News Feature
Hologram TV: Better Than HDTV?
Companies are rapidly developing technologies to project images outside of the set.
By Phillip Swann
Washington, D.C. (April 18, 2007) -- While addressing the 2004 PBS Technology Conference in Las Vegas, I predicted that one day a new TV technology would emerge that might make High-Definition look quaint.
That technology?
Hologram TV.
"In the next 15 years, Hologram TV will permit images to float from your TV screen directly into your living room," I told the attendees. "Coupled with other new technologies, Hologram TV will make television itself even more powerful. Viewers will have more difficulty separating fact from fiction. When you see a character shoot someone your living room, you will ask, “Did it really happen? Or, did I watch it on TV.”
After I uttered those remarks, the reaction from the room was mixed. Many conference goers expressed skepticism that we would ever see Hologram TV become a reality in our lifetime, much less in 15 years.
However, I may have been wrong about Hologram TV being available in 15 years.
It may be much sooner than that.
Several companies are rapidly developing Hologram technologies that could enable home sets to project images outside of the screen in the next several years.
For instance, Peter Simonsen, a Danish inventor, has created a technology called Cheoptics360 that uses four 3D projectors to project a video outside of the set.
The image appears to float on its own in front of the viewer, as a still holographic image does. Even more amazing, the image can be seen from any angle, not just directly in front.
“Cheoptics360 makes it possible to blend fiction and reality in hitherto unprecedented ways. It opens up a world of possibilities for using the medium in films, commercials, and various other types of presentations,” says Simonsen, who heads viZoo, an advertising film company in Copenhagen.
Simonsen's company is currently working to use Cheoptics360 in advertising presentations, saying it will revolutionize product displays at retail.
"With revolving video images, that can be seen 360° in all ambient light conditions, Cheoptics360 brings new life to product launches, demos, and branding in general," the company says at its web site.
The potential for television is mind blowing. Imagine watching a football game when suddenly a linebacker jumps off the screen to tackle a runner passing by. Or how about gazing at a documentary on the Pacific Ocean when a seagull circles in mid-air in the middle of your room.
Of course, getting the technology into a television that wouldn't cost a small fortune is still a tricky proposition. But Cheoptics360 proves that Hologram TV could be a reality sooner than we think.
Popular Science magazine recently chronicled the work of Harold Garner, a biochemist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, who has set up a Hologram video display in his lab. Garner says holographic TV images can be produced by filming an event from all sides and then incorporated them into one image that is projected off the screen.
The project has caught the attention of the U.S. Air Force which is interested in using Holographic television to better analyze weapon systems.
But it's just a matter of time before the TV industry takes note.
Philips, in fact, has said it will introduce a 3D TV next year. The set, which has already been exhibited at conferences, can make an object appear to be coming in your direction without having to wear the usual oversized goggles.
The 3-D TV does not require the technical complexity of a Hologram TV. But it will serve up more evidence that a video image does not have to be static.
So, get ready folks. Hologram TV is coming -- sooner than you think.
To see a video demonstration of Hologram TV, go to:
http://www.tvpredictions.com/hologramtv041807.htm
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Cable Seeks More Capacity For HDTV
Cable operators must keep pace with the satellite TV services.
By Phillip Swann
Washington, D.C. (April 18, 2007) -- Cable TV operators are testing several new technologies designed to increase their capacity to offer High-Definition TV channels.
That's according to an article from Reuters.
The news service reports that cable operators are concerned that satcasters DIRECTV and EchoStar will dramatically expand their high-def lineups this year. Spencer Wang, a Bear Stearns analyst, says the cable ops will need to develops new ways to increase bandwidth to stay competitive.
"In the short term, the greatest concern is High Definition TV, given growing HD TV set penetration and DirecTV's plans to offer over 100 national HD feeds by the end of this year," Wang said, according to Reuters.
However, Reuters writes that the cable companies also must increase capacity without overly increasing their expenditures, which could upset shareholders.
Several companies, such as BigBand Networks, are offering solutions such as Switched Digital Video that saves bandwidth by only delivering a channel to the home when the viewer actually watches it.
Reuters reports that BigBand's stock jumped 30 percent last month when it went public with cable TV operators Comcast, Cablevision and Time Warner already signing on as customers.
Time Warner has said publicly that it believes that Switched Digital Video will enable it to offer as many channels as DIRECTV by year's end.
Cameron Cooke, a Janco Partners analyst, tells Reuters that cable will have to invest in companies such as BigBand to ensure it will have the technology to keep pace.
"Cable is going to have to invest in some way in all of these different technologies until they make the leap to full fiber," says Cooke. "I'm thinking about ten years from now you'll start to see cable operators taking cable into the home."
Michael Arden, a ABI Research analyst, says Switched Digital Video could cost each cable system just $5 to $10 per home in upgrade costs.
Vyyo, which is offering another capacity-enhancing technology called Spectrum Overlay, says it can enable a cable operator to increase bandwidth by 3 GHz. However, it could cost an an average of $125 per home, says Reuters.
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Voom HD For Sale?
