Wal-Mart Offers HD DVD Refunds
The retailer joins Best Buy and Circuit City.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 9, 2008) -- Wal-Mart is now offering a full refund on any HD DVD player purchased on or after November 1.
The discount retailer was a popular venue for HD DVD shoppers during the 2007 holiday season after it slashed prices on some players to under $100.
However, Toshiba, the principal supporter of HD DVD, decided early this year to pull the plug on the high-def disc format, ceding victory to rival Blu-ray.
Wal-Mart says HD DVD buyers need only to provide the player and their original receipt to get the refund; it's not necessary to return the box in which it came.
The full refund offer is good until April 30.
Wal-Mart joins Best Buy and Circuit City in offering refunds or similar incentives for customers to return their HD DVD players.
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Mitsubishi: Laser TV In 3Q 2008
The company showcases the new set for reporters.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 8, 2008) -- Mitsubishi said yesterday that its much-anticipated Laser TV will be available at retail in the third quarter of this year.
The company, which is now billing the set as 'LaserVue,' said it will revolutionize the high-def industry by offering crisper pictures and more vivid colors.
"As the first-ever laser-powered television, LaserVue will deliver a range of color never before seen in home entertainment. Precise and focused, the purity of laser light surpasses current High-Definition technologies," the company said in a statement. "Today's HDTVs display less than 40 percent of the color spectrum that the eye can see. Now, for the first time ever, laser produces twice the color.
Mitsubishi did not offer an exact launch date or reveal any pricing details or screen sizes.
The company said that LaserVue, which uses a laser light engine to display images, will consume one-third of the power of a Plasma HDTV.
The New York Times, which attended a Mitsubishi exhibit for the new set over the weekend, said in today's editions that "if production models are like what was on display today, consumers should react strongly to the new technology."
"One immediate impact: with a laser light engine, colors don’t look so much as if they’re painted on the screen as if they’re shooting out from it. Colors are alive and vibrant in a way that mimics the brightness of neon light, or a large advertising transparency being illuminated from behind in a light box," the Times stated.
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Swanni: 5 More HDTV Predictions for 2008
The high-def guru has already scored on his previous forecasts.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 7, 2008) -- Late last year, I made 15 predictions for High-Definition TV in 2008. And, I am proud -- and not too immodest -- to say that several have already come true.
For instance, I predicted that:
* Warner Bros. would endorse Blu-ray in the high-def format war against HD DVD
* The high-def disc format war would end in 2008 with Blu-ray victorious (I first predicted that one in 2006).
* Prices of high-def dual format players would fall under $500 -- but that it would not impact the format war.
* TV makers would launch 3-D HDTVs.
* DIRECTV would finance and market original HD programs to distinguish itself from its cable and satellite rivals. (Last week's announcement regarding Friday Night Lights put this one in the plus column.)
All have come true! And, more of my 2008 predictions will come true in the coming weeks and months.
However, I have been gazing into my crystal ball and I have seen a few more things that will happen before year's end.
So, here are 5 more Swanni predictions for High-Definition TV in 2008:
1. Microsoft Will Unveil an XBox/Blu-ray Player
Microsoft is trying to downplay the possibility, but it will happen. With HD DVD out of the picture, there's no way that the company will let Sony and the PlayStation 3 have the Blu-ray category to itself. Microsoft and Sony will reach an agreement this year for an XBox that includes a Blu-ray player.
2. Cablevision Will Sell Voom
Voom, the 15-channel high-def programming block, is having great difficulty finding a place in cable and satellite lineups. Only Dish Network (which has an equity stake in Voom) and Cablevision is carrying it. Look for Cablevision to sell the high-def channels (at least some of them) along with other company-owned assets, possibly to DIRECTV.
3. DIRECTV Will Move to Eliminate TiVo HD DVRs
DIRECTV last year launched dozens of new high-def channels on a new satellite that is not compatible with the DIRECTV/TiVo combo HD DVR; subscribers must switch to DIRECTV's own HD DVR to get those channels.
However, the satcaster's original high-def lineup, which includes such favorites as HBO, HDNet and Discovery's HD Theater, is still on the current satellite, meaning DIRECTV-TiVo owners can receive the signals.
But not for much longer, says Swanni's crystal ball. I predict that DIRECTV this year will begin moving all high-def channels to the new satellites, forcing TiVo owners to switch to the DIRECTV HD DVR.
