Washington, D.C. (November 5, 2007) -- I get scores of e-mails every week from readers asking everything from whether they should buy a new HDTV to when will their TV provider add new high-def channels.

So, from time to time, I will publish my responses here in this new column called, "Ask Swanni!" If you would like to submit a question for a future column, send it to: swann@tvpredictions.com

Now, here's Ask Swanni!


Q. Why doesn't Sony lower the price of its Blu-ray player like Toshiba is doing with its HD DVD player?
-- Oscar P.
Several retailers are now offering the entry-level Toshiba HD DVD player for $199, but Sony says it will hold the line (for now anyway) for Blu-ray at $399. And here's why:

Sony believes the new $399 Play Station 3, which has a Blu-ray player inside, will sell more units this holiday season than all the standalone HD DVD players combined. Far, far more, in fact. Consequently, the company believes it doesn't have to lower the price of the standalone Blu-ray player to prevail in the high-def disc format war.

Also, Sony has invested heavily in lowering the price of the PS3 and doesn't want to further subsidize the cost in lowering prices on standalone Blu-ray players.

Q. Why doesn't Comcast (or any cable TV operator) tell us which HD channel they will add in advance like DIRECTV does? -- Tony Y.
The cable operators are in a different position because they are not national services like DIRECTV and EchoStar. When a cable operator, such as Comcast, gets the rights to add a high-def channel, that doesn't mean every local Comcast system will get it right away. Depending upon the local system's bandwidth and other concerns, it may take months before it adds the channel. So the cable operator's national office is hesitant to announce a new HD channel launch until it's sure all (or most, at least) local systems will carry it.

That's why you often see the local cable system actually issue the press release announcing the addition of the HD channel in its market.

Q. If you were going to put a new HDTV in a rec room -- and it's a big, really big, room -- which one would you get? Without spending a fortune, of course. -- Robert W.
We never endorse specific brands and models; we just provide the information so you can make your own decisions. However, generally speaking, the DLP rear projection set offers the biggest screen size for the buck. For instance, you can get a 61-inch 1080p DLP set for less than $2,000 while an equal-sized flat-screen would cost at least $1,000 more.

The DLP set is larger and bulkier than a flat-screen LCD or Plasma -- but if you have a big, really big room -- that shouldn't matter to you.

Q. What do you think of Vizio? -- Sandy R.
I get this question quite often. Vizio sells flat-screen HDTVs at sharply reduced prices, but many consumers are wary because they have never heard of the brand until recently.

Generally speaking, Vizio sets are solid performers --  perhaps not as sparkling as some others -- but still solid. I won't say you should buy one, but it's a good value at the price.

Click to Read More of Ask Swanni.

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Swanni (Phillip Swann) is president and publisher of TVPredictions.com. He has been quoted in dozens of publications and broadcast outlets, including CNN, Fox News, Inside Edition, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Financial Times, The Associated Press and The Hollywood Reporter. He can be reached at swann@tvpredictions.com or at 703-505-3064.

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