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AP

Alfred Poor

HDTV Professor

Alfred Poor is a well-known display industry expert, who writes the daily HDTV Almanac. He wrote for PC Magazine for more than 20 years, and now is focusing on the home entertainment and home networking markets.

1662 articles
Deals

HDTV Almanac - Best Buy: $10 per Inch for 50″ LCD

Best Buy is offering a 50-inch Insignia LCD HDTV at $500, a $10-per-diagonal-inch price point more commonly associated with plasma displays. The set is a standard 60Hz panel with three HDMI inputs, lacking advanced features like Internet connectivity or 3D support. Buyers seeking smart TV functionality can supplement it with a Roku or Vizio Google TV network media player for under $100, making this a cost-effective entry into large-screen HDTV ownership.

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Politics & PolicyOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - More U.S. Households Rely on TV Broadcasts

Over-the-air television reliance in the U.S. has grown to nearly 18% of TV households, with a GfK Media study showing approximately 7 million additional viewers dropping subscription services, bringing the exclusive over-the-air audience to more than 20 million. The shift is attributed to a combination of consumer cost-cutting and migration toward broadband-based streaming alternatives. Any FCC spectrum auction or reassignment must account for this substantial population that depends on free broadcast signals for access to information.

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Streaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Google TV: Round 2

Google TV's second generation is nearing launch with Sony and Vizio releasing network media players priced at $100 to $200, and LG integrating the platform into a new LCD HDTV. The platform unifies broadcast, subscription, and streaming content through a single search interface, with Google Play already offering 100,000 television episodes and movies and further expansion planned. For consumers, these affordable add-on players offer a practical path to smart TV functionality without replacing existing hardware.

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Home TheaterBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Sony Blu-ray Player for $40

A refurbished Sony BDP-BX18 Blu-ray player is available on eBay for $40, featuring Sony Bravia Internet video support, wired Ethernet, a front USB port, and HDMI output. The unit was originally returned to a major retailer, and the seller has moved hundreds of units at this price point. For consumers who have resisted upgrading from DVD due to cost, a near-zero price differential between formats could finally make Blu-ray a practical default choice.

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OLED TVsManufacturingStandards

HDTV Almanac - Sony and Panasonic: New Entrants in OLED TV Race

Sony and Panasonic have announced a partnership to develop OLED TVs using printing-based deposition methods, targeting mass-production technology by 2013 - an ambitious timeline given the early-stage development of metal oxide backplanes and blue OLED emitters. The printing approach, if successful, could undercut the slower vacuum deposition batch process and reduce costs enough to challenge LG and Samsung on price. Both companies are under severe financial pressure, having lost ground to Korean and Chinese rivals, making this a high-stakes bet on an unproven manufacturing method.

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Streaming HDSportsProgramming

HDTV Almanac - Strawberries and Cream Over the Top

Livestream is partnering with Wimbledon to deliver free HD live coverage of the tennis tournament, including player interviews, press conferences, and match highlights streamed directly through Wimbledon.com. This follows a broader trend of over-the-top streaming expanding sports coverage beyond traditional broadcast limits, as demonstrated by the 2,000-plus hours of online Olympic coverage from China. For viewers, connecting a browser-capable device to a big screen now offers a viable alternative to linear TV for major live sporting events.

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Politics & PolicyOTA HD & AntennasStandards

HDTV Almanac - Supreme Court Throws Out FOX and ABC Sanctions

The Supreme Court struck down FCC sanctions against ABC and FOX, including a $1.2 million penalty against ABC for nudity in an 'NYPD Blue' episode, ruling that the agency failed to provide fair warning about its 'fleeting expletive' enforcement rules before the incidents occurred. The narrow ruling leaves First Amendment questions unresolved and may also invalidate the FCC's half-million dollar fine against NBC stemming from the Janet Jackson Super Bowl halftime incident. With a backlog of 1.5 million indecency complaints and ongoing tension between broadcast and subscription-based cable standards, further Supreme Court review appears likely.

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HDTV Almanac - Verizon Jacks Up the Speed

Verizon's FiOS Quantum service introduces four new broadband tiers ranging from 50/25 Mbps up to 300/65 Mbps download/upload, designed to support simultaneous HD video streaming to multiple devices. At the top 300 Mbps tier, Verizon estimates a DVD-quality movie downloads in roughly 20 seconds, with a full HD movie taking just over two minutes. Triple-play bundles starting at $110 for the 50/25 tier offer a compelling upgrade path for bandwidth-hungry households, with no mention of monthly data caps.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Online Video Gets More Product Placements

Product placement is expanding into streaming and online video as advertisers respond to DVR-driven commercial skipping, with Nike already cutting its television ad budget by 30%. New productions like Alphabird's home handyman comedy are being built from the ground up with brand integrations covering tools and appliances, rather than retrofitting placements into existing content. For viewers, this shift means embedded advertising will become an increasingly standard funding mechanism for online original programming.

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LCD TVsLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - Sharp Ships 90″ LCD HDTV

The Sharp LC-90LE745U is a 90-inch LCD HDTV featuring a full-matrix white LED backlight with selective dimming for enhanced dynamic contrast, weighing 141 pounds and rated at just 138 watts during operation - less than many 52-inch models. Priced at approximately $10,000, it supports 3DTV with active glasses and Smart TV functionality, but notably omits Sharp's four-color Quattron pixel technology. The set anchors Sharp's strategic pivot to focus exclusively on LCD panels 60 inches and larger, leveraging its unique Gen 10 LCD fab for more efficient large-panel production.

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Streaming HDDeals

HDTV Almanac - Amazon Adds MGM Movies

Amazon Instant Video, bundled with Amazon Prime memberships at $79 per year, has secured a content deal with MGM to add hundreds of classic films and TV episodes, including The Silence of the Lambs, Rain Man, and Stargate. The service offers free streaming of select titles, some in high-definition, but still trails Netflix and Hulu in catalog size. For Prime subscribers, this MGM addition expands the value proposition of a membership that already includes free two-day shipping and Kindle book borrowing.

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Cable HDStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Net Neutrality: Justice Department Investigates Cable

The U.S. Justice Department has launched an investigation into cable television practices, focusing on Comcast's policy of exempting its Xfinity content streamed over Microsoft Xbox from subscriber data caps while counting competing services like Netflix and Hulu against those caps. Investigators are also scrutinizing 'TV Everywhere' authentication schemes that require bundled cable or satellite subscriptions to access online streaming content. The outcomes could reshape the subscription television market - either by forcing equal data cap treatment for all streaming services or by compelling providers to offer standalone online access without a traditional bundle.

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HD DVR

HDTV Almanac - Comcast, TiVo, and... PayPal?

PayPal, Comcast, and TiVo have announced a partnership enabling TV-based purchases directly through a remote control, integrating PayPal accounts with interactive television ads. The system leverages TiVo's DVR pause-and-resume functionality, allowing viewers to complete transactions without missing live or recorded programming. For consumers, this means impulse buying from the couch becomes a reality, with payment handled through an existing PayPal account rather than a separate device.

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HDTV Almanac - Alfred Poor on Video about HDTV

Alfred Poor, writing for HDTV Almanac, sits down with ZDNet's David Gewirtz in a nearly one-hour Skype video interview covering key HDTV buying considerations including OLED displays, 3DTV, and direct LED backlighting technologies. The conversation spans practical screen size guidance and Smart TV evaluation, giving prospective buyers a broad technical framework for navigating current display options. Viewers considering a new television purchase will find the discussion a useful primer on distinguishing between competing panel and backlighting technologies.

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HDTV Almanac - Redbox and Netflix Go Around Disney for "John Carter"

Disney blocked Redbox and Netflix from accessing John Carter DVDs at standard discount pricing, imposing a 28-day rental window delay that forced both companies to deploy retail buyers to purchase discs at full price upon release. The move reflects broader studio anxiety over declining DVD sales and Blu-ray's failure to compensate for lost physical media revenue. For consumers, such distribution restrictions are likely to accelerate the shift toward online streaming rather than reviving disc sales.

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OLED TVsHome TheaterManufacturing

HDTV Almanac - OLED HDTVs Are Really Coming... Maybe

Large-panel OLED TV production capacity was projected at just over 500 square meters per year in 2012, translating to roughly 600,000 potential 55-inch panels under ideal conditions, though realistic estimates put actual output closer to 100,000 units. Initial pricing of $7,500 to $8,500 per set, combined with LG's reliance on relatively untested metal oxide semiconductor backplane technology, raises serious questions about near-term consumer availability. For most buyers, OLED remains a technology to watch rather than purchase, with price parity with LCD not forecast until 2017.

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Satellite HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - Comcast Partners with Skype

Comcast and Skype have partnered to bring HD video calling to Xfinity subscribers via an adapter box and high-quality camera added to existing set-top boxes, enabling calls to any Skype user across smartphones, tablets, and PCs. The service supports picture-in-picture display and will roll out initially in Seattle and Boston, priced at $9.99 per month after a free three-month trial for triple-play customers. For households with broadband already in place, this could meaningfully lower the barrier to living-room video communication, though the monthly fee may limit broader adoption.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - Alone Together: Is Split Screen TV a Good Idea?

Samsung's 'smart dual view' technology repurposes standard stereoscopic 3DTV hardware by configuring shutter glasses so each eye receives a separate full frame, allowing two viewers to watch different programs simultaneously on one screen. The approach requires each viewer to wear headphones alongside the active shutter glasses, and it borrows directly from split-view techniques already used in multiplayer gaming. The author questions whether the added complexity justifies the setup when two separate, lower-cost displays would achieve the same result without further isolating viewers.

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Home Theater3DTVProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - Turn a Projector into 3D with SmartCrystal Pro

The Volfoni SmartCrystal Pro is a polarizing modulator priced at $1,500 that attaches one to two inches from a projector lens to convert any 3D-capable front projector from active shutter glasses to passive polarized glasses. It syncs via a VESA port or DLP-Link signal, but requires an upgrade to a silver screen (roughly $1,000 for a 92-inch diagonal) to preserve light polarization. For home theater enthusiasts tired of charging bulky active shutter glasses, this setup offers a cinema-style passive glasses experience at a defined cost.

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Cable HD

HDTV Almanac - Cable Loses; Telco Wins; SatTV Draws

Leichtman Research Group data for 2011 shows the top 10 U.S. cable providers shed over 1.6 million subscribers, with Comcast down roughly 2%, Time Warner down 4%, and Charter losing 5% of its customer base. Telco services FiOS and U-verse collectively gained 1.5 million video subscribers, while DirecTV added 660,000 and DISH Network lost more than 160,000. Despite cord-cutting pressures, total pay TV subscribers still grew by a net 380,000, suggesting cable operators may need to restructure pricing or pivot toward broadband to remain competitive.

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Mobile HDStandards

HDTV Almanac - Mobile DTV Stuck in the Mud?

Mobile DTV faces a bleak outlook as industry insiders like Harris Broadcast VP Jay Adrick warn that a two-to-three year delay in resolving a viable business model could render the standard irrelevant. With only roughly 10% of the U.S. population relying on over-the-air broadcasts and no tuners built into smartphones or tablets, consumer demand for linear mobile broadcast simply does not exist. Streaming on-demand content over WiFi and wireless broadband has already filled that gap, leaving Mobile DTV without a meaningful audience to serve.

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Cable HDStreaming HDOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Olympic Online Coverage Will Include Every Event

NBC will stream all 302 Summer Olympic medal events online, totaling an estimated 3,500 hours of coverage, but access requires an existing cable, satellite, or telco subscription that includes CNBC and MSNBC. Supported platforms include computers, smartphones, and tablets, making it broadly accessible for authenticated subscribers. This authentication model mirrors rumored plans by Hulu to require TV subscriber validation, signaling a broader industry shift toward pay-TV-gated access for major broadcast content online.

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Streaming HDMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - DVD and Blu-Ray: Exit Slowly, Stage Left

Physical disc rentals fell 25% in the first half of 2012 versus the same period in 2011, while streaming video subscriptions surged 545%, signaling a clear market shift away from DVD and Blu-ray. Brick-and-mortar rentals dropped 40% and subscription rentals fell 48%, leaving kiosk rentals as the only physical format showing growth at 30%. For consumers, this means streamed content - though not yet matching Blu-ray quality - is increasingly accepted as good enough, with improved compression standards expected to raise HD streaming viability over time.

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LED TVsLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - What Is a "Direct LED" TV?

Direct LED TVs use cheaper, standard-brightness LEDs arranged behind the LCD panel rather than the high-brightness LEDs and precision light guides found in edge-lit designs, resulting in a thicker but more affordable set. Unlike edge-lit models, direct LED backlights enable localized dimming for improved dynamic contrast, though brightness may fall short of edge-lit counterparts. NPD DisplaySearch projected direct LED sets to capture over 10% of the 250-million-unit worldwide TV market in 2012, making them a cost-driven alternative worth evaluating against real-world performance trade-offs.

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Home TheaterStandards

HDTV Almanac - Media Center, We Hardly Knew Ye!

Microsoft is dropping Windows Media Center from Windows 8, citing that only 6% of Windows 7 users ever launched the feature and a desire to avoid ongoing royalty payments. The author recounts firsthand frustration with Media Center on Vista, including its failure to detect digital broadcast sub-channels after the analog-to-digital transition and its limited DVR functionality. For home theater enthusiasts, this signals that reliable PC-based television integration will require third-party solutions as the living room media landscape continues to shift.

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Smart TVsStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - The Return of Google TV!

LG is set to begin manufacturing Google TV-based televisions on May 17 in Mexico, with shipments expected before the end of May, marking a second attempt at the platform after its stalled CES 2011 debut. The updated Google TV ecosystem includes major partners such as Samsung, Sony, VIZIO, and LG, and offers cross-source content discovery along with dedicated features for DISH Network subscribers. With Smart TV Internet attach rates climbing among U.S. consumers, whether Google TV's unified search and partner integrations provide enough differentiation from competing connected TV platforms is the key question.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Will Hulu Require a Cable Subscription?

Hulu, co-owned by News Corp, Disney, and Comcast, is rumored to be considering an authentication requirement that would tie content access to a cable or satellite subscription account. The service already enforces a tiered access model, granting next-day FOX episode streaming to authenticated users while others wait eight days, a policy introduced last summer with no measurable impact on growth. For cord-cutters relying on Hulu as a cable replacement, mandatory authentication could be a significant barrier, though most current users treat it as a supplemental catch-up tool rather than a primary TV source.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - Look, Ma! No Wires!

The Wireless Home Digital Interface (WHDI) standard enables high-definition video and audio to be transmitted wirelessly to display devices, requiring only a power outlet and a small receiver at the TV. This approach opens the door to a 'dumb TV' concept, where a single 1080p-capable panel with no built-in tuner, scaler, or internet processing relies entirely on external source devices like Blu-ray players for signal handling. For consumers, this could mean simpler, cheaper displays and the freedom to position entertainment components wherever they are most convenient.

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Streaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - More Streaming Time on U.S. TVs

A Parks Associates white paper reveals that the average U.S. broadband household now watches 1.6 hours per week of Internet video on their television, a figure made more significant by the fact that four out of five U.S. homes have broadband service. Flat-rate subscription models from Netflix and Hulu Plus are outperforming a la carte services like Vudu and Cinemanow, reflecting consumer preference for predictable pricing. Connected devices ranging from Blu-ray players to Smart TVs are accelerating this shift, suggesting the hours-viewed metric will continue climbing.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Panasonic Dozen-Foot Diagonal Display

Panasonic, in collaboration with NHK, has demonstrated a 145-inch diagonal plasma display with a resolution of 7,680 by 4,320 pixels, equivalent to sixteen 1080p panels tiled together. The panel achieves a pixel pitch of 60 ppi, smaller than a typical 42-inch plasma, which limits per-pixel light output due to reduced phosphor surface area, while a novel multi-line scanning technique addresses the challenge of refreshing 4,320 lines without flicker. Panasonic cites an optimal viewing distance of just 1.6 meters, reinforcing the case for larger screens at closer seating distances than most viewers currently use.

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HDTV Almanac - Pay for Online Purchases with Cash

Walmart has introduced a cash payment option for online purchases, targeting the roughly 25 percent of U.S. households that lack access to a credit card or bank account, as reported by the FDIC. Shoppers place their order on Walmart's website and have a 48-hour window to visit any physical store location to complete payment in cash. This opens access to Walmart's full online product catalog - including consumer electronics and HDTVs - along with web-exclusive discounts, for customers who were previously excluded from e-commerce.

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OTA HD & AntennasStandards

HDTV Almanac - Stations Must Reveal Political Television Ad Data

New FCC rules passed Friday require television broadcasters to post political advertising rates on a public website, but the mandate initially applies only to the 200 largest stations affiliated with ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox, leaving roughly 1,800 stations exempt for at least two years. Broadcasters had proposed disclosing aggregate figures broken down by candidate, but the FCC rejected that compromise in favor of specific rates paid. The practical effect remains uncertain, as legal challenges from television networks appear likely before the rules take effect.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Traffic Jam: Is the Internet Sky Falling?

Sandvine's Global Internet Phenomena Report reveals that entertainment traffic accounts for 64.5% of all downstream bandwidth on fixed North American networks, with Netflix and YouTube alone driving over 37% of total Internet traffic. Adaptive bitrate streaming codecs and fiber optic re-encoding upgrades offer capacity relief without costly cable replacement, but data caps and net neutrality erosion remain real risks. Consumers should monitor changes from their broadband and mobile providers that could raise costs or throttle access to specific content types.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - IKEA Television: What Gives?

The IKEA Uppleva is a branded HDTV bundled with a Blu-ray player, offered in just three screen sizes and positioned to sidestep the typical spec-heavy buying process - no plasma vs. LCD debates, no 120 Hz or 3D TV decisions required. Its existence signals that the LCD TV has reached commodity status, with a furniture retailer now entering a market long dominated by consumer electronics giants. If the Uppleva succeeds, it could open the door for other non-traditional retailers to launch their own private-label television brands.

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OTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Death Spiral for Broadcast TV?

Free over-the-air television viewership in the U.S. dropped to just 5.8 million homes by Q3 2011, a decline of more than 7% year-over-year, as smaller broadcast stations struggle to attract advertisers and lack the retransmission fee leverage that larger networks use to offset revenue losses. The remaining audience skews elderly, rural, and low-income, demographics that hold little appeal for major advertisers, accelerating the negative feedback loop of declining ad dollars and shrinking reach. Whether a national broadband mandate could replace over-the-air broadcasting as a public access baseline is a policy question that demands urgent, deliberate discussion.

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Mobile HD

HDTV Almanac - 2nd Screen Future Is Bright, but Watch Those Shades!

Polarized sunglasses can render LCD and some OLED displays completely unreadable outdoors, because the polarizing films in both the lenses and the screen cancel each other out when their orientations are perpendicular. Samsung Galaxy S OLED panels, for example, go dark at a 45-degree angle due to an internal anti-reflection polarizing film, while the Apple iPad goes black in portrait mode under polarized lenses. Devices like the iPhone 4 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 address this with circular polarizers, producing only a minor color shift rather than a blacked-out screen.

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Streaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - TV Connect Rates Still Growing

A Leichtman Research Group survey finds that 38% of U.S. households now connect their TV to the Internet in 2012, up from 24% in 2010, with video game consoles accounting for 28% of all households as the dominant connection method. Weekly online viewing of full-length TV episodes and movies has grown to 16% of adults, rising from 10% three years prior. Traditional linear TV still dominates viewing time, but the data suggests video game consoles may serve as a gateway device toward eventual cord-cutting.

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Projection HD

HDTV Almanac - It's NOT a Hologram, Folks!

The 2012 Coachella appearance of a digitally recreated Tupac Shakur, produced by combining video recordings, computer animation, and audio manipulation, was widely but incorrectly labeled a hologram. The display is a 2D projected image onto an invisible screen, lacking any true 3D component - meaning the image does not shift perspective as a viewer moves, unlike genuine holographic technology. Consumers and media should understand this distinction, as misusing the term hologram sets inaccurate expectations for what the technology actually delivers.

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HDTV Almanac - Consumer Electronic Recycling Increases

The Consumer Electronics Association's eCycling Leadership Initiative recycled 460 million pounds of consumer electronics in 2011, a 53% increase over the 300 million pounds recycled in 2010. Drop-off locations expanded from 5,000 to 7,500, with 96% of recycling handled by certified third-party facilities. The program targets 1 billion pounds recycled by 2016, giving consumers a growing network of options to responsibly dispose of unwanted devices.

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HDTV Almanac - Best Buy Lists Stores to Close

Best Buy confirmed a list of 50 store closures, all scheduled to shut permanently by May 12, 2012, as part of a broader cost-cutting strategy aimed at reversing financial losses. The closures span more than a dozen states, with notable concentrations in Illinois, Minnesota, and California, and include locations previously notified of closure plans on March 29, 2012. Shoppers near any of the listed addresses may find closing sales offering discounted pricing on consumer electronics inventory.

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Cable HD

HDTV Almanac - Cable Services Dangle Bonuses

Cablevision's Optimum Rewards program now bundles Hertz car rental discounts and free Gold Plus Rewards membership alongside cable subscriptions, a move that highlights the broader struggle cable providers face in retaining subscribers. Cablevision's subscriber count has declined steadily since Q4 2010, pressured by rising retransmission fees, infrastructure costs, and competition from streaming and DVD rental services in its New York City metro market. The trend raises a practical question for subscribers: whether loyalty perks unrelated to content delivery signal that cable providers are running out of compelling, service-focused value propositions.

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Streaming HDSportsProgramming

HDTV Almanac - Boys of Summer Go Mobile

MLB At Bat 12 surpassed 3 million downloads in just eight days, with the $15 full-season app delivering pitch-by-pitch animation, live radio, and video streams averaging over 800,000 daily plays. On April 11 alone, fans logged more than 1 million live streams, a figure representing 6% of the average 16.6 million television viewers who watched the 2011 World Series. For fans outside their home team's broadcast footprint, this app offers a cost-effective, digitally clear alternative to traditional over-the-air radio and TV coverage.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - YouTube Expands Pay-Per-View

YouTube has expanded its YouTube Live program to allow third-party content providers to charge pay-per-view fees for live streaming events, building on an existing movie rental library that already hosts current titles. This monetization model shifts cost-sharing directly to viewers, reducing dependence on commercial sponsors. For niche audiences such as fans of independent bands or minor sports leagues, the crowd-funded access model could make previously uncovered live events financially viable to produce and broadcast.

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LCD TVsStandards

HDTV Almanac - The Incredible Shrinking Sony

Sony's market valuation has collapsed from $200 billion in 2000 to an estimated $20 billion, prompting a restructuring plan that includes laying off roughly 10,000 employees (6% of its workforce) and divesting or merging divisions. One notable move is the formation of Japan Display, a consolidated LCD small-panel venture combining assets from Sony, Toshiba, and Hitachi, as Korean manufacturers Samsung and LG increasingly dominate the flat-panel market. For consumers, this consolidation signals continued price pressure on HDTVs but raises questions about long-term innovation from Japanese brands.

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HDTV Almanac - Another Blackout Ends

A retransmission fee dispute between DirecTV and Tribune Broadcasting blacked out 23 local television stations across 19 major markets, including New York, Chicago, and Washington, DC, from midnight March 31 through April 4, 2012. The FCC's prohibition on substituting content from adjacent markets leaves pay-TV providers with little leverage beyond shutting off channels. Until negotiations reach a more balanced footing, possibly through a regulatory 'no strike' clause extending contracts during disputes, subscribers can expect continued blackouts and higher renewal rates.

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HDTV Almanac - A Bookmark for Online Video

The Read It Later service recorded approximately 250,000 saved videos in January 2012, with 92% of those being YouTube videos, signaling a measurable shift in how audiences engage with online video content. Videos longer than five minutes accounted for nearly one third of the top 1,000 most-saved items, challenging the assumption that online video is only suited to short-form consumption. For content creators and marketers, this data suggests that longer, substantive video content can build a meaningful audience as viewers increasingly treat online video as a primary information source.

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3DTVStandards

HDTV Almanac - Samsung Wrist-Slapped for 3DTV Ad Claims

The National Advertising Division (NAD) has recommended Samsung cease claims that its active 3D televisions deliver superior picture quality over passive 3D sets, including LG Cinema 3D models, after finding Samsung's substantiation insufficient. Samsung had asserted that passive 3DTV renders only half the resolution of active 3DTV and produces black and jagged horizontal lines, while also using a misleading left-lens-only view in promotional imagery. Samsung has agreed to comply, signaling that technically complex comparative advertising requires rigorous, representative evidence to withstand regulatory scrutiny.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - 3DTV: New Meaning for "Big Hair"

YUVsoft has developed new 2D-to-3D conversion algorithms that significantly reduce matting artifacts, particularly around semi-transparent foreground elements like hair, where previous methods produced smearing and sharp-edged ghosting windows. The improved depth extraction and object separation techniques allow content providers to remaster existing 2D back catalogs for stereoscopic 3D distribution with greater visual fidelity. For broadcasters and studios, this means faster and lower-cost 3DTV content production without sacrificing the natural look of the original footage.

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Cable HDStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Some Data Streams Are More Equal

Comcast's XFINITY TV app on Xbox 360 streams cable content without counting against subscribers' 250 GB monthly data cap, while competing services like Netflix and HBO GO do count toward that threshold. The policy exploits a technical distinction - that XFINITY traffic stays within Comcast's own network rather than traversing the public internet - to give first-party content a measurable cost advantage over rivals. This raises serious net neutrality concerns, as similar arrangements could allow broadband providers to effectively disadvantage competing streaming services through selective data accounting.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Best Buy Breaks More Bad News

Best Buy reported a $1.7 billion loss driven largely by one-time charges tied to its mobile phone business and the closure of UK big box stores, with the company's fiscal year ending March 3 capturing only a partial holiday quarter. In response, Best Buy plans to close 50 US big box stores and cut approximately 400 jobs, while offsetting those $800 million in reductions by expanding into smaller-footprint retail locations. For consumers, this signals a shrinking physical presence from a major electronics retailer, continuing a pattern seen with Circuit City and CompUSA.

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GamingStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Game Consoles: Not Just for Blowing Up Stuff

The Xbox 360 has evolved into a full entertainment hub, with Microsoft reporting that Xbox Live subscribers spend more than half their online time consuming video and music rather than playing games, across a service base exceeding 20 million paid subscribers. New additions including HBO Go, MLB, and Comcast on-demand join existing platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube, expanding the console's role well beyond gaming. For consumers facing rising cable bills, this positions the Xbox 360 as a credible broadband-based alternative that could accelerate cord-cutting adoption in living rooms.

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ManufacturingLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Foxconn Buys into Sharp Gen10

Hon Hai (Foxconn) has acquired a major stake in Sharp's Gen 10 LCD panel plant, the facility capable of processing the largest substrates in the LCD industry, with Hon Hai and Sharp splitting 93% ownership while Sony retains just 7%. Sharp, running the plant at roughly half capacity due to weak flat panel TV demand, will simultaneously limit its own TV manufacturing to screens 50 inches and larger, outsourcing smaller Sharp-branded sets to Foxconn. The deal gives Hon Hai stronger vertical integration in display supply chains, positioning it as a credible alternative to LG and Samsung for brands outsourcing high-end LCD TV production.

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Streaming HDSatellite HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - Reader Mail: The Future of Cable TV

A reader challenges the assumption that broadband infrastructure can support universal HD streaming, noting that even in a 125,000-person Southern California community, available speeds top out at 1.5 Mbps down - far below HD streaming requirements. The author counters that low-bandwidth users could queue content for progressive download to local terabyte-scale storage, allowing viewers to 'chase' a show while it downloads, effectively decoupling delivery speed from viewing experience. Both perspectives suggest linear cable programming faces long-term structural decline, with the timeline and transition path varying by geography and infrastructure.

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Blu-rayStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Bye-bye, Polycarbonate Discs!

IHS Screen Digest Research forecasts that U.S. consumers will stream 3.4 billion movies online in 2012, surpassing 2.4 billion disc viewings, marking a structural shift in home entertainment consumption. Despite this volume lead, physical media is projected to generate $11.1 billion versus $1.7 billion for streaming, though the near-zero marginal cost of digital delivery makes streaming economics increasingly favorable at an average $0.50 per view compared to $4.72 for physical discs. For consumers and industry observers, this data suggests that Netflix's pivot toward streaming over physical distribution was well-timed.

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HDTV Almanac - More Homes Are Hooked Up

TDG research finds that roughly 80% of U.S. broadband homes now operate home networks, with routers increasingly migrating from home offices into living rooms to serve connected devices such as game consoles, smart TVs, network media players, and Internet-ready Blu-ray players. This shift signals that home entertainment is displacing traditional computing as the primary driver of home networking infrastructure. For consumers, it reflects a measurable realignment away from broadcast and subscription TV toward Internet-delivered content.

