Time Warner: 3.4M HDTV Subscribers
The cable operator says the first quarter sub increase set a company record.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 30, 2008) -- Time Warner Cable says it now has 3.4 million High-Definition subscribers, representing 41 percent of its digital cable audience.
The cable operator made the disclosure today in an investors call following the release of its first quarter report.
Time Warner said HD customers increased by 418,000 in the first quarter, the highest increase ever for the company in one quarter.
Company CEO Glenn Britt also said that Time Warner Cable now offers more than 50 high-def channels in some markets and that capacity will soon no longer be an obstacle to expanding local HD lineups.
Time Warner is installing a new capacity-increasing technology called "Switched Digital Video."
"Once we have switching we can essentially add all the HD channels we can get our hands on," Britt said. "And so the gaiting factor is how many HD channels are really available as opposed to various marketing hype. Are they really available in a way that we can give them to customers? Then we have to have contracts for them and then launch them. So I think you should assume capacity is not the constraint -- it’s getting channels and signing contracts."
Britt added that some high-def channels may not be "terribly attractive" to consumers so Time Warner will not add them. He did not name specific channels.
"We are going for programming that we think consumers want," Britt said. "So since we are not trying to market by bragging about the number of channels, we’re going for quality, you may see a difference in our advertising versus some other competitors. But rest assured we are going to have everything that people really want."
Britt's comment was an apparent reference to DIRECTV's marketing campaign which says the satcaster has the most high-def channels with 95.
Time Warner COO Landel Hobbs said the company expects that 50 percent of its digital cable customers will subscribe to high-def by year's end.
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Does DIRECTV Have Room For Fox News Channel HD?
The high-def channel will launch tomorrow.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 30, 2008) -- Fox News Channel will launch a HD simulcast channel tomorrow and it would seem that DIRECTV would be a top candidate to carry it.
Afterall, the satcaster's former corporate parent, News Corp., owns the Fox News Channel and a DIRECTV official privately told TVPredictions.com last year that the company would carry Fox News Channel HD when it launched.
However, in yesterday's announcement from Fox, the network said Time Warner Cable would carry the new high-def channel in parts of New York and Texas.
There was no mention of DIRECTV. Zero. Zilch. (There was also no other TV provider mentioned.)
So, what gives?
Well, things have changed since last year when DIRECTV was rolling out dozens of new national HD channels, eventually bringing its total to 95. Despite boasts of having more HD capacity than cable, DIRECTV is now running out of satellite space.
That's why the satcaster has added just a handful of new HD channels this year -- and it's why it's careful not to discuss adding more channels until a new satellite is operational this fall.
The capacity problem was dramatized earlier this year when DIRECTV and Crown Media Holdings, the parent company of the Hallmark Movie Channel, announced that the satcaster had secured the rights to carry the new high-def version of the movie channel.
However, although Hallmark Movie Channel HD launched on April 2, DIRECTV has yet to add it.
So, as much as DIRECTV would like to add Fox News Channel HD, it would not be surprising if the channel is missing from the satcaster's high-def lineup for some time to come.
Final note: DIRECTV last year made several pre-launch announcements for new HD channels. But this year, the company has been mum about new channels until they are actually launched.
Times have changed.
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Washington, D.C. (April 29, 2008) -- Scarlet, I don't give a damn.
You couldn't blame Hollywoodians for repeating Clark Gable's famous line from Gone With the Wind after last night's 'Scarlet' hoax perpetuated by LG Electronics.
Over the last few weeks, the CE company has planted rumors of a hot new TV show called Scarlet that would star model Natassia Malthe as a sexy secret agent.
LG ran ads at several web sites, started a web site, and even bought billboards in Los Angeles and Paris, according to the Associated Press. The company was not mentioned in the online ads or the billboards.
The secret behind the mysterious show was supposed to be revealed last night at an invitation-only screening at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles. Celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton packed the venue to catch a sneak peek.
However, as it turns out, Scarlet is actually the name that LG is using for its new superslim LCD flat-screen set. The screening was for a commercial starring the television.
“We’re obviously trying to fool people, but it’s done in a fun and engaging sort of way,” Tim Alessi, LG director of product development and advertising, told the AP.
However, one message board poster at Yahoo! Answers may have echoed the comments of last night's attendees:
“I think that it's terrible to trick people to sell something,” said the poster, according to AP.
