HDTV On Demand

"TV Technology: Under the Hood"
A three-part series

Part Two:
HDTV On Demand
As delivered by Comcast, the high-def service's pitch is better than its lineup.
By Phillip Swann

Editor's Note: TVPredictions.com is publishing a three-part series called, "TV Technology: Under the Hood," a hands-on analysis of whether certain new services will find an audience. Monday, we looked at Buzztime's Interactive TV games; today, we will focus on Comcast's HDTV On-Demand; and Friday, Comcast's on-demand Video Dating service.

Washington, D.C.. (April 13, 2005) -- Several months ago, Comcast sent a letter to High-Definition TV owners in selected cities announcing its new HDTV On Demand service. The cable operator said the new feature would enable high-def owners to watch the latest hits from Hollywood in crystal-clear HD.

Well, as of now, HDTV On Demand has fewer hits than the starting lineup of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The high-def service offers just nine HDTV films, of which two are actually IMAX films. Even worse, only one movie is a recent Pay-Per-View release: Shark's Tale. The other selections, such as The Terminal, Collateral, and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, have been bouncing around the video store for months.

Comcast is not the only cable operator to offer a HD on-demand feature, but the lackluster lineup is a problem with the others, too. The cable TV industry apparently has been unable to persuade the studios to provide more films in the high-def format. Due to concerns about piracy and licensing fees, Hollywood has taken a go-slow approach to on-demand and HDTV seems to be no different.

And that's a shame. HDTV On Demand has great potential. High-def owners are hungry for more HD programming and they would gladly pay the $5.99 per film fee -- $2 more than the usual on-demand price -- to watch a new release in HD. In addition, I suspect that many HD enthusiasts would also pay a small fee, such as $1.99, to watch a high-def film or program that previously aired on a premium movie network, a high-def channel or a broadcast network, such as CBS or NBC. When you've paid more than $1,000 for your TV, you want the opportunity to get the most out of it.

However, the current sparse and outdated HDTV On Demand lineup is almost an insult to the high-def community. It's as if the cable industry is saying that it doesn't fully support the new technology.

That's not true, of course, but you couldn't blame high-def owners if they felt that way. Hopefully, as the service progresses, the cable industry will be able to persuade the studios to loosen up. But as of now, HDTV On Demand can't possibly be in demand.

On the plus side, I ordered Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy from HDTV On Demand and found the picture and sound quality to be excellent. The comedy, which stars former Saturday Night Live star Will Ferrell, is about an egotistical TV anchor in the 1970s. Set primarily in a TV studio, the movie is not exactly the best vehicle to showcase HDTV. But, still, the picture was clearer than I remembered it to be from originally watching it in the theater.

If only I could compare more films...

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

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