Speculation resurfaces that parent Rainbow Media may be sold.
By Phillip Swann
Washington, D.C. (April 17, 2007) -- Cablevision may sell its programming arm Rainbow Media, which includes the 15 Voom High-Definition channels.
That's according to Wall Street analysts quoted in today's Financial Times.
The newspaper reports that Cablevision may be preparing to sell Rainbow to make itself more desirable as a takeover target. The cable operator has undergone various struggles over the past few years, in part due to an internal fight over the former Voom satellite TV service.
After Voom folded as a satellite business, Cablevision kept its 15 original high-def channels and added them to its unit Rainbow Media, which also includes the Independent Film Channel and AMC.
Several publications today reported that Time Warner may be interested in buying Cablevision, which is based in New York and serves the tri-state NY area.
According to the Financial Times, Cablevision refused to comment on the speculation. But the newspaper writes that a "major shareholder" says Rainbow could be offered for sale any day now.
FT reports that Time Warner, Comcast and Liberty Media could be interested in Rainbow.
Liberty Media is expected to take control of DIRECTV in the second half of the year. The company secured the satcaster in a stock swap with News Corp. late last year. Voom's high-def lineup could aid DIRECTV's plan to expand its national HD lineup to 100 channels by year's end.
Press reports said last January that Liberty Media may be interested in Rainbow. However, in recent weeks, two DIRECTV executives have been critical of Voom's programming, suggesting it's not top quality. The dismissive remarks could suggest a reduction in interest in the deal.
Comcast and Time Warner could use slices of Voom's programming for their HD On Demand offering until they have sufficient capacity to add more high-def channels.
As of now, EchoStar is the only TV provider in the United States to carry all 15 Voom channels. EchoStar has an equity stake in Voom.
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Why Isn't the Damn Game In HDTV?
Sports fans continue to be frustrated by the lack of high-def coverage.
By Phillip Swann
Washington, D.C. (April 17, 2007) -- In Pittsburgh and other NHL towns, fans this week are screaming that they can't watch their local blades of glory in High-Definition.
Cable TV subscribers are complaining that they can't watch 'Extra Innings' baseball games in HD, although they have paid nearly $200 for the package.
And football fans are holding their collective breaths that CBS will increase their high-def coverage of the NFL from last year's measly three games a week.
What's wrong with this picture, if you'll forgive the pun?
With HDTV in roughly 30 million U.S. homes, shouldn't the networks have a better handle on providing sports in high-def?
After all, we've all been sold that sports is the driver of High-Definition TV; that people are rushing to buy sets to watch their favorite teams in crystal-clear HD.
So why can't we see them in high-def?!
The problem is that people have rushed out to buy those HDTVs a little faster than the networks anticipated. Consequently, TV production teams are simply not ready to provide the kind of HD sports coverage that you would think would be the standard by now.
Take the National Hockey League, for instance, where fans in several cities can not watch this week's opening playoff round in HD on Fox's regional sports channels.
Shawn McClintock, an executive producer at Fox Sports,, tells the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the network simply doesn't have enough production trucks and crew for high-def coverage everywhere.
"Everything runs through our facility in Houston. They have limited capacity. Additionally, it can be challenging to find an available truck on such short notice. With the quick turnaround, we could not pull it off for the first round," he said. "In the event the Penguins advance, we're making plans to cover as many games as we can in HD."
Think about that. Fox Sports, which is owned by mega-corporation News Corp., can't find a production truck -- one solitary production truck -- so it can broadcast the Penguins in high-def.
But that's the reality of how prepared -- or, we should say, unprepared -- the networks are to broadcast live sporting events in HD.
And it's not just the regional sports channels.
Defending its decision to broadcast just one or two Saturday afternoon baseball games in HD on the Fox network, a spokesman also cited the lack of "truck availability."
And CBS said last year that it didn't yet have the resources and equipment to broadcast more than three NFL games a week in HD. Executives complained about how costly it was to install the infrastructure necessary for both analog and high-def productions for every stadium.
Certainly, we can all sympathize with programming executives who are challenged daily by bean-counters and shareholders. But industry forecasts predicted that high-def sales would boom in 2006 (particularly during the holidays) and it appears that some network executives chose to dismiss them. They concluded that the HD audience would still be too small to justify the extra expense to cover sports in HD like a blanket.
But to not show the first round of the NHL playoffs in HDTV is inexcusable and hard to believe. And to make matters worse, the Versus channel's HD coverage of the game is blacked out in your city because you can watch it (in non-HD) on the regional sports channel, which has the local rights.
While the networks, including the regional sports channels, have increased their HD coverage over the last year, sports fans deserve better.
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NAB: Cable Will Reduce HD Picture Quality
Broadcasting group CEO says cable operators are purposely diluting the HD images from local stations.
By Phillip Swann
Washington, D.C. (April 16, 2007) -- David Rehr, CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters, today accused cable TV operators of planning to dilute the High-Definition picture quality of local stations.
