperative agreements with NVIDIA and Aspen Media Products to distribute and promote use of PC-based 3-D video games with Mitsubishi DLP rear-projection sets.

Today's High-Def Headlines

Big Ten, Comcast Reach Carriage Agreement - TV Week
After long, often acrimonious negotiations, Big Ten Network reached a long-term carriage agreement with Comcast that puts the channel on the expanded basic tier during the next football and basketball seasons in the eight states where the conference’s 11 colleges are located. A joint venture of the Big Ten Conference and Fox Cable Networks, Big Ten Network launched last August and has about 30 million subscribers.

Panasonic Adds HD Camcorders - TWICE

Panasonic will ship its first HD camcorders with 3MOS technology to dealers this September. The HDC-SD100 and HS100 are AVCHD models that record 1920 by 1080 video. According to Panasonic, the new models are based on the firm’s earlier 3CCD technology but instead use CMOS sensors, which the company says improves color reproduction.

Rising Tide Lifts HDTV Sales at Best Buy, Circuit City - TV Week

For Best Buy’s most recent quarter, sales of flat-panel televisions were a bright spot. For Circuit City, it was the bright spot. The two largest U.S. electronics retailers, which reported fiscal-first-quarter earnings this week, both said flat-screen TV sales increased for the quarter ended May 30 on more demand for digital television sets in advance of the U.S. switchover to digital broadcasts next February.

Today's High-Def Headlines

I'm back after a little break to enjoy the U.S. Open, so here's what's going on in the world of HD:

Comcast To Launch Three HD Nets, Including E! - MCN
Comcast is creating two separate HDTV networks for The Golf Channel and Versus, as well as launching a standalone HDTV service for E! Entertainment Television in December, officials said Wednesday. Comcast’s sports services, Versus and The Golf Channel, since January 2007 have shared a single HDTV channel. On that hybrid HD network, Golf Channel programming from the standard-definition channel was simulcast from noon to 7 p.m. and Versus fare from 7 p.m. to midnight. Now, each sports channel will have its own 24-hour HDTV network as of December, and E! will have its own HDTV standalone simulcast as well.

Bang & Olufsen Unveils BeoVision 9 - TWICE

Design-centric A/V equipment manufacturer Bang & Olufsen unveiled a 50-inch BeoVision 9 plasma TV and home cinema package featuring the company’s “Automatic Colour Management” technology that is said to offer richer, more natural colors over the life of the plasma screen.

ESPN Scores Hole-In-One With U.S. Open Coverage - MCN
Tiger Woods wasn’t the only winner at this year’s U.S. Open. ESPN, which shared coverage of Monday’s dramatic 19-hole playoff with NBC, garnered a 4.2 rating and more than 4 million households, making it the most-watched golf telecast in cable television history.

TV Panel Sees Green - TWICE

The importance of environmentally friendly practices and designs in the HDTV category is having an impact on product sales, but to what extent was the source of some debate among a panel of HDTV manufacturers and retailers at the Consumer Electronics Association’s Digital Downtown showcase Thursday.

All-Digital Cable Move May Spark Viewer Ire - USA Today

Cable subscribers who own a cable-ready analog TV — which means most customers — have it easy. They simply attach a line from the wall into the back of the set, and it's ready to go. On cable's most popular service, that means access to about 80 channels — including those that define the medium, such as CNN, ESPN and USA Network.

Time Warner Cable offers Disney Channel, ABC Family HD - San Antonio Biz Journal

Time Warner Cable San Antonio is bringing cable customers more family programming in high definition, the company said Thursday. Starting today, the company is making Disney Channel HD available on channel 142 and ABC Family HD available on channel 141. The new HD channels are available to all standard service customers with an HD converter.

Amino Debuts HD-Only IPTV Set-Top - MCN

Amino Communications, a U.K.-based IPTV set-top manufacturer, has developed a unit with only a digital high-definition video output that the company claimed is about 20% less expensive than its existing HD solution.

Philips Poised for Second Half Sales Season - Dealerscope

Philips will enter what promises to be a highly competitive Christmas selling season armed with the products it displayed at a New York-held “Holidays in June” showing Monday. Among the audio, video, personal care and lighting solutions were some models from the company’s flat-panel LCD TV line – the first display of TV products since the April announcement that it would license sourcing, distribution, marketing and sales of its TVs in North America to Funai.

DISH Inks Deal with Tribune Co. for WGN HD

DISH Network said yesterday that it has signed a retransmission deal with the Tribune Co. for distribution of WGN America HD as well as four local broadcast stations in high-def: Seattle's KCPQ, New York City's WPIX, Chicago's WGN-TV and Sacramento's KTXL. In addition to DISH now being able to carry those five channels in high-def, the deal also renews DISH's HD carriage of 23 Tribune broadcast stations in 19 markets. More from Multichannel News.

Today's High-Def Headlines

ESPN Goes Deep with College World Series in HD - MCN

ESPN and ESPN2 will provide exclusive coverage of every College World Series game in high-definition beginning Saturday, June 14, network officials said Wednesday.

NBCU Plans Local, HD-Focused Ads for Summer Olympics - MCN

NBC Universal will treat the Olympics viewing period as broadcasters do the Super Bowl: as a time when consumers mull HDTV purchases. Affiliates will be provided with on-air, direct mail and bill stuffers to promote HDTV content sales, as well as material designed to retain current HDTV subscribers.

Monster Cable goes wireless with HD kit - AP/Forbes

On Thursday, Monster is introducing a set of two boxes: a receiver that plugs into the back of an HDTV and a transmitter that connects to a DVD player or other components of a home entertainment center.

Charter reaches agreement in principle with LIN TV for HD - Thomson

Broadband and cable company Charter Communications said Wednesday it reached an agreement in principle with LIN TV Corp. that will permit Charter to continue carrying the analog, digital, and HD programming of LIN TV stations.

Verizon FiOS Preps More HD Channels

Verizon said late last week that it will expand its FiOS TV high-def lineup to 150 channels by the end of the year, in addition to over 1,000 HD video on demand choices. More than 25 of the new HD channels will be added this summer, including Animal Planet, Lifetime, Science Channel, Smithsonian and TLC, as well as five new high-def channels from Showtime and Starz.

