Charter Breaks HDTV Channel Promise
The cable operator says it will now add "the right channels."
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (September 30, 2008) -- Charter Communications promised in November 2007 to double its High-Definition lineup to more than 40 channels in every market by the end of 2008.
However, you can apparently throw that promise right out the window.
In an interview this week with Multichannel News, Charter CTO Marwan Fawaz was asked about the company's pledge to double its high-def lineup in 2008.
His response?
"We’re adding a significant amount of HD channels, but it really varies based on market. We’re adding what we believe are the right channels. And we’re not necessarily adding just linear channels -- we’re adding on-demand," Fawaz told the publication.
In other words, Charter subscribers, you can forget what the company promised you nearly a year ago. It's inoperative. Meaningless. Incorrect.
And, if you're a bit cynical, you might be tempted to call it a bunch of lies designed to keep you as a subscriber back in November 2007 when DIRECTV started adding more high-def channels.
Charter is now refusing to commit to offering 40 or more HD channels in each market. In fact, it's not even saying it will offer a specific number of channels.
Charter now offers less than 30 high-def channels in many markets, with the numbers in the low 20s in some. But Fawaz apparently believes that it's not important to have more channels so long as you're getting "the right channels."
In November 2007, the company said it would "stay competitive with our peers."
But now it appears that the company has decided that staying competitive is simply too much trouble.
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Sony Fires Back at Samsung's Blu-ray Forecast
A top executive disputes claim that Blu-ray has five years left.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (September 26, 2008) -- Sony says a Samsung executive's forecast that the Blu-ray high-def disc has just five years left "couldn't be further from the truth."
In a blog post at Sony.com, Rick Clancy, a Sony senior vice president, defends Blu-ray by noting there are already millions of PlayStation 3 consoles in homes with Blu-ray players inside. He adds that Blu-ray should last for at least 10 years.
"I believe the value of this product is only going to increase for many years to come — perhaps a decade — as developers realize the true power of PS3 in the new games they create, and as the device’s real world features like Blu-ray compatibility blend with new virtual and, yes, networked world features like PSN and Home," Clancy writes.
The Sony executive was reacting to a recent comment by Andy Griffiths, Samsung's UK director of consumer electronics.
"I think (Blu-ray) has 5 years left, I certainly wouldn't give it 10," Griffiths told the web site, Pocket-lint.
The remark was likely to irk fellow industry officials who are trying to create the perception that Blu-ray is a long-term replacement for the standard-def DVD. However, in the same interview, Griffiths took some shots at his colleagues for what he labeled inferior disc players.
“Maybe they need better engineers,” said Griffiths, according to Pocket-lint.
Griffiths did not explain why he believed that Blu-ray had a relatively short shelf life.
But Clancy said Hollywood has only "scratched the surface as far as Blu-ray movie and television titles are concerned. As we witnessed with DVD, you can expect thousands and thousands of high-definition titles to becoming to a Best Buy, Wal-mart and Blockbuster near you — not to mention via the mail through Netflix."
He added that millions of people are buying high-def TVs, which will make them likely candidates to eventually buy Blu-ray players.
"With all of this said, I believe the Blu-ray format will not only coexist with the networked era, but will actually enhance it for many years to come. In fact, you’ll see it evolve this way in new products from Sony and, I suspect, others, including some of the early naysayers," Clancy wrote.
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Blockbuster CFO: Blu-ray Success Won't Be Overnight
The exec says consumers are reluctant to change libraries.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (September 24, 2008) -- Blockbuster CFO Thomas Casey says the industry must be patient if it wants the Blu-ray high-def disc to replace the standard-def DVD.
That's according to an article by Home Media Magazine.
Speaking at an investors conference yesterday, Casey discounted talk that Blu-ray will swiftly become the consumer's disc of choice when renting or buying movies. He noted that Blu-ray sales now represent less than five percent of overall disc penetration.
“We don’t think it is going to be nearly like DVD replacing VHS, and in this economy people will be slow to change out their libraries,” Casey told the conference, according to Home Media. “It will get better. There are different Blu-ray deals with studios. The wholesale and retail prices are higher. You have to figure out new ways to be fully in stock with Blu-ray.”
Casey's cautionary words probably won't set well with Blu-ray enthusiasts since the video retailer has added Blu-ray discs and promotional kiosk to thousands of its stores.
However, Casey also said that despite some who believe the future of home video is in digital downloads sent over the net, Blockbuster believes the physical disc (Blu-ray and standard-def DVD) will still dominate for years to come. At least for Blockbuster, that is.