In a speech today at the NAB's annual convention in Las Vegas, Rehr said the practice, called "downconversion," will give cable's own high-def signals an advantage over local stations unless Congress and/or the FCC acts.
“What we have here is broadcast discrimination by the cable operators,” Rehr said, according to Multichannel News.
Some cable operators are part of larger corporations that own channels that broadcast in high-def, such as Time Warner's HBO and Comcast's Versus/Golf Channel.
According to Multichannel News, Rehr says the cable services plan to downconvert local HD signals to standard-definition to give their own networks an edge.
The NAB and the cable TV industry have been battling for months over several issues surrounding digital transmissions such as downconverting and multicasting must-carry.
Cable services deny they are diluting the picture quality of local channels and they oppose the NAB's effort to force them to carry multiple digital signals. Some local stations are broadcasting digital channels in addition to their high-def feeds, such as 24/7 weather channels.
Multichannel News reports that Rehr today charged that the cable industry is discriminating against local broadcasters. He said cable TV's opposition to carrying all digital feeds from a local station will deny the TV viewer from seeing important programming.
“This is, in effect, stripping," Rehr said. "They are ripping out programming."
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Pittsburgh Fans Upset Over HD Coverage
The local newspaper reports that Penguin playoff games are not in high-def.
By Phillip Swann
Washington, D.C. (April 17, 2007) -- Pittsburgh Penguin fans are hopping mad -- and it's not because the team is behind in the first round of the NHL playoffs.
They are angry because FSN Pittsburgh is not showing the Penguin playoff series against the Ottawa Senators in High-Definition.
That's according to an article in today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The newspaper says FSN's failure to carry any of the Penguin-Senators series in high-def has "brought a hail of criticism from viewers with HD sets."
The regional sports network has the rights to carry as many as five first-round games. NBC has broadcast one game in high-def and the Versus channel is showing some games in HD. However, Versus is blacked out in the Pittsburgh area because FSN Pittsburgh has the territorial rights.
FSN executive producer Shawn McClintock tells the Post-Gazette that the network simply doesn't have enough production trucks and crew for high-def coverage everywhere.
"Everything runs through our facility in Houston. They have limited capacity. Additionally, it can be challenging to find an available truck on such short notice. With the quick turnaround, we could not pull it off for the first round," he said. "In the event the Penguins advance, we're making plans to cover as many games as we can in HD."
The Penguins are now trailing the Senators two games to one in the best of seven series.
McClintock added that FSN aired 25 Penguin games in high-def this season and will broadcast 40 Pittsburgh Pirates games in HD in 2007 as well.
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TVPredictions.com spotlights a new video on High-Definition TV every day. From commentaries by site president Phillip Swann to off-beat TV commercials to instructional videos, the daily TVPredictions.com video will always entertain as well as educate.
You can see past videos by clicking HD Video
Comment on the videos below.
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DIRECTV to Add Tennis Channel HD
The high-def debut is expected by year's end.
By Phillip Swann
DIRECTV will add The Tennis Channel in High-Definition is late November or early December.
That's according to an article by the Associated Press.
The news service reports that DIRECTV has reached a multiyear distribution agreement with The Tennis Channel that will start with the addition of the non-HD signal this summer.
The agreement, AP says, will double the number of homes that receive the tennis network. About eight million DIRECTV subscribers are expected to get the channel in their programming packages.
"This is a watershed moment," Tennis Channel CEO Ken Solomon told the wire service. "If you're in the distribution business, this is what clearly and indelibly forever puts you on the map."
Tennis Channel HD will be part of a larger rollout of high-def channels by DIRECTV. The satcaster says it will offer 100 national HD channels by year's end.
Eric Shanks, DIRECTV's executive vice president of entertainment, told AP that the Tennis Channel has "done a great job at acquiring high-profile events."
In advance of the summer launch, DIRECTV will carry the network's coverage of the French Open, which starts May 27.
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HDTV DVD War Is Not Over
By Joseph Whip
HD Observer
Editor's Note: Samsung this week said it would introduce a dual-format HDTV DVD player by year's end. The news has led some to speculate that the Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD war is far from over, including our HD Observer Joseph Whip..
Washington, D.C. (April 14, 2007) -- Looks like Sony was premature in their declaration of victory in the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray format war. Samsung's announcement of their dual format player is evidence that cracks are starting to form in the BD camp.
At this time last year, Samsung was proclaiming publicly that they were BD exclusive and had no plans to develop, manufacture and market a dual format player despite rumors to the contrary. Now they have formally announced their dual format player and have not ruled out selling an HD-DVD only player.
Why that change of heart?
Perhaps it is due to Sony's sales of the PS3 at prices substantially below what standalone BD players were selling for, cutting BD CE manufacturers such as Samsung and Panasonic off at the knees, as sales of standalone BD players are anemic at best. Samsung clearly can't be happy with this result. I can't imagine that Panasonic and Pioneer are happy with their sales either.
