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After a long holiday break, I’m back. With CES kicking off this weekend, here’s what’s going on in the world of HD:

CES to Showcase Wireless HDTVs - NYT/AP
Flat-panel TVs look lovely on a wall — the cords hanging from them, less so. After a few years of false starts, the industry finally seems close to tackling that problem. At least three dueling wireless technologies for high-definition TVs will be on display at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which starts Monday. Manufacturers promise that sets incorporating these technologies will be in stores before the next holiday season.

Cable-Cutting WiHD Spec Finalized - TWICE
The WirelessHD consortium has finalized specifications for its in-room cable-replacement WirelessHD (WiHD) technology, promoted as the only cable-replacement technology that delivers uncompressed copy-protected high-definition video up to 1080p with no signal loss.At press time, it wasn’t certain whether any of the consortium’s seven founding members would demonstrate the technology. The founders are LG, Panasonic, NEC, chipmaker SiBeam, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba. Intel is also a member.

Tennis Channel Nets Spot On DirecTV’s HD Lineup - MCN
Tennis Channel rang out 2007 by spinning in its first serve into the high-definition carriage arena. Tennis Channel, which now holds telecast rights to three of the sport’s four Grand Slam events, became the latest addition to DirecTV’s ever-expanding HD roster of networks on Dec. 31. The launch on the nation’s leading satellite provider’s platform coincides with the network’s move into a new state-of-the-art production facility in Culver City, Calif., construction of which began last May.

Fujitsu Exits Plasma TV - TWICE
Fujitsu General Ltd., whose company Fujitsu General America has distributed plasma displays in the U.S. from the technology’s outset, said here Thursday it will exit the visual display business outside of Japan by March, due to declining profitability. “During the past several years, the pricing and profitability of this segment has compressed beyond the point which our company could realize a satisfactory return on investment,” Fujitsu said in a statement.

Netflix Partners With LG to Bring Movies Straight to TV - NYT
Netflix, the DVD-by-mail company with more than seven million customers, has a new strategy that may one day make those red envelopes obsolete. The company wants to strike deals with electronics companies that will let it send movies straight to TV screens over the Internet. Its first partnership, announced Wednesday night, is with the South Korean manufacturer LG Electronics to stream movies and other programming to LG’s high-definition televisions.

Demand Brisk For DTV Converter Coupons - MCN
The federal government’s DTV converter box subsidy program got off to a brisk start this week as the Commerce Department reported that 850,000 coupons worth $40 each were requested in the first 48 hours. The federal government has $1.5 billion to subsidize converter boxes. After administrative expenses, the funding will provide for 33.5 million coupons. About 500,000 households from all 50 states applied for coupons on Tuesday and Wednesday.

CEA: Half Of U.S. Homes Have DTVs - TWICE
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) released figures today showing that more than 50 percent of U.S. households now own a digital television (DTV). The association said consumers are adding DTVs to their homes at a record pace as completion of the digital television transition on Feb. 17, 2009 rapidly approaches.

Samsung To Show 31” OLED TV - TWICE
Samsung SDI, the display screen manufacturing unit of Samsung Electronics, plans to show a prototype 31-inch ultra-thin OLED screen at International CES, Jan. 7-10 in Las Vegas, according to a Reuters report. The announcement came as Sony began selling an 11-inch OLED-based TV in Japan.

Cable Giants Aim to Rule HD - Raleigh News & Observer
Time Warner Cable and its rivals are in the early stages of a torrid campaign to win the latest battle for America’s dens: high-definition programming. With thousands of new sets installed in the past year, satellite and cable service providers are touting plans to multiply the number of HD channels they offer. Until recently, Time Warner had the edge in the Triangle. Now, armed with new satellites, DirecTV can claim the most high-definition programming.…more

Panasonic Unveils World’s Largest TV - AP
A 150-inch high-definiton plasma TV unveiled by Panasonic is the world’s largest to date, the Japanese consumer electronics company claimed Monday at the International Consumer Electronics Show. The plasma panel features an 8.84 million pixel image resolution. Its screen is the equivalent of nine 50-inch sets, with an effective viewing area of 11 feet, the company said.

Ergen Explains Dish Network HD Expansion - MCN
Dish Network CEO Charlie Ergen Monday explained his company’s HDTV ramp-up and clarified what turns about to be a very limited price “freeze” by the satellite TV provider. During a press conference at the Consumer Electronics Show, Ergen said that Dish Network plans to launch a satellite each quarter this year, with three of those for domestic use to help facilitate an expansion to 100 national HDTV channels from 76 now.

Comcast, Panasonic Sell Portable Digital Video Recorders - MCN
Want your DVR for here or to go? At the Consumer Electronics Show here Monday, Comcast and Panasonic are debuting a high-definition digital video recorder that you can unplug and take with you to watch TV shows or movies virtually anywhere. The AnyPlay Portable DVR, developed by Panasonic for Comcast, functions as a regular HD set-top box when it’s set up in the living room.

Blu-ray Triumphs at Gadget Show - AP
The International Consumer Electronics Show is turning out to be a celebration party for Blu-ray, the high-definition format that Sony Corp. backed, and a wake for a rival movie disc technology pushed by Toshiba Corp. Just two months ago, Sony CEO Howard Stringer said the fight between Blu-ray and Toshiba’s HD DVD was at a “stalemate,” and expressed a wish to travel back in time to avert it. The impasse was broken Friday by Warner Bros. Entertainment, the last major studio to put out movies in both formats. It announced it was ditching HD DVD, and from May on, would only publish on Blu-ray and traditional DVD.

Sony Debuts 14 LCD TVs, Its 1st OLED - TWICE
Following its decision to exit the rear-projection TV category, Sony travels to International CES with an arsenal of new LCD TVs and the company’s first OLED TV for the U.S. market. Sony is launching here 14 Bravia LCD models, including slim-bezel and thin-depth cabinets, as well as Sony’s new 3-D graphic user interface integrated with TV Guide programming information.