“While we think the digital side of the business is very important, for branding and for the future of the business in terms of how we’re going to make money … it is really more in the physical space,” Casey said.
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News Analysis
Blu-ray Player Prices Keep Falling
Amazon is now selling Sony's latest model for $258.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (September 23, 2008) -- As predicted here on August 26, Blu-ray player prices are dropping fast in the final months of the year with some retailers offering models at under $200.
Amazon is now selling the Sony BDP-S300 for $199 -- roughly $200 off the suggested list price. The $199 low price can also be found for the Sony model and the Samsung BD-P1500 at some retail stores, including Radio Shack.
Amazon is also selling Sony's latest Blu-ray model -- the BDP-S350 -- for just $258, about $150 off suggested retail price.
So, why the lower prices?
Blu-ray makers are now introducing new models with interactive features to kick off the fall season. The new players are enabling retailers to lower prices on older models to unprecedented lows.
But the industry is also encouraging the lower prices to step up sales of the Blu-ray player which have been disappointing since its format victory over HD DVD last spring.
So, look for prices to keep falling, reaching $149 levels on Black Friday and during the 2008 holiday season. And, expect Blu-ray high-def disc prices to also fall to more reasonable levels, such as $19.99.
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Verizon's FiOS Adds 56 HD Channels In Philly
The telco says the market now has 86 high-def channels.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (September 22, 2008) -- Verizon's FiOS TV service has added 56 new High-Definition channels in the Philadelphia area, the company announced today.
Verizon says FiOS subscribers in the southeastern Pennsylvania and Delaware areas now have 86 high-def channels and more than 500 HD VOD titles a month. The company says it has now surpassed Comcast's high-def lineup in the market.
"FiOS TV is the only service to consider if you want the ultimate HD experience," said Beth Mulhern, Verizon's director of consumer regional marketing in Pennsylvania and Delaware. "With our increased number of HD channels, along with HD video-on-demand programming and our current HD DVR and premium movie promotion, we're blowing cable away."
The list of new HD channels includes: Animal Planet, TLC, Science Channel, Smithsonian Channel, CNN, CNBC, Lifetime, Bravo, TBS, History Channel, Weather Channel, USA and the SCI Fi Channel.
Additionally, there are 11 new channels from Cinemax and 13 new channels from HBO in HD plus FiOS TV's Movie Package, which now includes 13 new HD channels from The Movie Channel, Starz and Showtime, including The Movie Channel Xtra, Starz Edge, Starz Comedy, Starz Kids and Family, Showtime, Showtime Showcase, Showtime Extreme and Showtime 2.
Earlier this year, FiOS expanded its high-def lineups in New York, New Jersey, Washington state and a few other markets to around 100 HD channels.
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Company to Launch 6 New HD Networks
Verizon says it will carry the special interest channels.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (September 22, 2008) -- Entertainment Studios, a LA-based syndicate of niche TV shows, has announced that it will launch six special interest High-Definition networks.
The company also said that Verizon's FiOS TV service has agreed to carry all six channels, which are Cars.TV, Pets.TV, Comedy.TV, MyDestination.TV, ES.TV and Recipe.TV.
Entertainment Studios says the channels will also be available online and via mobile phones. The company did not offer a specific launch date, but said the six channels are "currently planned" for later this year. All six channels will be launched the same day, the company added.
“Our goal and commitment is to make our networks the very best in their categories, and our upcoming launch on the Verizon FiOS TV platform gives us a great start,” said Byron Allen, founder and CEO of Entertainment Studios. “All content will be originally produced in-house to insure the highest level of creative quality, as well as the ability to distribute our content globally on all platforms.”
The six channels will apparently attempt to reach the same niche audiences targeted by high-def programmer Voom, which now offers 15 niche HD channels on Cablevision's system.
For instance, Entertainment Studios says Cars.TV will be targeted to collectors; Pets.TV will be dedicated to pet lovers; and Comedy.TV will feature live concerts, sitcoms and movies starring comedians.
There was no word in Entertainment Studios' release as to whether the company is seeking additional TV providers for the six channels. Verizon FiOS is now available in seven million homes in 14 states: California, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Oregon, Texas, Virginia and Washington.
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Panasonic 'BD Live' Blu-ray Player: $399
The set-top is expected to launch in October.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (September 19, 2008) -- Panasonic yesterday said its new BD Live Blu-ray player will retail for $399, the same price as similar BD Live models from Sony and Samsung.
That's according to an article by Video Business.
