Washington, D.C. (November 28, 2007) -- Continued from Part One of this article.


Q. Swanni, I love HDTV, but where are the porn channels? Can't they get some love from the cable and satellite providers, so to speak? -- Tony T.
Funny one, Tony T. Well, Playboy has offered high-def programming to cable and satellite operators, but they have been reluctant to bite. Why? Bandwidth limitations is one reason -- they just don't have the room on their systems.

DIRECTV has recently expanded its HD capacity so it's possible that the satcaster will add Playboy TV HD or Spice HD in the foreseeable future. DIRECTV, in fact, offered Spice HD on the weekends a few years ago, but dropped it.

Q. Can you play a regular DVD on a Blu-ray or HD DVD player? -- Julie J.
Yes, but I'm surprised at how many people don't know that. Not only can you play a standard-def DVD on a high-def DVD player, it will improve the picture quality via an upconversion process. That's why if you find one of those $99 discount prices on an HD DVD player, grab it. It's less than what you would pay for a DVD upconverter player.

Q. Do you think HDTV prices will fall after the holidays? -- Sammy P.
Not much, if at all. TV makers and retailers are trying to keep average HDTV prices higher this holiday season to maximize profits, unlike last year when prices were slashed to move inventory. That's why the industry is doing less holiday discounting than it did last year.

Q. When is Fox News and MSNBC going high-def? -- Roger W.
Next year for sure. Both networks are working on the switch behind the scenes. It's just a matter of time and preparation.

Q. I loved your list of the sexiest women in HDTV. But why no African-Americans? -- Gary Y.
Well, Vanessa Williams was #1 on last year's list of The 10 Sexiest Women in HDTV! When it comes to sexy women in high-def, I am color blind, but eyes wide open.

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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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