Sharp Bows 4 Aquos Lines, Second Blu-ray Player - TWICE
Sharp is using International CES to unveil four Aquos LCD TV model series, highlighted by a “special edition” featuring the company’s best picture quality to date and built-in Internet access. Also slated are a pair of new DLP projectors and the company’s second Blu-ray Disc player. The Aquos special-edition SE94 series will include the 65-inch LC-65SE94U, 52-inch LC-52SE94U and 46-inch LC-46SE94U, each of which produces the company’s finest picture quality.

Pioneer’s Kuro Get Super Thin,‘Absolute’ Black - TWICE
Looking to apply the “thin-is-in” trend to its Project Kuro plasma TV behemoths, Pioneer is unveiling at International CES a 50-inch super-thin (9mm) plasma panel. Billed as “an advanced design concept,” the thin-screen plasma TV prototype will be showcased as the future of the big-screen flat-panel TV technology.

Hitachi Bows Ultra Thin Plasma TVs, LCDs - TWICE
Hitachi will use International CES to unveil what it is calling some of the world’s thinnest plasma displays, in addition to its recently announced Ultra Thin 1.5-inch thick LCD TV line.
The Ultra Thin plasma panels, which will see their world premiere at CES, are expected to be available at the end of 2009 in the 50- and 60-inch screen sizes and will measure “under 1.5-inches in depth”.…more

Comcast to Offer 1,000 HD ‘Choices’ - MCN
In a message aimed at both Wall Street and the consumer electronics industry, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts Tuesday detailed his company’s future roadmap for convergence and competition, “Comcast 3.0.” Roberts offered the plan, which includes ramping up to 1,000 HDTV offerings by the end of the year, during a morning keynote address at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show, the first such keynote by a cable company chief. Roberts devoted a good portion of his speech talking about Comcast’s plan to give consumers more than 1,000 HD choices in 2008, its strategy to begin adding additional HD movies, as well as announcing Project Infinity – its vision to give consumers the ability to watch any movie, TV show, user generated content or other video that a producer wants to make available On Demand.

Samsung Gives Video Road Map - TWICE
Samsung doesn’t plan this year to exit the rear-projection TV market despite the market’s decline, and it will launch its second dual-format HD disc player later this year as planned despite Warner’s surprise decision to pull out of the HD DVD market. The technology road map was outlined here for the press during a Samsung-moderated roundtable in which executives from Korea also said the company will ship its first 3-D-ready plasma displays in late March for use with 3-D PC games. The company also said it doesn’t expect to commercialize OLED TV technology until 2010.

JVC Unveils Slim Design LCD TV Line - TWICE
JVC unveiled at its Caesar’s Palace showroom Tuesday new Procision series LCD TVs billed as “the world’s thinnest tuner-equipped LC televisions.” The models measure 1.5 inches deep across most of the set and less than 3 inches at the center. Each is trimmed with a 0.98-inch bezel.

XStreamHD Promises HD From The Heavens - TWICE
A new service promising to deliver 1080p HD video content and lossless DTS audio to homes via satellite made its debut yesterday at International CES. At a press conference, here, XStreamHD CEO George Gonzalez, flanked by actor/investor Michael Douglas, introduced the company’s HD delivery system that is expected to launch in the fourth quarter.

Martin Says Analog Cutoff A ‘Hard Date’ - TWICE
FCC chairman Kevin Martin said in a wide-ranging International CES Industry Insiders event that the Feb. 17, 2009, analog cutoff was a “hard date” and there was no way he could envision it changing. “After all of our efforts we couldn’t just turn around and say ‘We’re just kidding.’” He added there couldn’t be anything worse to “dis-incentivize” the transition and those lining up to bid on the newly available 700 MHz spectrum.…more

Toshiba Takes HD DVD On Offensive - TWICE
Rather than reeling from the body blow dealt to its HD DVD format by Warner Bros., Toshiba came back from International CES on the attack by stepping up its marketing campaign in the light of what it called “record-breaking unit sales in the fourth quarter of 2007.” Toshiba said Monday it is running major initiatives, including joint advertising campaigns with studios and extended pricing strategies set to begin in mid-January.

Blu-ray Could Win High-Def Battle - TWICE
The two remaining studios backing HD DVD could switch sides soon, ending the high-def format war instantly. Daily Variety has confirmed that Universal’s commitment to backing HD DVD exclusively has ended. And Paramount has an escape clause in its HD DVD contract allowing it to release pics on Blu-ray after Warner Bros.’ decision to back that format exclusively.

Startup Conjures Up Channel-Boosting Gear - MCN
Startup Imagine Communications this week is set to take the wraps off its first product: a system it claims will let operators stuff 50% more HD or standard-definition channels into the same amount of bandwidth, without hurting the quality of the video. The ICE Broadcast System optimizes MPEG-2 video streams, using Imagine’s proprietary processing algorithms to reencode the video at a lower bit rate while supposedly preserving image quality. The system then statistically multiplexes the streams to allow up to three HD or 15 SD channels to fit into a 6-Megahertz quadrature amplitude modulation carrier.

Gameplay HD Tackles ‘Madden Challenge’ - MCN
Gameplay HD is in the game with “EA Sports 2007 Madden Challenge.” Voom’s high-definition channel devoted to the world of video gaming has created a new TV series capturing the action from competitive tournaments built around Electronic Arts’ popular Madden NFL Football game. Gameplay HD will kick off a seven-part series at 1 p.m. on Feb. 2, the day before Super Bowl XLII.

WWE Pins Down HD Capabilities - MCN
World Wrestling Entertainment will finally showcase all of its elbow smashes, body slams and pins in high definition beginning with the Jan. 21 episode of USA Network’s Monday Night Raw series. Along with its original cable and broadcast series – USA’s Monday Night Raw and A.M. Raw; Sci Fi Channel’s ECW: Extreme Championship Wrestling and The CW’s Friday Night SmackDown – the WWE will also deliver in HD all of its pay-per-view shows beginning with the Jan. 27 Royal Rumble event.…more

I think the whole industry is taking a well-deserved breather following CES earlier in the week, but here are a few stories we’re watching:

Puppies in High Def: Animal Planet Shoots ‘Puppy Bowl IV’ - MCN
Animal Planet is once again banking on video clips of cute puppies and kittens to hook viewers during half time of the NFL Super Bowl, scheduling its fourth annual Puppy Bowl Feb. 3. This year’s contest, Puppy Bowl IV, will be offered in HDTV for the first time, Animal Planet said Thursday.