The BD Live player will allow users to download a variety of interactive features available on new Blu-ray high-def discs such as movie trailers, ringtones and games. The players, however, must be connected to high-speed Internet connections.
Earlier and less expensive Blu-ray models do not include the BD Live capability. But some offer other features such as Picture-in-Picture which allows users to watch commentaries in PIP while viewing the movie at the same time.
Memorex, for instance, yesterday unveiled a $269 Blu-ray player that will not be BD Live capable, but will offer PIP capability.
The Panasonic DMP-BD35 player, which will be available next month, will playback BD Live features without additional firmware upgrades, unlike the Sony and Samsung models, Video Business reports. However, Panasonic owners will need to purchase a SD memory card to view the features.
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Murdoch Has Regrets On DIRECTV Sale
The News Corp executive says he feared cable's 'triple play.'
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (September 18, 2008) -- News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch said yesterday that he has regrets about swapping his stake in DIRECTV with John Malone's Liberty Media.
That's according to various news reports, including Multichannel News and Reuters.
News Corp. agreed in 2006 to trade its controlling interest in DIRECTV to Liberty, an agreement that finally was approved this year by federal officials. At the time of the agreement, Murdoch was quoted by industry sources as saying that he feared that cable TV's 'Triple Play' offering of Internet, voice and video would be too much for the satcaster which only offers video service.
Murdoch yesterday acknowledged that he was afraid of cable, but now says DIRECTV's High-Definition lineup has allowed it to expand its subscriber and revenue base.
"I was frightened of the Triple Play in cable and then a superior service coming from the telephone companies,” Murdoch told the Goldman Sachs conference yesterday.
Thanks largely to DIRECTV's expanded high-def lineup, the satcaster has increased its new subscribers, recently reporting a 129,000 increase for the second quarter.
Although Murdoch says he may have been wrong about the deal, he added: “I don’t think I’m wrong in the long term.”
As owner of DIRECTV, Murdoch's News Corp. also had a platform for its cable networks, such as FX, Fox News and National Geographic. DIRECTV has not added Fox News HD since its launch in May 2008, but has added HD networks owned by Liberty Media since that time.
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Are Blu-ray Player Prices Too High?
The issue is debated at yesterday's DisplaySearch conference.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (September 17, 2008) -- Blu-ray players now are available for under $300 at most electronics stores, but some analysts say the price is still too high.
Russ Crupnick, senior industry analyst for the research firm NPD, told the DisplaySearch conference yesterday that prices need to average around $260 to attract a mass audience.
According to Home Media Magazine, Crupnick said his firm recently graded Blu-ray on a variety of categories, giving high marks for consumer satisfaction and content availability but a grade of D for hardware pricing.
“Blu-ray continues to be a premium product," Crupnick said.
Some analysts have speculated that Blu-ray players will fall under the $200 mark for the 2008 holidays. But Andy Parsons, chairman of the Blu-ray Disc Association, said prices shouldn't fall too fast.
"There’s continuously a pressure to bring prices down,” he said. “… What people overlook is that you have to have a market for it first.”
Parsons added that the industry needs to improve sales volume before it can lower prices to standard-def DVD levels.
“Prices will go down,” said Parsons, according to Home Media. “But what people overlook is that you need a marketplace first before you start cutting prices. If there’s not enough awareness about [the technology] than low prices are besides the point.”
NPD's Crupnick said that 2008 sales through July show that 29 percent of set-top units sold were upconverting standard-def DVD players with only 11 percent high-def disc players such as Blu-ray. About 60 percent of set-tops sold were regular SD DVD players.
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Study: Blu-ray Player Sales to Triple In 2008
The report says they will double again next year.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (September 17, 2008) -- DisplaySearch, the research firm, says worldwide sales of standalone Blu-ray players will hit 2.38 million this year, compared to 700,000 in 2007.
That's according to an article by Video Business.
The DisplaySearch numbers do not include sales of PlayStation 3 consoles, which also include the high-def Blu-ray player inside. With PS3 included, Blu-ray player sales will reach several million in 2008.
The research firm also said standalone Blu-ray player sales worldwide will double next year to 5.31 million. DisplaySearch credits the increase in sales to falling prices, the release of more Blu-ray titles and more purchases of high-def sets.
According to Video Business, Paul Gagnon, DisplaySearch's director of North America TV research, said standalone players will surpass the PS3 as the biggest selling Blu-ray player by 2010.
DisplaySearch released its forecast at yesterday's DisplaySearch "HDTV 2008" conference in Los Angeles.