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HDTV Almanac - My HDTV Buying Advice [a Slashdot video]

HDTV expert Alfred Poor shares his television buying recommendations in a Slashdot-commissioned video interview, covering specific specs for a current purchase decision. The piece also documents a real-world traffic event: the Slashdot link drove over 12,000 visitors in a single day, exhausting the site's monthly bandwidth allocation within one hour. Readers interested in independent HDTV and home entertainment guidance will find the video a practical starting point for navigating today's television market.

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Streaming HDSatellite HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - Online Streaming Grows

Roku CEO Anthony Wood, speaking at OTTCon in San Jose, reported that the platform now hosts nearly 500 channels with viewing time doubling from six to twelve hours per week, with projections to reach 35 hours to match traditional broadcast consumption. HBO Go is already among those channels, signaling that major content holders are actively experimenting with internet streaming delivery. For cable and satellite providers, the trajectory suggests a fundamental disruption to their core business model as on-demand streaming closes the gap with linear broadcast viewing.

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Cable HD

HDTV Almanac - Competition Does Not Lower Cable Fees

An FCC report titled 'Report On Average Rates for Cable Programming Service And Equipment,' based on January 2010 data, finds that 'expanded basic' cable service fees are actually slightly higher in competitive markets than in non-competitive ones. The cost per channel is lower in competitive markets, but only because providers bundle more channels into their packages rather than reducing prices. For subscribers, paying more for unwanted channels is a questionable value proposition, and the author suggests this model may not satisfy customers much longer.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - And Now, Live, on YouTube...

YouTube's launch of My Damn Channel LIVE, hosted by Beth Hoyt and premiering on a Wednesday at 4 PM Eastern, marks a notable milestone in the platform's evolution toward traditional broadcast television conventions. The live daily program, running 30 minutes on Wednesdays and 10 minutes on other weekdays, introduces clips from more than 30 comedy shows. This development signals that professionally produced live video distribution is no longer exclusive to Hollywood or legacy broadcast networks.

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LED TVs

HDTV Almanac - Sharp Ships Big HDTVs

Sharp has begun shipping its 2012 large-format HDTV lineup, starting with the 60-inch LC-60LE745U and 70-inch LC-70LE745U featuring LED edge-lighting, 3D support, and Smart TV with WiFi, priced at $2,299.99 and $3,299.99 respectively. The upcoming 8 Series adds Quattron four-subpixel technology (red, green, blue, and yellow) and, on the 80-inch LC-80LE847U, a full-matrix LED backlight rather than edge-lighting for more uniform illumination. Buyers considering these sets should weigh the premium pricing against a limited consumer market for HDTVs above $2,000.

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HDTV Almanac - Who Gives You Your News?

A 2012 Pew Research Center report found that five technology companies captured 68% of all online ad revenue, while giants like Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon pursued vertically integrated control over hardware, software, content, and distribution channels. Facebook's Social Reader forged partnerships with The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, and YouTube funded Reuters to produce original news programming. For consumers, this consolidation raises real concerns about shrinking newsroom diversity and fewer independent editorial voices shaping public information.

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3DTVManufacturing4K Ultra HD

HDTV Almanac - Bed-Sized 3DTV in China

China Star Optoelectronics Technology, a TCL Corporation subsidiary, has unveiled a 110-inch 4K (4,096 x 2,160) active shutter 3DTV with multi-touch input, equivalent in pixel count to four 55-inch 1080p panels combined. Two units were donated to the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, signaling a technology demonstration rather than a commercial launch. The display underscores China's stated ambition to surpass Japan and South Korea in TV display manufacturing and R&D within three to five years, though the competitive and financial challenges ahead remain substantial.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Hulu Redesigns Viewing Screen

Hulu has updated its web player interface, expanding the viewing window by 55% and adding a drop shadow against a neutral gray video matte background. While the redesign tidies up the overall layout and places video details below the player, the practical impact is limited for viewers who default to full-screen mode, where playback controls fade away and the interface changes become invisible. The upgrade is a genuine improvement, but its real-world benefit depends heavily on how users choose to watch.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Don't Look Now; Here Comes Amazon

Amazon Prime Instant Video expanded its catalog to over 17,000 titles following a deal with Discovery Networks that adds nearly 3,000 titles, including popular shows like Mythbusters, Deadliest Catch, and Dirty Jobs from Discovery, TLC, Animal Planet, and Science channels. The service is available across computers, smartphones, and the Kindle Fire at no additional cost beyond the $79 annual Prime membership. For consumers already paying monthly fees for Hulu Plus or Netflix, the combined value of streaming access and free two-day shipping makes Prime a compelling alternative worth evaluating.

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Smart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Samsung's New TVs Point to the Future

Samsung's 2012 Smart TV lineup integrates four interface technologies - speech recognition, gesture control, a wireless keyboard option, and facial recognition - into its fifth-generation sets, signaling a shift beyond the five-button remote. Facial recognition, initially limited to social network login, shows the most long-term promise as a foundation for personalized content recommendation engines that adapt to individual household members. The keyboard, though archaic, acknowledges a practical reality: some input tasks still require tactile precision that gesture and voice controls cannot reliably replace.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - What is Apple up to with Its TV Plans?

Apple's rumored television strategy aims to replicate the iPod-iTunes model by pairing a premium-priced TV set with tightly controlled content distribution, leveraging its existing iPhone and iPad installed base as a market entry point. The author argues two concrete obstacles undermine this plan: content producers have actively declined to renew streaming contracts with platforms like Netflix to protect content valuation, and a TV priced significantly above competitors faces steep resistance in a mature, brand-saturated market with minimal product differentiation. Readers weighing Apple's TV ambitions should consider whether the content and pricing dynamics that enabled iTunes success can realistically transfer to television.

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Streaming HDSportsProgramming

HDTV Almanac - March Madness Online: No More Free Ride!

NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament streaming, covering all 67 games, moves to a paid model in 2012 at a one-time fee of $3.99. The service supports multi-platform playback across computers, iPads, and iPhone and Android smartphones, with a built-in Boss Screen feature for desktop viewers. At under four dollars for full tournament access, the low price point makes cord-cutting a practical option for fans who want flexibility without a cable subscription.

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Mobile HD

HDTV Almanac - Oh Boy! A New iPad!

The iPad 3 features a 2,048 x 1,536 pixel LCD panel at 264 ppi, which Apple markets as a Retina Display despite falling short of the iPhone 4's 326 ppi density. The resolution is sufficient to display full 1,920 x 1,080 HD content without scaling, though the 4:3 aspect ratio necessitates letterboxing. The smaller pixel aperture ratio demands a brighter backlight, likely requiring a larger battery, which has practical implications for how long the device can sustain video playback.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - YouTube: Free Movies

YouTube offers thousands of free, full-length movies accessible on smartphones, tablets, and notebook computers, alongside its paid rental catalog. Titles range from classic silent films like Douglas Fairbanks in 'Robin Hood' to cult favorites such as 'Reefer Madness' and mainstream comedies like 'Talladega Nights'. For anyone with a mobile device and time to fill, this free streaming option is a practical alternative to subscription-based services.

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OTA HD & AntennasStreaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Smack-Down for Aereo?

Aereo, a cloud-based service enabling subscribers to access over-the-air broadcast TV via individually assigned remote antennas and a cloud DVR, faces simultaneous federal lawsuits filed in the Southern District of New York by major broadcasters including Fox, NBC, ABC, and CBS. The service argues that consumers are legally entitled to receive broadcast signals via antenna and record content for personal use, positioning its technology as an extension of existing DVR rights. How courts rule on the individual antenna model could determine whether cloud-based broadcast TV delivery is legally viable.

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HDTV Almanac - Barely Video

Mercedes deployed a large-scale LED display array on a production vehicle to create an 'invisible car' effect, using live camera feeds to project the surrounding environment onto the car's body panels as a promotional showcase for its hydrogen fuel cell technology. The campaign was distributed via YouTube, blurring the line between branded entertainment and advertising. For marketers and tech enthusiasts alike, it illustrates how display technology can transform a product demonstration into shareable online content.

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Streaming HDMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - YouTube: An Hour per Second

YouTube's upload rate reached one hour of video content per second in 2012, equating to 60 hours of new content every minute. The platform simultaneously reported 4 billion daily views, a figure representing more than half the global population watching one video per day. These metrics signal a content ecosystem growing at a scale that challenges both storage infrastructure and the practical ability of viewers to discover quality material.

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OTA HD & AntennasSatellite HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - After Midnight: More Retransmission Disputes

A retransmission consent dispute between New Young Broadcasting and Time Warner Cable over ABC affiliate stations WBAY-TV and a companion Albany outlet reached its February 29 deadline without resolution, prompting both parties to extend negotiations by one week to March 7. Rather than immediately triggering a blackout, the broadcaster advised viewers that free over-the-air reception remains available, while also pointing to DirecTV and DISH Network as alternatives. The standoff illustrates how carriage fee negotiations increasingly leave consumers caught between broadcasters and pay-TV providers fighting to protect shrinking revenue streams.

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Politics & PolicyManufacturing

HDTV Almanac - We Control the Channel! (Well, We're Trying)

Panasonic, Samsung, LG, and Sony have each announced Minimum Sale Price (MSP) policies targeting premium and select mid-tier television models, moving beyond traditional Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) agreements to enforce actual transaction floors. Retailers who violate these pricing floors risk losing wholesale purchasing rights, a significant enforcement mechanism that could tighten margins across the retail channel. Shoppers hunting for discounts on flagship models should verify authorized dealer status carefully, as manufacturer warranties may be voided on units purchased through unauthorized discounters.

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Projection HD

HDTV Almanac - Beam Me Up, Samsung!

Samsung's Galaxy Beam integrates a 15-lumen projector into a smartphone body just half an inch thick, delivering standard-definition (non-widescreen) projection without significantly increasing the device's footprint. While not powerful enough to fill a wall in ambient light, the projector enables small groups to view photos and video without crowding around the handset's screen. Despite Samsung's early lead in this technology, analyst Jack Segal notes projector phones have achieved only moderate sales, though growing mobile video consumption could shift that trajectory.

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Streaming HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - Comcast Dips Its Toe in the Streampix

Comcast launched its Streampix streaming service in early 2012, offering a catalog of TV series and movies as either a bundled perk or a $5-per-month add-on for existing Xfinity subscribers. The initial content lineup, featuring older titles such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and back-catalog TV seasons, falls short of rivaling Netflix or Hulu Plus in depth or freshness. The subscriber-only access requirement further limits its reach, making Streampix a cautious first step rather than a serious competitive challenge to established streaming platforms.

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HDTV Almanac - Free All-Star Concert in March

Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead and the Devendorf brothers of the National will perform at the invitation-only 'Bridge Sessions' on March 24 at TRI Studios, with physical attendance capped at 50 seats requiring a $1,000 donation to HeadCount.org. The event will be streamed live over the Internet at no cost to viewers, reflecting the Grateful Dead's long-standing open-access philosophy that historically extended to free soundboard feeds at concerts. For fans worldwide, this live video stream represents a practical demonstration of how low-cost Internet broadcasting has made global free concert distribution feasible in ways that traditional television never could.

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HDTV Almanac - More Bad News for Sears

Sears Holdings reported a $2.4 billion loss in Q4 2011, prompting plans to sell 11 stores, spin off Hometown and Outlet divisions, and cut inventory across its retail operations. These financial pressures may translate into aggressive discounting on electronics inventory as the company works to raise cash and reduce stock levels. Shoppers willing to monitor local Sears locations could find meaningful deals on consumer electronics, including HDTVs, as the retailer moves to stabilize its balance sheet.

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Cable HDPolitics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - Retransmission Saga Continues

A retransmission dispute between Madison Square Garden channels and Time Warner Cable was resolved after nearly two months, requiring intervention from New York's governor and attorney general. Meanwhile, LIN TV is threatening to pull its Fox, CBS, and CW affiliates from Cox in Rhode Island and Pensacola, leveraging relaxed FCC multi-ownership rules to strengthen its negotiating position after a severe drop in ad revenues. For pay-TV subscribers, escalating retransmission fees represent a real cost pressure that could ultimately trigger regulatory review of FCC ownership and retransmission policies.

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Cable HDStreaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - HBO Arrives on Samsung Smart TVs

Samsung Smart TVs now support HBO Go streaming, nearly a year after the partnership was announced, though access requires an active HBO subscription through a supported pay-TV provider such as Verizon FiOS, DISH Network, or DirecTV - notably excluding Comcast and Time Warner Cable. The rollout highlights HBO's cautious approach to streaming, likely to protect revenues from pay-TV distributors who deliver the bulk of its subscribers. For consumers, eligibility depends entirely on their current TV provider, making this a limited but meaningful step toward on-demand premium content on connected televisions.

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Streaming HDGamingSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - More TV for Wii

Hulu Plus is now available on the Nintendo Wii, bringing subscription-based streaming video to approximately 40 million U.S. Wii consoles for $7.99 per month. Unlike the free Hulu service, Hulu Plus removes the five-episode restriction on current TV shows and adds movie access, requiring only an existing broadband connection. For households already owning a Wii, this provides a practical low-cost path to streaming Smart TV functionality without purchasing new hardware, with Netflix streaming also available as an alternative on the same platform.

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HD DVRStreaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - The Power of Aggregated Data

TiVo's analysis of 41,666 anonymously monitored DVR households reveals granular viewing behavior during the Super Bowl, showing that Madonna's halftime show outperformed even the top-rated Doritos commercial, while the final Hail Mary pass drew peak viewership. This level of behavioral data - tracking playback speed and minute-by-minute audience retention - signals a shift in how content producers can attract sponsors through embedded placements and targeted advertising. The practical implication is that Big Data analytics, not blockbuster content alone, will define the next generation of video entertainment funding models.

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Cable HDDTV TransitionPolitics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - FCC to Revisit "Must Carry" Rules

The FCC is preparing to revisit 'must carry' rules as a three-year waiver, which permitted cable operators to downscale high-definition digital broadcast signals for analog distribution networks, approaches its June expiration. If the waiver is not renewed, cable companies may face pressure to accelerate costly infrastructure upgrades to all-digital systems, requiring converter boxes for subscribers without digital tuners. For consumers, the outcome could reshape which local broadcast channels remain accessible and whether smaller-audience stations survive on pay-TV platforms.

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Streaming HDOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Over-the-Top Over-the-Air

Aereo is launching a New York City streaming service that assigns each subscriber a dedicated dime-sized over-the-air antenna, encoding broadcast signals into HD-quality streams delivered over the Internet starting at $12 per month after a 30-day trial. The service launches with 20 channels and includes cloud DVR storage, accessible via tablet, smartphone, PC, Apple TV, or Roku. By sidestepping retransmission fees through individual antenna assignments, Aereo positions itself as a low-cost alternative to basic cable for urban subscribers.

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Streaming HDOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - The Big Three Networks

Streaming platforms Netflix, Amazon, and Google are displacing traditional broadcast networks by eliminating the intermediary role that ABC, CBS, and NBC have historically occupied between content producers and consumers. Netflix was already launching original series such as 'House of Cards' and 'Arrested Development,' while Amazon Prime bundled streaming video with its membership fee, and Amazon was actively hiring for original content production. For viewers, this shift signals a transition toward on-demand, subscription-based models that could render advertiser-supported broadcast television structurally obsolete.

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Cable HDMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Why TV Subscribers Change

A Centris report reveals that over 20% of pay-TV subscribers plan to change providers, adjust service tiers, or cancel within three months, with price cited as the primary driver by more than a third of those leaving entirely. Rising retransmission licensing fees continue to push cable and satellite costs higher, and Citigroup analyst Jason Bazinet projects Comcast will post a net loss of 125,000 basic cable subscribers in Q4. For consumers, the data signals a market under real pressure, with meaningful structural changes to pay-TV business models likely ahead.

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Satellite HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - Retransmission Fees: Who Is Winning?

Retransmission consent fees are reshaping the subscription television landscape, with News Corporation reporting a greater than 100% increase in retransmission consent revenues while delivering the same content as before. Cable and satellite providers, squeezed between rising content costs and consumer backlash over climbing bills, are weighing options such as lower-priced channel bundles or a la carte pricing. The lack of competitive checks in current FCC rules appears to give content providers outsized leverage, raising the likelihood of regulatory intervention in 2012.

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OTA HD & AntennasSportsProgramming

HDTV Almanac - Shed Some Light on Sports Blackouts

FCC sports blackout rules, which allow NFL teams to block over-the-air local broadcasts when games fail to sell out, are under scrutiny after the Cincinnati Bengals blacked out a game in markets including Cincinnati, Dayton, and Lexington. The Bengals' stadium cost taxpayers over $450 million, fueling debate over whether publicly subsidized teams owe communities free broadcast access. The FCC is accepting public comments until February 13, giving consumers a direct opportunity to influence whether these blackout policies are revised.

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HDTV Almanac - You Can't Touch This!

Geoff Walker, Principal Analyst for Touch Research at IMS Research, has released a free 153-page slide deck titled 'Fundamentals of Touch Technologies and Applications,' originally developed as a four-hour training course for the Society for Information Display (SID) conference. The resource covers multiple touch technology approaches, including why capacitive screens reject gloved input while some resistive alternatives do not, and which methods support reliable multi-touch detection. Readers seeking to understand how touch interfaces are shaping second-screen experiences on tablets and smartphones will find this a technically rigorous, practitioner-level reference.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Redbox Rising

Redbox, the $1-per-night DVD rental kiosk operator with Blu-ray available at $1.50, is aggressively expanding its physical media business with a $100 million acquisition of NCR's entertainment division assets, including kiosks and inventory from the failed Blockbuster venture. Simultaneously, Redbox is partnering with Verizon to launch a joint venture combining disc rentals with video-on-demand streaming and download services, directly challenging Netflix's streaming-only model. With roughly 70 percent of U.S. consumers living within a five-minute drive of a Redbox kiosk, the hybrid physical-digital strategy has a substantial distribution advantage.

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HD DVR

HDTV Almanac - How Much Time-Shifting Do We Really Do?

A Centris white paper on DVR adoption reveals that fewer than two in five U.S. television households own or rent a DVR, and roughly half of those users watch 20% or less of their content via time-shifting. One in six DVR users do not use the device for playback at all, with approximately three-quarters of units rented from service providers rather than purchased outright. These figures suggest the actual threat to linear broadcast advertising revenue may be considerably smaller than industry commentary implies.

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HDTV Almanac - A Day Made of Glass: the Sequel

Corning's 'A Day Made of Glass 2' expands on its predecessor's vision of pervasive display technology, showcasing augmented reality applications and next-generation glass-based interfaces that build on hardware already present in shipping products. The sequel demonstrates practical scenarios where transparent and touch-enabled displays integrate into daily environments, from home to healthcare. Viewers interested in where consumer display technology is realistically headed will find the augmented reality segments especially worth examining.

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Home TheaterDeals

HDTV Almanac - How Low Can They Go?

The 42-inch Sharp LC42SV49U is currently listed at Best Buy for $329.99, falling well below the $10-per-diagonal-inch benchmark that has long served as a reference point for TV value. Sharp's Gen10 LCD fabrication plant, built for large-panel production, is running at just 50% capacity amid a softening television market, pressuring the company to move inventory at aggressive prices. Buyers willing to shop outside of Black Friday can now access competitive pricing without the overnight wait.

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Home TheaterHD Audio

HDTV Almanac - A Sound Idea

Futuresource Consulting's CES 2012 analysis confirms a growing trend: ultra-thin HDTV designs are driving renewed consumer interest in soundbars and home theater systems, largely because slimmer panels physically cannot accommodate quality audio drivers. A $25 desktop speaker set with a subwoofer routinely outperforms the built-in audio of most flat panels, making a separate sound system a practical necessity rather than a luxury. Shoppers targeting thin OLED or LED displays should budget accordingly for compact surround sound packages to avoid a significant audio quality compromise.

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Politics & PolicyOTA HD & AntennasSatellite HD

HDTV Almanac - Cable and Satellite Complaints Rise

FCC complaint data for Q3 2011 shows cable and satellite service complaints rose more than 15% quarter-over-quarter, with Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act complaints surging nearly 44%, signaling growing friction over retransmission rights. Broadcasters are withholding local content from subscription TV providers to extract higher licensing fees, a tactic that can leave subscribers without channels for weeks or months. The dispute drew political attention when DirecTV customers in Boston faced a potential SuperBowl blackout, and the issue is expected to remain contentious through 2012.

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Streaming HDSportsProgramming

HDTV Almanac - Stream the SuperBowl

The NFL is streaming the Super Bowl live and free on NFL.com, marking a notable expansion of broadband sports broadcasting, with Verizon customers also able to watch on their smartphones. A retransmission dispute between the local NBC affiliate and DirecTV had threatened a blackout for satellite subscribers in the Boston market before a last-minute agreement was reached. For fans without TV access, the combination of free online streaming and mobile viewing options provides a practical alternative to traditional broadcast.

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Market Trends & AnalysisStreaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - We Call It "Television"

The consumer electronics industry has yet to standardize terminology for internet-delivered home video, with competing labels such as Smart TV, Connected TV, TV Everywhere, and network media players all in active use. The fragmentation mirrors earlier transitions, where distinctions like color TV, cable TV, and high definition eventually dissolved into simply 'television' once the technology became ubiquitous. For consumers and industry observers alike, the practical takeaway is that today's competing labels are likely temporary placeholders until one dominant paradigm absorbs them all.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - NetFlix Posts Good News

Netflix closed Q4 2011 with nearly 22 million streaming subscribers versus 11.2 million DVD subscribers, a ratio approaching 2-to-1 in favor of broadband delivery. Streaming reached approximately 11% of company profits, surpassing the internal target of 8%, while DVD operations still generated $194 million in quarterly profit compared to $52 million from streaming. For consumers, this signals an accelerating shift away from disc-based rentals toward on-demand Internet delivery, with Netflix positioning itself as a direct competitor to traditional broadcast and cable networks.

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Smart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Great Gift for Grandparents

The TelyHD is a dedicated Android-based network media player that connects via HDMI and runs a single application - Skype - using your home broadband connection, with video quality scaling to available bandwidth. Its four-microphone array with beam steering and noise cancellation addresses the acoustic challenges of living room use, setting it apart from standard webcams. For seniors wanting to video call grandchildren on a large-screen TV without computer setup, this standalone component approach offers a practical and portable alternative to Skype-enabled Smart TVs that often require additional paid hardware.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Will DLNA Become Indispensable?

The DLNA Premium Video platform, announced at CES 2012 with backing from Comcast and Intel, extends DLNA beyond local media sharing to enable any compliant device on a home network to access outside content from a cable or satellite provider. Comcast demonstrated a set-top box capable of streaming its content to any DLNA-supported screen in the home, removing the burden on content providers to individually support each device type. For consumers, this could mean seamless whole-home entertainment access without proprietary hardware tied to every screen.

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Streaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Google TV Lives!

Sony's NSZ-GS7 network media player and NSZ-GP9 Blu-ray player, both powered by Google TV, represent a notable expansion of the platform following new partnerships with LG, VIZIO, and Lenovo announced at CES 2012. The second-generation remote introduces a touchpad for cursor control, though it retains a backlit QWERTY keyboard that critics argue makes the device awkwardly large. For consumers with existing televisions, the NSZ-GS7 offers a practical retrofit path to Smart TV functionality without replacing current hardware.

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Streaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - CES 2012: Sleeper Subject of the Show

Technicolor's M-GO platform, announced at CES 2012, aims to unify fragmented video content sources such as Netflix, Hulu, and subscription TV into a single discovery and recommendation interface. Major hardware partners including Intel, Samsung, and VIZIO have already committed to pre-loading M-GO on Ultrabooks, Smart TVs, Blu-ray players, and tablets. If it delivers on its promise, a unified content interface could fundamentally shift power away from traditional broadcast distribution toward whoever controls the discovery layer.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - Another Passive 3DTV

Westinghouse Digital announced the 47-inch W47S2TCD passive 3DTV at CES 2012, priced at $899 with four pairs of glasses included, expanding passive 3D availability to a budget-friendly brand. The set joins passive offerings from LG, Vizio, Panasonic, and Toshiba, signaling a broader market shift away from active shutter-glass technology. For consumers, this means lower-cost, no-maintenance glasses are now accessible across a wider range of price points and brands, making passive 3D the likely dominant format going forward.

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Smart TVsHD ReceiversHD DVR

HDTV Almanac - Look, Ma! No Box!

At CES 2012, DIRECTV partnered with Samsung and Verizon partnered with LG to integrate set-top box functionality directly into Smart TV lines, with LG sets offering access to 26 live channels and over 10,000 VOD titles. While eliminating a separate box removes hardware clutter and a rental fee of roughly $6 per month ($72 annually), the trade-off is reduced access to full subscription programming and interactive content compared to a standard set-top box setup. Consumers should weigh whether the convenience justifies paying a premium for a Smart TV that delivers fewer features than a conventional receiver.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - Glasses-Free 3D HDTV Coming This Year!

Toshiba's 55-inch glasses-free 3D HDTV, unveiled at CES 2012 with a 4K by 2K panel, uses nine-position lenticular technology that reduces effective 3D resolution to only 720p per viewer, a limitation shared by similar commercial displays dating back to Philips' 2006 SID Gold Award-winning system. Viewers must occupy one of nine fixed sweet spots, requiring furniture rearrangement, and the set carries a $10,000 price tag that Toshiba's own VP acknowledges far exceeds viable mass-market thresholds. Practical glasses-free 3DTV for average living rooms remains years away despite the headline-grabbing specs.

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Streaming HDMarket Trends & AnalysisOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - The World Watches Less TV

An Accenture survey spanning the U.S., France, Japan, China, and India found that weekly broadcast or cable TV viewership dropped from 71% in 2009 to just 48% in 2011, with one-third of consumers now watching video on PCs and one in ten on smartphones. Compounding the shift, intended HDTV purchase rates fell from 25% to 20% year-over-year. These figures suggest that traditional shared-screen viewing is fragmenting into personal, device-centric habits, with real consequences for the consumer electronics market.

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LED TVs

HDTV Almanac - A True LED HDTV

Sony's CrystalLED prototype, unveiled at CES 2012, is a genuine 55-inch LED display using over six million discrete LED components to drive individual sub-pixels in a 1080p panel, unlike conventional LCD sets that merely use LED backlighting. The emissive design promises wide viewing angles and virtually no motion blur, but manufacturing feasibility is a serious obstacle, as each LED chip reportedly requires individual wire-bonding to electrodes. Until scalable, cost-effective assembly methods emerge, mass-market availability of this technology remains unlikely.

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HDTV Almanac - "Dragon TV" Will Let You Talk to Your HDTV

Nuance's Dragon TV is a speech recognition interface platform that HDTV manufacturers can embed in future television designs, enabling spoken commands for channel switching and actor-based content searches across live and over-the-top streaming libraries. Nuance's deep IP portfolio, built through acquisitions of ScanSoft, Lernout and Hauspie, SpeechWorks, and others, positions it as the leading candidate to deliver reliable speech recognition at scale. For viewers frustrated by remote controls and gesture interfaces, this technology could become the practical key to navigating an expanding universe of on-demand content.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - Five Rings in 3D

Panasonic and NBC are partnering to deliver over 200 hours of 3D coverage of the London 2012 Summer Olympics to U.S. cable, satellite, and telco subscribers, broadcast on a next-day delay including opening and closing ceremonies. The persistent weakness of 3DTV adoption stems not from glasses fatigue or price premiums but from a thin content library, with Hollywood releasing only 20 to 30 3D films annually. A high-demand live sports event like the Olympics could shift consumer interest toward 3DTV in a way that scattered theatrical releases have failed to do.

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Events & Trade ShowsOLED TVsManufacturing

HDTV Almanac - The OTHER 55″ OLED HDTV at CES 2012

Both LG and Samsung unveiled 55-inch OLED HDTVs at CES 2012, with a key technical distinction: LG uses a 'color by white' single-material design with RGBW sub-pixels for uniform aging, while Samsung employs separate red, green, and blue emissive materials deposited on large panels, with Samsung targeting Gen 8 production lines for potential cost reduction. Neither manufacturer disclosed pricing or production volumes, and given the precedent of Sony's OLED TV stalling at pilot production, realistic retail pricing likely remains in the $5,000 to $10,000 range or higher, keeping OLED out of reach as a practical competitor to LCD and plasma.

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HDTV Almanac - Running into a Burning Building?

VIZIO, known for undercutting major HDTV brands through vertical supply chain integration, is entering the PC market with two all-in-one desktops and three notebooks shipping in spring 2012. All systems feature high-definition displays and HDMI ports for connecting Blu-ray players and set-top boxes, blending the company's entertainment hardware expertise with personal computing. If VIZIO applies its familiar pricing strategy - matching top-tier specs at a lower price point - it could pose a credible challenge to established PC makers despite the market's notoriously thin margins.

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Smart TVs

HDTV Almanac - HDTVs Get Smarter

Lenovo unveiled a 55-inch LCD HDTV with LED backlight at CES, packing a dual-core Android processor, 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of storage, and a built-in 5-megapixel camera - specs that blur the line between television and personal computer. The touchpad-equipped remote and voice command support signal a new tier of Smart TV capability beyond basic streaming services like Netflix and Hulu Plus. Planned initially for the China market, this product could reset consumer expectations for television functionality and intensify competition in an already crowded HDTV space.