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ABI Research: Wrong Again On Blu-ray
The research firm doesn't have a good track record on the high-def industry.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 29, 2008) -- On January 24, 2007, ABI Research said LG Electronics' new $1199 dual-format HDTV DVD player would end the war between Blu-ray and HD-DVD.
"We believe that universal players will come to dominate the High-Definition DVD player market," said Steve Wilson, ABI's principal analyst of consumer electronics.
ABI, a research company based in New Yori, forecast the sale of 2.4 million dual format players in 2007, rising to a whopping 55 million in 2011.
On January 24, 2007, this is what I wrote here at TVPredictions.com in response to ABI's report:
"ABI's forecast is way too optimistic. At $1199, the LG player is cost prohibitive for most Americans and it's unlikely that the price will fall 'dramatically' for a few years at least. And when prices actually reach the $200 level, the marketplace may have already determined a winner in the format war, which would make the dual player all but obsolete."
I bring this information to your attention because ABI has done it again. The company today issued a press release saying that it will 12-18 months before the Blu-ray "kicks into gear."
"Consumer electronics manufacturers need to introduce full-featured (Blu-ray) players and then get prices down to the $200 level," ABI said. "Until then, non-HDTV owners will certainly favor standard definition DVD players. A depressed economy in the United States could also lead HDTV and prospective HDTV owners to opt for upconverting standard players as they delay buying higher-ticket CE items. In addition, Blu-ray packaged media comes at a heavy premium over standard DVDs, although studios have brought prices down to the low $20-range for some titles."
ABI's facts are not in dispute here. But its timetable is. The Blu-ray industry is already "kicking into gear" with sales up 351 percent in the first quarter of 2008. Millions of consumers who were waiting for an end to the format war are now contemplating buying a Blu-ray player.
Additionally, Blu-ray player prices will likely approach the $200 level this holiday season, which will give the high-def disc format another major sales boost.
While I agree that Blu-ray is years away from replacing the standard-def DVD, the process has begun.
Like other research firms such as Screen Digest and Adams Media Research (both of whom predicted in 2007 that both Blu-ray and HD DVD would be around for years; I predicted in 2006 that Blu-ray would win the format war relatively quickly), ABI doesn't have a strong track record of forecasting the high-def disc industry.
You might want to keep that in mind when you need guidance on this industry.
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Blu-ray's Clinton/Obama Problem
The high-def format winner has left some bitter foes behind.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 29, 2008) -- When two sides engage in a long and contentious battle in which only one can win, it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of the ultimate loser.
Don't believe it. Well, just ask Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
As the two Democratic presidential challengers escalate their fight for the nomination, many supporters of both tell pollsters that they will vote for Republican John McCain if their favorite winds up losing.
That prospect has Democratic party leaders desperately searching for a way to sooth hard feelings and heal the rupture between the two forces. If the Clinton and Obama camps fail to unite in the fall, the GOP candidate could capture a surprisingly easy victory.
The supporters of the Blu-ray high-def disc format could learn a lesson from the Obama-Clinton race.
From the spring of 2006 to February 2008, Blu-ray and rival HD DVD locked horns in an expensive and often bitter battle to become the leading high-def disc format. Company executives supporting each side frequently traded stinging criticisms that sometimes bordered on the personal.
Blu-ray and HD DVD backers such as Sony, MIcrosoft and Toshiba, invested hundreds of millions in seeing that their format would win. And finally, many company executives put their career tracks on line by aggressively supporting one format over the other.
However, the fight came to an inglorious conclusion in February when Toshiba finally decided to end its financial bloodbath and pull the plug on HD DVD. (Toshiba last week said its profits fell 95 percent due to the failed HD DVD business.)
While Blu-ray is now the clear winner, the victory could be a Pyrrhic one unless it does something to heal the wounds with the HD DVD camp. For instance:
* Toshiba now refuses to manufacture Blu-ray players and even suggests that digital downloads will be the future, not hard disc media.
* Microsoft, while less bitter about the defeat, still hasn't committed to including Blu-ray in its product line, including the XBox 360 video game console.
* HD DVD owners now fill Internet message boards with hateful comments about Blu-ray and the future of high-def discs. (These are HDTV owners who once were solidly behind the concept of the HD disc.)