Matsushita to Change Corporate Name to Panasonic - MCN
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. — best known for its global Panasonic brand of consumer electronics — announced Thursday that the company will change its company name to Panasonic Corp. effective Oct. 1. The company will also use the Panasonic brand across the world for all of its products, which will include replacing the “National” brand in Japan by March 2010. The change was approved by the company’s board of directors and is subject to approval by shareholders.

Plasma TV Makes Comeback - Reuters/NY Times
Given up for dead less than a year ago, plasma TVs are making a comeback, with manufacturers boosting sales forecasts amid a continued shortage of LCD TVs and surging demand in developing countries. In less than two years, plasma-display technology has gone from dominant format to afterthought, then back to a viable option.

Philips’ Eco TV Sips Power, Saves Rainforest - CNET
At CNET, we take HDTV power consumption seriously, which helps explain our excitement when Philips announced its Eco TV. The 42-inch, 1080p resolution, flat-panel LCD, model 42PFL5603D (due in March, $1,399 MSRP), is packed with power-saving features. Chief among them is the ability to dim the backlight–by up to five times peak brightness–in response to program material, much like the “local dimming” found on Samsung’s LED-based LN-T4681F. Dimming the backlight in darker scenes has the dual benefit of saving power and improving black-level performance, according to the company. The backlight can also be dimmed via a room lighting sensor, so in dark rooms it will use less power.

The Thinner the Better for New HDTV Sets - Rocky Mountain News
HDTV manufacturers are trying to make the task of buying an HDTV set much more difficult than just choosing between LCD and plasma, 42 or 46 inches. To stand out amid fierce competition, they’re adding exotic features and even a little bit of color to the plain black bezels that have been de rigueur. They’re also chasing each other to zero - zero thickness, that is. Apparently, you can’t be too thin if you’re a TV.…more

Charter Adds WealthTV’s HD Shows On Demand - MCN
WealthTV said its high-definition programming lineup has become available to Charter Communications customers on demand nationwide. WealthTV also has some full-time carriage, in standard- and high-definition formats, on Charter systems, according to network officials.

DirecTV, Cox Settle HDTV Lawsuit - MCN
DirecTV and Cox Communications settled the false-advertising lawsuit the satellite operator filed over Cox’s assertion that “HD looks better with cable,” a claim the cable company has removed from its Web site. In the suit, filed in October, DirecTV alleged Cox made “false and misleading statements” in citing a Comcast-commissioned survey regarding the quality of Cox’s HDTV service compared with DirecTV’s. Since DirecTV filed the lawsuit Oct. 17, Cox has removed references to the Magid survey from its site. The only benefit the operator now touts over satellite services’ HDTV services is that Cox customers have “no ugly dish or extra equipment to buy” to receive HD programming.

Verizon FiOS TV Hits Oregon - MCN
Verizon said it launched its FiOS TV service in Portland, Ore., Thursday, challenging incumbent cable TV operator Comcast. The telephone company said FiOS TV is available to 152,000 households in the greater Portland area, representing 410,000 potential viewers. (edit. note: Verizon offers 27 HDTV channels, compared to 24 from Comcast.)

VIZIO and Pro Football MVP LaDainian Tomlinson Bring Crystal Clear Holiday Cheer To Dr. Phil Show, Families and Firefighters Affected by So Cal Fires
In the true spirit of the holiday season, VIZIO, America’s number one LCD HDTV company, and reigning pro football league MVP, LaDainian Tomlinson have joined forces to benefit and honor the individuals, families and firefighters affected by the tragic fires that ravaged the Southern California area during recent months. This afternoon, Tomlinson appeared on the Dr. Phil Show, addressing the studio audience and announcing that through his Tomlinson Touching Lives Foundation, VIZIO and his foundation would donate VX32L 32-inch LCD high definition televisions to every member of the studio audience, comprised solely of families and individuals whose homes and possessions were lost in the fires. In addition, on Tuesday afternoon, Tomlinson hosted a special event at Kit Carson Park in San Diego to pay tribute to firefighters, sheriffs, doctors and nurses who risked their lives battling the fires.

New DIRECTV Survey Gives Holiday Shoppers the Inside Scoop on What Looks Best on Their New HDTV
With the many decisions plaguing shoppers this holiday season, DIRECTV wants to give HD buyers a sneak preview of what they will enjoy once they take the HD plunge.
In a recent survey commissioned by DIRECTV, 400 HDTV owners were asked to reveal their favorite reasons for choosing HD. Some of the more unique findings included:
– The Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman boxing match held in Africa ranked as the top sports moment most would want to see in HD if it were possible, followed by Hank Aaron’s 755th home run,
– Rachel Ray takes the lead position in the kitchen with the best-looking holiday turkey in HD, followed by fellow chef Emeril Lagasse,
– The best Superbowl beer ad ranks above football as the most important thing to see when watching sports in HD…more

Beta Survey: Discovery Channel is Favorite Network - MCN
The Discovery Channel is cable subscribers’ favorite channel, but the channel with the highest perceived value by consumers is ESPN2, according to a Beta Research study released Dec. 4. The Discovery ranking was based on the percentage of consumers who, unaided, named the channel when asked their five favorite basic channels in the research firm’s fall subscriber evaluation survey. 33% named Discovery, with ESPN second (30%); History Channel (24%), Food Network (18%) and Fox News Channel (17%) rounding out the top 5.

