Swanni's Rants & Raves,However, on occasion, I break from tradition to comment on news stories that have recently caught my eye. Or, in some cases, caught my ire. Let's call this column, "Swanni's Rants & Raves!"
Rant
Philips' 'Ambilight' TV
Philips is now running a TV commercial that shows a small dog walking into a room where a group of people are happily watching a flat-screen TV. Suddenly, the dog
touches a button on the remote control and the picture loses its color and vibrancy, sending the couch potatoes into utter despair.
This is one of the dumbest commercials I've ever seen -- and yet another example of a technology company assuming that the average consumer will know what they're talking about.
See, the spot is designed to promote Philips' Ambilight display technology, which emits a soothing light around the set if you hit the right button on the remote.
But to the average person, the commercial says the remote is so flaky that a small dog can screw up your picture by just placing his paw on it!
Outside of Philips, with the exception of some TV technology officials, the American public is blissfully unaware of the Ambilight feature. So when the dog ruins the picture, most people will think: 'Why would I want a TV that does that?' They won't understand that the original picture had the Ambilight feature turned on.
Apparently, Philips' advertising team didn't see the light, either.
Rave
Congress is finally -- finally -- getting serious about the U.S. transition to Digital TV. Last month, two congressional panels approved legislation that would set a firm deadline for the switch from analog to digital by the end of 2008 or early 2009. (The final date will likely come later this year from a House-Senate conference committee.) In addition, the panels set aside subsidy money for people who will need converter boxes for their old analog sets when the deadline arrives. (The final subsidy figure will also have to be hammered out in the conference committee.)
Until now, the Digital TV transition has been stalled in part because consumers did not know when the transition would actually occur. (Current law says the transition would occur next year. However, there's a big loophole: The signals would not be switched in any given market until 85 percent of its residents had the proper equipment to receive them; and that could take years.)
Clear, unmistakable deadlines are always better than deadlines with qualifying language, People respect them and plan accordingly. In this case, the 'drop-dead' Digital TV deadline will have two major benefits for the TV technology industry -- and consumers.
1. People who have been considering buying a new TV will now get a Digital TV, knowing that the transition will definitely occur in three years. This will help boost Digital TV (and HDTV) sales in 2006 and beyond.
2. Fewer consumers will feel like they are forced to buy a Digital TV. When the new law is passed, people will learn that their current analog TV will still work with a converter box when the transition occurs. (Many people have bought digital sets in the last few years on the mistaken impression that their TVs would go dark in 2006.) The converter boxes will cost less than $100 -- and some people will get subsidy funds to buy them.
The new law is good for everyone.
Rant
Good Morning America, the ABC morning news show, will begin broadcasting in High-Definition TV on November 3. That is, if you live in the Eastern and Pacific time zones.
ABC says GMA viewers in the Mountain and Central time zones will not get a HDTV feed until February. The reason: The network says it's not "ready" to transmit a second HD feed, which is necessary to serve the entire country.
After ABC crowed earlier this year that GMA would be the first network news show to air in high-def, its failure to offer the HD feed to all is an embarrassment. It sends a message that HDTV is not ready for primetime, or the morning hours, either.
Finally, although ABC didn't say it, the network also seems to be suggesting that the East Coast and West Coast are more important than the Heartland.
Rant
From the second half of
Lawrence of Arabia.
For more than a year, Comcast has offered a High- Definition TV on-demand service -- and the company has cited it as a reason to get cable over satellite.
In theory, it sounds good. If you have a high-def set, you could watch a HDTV movie anytime you wanted.
However, Comcast's HD On Demand lineup is thinner than Teri Hatcher. Last week, the menu included just three films -- and one of them was the second half of the 1962 film, Lawrence of Arabia. Yes, the second half! You couldn't even watch the entire movie!
I realize that Comcast -- and other cable operators -- are having problems convincing the studios to let their HDTV films be shown on demand. But until the lineup is expanded, Comcast should pull the service entirely. It's a total joke.
Rave
In contrast, Comcast's non-HDTV Video on Demand lineup gets stronger every day. The cable operator now offers thousands of films and TV shows on demand from networks such as Discovery, HBO, Showtime and BBC America. It's a great service -- and is truly a reason to get cable over satellite. If you missed a show, there's a good chance that you'll find it on demand.
Rave
MTV recently announced that it will launch a HDTV channel in early 2006. The decision took some courage and is typical of the network's forward-thinking approach.
At this point, MTV doesn't have many high-def owners in its audience. (MTV is mostly watched by teens and young adults who can't afford a high-def set.) But MTV wants to be ready when HD set prices drop even further and HDTV becomes commonplace.
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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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