Blu-ray's victory has left the HD DVD forces feeling bruised and resentful. It's human nature. When you're defeated, you instantly harbor ill feelings about your opponent. Unless...
Unless that opponent immediately takes steps to make you a teammate rather than a combatant. And unless that opponent goes out of its way to be graceful in victory.
I submit that the Blu-ray team has failed on both fronts. Company executives have been a little too busy engaging in victory laps and self congratulatory board meetings.
If the Blu-ray supporters want to win, it needs Toshiba, Microsoft and the hundreds of thousands of HD DVD owners on their side. And today, not tomorrow.
Blu-ray backers, such as Sony, should offer HD DVD owners discounts on Blu-ray products -- and they should offer Toshiba and Microsoft some substantial financial incentives to become Blu-ray companies.
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Verizon's FiOS TV Hits 1.2M Sub Mark
The telco is promising 150 high-def channels this year.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 29, 2008) -- Verizon said yesterday that it added 263,000 FiOS TV customers in the first quarter, bringing its overall total to 1.2 million.
Fueled by aggressive marketing efforts, Verizon's FiOS has added 850,000 subscribers over the past year. And the telco is now challenging cable operators in several top markets with promises of 150 High-Definition channels by year's end. (Verizon now offers less than 40 HD channels.)
Verizon has also claimed in a TV commercial campaign that its high-def picture is better than cable and satellite, a statement often challenged by its competitors.
However, Verizon FiOS has also suffered from growing pains and has acknowledged difficulties in delivering some promotional items such as free Sharp LCD HDTVs and an inability to meet demand for high-def set-tops.
Company officials yesterday said in an investors call that they have "pretty much caught up" in supplying the HD set-tops to customers who have requested them.
According to the Associated Press, Verizon says the average FiOS customer now spends $129 a month on service. The telco added that it expects to raise some video programming prices later this year when it adds more high-def channels.
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Samsung: Blu-ray Sales Will Explode
The company says it's expects a surge over the next five years.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 28, 2008) -- Samsung says that worldwide annual sales of Blu-ray players will hit 51 million by the year 2012.
That's according to an article by the Associated Press.
Samsung, which produced both Blu-ray and HD DVD/Blu-ray combo players, says that Blu-ray sales will now soar following Toshiba's decision to exit the HD DVD business.
Jun Dong-soo, chief of Samsung's digital audio-video business, said in a press release that he believes the worldwide market will grow at least 80 percent over the next five years, according to the AP.
The executive forecast that five million Blu-ray standalone players would be sold this year -- three times the amount sold last year.
"Our own Blu-ray product sales should increase to ($402 million) this year and surpass ($1 billion) by 2010," he stated.
Samsung last week unveiled its fourth-generation Blu-ray player, which is expected to be available for sale this summer.
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Industry Divided Over Blu-ray Disc Pricing
Retailers report that consumers are balking at high prices.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 25, 2008) -- Retailers and studios are confused over how to price Blu-ray titles with reports that consumers are balking at premium prices.
That's according to an article by Video Business.
In most stores, new Blu-ray releases cost from $5-10 more than their standard-def counterparts. For instance, Video Business notes, the Blu-ray edition of Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, is $43.95, $14 more than its standard-def two-disc special edition.
Older titles are also priced higher than standard-def versions.
But while industry officials note that consumers are wary of the higher prices, they are reluctant to lower them because of declining profits in the DVD industry as a whole.
“I don’t think studios have found the right price that works best yet on Blu-ray,” Don Rood, director of business development at wholesaler VPD, told Video Business. “But I don’t think they will until the demand is there for the format. More consumers will need to adopt before studios can see what really is working. We just don’t want to see a race to the bottom.”
Lionsgate is one studio that has lowered the price on some older Blu-ray titles from $29.99 to $19.99, such as Devil’s Rejects, Stir of Echoes, Total Recall and Terminator 2. Some industry officials say that this will spur Blu-ray sales.
“This is a nice entry price, and Lionsgate is more of a catalog-centric label, so this is good stuff,” Newbury buyer Ian Leshin said. “When consumers see that gap (between Blu-ray and SD prices), they will consider a lot longer how much they need to have the high-def product. It would make me think twice if I can get the other version for a third of the price.”