The second reason is the Nielsen Videoscan sales numbers released by Sony which show how few discs of each format are selling. Despite the sale of over a million PS3 consoles, well fewer than a million BD discs have been sold since the sale of the first BD player, the Samsung BDP-1000, back in June 2006. The best that BD could do was Casino Royale, at less than 40,000 discs despite Sony's claim that they shipped 100,000 of those discs.
Many titles have sold less than 1000 copies, even some big titles such as Chicago. HD-DVD sales were comparable despite the fact that HD-DVD has sold somewhere under 250,000 players. Batman Begins and The Departed on HD-DVD have sold similar numbers as CR.
Given the number of players sold by each camp, one would have expected BD to far outsell HD yet they haven't. The attach rate of HD discs far surpasses that of BD.
With the recent sales triggered by the reduction by Toshiba of their A2 player to a MRSP of $399 and the upcoming release of The Matrix on HD-DVD only as well as the flurry of recently announced HD-DVD titles, it is not unreasonable to believe that HD-DVD sales will soon match or exceed those of BD, even with the BD exclusive releases of Cars, Pirates of the Caribbean 1 & 2.
What is clear is that, despite the protestations of Sony and Fox to the contrary, the format war is not only not over but far from it. In fact, one can see the two formats existing side by side for years. It would be difficult to see were that to be the case, why BD exclusive studios such as Fox and Disney would want to remain so and ignore sales of their content to HD-DVD buyers, losing out on significant profits. Remember that Fox and Disney also supported the failed DIVX format as well and then supported DVD.
Maybe they have made a similar mistake in this format battle? Should they switch, this war may in fact end, with BD on the losing side.
Joseph Whip is a HD Observer for TVPredictions.com. If you would like to be a HD Observer, send an e-mail to: swann@tvpredictions.com
The opinions of our HD Observers may not reflect the position of TVPredictions.com.
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Ask Swanni: Meet the Press In HD?
Your humble high-def guru takes your questions.
By Phillip Swann
Washington, D.C. (April 13, 2007) -- I get scores of e-mails every week from readers asking everything from whether they should buy a new HDTV to when will their TV provider add new high-def channels.
So, from time to time, I will publish my responses here in this new column called, "Ask Swanni!"
Q. Now that NBC's Nightly News is in high-def, will they go HD with Meet the Press? -- Tommy R.
Quite likely -- and sooner than later. The Sunday morning interview show hosted by Tim Russert would be a perfect addition to the network's HD news lineup. Don't be surprised if you see it go high-def this year.
Q. I heard that EchoStar will soon add Cinemax HD. True? I love movies in HDTV! -- Cathie K.
I asked EchoStar today and a spokeswoman would neither confirm or deny the rumor. So we'll see. The rumor is that it will be added in the next few weeks.
Q. When will Time Warner add National Geographic HD in my area? I live in upstate New York. -- David R.
Time Warner says it has the rights to offer the channel, but it's up to the local TW system to decide whether to carry it. You might want to let your local Time Warner office know that you want it today!
Q. In your poll regarding which HDTV offers the best picture, you didn't mention a front projector. How come? I have one and the picture is great. -- Sam P.
I wanted to restrict the poll to high-def sets which are the overwhelming choice of most consumers. Nothing against the front projector, though. Many Home Theater enthusiasts think its capacity to display high-def images on a 100-inch screen is heaven on earth. (By the way, our poll of TVPredictions.com readers found that Plasma has the best HD picture with LCD a close second.)
Q. Any news on whether CBS will air more than three NFL games a week this season in high-def? -- Wayne P.
Wayne, that's a great question and I am putting it on my list to find out. For those of you who don't know, CBS last season broadcast just three National Football League games each week in HD, compared to six or more by Fox. A CBS executive told me last November that the network would review the policy following the 2006 season.
Q. Will cable show the Extra Innings baseball games in HD? I haven't seen any yet. -- Roy T.
In Demand, which provides the games to cable TV operators, says the Extra Innings package will include at least five games each week in HD. So stay tuned.
Q. Why do you think Samsung is bringing out a dual format HDTV DVD player? Does this mean it thinks the format war will go on forever? -- Aaron P.
Maybe not. Samsung says it hopes to launch the dual format player, which will display both Blu-ray and HD-DVD discs, by the holidays. A lot can happen between now and then.
Q. Do you know when the Weather Channel will start in HD? -- Summer S.
September.
Q. Do you think HDNet will hire Don Imus like they did Dan Rather after he left CBS? -- Eddie I.
I don't think anyone will be hiring Imus anytime soon. Plus, do you really want to see the "I-Man" in high-def?
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Samsung to Sell Dual HDTV DVD Player
The set-top is expected to be available this holiday season.
By Phillip Swann
Washington, D.C. (April 13, 2007) -- Samsung Electronics today said it would launch a dual format HDTV DVD player this holiday season.
The set-top will be able to play both Blu-ray and HD-DVD high-def discs. Samsung did not reveal any pricing or a specific launch date.
LG Electronics earlier this year introduced the world's first dual format player, which is priced at $1199. The dual format player is targeted to high-def owners who are concerned about picking a loser in the format war between Blu-ray and HD-DVD.