Ross Rubin, the director of industry analysis for NPD, another research firm, agreed yesterday that high-def set sales will boost Blu-ray. But he added that the relatively high price of the player and customer satisfaction with current standard-def DVD players remain as major obstacles to Blu-ray's success, according to Video Business.
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Why Hasn't DIRECTV Added Fox News HD?
The company's new ownership may have something to do with it.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (September 16, 2008) -- In the summer of 2007, a DIRECTV executive told TVPredictions.com in confidence that the satcaster would add Fox News HD by year's end.
Now, more than a year later -- and almost five months after the launch of Fox News HD -- DIRECTV has still not added the channel.
So, what happened?
Two things:
1. Timing
1. Fox News HD was expected to launch in late 2007 when DIRECTV had plenty of capacity on its new satellite for new high-def channels. However, the network dragged its feet on the HD launch, ceding the high-def 'high ground' to rival CNN, which became the first major news network to launch an HD channel in September 2007.
When Fox News HD finally launched at the end of April 2008, DIRECTV's HD satellite capacity was nearly maxed out, leaving little room for new channels. Even now, with the launch of a new satellite, which became operational this month, DIRECTV's capacity for new channels is limited.
2. Ownership Change
When the DIRECTV executive made his comment about Fox News HD in the summer of 2007, the satcaster's principal owner was News Corp, which just happens to own Fox News. At the time (and before and since), corporate politics bore considerable influence on DIRECTV's channel additions, despite company protests to the contrary. So long as News Corp. was the controlling owner of DIRECTV, Fox News HD was a likely candidate to be added to the lineup. (By example, DIRECTV was one of the few TV providers to add Fox Business Channel HD last October after its launch.)
However, in February 2008, John Malone's Liberty Media officially took control of DIRECTV in a stock swap with News Corp. Suddenly, News Corp. did not have the same influence at DIRECTV's headquarters, making Fox News HD less of a priority in the satcaster's lineup.
However, that didn't mean that politics stopped influencing which channels would be added to DIRECTV's menu. In August, DIRECTV added four new HD networks, one of which was the brand new Planet Green HD, which is owned by Discovery, of which Liberty Media has an investment stake.
Coincidence? Hardly.
So, will DIRECTV ever add Fox News HD? Yes, but it's no longer the priority it once was.
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NetFlix: Blu-ray Not Likely to Impact 2008
The company's CFO says small percentage of subs are ordering high-def discs.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (September 16, 2008) -- NetFlix says that Blu-ray high-def discs will not likely have a big impact on the company's rental business this year, according to a Home Media Magazine.
Netflix CFO Barry McCarthy told an investors conference yesterday in San Francisco that he believes that consumer acceptance of the Blu-ray format has been slow. The company has previously said Blu-ray rentals represent less than 10 percent of overall company orders.
McCarthy said that could change if player prices fell during the holidays, but he added that he expected that players will stay around $399 this year.
“It may grow after the holiday selling season, if sales are slow and prices are cut more aggressively,” he said, according to Home Media.
McCarthy's price forecast conflicts with some analysts who predict that Blu-ray prices could fall to $199 before year's end.
The NetFlix executive did offer some encouraging words for the Blu-ray format, saying he expected that movie prices will fall soon.
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DreamWorks CEO: 3-D HDTV Is Our Future
Executive Katzenberg says it will transform movie watching.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (September 15, 2008) -- DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg told an industry conference last night that 3-D HDTV is the future of the TV and movie industries.
That's according to an article by Broadcasting and Cable Magazine.
In a 3-D, HDTV satellite-delivered address from Los Angeles, Katzenberg told the IBC 2008 attendees in Amsterdam, Netherlands that the technology is "the most exciting thing to happen to the visual experience in 70 years."
DreamWorks and other studios have been dabbling with 3-D HDTV presentations of select movies in the theaters over the last year. Disney recently released a 3-D version of a Hannan Montana concert on Blu-ray disc.
B&C reports that Katzenberg entertained the audience with 3-D HDTV clips from the animated Kung Fu Panda, which has been released in theaters, and Monsters vs. Aliens, set for a spring 2009 release. (The audience wore 3-D glasses to capture the three-dimensional effects.)
“I believe this is the future,” Katzenberg said. “Not only my future, but all of our futures. It’s the most exciting thing to happen to the visual experience in 70 years, and I think it will be completely transformative.”
The DreamWorks CEO added that theater owners see 3-D as a new vehicle to get people out of the house, particularly in a down economy.
“The theater experience, in many ways, has been trumped by the home experience,” Katzenberg said, according to B&C. “This is a chance for them to leap back ahead, and make it a growth business again … It’s a chance to bring people back to movie theaters who stopped going.”