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LED TVsMarket Trends & AnalysisLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - LED TVs to Dominate World Market

LED-backlit LCD HDTVs are on track to capture nearly 68% of LCD TV shipments in 2012, up from 46% in 2011, driven by falling LED component costs, improved power efficiency, and thinner form factors. NPD DisplaySearch forecasts global TV shipments will reach 254 million units in 2012, a modest 2% increase after a flat 2011, while plasma is projected to decline sharply as the price gap with LCD narrows. For buyers shopping this year, an LED-backlit LCD HDTV is the most likely outcome, with fluorescent-backlit LCDs expected to fall below 10% of the market by 2014.

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HDTV Almanac - Roku Sticks It to TVs

Roku's Streaming Stick is a USB thumb drive-sized device that plugs into an HDMI port and delivers Internet video streaming over a wireless home network connection, but its reliance on Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL) technology limits compatibility to a narrow set of supported televisions. At launch, only select Insignia-branded HDTVs from Best Buy are confirmed to support the MHL requirement. For consumers purchasing a budget HDTV now who may want to add streaming capability later, the Stick offers a potentially cost-effective upgrade path given the typical 8-to-10-year lifespan of a television.

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Events & Trade ShowsOLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - Big OLED TVs Coming…

LG is set to unveil a 55-inch OLED HDTV at CES, a panel size that suggests the company has resolved the metal-oxide semiconductor backplane challenge that previously required polysilicon TFT switching layers. The display promises wide viewing angles, no motion blur, and high brightness, but the absence of pricing or availability details raises serious questions about commercial readiness. History offers a cautionary parallel in Canon and Sharp's SED technology, which dazzled at CES for years before quietly disappearing, and early OLED pricing could easily exceed $5,000 - well above the threshold where consumer TV markets become viable.

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Mobile HDStreaming HDMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Tablets Are Changing Television

Data from Ooyala's VideoMind Video Index reveals that tablet viewers have the highest video completion rates of any device category, surpassing connected TVs, computers, and mobile phones by a significant margin. The affordable tablet form factor, combined with services like Netflix and Amazon On Demand on devices such as the Kindle Fire, delivers a personal viewing experience that small phone screens cannot match. This shift suggests that a growing share of video consumption will migrate to tablets, with real implications for how television programming is distributed.

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Standards3DTV

HDTV Almanac - Happy New Year!

A returning HDTV industry columnist surveys the consumer electronics landscape heading into CES 2012, noting that 3DTV is transitioning from a premium feature to an embedded standard at no extra cost rather than disappearing outright. Key developments include Sony divesting its Samsung joint venture stake, major cable operators selling radio spectrum to Verizon for wireless broadband leasing arrangements, and ongoing retransmission fee disputes affecting local broadcast access. Readers can expect continued coverage of OLED display advances, streaming video market shifts, Google TV updates, and autostereoscopic 3DTV limitations for multi-viewer living room setups.

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HDTV Almanac - Gone Dim, but Not Completely Dark

Alfred Poor, author of the HDTV Almanac column, addresses a month-long posting hiatus driven by the launch of a small business marketing venture rather than any technical development in the HDTV space. The column, which typically covers HDTV specifications, performance metrics, and display technology, is expected to resume regular daily posts once the author surfaces from the demands of the new project. Readers who follow the Almanac for its technical coverage can expect a return to normal publishing frequency in the near term.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Netflix is Not Seeing Starz

Starz has ended licensing renewal talks with Netflix, walking away from a reported $200 million per year deal in order to protect its premium brand positioning and relationships with subscription television partners. The expiring agreement, valued at roughly $30 million, covered a substantial portion of Netflix's streaming movie catalog, making the loss a significant content quality blow for the service. This development highlights the fragile footing of streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Instant Video, which lack the entrenched distribution guarantees that cable and satellite providers enjoy.

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3DTVLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - 3DTV Panel Shipments Rise 118%

Global shipments of 3D-capable LCD TV panels surged 118% quarter-over-quarter to 4.9 million units in Q2 2011, with penetration in panels 40 inches and larger jumping from 12.7% to 21.7%, according to DisplaySearch. For 55-inch panels specifically, nearly half of all units shipped included 3D support, reflecting an industry-wide push to add value amid persistent oversupply. For buyers considering a new HDTV this fall, the shrinking price premium for 3D capability makes it a practical upgrade worth factoring into any purchase decision.

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Mobile HD

HDTV Almanac - Tablets: the New TV?

In-Stat research finds that half of all tablet owners are watching feature films and full-length television episodes on portable devices, with frequent mobile video users projected to triple within five years. Nearly half of smartphone and tablet users aged 18 to 24 regularly use social media to share commentary on what they are watching. For consumers, this signals a measurable shift away from shared household viewing toward individualized, socially networked media consumption patterns.

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Satellite HD

HDTV Almanac - DISH on the Road

DISH Network's Tailgater is a portable satellite antenna priced at $350 that automatically acquires available satellites without manual aiming, making it viable for outdoor and mobile use. Paired with the ViP 211k single-tuner HD receiver at an additional $150, the system operates on standard 110V AC or 12V DC power via an inverter or generator. Existing DISH Network subscribers can use their current account, or new users can opt for flexible month-to-month service, avoiding fees when the system is idle.

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Politics & PolicyOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Bye-Bye Channel 51?

The FCC has frozen all pending applications for new low-power and full-power television broadcast stations on RF channel 51, the uppermost UHF television channel, while it investigates interference complaints from wireless licensees operating on the adjacent channel 52 block. The freeze follows lobbying by groups including CTIA and the Rural Cellular Association, who argue that channel 51 TV broadcasts disrupt their spectrum allocations - a reversal of the traditional concern over wireless signals interfering with television. Existing broadcasters are not forced to vacate, but financial incentives from wireless carriers may accelerate voluntary channel reassignments.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Let's Watch a Movie; Fire Up Facebook

Facebook has entered the video streaming market through a Miramax licensing deal, offering 20 titles including 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Good Will Hunting' at $3 per rental, accessible on computers, tablets, and Google TV devices. The catalog overlaps heavily with existing Netflix and Hulu offerings, limiting its appeal to viewers who have likely already seen most titles. Navigating multiple Facebook company pages to find content adds friction that may undermine adoption, though this limited launch could signal a broader streaming strategy ahead.

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HDTV Almanac - Bad Economy? hhgregg Steams Full Speed Ahead

Electronics retailer hhgregg is aggressively expanding into the Chicago market with 14 new stores set to open September 15, 2011, following the launch of ten Florida locations earlier that summer. The expansion is projected to add 700 jobs in the Chicago area, with grand opening promotions including drawings for a 55-inch LG 3D TV and a Frigidaire stainless steel appliance package. For consumers, the move signals a rare brick-and-mortar retail push at a time when competitors like Circuit City and CompUSA have already collapsed.

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Streaming HDGamingSports

HDTV Almanac - NFL on PS3: It's More than Just Madden

DirecTV and the NFL are offering live NFL Sunday Ticket streaming directly on the PS3, giving non-DirecTV subscribers access to up to 14 out-of-market games per week for $340 for the 17-week season, roughly $20 per week. Existing DirecTV Sunday Ticket subscribers can add PS3 streaming access for an additional $50. This experiment could set a precedent for broader live sports and premium content distribution through online streaming platforms, potentially reshaping how rights holders approach digital delivery.

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Home TheaterProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - Optoma Shatters 3D Home Projector Price

The Optoma HD33 is a 1080p DLP projector priced under $1,500 that supports 3D with RF active glasses and delivers 1800 lumens of brightness across screens up to 300 inches diagonal. It includes dual HDMI inputs alongside VGA and component video connections, and the manufacturer positions it at roughly half the cost of comparable competing projectors. For budget-conscious home theater enthusiasts, this pricing makes a 100-inch-class big-screen setup a realistic option without a major capital investment.

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Streaming HDSatellite HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - Fox Limits New Episode Access

Fox has implemented an eight-day delay on new episode streaming via Hulu and Fox.com, requiring viewers to authenticate through a paid cable or satellite subscription to access content sooner. Currently, only Dish Network subscribers have an agreement granting next-day access, one day after the original air date. For cord-cutters and DVR-less viewers, this authentication wall effectively restricts on-demand viewing as Fox pressures distributors for increased licensing revenue, a strategy the author argues is more likely to alienate consumers than generate meaningful concessions.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Netflix Retools For Kids

Netflix is testing a child-specific user interface that filters content to kid-friendly titles and replaces text-heavy navigation with a character-based scroll bar featuring recognizable figures such as Big Bird, Barney, and Dora. Selecting a character displays large episode stills with minimal text, enabling a point-and-click browsing experience suited to young users. Netflix has deployed split-run tests for this interface, meaning availability varies by account, but the approach signals a meaningful investment in age-appropriate content discovery.

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Cable HD

HDTV Almanac - TWC: #2 and Growing

Time Warner Cable is acquiring Insight Communications for $3 billion in cash, adding nearly 700,000 video subscribers, 550,000 broadband customers, and 300,000 voice customers across Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. TWC projects $100 million in annual savings through programming expense reductions, which could shift cost pressure onto Hollywood content producers and ultimately raise licensing fees for streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. The deal signals accelerating consolidation in the cable industry, with real consequences for content costs and consumer pricing.

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Streaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Roku Gathers Momentum

Roku's second-generation media players, starting at $60, enable HD streaming from services including Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand, Hulu Plus, and YouTube, effectively converting any standard television into a connected smart TV. The company recently closed an $8 million funding round and secured retail distribution through Best Buy, alongside access to DIRECTV's Sunday Ticket NFL package for out-of-market coverage. For budget-conscious viewers, these compact devices offer a practical and low-cost path to a broad streaming content library without replacing existing hardware.

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LCD TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - iSupply: Low-End Brands Drive Down Prices

An iSupply study reports that U.S. average pricing for high-end LCD TVs fell 23.9% year-over-year to $1,002.58 in July 2011, as features like 1080p resolution, 120 Hz refresh rates, and LED backlights migrated to entry-level brands. The columnist argues that while low-cost alternatives exert downward pressure, competitive battles among major manufacturers and improved production efficiency are equally significant drivers. For consumers, this means premium sets still command roughly twice the price of off-brands, but that gap continues to narrow as the market evolves.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Zediva Goes Dark

Zediva, a streaming service that physically assigned individual DVD players to remote customers to sidestep licensing requirements, has shut down after a U.S. District Court in California issued a preliminary injunction on August 1 against its operation. The court sided with content creators' rights to control distribution, placing Zediva alongside ivi.tv and FilmOn as services ruled to have exceeded legal boundaries. For consumers, the ruling reinforces that novel technical workarounds to streaming licensing do not guarantee legal protection, regardless of how the delivery mechanism is structured.

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Streaming HDStandards

HDTV Almanac - Walmart Does End Run around Apple iStore

Walmart has redirected iPad users away from a dedicated Vudu app to a browser-based vudu.com interface, bypassing Apple's App Store 30% commission on in-app content transactions entirely. This workaround lets customers rent or purchase video content directly through the web without triggering Apple's revenue-sharing policy, leaving Apple with no cut of those sales. If other retailers adopt similar browser-based strategies, Apple's App Store commission model could face meaningful erosion despite the iPad's current market dominance.

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3DTVStandards

HDTV Almanac - 3DTV Active Glasses Standard in the Works

Panasonic, Samsung, and Sony are collaborating with XPAND 3D on the 'Full HD 3D Glasses Initiative,' a proposed universal standard for active shutter glasses that will support both infrared and Bluetooth RF connectivity to eliminate line-of-sight limitations. The initiative targets backward compatibility with 2011 television models, with universal glasses expected by 2012. If successful, consolidated licensing and increased manufacturer competition could drive down prices as consumer interest in 3D content matures.

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IPTVSatellite HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - Pay TV Services Lose 0.5 Million Subs

Pay TV providers shed a net 553,000 subscribers in Q2 2011, with Comcast, Time Warner, Dish Network, and Cablevision all posting losses while only DirecTV gained a modest 26,000. Telco rivals Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-Verse bucked the trend, adding 184,000 and 202,000 subscribers respectively. With Q3 forecasts equally grim, the subscription TV market faces mounting pressure to adopt a la carte pricing as a potential strategy to retain cost-conscious customers.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Amazon Snags Universal Movies

Amazon Prime Video expanded its catalog with Universal Pictures titles including 'Notting Hill' and 'Billy Elliott,' bringing its total to over 9,000 movies and TV episodes following a CBS content deal. Netflix, by comparison, is estimated to offer between two and six times that content volume, and holds exclusive rights to high-profile series such as 'Mad Men.' For consumers weighing streaming options, Amazon remains a distant challenger, and the outcome of a potential Hulu acquisition could further cement the competitive gap.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - ESPN 3D: Too Little, Too Soon?

AT&T dropped ESPN 3D after declining to renew its contract, citing costs that were too high, raising questions about the near-term viability of 3DTV distribution. As HDTVs increasingly bundle 3D support alongside high refresh rates and online streaming capabilities, the technology is poised to reach consumers as a standard feature rather than a premium add-on. When marquee broadcasts like the Super Bowl air in 3D, consumer demand is likely to follow, making AT&T's exit a temporary setback rather than a signal of long-term decline.

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Streaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Best Buy Uses TiVo for HDTV

Best Buy's Insignia brand has launched two TiVo-powered smart HDTVs, the 32-inch NS-32E859A11 at $499 and the 42-inch NS-42E859A11 at $699, featuring 120 Hz LCD panels with LED backlights and streaming support for Netflix, YouTube, Pandora, and CinemaNow. The standout feature is TiVo's unified search interface, derived from its DVR platform, which aggregates content discovery across multiple online services in a single UI. For consumers frustrated by fragmented streaming interfaces and channel grids, this approach could meaningfully simplify how they find and access video content.

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Streaming HDSportsProgramming

HDTV Almanac - Streaming Sports for Canadians

Rogers, Canada's major telecommunications provider, has launched streaming coverage of Toronto Blue Jays home games via its Rogers on Demand service, bypassing MLB's nationwide blackout policy that previously blocked all Canadian online viewers. Mobile access is priced at $5 per month and includes TV, news, and music content, while computer streaming is free to Rogers customers. This development signals a broader shift in video content distribution, with internet delivery increasingly challenging traditional broadcast, cable, and satellite systems.

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Home Theater3DTVSports

HDTV Almanac - English Football Goes for Immersion

The English Premier League is collaborating with Sony Electronics and Electronic Arts to develop an immersive 3D viewing experience that places fans inside a virtual stadium, with panoramic multi-perspective views exceeding the user's natural field of view. EPL chief executive Richard Scudamore estimates the technology could be deployment-ready within two to five years, requiring real-time high-definition 3D delivery over substantial bandwidth and computational infrastructure. For viewers, this could mean interactively choosing vantage points such as the players' bench or corner flag, fundamentally redefining how live sports are consumed at home.

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OTA HD & AntennasMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Speedbump for Comcast/NBCU

A federal judge in the District of Columbia has raised concerns about the arbitration terms governing the Justice Department-approved Comcast acquisition of NBC Universal, signaling a potential procedural obstacle to the merger. The judge questioned whether the agreed terms adequately serve the public interest, though the Justice Department retains the option to appeal any blocking decision. The deal remains likely to proceed, but the judicial scrutiny introduces a notable delay in finalizing one of the largest media consolidations in recent history.

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OTA Set-Top Boxes (STBs)Streaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Hard Times for Logitech; Trouble for Google TV?

Logitech reported a $29.6 million loss in Q1 2011, a swing of more than $49 million compared to the same quarter in 2010, with its Google TV set-top box, the Revue, experiencing more returns than sales. The company slashed the Revue's price from $299 to $99 in an attempt to compete with other network media players, a steep cut that signals weak consumer demand. Google TV's broader rollout also stalled when Google asked licensees to pause new product releases ahead of CES 2011, leaving the platform's future uncertain.

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LED TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Westinghouse Lowers LED LCD HDTV Prices

Westinghouse Digital is shipping LED-backlit LCD HDTVs at prices that undercut CCFL-backlit competitors by at least 40%, with a 40-inch LD-4070Z retailing at $439.99 and a 46-inch LD-4655 at $599.99. The aggressive pricing reflects a broader industry pattern where premium features such as 120 Hz refresh rates, Internet connectivity, and stereoscopic 3D support rapidly migrate down to mainstream price points. Consumers willing to wait a short time can expect formerly high-end specifications to become standard across most non-entry-level flat panel TV models.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - DisplaySearch Lowers Expectations

DisplaySearch has revised its 2011 worldwide television shipment forecast down 3% to 252 million units, reflecting soft demand in North America, Europe, and Japan following the CRT-to-flat-panel replacement cycle. LCD technology holds an 84% market share and is still growing, while plasma sits at 7% and continues to decline. Consumers in developed markets can expect price drops this fall, with particularly notable deals likely on plasma sets in the 50-inch to 55-inch range.

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Streaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Connected TVs Getting Used

A 2011 In-Stat survey finds that 60% of households with a connected TV use a TV app at least once per week, with Netflix and YouTube leading adoption. The research also estimates that 22% of U.S. broadband households already own an HDTV with integrated Internet-connected apps. As manufacturers push connected features across their full product lines, consumers can expect network connectivity to become a standard HDTV specification rather than a premium option.

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Politics & PolicyOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Pressure for Retrans Reform Builds

The FCC approved the sale of Topeka's ABC affiliate to Parkin Broadcasting, a company that already holds shared service agreements with New Vision Television - owner of the market's NBC and Fox affiliates - in Youngstown and Savannah. This arrangement effectively gives two companies control over three major networks in a single market, concentrating retransmission consent leverage against five local cable operators. Topeka subscribers now face the real risk of losing all three networks simultaneously during any carriage dispute, intensifying calls for regulatory reform of retransmission rules.

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HDTV Almanac - CEA Reports TVs Weigh Less

A Consumer Electronics Association report tracking TV materials from 2004 to 2011 finds that flat panel LCD TVs in the 13-to-36-inch range weigh 82% less and occupy 75% less space than equivalent CRT models. Even larger 40-to-70-inch flat panels still weigh roughly 34% less than the smaller CRT sets they replaced, reducing both manufacturing material consumption and shipping energy costs. For consumers and the industry, this suggests that upgrading from a CRT to a modern flat panel carries a lower environmental footprint despite the significant increase in screen size.

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Cable HD

HDTV Almanac - Making a Case for a la Carte

A Ninth Circuit Court ruling dismissed the Brantley v. NBC Universal antitrust case, finding that cable channel bundling harms consumers but does not demonstrably harm competition, the legal threshold required for antitrust action. Several advocacy groups have filed briefs seeking reconsideration, though the financial math of a la carte pricing remains uncertain, as baseline infrastructure and management costs could offset savings on unwanted channels. The rapid growth of broadband and online video streaming may ultimately provide the consumer leverage that legal challenges have so far failed to deliver.

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Streaming HDDRM

HDTV Almanac - Zediva: Rent-a-DVD-Player Service under Fire

Zediva offers a novel DVD rental model where customers rent both a physical disc and a dedicated DVD player housed in a server farm, with streaming delivered over the Internet for $1 to $2 per rental and a 14-day viewing window. The service currently supports standard-definition DVD only, with no Blu-ray option available. The MPAA has filed for a California district court injunction citing unlicensed streaming, making the service's near-term availability uncertain for consumers considering it.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - CBS Picks Amazon

CBS has signed a non-exclusive deal with Amazon to deliver approximately 2,000 full-length episodes to Amazon Prime subscribers, who pay $79 per year (roughly $6.59 per month) for the service. This positions Amazon's 8,000-title streaming library as a growing competitor to Netflix's 20,000-title catalog at $7.99 per month. Cord-cutters and streaming subscribers stand to gain more CBS content options across multiple platforms if the non-exclusive licensing extends to other services, including a potentially sold Hulu.

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Mobile HDPolitics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - Dyle-ing Mobile TV with a New Brand

The Mobile Content Venture (MVC) has launched the 'Dyle' brand to identify devices supporting Mobile DTV, a broadcast television standard designed for smartphones and tablets. The initiative, backed by the overlapping Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC), involves stations nationwide beginning to transmit mobile television signals over their assigned radio spectrum allocations. Consumer adoption remains uncertain, and the FCC is weighing whether portions of this broadcast spectrum could be reallocated to wireless broadband services, potentially generating billions in spectrum auction revenue.

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LED TVs

HDTV Almanac - DisplaySearch: LED Costs Less Overall

DisplaySearch's Q2'11 Quarterly TV Design and Features Report finds that LED-backlit 40-inch LCD HDTVs deliver net savings over their lifespan despite higher upfront costs, with a payback period of just over five years for average U.S. consumers and under two years in Western Europe where energy costs are higher. The firm projects LED backlights will outnumber CCFL units two to one by 2012, with CCFL nearly eliminated by 2015. For buyers weighing the price premium today, the long-term energy savings case is real, though the distinction may soon be irrelevant as CCFL exits the market.

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Politics & PolicyStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Closed-Captions Coming to the Internet

The Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 directed the FCC to establish closed captioning rules for Internet video, with a six-month window following the VPAAC committee report to finalize those regulations. Implementation will initially cover broadcast television content already captioned, and new hardware with user-accessible caption controls will be required before the standard becomes widespread across televisions and streaming devices. Viewers with hearing disabilities face at least another year before accessible online video becomes a practical reality.

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Digital Cinema

HDTV Almanac - Beyond Smell-o-Vision

CJ CGV's CGV Smartplex cinema deploys '4Dplex' technology across four operational venues in Korea, combining motion-synchronized seating, per-seat audio speakers, scent emitters, air blasters, and mist systems to create a fully immersive sensory experience. Stereoscopic 3D is layered on top of these physical effects, enabling real-time seat movement and localized sound cues tied directly to on-screen action. With a New York City installation planned, the technology raises the question of whether home theater systems will eventually follow the same multi-sensory path.

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3DTVSportsProgramming

HDTV Almanac - Sony Re-Ups for ESPN 3D

ESPN 3D, which transitioned to 24/7 broadcasting in February 2011 after launching roughly a year prior, has secured a renewed sponsorship commitment from Sony that will double the number of college football games broadcast in 3D this season. The channel has already aired 115 live sporting events in 3D, with Summer X Games coverage scheduled July 28-31. As 3DTV prices converge with standard HDTV costs, live sports content from partners like ESPN and Sony is positioned to accelerate mainstream adoption of the format.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Netflix Raises Rates

Netflix restructured its pricing in 2011, splitting its previously bundled $9.99 plan into two separate $7.99 tiers - one for unlimited streaming and one for one-at-a-time DVD-by-mail service - effectively raising the combined cost to $15.98 for subscribers who want both. The price increase reflects real operational costs: physical disc logistics, mail delivery, and competitive licensing fees as Netflix bids against cable and satellite providers for streaming rights. Subscribers who shift entirely to streaming can offset DVD costs by supplementing with Redbox rentals for roughly the same monthly spend.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Product Placement on the Fly

SeamBI's Dynamic Product Placement technology automatically identifies and replaces scene elements, such as billboards or store windows, with sponsor messages after production is complete, enabling different ads to run in different markets without manual re-editing. The system's real potential lies in pairing it with streaming platforms like Netflix or Hulu, which can leverage user data to deliver individually targeted brand placements within program content. For viewers, this could translate into lower subscription costs in exchange for personalized, contextually integrated advertising.

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DRM

HDTV Almanac - ISPs Ready to Get Tough on Copyrights

The Center for Copyright Information, a joint initiative between major ISPs and the entertainment industry backed by the White House, has launched a six-strike Copyright Alerts program targeting illegal content downloads on broadband accounts. Participating providers including Comcast, Cablevision, Verizon, and Time Warner Cable can enforce escalating penalties ranging from data throughput throttling to full Web access blocking. Consumers do have access to an independent review process if they dispute an alert, making it worth understanding the program before a violation affects your connection.

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Politics & PolicyStandards

HDTV Almanac - FCC: More Waiver Trouble

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals struck down FCC waivers that permitted cross-ownership of newspapers and television stations in the same market, reversing a 2008 agency decision and reinforcing the original 1975 prohibition. The FCC's existing rules also cap the number of TV and radio stations a single company can own within one market, with the goal of preventing broadcast media monopolization. As the FCC conducts a broad ownership rule review, the survival struggles of major-market newspapers raise practical questions about whether current regulations still serve the public interest.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - For Sale: Hulu

Hulu, the joint streaming venture owned by Disney, News Corp, and Comcast/NBC Universal, has been confirmed for sale by Disney CEO Bob Iger, with the service projected to surpass one million registered users and $500 million in revenues in 2011. Google is cited as a leading acquisition candidate, given its existing YouTube platform and capacity to scale full-length video offerings. A Google-Hulu deal could reshape the competitive landscape against the rapidly expanding Netflix and accelerate the transition to next-generation internet television.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - Rare-Earth at Sea

Japanese researchers have identified high concentrations of rare-earth minerals on the Pacific Ocean floor, based on analysis of more than 2,000 seabed samples, including deposits near Hawaii at depths of approximately three miles. These minerals are critical to consumer electronics manufacturing, and China currently controls the dominant global supply, creating pricing and availability risks for the industry. Deep-sea extraction is not yet economically viable but could become a practical alternative source within 20 years, potentially reducing dependence on any single supplier.

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LCD TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Throttle Back Production

LCD panel manufacturers in Korea and Taiwan began cutting large-size panel production in June 2011, with reductions expected to extend through August, as soft consumer demand threatened to reverse a modest price recovery seen in May. Operating capital-intensive fabrication plants below full capacity increases per-unit costs, forcing producers to balance output cuts against the risk of selling below cost. For consumers, the resulting panel inventory glut could translate into lower HDTV prices during the holiday buying season, barring an unexpected surge in demand.

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HDTV Almanac - Happy 4th of July!

The HDTV Almanac column takes a brief pause for the Independence Day holiday, with the author stepping away from home entertainment coverage for the long weekend. No technical content, product reviews, or specifications are featured in this entry. Readers following HDTV and home entertainment news can expect regular coverage to resume the following day.

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Mobile HD

HDTV Almanac - iPhone Users Like Video

A Futuresource survey of smartphone users across the U.S., UK, France, and Germany reveals that 64% of iPhone owners watch video content on their phones, compared to roughly 32% for owners of other smartphones. With Futuresource projecting smartphones to reach 75% market share by 2014, the growing habit of mobile video consumption carries a practical consequence: increased strain on wireless data networks. Whether iPhone users lead in video adoption due to device maturity or entertainment-oriented culture remains an open question worth examining.

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HDTV Almanac - Return of Smell-o-Vision!

Robert Rodriguez's 3D release of 'Spy Kids: All the Time in the World' revives scent-based cinema using a low-tech 'Aromascope' system, issuing viewers numbered scratch-and-sniff cards keyed to on-screen prompts rather than the theater-piped odors of 1960s Smell-o-Vision. The card-based format is format-agnostic, meaning the same olfactory experience can transfer to home DVD viewing. While the gimmick lacks broad market demand, it functions effectively as a promotional novelty for the production.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - A 3D Apple for the Teacher

XPAND, maker of universal active-shutter 3D glasses, is targeting educational markets with the XPAND 3D Educational Network, which provides teachers free access to public-domain 3D content along with 3D plug-ins for PowerPoint. A study cited on the company's website found that students using 3D video scored 35% higher than baseline, compared to a 9.7% gain for students using standard 2D video, though the absence of study details leaves room for skepticism about a novelty effect. For schools already stretched thin on technology budgets, the free public-domain content tier offers a low-barrier entry point into 3D classroom instruction.

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Smart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Large Screen Photo Album

Snap for TV is a Yahoo! Connected TV service that aggregates photos from 16 popular photo storage and social media platforms, including Flickr, Picasa, and Facebook, and displays them on a living room HDTV. The service supports shared albums and slideshow creation, bridging the gap between scattered online photo libraries and the big screen. For households with photos spread across multiple services, Snap offers a practical single-access point without requiring technical setup beyond a connected TV.

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3DTVLCD TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Does Passive Glasses 3DTV Add Cost?

A DisplayBank cost analysis of the LG 47LW5700 passive-glasses 3DTV reveals a total parts cost of $711.20, compared to $871.90 for the active-glasses LG 47LX6500, with the panel alone dropping from $640 to $490. The reduction is significant enough to offset the added expense of the patterned polarizing retarder film required for passive 3D technology. For consumers, this suggests passive 3DTV sets can be manufactured competitively without a price premium, challenging earlier assumptions about the cost barriers of this display approach.

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HDTV Almanac - Cisco: Video is the Killer App

Cisco's Visual Networking Index projects that video will account for 50% of all consumer Internet traffic by 2012, with one million minutes of video crossing the Internet every second by 2015. HD content is set to surpass standard definition this year and will represent over three-quarters of Internet video-on-demand by 2015, equivalent to three billion DVDs per month. For consumers, this signals a near-future of ubiquitous, high-quality on-demand video access, contingent on continued expansion of network infrastructure capacity.