Samsung's dual player, model BD-UP5000, will support both formats and their interactive features. At least one Hollywood studio, weary of the format war, welcomed today's news.
"We welcome Samsung's HD player as another solution in the marketplace that will help reduce consumer confusion and buyer hesitancy towards HD media," said Ron Sanders, President of Warner Home Video. "This is an innovative product that can move us closer to mainstream consumer adoption of HD technologies."
Samsung officials echoed Warner's contention that consumers are confused about the format war.
“Consumers are hungry for more HD content but are currently confused about competing formats. Samsung’s (dual) HD player will allow consumers access to every HD movie title available regardless of the authoring format," the company said in a statement.
News of Samsung's dual player could portend a prolonged battle between Blu-ray and HD-DVD. While Blu-ray sales have outpaced HD-DVD in recent weeks, the latter hopes to pull even with the release of 70 new titles between now and summer.
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HDTV's Most Reliable Brands
Consumer Reports says Dell, Philips, Vizio are among TVs requiring more repairs than average.
By Phillip Swann
Washington, D.C. (April 11, 2007) -- When buying a High-Definition TV, you need to be sure that the set will not require frequent repairs. Reliability is almost as important as the picture.
With that in mind, Consumer Reports has just published a comprehensive review of the reliability of dozens of major brands, including big-screen TV makers.
Although the magazine said LCD, Plasma and some rear projection technologies are too new to draw final conclusions, it did offer some judgments based on data over the last two years.
LCD
In the LCD category, Consumer Reports said the following brands have shown "promising reliability," meaning they have needed few repairs:
JVC; Magnavox; Panasonic; Philips; Samsung; Sanyo; Sharp; Sony; and Toshiba
However, the magazine said Dell LCD sets have needed "more repairs than average."
Plasma
In the Plasma category, Consumer Reports said the following TV makers have shown "promising reliability":
Fujitsu; Hitachi; Panasonic; Pioneer; Sony; and Toshiba.
Consumer Reports said Philips and Vizio Plasma sets have needed "more repairs than average."
Microdisplay Rear Projection
In the Microdisplay Rear Projection category, the magazine said the following brands have demonstrated "promising reliability."
Panasonic and Sony
However, it said RCA (DLP) and JVC (LCoS/D-ILA) have needed 'more repairs than average."
Based on data from 2001 to 2006, Consumer Reports also rated tube TVs from 30 to 36 inches. It said JVC, Sharp, Sanyo and Toshiba needed repairs only three percent of the time.
In the 34 to 36-inch category, the magazine said Toshiba tube TVs needed repairs only four percent of the time while Sony sets needed repairs just five percent of the time.
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Which High-Definition TV offers the best picture?
Answer: Plasma.
Well, according to the readers of TVPredictions.com.
In an online poll conducted over the last 24 hours, 35 percent of 931 respondents said a Plasma set delivers the best HDTV picture.
Thirty-three percent said a LCD HDTV has the best picture while 27 percent said a DLP rear projection set offers the best high-def images.
Five percent said the HD picture is the same on all the sets.
The poll is not scientific. But Plasma's narrow margin of victory is evidence of the uncertainty in the marketplace over which High-Definition sets are the best performers. Many people vigorously argue that one set's technology is better than another.
The flat-screen war between Plasma and LCD is the scene of most battles. Most industry observers say Plasma looks better in a darker setting while LCD fares better in well lit areas. But even that contention is disputed by some.
However, everyone seems to agree that HDTV -- regardless of which set you own -- looks better than what we all watched before.
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We have started a poll asking the question everyone wants answered:
Which HDTV has the best picture?
Your choices:
LCD
Plasma
DLP
None of the above; they are all the same.
To cast your vote, click Poll
Then, come back here and offer your comments!
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Time Warner Gets Versus HD Rights
But a spokesman says it's up to each system to add it.
By Phillip Swann
Washington, D.C. (April 9, 2007) -- Time Warner Cable has obtained the rights to broadcast the Versus/Golf channel in High-Definition.
However, Mark Harrad, a Time Warner spokesman, says it's up to the individual Time Warner system whether to add the high-def channel.
Versus/Golf, which is owned by Comcast, carries National Hockey League games and some golf tournaments in HD. The network will broadcast NHL playoff games in high-def.
Harrad says he does not know which (if any) local Time Warner systems have added the HD channel.
"We do have the rights to carry Versus in HD," Harrad says. "I do not have information here regarding which divisions have added that to their line-up and which have not at this point in time. It's up to the divisions. Generally, we try to add as much HD programming as possible, but there has to be channels available on the appropriate tier and the channel line-ups differ from division to division."
With the NHL playoffs beginning this week, several Time Warner subscribers have contacted TVPredictions.com asking if the high-def Versus/Golf will be added.
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Porn Will NOT Determine HDTV DVD War
The industry has changed since adult films influenced the outcome of the Beta vs. VHS battle.
By Phillip Swann
Washington, D.C. (April 9, 2007) -- Reuters is reporting this week that the adult film industry could determine the winner in the Blu-ray-HD-DVD high-def DVD war.