SRS Labs Partners with Sharp, Olevia for Better Sound

Fresh on the heels of its partnership with VIZIO that we reported yesterday, SRS Labs said today that it has inked similar deals with Sharp and Syntax-Brillian (owners of the Olevia brand) to provide enhanced audio technology for those companies' respective LCD TVs. Sharp will use SRS' TruSurround XT in more than 40 AQUOS LCD models in Asia and Europe while the Olevia 2 Series and 6 Series LCD TV lines will use the SRS technology here in the U.S.

No word on why the Sharp AQUOS LCD TVs here in the U.S. were left out of the deal.

VIZIO to Get Audio Upgrade from SRS Labs

VIZIO, the low-cost flat-panel HDTV brand that has rapidly become one of the industry's top sellers, announced this morning that it has teamed up with SRS Labs to gain access to SRS' portfolio of audio and surround sounds technologies for VIZIO TV and accessory products. VIZIO's first technology implementation will be SRS TruSurround XT in flat-panel TVs, beginning in Q2 2008 (ed. note: that's now, right?).

VIZIO will initially ship three models with the SRS TruSurround XT, including a 42" LCD, a 47" LCD and a 50" plasma. These HDTVs will be available at Costco, Sam's Club, Wal-Mart, Kmart, Sears and Circuit City sometime this month.

CNET Reviews New Sony 32" LCD HDTV

CNET has just wrapped up a review on Sony's new 32" M Series LCD TV, which was cross-posted over on CNN.com. The overall verdict? It's a good quality LCD but a little higher priced than similar performing models from Samsung and Sharp. CNET gives it a 7 out of 10.

If you're in the market for a Sony LCD TV of this size, you may want to consider the L series, which is about $200 less and gets high marks -- 4.8 stars out of 5 -- from consumers on CircuitCity.com.

Today's High-Def Headlines

Healthy '08 TV Market Seen - TWICE

TV market research firm DisplaySearch said global economic difficulties, the transition to full DTV broadcasting in the U.S. in early 2009, and continued strong consumer demand for flat-panel TVs should combine to keep North American DTV sales ahead of forecasts in 2008 without stressing supply levels.

Retailers Seek HD 'Sizzle' - TWICE

Retailers attending the recent DisplaySearch TV Supply Chain Conference said they have been seeing a strong early-take rate on the government-coupon eligible DTV converter boxes, which is making it easier to forecast demand in the final months of the digital TV transition.

Time Warner Prepared for NYC Verizon Battle

Time Warner Cable chief operating officer Landel Hobbs offered a little more insight into the MSO's planned response to Verizon's encroachment into the New York City video market later this year, adding that the cable operator is prepared to fight back the threat with advanced services and innovative pricing plans. Hobbs, speaking at the Deutsche Bank Media & Telecommunications conference Monday, said Time Warner Cable is prepared, readying its plant for additional HDTV channels and its start over service. Hobbs said that TWC will nearly double its HDTV capacity in New York from 55 channels to about 100 channels by the end of the year.

Today's High-Def Headlines

Seven Bravia XBR Models Top Sony's Lineup - TWICE

Sony expanded its Bravia high-definition LCD-TV Lineup to 30 models, excluding derivatives, with the addition of seven TVs in the top-end Bravia XBR series.

Photos: Panasonic Rolls Out Net-Enabled Plasmas - CNET

Panasonic's new high-end PZ850 series of Viera plasma televisions offer instant Web connectivity, among other features.

A Digital Offer 'The Godfather' Can't Refuse - CNET

How's this for pressure? In the care of Daphne Dentz and her colleagues was a masterpiece of American filmmaking: The Godfather.

Travel Channel HD Now On Demand

The Travel Channel said yesterday that its on demand offering will now be available in high-def via an exclusive distribution deal with TVN Entertainment. Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern and Samantha Brown's Passport will be among the popular travel programs available.

MPEG-4: Cable's Future, But How Soon?

There's an interesting piece this morning over at Multichannel News about the cable industry's slow conversion from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 and how the networks and operators are handling it. The upshot is that while MPEG-4 is almost universally hailed as more efficient than the older MPEG-2 format since it consumes less bandwidth while maintaining a high picture quality, so much money has been invested in MPEG-2 headend, transponder and set-top box equipment that a wholesale changeover to MPEG-4 won't happen anytime soon.

Check out the full MCN article for details on what HBO, Starz, Discovery and others are doing with MPEG-4.

Voom Says DISH Dumping Will Cost It $1 Billion

Voom HD last week filed a breach of contract lawsuit against DISH Network, claiming that DISH's decision to drop the Voom 15 suite of high-def channels violated the two companies' carriage agreement.

Now Voom has filed an amended claim to its lawsuit stating that DISH's decision to dump Voom will cost Voom a billion dollars over what should have been the life of the contract. Voom apparently arrived at that figure by projecting DISH's HD subscriber growth rate over the next 12 years and multiplying that number by the monthly fee DISH was to pay Voom, currently $3.25 per subscriber.

It's unclear whether Voom is seeking that same billion-dollar amount in damages or some other amount. More from Multichannel News.

BBC America HD to Launch This Fall

BBC America will make its HD debut sometime this fall, although no details are yet available about exactly when or on which high-def service providers. Popular series Robin Hood will be among the programs available in HD. More from Multichannel News.

Only 6% of Consumers Plan Blu-ray Upgrade: NPD

NPD is out with a research study this morning showing that while 45% of HDTV owners are familiar with Blu-ray Disc, just 9% of them plan to buy a Blu-ray Disc player in the next six months. Only 6% of all consumers are planning a Blu-ray purchase. According to NPD's research, the main barriers to higher Blu-ray adoption are perceived high cost of players and a belief that standard-def DVDs are good enough.

Weather Channel in Real HD Debuts Today

When DIRECTV became the first service provider to launch The Weather Channel HD last December, it came under some criticism because Weather HD was just an upconverted version of the standard-def Weather Channel. That monkey is finally off Weather's back as of today because the network's new 12,500 square foot high-definition facility with 5,000 square foot HD studio is making its debut. Broadcasting & Cable has the full story, the highlight of which is a giant 40-foot long rear-projection display wall from which the weather will be displayed in all of Mother Nature's glory.