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Politics & PolicyOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Is Broadcast TV Going Away?

Terrestrial broadcast TV, which serves roughly 45 million people across 17 million U.S. households, faces mounting pressure as regulators and wireless broadband advocates push to auction off unused spectrum currently assigned to local stations. The FCC's proposed voluntary spectrum buyback, combined with declining network viewership and the possibility of major networks transitioning to cable-only distribution, threatens the viability of over-the-air broadcasting. For the estimated 25% of households earning under $30,000 annually that rely solely on free broadcasts, these shifts could eliminate their primary access to television content.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - 3DTV No Longer a Premium

The Westinghouse W47S2TCD is a 47-inch 1080p LED-backlit LCD HDTV priced at $1,199 that includes passive patterned retarder 3D technology and four pairs of glasses, matching the cost of comparable non-3D sets like the Samsung UN46D6050TF. The use of passive retarder technology, shared with LG and Vizio, eliminates the premium typically associated with 3DTV support. For buyers already in the market for a new flat panel, the near-zero cost delta for 3D capability makes it a practical consideration for future-proofing.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - Hide in Plain Sight

Selecting the correct screen size relative to viewing distance is a critical but often overlooked factor in HDTV purchasing decisions, with many buyers defaulting to smaller panels due to aesthetic concerns rather than technical or budgetary constraints. Wall-mounted flat panel displays can be integrated into room decor through techniques such as dark wallpaper pairing or custom picture framing, addressing the visual footprint without sacrificing screen real estate. For viewers who have been undersizing their HDTVs to suit their interiors, these design approaches offer a practical path to optimizing both picture performance and room aesthetics.

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HDTV Almanac - Hello Comcast, Skype is Calling

Comcast and Skype have announced a partnership delivering video calling to subscribers via a dedicated adapter box paired with a high-quality camera, allowing calls to be placed or received across televisions, computers, tablets, and smartphones while watching HDTV content. The service uses Skype's existing free calling infrastructure, though HD resolution support and pricing remain unconfirmed ahead of customer trials. For households with elderly members, this setup could offer a straightforward, remote-controlled way to video chat without requiring a separate computer or technical setup.

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ManufacturingLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - China Passes Japan in LCD Production

China has surpassed Japan to become the third largest producer of LCD panels, including those used in LCD HDTVs, according to Displaybank data - despite Sharp operating the world's largest Gen 10 LCD plant. Korean and Taiwanese manufacturers are accelerating this shift by building Gen 8 facilities on mainland China to capitalize on lower production costs, with several additional plants planned within the next two years. For consumers and the industry, China's growing share of global LCD output signals increasing supply-chain influence over display pricing and availability.

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Politics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - Trouble Brewing for Wireless Broadband

LightSquared's 4G-LTE hybrid satellite-terrestrial broadband network, which received a conditional FCC waiver to expand terrestrial use of satellite radio spectrum, faces a critical obstacle: working group tests confirmed its ground-based signals could be one billion times stronger than GPS satellite signals at the receiver, causing severe interference in urban areas and threatening aviation navigation systems. The likely outcome - reassigning LightSquared to alternative spectrum - intensifies pressure on broadcasters, as regulators may accelerate efforts to reclaim spectrum currently allocated to terrestrial TV stations.

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Home TheaterCabling & WiringHDMI

HDTV Almanac - Thin HDMI Cables Are Smart

Redmere, an Irish company, has developed active HDMI cable technology that embeds signal-boosting circuitry inside the end connector, producing cables that are 70% to 80% thinner and lighter than standard passive HDMI cables while supporting runs up to 50 feet. The technology is already available through brands such as VIZIO, Samsung, Monster, and Radio Shack, with some models priced under $25. For consumers who need portable or long-run HDMI connections, this approach delivers full signal integrity without the bulk of conventional cables.

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Streaming HDMarket Trends & AnalysisSatellite HD

HDTV Almanac - Netflix Hurts Subscription TV

A 2011 TDG study found that 32% of online Netflix users were inclined to downgrade or cancel cable and satellite subscriptions, double the 16% recorded just one year prior. Cost savings drove roughly half of those considering the switch, putting direct pressure on subscription TV revenue at a time when retransmission and licensing fees were pushing provider costs higher. For consumers, the data signals a growing and viable alternative to traditional pay-TV bundles.

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Home TheaterStreaming HDBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Netflix Helps Blu-ray Make Gains

NPD Group research shows Blu-ray adoption climbing, with 15% of U.S. consumers reporting use of a Blu-ray player in the past six months, up from 9% the prior year. Player prices dropping below $100 and disc rental availability at Redbox kiosks for $1.50 per night have lowered barriers to entry. Notably, 50% of consumers intending to buy a Blu-ray set-top player cited streaming subscription services like Netflix as a primary motivation, making Blu-ray an attractive path to adding network connectivity to an existing HDTV.

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Streaming HDOTA HD & AntennasSports

HDTV Almanac - $4 Billion for Five Rings

Comcast secured U.S. broadcast rights to four consecutive Olympic Games (2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020) for $4.38 billion, covering television, mobile devices, and the Internet. The deal includes a commitment to broadcast every event live on at least one platform, a significant expansion from traditional prime-time-only coverage. Fans of niche Olympic sports stand to benefit directly, as live streaming across platforms means events that rarely reach prime time will now be accessible.

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ManufacturingMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Rivers Are Low in China: So What!

A severe drought in China's Yangtze River basin is threatening the Three Gorges hydropower project, which has a production capacity of 18.2 gigawatts - roughly equivalent to 15 third-generation nuclear reactors. With water levels too low to run all 26 turbines efficiently, nearly half of silicon-making facilities in Hunan province have been suspended due to power shortages. For consumers, this supply disruption combined with rising coal and diesel energy costs could translate into price increases across digital products including MP3 players, cell phones, and HDTVs.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - The Civil Shoe Drops

BrandsMart, a Florida-based electronics retailer, has filed a civil lawsuit against 15 LCD panel manufacturers including Samsung, LG, Sharp, and Toshiba, alleging losses from a price-fixing conspiracy that already resulted in over $890 million in U.S. Justice Department criminal fines and jail sentences for some executives. The suit covers any product containing an LCD panel, not just HDTVs. With multiple defendants having already pleaded guilty to federal charges, the civil case appears to have a strong evidentiary foundation for BrandsMart to recover damages.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Here We Go Again: Broadcast TV on the Internet

Bamboom, a pre-launch startup, is pursuing a novel legal strategy for streaming over-the-air broadcast TV over the Internet by assigning each subscriber their own dedicated miniature antenna in a large antenna array, distinguishing it from the single-source redistribution models that sank Ivi and FilmOn. The company has secured $4.5 million in investor funding, suggesting some confidence in the legal viability of its one-antenna-per-subscriber architecture. For cord-cutters with broadband access, particularly those in fringe reception areas, the service could offer a compelling alternative to cable or satellite.

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Plasma TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Samung First in U.S. for Plasma HDTV

Samsung led U.S. flat panel television sales for the first four months of 2011, capturing 24.9% of unit sales, 34.7% of revenues, and a dominant 48.1% share of connected televisions, according to NPD Group data. Samsung also topped plasma HDTV sales and held 51.1% of the 3DTV market, despite plasma representing less than 9% of global flat panel sales and facing a declining forecast. For consumers and industry watchers, these figures signal Samsung's broad competitive advantage across multiple display segments simultaneously.

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HDTV Almanac - What the BLEEP Did He Say?

The TVGuardian is a broadcast content filtering device that detects offensive language in a TV soundtrack and mutes flagged words in real time, replacing them with on-screen closed-caption substitutions that swap profanity for sanitized equivalents. The device processes audio and generates substitute captions on the fly, making it a practical tool for parents who want to limit children's exposure to explicit language during standard broadcast hours. For households concerned about the increasingly permissive dialog found even during the 8-to-9 PM family hour, it offers a functional, if imperfect, layer of control.

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Cable HDPolitics & PolicySatellite HD

HDTV Almanac - Satellite Shouldn't Count

Satellite TV signal loss during heavy precipitation and permanent blockage by granite terrain expose a critical flaw in FCC policy, which allows cable operators to cite satellite as effective competition when setting subscriber rates. Senator Bernie Sanders has petitioned the FCC to reverse rate increases approved over the past decade, arguing that satellite is not a viable alternative for many rural Vermont households where mountains obstruct the required line-of-sight to the satellite footprint. For consumers in these regions, the regulatory framework effectively leaves them with a single provider and no meaningful pricing competition.

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3DTVStreaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Samsung Connects with 3D Content

Samsung's Explore 3D app, powered by Rovi, gives connected TV owners free access to 3D movie trailers, music videos, and full-length Wealth TV episodes, with pay-per-view feature films and shorts planned for later in 2011. The move positions Samsung as a direct content distribution channel, bypassing traditional outlets and raising questions about brand-exclusive streaming access similar to manufacturer-specific 3D Blu-ray deals. For consumers, the practical upside is simpler content discovery, though the long-term implications for open access to streaming content are worth watching.

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DLP TVsStandards

HDTV Almanac - Mitsubishi Chooses the Big Picture

Mitsubishi is exiting the small-screen consumer TV market, refocusing its rear-projection DLP lineup exclusively on displays 65 inches and larger, including a 3D-capable 95-inch diagonal model. The company has formed a new subsidiary, Mitsubishi Electric Visual Solutions America Inc. (MEVSA), to manage both large-format consumer sets and commercial display applications. For buyers seeking a compact LCD for secondary rooms, Mitsubishi is no longer an option, but the brand remains relevant for large-screen and projector installations.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Can New TV Be Profitable?

The Digital Broadcasting Group (DBG) produced 'The Confession' starring Kiefer Sutherland exclusively for Hulu, with episodes running approximately 8 minutes each, and turned a profit in under six months without securing a major sponsor before production began. This outcome challenges the traditional network/linear content distribution model by demonstrating that Internet-only distribution can be financially viable. For viewers and producers alike, it signals a credible alternative path for scripted content outside the conventional broadcast system.

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Politics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - The End of Unlimited?

Verizon's planned elimination of flat-rate smartphone data plans in summer 2011, following AT&T's similar move the prior year, signals a broader industry shift toward tiered, metered data pricing. This transition mirrors utility models where heavier consumers pay proportionally more, with monthly transfer caps replacing unlimited access. For data-intensive users streaming services like Netflix to smartphones or tablets, the practical impact depends on how competitive pressure shapes pricing across both wired and wireless providers.

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LCD TVsManufacturing

HDTV Almanac - SID 2011: 100 Micron Glass

Corning and AGC demonstrated 0.1 mm thick flexible glass at SID 2011, a sheet roughly as thin as a single piece of paper and far lighter than the standard 0.7 mm LCD substrate. Both companies showed the material can be rolled continuously, opening the door to roll-to-roll display manufacturing that could replace less efficient batch-mode production. For consumers, this technology could translate into thinner, lighter panels and continued downward pressure on display prices.

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Market Trends & Analysis3DTV

HDTV Almanac - SID 2011: Spread the Word about 3DTV

Sony Electronics SVP Mike Abary presented February 2011 consumer research at SID Display Week showing that 62% of surveyed consumers would consider a 3DTV if glasses-free viewing were available, rising to 85% when four additional features were bundled. A striking data point revealed that 46% of consumers incorrectly believed a 3DTV could not replace a standard HDTV, a misconception likely suppressing adoption. With 3D capability projected to become standard across TV product lines by end of 2011, content availability and consumer education remain the practical barriers to mainstream acceptance.

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Events & Trade Shows

HDTV Almanac - SID 2011: Ask the Experts

SID Display Week 2011 opens its annual expert panel to public participation via an online forum at infoneedle.com/MCADisplay, covering topics including 3D displays, Internet TV, and gaming. The forum, accessible starting at 9 AM Pacific, allows registered users to monitor discussions and post comments directly alongside industry analysts. Readers interested in display technology trends can engage with conference experts without attending in person.

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OLED TVsManufacturing

HDTV Almanac - SID 2011: What Wasn't Said about OLED

Universal Display Corporation revealed updated phosphorescent OLED material lifetimes at SID 2011, with green-yellow rated at 1.4 million hours to half brightness and red at 900,000 hours, while blue lags significantly at just 20,000 hours. UDC also introduced a simplified single-layer encapsulation technology compatible with roll-to-roll fabrication, enabling potential flexible display manufacturing. Meanwhile, LG's planned Gen 8 OLED production line will rely on metal oxide backplane technology rather than polysilicon, a shift that could reduce large-substrate manufacturing costs and influence OLED's ability to compete commercially with LCD.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - SID 2011: 3DTV’s Door Number 3

Samsung and RealD unveiled a hybrid stereoscopic 3DTV technology at SID 2011 that combines full-resolution per-eye images from a dual-LCD panel design with low-cost passive polarized glasses. The second LCD panel requires no color filter, making it potentially cost-competitive with patterned retarder designs, especially compared to active shutter glasses for multi-viewer households where a 42-inch color LCD panel alone costs approximately $235. Consumers evaluating 3DTV options should weigh these emerging alternatives carefully before the competing marketing claims from shutter glasses and patterned retarder camps create further confusion.

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LCD TVsLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - SID 2011: Green Displays

Sony's 46-inch Bravia KDL-46EX520 demonstrates how LED-backlit LCD HDTV technology has evolved dramatically since the Qualia 005, cutting power consumption from 612 Watts to just 103 Watts - an 83% reduction - while also slashing weight from 130 to 31 pounds and thickness from 5 inches to 1.65 inches. These combined improvements carry real-world implications beyond energy savings, including lower shipping costs due to reduced size and weight, which help bring the retail price down from $15,000 to $989.

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LCD TVsLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - SID 2011: LCD Weight Loss

A 3M multi-layer optical film technology replaces the stack of free-standing optical films in LED edge-lit LCD backlights with a single film applied directly to the panel, eliminating 90% of light management materials and cutting up to 6.6 pounds from a 55-inch set. The improved light mixing allows LED spacing to increase from 12 mm to 60 mm, reducing assembly complexity and enabling the use of lower-cost, unbinned LEDs with mixed color temperatures. For consumers, these manufacturing efficiencies translate into continued downward price pressure on large-screen LCD HDTVs.

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Standards3DTV

HDTV Almanac - SID 2011: It Begins...

Autostereoscopic (glasses-free) 3DTV dominated discussion at the DisplaySearch conference preceding SID Display Week 2011, with analysts projecting commercial AS-3DTV products within three to five years and a Sony representative citing a five to seven year internal timeline before a viable product. A critical gap in the conversation was the absence of any credible solution for multi-viewer living room environments, where viewing angle and image quality constraints remain unsolved. Consumers hoping to skip glasses-based 3DTV in favor of a glasses-free alternative should expect a significantly longer wait than current industry timelines suggest.

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Streaming HDMobile HD

HDTV Almanac - Stream Netflix on Your Smartphone

Netflix has launched Android app support for five specific smartphones running Android 2.2 or 2.3, including the HTC Incredible, Nexus One, Evo 4G, HTC G2, and Samsung Nexus S. The limited device list stems from the lack of standardized streaming playback APIs across Android hardware, requiring costly per-device testing and certification. For subscribers, this means on-demand video streaming is now available on select Android handsets, extending the same Netflix experience already offered on iOS and Windows Phone 7 platforms.

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Standards3DTVOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - 3DTV Over the Air?

The ATSC 2.0 standard under development could enable stereoscopic 3DTV broadcasts within existing terrestrial bandwidth by replacing MPEG2 compression with the more efficient MPEG4 codec, which delivers roughly twice the data efficiency. Additional bandwidth savings are achievable by transmitting only the differential data between left and right frames, a technique that also preserves backward compatibility with 2D displays. For viewers, this means over-the-air 3DTV could become feasible without requiring new spectrum allocations, though full implementation remains years away.

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Cable HDPolitics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - Sen. Kerry Weighs in on Cable Rates

Comcast cable rate increases in Boston have escalated to federal scrutiny after U.S. Senator John Kerry, chair of the Senate subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet, formally requested an FCC report on cable TV pricing across Massachusetts markets. The FCC previously stripped Boston of its rate-control authority in 2002 after determining sufficient market competition existed, a designation Comcast defends by citing satellite alternatives. The outcome of this inquiry could set a precedent for how regulators assess cable competition and rate justification in markets nationwide.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - CEA Launches Lobby Assault on Congress

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) deployed an interactive four-page brochure on Capitol Hill featuring an embedded video display with six selectable video segments, including a message from CEO Gary Shapiro, as part of its lobbying effort titled 'America is Ready for a Comeback.' The brochure functions as a self-contained portable media player, demonstrating applied consumer electronics technology in an unconventional political context. For tech enthusiasts, the hardware raises immediate questions about repurposing the embedded display and playback electronics for DIY projects.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Streaming Goes Up, Up, and Away!

American Airlines is testing in-flight video streaming over WiFi on two Boeing 767-200 aircraft operating transcontinental routes, using Aircell-provided WiFi infrastructure. The airline is simultaneously rolling out WiFi across its entire domestic fleet and adding power outlets at every seat, enabling potential system-wide video-on-demand deployment. For travelers, this means on-demand content on personal devices rather than a fixed cabin program, though an additional fee is likely given the airline's existing trend toward a la carte charges.

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Programming3DTV

HDTV Almanac - 3DTV: Here Comes the Content, Part II

Digital Revolution Studios produced 'Bullproof,' claimed to be the first episodic docu-reality series shot entirely in native stereoscopic 3D, using dual-camera rigs built around off-the-shelf cameras such as the Canon XF305 to control production costs. The four one-hour episodes debuted on the 3net 24/7 3DTV network, demonstrating a cost-effective pipeline for generating native 3D content. For consumers, a growing library of purpose-built stereoscopic programming strengthens the case for investing in a 3D-capable television.

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ManufacturingBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Blu-ray Gets IP Clearinghouse

One-Blue, LLC, a joint venture among Hitachi, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, and Sony, now offers a single licensing clearinghouse for patents essential to Blu-ray Disc products, with fees set at $9 for BD players and $12 for BD recorders. For manufacturers selling players at wholesale prices under $50, that $9 fee represents roughly 18% of revenue, leaving little margin after parts, manufacturing, and overhead. This cost pressure helps explain why some budget-priced players may be built without proper licensing, making name-brand models a safer choice for consumers seeking reliable performance.

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Streaming HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - Railroads versus Highways

Cable providers face a structural conflict as they attempt to control both broadband delivery and proprietary TV content, a model the author argues is unsustainable as content and delivery medium separate. Free and fee-based streaming services such as Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Video on Demand already demonstrate that consumers can access video independently of a cable bundle. The practical implication is that cable companies will likely be forced into a utility role, competing on raw broadband throughput rather than content exclusivity.

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OTA HD & Antennas3DTV

HDTV Almanac - 3DTV: Here Comes the Content

3net, a joint venture between Discovery, Sony, and IMAX operating a 24/7 stereoscopic 3D network on DirecTV Channel 107, has commissioned a 26-episode animated series from Tiny Island Productions set to debut in fall 2011. ESPN is also developing live sports in stereoscopic 3D, while computerized 2D-to-3D conversion of back-catalog content is expected to improve in quality and drop in cost as production volume scales. The author predicts late 2012 to early 2013 as the practical window for consumers to invest in a 3DTV, once content volume reaches a tipping point.

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HD DVRSatellite HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - TiVo and DISH Bury the Hatchet

TiVo, a pioneer in DVR technology that displaced VCRs and later expanded into cable and satellite set-top boxes, has settled a seven-year patent infringement lawsuit against DISH Network and EchoStar. The settlement includes a $300 million upfront cash payment plus $200 million in annual installments over six years, totaling $500 million. DISH and EchoStar gain cross-licensing rights to continue offering their own DVR products, while TiVo secures substantial funding for future development.

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HDTV Almanac - 46″ LCD HDTV Under $550

The Dynex DX-46L150A11 is a 46-inch LCD HDTV available at Best Buy for $549.99, featuring a 60 Hz refresh rate, 3 HDMI connectors, and no network connectivity or 120 Hz panel. While its bare-bones spec sheet reflects its opening-price-point positioning, the dramatic price drop raises a practical question for buyers: spending roughly $275 more, or about $1 per week over five years, could secure 120 Hz motion handling and built-in network features that meaningfully improve long-term usability.

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Streaming HDSmart TVsSatellite HD

HDTV Almanac - EPIX Multi-Screen Strategy

EPIX, a subscription TV movie channel carrying content from Paramount, Lionsgate, and MGM, has launched apps across more than 100 consumer devices including Android phones and tablets, Samsung TVs and Blu-ray players, Google TV, Roku players, and the BlackBerry PlayBook. Access to its roughly 3,000-title catalog is free for authenticated cable, satellite, or telco subscribers, distinguishing it from a la carte services like Netflix. This model targets the majority of U.S. households already paying for TV subscriptions, though its long-term viability depends on whether the traditional pay-TV ecosystem can withstand pricing pressure and cord-cutting trends.

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Cable HD

HDTV Almanac - Wanna Buy a Cable Business?

Charter Communications is exploring a sale of its Los Angeles cable subscriber base, valued at approximately $2 billion, after Time Warner Cable declined a subscriber-swap deal involving Charter's Wisconsin operations of over 500,000 subscribers. The rejected swap has pushed the L.A. market toward an open auction, a less conventional route for cable asset transfers. For L.A. cable customers, the practical outcome is a likely provider change in the near term, regardless of which bidder ultimately wins.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Netflix is #1

Netflix surpassed Comcast to become the number one television subscription service in the U.S., doubling both worldwide revenues and domestic subscribers year-over-year while posting nearly 50% overall revenue growth. The company secured a $1 billion film licensing deal with Paramount, Lions Gate, and MGM, alongside original content commitments including the Kevin Spacey series House of Cards. For consumers and industry observers, the trajectory suggests Netflix is quietly positioning itself as a primary video distributor rather than the supplemental MVPD channel its CEO publicly described.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Dark Friday

The 2011 Royal Wedding posed a real stress test for Internet infrastructure, as streaming video generates individually targeted point-to-point data packets unlike broadcast television's single-channel delivery to millions simultaneously. Cable broadband users faced potential performance degradation if neighbors streamed the event concurrently, with downstream effects on email and general browsing. A practical workaround was to route office viewing through a single HDTV receiving an over-the-air broadcast signal, reducing upstream load on shared network connections.

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Politics & PolicyStandardsOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - CALM Act: Your Tax Dollars at Work

The CALM Act, signed into law in late 2010, mandates the FCC to enforce the ATSC A/85 Recommended Practice within one year, a standard published in November 2009 designed to normalize broadcast loudness across TV programs, commercials, and channel transitions. While NBC Universal and FOX demonstrated compliant systems at the 2011 NAB conference, the standard leaves room to game dynamic range thresholds, meaning advertisers may still push perceived loudness within compliance limits. Critically, the law applies only to FCC-regulated broadcasters, leaving online streaming platforms like Hulu entirely exempt.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - DisplaySearch: TV Replacement Cycle Shortens

DisplaySearch research reveals that global TV replacement cycles have shortened significantly from the traditional 10-to-15-year CRT cadence, driven primarily by 20% annual price drops in flat panel sets rather than advanced features like stereoscopic 3D or internet streaming. High definition programming adoption has also accelerated purchasing decisions, while broken or outdated sets ranked lower as motivating factors than expected. For consumers and the industry alike, near-saturation in markets like the U.S. means future growth depends heavily on expanding demand in BRIC nations.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - Philips Quits the TV Business

Philips is exiting the television business entirely, transferring its remaining TV operations to TPV, a manufacturer already licensed to sell Philips-branded sets in China and also known for the AOC and Emerson brands. The move follows a 2008 licensing deal with Funai covering North American sales, signaling a years-long retreat from the market. For consumers, the transition is unlikely to cause immediate disruption, though TPV may eventually shift to lower-cost panel suppliers as it absorbs the brand.

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OLED TVsManufacturing

HDTV Almanac - More on Bigger OLED Displays

Cymer's TCZ-1500B Gen 5.5 crystallization system enables laser annealing on substrates three times larger than current Gen 4 systems, a critical step for scaling OLED display production beyond small mobile screens. The high-power laser system addresses the longstanding limitation of converting amorphous silicon backplanes to polysilicon on large substrates, which has kept commercially available OLED panels confined to mobile devices. If Samsung, the likely buyer, deploys this on its planned Gen 5.5 production line, larger OLED HDTVs could reach consumers before year-end, though at significant price premiums over comparable LCD sets.

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Mobile HDStandards

HDTV Almanac - New Hybrid Portable TVs from RCA

RCA unveiled three portable LCD TVs at NAB 2011 capable of receiving both standard ATSC digital broadcast signals and the emerging Mobile DTV standard. The lineup includes two 3.5-inch models (DMT335R at $119 and DMT336R at $159) and a 7-inch WVGA widescreen model (DMT270R at $179), all supporting battery or AC operation. These budget-oriented sets are not high-definition displays, but offer a practical low-cost entry point for Mobile DTV exploration and a reliable power-outage backup for emergency use.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Walmart Shrinks CE Store Space

Walmart is reducing in-store consumer electronics floor space in its brick-and-mortar locations while expanding its HDTV lineup primarily through online channels, citing a stabilizing flat panel TV market following the U.S. analog-to-digital broadcast transition. The retailer is shifting its physical display mix toward smaller devices such as tablets and smartphones, including Apple products. For shoppers, this raises a practical concern: televisions are a category where in-person evaluation matters, and reduced floor inventory could push buyers to competing retailers.

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3DTVMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - 3DTV Prediction Coming True, Part II

Sony's 2011 HDTV lineup will include 3D support in 23 of 37 models, with the smallest being the 32-inch KDL-EX720 series at $999 - a 25% price premium over the comparable non-3D KDL-EX523 at $749. Samsung's active glasses dropping below $50 further signals that 3D technology costs are approaching marginal levels for mainstream sets. As competition intensifies, the remaining price gap between 3D and standard HDTVs is likely to narrow significantly before the holiday shopping season.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Coming to You Live on YouTube!

YouTube Live launched as a live streaming platform, initially available to selected partners with plans to scale to thousands of content providers, marking a significant shift from on-demand video hosting to real-time broadcast delivery. The move coincides with Netflix committing $90 million for 'Mad Men' including future seasons, signaling intensifying competition in digital content distribution. For viewers, YouTube Live could enable niche 'micro-broadcasting' of local sports and entertainment events that lack the audience scale required for traditional network coverage.

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Streaming HDSatellite HD

HDTV Almanac - Storefronts for Satellite TV?

DISH Network acquired Blockbuster's assets out of bankruptcy for approximately $320 million, a purchase that appears less about DVD rentals and more about entering the streaming video market to compete with Netflix. With Blockbuster already developing a streaming service, DISH may be positioning itself against Netflix's dominant online content platform rather than traditional rivals DirecTV or cable providers. For subscribers, this signals a potential new streaming option as DISH navigates rising content licensing fees and consumer resistance to higher subscription rates.

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Mobile HDDTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - More Mobile DTV on the Air

Mobile DTV signals are now broadcasting from 76 stations across 32 U.S. markets, with the Open Mobile Video Coalition projecting coverage of over 77 million households within twelve months. The standard supports on-device data storage, enabling mobile receivers to function as compact DVRs without requiring WiFi or broadband connectivity. LG and Samsung are developing prototype handsets for NAB demonstration, though the author questions whether built-in device integration can compete with broadband-delivered internet video for mainstream consumer adoption.

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Market Trends & Analysis3DTV

HDTV Almanac - 3DTV Prediction Coming True

Samsung is bundling two pairs of active 3D glasses with its entire 3DTV lineup and cutting additional pair pricing to under $50, a significant drop from the previous $200 per-pair cost. The author argues that 3D support will eventually become a standard feature across major TV brands, much as 120 Hz refresh rates did for LCD HDTVs, once content reaches critical mass. For consumers, this means holding off on a 3DTV purchase remains a reasonable strategy, as both hardware costs and content availability are expected to improve substantially.

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OTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - PBS Loses Major Affiliate Station

Two major PBS affiliates, KCET-TV in Los Angeles and WMFE-TV in Orlando, have left the network in 2011 due to inability to meet annual PBS membership dues, with WMFE-TV selling to a Dallas-based Christian broadcaster. The viewer-supported funding model is under measurable financial strain, raising questions about whether commercial broadcast stations face a similar revenue trajectory. If local stations cannot sustain programming budgets, reduced payments to content providers, including major Hollywood studios, could reshape the entire broadcast television ecosystem.

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Mobile HDStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - What Can We Learn from Internet Radio?

A Futuresource study found that U.S. streaming music listeners grew their listening hours by 27% over 18 months, even as the listener base held steady at roughly 38% of the population, driven by Pandora's personalization features and expanding mobile broadband coverage. The piece draws a direct parallel to streaming video, asking whether Netflix-style on-demand content delivered across televisions, smartphones, and computers could displace traditional cable and satellite distribution models. For consumers, the practical implication is a future where seamless, device-agnostic video streaming replaces fixed subscription TV packages.