4. Plasma TV Prices Will Shrink Further
Plasma makers are becoming increasingly alarmed that LCD sales are dominating the flat-screen category. Look for Plasma makers to significantly reduce prices this fall -- particularly for 720p sets -- to keep sales up.
5. Blu-ray Player Prices Will Fall Under $200
Wait a minute, you might say. Aren't Blu-ray player prices actually rising, with most now around $399. Yes, but it's a temporary hike. This fall, prices will fall again and, by the holiday shopping season, Blu-ray players will be available for under $200.
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Verizon Defends Better HD Picture Claim
The telco says its images are "uncompressed."
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 7, 2008) -- Verizon says its High-Definition TV signal is "uncompressed" and therefore offers a crisper picture than its cable and satellite counterparts.
However, Multichannel News reports that Verizon's FiOS TV service delivers programming that's already been compressed by the networks -- just as the cable and satellite providers do.
But the telco is defending its 'better picture' claim by saying that it does not "compress" the video further when it delivers it to the viewer.
In simple terms, compression saves bandwidth by allowing TV providers to squeeze more programming into a smaller space. Cable and satellite operators say compression does not affect the picture quality.
But the compression issue has been a longtime and heated topic on Internet message boards with some high-def enthusiasts charging that TV providers are diluting the picture quality by compressing the signals.
Responding to those concerns, Verizon's current FiOS TV commercials boasts that it delivers "uncompressed" video.
But Mulitchannel News notes that Verizon provides video in the MPEG-2 format, the same compression technology used by every cable operator. The satellite services used a mix of MPEG-4 and MPEG-2.
But a Verizon spokeswoman tells the publication that her company does not compress the video beyond what the networks have already done.
“It’s true that content owners compress their video before sending it to video service providers,” the spokeswoman said. “But we forward the signal to our customers the way that we receive it.”
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Time Warner Adds HD Channels In San Diego
The cable operator is steadily expanding its high-def lineup.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 6, 2008) -- Time Warner says that it will add six High-Definition channels in the San Diego area on Tuesday, April 8.
The new channels are: CNN HD; Discovery HD; Animal Planet HD; Food Network HD; HGTV HD; and The Learning Channel HD.
Time Warner has been steadily adding new high-def channels in local markets in an effort to keep pace with satcaster DIRECTV which now offers 95 national HD channels.
Time Warner says it now offers about 30 HD channels in San Diego, but said last week that it will provide 100 in the New York area by year's end.
“By increasing our HD channel offerings, Time Warner Cable ensures customers can get the most out of their HDTVs and watch what they want, when they want, in HD,” said Marc Farrar, a spokesman for Time Warner in San Diego.
Farrar promised that the cable operator will soon add more HD channels in the San Diego area.
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Blu-ray Spells Profits For Lionsgate
The high-def format is generating more per unit sale.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 4, 2008) -- Do you ever wonder why the studios are so anxious to promote Blu-ray as a replacement for the standard DVD?
The Hollywood Reporter writes today that Lionsgate Entertainment is now making $15 in profit for every sale of an older Blu-ray disc title -- and $21 for new releases like War.
Blu-ray discs are priced higher than standard-def DVDs, enabling the studios to generate more in profits.
And SMH Capital analyst David Miller tells THR that Lionsgate sold an additional 1.3 million Blu-ray discs over his projections following Toshiba's announcement that it was exiting the HD DVD business.
That corresponds with other estimates that Blu-ray sales have been surging since Toshiba ended the high-def format war.
Miller has now raised his fourth-quarter revenue projection for Lionsgate from $400 million to $419 million.
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STO: DIRECTV Lacks 'Bandwidth' For Indians In HD
The channel says the satcaster doesn't room due to other programming.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 3, 2008) -- DIRECTV today is not showing the Cleveland Indians-Chicago White Sox game in High-Definition on SportsTime Ohio HD, channel 657-1.
The reason: Lack of bandwidth, says the regional sports channel.
SportsTime Ohio says the satcaster doesn't have room for the high-def broadcast because of other programming commitments. (The SD broadcast is airing on DIRECTV on channel 657.)
"DIRECTV will NOT air this afternoon's Indians game on STO HD. Bandwidth constraints is the reason, because of the many NBA, NHL and MLB HD games," the channel says in a message posted at its web site. "They should have room for the April 4th STO HD Indians game. DIRECTV customers can voice their displeasures at directv.com/email."