Blu-ray Coming to Vending Machines

You've probably noticed those DVD vending machines in your local supermarket that let you rent a DVD overnight for $1.49. Now that the high-def DVD battle is over, those machines will soon be stocking Blu-ray Discs as well. According to Dealerscope Magazine, the operator of those vending machines -- a company called DVDPlay -- will next month begin adding BRDs to the mix at the same price as regular DVDs.

DIRECTV Honcho Says Retail HD Sales "Pretty Small"

DIRECTV sells most of its HD service through its own marketing and sales efforts rather than through its retail partners, CEO Chase Carey told an investors' conference yesterday. Here's the full quote, courtesy of TWICE:

"We have successfully executed and established ourselves as the leader of HD. The actual sales that still come through the consumer electronics channel are pretty small, so you do have to measure it in a broader sense. We've done a lot of research about it and I think we execute it well. We deliver the product. I think we communicated it well. I think the marketing campaigns were and continue to be ones that really set us apart."

The End of the Set-Top Box?

The big news today is that Sony has signed a deal with the leading cable companies to build bi-directional tru2Way digital cable-ready products that could eliminate the need for a standalone set-top box. The key here is the phrase "bi-directional." You may remember that when CableCARDS were introduced a few years ago -- also with the promise of eliminating the set-top box -- the main hang-up was that they were uni-directional, meaning that 2-way features like video on demand, DVR and interactive TV didn't work. Needless to say, that limitation pretty much doomed the one-way CableCARD as a viable plug-and-play technological solution. 

This announcement from Sony is a very positive step and according to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the CE giant and the six big cable companies, other consumer electronics manufacturers have already been invited to join. 

TWICE has the full story with more details.

Time Warner Cable Dropping the HD Ball in L.A.

The L.A. Times runs a piece this morning highlighting Time Warner Cable's slow upgrade of their Los Angeles cable plant for HD. The TWC system in L.A. is one of the nation's largest and was cobbled together blending networks previously owned by Adelphia, Comcast and TWC. That process began two years ago but the upgrades have been laborious, meaning that TWC customers in L.A. only get 16 high-def channels, compared to 25-50 in other Time Warner Cable systems throughout the country. 

When you consider that there are 1.5 million HDTV households in the Los Angeles-area, this is no minor issue to a lot of people.

10MM Homes 'Completely Unready' for DTV: Nielsen

One topic of great interest last week at The Cable Show was the digital TV transition and how prepared -- or unprepared -- consumers are for it. The general consensus was that cable and satellite customers will be fine since all the conversion will take place before the signal even reaches the consumer home. That assumption is predicated upon consumers connecting ALL the televisions in their house to cable or satellite, not just their primary TV. But assuming they do, they will in fact be okay.

The bigger issue is the homes that rely completely on over-the-air antennas for their TV watching. Nielsen is out with a new study, reported in today's New York Times, showing that up to 25 million TVs will go dark on Feb. 17, 2009 and that 10 million households are "completely unready" for the DTV transition. One interesting factoid from the Nielsen study is that senior citizens are actually among the most prepared demographic groups, which is counter to what many industry observers expected.

There are also regional discrepancies as demonstrated by much higher than average unprepared levels in Milwaukee and Salt Lake City (18%).

Expect the current trickle of ads telling you how to avoid losing your TV signal next February to turn into an avalanche fairly soon. The ads will get redundant and quite possibly annoying, but the government, the nation's broadcasters and the cable and CE industries want to make sure everyone's ready for the coming digital revolution.

A Monster Irony?

Monster Cable has been the industry leader in high-quality HD cabling products for HDMI, component and other wired technologies for about as long as there's been a consumer HD industry. TWICE has the story of their founder's comments to a CES conference in Dubai about his company's efforts in the wireless A/V segment. It's an ultrawideband solution (UWB) that uses standard coaxial cable to get the signal between rooms, and it should be available for purchase this fall. 

Monster's partner in the wireless distribution biz is not yet publicly known, but San Diego-based startup PulseLink has a UWB product that utilizes a very similar networking model, which it displayed at The Cable Show last week. 

Panasonic Web-Enabled Plasma TVs Coming in June

Due to The Cable Show going on in New Orleans this week, most of this blog has been devoted to HD service and new channel launches. There have been a couple of product-related announcements, however, including one from Panasonic that is pretty interesting. The company said on Tuesday that its new line of web-enabled 1080p VIERA plasma TVs originally announced at January's CES will be available in mid-June. VIERA CAST, as the IPTV service is known, provides access to popular websites like YouTube, Google Picasa photo album and Bloomberg. Here are the sizes and MSRPs:

• 46" - $3,099.95
• 50" - $3,499.95
• 58" - $4,299.95
• 65" - $7,999.95

Comcast Touts 500 HD "Viewing Choices"

Recognizing that there was no way it could match DIRECTV's nearly 100 HD linear channels when they launched last December, cable giant Comcast cleverly conceived of what it calls "HD viewing choices" that counts its impressive video on demand library. That number now exceeds 500, the company reported at this week's Cable Show, and will increase even more as it adds new content from Showtime, Starz, Encore and MoviePlex.

Overall, Comcast has more than 10,000 video on demand selections available.

MGM HD Gets Distro on Time Warner Cable, Comcast

MGM HD earlier this week announced a carriage deal with Time Warner Cable, coming on the heels of its agreement with Comcast that was made public last week. I spoke with MGM HD senior VP Simon Graty in New Orleans and asked him about his network's strategy when it comes to deciding which movies out of its enormous archive to show on MGM HD. He told me that they view themselves as an HD basic cable movie network a la AMC or Turner Classic Movies rather than a pay-TV movie network like HBO or Showtime. That explains why most of the titles you'll find on MGM HD are less well-known or in some cases, outright obscure -- MGM HD wants to give some of these movies some airtime, and generally it's the first time they'll be available anywhere in high-def.

Some of the events MGM HD is showcasing this month and next include "Manly Movie Marathon," "Mondo Brando" and "The Sexy 1:00s." The network is also planning a James Bond marathon this summer and thus had girls in orange bikinis handing out martinis and po' boy sandwiches at their Cable Show booth.

NatGeo Planning "Earth: The Biography" Mini-series

National Geographic Channel announced this week at The Cable Show that it will premier a mini-series event called Earth: The Biography on July 13-15 beginning at 9:00 PM. The mini-series is five hours, has been two years in the making and was filmed on all seven continents.