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HDTV Almanac - See-Through TV?

Samsung Electronics has begun commercial production of 22-inch transparent LCD panels with a 1,680 by 1,050 pixel resolution, capable of displaying 720p images without scaling and consuming roughly 90% less power than backlit LCD displays by relying on ambient light. Intended primarily for digital signage, the panels also present compelling possibilities for telepresence and video chat, where a caller's image could appear to float in a room rather than simulate a window effect as in a typical Skype call.

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HDTV Almanac - How Much Would You Pay?

A TDG survey on consumer willingness to pay for premium VOD reveals that fewer than 1 in 10 respondents would pay $20 to watch a new release on the same day as its theatrical debut, while over 2 in 10 would accept a $5 premium. Studios are weighing a 60-day post-theatrical window for premium VOD, a delay that would likely reduce perceived value further. For consumers, the data suggests that lower-priced early VOD access may generate more revenue than high-priced delayed availability.

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HDTV Almanac - Sony Closes 11 U.S. Stores

Sony closed 11 of its U.S. retail locations and rebranded the remaining stores from 'Sony Style' to 'Sony Factory Outlet,' a shift the author argues undermines the brand's premium positioning. Sony built its reputation on high-end products like the Trinitron CRT line, but its presence in Walmart and now outlet-style stores signals a move toward bargain retail territory. For consumers, this repositioning raises questions about whether Sony can maintain a top-tier brand identity while competing on price and accessibility.

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4K Ultra HDStandardsOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - SMPTE Develops New HDTV Format

SMPTE has developed a vector-based video standard designed to address the massive data requirements of 4K (3,840 x 2,160) and higher resolution displays, where a single frame carries four times the data of 1080p. By encoding images as mathematical geometric definitions rather than rasterized pixel grids, the format can reduce a typical movie's data stream to as little as 1% the size of a compressed raster image through object tracking across frames. Existing HDTVs can adopt this format via an external HDMI-connected box, requiring no panel hardware changes.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Roku Scores Free Movies with Crackle

Roku has partnered with Crackle to deliver free, ad-supported streaming movies and full-length TV episodes directly to its network media player, with content sourced from Columbia Pictures, TriStar, Screen Gems, and Sony Pictures Classics - including titles such as 'The Da Vinci Code' and 'Ghostbusters'. Within just over a week of launch, the Crackle channel reached top-five status among installed and watched channels on the Roku platform. For cord-cutters weighing whether to replace a PC-based DVR setup with a standalone streaming device, this addition makes Roku a more compelling all-in-one solution alongside the existing Hulu Plus subscription option.

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ProgrammingStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - YouTube Gamble Pays Off

YouTube's revenues doubled in 2010 versus 2009, a significant turnaround against estimated losses of nearly $500 million the prior year, signaling a potential path to profitability. The platform has expanded beyond user-generated content by quietly rolling out episode-length programming, high-definition resolution, and broader embedding options - all while remaining free in contrast to subscription rivals like Hulu Plus and Netflix. For viewers, this combination of no-cost access and growing content depth positions YouTube as a serious contender in episodic and movie programming.

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3DTVStandards

HDTV Almanac - XPAND 3D to Tame Chaos

XPAND 3D and Panasonic have jointly announced the M-3DI standard, a communication protocol governing signals between frame-sequential stereoscopic displays and active shutter glasses, covering 3DTVs, computers, home projectors, and digital cinemas. The standard has secured endorsements from eight additional manufacturers including Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric, and ViewSonic. Universal glasses compatibility across all M-3DI-conforming displays could reduce consumer costs by consolidating third-party manufacturing volumes into a single compatible product line.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Netflix Opens the Kimono

Netflix VP Bill Holmes revealed at IP&TV World Forum that the average streaming subscriber watches approximately 27 hours of online content per month, a figure that likely surpasses viewership of any single major broadcast network in connected homes. Holmes also disclosed that 70% of Netflix streaming subscribers were acquired through word-of-mouth, supported by a 90% subscriber satisfaction rate. For consumers, entry into the Netflix streaming ecosystem requires only a network media player under $100 connected to an HDTV, making adoption relatively low-cost.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - 3D Imaging in a Fog

Researchers at Osaka University have demonstrated a volumetric 3D display system that projects multiple images into a cloud of water droplets, enabling true motion parallax rather than the two-view illusion of stereoscopic 3DTV. Unlike conventional stereoscopic displays, which are limited to two fixed perspectives, this mist-projection approach allows viewers to see different images depending on their physical viewing angle as they move around the display. For consumers, this could eventually address the multi-viewer limitations of auto-stereoscopic screens, though scaling it would require a stable cloud screen and interpolation to generate sufficient angular views.

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DLP TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Mitsubishi Abandons LCD HDTVs

Mitsubishi is exiting the LCD HDTV market to concentrate on DLP rear projection displays sized 73 inches and larger, including a 92-inch model demonstrated at CES 2011. A 73-inch Mitsubishi rear projection set retails on Amazon for $1,200, roughly 60 percent of the lowest price for a 65-inch plasma HDTV, underscoring a significant cost-per-inch advantage. For consumers prioritizing screen size over slim form factor, this repositioning signals that large-format rear projection may remain a viable, budget-friendly option despite declining mainstream appeal.

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Politics & PolicyOTA HD & AntennasSatellite HD

HDTV Almanac - More Retransmission Woes

LIN Media blacked out programming across 27 stations in 17 markets for eight days during a retransmission fee dispute with DISH Network, while a Univision affiliate in Providence, RI remained dark on a local cable system for 30 days. In Topeka, KS, two broadcasters coordinating on retransmission negotiations could simultaneously pull ABC, NBC, and FOX coverage, leaving subscribers without three of the top four networks. The FCC has proposed rules to address these escalating disputes, but the lack of enforceable resolution mechanisms puts paying subscribers at increasing risk of service interruptions.

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Events & Trade ShowsStandards

HDTV Almanac - CEA Offers Individual Memberships

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has introduced a new 'Tech Enthusiast' individual membership tier priced at $29 per year (discounted from $49), opening access to an organization previously limited to dealers and manufacturers. The move mirrors a pattern seen at trade shows like PC Expo, where increased consumer attendance diluted exhibitor value and ultimately accelerated the show's decline. For CES, which already faces major brands relocating to off-site private venues, a surge in individual consumer attendance could further erode exhibitor participation and the CEA's own revenue base.

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OLED TVsManufacturing

HDTV Almanac - 55″ OLED HDTV on the Way?

LG is developing Gen 8 OLED display panels using oxide TFTs, which provide sufficient electron mobility without requiring a polysilicon backplane, bypassing the laser annealing limitations that cap conventional OLED production at roughly Gen 4.5 substrates. The design employs white OLEDs filtered through RGB color filters plus a fourth white sub-pixel to compensate for the light loss inherent in filtered OLED architectures. Panel production was targeted before end of 2011, with 40-inch and larger screen sizes under consideration for consumer availability in 2012.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - Recipe for More 3DTV Content: Small Cameras

Stereoscopic camera technology is lowering the barrier to 3DTV content production, with Panasonic's dual-lens single-body camera already selling hundreds of units in the U.S. and Sony preparing to launch a competing two-lens model priced under $3,500. Smaller crews and reduced budgets made possible by these compact rigs address the core problem limiting 3DTV adoption: a shortage of affordable original content. If this production cost curve continues, a meaningful library of 3DTV programming could realistically emerge within two to three years.

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Streaming HDMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Netflix Dominates Digital Downloads

Netflix streaming commands over 60% of all digital video consumed in U.S. households, according to NPD's VideoWatch Digital service, dwarfing second-place Comcast at just 8% and a three-way tie at 4% each for DirecTV, TimeWarner Cable, and Apple. Digital video as a whole now accounts for one quarter of all home video viewing. For consumers and competitors alike, this concentration of market share means Netflix effectively sets the pace and terms of the digital video landscape with no close rival in sight.

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ManufacturingMarket Trends & AnalysisStandards

HDTV Almanac - Japanese Disaster Has Worldwide Impact on CE

The 2011 Japan earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear plant failures disrupted major consumer electronics supply chains, with Sony alone reporting six manufacturing facilities shut down in the affected region. Factories in the area produced critical components including Blu-ray laser units and Flash memory chips, creating potential shortages across global product lines. Consumers considering electronics purchases should be aware that the historically reliable trend of falling prices may not hold in the near term.

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HDTV Almanac - Blockbuster: Down but Not Yet Out?

Blockbuster, which filed for bankruptcy in September 2010, avoided immediate Chapter 7 liquidation after a judge approved a hedge fund purchase bid in a bankruptcy auction. A key obstacle involved resolving outstanding DVD supply debts with Hollywood studios, who threatened to halt new disc shipments without payment guarantees. The outcome signals that physical DVD retail distribution still holds enough commercial value for studios to negotiate, even as the industry struggles to define a transition path toward digital and electronic delivery.

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Satellite HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - Is That a Camel's Nose I See?

Shaw Communications has introduced the Shaw Plan Personalizer, a Canadian cable service offering a core package starting at approximately $37 per month for basic HD, with optional add-ons such as a sports channel bundle for $10 more. The structure effectively functions as an a la carte pricing model, the kind consumers have long demanded but subscription TV providers have consistently resisted. A three-year price guarantee sweetens the deal, potentially saving subscribers significant money by eliminating payment for unwanted channels.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Now You Can "Like" a Movie

Warner Brothers is launching a Facebook-based video rental service starting with 'The Dark Knight' at $3 for a 48-hour rental window, though resolution options remain unspecified. The studio's catalog of over 6,650 feature films, 40,000 television titles, and 14,000 animated titles signals significant expansion potential. If the pay-per-rental model proves more lucrative than the flat-rate subscriptions offered by Netflix and Hulu Plus, it could reshape how major studios distribute content through social platforms.

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3DTVMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - 15 Million 3DTVs by 2012

Futuresource forecasts a 15 million 3DTV installed base in the U.S. by end of 2012, a target that becomes plausible when set against the 35 to 40 million HDTVs sold in the U.S. in 2010 alone. Manufacturers facing a persistent 20% annual price decline are adding features like LED backlights, Internet connectivity, and 3D support to preserve margins, meaning 3D will ship as a standard checkbox feature rather than a premium differentiator. In practice, many buyers will own 3D-capable sets long before purchasing glasses or accessing 3D content, mirroring how Internet-ready TVs often go unconnected.

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Satellite HDOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Pot? Kettle? The Screen is Still Black

LIN Media, a broadcast television group operating CBS, CW, NBC, and ABC affiliates across 17 U.S. markets, went dark for DISH Network subscribers at midnight after retransmission consent negotiations collapsed. The dispute centers on whether a pay-TV distributor must compensate broadcasters for over-the-air signals that consumers can theoretically receive free via antenna. The blackout leaves subscribers without local channels and signals a broader industry tension that may ultimately invite federal regulatory intervention.

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3DTVOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - More Broadcast 3DTV News

3D HDTV adoption remains constrained by a thin content pipeline, with DirecTV CINEMA adding only four new 3D movie titles at $6.99 each and one opera download to its DVR-delivered lineup. ESPN's 3D coverage of the Masters Tournament totals just 10 hours across four rounds, a fraction of its standard 2D broadcast. For consumers weighing a multi-thousand-dollar 3DTV purchase, the current content volume falls well short of justifying the investment, though the landscape is expected to improve within one to two years.

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Home TheaterStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Hook'em Up, Danno!

A Diffusion Group report reveals that roughly one in three broadband subscribers connect a PC to their television at least once a year, with more than one in six doing so daily to watch content. The 18-to-34 age demographic drives the highest adoption of PC-to-TV connections, even as Internet-enabled HDTVs, Blu-ray players, and dedicated network media players like Roku compete for that use case. Notably, nearly half of these viewers pay for at least some streamed content, suggesting a commercially viable market rather than one dominated by piracy.

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LCD TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - TV Replacement Cycles Get Shorter

U.S. consumers are now replacing LCD TVs every 6 years on average, compared to the 9-year replacement cycle typical of CRT sets, according to data presented by a Corning representative at a DisplaySearch conference. Corning projects that by 2014, LCD-to-LCD replacements will nearly match CRT-to-LCD purchases, signaling a fundamental shift in upgrade behavior. Combined with rising flat panel demand from developing markets like China and India, this accelerating replacement cycle points to sustained growth in LCD glass and panel production.

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HDTV Almanac - Green Tips

The CEA's Digital Tips site offers a dedicated Green tab with practical resources for responsible consumer electronics disposal, including donation and recycling options for used gear. The site, published by the same organization behind the Consumer Electronics Show, also covers energy-saving strategies for devices already in use. Readers looking to reduce the environmental footprint of their electronics purchases and usage will find this a useful, if industry-sponsored, starting point.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Samsung & LG Still on Top

Samsung captured 19% of worldwide flat panel TV unit shipments in 2010, with LG adding another 13%, meaning nearly one in three flat panel TVs shipped globally came from a Korean manufacturer. Sony held third place at 11% but outsources at least half of its panel production, while Sharp ranked sixth at 7% despite supplying panels to other brands. These figures reveal a significant gap between vertically integrated Korean manufacturers and competitors who rely on outside panel suppliers.

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Emerging Tech

HDTV Almanac - Progress on Thin Color Display

Samsung Electronics demonstrated a flexible quantum dot display technology, published in Nature Photonics, where nanoparticles emit narrow-spectrum light when electrically excited, with color tuned by particle size. A key achievement involves transferring quantum dot material stripes onto an active matrix backplane, though the technology remains at the laboratory stage with a lifespan of only 10,000 hours to half brightness versus 60,000 or more hours for plasma and LCD panels. Consumers should not expect commercial availability soon, but the technology shows potential for energy efficiency surpassing even OLEDs.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Roku Celebrates 1 Million Units

Roku marked the sale of its one millionth network media player with a '1 Million Fans Giveaway' promotion offering 50 prizes to participants. Entrants can join via Facebook or Twitter by uploading a photo to an online mosaic or posting a comment at roku.com/1million. For Roku owners and streaming enthusiasts, this milestone signals the platform's growing foothold in the home media streaming market.

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LCD TVsLaser TVs

HDTV Almanac - New Type of "Laser TV"

Mitsubishi has developed a hybrid backlight system for LCD flat panels that pairs a red laser with a high-brightness cyan LED to produce mixed white light, delivering better color performance than standard white LEDs or RGB LED arrays. Because the red laser is approximately 10 times brighter than an equivalent LED, the design requires one-tenth the number of laser components, though engineering adequate light guides to blend the two sources remains a key challenge. Consumers could benefit from improved color accuracy in LCD displays without the component complexity of full RGB LED backlighting.

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Streaming HDOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - ivi.tv Goes Down in Flames, for Now

ivi.tv, a startup that paid Copyright Office retransmission fees to capture over-the-air broadcast signals from New York and Los Angeles markets and redistribute them via the open Internet, was blocked by U.S. District Court Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald, who ruled the service unlikely to qualify as a cable company under existing law. The injunction specifically prohibits streaming broadcast television programming over mobile telephone systems and the Internet. CEO Todd Weaver disputes the ruling, citing FCC compliance assurances, leaving open the possibility of an appeal that could reshape how retransmission rights apply to Internet-based distributors.

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3DTVCable HD

HDTV Almanac - More 3D Channels

Comcast has launched Xfinity 3D, a dedicated 24/7 stereoscopic 3D channel offering concerts, sporting events, and fewer than a dozen movies alongside original programming. The limited movie library, even at two hours per title, amounts to roughly 24 hours of unique content, suggesting heavy repeat scheduling padded with documentary filler reminiscent of early HDTV channel launches. For 3D HDTV owners, the channel functions more as a perpetual demo loop than a compelling content destination.

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Mobile HD

HDTV Almanac - Best Buy in Your Smartphone

The Best Buy mobile app for iPhone and Android devices offers a barcode scanning feature that instantly retrieves current Best Buy pricing, eliminating the need to visit multiple stores for comparison shopping. The free app also provides access to the latest sales flyer, giving shoppers real-time pricing data on HDTVs and other consumer electronics directly from the store floor. For buyers who rely on multi-store price checks before committing, this tool can meaningfully reduce the time and travel involved in making a confident purchase decision.

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HDTV Almanac - Tablet, Tablet, on the Wall...

The Sanus iPad Mount Adapter is a sub-$25 accessory that uses the VESA 100x100 mounting standard to attach an iPad to virtually any table or wall mount for hands-free viewing. The snap-in, snap-out design allows quick removal when portability is needed, making it practical for dual-screen-style workflows where the iPad displays web content or live data alongside a primary computer. It is a straightforward, low-cost solution for iPad owners who want a fixed display option without sacrificing the tablet's portability.

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HDMI

HDTV Almanac - Banned at the Border

HDMI Licensing, the body overseeing intellectual property for the HDMI standard backed by over 1,000 licensed companies, has partnered with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to seize 32 shipments of counterfeit HDMI products at ports spanning Alaska to Florida. The seized goods ranged from cables to DVD players, targeting manufacturers who bypassed required patent licensing. For consumers, the enforcement has not disrupted supply or pricing, as quality HDMI cables remain available for under $10, and the digital connection's pass/fail nature means a budget cable performs identically to a premium one.

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Streaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Boxee Box Gets Netflix, Finally

The Boxee Box, a network media player released by D-Link in November 2010, has received Netflix streaming support via a software update several months after launch, despite the feature being promised from the start. The addition brings the device in line with competing network media players and Internet-connected Blu-ray players that offer similar smart TV functionality. For consumers, this update finally delivers the core streaming capability that makes the Boxee Box a practical option for adding Netflix access to older television sets.

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HDTV Almanac - Through a Glass, Brightly

Corning, a dominant supplier of glass for LCD flat panel HDTVs, has released a high-production video demonstrating how advanced glass technologies could integrate into everyday life in the near future. The editorial notes that many of the underlying technologies shown are not speculative but already exist in some form. For readers tracking display and materials innovation, this glimpse at glass-based interfaces suggests a tangible roadmap worth following.

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Satellite HD3DTV

HDTV Almanac - 3DTV on DirecTV

The 3net channel, a joint venture between Sony, Discovery, and IMAX, launched on DirecTV as a 24/7 stereoscopic 3D broadcast network, promising new content every night at 9 PM through February. The debut lineup consisted entirely of documentaries, drawing a parallel to the sparse early programming seen when HD channels first launched. While the launch incrementally builds consumer awareness of 3DTV, meaningful sales growth will likely require years of content expansion before 3D programming reaches the breadth currently available in HD.

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Cable HD

HDTV Almanac - Cable Subsidies: "A Dumb Idea"

New Jersey redirected over $9 million collected from a five-year-old cable subscription tax, originally earmarked to subsidize cable fees for low-income seniors and people with disabilities, directly into the state's general fund to offset a $2.2 billion fiscal-year deficit. Governor Christie publicly questioned whether cable TV access warrants public funding, framing it as a non-essential service. For affected residents, the reallocation eliminates a program that could have meaningfully supported access to video programming, raising questions about how policymakers weigh media access against more fundamental utility needs.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - Sue Me, Sue You

LG has filed an International Trade Commission (ITC) complaint alleging that Sony PS3 consoles and Bravia HDTVs infringe LG patents, seeking to block their import into the United States. Sony had previously filed a parallel ITC complaint targeting LG mobile phones and Blu-ray players, creating a mutual legal standoff that reportedly costs each side roughly $15 million to pursue. The most likely practical outcome for consumers and the industry is a cross-licensing agreement that quietly resolves both disputes without public disclosure of terms.

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SportsSatellite HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - The Subscriber Bowl?

NFL television licensing agreements set to expire in 2014 could shift major sports broadcasts, including the Super Bowl, from free over-the-air networks to cable or satellite-only channels, affecting the roughly 25% of households without pay-TV subscriptions. ESPN, already holding Monday Night Football rights and investing in live 3D sports coverage, may leverage premium 3D advertising revenue to outbid broadcast networks for expanded NFL packages. For viewers, this scenario intensifies pressure for internet streaming options and a la carte cable pricing models.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Tough Times for CE Retailers

Ultimate Electronics has filed for bankruptcy liquidation after failing to secure inventory credit, with store closures expected to complete by April 2011. Regional chain 6th Avenue Electronics is simultaneously retreating from its Philadelphia expansion, closing three stores there and phasing out two New Jersey locations after the new markets failed to reach profitability within a viable timeframe. Both cases reflect sustained pressure on consumer electronics retail, suggesting further industry consolidation ahead even as broader economic indicators improve.

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Home TheaterSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Samsung HDTV? There's an App for That!

Samsung's Galaxy S smartphone and Galaxy Tab can now control 2010 and 2011 model Samsung HDTVs via WiFi, using dedicated apps that replace traditional remote controls with context-sensitive on-screen interfaces. The on-screen keyboard enables more convenient text input for Internet streaming searches, a practical advantage over standard remotes. The broader question is whether consumers will accept Samsung's vertically-integrated ecosystem or demand a cross-brand, standards-based control solution for HDTVs and peripherals like Blu-ray players.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Sets Turn Green

A CEA-commissioned study covering 13-inch to 65-inch LCD and 42-inch to 65-inch plasma flat panel HDTVs reports that LCD active power consumption dropped 63% from 2003 to 2010, while standby draw fell 87% from 2004 to 2010. Plasma sets achieved a 41% reduction in active power and 85% in standby power between 2008 and 2010, aided by improved UV light efficiency per cell and the LCD industry's shift from fluorescent to LED backlighting. Readers should weigh these gains against the CEA's industry-advocacy role, though the efficiency trajectory has real implications for long-term operating costs.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Jon's Back on Hulu!

Hulu has secured a content deal with Viacom, restoring full episodes of Comedy Central programming including 'The Daily Show with Jon Stewart' and 'The Colbert Report' to the free tier, with Hulu Plus subscribers gaining access to over 2,000 library episodes after a 21-day window. The agreement arrives at a critical moment for Hulu, which faces mounting pressure from Netflix's aggressive content spending and uncertainty surrounding the Comcast/NBC Universal merger's effect on network backing. For viewers, this means new episodes can surface automatically in a Hulu queue rather than requiring manual navigation of Comedy Central's own site.

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Market Trends & AnalysisSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - NeTV Sales to Grow

Parks Associates projected that Internet-connected TVs would grow from roughly 25% of new TV sales in 2010 to 76% by 2015, driven partly by connectivity becoming a standard feature much like 120 Hz refresh rates on LCD HDTVs. Growing consumer adoption of network media players such as Roku signals rising demand for streaming content access. For buyers, this means Internet connectivity will likely be bundled into most mid-range and higher televisions whether or not it is a primary purchase consideration.

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Streaming HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - Netflix Tops 20 Million

Netflix closed Q4 2010 with 20 million total subscribers after adding 3.1 million net new users, positioning it as the second-largest video subscription service in the U.S., trailing only Comcast's 24 million. Roughly one-third of new sign-ups chose the streaming-only plan, and Netflix posted $47 million in profit for the quarter, a gain of more than 50 percent year-over-year. That financial momentum gives Netflix real leverage in content licensing negotiations, while Comcast's simultaneous loss of over 250,000 subscribers signals a measurable shift in how consumers access video.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - FCC Opens Up the Space Between

The FCC has designated nine companies, including Google, as joint administrators of a white space spectrum database that tracks available unlicensed TV broadcast frequencies by location, with San Francisco showing roughly one-third available and some cities reaching 70% unused spectrum. Google's variable power transmission approach aims to improve frequency efficiency across these bands. The database, expected to go live within one to two months, is intended to enable rural broadband expansion and foster competition among smaller wireless service providers.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - Sharp Goes for Elite Line

Sharp has licensed Pioneer's Elite brand name for use on its LCD HDTVs, a move aimed at repositioning the struggling manufacturer in the premium segment where Pioneer once dominated with top-tier plasma displays. Sharp's U.S. market share has fallen to minimal levels, and the professional AV retail channel it is targeting faces structural headwinds, including depressed luxury housing starts and the contraction or closure of several specialty dealers. Whether a high-end branding strategy can meaningfully reverse Sharp's retail trajectory remains doubtful.

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Market Trends & AnalysisLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - TV Panel Prices Continue to Fall

Large LCD television panels fell 1% to 2% in wholesale pricing during January, with a standard 42-inch panel dropping from $245 to $240 and a 120Hz LED edge-lit 42-inch panel declining from $335 to $330. Weaker-than-expected December sales have created inventory backlogs, particularly among LED backlight models, squeezing margins for manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. Buyers willing to wait until late February may find favorable deals on 2010 HDTV models as retailers face a slow selling period between the Super Bowl and the fall football season.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - People Won't Pay for Content, Right?

iTunes surpassing 10 billion downloads, generating an estimated $10 billion in revenue at the standard $0.99 per track price point, demonstrates that consumers will pay for digital content when pricing is reasonable. Netflix's $7.99 monthly streaming subscription further supports the model, showing that rights-based distribution can coexist with a market once dominated by piracy. For content creators and distributors, these figures signal a viable commercial path forward in digital media.

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HD DVR

HDTV Almanac - Microsoft Sues TiVo; So What?

Microsoft filed a patent infringement complaint against TiVo with the US International Trade Commission, a venue that carries the power to ban imports of products containing components that violate patent rights. The filing signals significant financial stakes, with litigation costs likely running into the millions, suggesting motivations beyond a simple cross-licensing arrangement. For TiVo, the practical risk is a potential import ban on its hardware, though the true strategic motivation behind the suit may never become public.

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Streaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Roku Adds Live Channel

Roku, a network media player that connects HDTVs to streaming services, is adding its first linear channel, WealthTV, at a $2.99 per month subscription fee. Unlike on-demand content, WealthTV streams regularly scheduled programming in high definition, requiring a sufficiently fast broadband connection. This move supports a la carte channel pricing and signals growing appeal for niche content providers seeking distribution outside traditional cable systems.

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Mobile HDStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Mobile Video Taking Up Bandwidth

A 2010 Bytemobile study found that 10% of mobile users accounted for 90% of total mobile network traffic, with video comprising 40% of that load and projected to reach 60% in 2011 as viewers shift from short clips to full TV episodes at higher resolutions. This concentration of usage raises serious capacity concerns, given that cellular networks already lack sufficient bandwidth for simultaneous voice calls by all subscribers. As home Internet video viewing normalizes, consumers will likely extend that behavior to smartphones and tablets, putting further strain on capped wireless data plans.

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OTA HD & AntennasSatellite HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - Retransmission Wars Avoided... This Time

Sinclair and Time Warner Cable have extended their expired retransmission agreement through February 21st, avoiding a channel blackout while finalizing terms. The deal follows a similar December settlement between Hearst Corp. and DirecTV, also without service interruption. For subscribers already frustrated by rising fees and stagnant service value, these disputes signal a pattern of retransmission conflicts that could continue to threaten programming access and drive further cost increases.

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Cable HDStandards

HDTV Almanac - Comcast Gets NBC-U Approval

Comcast's acquisition of NBC Universal cleared both FCC and DOJ regulatory hurdles, granting the largest U.S. cable operator unprecedented vertical integration spanning content production and distribution. The FCC imposed conditions including 1,000 hours of additional local news, expanded Spanish-language programming, and relinquishment of Hulu.com management rights, while the DOJ mandated net-neutrality compliance and protections for competing content providers and subscription TV services. For consumers and industry rivals, the deal's real-world impact hinges on whether regulatory guardrails prove sufficient to prevent anti-competitive behavior across distribution channels.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Netflix Limits Access to DVD Queue

Netflix has restricted DVD queue management to its website only, removing the ability to add titles via connected TVs, Blu-ray players, network media players, and mobile devices - a deliberate friction strategy to push subscribers toward streaming. Simultaneously, major manufacturers announced at CES that new remote controls will feature a dedicated Netflix button for one-click streaming access. The streaming library still lacks HD availability for most titles and trails physical disc options in selection, leaving the service short of a true replacement for its own DVD-by-mail offering.

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HDTV Almanac - 15 More Minutes of Fame

The HDTV Almanac, a publication focused on high-definition television technology, has been selected by Newstex as one of its syndicated sources of authoritative online content. As part of a new video interview program, the author was featured in a roughly 8-minute segment discussing the Almanac. Readers interested in HDTV coverage and the publication's reach across syndication networks can view the interview on YouTube or contact the author directly.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - CES 2011: Are TV Makers Doing an "Osborne"?

Auto-stereoscopic 3DTV displays demonstrated by Toshiba, Sony, and LG at CES 2011 require viewers to occupy precise angular 'sweet spots' to perceive a correct stereoscopic image, with off-axis viewers receiving mismatched left/right eye signals that produce an unwatchable result. The limited sweet-spot geometry makes multi-viewer living room use impractical compared to active or passive glasses-based systems. By publicly showcasing glasses-free prototypes before they are viable or affordable, manufacturers risk stalling sales of current 3DTV models as consumers defer purchases indefinitely - a pattern historically echoed by the Osborne Computer effect.