TVPredictions.com this morning asked DIRECTV for a response, but has not received one as of 2 p.m. ET today.
The satcaster is showing the game in high-def on its free preview of the MLB Extra Innings package.
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Time Warner: 100 HD Channels In 2008
The cable operator says New York and New Jersey areas will have 50 by month's end.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 3, 2008) -- Time Warner says its local systems in New York and New Jersey will carry 100 High-Definition channels by year's end.
By the end of April, the cable operator says those systems will offer 50 high-def channels, many of which will be free with digital cable packages.
On April 30, Time Warner says the 50 channels will be available to all digital customers in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island.
Time Warner customers in Manhattan, New Jersey, the Hudson Valley region and Mt. Vernon will get all the channels later this year, the company said.
"By delivering the most HD choices and Enhanced HD for free to its Digital Cable customers, Time Warner Cable reaffirms our position as the preeminent multimedia provider in New York City," said Howard Szarfarc, TW's executive vice president for the company's New York City region. "The added capacity for HD channels and content didn't require significant upgrade expenditures or labor costs, and reflects the robust and flexible nature of our existing advanced fiber network."
Here are the 50 HD channels that will be available by April 30 in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island:
Free With Digital Service
A&E HD
ABC Family HD
Animal Planet HD
CNN HD
Discovery HD
Disney HD
ESPN HD
ESPN2 HD
ESPN NEWS HD
Food Network HD
Fox Business News HD
Fox News HD
Hallmark Movie Channel HD
HD Theater (Discovery)
HGTV HD
History Channel HD
The Learning Channel HD
Lifetime Movie Network HD
M HD
MSG HD
MSG+ HD
National Geographic HD
NY1 HD
Science Channel HD
SportsNet New York HD
TBS 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
Free With Sports Packages HD Premium Tier
MLB HD HD Net
NHL HD HD Net Movies
Mojo HD
Free with Premium Services Pay Per View
HBO HD HD PPV
Cinemax HD
SHOWTIME HD
The Movie Channel HD
Starz HD
Time Warner said it will also soon rollout its new 'Start Over' service in the New York and New Jersey areas. Start Over allows viewers to start a program over during its allotted time slot without the need for a DVR.
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Verizon's FiOS Expands HD VOD
The service is now available in eight states.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 3, 2008) -- Verizon's FiOS TV has expanded its HD VOD to eight states with two more expected in the coming weeks.
Verizon is now offering HD VOD where FiOS TV is available in California, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Texas.
The telco says customers in New York and Oregon will get high-def VOD in the coming weeks.
Verizon adds that it will offer more than 1,000 High-Definition titles on demand this year.
"With 10,000 titles each month, our overall Video-On-Demand library is the industry's largest," the company said in a statement.
Verizon's HD on demand lineup includes programming from CBS, Discovery Channel, Music Choice, HDNet and Ovation TV.
The telco is also offering HD instructional videos from HowCast, movies from FearNet and music programming from Blastro Music, as well as recently released movies.
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DIRECTV Gets Friday Night Lights 1st In HD
Third season episodes will premiere months before they do on NBC.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 2, 2008) -- DIRECTV and NBC have agreed to allow the satcaster to air next season's episodes of Friday Night Lights before they debut on the network.
The deal guarantees that the critically-acclaimed high school football drama will return for a third season.
DIRECTV will air 13 new episodes of FNL in High-Definition on channel 101, starting October 1. Then, NBC will begin broadcasting the shows in early 2009.
In return, DIRECTV will help pay for the show's production costs.
Until the agreement, the show's future was in doubt. Starring Kyle Chandler as the coach of a successful but flawed Texas high school football team, Friday Night Lights has struggled in the ratings.
But FNL executive producer Jason Katims says NBC executives were committed to finding a way to keep the show going, according to the Associated Press.
"(They decided) to figure out a way to keep this show on the air, despite all the challenges of justifying it from a business standpoint And here we are," Katims said. "They did it."
The deal gives DIRECTV another exclusive programming venture to attract new subscribers and keep current ones. The satcaster now has the exclusive rights to the National Football League's Sunday Ticket pay package.