This sounds a lot like HD Theater's Planet Earth mini-series to me but that's okay because this kind of programming looks positively spectacular in high-def. I'd recommend tuning in.

ESPN: Ratings Much Higher for HD Telecasts

ESPN's head honcho George Bodenheimer told attendees at The Cable Show that ESPN's ratings are 40% higher in HD than in standard-definition. If there ever was an argument for networks to transition to high-def, that should do it...

Scripps Releases Results of TNS HD Research Data

Scripps Networks released some interesting HD research data from TNS at The Cable Show, data in support of its decision to simulcast HGTV HD and Food HD rather than create a compilation channel where the schedule does not coincide with the SD channel. The study is based on data gathered from 300,000 households in the Charter Los Angeles cable system.

Some highlights of the study:

• Homes with HD service watch more TV than non-HD households.
• Simulcast HD networks outperform compilation HD networks in attracting viewers.
• Viewers continue to watch content in SD, even when it's available in HD.
• The tiered structure that separates SD and HD channel numbers may play a role, but further research is needed.

Fox Regional Sports Networks Going All-HD in '09

Fox Cable Networks announced at The Cable Show this week that the Fox Sports Net group of 16 regional sports channels will begin transitioning to round-the-clock HD telecasts in the first quarter of 2009. In all, more than 3,000 Major League Baseball, NBA basketball, NHL hockey and NCAA football and basketball events will be produced in HD, which FSN says will be "far and away more than any other sports provider in the U.S."

ESPNU HD Coming August 28th

ESPNU will be the next network from the ESPN stable of channels to go high-def, making the jump on August 28th for the Miami University (OH) football game against Vanderbilt University at 7:30 PM Eastern. Carriage agreements have not been announced but a source at ESPN told me there is a strong possibility they'll have an agreement with DIRECTV to launch on that date.

Planet Green HD Debuting June 4

Planet Green, which is the rebranded Discovery Home channel, will make its HD debut on June 4th. Carriage agreements have not yet been announced. As its name suggests, Planet Green is a channel focused on the uber-trendy green movement and to drive that point home, they're serving some nice banana-pineapple-orange smoothies in their booth.

Live Blogging at The Cable Show

I'm in New Orleans this week live-blogging from the cable industry's big annual confab. The weather in the Big Easy has been great -- very San Diego-like -- and there seems to be a lot of action. I'll post HD updates as I get 'em...

Cox Inks Deal With Lifetime for HD Offerings

Cox Communications has signed a distribution deal with Lifetime Television that includes carriage of Lifetime HD and Lifetime Movie Network HD. Cox already is planning to roll out Lifetime HD in some of its systems in the next couple of weeks. More from B&C.

'Ellen' Making HD Jump in September

Broadcasting & Cable reports that daytime talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show will move to a high-def studio in Burbank, Calif. this fall and that its first HD episode will air on September 8th. 

DISH Dumping VOOM HD

Something had to give. In its efforts to keep up with rival DIRECTV, satcaster DISH Network yesterday added 22 new HD channels, which give it more HD channels than most cable companies and almost as many as DIRECTV. However, to make room for the new channels DISH is dropping the 15 VOOM HD channels it has carried for the last couple of years since it acquired the VOOM satellite. DISH has already dumped 10 of the 15 and plans to drop the other 5 as soon as it can. Multichannel News has the full story.

In addition to needing the bandwidth for the more brand-name HD channels it launched yesterday such as Disney and ESPNEWS, DISH's decision was made easier by the fact that it is currently in the midst of litigation with VOOM over what DISH claims is a breach in the carriage agreement by VOOM.

With VOOM on the way out at DISH, VOOM's sister company Cablevision will be the only remaining distributor of VOOM HD programming.

Encore to Make HD Debut in July

Encore HD will launch this July, parent company Starz announced this morning. Showcasing movies such as Cars, Click, Talladega Nights, Gone in Sixty Seconds and Remember the Titans, Encore HD will be the Starz group's sixth linear HD movie channel. Previously, Encore had been available in high-def only as an on demand offering with Comcast, although a linear Encore HD was briefly available on the old VOOM satellite system three to four years ago.

DISH Expands HD Lineup in a Big Way

DISH today embarked on a major expansion of its high-def lineup, adding 17 new national HD channels. Additionally, two regional sports networks -- Comcast SportsNet Bay Area and Comcast SportsNet New England -- will be added in high-def on Wednesday. The new national channels, which join CNN HD, Sci-Fi HD and USA HD (added last week) are listed below. Notable additions are Travel Channel HD, which rival DIRECTV still does not offer, and World Fishing Network HD, which just sounds funny. 

DIRECTV and DISH are getting closer to parity now in terms of national HD channels offered, although 15 of DISH's are the VOOM HD channels, which aren't exactly brand-name. And DIRECTV still has the exclusive rights to the NFL Sunday Ticket package in high-def. But all things considered, DISH suddenly became quite a bit more competitive in the HD arena. Which is good for them considering that their quarterly earnings report filed with the SEC today showed only 35,000 new net subscribers in the Q1, compared to 275,000 for DIRECTV.

New DISH HD Channels 

• ABC Family HD
• Biography HD
• Bravo HD
• Cartoon HD
• Cinemax 5-Star HD
• Cinemax West HD
• CNBC HD
• Disney HD
• ESPNEWS HD
• Hallmark Movie Channel HD
• MGM HD
• Smithsonian HD
• Tennis Channel HD
• Toon Disney HD
• Travel Channel HD
• Weather Channel HD
• World Fishing Network HD

HD On Demand Posing Bandwidth Challenge

There's an interesting piece in Multichannel News this morning about the race between cable companies and telcos to offer high-def video on demand and where they're finding the bandwidth to do it.

RCN Going All-Digital in Boston to Up HD Ante

Light Reading has the story of RCN's transition to an all-digital cable system in Boston, which is now 82% complete. The company has already gone all-digital in Chicago (it competes with Comcast in both markets) and expects to be able to offer more than 100 HD channels after the transition is complete.

DISH Continues HD Local Ramp-Up in New England

DISH Network said yesterday that it has added HD local broadcast channels in Hartford/New Haven, Conn. as well as Portland-Auburn, Maine. 57 U.S. markets can now receive high-def locals courtesy of DISH.