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Bloodbath: Toshiba's Profit Plunges On HD DVD Exit
The company reports a 95 percent drop.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 25, 2008) -- Toshiba today reported that its net profit fell a whopping 95 percent in the first quarter thanks to its failed HD DVD business.
Toshiba announced in February that it was pulling the plug on the high-def disc format at the end of March, ceding victory to rival Blu-ray.
The company has said the exit could create up to $1 billion in losses. However, the damage done by HD DVD's defeat could be even more staggering, according to a Reuters report.
Toshiba today said its first quarter net profit was 1.25 billon yen ($12 million), compared to 26.17 billion yet in last year's first quarter.
And the company was not shy about revealing why.
"Our net profit sharply fell due to the end of HD DVD business," Toshiba spokeswoman Hiroko Mochida said.
The spokeswoman said that HD DVD caused $580 million in losses in the first quarter alone.
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Is Dish Network Trying to Buy Failed HD Satellite?
But a published report says SES wants to sell it to the government.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 24, 2008) -- SES Americom is trying to sell a failed satellite that Dish Network planned to use for HDTV to the Department of Defense.
That's according to a report from SpaceDaily.
The SES AMC-14 satellite was launched in March, but has been declared a failure because it can't reach its proper orbit. Dish Network had planned to lease space on the satellite to expand its high-def programming lineup.
SES had planned to ditch the satellite, but now is trying to sell it to a DOD agency, SpaceDaily reports. The company wants to get rid of the satellite before a SES competitor or a Dish Network sister company can buy it from an insurance underwriter, the report says.
Dish might believe that it can still place the satellite in proper orbit if it could purchase it. SES apparently believes that would either be too costly or legally risky.
Space Daily writes that the DOD agency could also move the AMC-14 to its proper orbit for purposes unclear.
SES is concerned that EchoStar, a Dish Network sister company, might buy the satellite because it has plans for a similar satellite business.
"They would specifically like to prevent the vehicle from being bought by Echostar, the customer that originally intended to lease AMC-14 from SES," sources told SpaceDaily.
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Verizon FiOS TV: Can You Believe What They Say?
The telco's TV service is setting an alarming track record of over-promising and under-delivering.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 23, 2008) -- Verizon said in February that it was "hopefully finishing" negotiations to bring Major League Baseball's 'Extra Innings' package to its FiOS TV subscribers.
“This is a popular service, and we want to be able to offer that to FiOS customers,” Verizon senior vice president of media relations Eric Rabe said at the time.
However, Multichannel News reports today that Verizon still hasn't signed a deal with MLB -- nearly one month into the 2008 season. This despite the February assurance that the agreement would be reached "soon."
"We gave you (in February) the best information we had at the time," Rabe said in a recent blog entry at Verizon's web site, "but TV content negotiations are complex and often take many months to complete. We still expect to begin providing MLB EI during the 2008 baseball season but, as I said before, it will not be available in all markets as soon as the ink is dry on the contract."
The discrepancy could be easily dismissed if it weren't for the fact that Verizon seems to have a track record of promising one thing and delivering another when it comes to its TV service.
To wit:
* Verizon last year included a free Sharp LCD HDTV in a promotional offer for FiOS. However, after signing up a large number of new subscribers, the telco said it suddenly ran out of free Sharp TVs. Dow Jones reports that Verizon instead offered new customers a less attractive Magnavox set or a $200 Best Buy gift card as an alternative.
* Verizon said last November that it would offer 150 HD channels by year's end. However, the telco now offers fewer than 40 HD channels and has yet to say exactly when those 150 networks will be added.
* Verizon is running a TV ad campaign saying that CNET.com has said that its FiOS TV service is "near flawless." However, as it turns out, CNET actually never said that; the technology web site published an article saying that it was important for Verizon to offer a "near flawless" TV experience, given the intense competition in the TV category.
In our view, the telco is exhibiting a 'fast and loose" approach to the facts when promoting High-Definition TV and related TV services. We realize that as a relative newcomer to the field, Verizon must be aggressive in marketing its service as it tries to peel away longtime cable and satellite subscribers.
However, there's a line between aggressive and misleading and Verizon seems all too willing to cross that line.
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Samsung Unveils New Blu-ray Player
But the company does not reveal the price.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 23, 2008) -- Samsung today said it will introduce its fourth-generation Blu-ray player, the BD-P1500, this June.