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Comcast Adds Disney HD & ABC Family HD
The channels are added in the Fort Wayne, Indiana area.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 2, 2008) -- Comcast has added six new High-Definition channels in the Fort Wayne, Indiana area, including a few unavailable in most markets.
The new channels added in Fort Wayne are: Animal Planet HD; Sci-Fi Network HD, The History Channel HD; AMC HD; ABC Family HD and Disney Channel HD.
Jenni Moyer, a Comcast spokesman, confirmed the additions today.
Comcast has said it will also soon add the new Disney-owned channels, ABC Family HD and Disney Channel HD, in the Seattle area.
And the cable operator is expected to add them in other markets in the coming weeks.
AMC HD, which airs classic movies and some original production such as Mad Men, is a relative rarity in cable and satellite lineups. Comcast has include AMC high-def programs in its On Demand lineup.
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DIRECTV Adds 3 Disney HD Channels
The list includes ESPNews HD.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 2, 2008) -- DIRECTV today is adding three new Disney-owned High-Definition channels to its high-def lineup.
The channels are: ESPNews HD (ch. 207); Disney Channel HD (290); and Toon Disney HD (292).
The channels are expected to be added to the satcaster's lineup this morning, DIRECTV has already included the three channels in its programming guide.
The three additions are the first HD channel launches from DIRECTV in 2008. The satcaster dramatically expanded its high-def lineup in 2007, from nine national HD channels to 92.
The ESPN sports channel launched on Sunday, but apparently had not been picked up by any cable or satellite provider until now. Disney Channel HD and Toon Disney HD are also new channel launches.
Dish Network is reportedly planning to add ESPNews HD as well, but as of 5 a.m. ET today, there has been no confirmation of that.
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Microsoft to Add Blu-ray Drive For Xbox?
New report says the drive is under development.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 2, 2008) -- Microsoft is developing a built-in Blu-ray player for its XBox 360 game console, according to a report from Digitimes.
The publication reports that drive manufacturer Lite-On will begin shipping XBox 360 Blu-ray BD-ROM drive in the second half of this year.
The companies refused to comment, Digitimes says, but an XBox 360 Blu-ray drive has been rumored since Toshiba announced in February that it was pulling the plug on rival HD DVD.
Microsoft, an HD DVD supporter, sold an external HD DVD drive for the XBox 360.
If the report is true, the decision to offer an internal Blu-ray player in future XBox 360 consoles would match the capability of the Play Station 3, which also has a Blu-ray player inside.
Digitimes reports that manufacturer Lite-On now makes XBox 360 internal DVD-ROM drives.
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DIRECTV & Dish to Add ESPNews HD?
The sports channel launched on Sunday.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 1, 2008) -- DIRECTV and Dish Network may be preparing to add ESPNews HD to their high-def programming lineups on Wednesday.
The sports channel launched on Sunday, but apparently has not been picked up yet by any cable or satellite provider.
DIRECTV and Dish Network have said they will carry the channel at some point and ESPNews anchors have said on air that the satcasters are expected to add it tomorrow.
There has been no official confirmation from either satellite TV service on that report.
Rumors have also surfaced on various Internet message boards that DIRECTV will also add Disney Channel HD and Toon Disney HD on Wednesday, but there has been no confirmation of that, either.
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Blu-Ray Makers Cut Back On Ads
Industry officials offer conflicting opinions.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (March 31, 2008) -- Blu-ray manufacturers have sharply reduced the number of print advertisements since Toshiba announced it was exiting the HD DVD business.
That's according to a study by DisplaySearch, as reported by Video Business.
The research firm says that that newspaper circular ads for Blu-ray high-def DVD players fell from 50 to 100 percent between Feb. 10 and March 11, compared to November and December.
Although Blu-ray makers would seem eager to capitalize on HD DVD's exit, DisplaySearch concludes that they are trying to save money after investing heavily in the format war.
"The biggest, most obvious (reason) is there is less competitive pressure to push (Blu-ray) right now,” said Paul Erickson, director of high-def and DVD at DisplaySearch, according to Video Business. "There is not as much pressure to turn in a strong performance, and they can look to stabilize the dropping of prices.”
But Panasonic offers another opinion on the advertising cut-back: a shortage of available players. Why advertise if you don't have enough players to sell?