DIRECTV Offering Tennis Channel HD Free Preview

DIRECTV is offering subscribers a free preview of the Tennis Channel HD during the French Open, which runs from May 25 through June 7. Normally Tennis HD is part of DIRECTV's sports package, the Choice Xtra package or the Premier package. 

First DTV Switch: Wilmington, NC -- This September!

In what amounts to a trial for the Federal Communications Commission and the nation's broadcasters, Wilmington, N.C. will get the distinction of becoming the nation's first all-digital TV city this September 8th. Multichannel News reports that Wilmington has 10 licensed TV stations that will make the cutover from analog to digital exactly four months from tomorrow. Wilmington is 135th on Nielsen's ranking of the top 210 TV markets in the U.S. and nearly 93% of Wilmington households subscribe to cable or satellite TV service, meaning that any snafus in the digital transition should be have a relatively impact on the community.

Samsung, Sony, VIZIO Are Best-Selling LCD Brands

DisplaySearch came out with its quarterly North American LCD TV sales figures yesterday and they show that Samsung reclaimed the number one spot in Q1, followed closely by Sony and VIZIO. The race is very tight, however, with the three top dogs being separated by less than half a point in market share. 

Panasonic continues to lead the domestic plasma TV space handily, with fully one-third of the PDP market.

AT&T Solves Second HD Stream Issue

Much has been made of the fact that customers of AT&T's U-verse IPTV service can only watch HD on one TV at a time -- competitor Time Warner Cable even made a TV ad about the limitation. AT&T has told us for some time that their engineers are working on a solution, and apparently a second HD stream is now available to U-verse subscribers in St. Louis. CED Magazine has the full story and also reports that AT&T is working on HD video on demand.

HDNet Turns to Dan Rather for Primary Coverage

Veteran newsman Dan Rather will extend his assignment with Mark Cuban's HDNet, anchoring the channel's coverage of the Indiana and North Carolina primaries tonight from 7:00 to 9:00 PM Eastern time. The Hollywood Reporter has the full story. HDNet's coverage, according to Rather, will be very un-CNN like, billed as more of a conversation with guests like former Congressman Tony Coelho and political experts Donald Fowler, Peter Hart and Tom Rosenstiel.

HDTV Prices Going Up?

CNN Money runs a piece this morning in which certain analysts and industry insiders speculate that HDTV prices may actually rise by the end of this year, thanks to higher production costs in China, the still-weak U.S. dollar and high fuel costs. Not everyone agrees that flat-panel TV prices have hit bottom; indeed, history shows that with constant innovation in technology, older technology becomes obsolete and prices continue to fall. Regardless, there may be a short-term increase due to the factors cited above.

A&E Planning New HD Ad Campaign

A&E Networks, which over the last 18 months has launched A&E HD, History HD and Biography HD, is planning a new ad campaign to its affiliates called "Wide Appeal." The campaign will tout the company's HD gains -- 77 million consumers now have A&E HD available to them -- and its continued investment in high-def technology, according to Multichannel News. Crime & Investigation HD will be the company's fourth high-def channel when it launches late this year.

Hitachi 1.5-Inch LCD TV Now Available

If Sony's 11-inch, 3-millimeter-thick OLED at $2,500 isn't a realistic option for you, consider Hitachi's latest series of LCD TVs which are a-pretty-amazing-in-their-own-right inch-and-a-half thick. CNET's News Blog has more.

DVD Killer: Apple Inks Key Deals for iTunes Movies

Apple announced today that it has reached agreement with the major Hollywood studios to offer movies for purchase on iTunes the same day that they're released on DVD, a major coup that has the potential to transform the movie industry akin to how iTunes revolutionized the music business. Reuters reports that new releases will be available for $14.99 and library titles will go for $9.99. Movie rentals for new releases are still $3.99 but those will continue to be available about 30 days after they go on sale.

Sharp Intros Wireless LCD TVs

Sharp is using techology from Amimon to transmit HD signals wirelessly, eliminating the need for HDMI or component cables running between the TV and a separate tuner. TWICE reports that Amimon's system is capable of transmitting an uncompressed HD video signal at the same quality level of a direct HDMI connection.

Time Warner S.A. Adds Travel & Outdoor Channels HD

Time Warner Cable in San Antonio has added Travel Channel HD and The Outdoor Channel HD to its high-def lineup, bringing to 57 the number of HD channels it offers there. h/t to the San Antonio Business Journal.

Smaller Plasma Panels Spark Year-Over-Year Jump

Market researcher DisplaySearch reports that although plasma display panel shipments fell from the fourth quarter of 2007 to the first quarter of 2008, PDP units were up 53% year-over-year thanks to strong growth in the 32-inch segment. Plasma also continues to enjoy a price advantage over LCD in the 42-inch size. Interestingly, Panasonic/Matsushita was not the largest manufacturer of PDPs in Q1, losing that distinction to LG Electronics and also being surpassed by Samsung SDI. More from TWICE.

Sezmi Promises HD Video Using IP Set-Top Box

A new startup called Sezmi (f.k.a. Building B) launched last year to great fanfare, promising HD broadcast video along with a select group of traditional cable channels that will enable Internet providers to compete with the likes of cable and satellite companies. The company is still working on the technology -- it involves an advanced IP set-top box -- but Sezmi said today that it is planning to test its service in three undisclosed markets this summer with an eye toward launching commercially by the end of this year. More from Multichannel News, which reports that the company has not yet announced any content or distribution partners but is generating a significant amount of buzz nonetheless.

Comcast Debuts 11 New HD Channels in Pacific NW

Comcast this morning announced that it has added 11 new high-def networks to its lineup in the Oregon and southwest Washington state markets. They are:

1. ABC Family HD
2. Disney Channel HD
3. Discovery Channel HD
4. TLC HD
5. Animal Planet HD
6. Science Channel HD
7. Food Network HD
8. Sci-Fi HD
9. CNN HD
10. AMC HD
11. TBS HD

DISH Adds HD Locals in Virginia

DISH Network said this morning that it has added HD local broadcast channels in Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News, Virginia. The satcaster now offers HD locals in 55 U.S. markets covering 64% of TV households nationwide.

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.