Blu-ray Players Top 2.7 Million - TWICE
The Blu-ray Disc Association is having a Blu – not blue – Christmas, according to sales figures it released Monday. The group reported Black Friday sales “were decidedly Blu” for both hardware and software, accounting for a total sell-in since launch of 2.7 million players in North American households as of Nov. 24.

Sharper Images Drive HD Sales: Magid Survey - MCN
Consumers may be buying HDTV sets, but they are buying them for sharp pictures, not because they think there is something compelling to watch that is only available in the high-definition format, according to new research from Frank N. Magid Associates.The research, “Consumers and High Definition Television: Attitudes, Awareness and Usage,” found that 13% of consumers said they are very likely to buy an HD set over the next 12 months. In 2006, only 9% said they were thinking of buying an HD set. Another 12% of respondents said they were shopping for a TV but unsure whether they would buy an HD set.

Charter Now Offers up to 44 High Definition Channels in Louisiana
Charter Communications, Inc. today announced it now offers up to 44 high definition channels in its Louisiana territory, more than doubling the number of available high definition channels in recent weeks. Over the course of the coming year, Charter plans to significantly increase the number of high definition channels in all its high definition markets. By implementing bandwidth-saving technologies, like switched digital, the Company aims to aggressively expand its high definition offerings in 2008 and beyond.

DIRECTV to Deliver Local HD Programming In 76 Markets by Mid-2008
Continuing its momentum for delivering the best quality HD programming available, DIRECTV will offer local HD broadcast networks in 76 markets, representing more than 75 percent of U.S. TV households, when it rolls out 11 additional local HD markets by mid-2008. DIRECTV began the rollout with the launch of HD local channels in the Flint, Mich. and Waco, Texas designated market areas last week. The 11 local markets to receive HD programming from DIRECTV include Albany/Schenectady/Troy, N.Y.; Paducah, Ky.; Cedar Rapids/Waterloo, Iowa; Tucson, Ariz.; Flint/Saginaw/Bay City, Mich.; Waco/Temple/Bryan, Texas; Lincoln/Hastings, Neb.; Wichita/Hutchinson, Kan.; Louisville, Ky.; Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pa.; and Omaha, Neb.

HD Video-on-Demand Now Playing on Verizon FiOS TV
Just in time for the holiday season, Verizon is unwrapping high-definition video-on-demand in many of its FiOS TV markets. HD VOD is now available over the FiOS TV systems in Richmond and Virginia Beach, Va.; Tampa, Fla.; Fort Wayne, Ind.; and Pittsburgh. It is coming soon to the FiOS systems in the Washington, D.C., metro area, Massachusetts and Rhode Island; and to Verizon’s remaining FiOS TV markets next year.…more

Toshiba Shelves Plan to Sell OLED TVs in 2009-10 - Reuters
Japan’s Toshiba said on Tuesday it had shelved plans to sell ultra-thin TVs with organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays in 2009-10 because of the cost of mass production. Toshiba will stick to its plans to commercialize smaller OLED displays for cell phones next year, and will watch markets and technological developments to see whether making OLED TVs is commercially viable later, Toshiba spokesman Keisuke Ohmori said.

Comcast Media Center Packs In More HD - MCN
Comcast Media Center has developed a way to fit three high-definition TV signals into one 6-Megahertz carrier, which is ordinarily enough space to fit just two HD channels without sacrificing picture quality. To preserve quality while boosting quantity, the cable operator’s Denver-based digital-media services unit is using a “second-pass” MPEG-2 encoding system from startup Imagine Communications, according to people familiar with the project.

AT&T Brings HDTV over IPTV to St. Louis - MCN
AT&T is now offering U-verse TV in parts of 18 communities in the St. Louis area, touting a lineup of more than 30 high-definition channels, as it looks to siphon customers away from incumbent cable operator Charter Communications. The telco is offering service in parts of the city of St. Louis, as well as the surrounding suburbs of Ballwin, Bridgeton, Chesterfield, Clayton, Creve Coeur, Florissant, Kirkwood, Maryland Heights, Mehlville, Oakville, Olivette, Sappington, Shrewsbury, St. Charles, St. Peters, University City and Webster Groves.

Cablevision Launches HD Promotional Campaign - MCN
Cablevision Systems Corp. today launched a promotional campaign trumpeting the 44 high-definition channels it offers to its digital-cable customers in the New York metro area free of charge. Via its “44 Days in HD, on iOTV” effort, the cable operator will salute a different HD service weekdays through the first week of February, minus Christmas and New Years Day. The networks will be spotlighted during the countdown through daily press releases, banners on iO TV’s guide on channel 14, and the Optimum.net consumer Web portal and other tactics.

LG Ships 2nd-Gen. Super Blu Player - TWICE
LG Electronics is now shipping its second-generation “Super Blu” combination HD DVD/Blu-ray Disc player. Model BH200 ($999 suggested retail), which the company introduced at the September CEDIA Expo event, provides access to between 50 percent and 70 percent more high-def movie titles than single-format players, the company said.…more

I’m back after a few days off, so without further ado here are the day’s top stories:

Cox Inks Deal for National Geographic HD - Multichannel News
Cox Communications will soon offer every high-def customer National Geographic HD under terms of a carriage deal announced yesterday. Full rollout will take place this year and next.

Comcast Adds 4 HD Channels in Chicago - Multichannel News
Comcast high-def customers in the Second City now have access to A&E HD, Food Network HD, HGTV HD and National Geographic HD. Comcast began rolling out these high-def nets in Boston a couple months back and has made them available in select markets throughout the U.S.

A Closer Look at Samsung’s Wireless Plasma - CNET TV
CNET/ZDNet Executive Editor David Berlind talks to Samsung’s senior manager for plasma TV marketing, Bill Dickey, about the company’s new FPT 5084 50-inch wireless flat-panel TV.