"Panasonic didn’t expect Toshiba to pull the plug on that particular day, and now there is more demand for Blu-ray, and we and other brands are reacting to that,” said Panasonic senior group manager Tony Jasionowski. “We’re trying to get more product out. We are on top of this and have made our factory in Japan aware of this in order to increase the availability of product.”
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Cable & Satellite Still Lack Space For HD
Despite all the talk, TV providers are struggling to provide more high-def.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (March 31, 2008) -- If you listened to the satellite and cable operators, you would think they could offer hundreds of HDTV channels with the flip of a switch.
Comcast CFO Michael Angelakis said this month that his company has the capacity to offer more than 150 High-Definition channels. Time Warner CFO Landel Hobbs boasted last year that it would have "virtually unlimited" high-def capacity by the end of 2007.
And DIRECTV aired several TV commercials in 2007 boasting of more capacity for HD than any TV provider in the world.
But despite the talk, the undeniable truth is that all cable and satellite operators are still struggling to find system space for more high-def channels and services. For instance:
* DIRECTV hasn't launched a HDTV channel this year.
* Dish Network hasn't launched a national HD channel in months and the satcaster openly laments that it needs new satellites to expand its high-def lineup. (Dish hopes to get three new satellites operational this year; one recently failed, but still might be saved.)
* Cablevision this month wouldn't even comment on whether it would offer MLB 'Extra Innings' games in high-def this season. (The HD games require more system space.)
* Comcast this month had to drop six premium movie channels in the Tallahassee, Florida area to make room for more High-Definition channels. The nation's largest cable operator also says its local systems haven't decided whether they will offer MLB 'Extra Innings' games in high-def this season. (The season started yesterday.)
Add it up and you can see that the so-called unlimited capacity talk is more rhetoric than reality. The cable and satellite services are trying to put a good face on a difficult situation.
In the coming months, DIRECTV and Dish should have more space thanks to new satellites. (DIRECTV this month also launched a new satellite and it should be operational in September, the company says.)
Additionally, the major cable operators continue to implement and experiment with a new technology called Switched Digital Video that's designed to expand capacity. But SDV is not ready in most markets and may not be for some time.
So, high-def viewers, you'll see more HD channels this year. But they might come more slowly than you have been led to believe.
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Comcast Will Offer 'Extra Innings' In HD
The cable operator reverses its earlier position.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (March 30, 2008) -- Comcast says now that some local systems will offer MLB 'Extra Innings' baseball games in High-Definition.
The position is a reversal from the company's stance less than two weeks ago.
In Demand, the company that will distribute the pay package of games to cable operators, is expected to offer up to 10 'out-of-market' games a week in HD as well as up to 80 in standard-def.
But Comcast spokeswoman Jenni Moyer told TVPredictions.com on March 19 that the cable operator would not broadcast the high-def games to its subscribers.
"Only SD," Moyer said.
Asked why on March 19, Moyer said it wasn't because the cable operator didn't have room on its system for the HD games which require more capacity.
"It's most likely because we don't have an agreement to carry it in HD," she said.
However, In Demand spokeswoman Ellen Cooper told TVPredictions.com on Friday (March 28) that every cable operator that carries the Extra Innings package (including SD games) has the rights to also offer the HD games.
Asked about Cooper's statement, Moyer acknowledged in an e-mail Friday night that Comcast does have the rights to offer the high-def games.
She added: "Ellen is in fact correct and I have confirmed that. We do have the rights to offer MLB (Extra Innings) in HD and local systems are deciding whether to offer it...Some of our systems will carry MLB EI in HD this season."
As of Sunday, Moyer had not responded to a follow-up question regarding which local Comcast systems will carry the HD games.
Cable viewers can watch Extra Innings games by ordering the package through their cable operator for a one-time rate of slightly less than $200.
Time Warner and Cox have also said they will offer both SD and HD games, with the latter saying the high-def games will be available in San Diego and Rhode Island.
Cablevision has refused to comment whether they will provide the HD games while Charter Communications has failed to respond to several inquiries from TVPredictions.com.
DIRECTV is offering up to 40 Extra Innings games a week in HD, although the high-def coverage will cost an additional $50 over the standard SD package of $179.
Dish Network did not carry the pay package last year and has not announced that it will do so this year, either.
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Time Warner: We'll Have MLB 'Extra Innings' In HD
The cable operator says it will be offered on a market by market basis.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (March 28, 2008) -- Time Warner says it will provide Major League Baseball's 'Extra Innings' this season in High-Definition.