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Mobile HDStandards

HDTV Almanac - CES 2011: More Choices for Hurricane Kits

RCA's portable LCD televisions showcased at CES 2011 support both standard ATSC digital broadcast signals and the emerging Mobile DTV standard, which is engineered specifically for reception on moving devices. Unlike conventional ATSC tuners, Mobile DTV is optimized for portability, and the standard is gaining traction in devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab. For consumers building emergency kits, choosing a dual-tuner portable set hedges against the uncertain adoption trajectory of Mobile DTV while ensuring reliable access to over-the-air broadcasts.

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Events & Trade ShowsProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - CES 2011: Pico Projectors Coming

Texas Instruments unveiled its DLP Pico HD chip at CES 2011, featuring Wide XGA resolution (1366x768 pixels) capable of native 720p output without scaling, while current pico projector brightness has climbed to 300 lumens using solid-state lighting sources that eliminate lamp replacement costs. Syndiant is also sampling a 720p panel measuring just 0.37 inches diagonal, targeting embedded applications from docking stations to projection TV boxes for power-limited markets like India and China. Consumers can expect pico projectors to appear in an expanding range of everyday devices well before CES 2012.

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Streaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - CES 2011: Yahoo! Connected TVs

Yahoo! Connected TV, already embedded in sets from seven of the top 10 television manufacturers, had an installed base of approximately 6 million sets worldwide at the time of CES 2011, with growth projected to 8 million by March of that year. The platform was expanding beyond televisions to network media players, including a D-Link device slated for Q2 2011, while introducing broadcaster-encoded on-screen interactivity that shrinks the program window to allow simultaneous content browsing. This interactive layer could reshape how television programming is funded and distributed by enabling contextual, non-intrusive viewer engagement.

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LED TVsEvents & Trade Shows

HDTV Almanac - CES 2011: Now THAT’S an LED TV!

Mitsubishi showcased a 155-inch true LED display at CES 2011, where the image is formed by millions of individual LEDs rather than an LCD panel with LED backlighting. Despite its massive size, the panel runs at only 1152 by 640 pixels, a Wide VGA resolution well below HD standards, though its modular architecture allows additional panels to scale up resolution. For consumers, the distinction between true LED displays and LED-backlit LCDs is a critical one that affects both image quality and how manufacturers market their products.

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Mobile HD

HDTV Almanac - CES 2011: What's That Show?

Videosurf Mobile, demonstrated at CES 2011, is a free iPhone app that uses facial recognition technology and cloud-based database queries to identify actors and TV shows from a roughly five-second video clip recorded on-screen. The app not only identifies performers like Gwyneth Paltrow but also returns filmographies, appearance lists, and linked YouTube clips. For viewers who struggle to place familiar faces mid-broadcast, this tool offers a practical, real-time solution without interrupting the viewing experience.

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Home Theater3DTV

HDTV Almanac - CES 2011: 3D Glasses Improve Rapidly

At CES 2011, manufacturers unveiled notable advances in 3D eyewear, with Samsung debuting a shutter glass model weighing just one ounce and XPAND introducing programmable YOUNIVERSAL glasses adjustable for dark time, transition time, and viewing distance. On the passive side, Marchon 3D patented curved lenses starting at $35, with options including prescription lenses and photochromatic coatings for outdoor use. These developments suggest that price and design barriers to 3DTV adoption are eroding faster than the roughly one million sets sold in the U.S. in 2010 might indicate.

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3DTVEvents & Trade Shows

HDTV Almanac - CES 2011: 3Takes on 3DTV

At CES 2011 pre-show press events, three distinct 3DTV approaches emerged: a Vizio 65-inch LCD using passive glasses with an LG-sourced panel, a Mitsubishi 92-inch DLP rear-projection set requiring active glasses, and Toshiba engineering prototypes including an autostereoscopic LCD with 4K resolution and only three narrow sweet spots. The Toshiba no-glasses prototype's limited viewing angles confirm that multi-viewer autostereoscopic living room solutions remain impractical. Passive glasses sets appear poised to gain market share quickly due to lower cost and simpler technology.

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LCD TVsLED TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - 2010 A Good Year for LCD HDTV

DisplaySearch data shows global LCD TV shipments reached approximately 190 million units in 2010, a 31% year-over-year increase driven largely by falling prices, while North America posted a modest 0.4% gain due to recession pressures. LED backlights are projected to appear in the majority of LCD TVs by 2011, with the price premium over fluorescent models dropping from roughly 100% to as low as 20% for some screen sizes. Plasma technology, despite matching LCD unit growth rates in 2010, still holds less than 10% of the flat screen market, reinforcing LCD's dominant position for consumers.

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Home Theater3DTV

HDTV Almanac - A "Goofy Glasses" Rant

Autostereoscopic 3D displays require delivering separate images to each eye simultaneously, a constraint that limits current glasses-free technology to fewer than 10 fixed viewing sweet spots per screen - making multi-viewer living room use impractical. Face-recognition and head-tracking approaches remain too limited to solve real-world scenarios like multiple viewers at varied positions. Consumers waiting for affordable, glasses-free 3DTV within a few years should temper expectations, as no credible near-term technology addresses these fundamental optical and geometric challenges.

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HDTV Almanac - Happy New Year!

HDTV Almanac closes out a busy year in home entertainment and HDTV with a year-end reflection from author Alfred Poor, who notes the site's strong search engine visibility as a marker of its growing readership. The column previews an even more active year ahead in the HDTV and home entertainment space. Readers interested in display technology coverage are encouraged to submit topic suggestions directly to the author for future content direction.

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Streaming HDMarket Trends & AnalysisSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - NeTVs to Dominate by 2014

A Futurescape study predicts that 54% of flat panel televisions shipped worldwide in 2014 will include network connectivity, with Samsung forecasting 70% of its own shipments will carry Internet support that same year. The analysis draws a parallel to mandated over-the-air tuners, arguing that adding network capability to an HDTV's existing processor-based controller carries minimal incremental cost. Whether consumers will actually connect these sets remains the open question, as streaming video adoption lags behind hardware availability, though improving content quality and growing Netflix subscriber numbers suggest demand will accelerate.

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Satellite HDCable HDOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - DirecTV Raises Rates

DirecTV announced a 4% rate increase effective February 10, mirroring a similar hike from the prior year, driven by rising channel carriage fees from broadcast networks. Retransmission negotiations increasingly push past deadlines, leaving subscribers facing temporary network blackouts before costs are ultimately passed downstream. For pay-TV customers, this pattern signals that monthly bills will continue climbing, while a la carte pricing remains unlikely without government mandate due to the revenue and infrastructure risks it poses to providers and content producers alike.

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Deals

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Bargains Still Out There

Post-Black Friday clearance pricing has pushed 47-inch 120 Hz LCD HDTVs from LG and Vizio into the $599-$699 range, while a 50-inch LG 1080p plasma is available at $699.88 and a 24-inch LED-backlit 1080p LCD dips to $189. HDTV sales underperformed the broader consumer electronics market in 2010, leaving retailers motivated to move inventory before year-end. Shoppers willing to act before the NFL playoffs could find competitive pricing across screen sizes and display technologies.

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DRMStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Rovi to Acquire Sonic Solutions

Rovi, formerly Macrovision and known for DVD copy protection schemes and on-screen program guides serving cable and satellite providers, announced a $700 million-plus acquisition of Sonic Solutions, maker of Roxio CD/DVD burning software and the RoxioNow streaming platform used by Best Buy and Blockbuster. The deal expands Rovi's portfolio across both physical disc and digital streaming distribution channels. For consumers, this consolidation means a single company will increasingly shape the infrastructure behind home entertainment content access and protection.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Hulu Holds Off on IPO

Hulu, co-owned by News Corp, Walt Disney, and NBC Universal, has shelved its IPO plans despite projecting $260 million in revenue for 2010, citing the absence of long-term streaming content agreements that could unsettle investors. Netflix poses a growing competitive threat, having secured a next-day streaming deal for NBC's Saturday Night Live to close the gap on Hulu's catch-up episode advantage. Whether Hulu's broadcast network backers will commit to it as a primary distribution platform or cede ground to Netflix is an open question with real stakes for online TV viewers.

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Politics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - FCC Pleases Few with Net Neutrality

The FCC's 2010 net neutrality rules attempt to address the strain that high-bandwidth services like Netflix, which accounts for roughly 20% of peak U.S. Internet traffic, place on carrier infrastructure. The new rules prohibit wired providers from outright blocking data sources but permit 'reasonable network management' exceptions and allow 'paid prioritization,' giving some data packets faster handling than others. These provisions leave significant regulatory ambiguity, meaning real-world outcomes for consumers and content providers will likely depend on future court challenges or Congressional legislation.

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Streaming HDSmart TVsStandards

HDTV Almanac - No New Google TV at CES

Google TV, designed as a unified access point for broadcast, cable, satellite, and Internet video content, has stumbled ahead of CES 2011 after Google asked partners including Toshiba, LG, and Sharp to withhold new product announcements. Lackluster sales of the Sony HDTV and Logitech network media player have compounded the setback, while ABC, CBS, NBC, and Hulu have all refused to grant Google TV access to their web content. For consumers, this means the platform's promise of a single, seamless video interface remains unrealized for the foreseeable future.

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Mobile HD

HDTV Almanac - FLO TV Spectrum Sold

Qualcomm is selling its 700 MHz nationwide broadcast spectrum licenses to AT&T for nearly $2 billion, simultaneously shutting down its FLO TV mobile television service that had been powering privately-branded offerings for AT&T and Verizon. AT&T plans to deploy the acquired spectrum as part of its 4G LTE network rollout, while Qualcomm pivots back to its core chip business, positioned to supply silicon for LTE devices. The shift signals that scheduled broadcast TV on small-screen mobile devices has not found a sustainable consumer audience, whereas on-demand streaming over high-speed broadband appears to better match evolving viewer habits.

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Awards

HDTV Almanac - Please Support HDTV Almanac

HDTV Almanac, a publication covering HDTV and home entertainment technology, has been nominated for the 2011 Golden Retrevo Award following its 2010 win in the same category. Voting is open daily through January 24, 2011, with results announced in February, and requires no registration or personal information. Readers who rely on the site for technical guidance on display and home entertainment topics are encouraged to cast a daily vote to support continued coverage.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - Vizio Proves Me Wrong!

Vizio's XVT3D650SV is a 65-inch LED LCD HDTV with passive polarized 3D glasses support, dual-band 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth QWERTY remote, localized edge-lit LED dimming, and compatibility with multiple 3DTV signal formats including Blu-ray. Priced at $3,500 through Costco and Sam's Club, it undercuts competing 65-inch active-shutter LCD and Panasonic plasma 3DTVs while bundling four pairs of cinema-compatible passive glasses. This pricing challenges the assumption that passive 3D panels are too costly to be competitive, and signals a potential shift away from active shutter technology across the flat panel market.

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Smart TVsDeals

HDTV Almanac - Pssst! Wanna Free Google HDTV?

Google's 'I Want My Google TV!' promotion offers 100 Sony 46-inch Internet HDTVs running Google TV, free to winners who submit YouTube videos tagged 'YTGTV' by December 22. Entries are judged on originality, creativity, entertainment factor, technical execution, and enthusiasm for the platform. With 100 prizes and a likely entry pool in the low thousands, the odds are considerably better than typical single-prize sweepstakes, making this a worthwhile shot for anyone with a digital camera capable of recording video.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Netflix Fights Cabin Fever!

Netflix has expanded its Canadian streaming library with hundreds of new titles, including Weeds, Merlin, Undercover Boss, and Saturday Night Live, addressing a long-standing content gap driven by region-specific licensing agreements. The expansion required Netflix to renegotiate streaming rights separately from its U.S. contracts, a process that reflects the fragmented nature of international content distribution. For Canadian subscribers, this signals a meaningful improvement in catalog depth as Netflix actively invests in growing its streaming footprint beyond the U.S. market.

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Home TheaterStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Same Day Movies at Home?

Prima Cinema is developing a home streaming system for first-run movies, targeting wealthy early adopters with a hardware cost of approximately $20,000 and a per-screening fee of $500. Backed financially by Best Buy and Universal Pictures, the service aims to begin installations in 2011. For those who can afford it, the system offers a practical alternative to commercial theaters, eliminating crowds and scheduling constraints in exchange for a steep premium.

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3DTVStandards

HDTV Almanac - 3DTV Broadcasts Work on 2D HDTVs

An Italian broadcaster consortium has developed a backward-compatible 3D broadcast technique that encodes two 720p images (left and right) within a single 1080p frame, allowing standard 2D HDTVs to display one full-resolution image while 3D-capable sets render both. Unlike interpolation-based methods that discard half the image data, this approach preserves full HD resolution for 2D viewers. The technique is under standards review, though widespread broadcaster adoption in Europe or elsewhere remains a distant prospect.

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Streaming HDSatellite HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - Could HBO Drop Cable and Satellite?

Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes signaled that HBO could be distributed outside traditional cable and satellite bundles priced at $60 to $100, potentially through new internet-based distributors. HBO and Cinemax had already lost 1.5 million subscribers in the prior year, while Netflix was on track to exceed $2 billion in revenue for 2010 without carrying either premium channel. For consumers, this points toward a future where HBO content could be accessible without a full cable subscription, though any Netflix partnership remained speculative at the time.

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HDTV Almanac - Sony Integrates HDTV with PS2

Sony's KDL-22PX300 is a 22-inch LCD HDTV with a built-in PS2 console, currently exclusive to the United Kingdom, that combines television, Blu-ray playback, gaming, Ethernet-based streaming, and PC monitor functionality in a single unit. The integration trades component-level serviceability for space savings and lower combined cost. For students or small-flat dwellers, this kind of all-in-one device offers a practical, compact entertainment solution without sacrificing core functionality.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - More TV Content for Netflix

Netflix has secured a deal with Disney-ABC to stream back-catalog episodes from major ABC shows, with per-episode licensing fees ranging from $50,000 to $150,000 compared to the $1.4 million cable networks pay for rerun rights. The agreement includes content from ABC Family and Disney Channel, available as soon as 15 days after broadcast. If cable providers shift toward a la carte pricing and subscriber counts fall, Netflix could emerge as a dominant licensing partner, strengthening its bargaining position while giving studios a viable alternative revenue stream.

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Home TheaterStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Why I Love Networked Devices

Network media players from Roku and Western Digital offer automatic firmware updates over the Internet, meaning new content partnerships appear on the home menu without any manual installation. Both devices stream music and video from the Internet and local network computers, eliminating the need to boot a full PC for media playback. As processing costs continue to fall, these boxes are becoming increasingly capable alternatives to connecting a computer directly to an HDTV.

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ManufacturingLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Sony Outsources More HDTV Production

Sony is shifting its HDTV manufacturing strategy by increasing its reliance on third-party LCD panels from Taiwanese suppliers such as CMI, raising that share from 30% to 50% of its total panel sourcing. Sony also walked back plans to expand its stake in Sharp's Gen 10 fabrication plant from 7% to 34%, signaling a broader retreat from in-house display production. For consumers, this reflects an accelerating geographic shift in electronics manufacturing toward Korea, Taiwan, and potentially mainland China, with implications for how premium Japanese brands control their supply chains.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Concerns Continue Over HDTV Inventories

Global TV shipment growth slowed to just 9% in Q3 2010, down sharply from 26% growth in Q3 2009, with weak North American retail sell-through driving excess inventory across the market. Plasma HDTVs posted a 35% unit shipment increase year-over-year due to lower prices versus equivalent-size LCD models, yet still represent only about one-tenth of LCD volume. Consumers holding off on purchases can expect strong bargains through the New Year, as retailers work to clear inventory with 40-inch LCD HDTVs already seen under $300 on Black Friday.

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Politics & PolicyOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - FCC Prepares to Reassign TV Spectrum

The FCC has issued a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) inviting TV broadcasters to voluntarily relinquish portions of their assigned VHF and broadcast television band spectrum, with participating stations eligible to share in auction proceeds. The proposal targets underutilized broadcast spectrum for reallocation to fixed and mobile broadband services, while broadcasters retain the right to opt out entirely. For TV stations invested in emerging technologies like Mobile DTV, the voluntary structure means no forced spectrum loss, but the proceeding signals continued regulatory pressure on broadcast spectrum holdings.

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3DTVHome Theater

HDTV Almanac - The Truth about 3DTV

Active shutter glasses technology, which leverages 120 Hz refresh rate panels to alternate left and right eye images in rapid succession, preserves full image resolution and adds minimal cost to the display itself compared to passive polarized systems. Passive glasses require a precisely aligned polarizing layer bonded to the panel, cutting resolution in half and raising bill-of-materials costs, making the overall set more expensive despite cheaper glasses. For cost-sensitive consumers, the ability to defer accessory spending rather than pay a higher upfront set price gives active shutter systems a clear near-term market advantage.

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Streaming HDPolitics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - Comcast vs. Level 3 Forces Net Neutrality Issue

A billing dispute between backbone provider Level 3 and Comcast has surfaced just as Level 3 began distributing Netflix streaming content, which alone accounts for roughly 20% of peak Internet traffic. Comcast argues that the traditional reciprocal peering arrangement is now lopsided, with Level 3 consuming far more of its broadband infrastructure than it contributes in return. For consumers and content providers, the outcome could determine whether competing video services face discriminatory access costs compared to Comcast-owned NBC Universal content, making federal net neutrality rules an urgent but unresolved necessity.

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Cable HD

HDTV Almanac - Time Warner Scales Down

Time Warner's new 'TV Essentials' tier, priced at $30 to $40 per month, bundles local channels with 12 top-rated cable networks as a cost-cutting response to a market where cable providers collectively shed 641,000 subscribers in a single quarter. At roughly $2 to $3 per channel monthly, the plan edges toward the a la carte pricing consumers have long demanded, yet full unbundling would threaten the revenue base cable companies rely on to maintain physical infrastructure. For subscribers weighing their options, this signals that the traditional cable bundle is under real pressure from improving internet streaming alternatives.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Are You Watching South Korea?

South Korea's LG Electronics and Samsung collectively rank as the top two global producers of large-format LCD panels used in HDTVs, making geopolitical instability on the Korean peninsula a direct supply-chain risk for the consumer display market. Taiwan, home to other leading panel manufacturers, faces its own sovereignty tensions with mainland China, compounding potential disruption. A major conflict in either region could severely curtail panel supply and halt the R&D pipeline, given that a new LCD fabrication plant requires billions of dollars and years to bring online.

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HDTV Almanac - Happy Thanksgiving!

Alfred Poor, author of the HDTV Almanac column, pauses his regular technical coverage to share a brief Thanksgiving message with readers. No technical specifications, benchmarks, or product details are presented in this entry, as it serves solely as a personal holiday note. Readers seeking HDTV guidance will find no actionable display technology content here, but can expect the column's usual technical depth to resume in subsequent entries.

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Streaming HDStandards

HDTV Almanac - Speed Bump in FilmOn Road to Success

FilmOn, an Internet-based television streaming service, attracted 30 million users within weeks by rebroadcasting locally-broadcast network affiliate content online, claiming legal standing equivalent to a cable operator. A federal court in New York issued a temporary restraining order halting transmission of Fox, CBS, NBC, and ABC affiliate streams, with a full hearing pending. If FilmOn and rival iviTV ultimately prevail, broadband subscribers could gain basic cable-equivalent service at significantly lower cost, fundamentally disrupting traditional broadcast and cable distribution models.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - No-Disc NetFlix Subscription

Netflix launched a streaming-only subscription tier at $7.99 per month, undercutting its single-DVD plan by $2 and signaling a strategic pivot toward internet-based delivery. The service secured a deal with NBC to stream Saturday Night Live episodes the day after broadcast, a move that could pressure competitors like Hulu if similar current-programming agreements follow. For consumers, the lower price point makes dropping physical disc rentals a financially straightforward decision, though content library depth remains a limiting factor.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - 3D Avatars on Stage?

Hatsune Miku, a fully synthesized Japanese pop performer whose voice, appearance, and dance moves are computer generated, draws thousands of fans to live concerts featuring a stage avatar. Despite widespread claims of 'holographic 3D' projection, closer examination suggests the image is simply a 2D animation displayed on a rear-projection screen, with no observable parallax shift as camera angles change. For consumers and enthusiasts tracking display technology, the distinction matters: true 3D projection would require multi-view rendering and a substantially more complex projection system than what appears to be in use.

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OLED TVsManufacturing

HDTV Almanac - Samsung Shows 19″ OLED TV

Samsung demonstrated a 19-inch OLED television prototype with a 960x540 resolution, representing one quarter of a full 1080p panel, fabricated using an inkjet deposition process. The company declined to comment on commercial production timelines, as the technology remains in development. Scaling the panel to a 38-inch 1080p display presents significant substrate manufacturing challenges, meaning consumers should not expect an affordable OLED HDTV to reach market anytime soon.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - India LCD TV Sales Soar

India's LCD TV market surged dramatically in 2010, with approximately 700,000 units sold in October alone, nearly matching the country's entire 2009 annual total of 745,000 units according to DisplaySearch data. Sony, Samsung, and LG led sales in the region. Combined with rising flat panel demand in China, this shift signals that the U.S. and Europe may soon lose their majority share of the global flat panel TV market, with potential consequences for product availability in Western markets.

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Streaming HDMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - DVDs in Decline

Physical disc sales dropped 9% in the first nine months of 2010, even as Blu-ray disc spending nearly doubled, pointing to a fundamental shift in how consumers access movies. Redbox kiosk rentals surged roughly 50%, Netflix revenues climbed over 25%, and VOD services posted a 20% revenue increase, while brick-and-mortar rental chains like Blockbuster shed 30% of revenues. For consumers, the data suggests that on-demand access through streaming and low-cost rentals is increasingly replacing disc ownership, pressuring Hollywood studios to rethink revenue strategies beyond retail sales.

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Deals

HDTV Almanac - Black Friday Starts at Midnight

WalMart's Black Friday electronics deals include a 32-inch LCD HDTV priced under $200 and a 42-inch LCD HDTV under $400, with a Sony 46-inch LCD HDTV available Saturday for $698. Consumer electronics deals beyond the midnight Nintendo Wii bundle go on sale at 5 AM and remain available until 11 AM. Panel performance on the budget sets may fall short of major brands, but shoppers willing to trade quality for price will find genuinely aggressive discounts worth considering.

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Home TheaterStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Boxee Box Debuts

The Boxee Box, priced at $199, enters the network media player market with a dual-sided remote featuring a QWERTY keypad and a built-in SD card slot for photo slideshows. It claims broader app support and access to more TV episodes than competing devices like Apple TV or Roku. For owners of HDTVs that lack smart features, the Boxee Box offers a cost-effective way to add internet connectivity without replacing an entire television set.

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Deals

HDTV Almanac - Get Ready for Bargains!

Discount retailer hhgregg's president Dennis May predicted 3DTV retail prices would fall to $1,199 as consumers resist paying a premium over basic HDTV models. Supporting that outlook, a leaked Target Black Friday flyer lists a 40-inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV from Westinghouse at $298, a price point that competing retailers cannot easily ignore. Shoppers with budget in hand can realistically expect 10 to 20 percent discounts off current street prices across a wide range of HDTV models this holiday season.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Still Watching Standard Definition?

A Nielsen study finds that 56% of U.S. households have at least one HDTV installed, yet over 80% of total television viewing still occurs in standard definition. Contributing factors include the 44% of homes without an HDTV, households running multiple sets where at least one is standard definition, and the fact that roughly 20% of content watched on HDTVs is itself standard definition. For consumers, owning an HDTV does not guarantee an HD viewing experience given the limited availability of HD content across most subscription channel lineups.

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HDTV Almanac - The Power of a Home Network

The TRENDnet TPL-304E Powerline adapter uses existing household electrical wiring to deliver network speeds up to 200 Mbps, exceeding typical wired home network performance. Setup requires only two units and a button press for auto-configuration, with a pass-through outlet preserving the original power socket. For households lacking Ethernet runs to the living room, this approach offers a practical alternative to WiFi bandwidth limitations when streaming HD content.

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SportsProgramming3DTV

HDTV Almanac - Sports Fans Like 3DTV

ESPN Research + Analytics measured viewer response to 3D broadcasts of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, finding that the sense of presence jumped from 42% to 69% compared to standard 2D viewing. Ad effectiveness metrics were equally striking, with purchase intent rising from 49% to 83% and cued recall climbing from 68% to 83% in 3D. For broadcasters and advertisers weighing investment in 3D infrastructure, these figures suggest a measurable engagement advantage that could accelerate commercial backing of live 3D sports production.

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HDTV Almanac - Philips HDTV Comes with Solar Powered Remote

The Philips 42PFL6805 LCD HDTV ships with a solar-powered remote control that recharges using ambient indoor light, a feature the author believes is the first to be included as standard with a television set. Typical remote batteries last one to two years, and at scale across millions of households, the cumulative battery waste represents a measurable environmental impact. For everyday users, this means one less routine maintenance task, provided the remote stays in a well-lit spot.

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HDTV Almanac - It's Time for Electronics to Fall Back

Consumer electronics devices with built-in clocks, from microwave ovens to personal media players, still require manual time adjustments for Daylight Saving Time despite having sufficient processing power and connectivity to handle the change automatically. Devices that receive radio waves or maintain an Internet connection, much like PCs and modern cell phones that already sync time automatically, have no technical barrier to self-correcting their clocks. For consumers, this means unnecessary manual resets across an entire home entertainment system twice a year, a problem the author argues is entirely solvable.

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Streaming HDSportsProgramming

HDTV Almanac - Look, Coach: No Ads!

ESPN's TV Everywhere service, now available to authenticated Time Warner Cable subscribers, streams live and on-demand sports content without traditional commercials, replacing ad breaks with an animated ESPN logo. The gap exists due to rights differences between online and broadcast distribution, though ESPN has confirmed plans to implement dynamic commercial insertion using the same system deployed on ESPN3.com. For now, subscribers get an ad-free viewing experience, but that window is expected to close once ESPN has audience metrics to present to advertisers.

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HDTV Almanac - Don't Touch that Screen!

Hitachi Displays is developing a capacitive touchscreen capable of detecting insulators such as plastic styluses and gloved fingers, addressing a core limitation of standard capacitive technology that requires electrically conductive input. The new panels already support two- and three-point multi-touch and are being sampled by manufacturers. For consumers, this means touchscreen remote controls and media devices could become fully usable in cold-weather conditions without removing gloves.

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Projection HD

HDTV Almanac - Watch that Dock!

The Optoma Neo-i combines a standard 30-pin Apple dock with a built-in pico projector rated at 50 lumens and Wide VGA resolution, paired with a 16-watt stereo sound system in a sub-2.5-pound tabletop unit. At $449, it targets iPod, iPhone, and iTouch users who want to share media beyond the device screen without investing in a full home theater setup. The low lumen output requires dimmed lighting for larger projections, but the optional battery pack makes it viable for casual outdoor viewing.

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HDTV Almanac - Faster Ethernet on the Way?

Researchers at UC Santa Barbara's Terabit Optical Ethernet Center (TOEC) are developing optical fiber-based Ethernet capable of transmitting up to 1 Terabit per second, a 1,000-fold increase over the current 100 Mbits per second copper wire limit. The group targets 1 Tb Ethernet by 2015 and 100 Tb Ethernet by 2020. These advances are driven by the bandwidth demands of HDTV and 2K video delivery over the Internet, and could significantly reduce data access bottlenecks for consumers.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Another Network Media Player, Plus

The WD TV Live Hub is a network media player with 1 TB of integrated hard drive storage, capable of outputting video at 1080p over an HDMI 1.4 connection. DLNA support enables streaming of video, music, and photos from networked computers, while built-in access to Netflix, YouTube, Pandora, and Blockbuster on Demand extends its reach to internet content. Priced at $199.99, it effectively bundles a network media player and a 1 TB external drive into a single living-room device.

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Projection HD

HDTV Almanac - A $40 Projector

The Eyeclops Portable Mini-Projector, available for $39.99 with free shipping, uses a solid-state LED light source that eliminates lamp replacement costs and runs on four D batteries. However, its QVGA resolution of 320 by 240 pixels is one-quarter of standard definition, and its low brightness requires a darkened room for usable output. Buyers seeking a genuinely capable display will find significant compromises, though the price point remains remarkable for any video projector.

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HDTV Almanac - Faster Broadband on the Way?

Ikanos Communications has unveiled NodeScale Vectoring, a DSL technology that uses proprietary algorithms and coding techniques to reduce crosstalk on existing copper phone lines and potentially deliver 100 Mbps throughput - up to 100 times faster than some current DSL plans and roughly twice the speed of top residential fiber offerings. Because it requires no wiring upgrades, the technology could bring high-speed broadband to virtually any home with a telephone line. For consumers, this means bandwidth-intensive applications like video streaming and video chat could become widely accessible without costly infrastructure overhauls.