Honeywell Develops New Materials to Enhance Flat-Panel Displays
Not normally a name you associate with HDTVs, industrial titan Honeywell has launched new materials for the production of flat panel displays aimed at reducing manufacturing costs and power consumption while improving color uniformity and device lifespan. Honeywell developed the new materials in conjunction with the U.S. Display Consortium.…more

TV’s Digital Switchover Has a Downside - USA Today
Until now, millions of TV viewers who use reliable rooftop antennas and rabbit ears to get their signal have not been affected by the nation’s transition to digital TV. That’s about to change. By Feb. 18, 2009, the signals the sets receive will be shut off. Those old analog channels, which have been used for 60 years, will be reclaimed by the government and auctioned for billions of dollars to other communications services.

Panasonic Rates Its 1080p Plasma HDTV Line to Play 100,000 Hours to Half Brightness
Panasonic, the market leader in Plasma TVs, today announced that it is rating its best-selling line of 1080p Plasma HDTVs to play for 100,000 hours before reaching half brightness. Based upon the U.S. average daily viewing time of six and a half hours, Panasonic 1080p Plasma HDTVs could on average take more than 42 years before they reach half of their original brightness level.

Toshiba Gives More Details On New HD DVD Decks - TWICE
Toshiba America Consumer Products provided more details on its HD DVD players for the U.S. market, which it announced last week. The decks in the new line, which are all priced under $500 at retail, have selected features such as 1080p/24 fps support, 1080p, CE-Link connectivity and high bit-rate audio capabilities, the company said.

Sharp Files LCD Infringement Lawsuit Against Samsung - TWICE
Sharp Corp. filed a lawsuit today alleging infringements of five of its patents on LCD-related technology by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung) and its U.S. subsidiaries Samsung Electronics America (SEA) and Samsung Telecommunications America (STA) in the U.S. District Court in Marshall, Texas.

Chinese HDTV Market Developing Slowly, Reports In-Stat
With companies in the Chinese HDTV service market generally adopting wait-and-see strategies at present, investment and marketing efforts on HDTV in China have been small, reports In-Stat. As a result, HDTV subscriber growth will be slow in China over the next several years, reaching a modest two million by 2011, the high-tech market research firm says.

LG Electronics is Spending Summer at the Beach
LG Electronics has moved to Malibu this summer and is featuring the hottest new products from mobile phones to plasma HDTVs at “LG House Malibu” — over 3,500 square feet of pure oasis for Hollywood celebs. For those that are tired of the red carpet or being tracked by the paparazzi, LG House Malibu is the place to be.…more

VIZIO Inks Endorsement Deal with NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson
Fast-growing flat-panel HDTV brand VIZIO has signed the San Diego Chargers’ star running back to be its first celebrity spokesman. Among other duties, Tomlinson will make appearances on behalf of VIZIO at various events, the first of which has LT hosting ESPN’s ESPY pre-party tonight at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, CA.

MavTV Going HD in ‘08 - Multichannel News
Men’s channel MavTV is planning an HD launch early next year. The network features a variety of original sports and gaming content, much of which is already shot in high-def.

29% of Cable TV Customers Own an HDTV - CTAM
The Cable & Telecom Association for Marketing has released a study showing that the number of cable TV households with an HDTV set has doubled in the last year, from 15% in ‘06 to 29% this year. 41% of digital cable TV homes own an HDTV.

Epson & Atlantic Technology Intro “Prosumer” Home Theater - TWICE
Specialty home theater shops will soon have a new complete system to offer their customers, courtesy of Epson and Atlantic Technology. For $6,999 a 1080p Epson 3LCD front-projector is combined with an Atlantic integrated surround speaker system. A 720p version is available for a couple grand less.…more

Sharp Plans 10th Generation LCD Plant - TWICE
Sharp will build a new plant in Sakai City, Japan for the combined production of 10th-generation LCD panels and thin-film solar cells. The new $3.2 billion plant will “incorporate relevant infrastructure and facilities, as well as attract material and production equipment manufacturers to construct plants on the same site,” Sharp said.

Time Warner to Offer In Demand’s ‘Mojo Mix’ - MCN
Time Warner Cable picked up Mojo Mix, a five-hour, HD video-on-demand programming block from In Demand Networks. Content, which will be refreshed each month, includes music videos; episodes of Mojo original HD series such as Three Sheets, King of Miami and Wall Street Warriors; various specials; and short-form content.

Small, Midsized Cable Operators Ponder HDTV - MCN
HDTV may be a bandwidth hog, but it’s a compelling product that independent cable operators need in order to compete against satellite, several cable executives said Monday. The group described bandwidth constraints as one of their top issues, especially in an era when they need to be offering more HDTV services to compete with rivals such as DirecTV, which boasts — and is heavily advertising — its promise to launch more than 100 HDTV services.

AT&T to Offer TV Service in N.C. - Raleigh-Durham News-Observer
AT&T will spend $350 million to offer television to North Carolina households, creating a major competitor for cable and satellite companies and a new choice for channel surfers. The phone company’s investment in the state over the next several years, announced Tuesday in Raleigh, will pay for fiber-optic network upgrades needed to transmit TV signals over phone lines. AT&T wants to sell bundled packages of phone, Internet, wireless and TV service, which could help reduce prices and spur more technology.

Adelstein: Digital Transition Could Spark ‘Tsunami of Consumer Complaints’ - MCN
Federal Communications Commission member Jonathan Adelstein Tuesday called for the creation of a digital-TV-conversion task force to head off a potential “tsunami of consumer complaints” when analog TV sets are rendered useless in February 2009. Adelstein, via a recorded keynote address at The Independent Show, joined the crowd of officials who are fearfully warning that the public needs to be made aware of the implications of the move to digital-only broadcast signals come Feb. 17, 2009.

Pioneer Reports Lower Q1 Sales, Operating Income - TWICE
Home electronics sales were down 14.3 percent to $564.5 million due to the drop in plasma TV sales due to “fierce competition” in North America and Europe. Plasma sales accounted for about 34 percent of home electronics sales. Operating loss was $42.2 million, about 12 times greater a loss this year than the same time last year, again mainly due to profits lost in plasma displays.