In Demand, the company that will distribute the Extra Innings pay package to cable operators, is expected to offer around 10 'out-of-market' games a week in HD as well as up to 60 a week in standard-def.
Cable viewers can watch the games by ordering the package through their cable operator for a one-time rate of slightly less than $200.
Justin Venech, a Time Warner spokesman, tells TVPredictions.com that the cable operator will offer "many" Extra Innings games in high-def.
He did not provide an exact number nor reveal which local Time Warner systems will provide the HD coverage. Venech said each local system will decide whether to offer the games in high-def.
Time Warner is the second cable operator to commit to carrying Extra Innings games in HD.
Cox Communications said this week that Cox systems in San Diego and Rhode Island have agreed to carry the high-def 'Extra Innings' games.
A Cablevision spokesman said his company will offer the SD Extra Innings package, but said he could not comment on whether the HD games would be included in the plan.
Comcast has told TVPredictions.com that it will carry the standard-def games of Extra Innings, but not the HD games.
Charter also carried the Extra Innings package last year. TVPredictions.com has issued several inquiries to Charter asking about its 2008 plans, including high-def, but the cable operator has not responded.
DIRECTV will provide an Extra Innings package for 2008, which will include up to 40 games a week in high-def. The cost for both the SD and HD games will be $229 to DIRECTV subscribers.
Dish Network tells TVPredictions.com that it will not carry either the SD or HD Extra Innings in 2008.
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Dish Network Adds Local HD In 4 Cities
Satcaster now offers local high-def channels
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (March 27, 2008) -- Dish Network today began broadcasting local HDTV channels in four new markets.
The new HD cities are: Austin, Texas, Flint, Michigan, Orlando, Florida and West Palm Beach, Florida.
With the additions, Dish now provides HD locals in 39 markets, which represents more than 54 percent of U.S. television households.
"We announced earlier this year that we would reach our goal of 100 local HD markets...by the end of 2008, and over the next two months we will continue toward this goal by increasing our local HD offerings by more than 60 percent," said Eric Sahl, senior vice president of programming for Dish Network.
Dish Network, which now has 76 national HD channels, also plans to offer 100 national HD channels by year's end. However, the satcaster's first of three satellites to expand capacity has failed to reach its orbit.
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Study: 29M Blu-ray Homes Worldwide In 2008
Strategy Analytics says Play Station 3 consoles will drive sales.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (March 26, 2008) -- Blu-ray players will be in 29.4 million homes worldwide by the end of 2008.
That's the conclusion of a new research study from the London-based Strategy Analytics.
The company says that with HD DVD exiting the high-def disc format war, Blu-ray sales should soar in the coming months. (Toshiba is pulling the plug on HD DVD at the end of this month.)
Sony's Play Station 3, which has a Blu-ray player inside, will drive more interest in the technology, the company concludes.
"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," Strategy Analytics said in a statement.
The company added that 132 million homes worldwide will have at least one Blu-ray device by 2012.
“HD-DVD’s withdrawal leaves the way open for Blu-ray to become a major revenue earner for technology vendors and content owners alike,” says David Mercer, Strategy Analytics' principal analyst. “The 265 million homes that will own an HDTV by 2012, and Hollywood’s need for a new growth engine, represent huge incentives for the industry to coordinate marketing activities and demonstrate unified support for the successor to DVD.”
The research firm said 18.8 million Blu-ray devices will be sold worldwide this year, including four million standalone players, 13 million game consoles and nearly two million PCs.
By 2012, it estimates that 57.4 million Blu-ray devices will be sold annually, with 26.4 million sold in Europe and 22.6 million in the United States.
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Cox: MLB 'Extra Innings' In HD
But the cable operator offers no details.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (March 26, 2008) -- Cox Communications says it will provide some games in Major League Baseball's 'Extra Innings' package in High-Definition.
However, the cable operator offers no details such as how many games or even which local Cox systems will provide high-def coverage.
"We will offer those games in HD in select markets," Cox spokeswoman Erin Lambermont tells TVPredictions.com. "It's up to each market to determine whether to carry (games in HD)."
In Demand, the company that will distribute the Extra Innings pay package to cable operators, is expected to offer around 10 'out-of-market' games a week in HD as well as up to 60 a week in standard-def.
