Washington, D.C. (January 28, 2008) -- Continued from Part One of Ask Swanni.


Q.  Swanni, I know you are down on Apple TV, but wouldn't you buy one just out of curiosity? It sounds cool, doesn't it? Come on, you can watch HDTV movies now. -- Frank T.
Frank, it may be "cool," but it's not for me and let me explain why.

Sure, Apple TV now offers high-def movies that can be downloaded and sent from the set-top to your HDTV. However, as it's been reported at ZDNet and at other sites, Apple's HD picture quality is not really HD. The picture is softer than high-def content you'll see on cable or satellite, off-air or via a high-def DVD.

And as a high-def owner, I have become spoiled. If the so-called HD picture is not sharp, I will not watch it.

Apple TV as a high-def product simply makes no sense. Why bother with downloading a movie from Apple TV that will offer a sub-par image when I can watch that same movie looking crisp and sharp on a Blu-ray or HD DVD disc?

Until Apple can answer that question to my satisfaction, I will refrain.

Q.  Did you see the new Laser TV at the Consumer Electronics Show? What did you think? -- Wayne C.
I did and it looked great. But that really doesn't mean much, to be frank. A CES display -- like a display at a retail store -- is not a realistic simulation of how a TV will look in your living room. The conditions couldn't be more different. So it's premature to say how the Laser TV will do when it's launched later this year. (By the way, the Laser TV, which will be manufactured by Mitsubishi and others, promises crisper pictures and less energy consumption because the images will be sent via lasers to the screen.)

Q. Do you know if DIRECTV will add the Travel Channel HD or RFD HD which has Don Imus' new radio show? -- Karen P.
For the past year, the satcaster has made several announcements that it will add a certain high-def channel before it's actually included in its lineup. But it has been silent about the Travel Channel's new high-def network and RFD HD. You can draw your own conclusions.

Q.  I subscribe to Comcast. Should I worry about the Digital TV transition next year? -- Susie W.
If you don't have a Digital TV, your cable operator will provide a set-top that will enable your old analog TV to display new digital signals. Or, the cable service will continue to provide signals of your local stations in an analog format. (The FCC has given cable operators until 2012 to offer either option.) It's the cable operator's choice, but either way, you're covered.

Q.  Do you think that high-def downloads will ever be as good in picture quality as cable or a high-def DVD -- Sammy G.
Yes, but not anytime soon. Which is why people (particularly the media) should stop getting so excited about digital downloads. It will be years before downloads, particularly high-def, can compete with existing TV services and hard-discs such as Blu-ray and HD DVDs.

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

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