AVerMedia Launches New HD and Analog Hybrid Express Card TV Tuner
AVerMedia(R) Technologies, Inc., the leading provider of digital multimedia and presentation technology announced today the release of the AVerTV Hybrid ExpressCard High Definition and Analog ExpressCard TV Tuner for laptops. Utilizing the latest component technologies, the new AVerTV Hybrid ExpressCard is the perfect TV Tuner solution for laptops with an Express Card interface a hybrid world-wide Analog and ATSC tuner.…more

JVC Announces New 3CCD High-Def HDD Camcorder
JVC Company of America today announced the launch of a new consumer high definition camcorder that combines a 3-CCD image sensor, high definition 1440 x 1080 recording and embedded 60GB hard disk storage in a compact size that fits in the palm of the hand.

Toshiba Extends 5 Free HD DVD Offer - TWICE
Toshiba has extended its five free HD DVD disc promotion, called “The Perfect Offer,” until Sept. 30, 2007, the company announced Wednesday.

Disney Sets Blu-ray Disc Tour - TWICE
The Walt Disney Studios and its sponsoring partner Panasonic yesterday announced the launch of Disney’s Magical Blu-ray Tour, which will visit 18 malls nationwide beginning Aug. 17. The tour focus on providing clarity for the growing consumer confusion around high-definition home entertainment and educating them on the benefits of Blu-ray Disc technology.

Samsung Puts 3D Into HDTVs - CNET TV
ZDNet Executive Editor David Berlind talks to Samsung’s manager of HDTV product planning, Dan Schinasi, about the company’s new 3D HD rear-projection television. To enable 3D content on the TV, users will need Samsung proprietary software, a PC, a DVI card and 3D glasses.…more

TiVo Debuts $299 HD DVR for Cable - Multichannel News
As part of a lobbying campaign to win the hearts and minds of cable operators, TiVo today announced a lower-priced HD digital-video recorder, the TiVo HD box, which, at $299, is nearly one-third the price of the $799 TiVo Series 3 HD DVR. Scheduled to be available in retail channels in August, TiVo HD is designed “exclusively for cable,” according to the company, with support for multistream CableCARDs.

NYC City Hall Gets 103” Plasma Makeover - TWICE
Panasonic’s 103-inch 1080p plasma TV is the new centerpiece of the renovated New York City Hall “bullpen,” which reopened today after a major renovation to the entire building.
Panasonic, working with the assistance of Tom Campbell, technology advisor to Mayor Michael Bloomberg on the system, donated the $69,999 monster high-definition TV to the city of New York for the new high-tech central command complex, dubbed “the bullpen.”

Toshiba Ships First U.S. Notebook Computer with HD DVD-R Drive
Toshiba’s Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced the availability of the Qosmio(R) G45-AV680, a cutting-edge audio-video notebook computer with Dolby(R) surround sound technology and the first U.S. model to feature an HD DVD-R optical drive and full 1080p playback resolution.

Samsung SDI Reports $150M Net Loss - TWICE
Samsung SDI, a manufacturer of plasma display panels (PDPs) and cathode ray tubes for TVs, posted a worse-than-expected $150.9 million net loss Friday, blaming falling plasma TV prices for the result. The company said continued forecasts for falling prices and compressed margins do not bode well for a significant turnaround in the near term.…more

Cox Brings HD Movies On Demand to San Diego
Cox Cable is launching HD Movies On Demand, initially in San Diego and then coming to Northern Virginia and Oklahoma City. More markets will get it later this summer. More than 20 HD movies are currently offered.

Amazon, Microsoft Push HD DVD To Indies - TWICE
The online giant and software king want independent movie producers to release films on HD DVD.

LG Uses New Technique For PDP Production - TWICE
One of LG’s plasma manufacturing facilities is utilizing a new technique that results in 8 panels from a single substrate rather than 6. Monthly capacity will increase by 22 percent.

HDTV Content Revenues in Asia Pacific to Double in 5 Years - InStat
Revenues from high-def TV content are projected by InStat to grow from $3.67 billion this year to $8 billion in 2011. Japan and Australia currently lead the region in HD but the 2008 Olympics in Beijing are expected to spark Chinese HD content growth.…more

Consumers Cooling Off on Extended Warranties - Minneapolis Star Tribune
This year, Americans will spend an estimated $6 billion on extended warranties for electronic goods. But as consumers’ comfort level with technology grows, and as they have wisened to the economics of such plans, the popularity of warranties is showing signs of waning.

Samsung Targets Early Adopters Wth Set Top Boxes - Broadcasting & Cable
When the digital-TV transition takes effect in February 2009, consumers with analog-only sets will need converter boxes to maintain over-the-air service. But, while LG Electronics plans to sell low-cost boxes at retail stores aimed at those poor souls without digital service, Samsung is taking a different tack.

Digital TV Transition: Not Getting the Picture - National Journal/Dallas News
The switch to digital-only television signals in early 2009 will usher in the most substantive changes to American TV in generations. Because of the government-imposed deadline, tens of millions of households will have to buy new equipment in order to keep their analog sets functioning, and the change will affect nearly everyone’s viewing habits.

GalleryPlayer Announces All New 80 Half-Hour Blocks of HD Programming
GalleryPlayer, best known for having one of the largest libraries of rights-protected, high definition imagery in the world, today announced the availability of 80 all new half-hour blocks of HD programming at the CTAM 2007 Summit in Washington, DC. This announcement is in addition to the 40 hour-long blocks of programming the Company has previously produced.

LG Unveils ‘Opus’ LCD TV Series - TWICE
LG Electronics staged a summer line review at renowned art auction house Christie’s on Thursday to unveil what it calls its own consumer electronics “masterpieces.” Highlighting the presentation was the company’s new flagship LBX LCD TV series, dubbed “Opus,” which features 1080p HD resolution and 120Hz frame-rate technology.