Comcast has confirmed to TVPredictions.com that it will carry the standard-def games of Extra Innings, but not the HD games.
Time Warner, Cablevision, Cox and Charter also carried the Extra Innings package last year. TVPredictions.com has issued inquiries to the four cable operators asking about their 2008 plans, including high-def, but has yet to receive a response except for Cox.
DIRECTV will provide the Extra Innings package for 2008, which will include up to 40 games a week in high-def. The cost for both the SD and HD games will be $229.
Cox is now selling the package for $159 as an "early bird special," but there is no indication at its web site that the HD games would cost extra.
Dish Network tells TVPredictions.com that it will not carry either the SD or HD Extra Innings in 2008.
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DIRECTV SD Viewers Miss Red Sox-A's Game
The satcaster apparently suffered an early morning transponder issue.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (March 25, 2008) -- DIRECTV high-def subscribers were able to watch today's 2008 season opening game between the Boston Red Sox and the Oakland Athletics on ESPN 2 or NESN.
But the majority of DIRECTV customers -- those who do not own an HDTV and/or subscribe to the satcaster's HD package -- were shut out apparently because of a faulty transponder that blacked out the game on the two networks' analog channels.
The outage generated scores of complaints from baseball fans on Internet message boards, particularly since they rose early to watch the game at its unusual starting time of 6 a.m. ET.
The early start time was caused by Major League Baseball's decision to hold the opening game in Tokyo.
DIRECTV has yet to respond to an inquiry from TVPredictions.com as to why the two analog channels failed. However, the Associated Press reports that the satcaster refused to say why it occured.
DIRECTV customer service reps this morning told customers that the problem was caused by a faulty transponder.
The analog channels have since returned to the air.
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Dish Network: No Extra Innings In 2008
The satcaster did not offer the package last year as well.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (March 25, 2008) -- Dish Network will not carry the Major League Baseball 'Extra Innings' package this season.
The satcaster did not offer the package of 'out-of-market' baseball games during the 2007 season, either, after pressure from congressional lawmakers forced Major League Baseball to allow TV providers other than DIRECTV to carry it.
Dish spokesman Parker McConachie confirmed to TVPredictions.com on Monday that it would not provide Extra Innings during the 2008 season.
DIRECTV will provide the Extra Innings package for 2008, which will include up to 40 games a week in high-def.
Comcast has confirmed to TVPredictions.com that it will carry the standard-def games of Extra Innings, but not the HD games.
Time Warner, Cablevision, Cox and Charter carried the Extra Innings package last year. TVPredictions.com has issued inquiries to the four cable operators asking about their 2008 plans, including high-def, but has yet to receive a response.
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DIRECTV to Impose 24-Hour PPV Limit
Viewers must watch the film after ordering it.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (March 24, 2008) -- DIRECTV next month will require subscribers to view a PPV movie within 24 hours after they order it.
The new policy, which will become effective on April 15, will apply to both high-def and standard-def movies.
The 24-hour clock will start the minute the film is ordered, meaning that a subscriber will be unable to watch it a day later.
However, a DIRECTV subscriber will still be able to record a PPV movie without ordering it at the time of the recording. This allows you to order it only when you decide to watch it. (After that, the 24-hour clock will start.)
DIRECTV says that special PPV events, such as sports, will not be affected by the new policy.
The satcaster says the 24-hour rule was imposed by the movie studios which are trying to protect their copyrights and DVD sales.
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Time Warner to Add 21 HD Channels In NY
The additions are scheduled for April 30.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (March 24, 2008) -- Time Warner has announced that it will add 21 new High-Definition channels in the New York area on April 30.
The new HD channels will be added to Time Warner local systems in Brooklyn and Queens.
With the 21 new channels, Time Warner Cable will offer roughly 45 high-def channels in the New York area, about half of what's offered by DIRECTV but more than most other cable services.
The new high-def channels that will be added on April 30 are:
A&E HD
ABC Family HD
Animal Planet HD
CNN HD
Discovery HD
Disney HD
Food Network HD
HGTV HD
History Channel HD
The Learning Channel HD
Lifetime Movies HD
MHD
NHL Network HD
NY1 HD
Science Channel HD
Speed Channel HD
TMC HD
Weather Channel HD
ESPNews HD
Toon Disney HD
Versus/Golf HD
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