B&C reports there are now about 2,500-3,000 3-D-capable theaters in North America, but Katzenberg estimates that 75-80 percent of theater attendees will be able to see Shrek 4 in 3-D when it opens in 2010.
Katzenberg said video games will likely be the driver of early 3-D viewing in the home, but movies will soon follow.
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Retailers: Blu-ray Player Sales to Jump
Executives say consumers now have more models to choose from.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (September 14, 2008) -- Retailers see Blu-ray player sales rising in the coming months thanks to the introduction of both lower-priced and higher-priced models.
That's according to an article by Video Business.
Best Buy and some retailers are now offering Blu-ray players for under $300 -- and reports suggest prices will fall even further in the next few months. But retail executives say the introduction of higher-priced models, which come with more features, will also appeal to high-def enthusiasts.
Pioneer, Sony and Yamaha have all recently introduced models ranging from $1,000 and $2,200.
“I would say that the biggest thing we can bring to customers is a wide choice. We have tech savvy customers who would be interested (in advanced features), but then not everyone can have the top-of-the-line model," Best Buy spokesman Brian Lucas told the publication.
Lucas and other executives noted that there was a short supply of Blu-ray players earlier in the year. The sudden end to the Blu-ray/HD DVD format war in March caught Blu-ray manufacturers caught by surprise and they were not ready to offer more product.
Ultimate Electronics tells Video Business that the $399 Sony BDP-S350 and $399 Samsung BD-P1500 models, and the $799 Pioneer BDP-05FD player, are the retailer's top sellers. Crutchfield's most popular sellers are the $399 Sony and the $999 Denon DVD-2500BTCI.
“The features of higher-end players do make them relevant,” said Ultimate's Matt Duda. “One of the biggest complaints that we hear is how long a Blu-ray player takes to start up, but the Pioneer player has really improved the start-up time much more than any of the entry-level players. There is definitely a premium with some of these brands, but Blu-ray can co-exist at different price points. You cover your entire customer base."
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Blu-ray Drives Big Transformers Sales
Two-thirds of the movie's sales last week came from the high-def disc.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (September 12, 2008) -- Last week could be the week that the Blu-ray high-def disc finally began to 'transform' the home video industry.
The Hollywood Reporter writes that the new two-disc edition of Transformers last week debuted at number 3 on the national sales chart, although the movie was released on DVD and HD DVD a year ago.
Why? Blu-ray.
More than two-thirds of the first week sales total came from the Blu-ray edition of the Michael Bay directed movie about a war of robots on Earth. Normally, the Blu-ray version of a new release accounts for less than 15 percent of total disc sales.
Although the DVD has been available for a year, the high percentage of Blu-ray sales might indicate that the high-def disc audience is finally ready to start buying movies in large numbers.
If so, the timing could hardly be better for the studios which plans to release several big titles this fall in Blu-ray, starting with Iron Man later this month.
The Hollywood Reporter also reports that Transformers was the top selling Blu-ray disc for the week ending September 7 with Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas finishing second. However, the latter title generated just 13 percent as many Blu-ray disc sales as Transformers.
The top home video seller for last week was season four of NBC's The Office (not available on Blu-ray) with The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning second (also not available on Blu-ray.)
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TVPredictions.com Won't Publish On 9/11
The web site honors the dead and missing from that fateful day seven years ago.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (September 10, 2008) -- For the last several years, TVPredictions.com has published at least one daily news article -- and on some days -- up to a dozen different daily articles on High-Definition TV issues.
I am proud of that record. I've written stories on Saturdays and Sundays, holidays, on my wedding day, and even on two gray mornings before my parents were laid to rest. My parents taught me to work hard and I know of no better way to honor them than to show my commitment here on a daily basis.
But tomorrow, we will not publish a single new item -- not the Top 10 Hottest Shows, not the daily HD Hottie.feature, not an article about a new channel launch, nothing. Not even if there's a major breaking news story related to high-def.
If there is a big story on Thursday, you'll have to read it on another site.
Instead, tomorrow, I want to honor the dead and missing from the terrorist attack that struck our nation seven years ago. It's hard to believe that it's been seven years since it occurred -- and I wonder if many others feel the same way. Consequently, I fear that our memories of how horrible that day was -- how unforgivable it was -- are starting to fade, even just a little.
If that's true, it simply can not be. We must remember, each and every day.
So, tomorrow, we will do our part by not publishing any new stories or features -- or our daily Swanni Sez newsletter. By taking this action, I hope you might take the time you might devote to reading our site to perhaps saying a prayer for the fallen, or just remembering them in your heart.