Corning Announces Breakthrough Optical Fiber Technology
Corning’s breakthrough is based on a nanoStructures(TM) optical fiber design that allows the cabled fiber to be bent around very tight corners with virtually no signal loss. These improved attributes will enable telecommunications carriers to economically offer true high-speed Internet, voice and HDTV services to virtually all commercial and residential (apartment and condominium) buildings.…more

ABC Clicks On Online HDTV Test - Multichannel News
ABC.com Tuesday quietly kicked off a beta-test of its “high-definition” Internet-TV channel with four episodes from the network’s top-rated primetime shows — but if your broadband connection and PC aren’t fast enough, you won’t see any difference over the regular versions.

Target Adds Sony BD Players - TWICE
Target has agreed to sell Sony Blu-ray Disc players as its exclusive next-generation high-definition disc players this holiday season, Sony said today. The exclusive deal, which will begin this fall and continue “at least through the holiday season,” will feature Sony’s $499 BDP-S300 Blu-ray player, which is scheduled to arrive at Target in October, and the currently available PlayStation3 video game console, which also plays Blu-ray Disc movies.

Microsoft Cuts Price of Xbox 360 HD DVD Add-On - Washington Post
Microsoft Corp. on Thursday said it would trim the price of an HD DVD player add-on for its Xbox 360 video game console and give away movies with the player, in a bid to support the format. Microsoft trimmed the price of the player to $179 from $199, and said it will add five free movies for buyers between Aug. 1 and Sept. 30.

Samsung Unveils Duo HD Deck - TWICE
Samsung formally introduced its latest HD optical disc player line on Wednesday, including the company’s previously announced first dual-format HD DVD/Blu-ray player. The new dual-format player — dubbed the BD-UP5000 Duo HD player (shipping in the fourth quarter at a $1,049 suggested retail) — is the new flagship of Samsung’s high-definition player line.…more

HDNet’s Exclusive Live HDTV Coverage of the Launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour Rescheduled for 5:30 P.M. ET, Wednesday, August 8 HDNet’s exclusive live coverage of the lift off of NASA’s Space Shuttle Endeavour, STS-118 has moved to Wednesday, August 8 at 5:30 p.m. ET with the planned liftoff set for 6:36 p.m. ET. HDNet will be the only television network to bring viewers the launch coverage in stunning high definition television.

Spiderman Coming To Blu-ray - TWICE
“Spider-Man 3” will swoop into retail stores in multiple DVD and Blu-ray Disc versions starting Oct. 30, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment said Friday. Versions available for collectors will include a single-disc release, a two-disc Special Edition release, PSP, and a three-pack DVD release which will include “Spider-Man” and “Spider-Man 2” on DVD with collectible O-Ring packaging.

Toshiba to Debut Third Generation HD DVD Players
Toshiba today announced its third generation of HD DVD players for the U.S. market. Continuing to outpace the competition in sales of dedicated high definition players and responding to increased consumer demand, Toshiba revealed three new sleek and stylish models for an ultimate HD home movie experience.

LCD Panel Shortages Impact LCD TVs - TWICE
Vendors and analysts tell TWICE that tightness in LCD panel shipments during the second quarter of 2007 has limited supplies of certain LCD TV screen sizes, particularly among third-tier brands without direct control over factory production.

Key Digital Introduces the Digital FatCATs for HDMI
Key Digital, Inc., the leader in video technology and solutions introduces the digital FatCAT series of high quality precision baluns for distributing HDMI video and audio signals over CAT5/6 wiring. The FatCAT series incorporates Key Digital’s exclusive HDMI Path technology, which prevents EDID miscommunication, resulting in flawless HDMI signal transfers form source to display.…more

Latest Comcast-DirecTV Skirmish Over Ads - Multichannel News
In the latest chapter of a legal soap opera, Comcast Monday asked a federal judge to issue a temporary restraining order to bar DirecTV from running a new flight of TV ads involving a survey of home-theater installers. The direct-broadcast satellite provider said it’s already stopped airing the spots.

VisionQuest Introduces a New Stylish and Elegant 46″ Full HD 1080p Rembrandt
the coming weeks, consumers will finally be able to set their eyes on a new stylish and elegant 46″ Full HD 1080p VisionQuest LCD television (LVQ-46EF2AU). It features a brilliant 1920×1080 resolution and 16.7 Million color display, truly providing the highest level of viewing experience high-definition has to offer.

Denon Unveils Its First Blu-ray Player - TWICE
Denon announced a broad product launch at its national dealer/rep show, where the D&M Holdings brand unveiled its first Blu-ray Disc player, an expanded networked-audio selection, and its first six A/V receivers that decode all standard and optional surround-sound formats approved for use on Blu-ray and HD DVD discs.…more

Two HDTV Technologies Worth Waiting For - PC World
If you’re planning an HDTV purchase this fall (or looking ahead to one this winter), keep an eye out for two emerging technologies. 1080p is now everywhere, LCD HDTVs are taking over, and 40-inch displays are evolving into the new sweet spot. But new sets slated for this fall and winter are will be among the first mainstream displays to incorporate two new technologies that can significantly improve picture quality: 120-Hz refresh rate and LED backlighting.

Enhanced Qwest Choice TV Offers More High-Def Program Choices
Qwest today announced that it has added new high-definition (HD) programming to its Qwest Choice(TM) TV video offering in Phoenix. The new channels offer a wide variety of programming, including Fox Sports Net (FSN) Arizona, Universal HD, Golf/VERSUS HD, ASUtv and KPHE-TV, to meet the wide range of television viewers’ interests.

Panasonic Introduces Two New HD Camcorders
Panasonic today announced two new High Definition video camcorders that match the growing consumer demand for large-screen, high-image-quality TVs and the continued evolution toward High Definition video. The new HDC-SD5 and HDC-SX5 camcorders employ cutting-edge imaging technology to capture video recordings that are breathtakingly clear and vibrant, especially when viewed on a high-quality, large screen TV.

IOGEAR Expands HDMI Product Family
Consumers can now simultaneously control and connect up to four High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) devices to television sets, thanks to IOGEAR’s new 4-Port Automatic HDMI Switch. IOGEAR’s patented HDAS (High-Definition Automatic Switch) technology instantly locks and transfers the active audio and video content to the connected HD display.