Today's High-Def Headlines

Comcast Adds 9 HD Channels in Sacramento - Sac Bee
Comcast announced Thursday the addition of nine high-definition channels to its cable lineup. For Sacramento cable customers, the additions to the HD lineup are Discovery Channel, HGTV, USA, Food Network, Sci-Fi, TLC, ABC Family, Disney Channel and Discovery Science.

Verizon Lines Up MavTV In HD - MCN
As part of a new long-term carriage agreement, Verizon FiOS TV will add the high-definition feed of MavTV to its lineup this year, officials said Thursday. MavTV HD will feature a strong lineup of native high-definition programming for FiOS TV subscribers. MavTV targets the male demographic with a wide array of content, featuring sports, comedy, women, gadgets, lifestyles and gaming.

Cuban Says Web as Entertainment is Over - San Antonio Express-News
Dallas Mavericks owner and high-definition television network co-founder Mark Cuban was at his outspoken best last week, telling a gathering of cable operators and programmers that the Internet was dying as an entertainment medium. He bolstered his claim by saying the Internet and popular sites such as YouTube can't provide high-definition programming like cable and can't offer the interactivity that cable programmers can. High-definition television screens are large enough to give viewers more options that will allow them to use the television like a personal computer desktop, the maverick billionaire said during a panel discussion on the future of high-definition programming.

Runco Shows 70-Inch LCD TV - TWICE
Dealers attending Runco’s Mexican Getaway were shown the company’s first 70-inch 1080p LCD TV, among a lineup of flagship items coming to market this year. The 70-inch model addresses one of the company’s product goals under Planar leadership, which is to expand and upgrade the flat-panel LCD offerings with larger screen sizes and 1080p resolution. The CX-70DHD is expected to be available in the next three months and will ship with Runco’s DHD video processor. It is likely to be priced at between $25,000 and $30,000, subject to change, the company said.

FCC Allows Satellite-TV Providers to Phase in HD - B&C
Satellite companies gained a victory Thursday when the Federal Communications Commission voted to allow them to phase in a requirement that they carry all HD signals in any market where they carry any after the Feb. 17, 2009, switch to digital TV by all full-power TV stations. The commission also ruled that DirecTV’s and Dish Network's requirement to carry all TV stations in a market where they carry any extends to DTV signals just as it applies to analog TV stations.

Pantel Introduces ‘Weatherproof’ HDTVs - TWICE
Pantel announced it had added two weatherproof LCD HDTVs to its offerings: a 32-inch and a 42-inch model. Previous high-definition TVs used outdoors had to be used under canopies or other types of overhangs, said the company, but were still often unprotected. The company’s new models feature proprietary dual-flow ventilation system that’s meant to keep the TVs cool when it’s hot, and its “state-of-the-art heating system creates heat to keep Pantel TVs working in colder climates,” said the company.

Today's High-Def Headlines

Dish Network Adds More Local High Definition Markets (press release)
DISH Network Corporation, the nation's third largest pay-TV provider, today announced that it will begin broadcasting local networks in high definition in four new markets: Austin, Texas; Flint, Mich.; Orlando, Fl.; and West Palm Beach, Fl. With these additions, DISH Network now offers HD locals in 39 markets, reaching more than 54 percent of U.S. television households with local HD channels.

Runco Dealers See A Glass Half Full - TWICE
Runco’s top dealers and reps were told by the new corporate parent’s home theater business VP to look at the challenges of the cloudy economic horizon and intensified price competition for consumer displays as a glass-half-full opportunity for those concentrating on the high end of the market. Scott Hix, Planar home theater display products group VP, told Runco’s top-selling dealers at the firm’s annual Mexican getaway, here, that the impact of the economy is affecting the entry- and middle-market CE segments more than products sold at the high end.

Comcast SportsNet Bay Area Debuts on March 31 as the Home of "Authentic Bay Area Sports'' (press release)
Bay Area sports fans will have a new home for the best local sports coverage when Comcast SportsNet Bay Area debuts on Monday, March 31, 2008 as the home of "Authentic Bay Area Sports." Comcast SportsNet is re-launching in place of the former FSN Bay Area, in which Comcast purchased a majority interest last June. Comcast SportsNet, the home for the San Francisco Giants, Oakland A's, Golden State Warriors, San Jose Sharks, San Jose SaberCats, and San Jose Earthquakes, will feature a bold new look matched by a new dedication to give Bay Area fans the most entertaining and comprehensive local sports coverage.

Today's High-Def Headlines

FSN to Double HD Baseball Broadcasts This Season - TV Week
Fox Sports Network plans to broadcast 1,024 Major League Baseball games this season in high definition, doubling the amount of HD coverage from last year. The network’s MLB HD offerings will total more than 3,000 hours of programming and account for 63% of this year’s season. Over the next year, FSN’s regional networks plan to broadcast more than 1,600 live events from various sports in HD.

Study Shows Price Still Tops In Buying TVs - TWICE
It is no surprise price is still the leading factor for U.S. consumers when buying TVs at retail, but product selection and store location are also important. Those are two of the conclusions of an iSuppli study based on its ConsumerTrak service, which surveyed 15,000 U.S. households during the fourth quarter. More U.S. consumers buy their televisions at traditional consumer electronics chain stores than at any other type of retailer or on the Internet.

Equator HD Sets New Adventure Series - MCN
A home eco-renovation, a cross-country journey through Australia and the exploits of an unruly pack of monkeys are the subjects several new original programs set to premiere on Voom TV’s Equator HD channel. The service, which showcases the sights, sounds and series of interesting people and places around the world, will premiere later this year Natural Born Traveler, a four-episode series starring Australian world traveler Steve Crombie, who will look for adventure in his own country as he embarks on a 2,500-kilometer cross-country journey down the spine of Australia, from Mount Elephant to Dingo’s Knob.

Hallmark Movie Channel Launches in HD April 2 (press release)
The viewing experience gets even better on Hallmark Movie Channel on Wednesday, April 2, when it launches on that day in spectacular High Definition offering audiences the greatest family movies of all time. In a historic day for the network, Hallmark Channel will celebrate the launch of Hallmark Movie Channel HD with a star-studded celebration in Peoria, Illinois, that will answer the age-old question, "Will It Play in Peoria?"