However, the company said that the player's price will be determined at a later date.
The issue of Blu-ray player prices has become a thorny one in the high-def community since HD DVD's exit from the high-def disc format war. Some Blu-ray players, which were available online for close to $300 before HD DVD's departure, now cost $399.
In addition, Philips disclosed to TVPredictions that its new Blu-ray player, scheduled for launch this month, will now cost $399, although it said at the Consumer Electronics Show in January that it would cost just $349.
Samsung said the P1500 will include 'BD Profile 1.1 Bonus View' and is BD Live Ready, meaning it can support the latest interactive features.
And with a built-in Ethernet connection and USB input, owners can upgrade the BD-P1500 with the latest firmware to retrieve future updates over the Net.
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Analyst: Blu-ray Players In 25% Of Homes By 2011
He also says Blu-ray disc prices will fall.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 23, 2008) -- Blu-ray players will be in roughly 25 percent of U.S. homes in three years.
That's according to a new report from Bernstein Research analyst Michael Nathanson, as reported by Reuters.
Nathanson says Blu-ray players will be in approximately one percent of U.S. households at the end of this year, suggesting the high-def disc format will experience a boom over the next three years.
To help fuel that growth, the analyst estimates that the average price of a Blu-ray disc will drop from $28.50 this year to $24.43 in 2011. He says overall Blu-ray revenue will jump from $260 million this year to $4.24 billion in 2011.
However, despite the rosy projections, Nathanson says many Blu-ray owners will buy only about 6-10 Blu-ray titles.
"We have a hard time understanding why consumers will rush out to Best Buy to pick up the Blu-ray version of Caddyshack or Sleepless in Seattle," he said, according to Reuters.
But due to the higher profit margin for Blu-ray discs, compared to standard-def DVDs, the analyst says that 6-10 titles for each Blu-ray owner would give the home video industry a major boost.
Thanks to Blu-ray, Nathanson says the home video industry might net a 2.4 percent annual growth rate in revenue over the next three years. Without Blu-ray, he says, the industry would have lost 2.2 percent each year.
Nathanson's report says there were about 3.5 million Blu-ray players in U.S. homes at the end of 2007, including Play Station 3 consoles. He predicts that a sudden rise in Blu-ray sales will occur when the player price drops from around $399 to under $200, probably not until next year.
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Dish Network Adds Satellite For 2010
The satcaster has two leased satellites scheduled for this year.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 23, 2008) -- Dish Network has hired Space Systems/Loral to build a new satellite which is scheduled for launch in 2010, the companies announced yesterday.
The new satellite will be used to expand Dish's programming lineup. Dish also has leased space on two satellites scheduled for launch this year to offer more High-Definition programming.
The satcaster suffered a setback last month when a third satellite it planned to use for HD programming failed to reach its proper orbit and was declared a failure.
Unlike the three satellites scheduled for 2008, the Loral satellite will be built specifically for Dish Network.
"Space Systems/Loral's record of reliability and their high powered platform are very important to our business," said Rohan Zaveri, vice president of Space Programs for DISH Network. "We are pleased to add another Space Systems/Loral-built satellite to the DISH Network fleet."
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NetFlix to HD Owners: We Know You'll Pay More
The online DVD rental service raises Blu-ray prices because it says it can.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 22, 2008) -- NetFlix yesterday said it would soon raise monthly subscription fees for Blu-ray high-def disc rentals.
And the online DVD rental service couldn't have been clearer as to why it will hike those prices.
High-def owners are accustomed to being charged more than the average consumer.
"Consumers are used to paying more for High-Definition content in every other channel, including video rental stores, video-on-demand, and cable channels," explained Netflix CEO Reed Hastings.
In other words, Hastings is saying that it's okay to gouge the high-def owner a bit because he/she is used to being gouged a bit.
The executive was referring to the fact that HD VOD movies usually cost $1 more than standard-def VOD films; that most cable and satellite operators charge an extra monthly fee for HD programming packages; and that the HDTV itself cost far more than a non-HD Digital TV.
While Hastings is unusually honest about his feelings on the subject, he is not alone. In March 2006, Peter Chernin, president of News Corp., told a financial conference that his company was talking to cable and satellite operators about charging $25-30 to watch a movie in HDTV 60 days after its theatrical release.