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3DTVHome Theater

HDTV Almanac - XPAND 3D Glasses on Amazon

The XPAND Universal X103 active-shutter 3D glasses, priced at $129, are designed to work with any brand of active-glasses 3DTV by alternately blocking each eye in sync with the display, preserving full image resolution unlike passive polarized systems that deliver only half resolution per eye. Passive-glasses 3DTVs remain costlier to manufacture and largely unavailable in the U.S. market as of this writing. For consumers considering a 3DTV purchase, these universal glasses offer a practical way to avoid brand lock-in and reduce accessory costs.

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HDTV Almanac - Are You Protected?

Surge protectors using metal oxide varistors (MOVs) rated between 1,000 and 2,000 joules offer essential protection for home entertainment equipment against voltage spikes caused by lightning strikes or transformer failures. MOVs degrade with each absorbed surge, functioning more like a crush-zone bumper than a reusable spring, which means protection is finite and eventually exhausted. Choosing a unit with an indicator light lets you confirm active protection is still in place, a practical safeguard that costs far less than repairing or replacing televisions, gaming consoles, and other electronics after a damaging event.

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Deals

HDTV Almanac - Sears "Black Friday Now" Leaked

A leaked 16-page Sears 'Black Friday Now' sales flier for October 29-30 reveals that advertised deals are priced at standard retail rates rather than genuine discounts, according to analysis by BFAds.net. The author coins the term 'blackwashing' to describe retailers who apply Black Friday branding without delivering meaningful price reductions. Shoppers evaluating pre-Thanksgiving consumer electronics promotions should scrutinize advertised sales carefully before assuming discounts are real.

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Home TheaterStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Crowd-sourcing Network Media Players

Network media players, devices that connect HDTVs to local and Internet media sources, are proliferating rapidly, with products like Roku boxes and Western Digital's WD HD TV Live series leading the category. Veronica Belmont of Revision3 has published a crowd-sourced Google Docs spreadsheet cataloging these devices with detailed specs and feature comparisons. For consumers navigating an increasingly fragmented market, this collaborative resource offers a practical starting point for research, though crowd-sourced data warrants independent verification before purchase decisions.

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HDTV Almanac - Roku to Get Hulu Plus

Roku is adding Hulu Plus support to its streaming device lineup, with 1080p HD-capable models priced at $80 and $100. The service requires a $10 per month Hulu Plus subscription plus an existing broadband connection, with no additional monthly fees beyond that. For cable subscribers frustrated by rising monthly bills, this combination of a low-cost hardware purchase and a single streaming subscription presents a concrete cord-cutting option.

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Streaming HDGaming

HDTV Almanac - Disc-Free Online Netflix for Wii and PS3

Netflix has pushed software updates to the Nintendo Wii and Sony PS3 that enable disc-free access to its streaming video service, matching functionality already available on the Microsoft Xbox 360. The update eliminates the previously required physical disc, and streaming remains free for subscribers on any plan that includes at least one rental disc per month. This expanded console support significantly broadens Netflix's installed base reach, accelerating consumer adoption of Internet-delivered movies and television programming.

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Streaming HDSmart TVsSatellite HD

HDTV Almanac - Internet TV is the Competition

WitsView projects 40 million Internet-connected TVs will ship worldwide in 2010, representing roughly 20% of total TV sales, with that figure potentially reaching 200 million units by 2015. DirecTV's decision to position Netflix as its primary competitor rather than cable or broadcast signals a broader industry shift, as streaming services gain negotiating leverage with studios over release windows. For consumers, this tension points toward a la carte pricing pressure on satellite and cable bundles that currently force subscribers to pay for channels they do not watch.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - Toshiba Shows No-Glasses 3D

Toshiba's autostereoscopic 3D HDTV, demonstrated at CEATAC in Tokyo, delivers glasses-free 3D by restricting viewers to exactly nine fixed viewing angles, outside of which the image becomes scrambled. The 20-inch model is priced at $2,950, roughly five to ten times the cost of a comparable standard HDTV, and is currently Japan-only. These constraints, a fixed sweet-spot grid and steep premium pricing, suggest that glasses-free 3D remains impractical for typical living-room use.

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Smart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Hulu Plus in Vizio HDTVs

Vizio has integrated Hulu Plus into its XVT3SV series HDTVs and any model supporting Vizio Internet Apps (VIA), a platform that also bundles Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand, and Vudu. This built-in network support mirrors the functionality of standalone media players like Roku and Apple TV, which retail for around $100, while reducing cable clutter and setup complexity. For consumers replacing a DVR or cutting the cord, native streaming support in an HDTV is becoming a practical baseline expectation rather than a premium feature.

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Cable HDOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - FOX and Cablevision Playing Chicken

A retransmission consent dispute between News Corp's FOX network and Cablevision threatens to black out FOX channels for Cablevision subscribers ahead of the October 16th contract expiration, with MLB League Championship Series coverage at stake for viewers in the New York and Philadelphia markets. The standoff reflects a broader pattern of cable operators passing rising retransmission fees to subscribers while approval ratings for cable companies continue to decline. Regulatory intervention, potentially including FCC-mandated a la carte pricing, could reshape the subscription television model entirely.

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Mobile HD

HDTV Almanac - FLO TV Shuts Down Direct Service

Qualcomm's FLO TV is shutting down its direct-to-subscriber mobile television service, which offered roughly 20 channels at $15 per month over a proprietary 700 MHz spectrum network, citing weak consumer adoption. Qualcomm, primarily a chip company, built the broadcast infrastructure to create demand for its tuner chips, but third-party hardware support from manufacturers like Audiovox failed to drive meaningful sign-ups. The shutdown raises questions about whether free Mobile DTV or wireless broadband video-on-demand will ultimately replace carrier-based linear TV delivery.

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Streaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Google Lands Big Partners

Google TV, a platform designed to consolidate video and media options into a single interface, has secured partnerships with major content providers including Turner Broadcasting, HBO, NBC, and the NBA. HBO Go will offer subscribers on-demand access, while NBC's CNBC Real-Time will deliver live stock-tracking feeds, and Amazon Video on Demand and Netflix are also confirmed partners. For viewers, this means a potential shift toward a unified TV experience that aggregates live, on-demand, and streaming content from competing networks in one place.

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HDTV Almanac - Cisco Announces HD Video Chat System

Cisco's umi home video chat system requires an HDTV with an available HDMI connection and a $600 hardware purchase plus a $24.99 monthly subscription, totaling roughly $900 for the first year. The package includes a motorized pan-and-zoom camera and a microphone array designed to isolate voice from ambient noise, with cloud-based processing intended to deliver consistently higher quality than free alternatives like Skype. Compatibility with Google Chat expands the potential user base beyond umi-only subscribers, which is critical to avoiding the limited-network failure that doomed earlier video phone products.

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Deals

HDTV Almanac - ‘Tis the Season

CompUSA (a Tiger Direct division) launched its 2010 holiday electronics campaign in early October, featuring deals such as a 55-inch RCA 240 Hz LCD HDTV for $999.99 and a refurbished Magnavox Blu-ray player for $69.99, with 81 days still remaining until Christmas. The author interprets this unusually early promotional push as a sign of financial pressure on consumer electronics retailers struggling to drive sales. Readers looking for the best prices may benefit from waiting, as the author expects deeper discounts to emerge closer to the holiday season.

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Home TheaterBlu-rayMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - 24 Million Blu-ray Players

Futuresource projects 24 million Blu-ray player sales across the U.S., Europe, and Japan in 2010, excluding PlayStation 3 units, with 11 million units forecast for Q4 alone, representing roughly 80% year-over-year growth. Price gaps between Blu-ray and DVD players have narrowed to approximately $100-$150, lowering the barrier for mainstream adoption. Streaming services lack broad HD support, keeping Blu-ray discs a leading option for high-definition viewing, though emerging 3D capability may be necessary to sustain long-term market growth.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - Safety First for Your HDTV

The Sanus Elements ELM701 Anti-Tip Strap is a Y-shaped safety accessory designed to prevent unmounted flat panel HDTVs from tipping onto small children, attaching via the display's existing mounting holes and anchoring to both furniture and the wall. A 2007 study recorded nearly 17,000 pediatric emergency room visits from furniture and TV tip-overs, a 41% rise since 1990 partly linked to the growing adoption of flat panel sets. At a list price of $24.99, this strap offers a low-cost safeguard for households where wall mounting is not practical.

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OLED TVsManufacturing

HDTV Almanac - Toshiba Pulls Plug on OLED

Toshiba has abandoned its OLED panel production plans at Toshiba Mobile Display, pivoting to LCD despite having invested nearly $200 million two years prior to build an OLED production line. The company also sold its low-temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) manufacturing line in Singapore to AUO, signaling a broad retreat from advanced display technologies amid financial pressure. For consumers and industry watchers, this consolidation narrows the competitive field in OLED development and leaves Toshiba more exposed if LCD markets weaken.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - Help Me, 3D Obi-Wan!

Lucasfilm and Twentieth Century Fox are converting all six Star Wars episodes into stereoscopic 3D for theatrical re-release beginning in 2012, with Industrial Light and Magic handling the conversion in episode order rather than original release order. The move mirrors Avatar's staggered 2D-then-3D Blu-ray rollout strategy, applying a similar phased approach to legacy cinema content. Fans can expect a full saga theatrical run, though the quality of post-production 3D conversion by ILM will be a key factor in how well these classics translate to the format.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - Is 2D to 3D Good Enough?

Automated 2D-to-3D conversion technology is emerging as a potential solution to the 3DTV content shortage, with costs dropping from $50,000-$100,000 per minute for manual conversion to as low as $10,000 per 45-minute episode at volume. The process leverages depth cue information and inter-frame differences in 2D footage, and some developers claim it can produce results superior to native stereoscopic camera shoots. For consumers, this pipeline could accelerate the availability of 3D content on broadcast channels and built-in TV conversion features, potentially making 2010-2011 a viable entry point for living room 3DTV adoption.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Home Network Sales Slow Down

Home network adoption remains stagnant, with only 40% of broadband households running a home network as of 2010, a figure unchanged since 2008. Even at a price point of $75, just 13% of non-networked broadband users expressed strong interest in adding one, while 87% showed no interest at all. Without broader consumer adoption, the growing ecosystem of network-dependent devices including HDTVs, Blu-ray players, and streaming clients risks losing momentum before it reaches mainstream households.

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Cable HDStandards

HDTV Almanac - Comcast to Take Reigns at NBCU

Comcast's pending acquisition of NBC Universal will install COO Steve Burke as NBCU's new CEO, with current chief Jeffrey Zucker departing upon deal closure. The transaction bundles properties of vastly unequal value, with the USA Network alone estimated at $11.7 billion compared to Universal Studios at $4 billion, while the NBC broadcast network carries a negative $600 million valuation. Comcast gaining control over cable staples like CNBC, MSNBC, SyFy, and Bravo raises significant questions about vertical integration in subscription television.

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Home Theater3DTVProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - Maybe They Should Name It “3DIA”

CEDIA Expo 2010 showcased a wave of 3D-capable display products, from the $50,000 Runco D-73d LED-sourced DLP projector to the $10,000 Sony VPL-VW90ES 1080p LCoS front projector shipping in November. Sharp's Quattron LCD panels introduce a four-color subpixel layout adding yellow to the standard RGB triad, while Toshiba's WX800 series edge-lit LED LCD HDTVs measure under 1.2 inches thick at prices between $2,600 and $3,300. These high-end specialty products signal where mainstream 3D display technology and pricing are likely headed in the near term.

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OTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - The Right Stuff

Broadcast television towers can reach heights of 1,768 feet, surpassing both the Empire State Building and the Sears Tower, and a single tower can cover a signal radius of 55 miles or more across flat terrain. Maintenance technicians must ascend via a 1,600-foot elevator ride equivalent to 160 floors, then manually climb an additional 60-foot antenna structure. A helmet-mounted camera recording of this climb offers a rare first-person perspective on the physical demands and extreme elevation involved in keeping over-the-air broadcast infrastructure operational.

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HDTV Almanac - Blockbuster Rolls "11″

Blockbuster has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, pursuing a structured reorganization that reduces its $930 million debt load to under $100 million with agreement from roughly 80% of debt holders. The video rental chain, which lost more than $550 million in 2009, has already closed about a quarter of its stores and operates 6,600 kiosks while cutting over $300 million in annual costs. Competitive pressure from Netflix mail delivery and Redbox kiosks has left Blockbuster's brick-and-mortar model struggling to survive, even as the company attempts late-stage pivots into online and kiosk rental markets.

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LCD TVsLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - Another Battery LCD TV

The Vizio Razor LED LCD Portable TV offers a 7-inch WideVGA display at 800x480 pixel resolution in a package under 1 inch thick and weighing just one pound, with a battery life of up to 3.5 hours. Priced at $159.99 and available at Walmart and direct from Vizio, it fills a practical gap left by the analog-to-digital broadcast transition that rendered older battery-powered TVs obsolete. For those in hurricane-prone regions, it provides a viable portable option for staying informed during emergencies.

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DTV TransitionPolitics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - Digital TV Transition: It's Not Over Yet

More than 3,000 low-power and repeater television stations in the U.S. still broadcast analog signals, and the FCC has proposed a summer 2012 deadline for their conversion to digital transmission. Digital broadcasting requires less radio spectrum than analog, freeing up frequencies for emergency services communications and wireless broadband under the National Broadband Plan. Viewers in rural areas served by these relay stations should expect another round of transition disruptions similar to the 2009 full-power switchover.

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DealsLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - Costco HDTV Deal

Westinghouse Digital's 42-inch LED-backlit LCD HDTV, featuring 1080p resolution, a 120 Hz refresh rate, and an edge-lit panel measuring just 1.5 inches thick, is available at Costco.com for $599.99, a $70 discount off the standard online price through October 10. The LED backlight is rated to draw 20% less power than a standard 100-watt incandescent bulb, making it notably energy-efficient for its class. Shoppers seeking a thin, energy-conscious HDTV at a competitive price point may find this limited-time offer worth evaluating before stock runs out.

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Home TheaterProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - Epson HD Projector with DVD

Epson's MovieMate 85HD is a 720p HD projector with a built-in DVD player, rated at 2,500 lumens across three LCD panels, priced at $899. The all-in-one unit connects to cable or satellite set-top boxes but lacks a tuner, and notably ships with a standard-definition DVD drive rather than a Blu-ray player. For buyers seeking a large HD image on a tight budget, the trade-off between convenience and optical format may be worth weighing before purchase.

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DRMBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - HDCP Code Cracked

Intel has confirmed that the High Definition Copy Protection (HDCP) master key, which secures HDMI-connected devices including Blu-ray players against bit-for-bit digital copying, has been compromised. Exploiting the crack would require implementation in dedicated hardware chips installed in playback or disc-duplication equipment, making large-scale piracy economically impractical for now. The breach nonetheless signals that hardware-enforced DRM schemes carry an inherent expiration date, with real consequences for content distribution security long-term.

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Streaming HDOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Green Grows the ivi?

ivi TV is an Internet-based live streaming service delivering 25 broadcast television channels from New York City and Seattle markets at $4.95 per month, with an optional DVR feature available for an additional $0.99 per month introductory rate. The service streams content directly without buffering and currently supports only standard definition resolution, though the company indicates HD capability is planned. For cord-cutters in rural areas with broadband access but poor over-the-air reception, ivi TV offers a low-cost alternative to cable subscriptions, with a 30-day free trial available.

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HDTV Almanac - Bye-bye HDMI and DVI?

DisplayLink's new DL-3000 and DL-1000 single-chip solutions bring USB 3.0 connectivity to displays, supporting HDMI, VGA, DVI, and DisplayPort outputs while remaining backward compatible with USB 2.0. The chips can simultaneously handle HD video, multi-channel audio, HDCP content protection, 3D images, and gigabit Ethernet data transfer from a single cable. For end users, this could eliminate the need for a dedicated graphics adapter and reduce desktop, notebook docking station, and portable device setups to a single thin cable.

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Cable HD

HDTV Almanac - Pay TV Market Shrinks in 10Q2

Subscription TV services collectively lost roughly 216,000 net subscribers in Q2 2010, with the largest cable providers shedding approximately 615,000 customers to fall to 54.8 million while telco services gained 383,000 to reach 5.7 million. The decline points to a convergence of pressures including economic hardship, foreclosures, and the growing appeal of streaming alternatives like Netflix and Hulu alongside free over-the-air digital broadcasts. For consumers, this signals a genuine inflection point where viable cord-cutting options are beginning to reshape the pay-TV landscape.

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Market Trends & AnalysisLCD TVsPlasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Here Comes China!

A Corning Display Technologies China presentation at DisplaySearch China 2010 reveals that China already has 45% more televisions in use than the U.S. but only half as many LCD TVs, signaling a massive pending upgrade cycle. With China's 0.9 billion potential new TV buyers and current LCD/plasma supply chains already stretched, prices that have been falling for years could reverse course. For U.S. consumers accustomed to driving HDTV feature development and benefiting from surplus-driven price drops, this shift in global demand could fundamentally change the market.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - Universal 3D Glasses Are Here

XpanD's X103 universal 3D shutter glasses, unveiled at IFA and priced at approximately $145 per pair, offer cross-brand compatibility with sets from Sony, Samsung, LG, and Panasonic. The high entry cost reflects early-adopter pricing typical of emerging display technology, with a projected drop to around $50 per pair as 3D HDTV content matures and the price premium for 3D support approaches zero. Consumers who can defer purchase by roughly two years stand to benefit significantly from both lower hardware costs and a more developed content ecosystem.

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Market Trends & AnalysisLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Good News for HDTV Buyers

LCD panel prices are falling sharply, with 42-inch 1080p panels dropping 13.5% from $333 to $288 between May and September 2010, and 32-inch 720p panels declining over 15% in the same period. Taiwan manufacturing plants running at just 80% capacity and a sluggish retail inventory pipeline are forcing price cuts across the supply chain. Buyers willing to spend now can expect significant HDTV discounts well before the traditional Black Friday window.

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OLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - OLED Screens from Carl Zeiss

Carl Zeiss unveiled an upgraded cinemizer head-mounted display at IFA 2010, featuring OLED panels but limited to 640x480 standard-definition resolution, which means HD content will suffer noticeable quality loss. Meanwhile, Samsung confirmed its new 7-inch Galaxy Tab would ship with an LCD screen rather than OLED, underscoring the ongoing manufacturing challenges of scaling OLED production beyond smartphone-sized panels. Both announcements highlight where OLED technology stands in 2010: promising but not yet ready for mainstream large-screen consumer devices.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Redbox Hits Milestone

Redbox reached one billion rentals in just six years, now operating more than 24,000 automated kiosks nationwide with a planned expansion into CVS pharmacy locations. The milestone, marked by a rental of 'Clash of the Titans,' underscores how the $1-per-night kiosk model has disrupted traditional video rental retail. For consumers, this shift signals the accelerating decline of brick-and-mortar chains like Blockbuster, which is pursuing structured bankruptcy while scrambling to compete in both kiosk and streaming markets.

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Home TheaterStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - iTV: iDon't Get It

Apple's iTV, a $99 streaming box competing with Roku and similar devices, connects televisions to internet content via iTunes rentals priced at $0.99 per TV show and $2.99 to $4.99 for movies, with a restrictive 24-hour viewing window after starting playback. The device also bundles Netflix streaming and YouTube access, yet its limited content library covers only ABC and Fox for TV shows. For most viewers, the per-rental cost and expiration restrictions make competing flat-rate services like Netflix at $8.95 per month a more practical choice.

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Mobile HDStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Mobile TV: Going Nowhere Fast

Mobile TV subscription services are projected to grow from 1.6 million to only 3.3 million subscribers by 2013, a figure that looks modest against Comcast's estimated 23.5 million cable TV subscribers alone. The over-the-air Mobile TV standard faces a compounding problem: few handsets support the signal, and consumers with smartphone data plans already access streaming content at no additional cost. Bundling Mobile TV with cable or satellite, as TDG suggests, seems unlikely to gain traction given that those providers are already losing customers and pivoting to TV Everywhere strategies.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Roku Price Drop

Roku's compact 5x5x2-inch streaming media player connects to home networks and televisions to deliver content from Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand, Pandora, and dozens of other services without the complexity of a full PC setup. The HD-XR model, which includes 802.11n Wi-Fi support, dropped from $129.99 to $99.99, while the wired HD model fell to $69.99 - a price point close to impulse-buy territory for households with an existing wired network near their HDTV. Increased competition in the streaming media player market is expected to drive prices even lower as consumer awareness grows.

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HDTV Almanac - Monitor vs. TV: What’s in a Name?

Samsung's 30-series FX2490HD is a 24-inch LED-backlit monitor with 1080p resolution, dual HDMI inputs, component video, VGA, a USB media port, and built-in cable/over-the-air tuners with picture-in-picture support. Despite carrying the 'computer monitor' label, its feature set is functionally identical to an HDTV. For a college student or anyone short on space, it consolidates a display and television into one compact unit, though the distinction from a similarly sized HDTV remains unclear.

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Mobile HDStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Netflix in Your Pocket

Netflix has launched free streaming apps for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch, supporting both WiFi and 3G connections with cross-device resume functionality that syncs playback position across phones, computers, and consoles. The service is included with any Netflix subscription at $8.99 per month or higher, making the break-even point just 10 shows monthly compared to Apple's reported $0.99-per-episode rental model. For subscribers already paying for Netflix, mobile streaming adds significant value at no extra cost across a wide range of devices.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - No-Glasses 3DTV This Year?

Toshiba's announced glasses-free 3DTV uses an integral imaging system emitting light at multiple angles, which the author identifies as a lenticular lens auto-stereoscopic approach with fixed viewing positions rather than a genuine breakthrough. Unlike conventional 3DTV sets where display costs remain competitive and expense is shifted to the glasses, this technology requires significant added manufacturing cost to the panel itself, making it economically uncompetitive as glasses prices continue to fall. Consumers who dislike wearing glasses may find mandatory fixed seating positions an equally unappealing trade-off.

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Smart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Get Connected at Your Outlet

The Western Digital Livewire Powerline AV Network Kit uses HomePlug AV technology to deliver up to 200 Mbps throughput over existing household electrical wiring, offering a practical middle ground between Wi-Fi (limited to 54 Mbps on non-802.11n systems) and costly Ethernet cable runs. The kit supports up to four networked devices at the remote end, making it suitable for connecting TVs, game consoles, and Blu-ray players simultaneously. For the estimated 42% of consumers who cite distance or complexity as barriers to connecting their TVs to the Internet, this plug-and-play solution provides a compelling alternative worth considering.

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Market Trends & Analysis3DTV

HDTV Almanac - Survey: Most Have Seen 3D Movies

A TWICE-commissioned survey reveals a striking gap in 3DTV adoption: while 78% of respondents had seen a 3D cinema film and rated the experience positively, only 54% reported positive impressions of 3DTV viewing at home. The top barriers to purchase were the need for additional equipment (41%), cost (36%), and limited content availability (24%). These figures suggest informed consumers waiting for better value rather than skeptics needing persuasion, with broader 3DTV adoption projected for late 2012 into 2013.

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HD AudioHome Theater

HDTV Almanac - Gefen Levels the Audio Field

The Gefen audio leveling box addresses the common problem of jarring volume swings between TV programming and commercials by using Dolby Volume technology, which normalizes levels while also enhancing low and high frequency ranges for a more natural listening experience. The unit accepts and outputs both analog stereo and digital audio via TOSLINK or S/PDIF connections, and includes a front-panel bypass button for quick toggling. Priced at $179, it targets viewers whose HDTV lacks built-in volume leveling or whose set's implementation falls short.

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DTV TransitionHD ReceiversCable HD

HDTV Almanac - Broadcom Helps HDTV Lose Wait

Broadcom's FastRTV technology addresses the roughly one-second channel-change delay common in digital cable set-top boxes, delivering switching speeds up to five times faster than current implementations. The solution works without any modifications to the existing cable signal, meaning operators like Comcast can deploy compatible hardware immediately. For viewers, this translates to a more responsive channel-surfing experience that closes the gap between modern HDTV and the near-instant tuning of legacy analog systems.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - R.I.P. SED — Canon Kills Flat Screen Technology

Canon has officially abandoned its SED (surface-condition electron-emitter display) technology after 15 years of development, a project that once promised emissive flat panels with plasma-like viewing angles and deep blacks rivaling any display on the market. The technology, which used a BubbleJet printhead to deposit emitter material at each pixel junction, could not achieve cost-competitive production as LCD and plasma prices fell roughly 20% annually. For consumers, this leaves flat panel choices firmly limited to LCD and plasma, with OLED and carbon nanotube FED still years from commercial viability at scale.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - Weekend in 3D

ESPN and the Consumer Electronics Association are partnering for 'National 3D Demo Days' on September 10-12, broadcasting continuous 3D programming from 10 AM to 11 PM Eastern, including live college football, FIFA World Cup footage, and X Games 16 highlights. The event targets a classic content-versus-hardware adoption problem, aiming to push cable and telco providers to allocate bandwidth for 3D channels. For most consumers, waiting until late 2012 remains the practical choice, when 3D TV premiums are expected to diminish significantly.

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StandardsLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - LCD Makers in Court: Piling On

LCD panel manufacturers including Samsung, LG, and Sharp, having already paid close to $1 billion in federal fines for price-fixing, now face additional state-level lawsuits from Illinois and Washington following earlier actions by New York and Florida. Despite the admitted price-fixing cartel, flat panel HDTV prices still fell roughly 20% per year over several years, driven partly by chronic oversupply. The implication for consumers is that artificially inflated prices may have cost buyers significantly more than they realize, even as market forces pushed costs down.

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Cable HDHD DVR

HDTV Almanac - Can't Lick 'Em?

Cox Communications, serving 6 million subscribers across 18 states, is integrating its video-on-demand (VOD) service directly into standard TiVo PVRs, removing the requirement for a separate cable set-top box. The TiVo platform also provides access to Netflix streaming video and Rhapsody music, consolidating multiple services into a single device. For consumers, this means fewer boxes and a simpler setup, while signaling a broader industry shift in which cable operators may cede hardware control to retain and attract subscribers.

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Blu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Portable Alphabet Soup

The Samsung BD-C8000 is a portable Blu-ray player with WiFi (802.11b/g/n), DLNA, and HDMI 1.4 support for 3D output, priced at $499 with up to three hours of battery life. Despite its feature set, the built-in 10.3-inch screen tops out at 1024x600 pixels, meaning true 1080p HD and 3D playback require an external HDTV. Travelers with existing Blu-ray collections may find it useful, but buyers expecting a self-contained HD portable experience will be disappointed.

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Projection HDMarket Trends & AnalysisMobile HD

HDTV Almanac - Is That a Projector in Your Pocket?

Pico projectors, which use bright LEDs or miniature lasers as light sources, are forecast by In-Stat to appear in 20 million embedded devices by 2014, with mobile phones expected to account for the majority of deployments. These compact projection systems can produce images up to 50 inches or larger under dimmed lighting, addressing the practical limitation of small cell phone screens for video consumption. For consumers, the technology could enable shared viewing experiences from a pocket-sized device, with affordability improving as production volumes scale against a mobile market already exceeding one billion units annually.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - DIY 2D->3D

ArcSoft MediaConverter 7, priced at $39.99, demonstrates that 2D-to-3D conversion software can run on consumer hardware by analyzing depth cues such as texture changes, perspective angles, and object overlap to generate stereoscopic output. With Hollywood planning roughly 40 3D releases totaling around 70 hours of content in the coming year, affordable conversion tools could unlock vast back-catalog libraries to fill the content gap. If a $40 PC application can produce rudimentary results today, professional-grade conversion pipelines could make mass 3DTV adoption a realistic prospect by 2013.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Big News from Netflix

Netflix's $1 billion, five-year licensing deal with Epix, the premium movie channel backed by Paramount, MGM, and Lionsgate, marks a significant quality and quantity upgrade for its Watch Instantly streaming service, with new titles potentially available as early as September 1. With Netflix already spending an estimated $600 million annually on postage alone, the economics strongly favor a shift toward digital delivery. Streaming support across Windows Media Center, network-connected TVs, Blu-ray players, all three major game consoles, TiVo, Roku, and the iPad means subscribers have no shortage of ways to cut the disc habit entirely.

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Home Theater3DTVProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - 5.4 Million 3D Capable HD Displays in 2014: Projectors

Pacific Media Associates forecasts 5.4 million 3D-capable front projectors will ship in 2014, representing roughly a fivefold increase over 2010 shipment levels. Analyst Dr. William Coggshall attributes the projected growth primarily to consumer demand rather than education markets, citing budget constraints in the latter sector. For buyers seeking large-screen home theater or gaming setups, front projectors may deliver a cost-competitive alternative to large flat panel displays as 3D content availability expands.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - Sony's HD-in-the-Round

Sony's RayModeler prototype cylindrical display renders 360 discrete images at one-degree increments, enabling viewers to walk around a subject and perceive natural depth without the motion parallax limitations of conventional stereoscopic 3DTV. Using only eight cameras spaced 45 degrees apart, the system interpolates the remaining 352 viewpoints, making live capture feasible for single-subject scenarios such as videoconferencing. The approach remains a costly lab prototype, but it points toward a fundamentally more realistic alternative to flat-panel 3D displays.