Strategy Analytics: As Format War Ends, 29 Million Blu-ray Homes Expected This Year (press release)
The Blu-ray Disc victory in its recent format war with HD-DVD will propel this technology into 29.4 million homes worldwide by the end of 2008, according to the latest research published by the Strategy Analytics Connected Home Devices service. According to, "Blu-ray Devices: Forecasting Sales and Ownership," Sony's PS3 games console will continue to drive the Blu-ray market until 2009, after which stand-alone Blu-ray players will become the dominant segment. By 2012 more than 132 million homes worldwide will own at least one Blu-ray device.

Today's High-Def Headlines

Magid Study Finds Increased DTV Awareness - MCN
According to research firm Frank N. Magid Associates, the efforts by broadcasters, cable companies and consumer-electronics manufacturers to educate consumers about the implications of the Feb. 17, 2009, turnoff of analog signals, which will mark the end of the United States' digital-television transition, are starting to pay off. Six out of 10 Americans are now aware of the February 2009 turnover, according to Magid Media Futures, which conducted an online survey of some 1,200 adults 21 and over to measure their awareness of the DTV transition and their adoption of HDTV. That was a sharp rise from a similar survey in September 2007, which found that consumer awareness of local broadcasters' digital signals was only 34%.

Study: 65.7% of market to go HD by 2012 - Hollywood Reporter
SNL Kagan said Monday that its most recent study, "Economics of High Definition Cable Networks," estimates that cable and satellite high-definition subscribers will penetrate 65.7% of U.S. multichannel households by 2012, up from 18.8% in 2007. More than one-third of homes now have HDTV sets, with that number growing each year, so "cable networks will face increasing pressure to offer more HD content," said SNL Kagan, adding that 74 high-def networks have launched since 2003.

Even at Megastores, Hagglers Find No Price Is Set in Stone - NY Times
Shoppers are discovering an upside to the down economy. They are getting price breaks by reviving an age-old retail strategy: haggling. A bargaining culture once confined largely to car showrooms and jewelry stores is taking root in major stores like Best Buy, Circuit City and Home Depot, as well as mom-and-pop operations.

Sharp Rolls Out New 2.1 Home Theatre System - Smarthouse
Sharp has released a 2.1 channel home theatre system which, the company claims, will provide ‘state of the art sound and picture reproduction to enhance the home cinema experience.’ The HTDV40H comes with two front speakers and a subwoofer which is supported by Dolby's Audistry technology. This technology offer features such as Sound Space Expander, Natural Bass (optimised bass without distortion) and Intelligent Volume Control in order to deliver an impressive level of audio performance, the company says.

US TV Viewers Embrace High Definition (Sort of), According to ABI Research Survey
NEW YORK, Mar 25, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- In December of 2007 ABI Research conducted an online survey of 1002 television and video consumers in the United States. 41% of TV owners have a high-definition TV, but surprisingly, only 56% of this group subscribe to a HD service package.

Today's High-Def Headlines

DirecTV: We’re Still In HD Lead - MCN
DirecTV’s newest satellite, launched last week, will permit the nation’s largest satellite-TV provider to deliver up to 150 national high-definition channels and expand its delivery of local HD channels to more than 100 markets when the bird goes into service this fall, according to the company. With the added capacity of DirecTV 11, DirecTV said that will be able to vastly expand its industry-leading HDTV offering. Right now, DirecTV delivers 92 national HD channels and local HD broadcast stations in 77 cities, representing about 76% of TV households.

HD Videoconferencing: In Your Living Room - USA Today/AP
Will the HDTV set be the new picturephone? Quanta Computer, a leading contract maker of laptop computers, and OoVoo, a maker of video chat software, are announcing plans Monday to take high-definition videoconferencing to the living room with a gadget that plugs into the HDTV and connects it to the Internet. Users of the Quanta Video Messenger will be able to hold chats from the comfort of their living rooms with others with the device as well as anyone who is running OoVoo's software on a PC.

Bird Watching In HD - MCN
Dish Network, with its new bird falling short in its orbit, lost a round in the competitive HDTV arms race earlier this week. Meanwhile DirecTV — after a scare — got a literal rocket boost for its ambitious expansion plans. The news involving the two rivals centered on satellite launches. Those new birds were meant to enable Dish and DirecTV to ratchet up the number of national and local high-definition channels they can offer, as they compete to sign up subscribers.

Reds Games to Air in HDTV - Cincinnati Enquirer
Time Warner will add Reds games in beautiful HDTV clarity this season from Fox Sports Net Ohio on Cincinnati Channel 968 and Dayton Channel 768, after not carrying any the Reds' FSN Ohio HDTV games last year. FSN Ohio will air 71 HDTV Reds baseball games - of 145 Reds telecasts - this season, starting with the Reds-Brewers April 8. Insight cable offered high-def Reds games to Northern Kentucky customers last year (and again this year).

Superstation WGN Fires HD Pitches - MCN
“March Madness” may be engulfing much of the sports world, but opening day is drawing nigh and Superstation WGN is warming up with a host of baseball-themed movies, ahead of a slate of games in high-definition. WGN-TV is producing all of its 2008 regular-season Chicago Cubs and White Sox games in 1080i HD. The station, which makes its feed available to Superstation WGN, is producing 71 Cubs contests and 29 Chisox games in the enhanced format. Sixty-four Cubs games and 29 White Sox games will air on WGN-DT 9.1. Eight Cubs games and 25 Sox games will air on WCIU-DT 26.1.

SNL Kagan Estimates Over 71 Million HD Subscribers by 2012 (press release)
SNL Kagan's newest study, "Economics of High Definition Cable Networks," estimates that cable and satellite high definition subscribers will penetrate 65.7% of U.S. multichannel households by 2012, up from 18.8% in 2007. More than one-third of homes now have HDTV sets, with that number growing each year, so cable networks will face increasing pressure to offer more HD content.

GalleryPlayer Inks Deal with Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America to Embed HD Art and Photography in 2008 Flat Screen Models (press release)
GalleryPlayer, the pioneer in HD lifestyle imagery, has announced a partnership with Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc., to embed the Company's proprietary technology into 2008 Mitsubishi HDTV models launching this spring, allowing consumers to view GalleryPlayer's library of full HD 1080p fine art and photographic images.

