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Washington, D.C. (August 16, 2007) -- Continued from Part One of Ask Swanni.
Q. I don't get it. Why did Charlie Ergen say it doesn't matter if DIRECTV offers 100 HDTV channels. Is he crazy? Of course it matters. We want as many high-def channels as we can get! -- Sam W.
Ergen, the CEO of EchoStar's Dish Network, is anything but crazy. However, in an attempt to downplay DIRECTV's upcoming expansion of high-def channels, he went too far recently by saying there aren't 100 HD channels that he would watch.
Well, by that measurement, EchoStar shouldn't have to carry 100 standard def channels, either. The new HD channels are largely simulcasts of current standard def networks now in EchoStar's programming lineup.
If you're an EchoStar Dish Network customer, don't worry about what Ergen said. He's committed to expanding his high-def lineup in the next several months. He just doesn't want to admit it while his rival is doing it next month.
Q. I'm putting together a Home Theater in a small room and I was thinking about getting one of those 2-speaker virtual Surround Sound systems. What do you think? -- Harold H.
Both Bose and Sony offer 2-speaker virtual Surround Sound systems and they work just fine while saving space. However, if you have a high-def set with a virtual Surround feature, you might find that it will sound just as good as the 2-speaker system. Then, you will save money as well as space.
Q. Why are LG and Samsung pushing these dual-format HDTV players with such high prices? Who are they kidding? -- Alice R.
LG this week said it was lowering the price of its dual-format high-def player (it will play both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs) to $999 but that's still far too expensive to generate serious sales.
LG and Samsung, which will introduce a $1,000 plus dual format player later this year, are testing the waters. If the Blu-ray/HD DVD format war continues into 2008, maybe more high-def enthusiasts will give the dual-format player a shot. Or, at least, that's the thinking behind their strategy. They want to be ready in case a large number of HD owners are suddenly in the market for a hardware solution to the format war.
Q. Would you recommend getting a HDTV DVD player now or an upconverter DVD player from a company like OPPO? -- Robert G.
The OPPO upconverter -- like other upconverter DVD players -- will make your standard DVDs look better, no doubt. But they won't offer a real high-def picture. So if you want real high-def, I would recommend a Blu-ray or HD DVD player.
Q. I don't get it. Why did Charlie Ergen say it doesn't matter if DIRECTV offers 100 HDTV channels. Is he crazy? Of course it matters. We want as many high-def channels as we can get! -- Sam W.
Ergen, the CEO of EchoStar's Dish Network, is anything but crazy. However, in an attempt to downplay DIRECTV's upcoming expansion of high-def channels, he went too far recently by saying there aren't 100 HD channels that he would watch.
Well, by that measurement, EchoStar shouldn't have to carry 100 standard def channels, either. The new HD channels are largely simulcasts of current standard def networks now in EchoStar's programming lineup.
If you're an EchoStar Dish Network customer, don't worry about what Ergen said. He's committed to expanding his high-def lineup in the next several months. He just doesn't want to admit it while his rival is doing it next month.
Q. I'm putting together a Home Theater in a small room and I was thinking about getting one of those 2-speaker virtual Surround Sound systems. What do you think? -- Harold H.
Both Bose and Sony offer 2-speaker virtual Surround Sound systems and they work just fine while saving space. However, if you have a high-def set with a virtual Surround feature, you might find that it will sound just as good as the 2-speaker system. Then, you will save money as well as space.
Q. Why are LG and Samsung pushing these dual-format HDTV players with such high prices? Who are they kidding? -- Alice R.
LG this week said it was lowering the price of its dual-format high-def player (it will play both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs) to $999 but that's still far too expensive to generate serious sales.
LG and Samsung, which will introduce a $1,000 plus dual format player later this year, are testing the waters. If the Blu-ray/HD DVD format war continues into 2008, maybe more high-def enthusiasts will give the dual-format player a shot. Or, at least, that's the thinking behind their strategy. They want to be ready in case a large number of HD owners are suddenly in the market for a hardware solution to the format war.
Q. Would you recommend getting a HDTV DVD player now or an upconverter DVD player from a company like OPPO? -- Robert G.
The OPPO upconverter -- like other upconverter DVD players -- will make your standard DVDs look better, no doubt. But they won't offer a real high-def picture. So if you want real high-def, I would recommend a Blu-ray or HD DVD player.