This web site, of course, is dependent on your readership -- and the ad dollars that follow. But tomorrow, we will dedicate our cause to something far more important.
Thanks for your understanding -- and we will see you back on Friday with our usual fare.
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News
Wilmington Firefighters Acting As Digital TV Repairmen
Government offices get hundreds of complaints.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (September 9, 2008) -- The city of Wilmington, North Carolina has dispatched firefighters to people's homes to help residents connect their Digital TV converter boxes.
That's according to various news reports, including The Los Angeles Times.
Wilmington on Monday became the first city in the nation to switch to Digital TV signals. But Bloomberg News reports that federal and local offices were jammed with phone calls from residents complaining that they couldn't watch television.
When the switch occurred at noon on Monday, analog sets no longer displayed a picture on local channels; instead a message appeared saying residents must upgrade to digital equipment.
"Our phone lines were lit up for an hour straight between noon and one," Thomas Postema, general manager of WSFX, the Wilmington Fox affiliate, told Bloomberg.
Postema said many callers had purchased digital converter boxes, but didn't know how to connect them.
Consequently, the Los Angeles Times reports, federal and city officials have asked Wilmington firefighters to go to homes to help out with the converters -- and while they are there -- check out the home's smoke detector.
Assistant Chief Frank Blackley tells the Times that he went to the home of one 79-year-old woman who said she was a "a nervous wreck, just trying to get it (the converter) going," she said. But Blackely said he had her watching The Oprah Winfrey Show in minutes.
On February 17, 2009, all full-powered local stations must switch their analog signals to digital which means viewers will need a Digital TV, a digital converter box or a pay TV subscription to watch television.
Congressional lawmakers and others have raised concerns that many TV viewers will not be ready when the transition occurs. As a test for the nation, Wilmington's local stations agreed to officially switch to digital yesterday, five months early.
Federal officials yesterday said the Wilmington test will help them prepare the nation next February. But an inspector for the Los Angeles County Fire Department said he didn't believe his city could follow Wilmington's Digital TV 'rescue' policy and start connecting converter boxes.
"We have a lot of seniors," he told the newspaper.
"We're going to be able to learn from what occurs here in Wilmington that we can take around the country," said FCC Commissioner Kevin Martin.
The Federal Communications Commission said its 'help line' yesterday received "several hundred" calls from Wilmington residents before 6 p.m. seeking assistance with their sets.
The complaints came although over the last few months, local and federal officials have bombarded Wilmington residents with TV commercials and other messages notifying them of the switch and offering tips on how to prepare for it.
Commentary
Firefighters going to people's homes to connect Digital TV converters?
One word: Pathetic.
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News
Wilmington Digital TV Switch Upsets Residents
Government offices get hundreds of complaints.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (September 9, 2008) -- The city of Wilmington, North Carolina switched to Digital TV signals at noon yesterday as a test for the entire nation's scheduled transition next February.
And the test apparently did not get a passing grade.
Bloomberg News reports that federal and local offices were jammed with phone calls from residents complaining that they couldn't watch television. When the switch occurred at noon, analog sets would not longer display a picture on local channels; instead a message appeared saying residents must upgrade to digital equipment.
"Our phone lines were lit up for an hour straight between noon and one," Thomas Postema, general manager of WSFX, the Wilmington Fox affiliate, told Bloomberg.
Postema said many callers had purchased digital converter boxes, but didn't know how to connect them.
On February 17, 2009, all full-powered local stations must switch their analog signals to digital which means viewers will need a Digital TV, a digital converter box or a pay TV subscription to watch television.
Congressional lawmakers and others have raised concerns that many TV viewers will not be ready when the transition occurs. As a test for the nation, Wilmington's local stations agreed to officially switch to digital five months early.
The Federal Communications Commission said its help line received "several hundred" calls from Wilmington residents before 6 p.m. seeking help with their sets.
The complaints came although over the last few months, local and federal officials have bombarded Wilmington residents with TV commercials and other messages notifying them of the switch and offering tips on how to prepare for it.
`"It's been a grassroots initiative -- everything from going to blueberry festivals to Fourth of July celebrations to Rotary clubs and civic affairs clubs,'' Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo said in an interview with Bloomberg News. ``You'd have to be living under a rock, or not watching TV, to not know about it.''
Commentary
I have been saying for almost two years now that the federal government has not done enough to educate Americans on the switch to Digital TV. If people didn't believe me before, yesterday's results in Wilmington should be the ultimate persuader. The government spent a small fortune on a PR campaign to alert area residents and they still weren't ready.