Asked if the $25-30 cost seemed high, The Hollywood Reporter quoted Chernin as saying that some high-def owners would be "desperate consumers" because there is relatively little HDTV programming available on cable and satellite.
To date, Chernin and News Corp. has not followed up on their plan. But Hastings' remarks indicate that the industry's belief that it can take the high-def owner for a ride has not changed.
However, one thing can change.
If you're a NetFlix subscriber, you can decide to change your DVD rental service.
In fact, Blockbuster recently announced that it would increase the number of stores carrying Blu-ray rentals to about 5,000. When NetFlix reveals its new Blu-ray subscription price, I suggest that you check out your local Blockbuster -- and Blockbuster's online service.
And, if Blockbuster offers a better deal, take it.
That would be better than just "taking it" from NetFlix.
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NetFlix to Raise Blu-ray Rental Rates
The company says the increase will be "modest."
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 22, 2008) -- NetFlix says that later this year it will add a "modest premium" to monthly subscription fees for Blu-ray customers.
The online DVD rental service made the disclosure in an investors call following its first quarter report.
NetFlix CEO Reed Hastings defended the increase by noting that Blu-ray discs cost more at retail -- and he opined that high-def owners are used to "paying more."
"As you are aware, purchasing Blu-Ray DVDs costs more both at retail and wholesale than standard definition DVDs, and consumers are used to paying more for high-definition content in every other channel, including video rental stores, video-on-demand, and cable channels," Hastings said. "Because of the higher cost of Blu-Ray and the consumer expectations around high-def content, we are planning on implementing a modest monthly premium for access to Blu-Ray some time this year."
Hastings said that the percentage of NetFlix subscribers who rent Blu-ray discs is now in the single digits. But he said Blu-ray's victory over HD DVD in the high-def disc format war increases the chances that the DVD market will "remain enormous for many years into the future."
"Over the coming years, Blu-Ray DVD players will fall in price and become more widespread," he said.
Hastings also said the increase in Blu-ray rentals is necessary because the company plans to invest to expand its inventory of available titles.
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HDTV: Networks Should Stop Stretching the Truth
The networks' decision to offer widescreen, non-HD broadcasts continues to fool viewers.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 21, 2008) -- Last week, I noted here in an article on ABC's This Week going high-def that network rival Fox News Sunday is not in HD.
Well, you would have thought that I had said the Pope isn't Catholic. Readers flooded my e-mail box with letters saying that Fox News Sunday has been in high-def for months.
"Hate to be nitpicking, but Fox News Sunday has been in HD for at least a year now," said one reader.
A few even said that I must be a liberal because I was purposely lying about the Fox news program, which is hosted by Chris Wallace.
There was just one problem with the complaints: They were all wrong. Fox News Sunday is broadcast in widescreen digital, which fills the HDTV screen but lacks the clarity and detail of a high-def picture.
Generally speaking, on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being HD, the widescreen digital picture would be about a 6 -- better than a 4 x 3 analog picture but far short of an HDTV picture.
The effect, however, can fool the casual HD viewer into thinking that the image is high-def because real HD shows are in widescreen. Fox uses the same technique for other shows, such as Cops and Hell's Kitchen.
But Fox is not the only network to practice this sleight-of-hand with your picture. NBC, for instance, convinced millions last summer that its widescreen enhanced broadcast of Wimbledon was actually in high-def. And several basic cable networks such as A&E, TBS and The History Channel air much of their lineups in widescreen, but not real HD.
Network executives usually say they broadcast in widescreen when the show isn't in HD as a service to owners of widescreen sets. They say the viewer would rather have the show fill the entire screen.
But that's nonsense. The networks know that many HD owners will think the show is in HD, which makes it more likely that they will tune in. Rather than spend the money to deliver a real HD picture, they are trying to trick their customers.
Today, I am calling on all networks to end this fraud immediately. If a show is not in HD, the networks should not broadcast it in widescreen -- unless it flashes an occasional on-screen message telling the viewer that the show is not in high-def.
HDTV is confusing enough for the average person. The networks don't have to add to that confusion by purposely manipulating the technology for the benefit of their ratings.
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Sony to Offer PS3 Movie Downloads
The service could start this summer.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 21, 2008) -- Sony is planning to launch an online video service on its Play Station 3 video game console.