Noting that the porn industry sided with VHS over Beta in the 1980s, the wire service quotes industry observers as saying it could happen again with some large adult studios leaning to HD-DVD.
"If the porn industry wanted to break the logjam of HD-DVD and Blu-ray, it could," Forrester Research's James Mr McQuivey tells Reuters. "If they said 'We are going to go with HD-DVD' you would see a few million homes immediately go out and buy HD-DVD players. They have that power."
Actually, they don't. For two reasons:
1. Different Times
While porn clearly helped VHS defeat Beta, the adult business has undergone a dramatic change over the last two decades, lessening its possible impact on the HDTV DVD war.
In the 1980s, the advent of home video revolutionized the adult industry. Rather than crawling into a dank movie theater, adult fans for the first time could watch their favorite performers in the privacy of their homes. Consequently, they rushed out to buy VCRs, and videotapes, by the millions. With more films available in VHS, the impact on the format war was enormous
But now, the Internet has made porn immediate and varied. People can watch anything they want, whenever they want. Although Net video is not in high-def, it's hard to imagine millions of adult fans rushing out to buy a HDTV DVD player just to get a clearer picture. Some, perhaps, but not enough to impact the format war.
2. Different War
The Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD war is also quite different from the Beta-VHS battle. Videotape was the only way to watch movies at home in the 1980s, but now consumers can watch videotape, standard DVDs, premium movie channels and dozens of basic cable movie channels on cable and satellite. And some of those channels broadcast movies in high-def.
So, it's less likely that the HDTV DVD industry will grow at nearly the same pace as videotape in the 1980s. This lessens the possible impact that any one industry sector will have on the war.
Additionally, in the Reuters story, some executives say that Blu-ray is making it difficult for adult studios to make copies of their films in the format. They suggest this will give HD-DVD an edge.
But Blu-ray has the backing of seven of the eight major non-porn studios while HD-DVD has just four. Any advantage that HD-DVD would have in the porn industry is more than offset by Blu-ray's strength in the traditional film world.
So while it may be fashionable to repeat the theory that porn will once again determine a DVD format war, this time it's not true.
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Which TV provider will have the most High-Definition TV channels at the end of the year?
The answer: DIRECTV, according to the readers of TVPredictions.com.
TVPredictions.com conducted an online poll over the weekend, asking the question: "On January 1, 2008, Who Will Have More HDTV Channels?"
The choices were:
1. My cable TV service
2. DIRECTV
3. EchoStar
4. All will have roughly the same number.
Approximately 57 percent of our readers said DIRECTV will carry the most high-def channels at year's end.
Twenty percent said all TV providers will have roughly the same number. Seventeen percent said EchoStar would have the most while six percent said their local cable TV operator would offer the highest number of HD channels.
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Celebrities In HD: You're So Vain
TV's top talent is evading the ultra-clear HD lens with some new tricks of the trade.
By Phillip Swann
Washington, D.C. (April 7, 2007) -- "You're so vain; you probably think this story is about you."
I'm paraphrasing a lyric from the Carly Simon tune, You're So Vain, which supposedly described the narcissistic behavior of a certain celebrity. However, the lyric could easily apply to many of today's TV broadcasters and primetime stars.
Apparently scared silly by the introduction of High-Definition TV, which is so clear that it can expose the smallest facial flaw, some TV stars are now hiding behind special camera filters and other tricks of the trade.
The effect is to soften the realistic HD image so the on-air talent will look younger and appear to have fewer facial imperfections.
While network officials won't speak publicly about the trend, one high-ranking ABC executive tells TVPredictions.com that it's not anything new.
"For years, we've softened the image for certain performers," the executive said in an e-mail interview. "To do so in HD is just a continuation of that."
To protect the talent, the networks are using a new makeup application called airbrushing -- and new specially-made HD camera filters. Tiffen, one maker of the new filter, says it will definitely do the trick.
"This is the filter of choice for making people look great without evidence of filtration," the company says at its web site.
However, the decision to put the stars' image ahead of the image seen by viewers is upsetting many high-def owners who are expecting the sharpest picture possible for their investment.
For instance, NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams began broadcasting in high-def last month and HD owners began complaining immediately that the network was using a filter to make the anchor look better.
"I think NBC has hired Loretta Young's cinematographer," said one poster at the TVPredictions.com Reader Forum.
He was referring to the actress who only appeared in soft focus during her 1950s NBC primetime program, The Loretta Young Show.
"I was frustrated and disappointed," the poster added. "Come on, NBC, get real."
If Williams is hiding behind a camera filter, he's not alone. Meredith Vieira looks like a different person depending upon which lens she is viewed through during the HDTV broadcast of NBC's The Today Show.
When Vieira is shown in the studio, she looks 10 years younger than she does when the cameras swing outside for segments in front of 30 Rock. Apparently, the network is not using the filters on the outdoor HD cameras.
Diane Sawyer, the 61-year-old hostess of Good Morning America on ABC, seems to get the same favorable camera filtering during her program, which is also in HD.