Next February's nationwide transition to digital could become the Katrina of technology, creating widespread panic and chaos throughout the nation. The government better start taking this problem more seriously -- or else.
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AT&T Upgrades DVR Service
New feature enables playback in any room.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (September 9, 2008) -- AT&T's U-Verse TV service is introducing a new DVR service that will enable viewers to play back shows from any set-top in the house.
Called Total Home DVR, the feature is available in some cable homes. Comcast, for instance, has installed multiple play-back in some markets across the country.
But AT&T believes the recording service, which will work for either HD or SD programs, will boost its efforts to pry away subscribers from both cable and satellite providers. The telco has struggled to find a niche since launching nearly three years ago, although it says it will reach the one million subscriber mark by year's end.
AT&T said today that up to eight television in the home will be able to retriever recordings from a single DVR. The service will also enable recording up four shows at the same time, compared to two for cable and satellite.
The company says the 'Total Home DVR' will store up to 37 hours of HD content or up to 133 hours of SD content. AT&T adds that the DVR service, which will be downloaded to the home without the need of a technician's visit, will be a free upgrade to all customers by the end of the year.
"AT&T U-verse is about providing the latest in entertainment and technology for a better TV experience," said Jeff Weber, AT&T vice president of video products. "With our 100 percent IP network, we are able to constantly evolve features and services to match the needs of viewers. Total Home DVR is the latest addition to our portfolio of unmatched features that give U-verse customers more control, on any TV, at a great price."
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Mitsubishi's 65-Inch Laser TV: $6,999
The set will be available at the end of the third quarter.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (September 9, 2008) -- Mitsubishi says its first Laser HDTV will be a 65-inch model that will retail for $6,999 and will be available at the end of the third quarter.
That's according to an article by PC Magazine.
The price tag will be steep compared to similar-sized LCD and Plasma sets. PC Magazine notes that a Sharp 65-inch LCD HDTV now retail for around $4,000.
But Mitsubishi, which is now billing the set as 'LaserVue,' said it will revolutionize the high-def industry by offering crisper pictures and more vivid colors. The television, which uses a laser light engine to display images, will consume one-third of the power of a Plasma HDTV.
Mitsubishi is also expected to introduce a 75-inch model of the LaserVue set this year, but has yet to reveal pricing and launch details.
The company says the Laser TVs will have the capability of displaying 3-D movies, games and TV shows.
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Blu-ray Chief: The Disc Will Still Rule
High-def association head says downloads have a way to go.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (September 5, 2008) -- Andy Parsons, chairman of the Blu-ray Disc Association, says the Blu-ray high-def disc is in no danger from digital downloads and Video on Demand.
“I’m fond of recalling the old visions of the past that the paperless office would completely obliterate the need for paper,” Parsons said yesterday at a CEDIA Expo luncheon, according to Home Media Magazine. “It seemed like a very reasonable, logical prediction decades ago that turned out to be completely wrong.”
Since Blu-ray's victory over HD DVD, some tech enthusiasts have suggested the high-def disc will have a short life span. In fact, one UK-based Samsung executive said this year that he believes that Blu-ray will last about five years, "certainly not 10."
But Parsons, who also serves as Pioneer's senior vice president, noted yesterday that about 15 million Blu-ray discs have already been sold.
“We always use content sales as a great barometer for how we’re doing,” Parsons said, according to Home Media. “It’s a very pure number. It’s something real we can look at, and there’s no spinning it.”
David Bishop, president of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, said there's room for both the high-def disc and downloads, which are delivered to home via the Net.
“The two can coexist,” said Bishop. (But) in terms of ease of use, it’s still skewed toward physical media.”
Several other studios executives at the luncheon predicted a huge fourth quarter for Blu-ray sales.
“There are no obstacles, no mixed messages for consumers. It’s all Blu," said Steve Feldstein, senior vice president of marketing communications for 20th Century Fox.
“You’re going to see a landslide of great content now in the fourth quarter,” added Bob Chapek, president of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. It’s now about penetration, proving that Blu-ray is the complete DVD replacement.”
| Read Full Article
Comcast Agrees to Carry HDNet & HDNet Movies
The agreement ends a long carriage dispute.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (September 4, 2008) -- Comcast today announced it has agreed to carry HDNet and HDNet Movies, ending a several-year long dispute between the companies.
The cable operator did not say where and when the two high-def channels would be added. But HDNet said the agreement allows Comcast to offer the two channels to "many of its systems." Often a cable operator negotiates the national rights to carry a channel and then allows its local systems to decide when to carry it.