Sony Profit Doubles In Q2, Despite TV, PS3 Struggles - TWICE
Sony’s TV unit posted a wider operating loss of $323.6 million for the quarter on a sales decline of 10 percent. Sony said it had to lower prices more than expected this spring as the high-definition television market grew more competitive. The company said its rear-projection television business was off, as plasma and LCD TV prices continued to drop.

WFTS-TV First in Tampa to Broadcast Local News in High Definition
WFTS-TV/ABC Action News is Tampa’s first television station to broadcast its local news in High Definition (HD). This allows viewers to see a sharper and clearer picture. Coupled with enhanced audio, the viewing experience is improved dramatically, regardless of what type of television set (high definition or standard) you watch.

Editors’ Top Televisions: Best HDTVs Overall - CNET
We review a lot of high-definition televisions here at CNET, but the list below represents the best of the best. It collects our current highest-recommended televisions arranged in order of overall score, regardless of TV type, technology, brand, or size.

Circuit City CEO Pitches Concept Stores - Multichannel News
The CEO of Circuit City Stores pitched cable-operator partnerships at the CTAM Summit in Washington last week, describing the concept stores the retailer is testing in partnership with companies including Comcast and Ethan Allen furniture stores in an effort to provide a more complete customer experience.With partnerships, Circuit City associates could sell entertainment and HDTV sources in the store with the hardware and the retailer’s service division, firedog, could provide the installation and help, he added.

Lawmakers Fret Over Digital TV Transition - Reuters
Some lawmakers are worried that too few Americans know that the analog TVs they have been using for years could become big cathode-ray paperweights after February 18, 2009, when broadcasters shut off their analog signals. During a Senate Commerce Committee hearing Thursday examining the government-mandated transition to digital TV, lawmakers aired their views that too little was being done to get the message to Americans.

RFD-TV Goes HD - Multichannel News
Rural-lifestyle network RFD-TV will launch an HDTV service this fall. RFD HD will offer programming on areas such as rural lifestyle, equine, agricultural and video auctions, as well as traditional music and entertainment.

Blu-ray v. HD DVD: Where Do We Stand? - CNET NewsBlog
The expected next-generation DVD format war isn’t quite the deadlock many expected. Target’s announcement Thursday that it would sell a Sony Blu-ray player in its stores alongside Blu-ray discs in a special feature promotion is important because the second-largest retailer in the U.S. doesn’t sell HD DVD players in its stores, outside of the external HD DVD drive made for Microsoft’s Xbox 360. It does sell a Toshiba HD DVD player on its Web site, however.…more

Pioneer to launch full HD plasma TVs in October - Reuters
Japan’s Pioneer Corp. said on Thursday it will launch its first full high-definition plasma televisions in October, playing catch-up with larger rivals such as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. Pioneer’s plasma operations swung to a quarterly loss in April-June, hit by fierce price competition in the flat TV market, where plasma televisions are losing market share to rival liquid crystal display (LCD) models.

Q2 LCD Grows As Plasma Slows - TWICE
The NPD Group’s DisplaySearch company said worldwide LCD TV panel shipments rose a record 32 percent quarter-to-quarter and 65 percent year-to-year to 19.6 million panels in the second quarter of 2007. For the first time, twice as many over 40-inch LCD TV panels were shipped as 40-inch plasma panels.

Independent Cable Ops Eye Opportunities from DTV Transition - MCN
Independent cable operators agreed that they need to have a voice and a role in the looming digital-TV transition, but they haven’t reached a consensus yet on exactly what their strategy should be.

Canon Intros Hard-Drive-Based HD Camcorder - TWICE
Canon announced its first hard-disk-drive-based high-definition camcorder yesterday. The AVCHD-based HG10 features a 10x optical zoom lens with optical image stabilization and Canon’s DIGIC DV II processor. The camcorder’s CMOS sensor records 1920 by 1080i video to a 40GB HDD. It can snap 3-megapixel still images to a miniSD card and isolate 2-megapixel stills from video footage during playback with the Photo Grab feature.

Panasonic Launches “Living In HD” Project - TWICE
Panasonic kicked off a promotional campaign, called “Living In High Definition,” that seeks to bring, people, families and communities together through the use of its high definition consumer electronics products. The effort will award $20,000-plus complete Panasonic A/V and IT product suites to a total of 30 families across the country through March 2008.

Qwest CEO: No Need for New U-verse - Light Reading
Dick Notebaert: “Why in the world would you go do that [build a new broadband TV platform] and incur all that expense when you’ve got YouTube and the direction the world is heading and can still do the broadcast model with more HD than anywhere else with DirecTV. I can’t find any logic for us doing it.”…more

DIRECTV’s HD Satellite Hits the Skies — DIRECTV Corp.
DIRECTV on Friday successfully launched its newest satellite, the bird that in early September will begin delivering the first of 100 new HD channels by the end of the year. DIRECTV 10 was launched at 6:16 pm PT Friday evening from Kazakhstan; DIRECTV 11 will hit the atmosphere sometime next spring.

CNET’s Top-Rated HDTVs — CNET Reviews/SFGate.com
CNET released its best of HDTV ratings across all high-def technologies, with Pioneer scoring some key recommendations.

Sony Drops PS3 Price — Reuters
After initially denying that a price cut for its new PlayStation 3 with Blu-ray Disc player was in the works, Sony today said that it is dropping the PS3 price by $100, putting it more in line with the Xbox 360 but still double the price of the Nintendo Wii.

AMD Turns PCs into HDTVs — AMD
AMD today announced two new solutions that offer HDTV viewing and digital video recording (DVR) capabilities on desktop and notebook PCs.

ESPN’s ‘The Bronx is Burning’ Reviewed — The Boston Globe
Perhaps the biggest newspaper in Boston isn’t the best place to get an unbiased review of a New York Yankees-themed miniseries, but here it is. The program debuts tonight on ESPN HD at 10:00 after Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby.…more