That's according to an article by The Los Angeles Times.
The service, which the Times says could start this summer, would compete with the XBox 360's online service which offers both High-Definition and standard-def TV and movie downloads.
Sony declined to comment on the report, but the company has posted a blog entry at a Play Station site that seems to confirm it.
"Many of you have been hearing rumblings about a video service that will allow you to download full-length TV shows and movies via PlayStation Network for North America," stated Peter Dille, senior vice president of marketing for Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. "While I don't have any new announcements . . . it's already been confirmed that we'll be offering a video service for PS3 in a way that separates the service from others you've seen or used."
The Times article does not say whether Sony's online service would include high-def movies and shows. Sony is also the biggest backer of the Blu-ray high-def disc format, which arguably is a competitor to digital downloads.
The newspaper writes that Sony is now negotiating licensing rights with studios to offer content on the PS3.
In addition to the XBox, Apple, Vudu, TiVo, NetFlix have all also started download services or plan to in the coming months.
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Fox News Sunday Going HD In August
Meet the Press is expected to switch in 2009.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 20, 2008) -- Fox News Sunday is scheduled to begin broadcasting in High-Definition this August, according to Politico.com.
When the switch occurs, Fox News Sunday will be the second morning Sunday news show to go high-def on a weekly basis. ABC's This Week made its HD debut today.
Fox's Sunday newscast, which is hosted by Chris Wallace, now airs in widescreen digital, which some people mistake for high-def. But the real HD debut will not come until August, the Politico writes.
The web site also says NBC is not expected to begin offering Meet the Press in high-def until 2009.
In addition, CBS' Face the Nation says it doesn't have any high-def plans.
ABC execs tell the Politico that although This Week is now in high-def, the picture may not always be as sharp as HD viewers have come to expect. The show will use camera filters to soften the picture for certain guests who may not look as good in high-def.
“We want an attractive show, so we’re aware of it in terms of what filters we use and how the cameras are set,” a show producer said.
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Entertainment Tonight, Insider Going High-Def
The switch will come this September.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 20, 2008) -- Syndie gossip shows Entertainment Tonight and The Insider will begin broadcasting in High-Definition on September 8.
That's according to an article by Broadcasting and Cable Magazine.
TVPredictions.com reported last October that Entertainment Tonight would switch to high-def in 2008, but this is the first time a launch month has been revealed.
B&C notes that the September debut will mark the first two entertainment newsmagazines to go high-def. Only a handful of syndicated shows are now available in HD.
"We know now from watching sports that High-Definition really enhances the moment,” Terry Wood, president of creative affairs and development at CBS Television Distribution, told the publication. (CBS owns the two programs.) “When you watch a football game or any sport in high-def, you feel like you are there. Making the viewers who tune in to what we do every day feel like they are on the red carpet or at the Oscars with us is a really important experience for them.”
Both Entertainment Tonight and The Insider feature interviews and 'up-close-and-personal' features on Hollywood celebrities, some of whom have been known to shy away from the candid HD cameras.
Linda Bell Blue, executive producer for both shows, acknowledges that HD will create a new set of demands for the show's staff.
“High-def is a whole new ball game,” Bell Blue told B&C. “The makeup is different, the lighting is different, even the way we shoot is different. We really are blazing a trail here.”
She added: "Everything is so much bigger and brighter and jumps off the screen in High-Definition. Everything from the colors of the actresses’ dresses on the Oscar red carpet to the facets of the diamonds in their rings and necklaces will be more brilliant.”
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Dish Network Adds Sci-Fi, USA HD
The satcaster now has 79 national high-def channels.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 18, 2008) -- Dish Network today added Sci-Fi Channel HD and USA Network HD to its High-Definition lineup.
Rumors have circulated for weeks that the satcaster was about to add the two channels. With today's additions, Dish now has 79 national HD channels.
Dish's high-def expansion plans suffered a setback this month when a satellite it planned to use to increase its HD capacity was declared a failure.
But Dish said yesterday in a regulatory filing that it's still "on track" to offer 100 national HD channels by year's end, which it promised in January.
Dish said there are still two more satellite launches scheduled this year which will give it the capacity for additional national and local channels.
The satellite service added CNN HD earlier in the week.