The carriage agreement also includes a free On Demand programming service from HDNet.
"We’re thrilled to have a partnership that will provide Comcast’s customers with top-notch HD programming. This agreement between two leading HD providers will help shape the ever-expanding world of high definition programming,” said Mark Cuban, president and co-founder of HDNet. “This marketplace agreement makes HDNet’s cutting edge, independent programming accessible to many more cable homes across the country.”
Since launching in 2001, HDNet has been a popular high-def choice on satellite and some cable systems, featuring exclusive sporting events and news-oriented shows such as Dan Rather Reports.. However, Comcast, the nation's largest cable operator, refused to add the channel (and its sister network, HDNet Movies) and would rarely comment on the reasons why.
But today in a statement, Comcast's Matt Bond says HDNet and HDNet Movies will "further complement our offering by bringing both compelling and high quality HD programming to our customers in this increasingly competitive marketplace."
| Read Full Article
Samsung Exec: Blu-ray Has 5 Years Left
The official says he certainly wouldn't give it 10.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (September 3, 2008) -- A British-based Samsung executive has said that the Blu-ray high-def disc has just five years left before it will be replaced by something else.
"I think (Blu-ray) has 5 years left, I certainly wouldn't give it 10," Andy Griffiths, Samsung's UK director of consumer electronics, told the web site, Pocket-lint.
The remark is likely to irk many fellow industry officials who are trying to create the perception that Blu-ray is a long-term replacement for the standard-def DVD. However, in the same interview, Griffiths took some shots at his colleagues for what he labeled inferior disc players.
“Maybe they need better engineers,” said Griffiths, according to Pocket-lint.
Since Blu-ray's victory over rival HD DVD in the spring, sales of the high-def disc player and discs have been so-so. But several research forecasts suggest that sales are likely to jump soon, with some reports suggesting that Blu-ray will pass DVD sales by 2011.
The positive forecasts makes it strange that Griffiths would downplay the long-term success of the Blu-ray disc. The Samsung executive does not say what he believes will replace Blu-ray in five years.
| Read Full Article
LG: Blu-ray Player w/NetFlix: $399
The NetFlix videos will be SD only.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (September 3, 2008) -- LG Electronics announced today that its new Blu-ray player that can also stream Netflix videos will be available next month for $399 retail.
The LG/NetFlix partnership was revealed by the companies months ago, but this is the first time details are being released about its features and pricing. Model BD300, the player will display Blu-ray discs in high-def, but the NetFlix streaming videos will be in standard-def only at launch.
"At LG we considered what, when and how consumers want to watch movies and television episodes. The result is the ultimate convergence of home theater entertainment and functionality," said Allan Jason, vice president of sales and marketing for LG Electronics USA. "With intelligent features and access to an ever-growing library of movie and television titles, the BD300 is the next step in a truly personalized entertainment experience."
The player will be able to choose from more than 12,000 NetFlix SD movies and TV shows, which will be available for instant viewing. Users will need a NetFlix subscription, however.
The LG player will include BD Live and Bonus View features, meaning it can retrieve online content and interactive features.
To access the NetFlix films, the player will need to be connected to a Broadband service.
| Read Full Article
DIRECTV & TiVo Team For New HD DVR
The deal reunites the two companies.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (September 3, 2008) -- DIRECTV and TiVo announced today that they will develop and market a new DIRECTV HD DVR featuring TiVo's recording service.
The two companies once had a marketing and development agreement. But DIRECTV
decided in 2005 to stop marketing its TiVo DVR and instead launch a new in-house recorder. Today's announcement should be a major boost for TiVo, which has steadily lost subscribers since the 2005 decision.
DIRECTV and TiVo said their new HD DVR will support the latest TiVo and DIRECTV features, including TiVo's Universal Swivel Search and TiVo KidZone. TiVo will develop the new HD DVR for an expected launch in the second half of 2009.
The satcaster said it will continue to develop and offer its in-house recorders, saying the new TiVo box will be an "alternative choice."
"We have had a very successful history with DIRECTV. Together we brought the TiVo experience to millions of DIRECTV customers and now we look forward to launching a next generation product that uses TiVo's latest features to truly showcase DIRECTV's broad selection of high-definition programming -- all stitched together with the elegance of TiVo's renowned user experience," said Tom Rogers, TiVo's CEO and president.
DIRECTV said the new HD DVR will be marketed and sold nationally to its entire customer base. Pricing and packaging will be announced later.
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