But it's not just TV newscasters. Many primetime stars, such as Blythe Danner, who appeared on Showtime's Huff, are also freaking out over high-def and asking for help.
"I wasn't terribly conscious of it until we did Huff and they used this dreadful High-Definition which makes anybody over 50 look as if they are 80," says the 63-year-old actress. "So, I got very self-conscious about that. Yes, we all get a little help, a little bit of this or that, not tremendous amounts. There were some shots on Huff I was just appalled by. I don't think I am terribly narcissistic, but you don't want to look your worst."
Vanessa Williams, star of Ugly Betty on ABC, is no Ugly Betty in high-def or not. But the former Miss America is also complaining loudly about high-def's all-too-clear picture.
"It's horrifying," Williams, 43, tells CelebrityWeek.com, an online entertainment site. "My brother had (HDTV). I remember him being really excited about it -- and you could see every pore, every hair, every line on the actress’s face."
It's not known if Ms. Williams' cameras are filtered during the show.
Even today's top adult stars are asking for a little assistance when filmed in HD. Jesse Jane, star of such films as Pirates, told HDNet World Report recently that she was getting breast surgery to look better in high-def.
It's unclear where all this will go. High-def owners are demanding the sharpest pictures possible while the celebrities will likely increase their calls for more high-tech camouflage.
"Boy, I'm not a fan of HD personally. I'd like some Barbra Streisand gauze...I want the Barbara Walters soft-focus," Pat Sajak, host of Wheel of Fortune, which is produced in high-def., tells iVillage. " I want low-def. Low, lower and lowest def."
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From today's Ask Swanni:
Q. I have EchoStar and I keep hearing about DIRECTV adding all these new HD channels. Should I switch? -- Dennis A.
Well, you first might want to consider that EchoStar's Dish Network now has more national HD channels (31) than any other TV provider, including DIRECTV. A bird in the hand, you know. And don't underestimate EchoStar. While DIRECTV says it will have 100 national HD channels by year's end (including sports packages), EchoStar may have more than you think. We'll see at the end of the year.
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Cable Will Keep Extra Innings; HDTV Expected
But EchoStar could be left out of the game.
By Phillip Swann
Washington, D.C. (April 5, 2007) -- Major League Baseball has agreed to a deal that will let cable TV operators carry its 'Extra Innings' package.
Comcast, Cox and Time Warner say they will carry the package, which includes up to 60 out of market games a week. Other cable operators are likely to announce their plans in the next few days.
However, less clear is whether EchoStar subscribers will have access to the package.
High-Definition plans were also not immediately known, but cable operators have previously shown some Extra Innings games in HD on INHD, which is owned by In Demand, the cable group that negotiated the new deal with the league.
MLB and DIRECTV signed an agreement last month that said the satcaster could have Extra Innings exclusively if other TV providers did not match the offer by last Saturday. (The satcaster plans to show most of the games in High-Definition by 2008.)
However, under pressure from congressional leaders, MLB agreed to extend negotiations with other TV providers past the Saturday deadline. In Demand and the league announced the new agreement last night.
As part of the deal, cable TV's top systems and DIRECTV, will carry MLB's Baseball Channel when it launches in 2009. In Demand, which is owned by Comcast, Cox and Time Warner, agreed that the cable operators would offer the channel to 80 percent of its digital cable subscribers.
That provision means that roughly 40 million cable and satellite viewers will have access to the Baseball Channel in 2009.
In Demand and DIRECTV will also both have an equity stake in the new channel.
"Our chief goal throughout the process was to ensure that fans would have access to as many baseball games and as much baseball coverage as possible," MLB President Bob DuPuy said in a statement. "With this agreement, the MLB Channel will launch with an unprecedented platform."
Rob Jacobson, president of In Demand, echoed that sentiment:
"We couldn't be happier that we have reached an agreement with Major League Baseball and are able to make these games available to baseball fans as we have for the past five years," he said.
DIRECTV issued a statement saying it was pleased that the cable agreement will provide the satcaster with "unique financial benefits." However, DIRECTV now loses the exclusive rights to the Extra Innings package.
A MLB spokesman said the league would continue to negotiate with satcaster EchoStar, according to the Associated Press. But DIRECTV said it expected to be the exclusive satellite carrier of the package.
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Every day, readers ask me when their TV provider will add one HDTV channel or another. They can't understand why Comcast, DIRECTV, EchoStar, Time Warner -- and every other TV service -- seems to refuse to add their personal favorites.
So, folks, here's your chance to shout off which channels you would like to see your satellite or cable provider add.
If you could require your TV provider to add just one HDTV channel, which one would it be -- and why?
Cable and satellite executives read this Forum so this is a great opportunity to make your voice heard.
So, which HDTV channel would you like to see added?
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Fox: Baseball In HD Not 'Scaled Back'
The network says "most" games will be in high-def.
By Phillip Swann
Washington, D.C. (April 3, 2007) -- Fox Sports today denied reports that it's reducing the number of Saturday afternoon baseball games in High-Definition.