Today's High-Def Headlines

ESPNews HD Eyes March 30 Launch - MCN
ESPN has built a new production control room and studio for the launch of ESPNews HD on March 30, the fifth anniversary of the launch of the programmer’s first high-definition channel, ESPN HD. While the standard-definition and HD versions of the channel will be produced from the new studio and production, ESPNews HD marks the first time that ESPN has launched an HD channel that is not a simulcast of an existing channel, said Bryan Burns, vice president of strategic planning and business development at the programmer.

A New HD Connection - San Diego Union-Tribune
Bruce Watkins plops into a chair in front of a flat-screen, high-definition TV playing a DVD of “Ratatouille.” The only wire to the TV is the power cord – no coaxial cable, no DVD player hookups. The company has raised $80 million in venture capital and employs 85. “You know that rat's nest of wires you usually have behind your TV,” said Watkins, president and co-founder of Pulse-Link. “We got rid of all that.”

Update To Bring BD-Live To PS3 - TWICE
PlayStation 3 owners got a special bonus Thursday after Sony revealed that a new firmware update (version 2.20) for the console coming as a download this month will make the player compatible with forthcoming Web-enabled features and content — called BD-Live (Blu-ray Disc Profile 2.0) — on select Blu-ray Disc HD movie titles. The firmware (2.20) update includes Blu-ray Disc Profile 2.0 (BD-Live) capability as well as other features to enhance the PS3’s interoperability with PlayStation Portable (PSP) players, Sony said.

Today's High-Def Headlines

FCC Yields To DirecTV, Dish On HD Carriage - MCN
DirecTV and Dish Network have won major concessions from the Federal Communications Commission on the carriage of local TV signals in HD format following completion of broadcasters’ digital transition early next year, FCC and industry officials said Wednesday. DirecTV and Dish Network struck a deal with the FCC that was far better than the HD carriage rules the FCC imposed on all cable operators, regardless of size, last September. The FCC decided to give DirecTV and EchoStar until 2013 to carry all stations in HD within any market where they have elected to carry any station's signal in HD format.

Verizon Stocks VOD Shelves with HD - MCN
Verizon Communications announced the availability of a string of new and recently added video-on-demand titles, in deals with partners including CBS, Discovery Channel, Smithsonian Channel and Ovation TV. Its HD VOD service is currently available over the FiOS TV systems in Richmond and Virginia Beach, Va.; Tampa, Fla.; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Burlington, Mass.; and Rhode Island. The telco said HD VOD is coming soon to all remaining FiOS TV markets. Verizon has said that it expects to increase its HD VOD titles to more than 1,000 by the end of the year.

FSN Southwest to Televise First Ever Regular-Season NBA Game in 3D HD
DALLAS, Mar 19, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- FSN Southwest and the Dallas Mavericks will provide a look into the future of sports television on March 25 when they team with PACE, the leader in digital 3D productions, to produce the first-ever NBA regular-season game live in 3D HD secured through PACE Fusion 3D and the third ever live sporting event presented in the innovative format. The March 25 game against the Los Angeles Clippers from the American Airlines Center will be beamed across town via satellite into Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban's Magnolia Theatre in Dallas' West Village where an invitation-only audience will watch unforgettable images through special 3D glasses using Sony's SXRD 3D Projection System on an 18x42-foot screen, making it feel as if you're sitting courtside.

DIRECTV Satellite Launch Sets the Stage for Delivery of Up to 150 National HD Channels
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., March 19, 2008 - A powerful, new DIRECTV satellite, launched successfully today from the Pacific Ocean-based Sea Launch platform, will further boost DIRECTV's HD capacity, enabling the industry's HD leader to deliver up to 150 national HD channels when the satellite goes into service this fall. With the additional capacity, DIRECTV will also expand its delivery of local HD channels to more than 100 markets, representing 84 percent of U.S. TV households. DIRECTV will launch another satellite in 2009 that will enable the nation's leading satellite TV service to offer consumers up to 200 national HD channels.

Today's High-Def Headlines

DirecTV Satellite Set For Launch - MCN
The postponed launch of DirecTV’s newest satellite is now set to go Wednesday, according to officials. Sea Launch Tuesday said it was proceeding with the liftoff of DirecTV 11 at 3:48 p.m. PDT. The company had put a hold on the countdown for the launch, which was originally slated for Monday, “to allow the team to study an issue,” Sea Launch had said on its web site.

DISH Network Claims HD Plans Remain On Track - MCN
After telling securities officials that its HD launches would be delayed by a satellite-launch snafu, DISH Network Tuesday maintained that its HDTV expansion will remain on track. The satellite provider, in a press release, insisted that an “anomaly” with AMC-14, a satellite that didn’t reach the correct orbital position when it was launched last Friday, would not hamper its ongoing HD rollout.

Cablevision Kicks Voom HD To Switched - MCN
Cablevision Systems will soon start delivering Voom HD Networks’ 15 high-definition channels using switched digital video, and as part of the change is offering subscribers with CableCard-based systems free use of an HD set-top for one year. The operator earlier this month mailed postcards to customers who use CableCards with non-Cablevision supplied equipment – such as TiVo digital video recorders – informing them of the offer.

Sharp Boosts LCD Panel Output - TWICE
Sharp will reportedly boost LCD panel production efficiency by 20 percent as it increases panel production output at its Kameyama No. 2 plant. According to a report from the Nikkei news service, this year Sharp plans to introduce new production technology for 32-inch panels at the plant that will enable producing 18 panels — up from 15 panels — from eighth-generation glass substrates.

Best Buy Sends HD DVD Owners Gift Cards - TWICE
Best Buy will give $50 gift cards to customers who purchased an HD DVD player or HD DVD attachment from its U.S. stores before Feb. 22. The retailer estimates it will distribute more than $10 million in gift cards through the 100 percent self-funded program.

Toshiba Forecasts $665.5M HD DVD Loss - TWICE
Toshiba is forecasting a $665.5 million operating loss in HD DVD business for fiscal year 2007, which will end March 31. That is lower than some published reports from anonymous sources saying the loss from HD DVD alone would be close to $1 billion for the year, but higher than the previous forecast on Oct. 29, 2007, of a $511.9 million operating loss for HD DVD. The operating loss for the format during fiscal year 2006 was $348.1 million.