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Dish Network: HD Plans 'On Track'
The satcaster says a failed satellite will not affect expansion.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 18, 2008) -- Dish Network yesterday said that its plan to offer more High-Definition programming in 2008 is still on track.
The statement, which was made in a regulatory filing, was the first comment from Dish since a new satellite it planned to use to increase its high-def capacity was declared a failure.
The satellite failed to reach its proper orbit shortly after launch; Dish had planned to lease space on the satellite for national and local HD channels.
But the satcaster noted yesterday that two more satellite launches are scheduled in 2008.
Dish said in January that it will expand its national HD channel count from around 75 to 100 by year's end. The satcaster added CNN HD this week, the first high-def channel addition in weeks.
Dish also said in the regulatory filing that it will not incur any financial liability from the failed satellite because it was insured, Reuters reports.
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Verizon: Flawless? No, Just Shameless
The telco's TV ad campaign for its high-def picture is highly misleading and should be investigated by the feds.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 17, 2008) -- For the past few months, Verizon has been running a TV commercial saying that CNET has called its FiOS TV service "near flawless."
Verizon has even added a page to its web site using the "flawless" theme -- verizon.com/flawless.
Problem is, CNET never said that the FiOS TV picture is "near flawless." What the technology's news site, News.com, did say in a news article is that the fierce competition among TV providers stresses the importance for Verizon to "offer a near-flawless TV experience."
See the difference? CNET said Verizon needs to offer a near-flawless experience, not that it currently offers one or that CNET's product reviewers have judged that the picture is near-flawless.
But from that little morsel, Verizon has built an entire advertising campaign saying its FiOS TV experience is "near flawless." The telco has created the perception that a respected web site has judged that its HDTV picture is "near flawless" and, consequently, better than its cable and satellite competitors.
CNET has raised its objections with Verizon, saying the "flawless" comment was taken out of context.
"Nowhere does the News.com article give any opinion, implied or overt, about FiOS TV's actual picture quality. And CNET Reviews has not evaluated FiOS TV," the site states.
The site has also requested that the ad be pulled. Verizon has agreed to pull the ad, but not before May 15 when the campaign is scheduled to end.
But even if Verizon had the decency to take the ad down today, that's not enough. This ad is shameless, highly misleading and -- in my opinion -- should be investigated by the Federal Trade Commission.
Verizon has purposely tried to fool consumers into thinking that its high-def picture is somehow better than every other TV provider.
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Universal Studios Bets On Blu-ray
The studio will issue 'same day' releases.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 17, 2008) -- Universal Studios this summer will begin releasing all new videos on Blu-ray on the same day they are released on standard-def DVD.
That's according to an article by The Hollywood Reporter.
Universal was arguably the top studio supporter of HD DVD before Toshiba pulled the plug on the high-def disc format last month, ceding victory to Blu-ray.
While the studio said that it would support Blu-ray following Toshiba's announcement, it has not offered release details until now.
Universal's decision to issue new videos on Blu-ray the same day they are released on standard-def DVD is a significant victory for Blu-ray supporters and indicates that Universal believes the high-def format can compete with the SD DVD.
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Universal will announce today that the studio's Blu-ray schedule will begin in the summer with the release of Doomsday.
The publication adds that Universal is expected to release about 40 Blu-ray titles in the second half of the year. The list includes American Gangster (already released on HD DVD), Knocked Up, Miami Vice and The 40-Year-Old Virgin.
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Dish Adds CNN HD
The cable news network switched to high-def last fall.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (April 17, 2008) -- Dish Network yesterday added CNN HD to its lineup of High-Definition channels.
The addition gives the satcaster a total of 77 national HD channels. Dish has promised to offer 100 national high-def networks by year's end.
CNN HD was added on Wednesday at channels 200 and 9436. Dish yesterday did not issue a press release announcing the addition and the satcaster did not return phone calls and e-mails asking for comment.
Dish has also not commented yet on last week's news that a new satellite it planned to use to increase its high-def capacity has been declared a failure. The satcaster has said previously, though, that it has two more satellite launches scheduled in 2008.
CNN HD offers a mix of standard-def and high-def programming. The cable news network, which launched the high-def simulcast last fall, has renovated its New York studios to accommodate HD productions there. However, some Washington, D.C.-based shows, such as The Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer, are not in HD.
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