Fox will broadcast three Major League Baseball games every Saturday afternoon, starting this week.
Dan Bell, a Fox Sports spokesman, told TVPredictions.com today that the premiere game will always be in high-def and many of the "second" games will be as well.
"There is no scaling back," Bell said.
Fox Sports announced in February that "most" of the Saturday games would be in high-def. Bell said that description still applies.
"We never put a number on the games that would be in high-def," he said. "But most of the games will be in HD."
Rumors circulated last week that Fox was reducing the number of high-def games when an online guide posted a note saying that Fox was 'scaling back' its coverage due to insufficient HD production truck availability.
The report was quickly picked by some gadget blogs and message boards.
However, Bell said that some apparently misinterpreted the network's original announcement.
"We said most games, not all," he said. "The goal is to have all, but we will have most."
Fox's triple-header coverage begins this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET with the New York Mets playing the Atlanta Braves; the Minnesota Twins vs. the Chicago White Sox; and the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. the San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers-Giants game will be in high-def.
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Only 3 Baseball Teams Not In Local HD
The Nats, O's and Royals are not broadcast locally in high-def.
By Phillip Swann
Washington, D.C. (April 3, 2007) -- Major League Baseball's 2007 season has begun and it's a Home Run for most High-Definition TV viewers.
According to a TVPredictions.com study, 27 of the 30 Major League Baseball teams can be seen this season in high-def on local or regional sports channels.
The remaining holdouts: The Baltimore Orioles and the Washington Nationals, which are carried locally by the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), and the Kansas City Royals, which is broadcast by the team-held Royals Sports Television Network (RSTN).
The Orioles were available locally in high-def last season when their games were carried by Comcast Sports Net. However, MASN, which is owned by Oriole owner Peter Angelos, now has the rights.
MASN also got the rights to the Nats' games as a concession when the league decided to move the Montreal Expos to Washington D.C. prior to the 2005 season.
The Royals next year will be carried by Fox Sports Midwest, which is expected to show their games in high-def.
However, MASN has told several publications, including TVPredictions.com, that it is uncertain when it will begin broadcasting in HD.
Of the 27 teams that will broadcast locally in high-def this year, all have announced HD schedules except for the Milwaukee Brewers, whose games can be seen on Fox Sports North. However, the regional sports channel is expected to carry some Brewer games this year in HD.
Fox and ESPN will also carry dozens of national broadcasts of MLB games in high-def this season.
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The 'Mad' Mystery of the HDTV Basketball Blur
High-def sleuths in Kentucky investigate why the picture breaks up during March Madness.
By Phillip Swann
Washington, D.C. (April 2, 2007) -- When Ohio State's Greg Oden jumps for a rebound in tonight's NCAA college basketball championship, HD viewers in Kentucky say their picture will likely "break up" or become blurry.
And it won't be the first time. According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, the picture distortions have been trying March Madness fans mad during tournament action.
"People have asked us about the TVs: 'Is there something wrong with my television' 'Is there something wrong with our cables?'" Tony Spires, a local electronics retailer, tells the newspaper. "We just have to do a lot of explaining."
High-def sleuths in Kentucky are pointing to everything from the local CBS station's (WKYT) decision to divide its signal into three channels (called, "multicasting") to CBS' source feed to the transmission of the local cable and satellite providers.
Regardless of the problem's cause, Spires says the picture break-up "can be really annoying."
Picture break-up, or sudden blurring, is not uncommon to high-def viewers in any area, particularly during sports broadcasts which feature sudden movement. (This reporter, in fact, has noticed occasional break-up during DIRECTV's broadcast of this year's Madness games; however, Comcast, my local cable operator, has not had the same problem.)
The distortions can be caused by a variety of factors (including the ones stated above).
But the Herald-Leader reports that WKYT's break-ups during March Madness games are a special case.
The newspaper reports that WKYT, the CBS affiliate in the greater Lexington area, which is broadcasting the NCAA tournament in high-def. airs three digital channels: the CBS feed; a 24-hour weather channel, and a feed from the CW network.
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DIRECTV to Test VOD; Will Include HD Movies
Full service expected to roll out in July.
By Phillip Swann
Washington, D.C. (April 1, 2007) -- DIRECTV says it will begin testing its Video on Demand service this month and it will include High-Definition movies.
That's according to a report in Multichannel News.
TVPredictions.com reported last year that DIRECTV was preparing an on-demand service that would include high-def. But the satcaster has been uncertain about launch dates.
Multichannel News writes that DIRECTV plans to roll out the on-demand service in July after the initial testing, which begins this month. The publication did not report whether the testing would take place in consumer homes or employee homes.
The VOD service will be available via Broadband lines connected to DIRECTV's HD DVRs.
The satcaster says it has signed about 12 networks to offer dedicated on-demand channels, including the Food Network and Discovery Channel.
In addition, 2,000 movies will be available on demand, many of which will be in high-def.
DIRECTV is hoping the VOD offering will counter cable TV's On Demand lineup, which includes thousands of hours of programming.
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