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HDTV Almanac - We're #3! We're #3! (Try Harder?)

A Nielsen survey of 27,000 online consumers across 55 countries reveals that Americans average 5:04 hours of daily TV viewing, ranking third behind Serbia (5:39) and Macedonia (5:18), with unemployment rates potentially explaining the gap. In HDTV ownership, the U.S. ties the UK at an index score of 157, trailing Australia's top score of 200, though Australia's count of 576p as HD raises a methodological flag since the accepted minimum spec is 720p. Americans lag further behind in mobile TV and over-the-top internet viewing, suggesting meaningful gaps in how U.S. consumers are adopting newer viewing platforms.

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LCD TVsStandards

HDTV Almanac - Another One Bites the Dust

A fourth Chi Mei Optoelectronics executive has pleaded guilty to LCD flat panel price fixing under the U.S. Sherman Act, receiving a $35,000 fine and a five-year prison sentence. The cumulative enforcement scorecard now stands at 19 executives and eight companies convicted, with $890 million in total criminal fines levied against the industry. For consumers and TV manufacturers who absorbed artificially inflated panel costs, the outcome signals that antitrust enforcement in the LCD supply chain carries real consequences.

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3DTVSportsProgramming

HDTV Almanac - ESPN 3D to Show 13 College Football Games

ESPN 3D is set to broadcast approximately 13 NCAA Division 1 football games in 2010, opening with Boise State vs. Virginia Tech on September 6 and culminating with the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game on January 10. Sony is sponsoring and supplying production equipment for the college football coverage, which demands distinct camera angles from standard 2D broadcasts, significantly raising production costs. For early adopters already considering a 3DTV purchase, this slate of live sports programming offers a concrete, if limited, reason to invest now.

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Cable HDOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Comcast Makes Deal with CBS

Comcast has signed a 10-year carriage agreement with CBS, securing long-term fee stability and avoiding the kind of retransmission disputes that have repeatedly disrupted cable-network relations. The deal comes as Comcast pursues regulatory approval for its proposed NBC acquisition, a transaction facing scrutiny from the FCC and Congress over competitive concerns. By demonstrating a willingness to negotiate fair terms with a rival network, Comcast may strengthen its case with regulators, though final approval of the NBC deal remains far from certain.

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HDTV Almanac - Is Your HDTV Mounted on the Wall?

Peerless, a leading flat panel mount manufacturer, has tracked wall-mount adoption rates that rise sharply with screen size: only 18% of 19-22 inch sets get mounted, while 81% of sets larger than 52 inches end up on the wall. Declining panel weight and wider consumer availability of DIY mount options have driven this trend, with current designs offering a full 90-degree swing while retracting to just one inch from the wall. For buyers considering a large HDTV purchase, wall mounting is increasingly the practical default rather than the exception.

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3DTVSmart TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - 3DTV Shipment Forecasts Increase

Market research firms DisplaySearch and iSupply project diverging 3DTV shipment forecasts, with iSupply estimating 4.2 million units shipped in 2010 and 60.5 million by 2014, while DisplaySearch's 2014 figure sits at a more conservative 42.9 million. Meaningful 3DTV growth is not expected until 2012, when pricing premiums are anticipated to drop and content availability improves. By contrast, network-connected HDTVs (NeTVs) are forecast to reach 148.3 million units by 2014, driven by faster price erosion and broader model availability across entry-level sets.

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OTA HD & AntennasSatellite HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - A New Approach to Cord-Cutting

A report titled 'A Future for Public Media in New Jersey' proposes that the state's public television stations sell their broadcast licenses and rely entirely on cable and satellite carriage for distribution, eliminating costly terrestrial transmission infrastructure. Sandwiched between the Philadelphia and New York City markets, these stations serve a niche statewide news function, and the license sale proceeds could fund an endowment reducing dependence on state funding. The proposal hinges on securing must-carry guarantees from local cable operators, a significant regulatory hurdle that highlights broader questions about the long-term viability of broadcast spectrum allocation.

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3DTVProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - Table Top 3D

NICT's Keihanna Research Labs has developed a glasses-free tabletop 3D display that uses 96 individual pocket projector engines aimed at a funnel-shaped optic to produce a floating image viewable across a 120-degree range. Scaling this to full 360-degree HD video at 30 frames per second demands 8,640 images per second, translating to over 140 gigabytes of data per second at 24-bit color depth. The staggering bandwidth requirements make real-time full-motion HD output impractical with current technology, though the concept points toward future autostereoscopic large-venue applications.

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LED TVsManufacturing

HDTV Almanac - Metalorganic Gasses in Short Supply: Who Cares?

Metalorganic gases, essential chemicals used to deposit thin films during LED semiconductor fabrication, have seen prices double recently according to DIGITIMES, creating ripple effects across the display supply chain. LEDs are a critical component in LCD backlighting for notebooks, desktop monitors, and HDTVs, meaning higher production costs could slow the ongoing price decline of LED-backlit LCD HDTVs later in 2010. Manufacturers producing lower-quality, less efficient LEDs face the steepest cost increases, while high-quality LED suppliers used in most HDTVs may be comparatively less affected.

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Deals

HDTV Almanac - And for Great Deals on HDTVs, Shop Dell?

Dell briefly offered the Sharp LC-42SB48UT 42-inch LCD HDTV at $549 with free shipping, a notable discount below the $599 price charged by competing online retailers for this entry-level display. The deal highlights Dell's broader push into consumer electronics, extending its retail reach beyond PCs to include televisions, digital cameras, MP3 players, and gaming consoles. Shoppers looking for HDTV deals may find it worthwhile to check Dell alongside traditional electronics retailers.

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3DTVSportsProgramming

HDTV Almanac - MLB Goes 3D

Fox Sports deployed 13 3D cameras, including Panasonic camcorders, to capture the MLB All-Star Game in Anaheim as part of an experimental 3DTV broadcast distributed via DirecTV, Verizon, and major cable operators. The stereoscopic footage demonstrably improved depth perception for viewers, making it easier to track pitch distance and ball movement. Broader rollout faces a dual challenge: the higher production cost of running 3D alongside existing 2D HD pipelines, and a U.S. installed base of 3DTVs too small to justify the investment for at least another two years.

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3DTVPlasma TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Samsung’s 50″ 3DTV for $1K

Samsung's 50-inch 3D-ready plasma HDTV, priced under $1,000 at $989, signals a significant shift in the 3D flat panel market by bringing the feature below the premium price threshold. The set uses a 720p resolution panel rather than 1080p, a trade-off the author argues is negligible at typical viewing distances for a 50-inch display. Consumers shopping the 2010 holiday season can expect additional lower-priced 3D-capable models to follow as manufacturers accelerate mainstream adoption.

Columns

HDTV Almanac - The Rest of the Story: Best buy vs. Ultimate

A legal dispute between Best Buy and Ultimate Electronics over comparative price advertising has concluded without a ruling, as Ultimate dropped the contested claims that its prices consistently undercut Best Buy and Walmart through daily comparison shopping. Best Buy withdrew the lawsuit after arbitration failed and Ultimate removed the pricing assertions from its marketing, with neither side admitting fault and each absorbing its own legal costs. Retailers and consumers alike should note that competitive advertising disputes in the electronics retail sector are likely to intensify.

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Deals

HDTV Almanac - Get Ready for Black Friday!

Retailers and manufacturers are already war-gaming aggressive Black Friday promotions for 2010, with industry sources indicating sales events may start before the end of Q3 and run longer than the prior year's extended period. Sluggish summer sales and bloated 3DTV inventory are key pressure points driving deeper discounting strategies. For consumers, a weak employment picture and tight household budgets are likely to translate into some of the most competitive pricing seen in recent years on consumer electronics.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Willing to Pay for Internet TV

Hulu Plus, priced at $9.95 per month and delivering content in 720p HD, represents a growing shift in how consumers approach paid internet television. A TDG survey of broadband users found that 60% are enthusiastic about TV Everywhere initiatives, with 34% willing to pay at least $5 extra monthly for streaming access to their existing cable or satellite programming. For households paying $100 or more per month for traditional TV, services like Hulu Plus and Netflix present a credible lower-cost alternative that could accelerate cord-cutting behavior.

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LED TVs

HDTV Almanac - Making Cool High-Brightness LEDs

High-brightness LEDs used as LCD backlights in HDTVs face a thermal management challenge: elevated operating temperatures reduce light output, limiting performance in thin edge-lit panels. Formosa Epitaxy is addressing this with copper-tungsten substrates, which dissipate heat more effectively than standard sapphire, and has begun small-volume production targeting 20% to 30% of its high-brightness LED output by 2011. For consumers, this substrate advancement could enable thinner, more efficient HDTVs with more consistent brightness and fewer thermal compromises.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - Stylish 3D Glasses

Marchon Eyewear has licensed RealD passive polarization technology to produce a line of 3D-compatible sunglasses, including prescription-ready options available through eye-care professionals. The glasses offer 100% UVA and UVB blocking for outdoor use and are compatible with RealD cinema systems, though their passive design excludes compatibility with active shutter glasses required by most home 3D HDTVs. For consumers who regularly attend 3D screenings, this represents a practical alternative to disposable theater eyewear with everyday wearability.

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Deals

HDTV Almanac - Get JVC Stuff by Liking It

JVC's 'Like It to Win It Summer Sweepstakes' runs July 7 through September 6 on Facebook, offering daily prize drawings for consumer electronics including iPod docking stations, clock radios, digital camcorders, and a 32-inch LCD HDTV. Entry requires Liking the daily featured product on the sweepstakes Wall, with an email address needed to match your Facebook ID for winner notification. With roughly 766 entries per day at the time of writing, the odds are relatively favorable for anyone interested in winning JVC hardware.

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Deals3DTV

HDTV Almanac - LG Creates “1-2-3D” Bundles

LG's LX9500 and LX6500 LED-sidelit LCD 3DTV series both feature local dimming for improved contrast and energy efficiency, with the LX9500 offering an ultra-thin profile and 480 Hz refresh rates versus 240 Hz on the LX6500. Both series support NetCast for streaming Netflix, YouTube, and Vudu content over a home network. LG's 1-2-3D bundle pairs these sets with the BX580 Blu-ray player, adding two active shutter glasses (valued at $180 each), a $100 instant rebate, and a 3D Blu-ray title - a package aimed at nudging undecided buyers toward a premium purchase.

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HD DVR

HDTV Almanac - Netgear NAS Plays Nice with TiVo

Netgear's ReadyNAS Ultra lineup offers network attached storage in two-, four-, and six-bay configurations, with native TiVo DVR integration that allows recorded content to be stored and streamed back to any TiVo on the local network. The device supports on-the-fly transcoding to reformat streaming video for mobile devices and home computers, while Skifta software enables remote access to media libraries from any DLNA-compatible device, including smartphones. For households with multiple screens and a TiVo setup, this combination of local sharing and remote access could simplify whole-home media management considerably.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Netflix to Stream Current Movies

Netflix secured a deal with Relativity Media to stream first-run theatrical films on the same window as HBO and Showtime, dramatically reducing the wait from years post-DVD to just months after disc release. With roughly three out of four Netflix subscribers already using the streaming service, the company is clearly repositioning itself away from physical disc logistics and postage costs toward competing directly with premium pay-TV providers. For consumers, this shift raises pointed questions about the long-term value of bundled cable subscriptions versus on-demand streaming alternatives.

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LCD TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - China to Become Top TV Market

DisplaySearch forecasts China will become the single largest LCD TV market by 2012, driven by approximately 450 million aging CRT sets purchased in the 1990s that are due for replacement over the next five to ten years. First-time buyers further accelerate demand, while North America, Western Europe, and Japan are projected to lose total market share as a result. Emerging middle-class segments across Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Mid-East and Africa are also expected to contribute meaningfully to global TV market growth.

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Mobile HD

HDTV Almanac - Does Qualcomm Want to Dump FLO TV?

Qualcomm's MediaFLO technology underpins the FLO TV mobile television service, currently available in 110 U.S. cities, using a broadcast architecture that consumes identical bandwidth regardless of whether one or 1,000 devices receive the signal simultaneously. Despite acquiring wireless spectrum in federal auctions tied to the digital TV transition, Qualcomm faces a classic adoption deadlock: too few compatible devices to drive subscriptions, while also competing against emerging Mobile DTV from traditional broadcasters. Qualcomm's core chip business makes video broadcasting a poor strategic fit, and the company is reportedly open to selling the service.

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3DTVLCD TVsPlasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - 3D to Dominate Plasma by 2013

Displaybank projects that over 86% of plasma HDTVs sold will be 3D-ready by 2013, a transition made more feasible by plasma's inherently higher pixel switching speed compared to LCD. However, 3D technology cuts plasma's light output to less than half its standard level, compounding the technology's existing brightness disadvantage relative to LCD panels. Buyers in rooms with significant ambient light or large windows may find LCD a more practical choice despite plasma's lower incremental cost for 3D implementation.

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StandardsOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - All That Glitters Is Not Silver

HDTV's higher resolution is exposing an unexpected problem for the Dallas Cowboys, whose iconic silver pants are actually a shade of light green - a color engineered specifically to appear silver on standard definition screens. The shift from SD to HD displays reveals the true hue, forcing the team to redesign their uniform color to look authentically silver both on the field and on modern televisions. This is a practical reminder that color calibration for broadcast media requires rethinking as HD adoption widens.

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StandardsHDMIHome Theater

HDTV Almanac - HDMI: the End is Nigh?

HDBaseT, a newly finalized specification backed by LG, Samsung, and Sony, uses standard Cat5e/6 Ethernet cabling and connectors to carry uncompressed 1080p/60 video, multi-channel audio, network signals, and device power over a single cable. Unlike HDMI 1.4, HDBaseT supports daisy-chain and star topologies and promises faster device switching, potentially simplifying home theater wiring considerably. First products were anticipated in the second half of 2010, raising the question of whether HDBaseT could displace HDMI before the older standard fully matures.

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DLP TVsProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - DLP Still Alive

Mitsubishi continues to produce rear-projection DLP televisions at competitive price points, with the 60-inch WD-60638 listing at $1,199 and the 82-inch WD-82838 at $4,499, both 3D-ready out of the box. These figures represent significant value compared to LED-backlit LCD flat panels of similar or smaller screen sizes. For buyers prioritizing screen real estate over cabinet depth, rear-projection DLP remains a practical large-format option worth serious consideration.

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Streaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Hulu Drops the Other Shoe

Hulu Plus launches as a $9.95 per month subscription service delivering full seasons of NBC, ABC, and Fox programming in 720p HD, with ad support retained alongside the existing free tier. The service extends beyond browsers to iPad, iPhone, Samsung 2010 Blu-ray players and HDTVs (as exclusive HDTV preview partner), and Vizio VIA-enabled devices. For consumers, a single low monthly fee enables HD viewing across multiple screens, positioning Hulu Plus as a credible pressure point against traditional cable and satellite subscription models.

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CalibrationStandardsOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - THX System to Control HDTVs

THX Media Director is a metadata system designed to be embedded within television signals, enabling HDTVs to automatically adjust settings such as color space, aspect ratio, surround sound, and 2D/3D mode switching. The system addresses a persistent real-world problem: HDTVs frequently operating with incorrect configurations due to manual setup errors. Adoption faces a classic chicken-and-egg barrier, as content producers and hardware manufacturers must coordinate before the system can reach critical mass.

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HD Audio

HDTV Almanac - Personal Woofer

The Kor FX Immerz is a wearable haptic transducer device worn around the neck that transmits low-frequency audio vibrations directly into the chest cavity, creating an internalized sound experience. Available initially as a wired unit paired with headphones, a planned wireless version will allow multiple users to share the haptic experience alongside room speakers and a large screen. The perceptual effect of feeling sound originate from inside the body rather than externally produced a notably immersive result during a live demonstration with video playback.

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Mobile HD

HDTV Almanac - A Better Mobile TV

BitBop, a Fox Mobile Group service offering full TV episode streaming for a flat $10 monthly subscription, presents a compelling alternative to Mobile DTV's over-the-air broadcast model, which requires dedicated hardware and locks viewers into live schedules. BitBop supports both 3G and WiFi connections, works on existing smartphones via an app, and delivers on-demand, ad-free content without additional device purchases. For consumers already accustomed to watching what they want, when they want, this subscription model aligns far better with modern viewing habits than broadcast-dependent solutions.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - Is 3DTV Bad for You?

Samsung Australia's 3DTV health warning, covering risks from photosensitive seizures to viewing while fatigued, has drawn widespread attention and skepticism about whether the cautions reflect genuine risk or legal overreach. The 3D@Home Consortium, a group of more than 40 companies including Intel and BlueFocus, has formed a steering committee to consolidate existing stereoscopic display research and communicate findings across partner organizations in Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and China. For consumers, the effort aims to replace fragmented or alarmist warnings with reliable, evidence-based guidance on 3DTV safety.

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HDTV Almanac - Ken Crane's Closing

Ken Crane's, a 10-location specialty AV retail chain in southern California founded in 1948 as a Magnavox dealer, is liquidating inventory and closing within two months. The closures reflect broader market pressures: quality consumer electronics have shifted from premium-only to mass-market products, eroding the price differentiation that specialty retailers depend on. For consumers, this signals a continued contraction of high-touch pro AV retail, with custom home installation services becoming an increasingly narrow niche.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - 3D HDTV to Go

The Lenovo IdeaPad Y560d is a 15.6-inch notebook featuring a WideXGA (1,366 x 768) LCD with alternating polarized strips that enables glasses-free shutter technology to be replaced by passive polarized glasses for stereoscopic 3D viewing. The display supports 720p HD natively without scaling and includes an HDMI output for connecting to a full-sized HDTV, with an optional Blu-ray drive. The passive glasses approach trades half the resolution in 3D mode for a lighter, more affordable experience, with the base model priced at $1,200.

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Mobile HD

HDTV Almanac - FLO TV Goes Slow for iPhone

The Mophie Juice Pack TV is a piggyback accessory for iPhone and iPod Touch that integrates a FLO TV tuner and battery extender in a single hardware add-on. The device retransmits the received mobile television signal over WiFi, allowing up to three additional devices to share the encrypted stream simultaneously. Subscribers pay a minimum of $15 per month for the FLO TV service, making this a hardware-plus-subscription proposition worth evaluating before committing.

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HDTV Almanac - Vuvuzela Must Die! (Here's How!)

Parametric equalizers built into HDTVs, home stereos, and computers can be used to filter out the vuvuzela's droning frequency, significantly reducing or eliminating the noise from World Cup broadcasts. Samsung TVs include accessible EQ settings for this purpose, and GarageBand on Mac can process the audio signal with similar results. For viewers frustrated by the horn noise drowning out commentary, targeted frequency filtering offers a practical, hardware- or software-based fix without waiting for broadcasters to act.

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Streaming HDSatellite HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - TV Everywhere Could Be Huge

Time Warner Cable CFO John Martin projected that 50 million U.S. pay-TV homes could have access to TV Everywhere services within a year, signaling a rapid industry shift toward internet-delivered subscription content. While the initiative aims to retain subscribers paying $100 to $200 monthly by extending access to premium channels and live programming, it risks accelerating demand for a la carte pricing if popular content remains gated behind additional fees. The outcome could fundamentally threaten the bundled channel model that sustains cable and satellite revenue.

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Market Trends & AnalysisLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Low Low Prices

The 46-inch Toshiba 46XV645U, a 1080p LCD HDTV with 120 Hz refresh rate and three HDMI inputs, is now selling at Walmart for $699 - down 30% from its $1,000 Consumer Reports best-buy price earlier in 2010 and roughly one-third of the $2,000-$2,900 range typical just two years prior. This dramatic price compression mirrors a broader trend in the LCD HDTV market that has made premium-tier specifications accessible at entry-level price points. Buyers shopping for a large-screen 1080p display today are getting substantially more performance per dollar than was possible even recently.

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HDTV Almanac - Latest WD TV Media Player Adds Netflix
Home TheaterStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Latest WD TV Media Player Adds Netflix

The WD TV Live Plus HD Media Player delivers 1080p HD playback while adding Netflix streaming to its lineup of supported services, which also includes YouTube, Pandora, Flickr, Live365, and MediaFly. The device connects via wired Ethernet or optional WiFi adapter and can access locally stored content through USB or home network shares. Priced at $149.99 MSRP but available for under $120, it offers a cost-effective path to streaming and local media playback on any HDTV.

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Home Theater3DTVDLP TVs

HDTV Almanac - Simpler 3D Shutter Glasses

XpanD's second-generation X102 active shutter glasses use DLP-Link technology to sync with 3D-ready HDTVs and projectors without requiring a separate IR emitter. The display itself flashes a synchronization signal directly to the glasses, triggering the left-to-right eye switching sequence. For consumers, this means a simpler setup with fewer components and no additional hardware tied to the TV or projector.

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Smart TVsStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Samsung NeTVs Learn New Tricks

Samsung has expanded its Smart TV platform by adding Facebook and Google Maps to its Samsung Apps store, which now offers over 30 applications for network-connected HDTVs and Blu-ray players. Existing supported services include Netflix, Vudu, Pandora, and Twitter, giving users streaming, social, and navigation capabilities directly on their displays. For buyers evaluating new HDTVs, network connectivity is emerging as a practical differentiator that extends a set's functionality well beyond traditional broadcast viewing.

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Mobile HD

HDTV Almanac - V CAST Video for Verizon Android Phones

Verizon's V CAST Video service has launched for Android devices, offering on-demand TV episodes from 81 channels including NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, A&E, and Lifetime, plus live major league sports coverage. Priced at $10 per month or $3 per day on top of an existing data plan, the service does not count streaming against voice minutes or data download allocations. The day-pass option provides a practical solution for travelers needing temporary access without a full subscription commitment.

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HD DVR

HDTV Almanac - TiVo Loses Latest Round

TiVo's $200 million patent infringement judgment against Dish Network and parent company EchoStar faces new challenges after the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rejected two claims in TiVo's patents, a decision TiVo has announced it will appeal. A federal appeals court is simultaneously reviewing whether the presiding judge should have granted Dish a new trial on ongoing infringement. The outcome could affect Dish subscribers, though the legal complexity of overlapping PTO and appellate proceedings makes a near-term resolution unlikely.

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HD CamcordersMobile HD

HDTV Almanac - Apple Reveals iPhone 4G

Apple's iPhone 4G integrates a 720p HD camcorder, 5-megapixel still camera with flash, and a 3.5-inch 960x640 display into a pocket-sized device available in 16 GB and 32 GB configurations. The phone also includes front-facing camera support for video chat, built-in GPS, and a touchscreen interface, though its display resolution falls short of rendering HD footage without downscaling. For consumers weighing a dedicated camcorder purchase, the iPhone 4G presents a compelling but imperfect convergence device worth evaluating on its combined feature set.

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Streaming HDCable HDMobile HD

HDTV Almanac - TV Everywhere is Here, North of the Border

Rogers Communications has officially launched Rogers On Demand Online, a Canadian 'TV Everywhere' streaming service that allows access without a subscription, though exclusive content such as live sporting events and concerts requires one. The service, which entered beta in November 2009, uses Internet-based streaming but restricts access via geo-blocking to users physically located in Canada. For travelers heading north of the 49th parallel, this represents a functional alternative to hardware-dependent solutions like Slingbox for accessing on-demand video content.

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Blu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Blu-ray Coming to Redbox

Redbox president Mitch Lowe announced that the company will begin renting Blu-ray discs from its kiosks at $1.50 per night, a $0.50 premium over standard DVD rentals. With over one-sixth of its customer base already owning Blu-ray players and the company processing roughly 40 million rentals per month, Redbox is positioned to meaningfully accelerate Blu-ray adoption. For consumers, the modest price increase makes high-definition disc rentals accessible at a price point that could drive broader hardware and software uptake.

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Mobile HDDTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Mobile DTV Test Launched in D.C.

A four-month Mobile DTV consumer showcase launched in the Washington, D.C. metro area features nine stations broadcasting over 20 channels with interactive features including polling and advertising feedback, targeting cell phones, netbooks, and dedicated receivers. The author argues that Mobile DTV addresses a largely nonexistent problem, given that wireless broadband already delivers on-demand video to smartphones and that even 20 channels falls far short of the hundreds available via cable or satellite. Consumers in rural markets with limited terrestrial broadcasters would see even fewer benefits, making widespread adoption unlikely.

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Home Theater PC (HTPC)

HDTV Almanac - PC to HDTV via USB

Gefen's USB DVI Adapter connects a computer to an HDTV using only a standard USB port, with the device drawing power directly from the port and supporting resolutions up to 1920x1200 (1080p and beyond). Up to six units can be daisy-chained to a single Windows PC (four on Mac), enabling multi-display setups without dedicated graphics hardware. At $149 per unit from Gefen, the convenience of a bus-powered, DVI-to-HDMI-compatible adapter comes at a premium worth weighing against traditional graphics solutions.

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Streaming HDOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Internet Tops Broadcast by 2020

A Diffusion Group report forecasts Internet video will surpass broadcast TV by 2020, citing 84% growth in Internet video consumption from 2008 to 2009 as an early indicator of accelerating adoption. The columnist notes that while the 84% figure starts from a low baseline, the broader structural pressures on the broadcast, cable, and satellite model are real and may trigger collapse sooner than predicted. For viewers, this points toward a fragmented ecosystem of separate content producers, distributors, and broadband providers delivering individually targeted programming.

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HDTV Almanac - Happy Memorial Day!

The HDTV Almanac column takes a brief pause for Memorial Day 2010, with the author stepping away from HDTV coverage for a single day of rest. No technical content, specifications, or product analysis are presented in this entry. Readers looking for display technology coverage can expect the column to resume the following day.

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LCD TVsLED TVs3DTV

HDTV Almanac - SID 2010: HDTV Take-Aways

A recap of the Society for Information Display (SID) 2010 conference highlights three key HDTV trends: active-glasses 3DTV as the only viable living-room solution, the ongoing debate between native 3D capture and real-time 2D-to-3D conversion in $2,000 sets, and the accelerating shift from fluorescent to LED backlights in LCD HDTVs. LED backlights offer better color, thinner panel designs, and lower environmental impact, with competitive pricing pressure expected to narrow the cost gap further. Consumers shopping for a large flat-panel HDTV by the holiday season can expect incremental improvements and continued price erosion rather than any breakthrough technology.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - SID 2010: Don't Look for Panasonic 3DTV Online

Panasonic's Senior VP of Sales revealed at SID 2010 that the company will not authorize online sales of its 3D-capable HDTV models, citing the need to control in-store customer experience through purpose-built retail kiosks. Panasonic also stated that current real-time 2D-to-3D conversion technology does not meet its quality standards, which is why the feature is absent from its lineup. The online sales ban appears designed to protect brick-and-mortar retail partners, though unauthorized supply channel leakage could pressure Panasonic to reverse the policy.

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OLED TVsManufacturing

HDTV Almanac - SID 2010: Why You Won’t Have an OLED HDTV Soon

Samsung Mobile Displays VP Sang Soo Kim projected OLED shipments could reach 1 billion units by 2015 at SID 2010, but the poly-silicon backplane process remains a critical bottleneck: laser annealing is limited to Gen 4.5 substrates, forcing larger Gen 5.5 and Gen 8 lines to process panels in segments with no meaningful efficiency gain. This constraint keeps OLED production costs well above LCD levels, and DisplaySearch does not expect OLED TV revenues to reach even a few hundred million dollars until 2013. For consumers hoping to buy an OLED HDTV soon, the manufacturing economics make that prospect unlikely in the near term.

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Home Theater3DTVBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - SID 2010: 3D Avatar on Blu-ray

At the SID 2010 Business Conference in Seattle, Sony COO Stan Glasgow confirmed that PlayStation 3 will receive a firmware upgrade to support 3D gaming, with a subsequent update adding 3D Blu-ray playback. Panasonic VP Peter Fannon revealed that Avatar will arrive on 3D Blu-ray 'soon,' and noted Panasonic's partnership with DirecTV on three 3D HDTV channels launching in June. For consumers, these announcements signal an accelerating push toward 3D home entertainment across gaming, disc media, and broadcast platforms.

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Streaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Google TV: The Beginning or the End?

Google TV, built on the Android operating system, takes an open-Web approach to Internet-connected televisions, directly contrasting with the walled-garden model adopted by existing NeTV manufacturers. Backed by partners including Sony, Intel, Adobe, Logitech, and Dish Network, the platform will ship embedded in select televisions or as a standalone add-on box. A Diffusion Group report predicts Web video will surpass traditional broadcast and subscription TV within 10 years, a timeline Google TV's launch may accelerate for living-room viewers.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Free HD Video Codec

Google released VP8 as an open-source, royalty-free video codec through the WebM project, offering a direct alternative to H.264, which requires licensing through MPEG-LA from a consortium that includes Apple and Microsoft. H.264, used in MPEG4 compression, already cut data stream sizes roughly in half compared to MPEG2 used by DVDs, making HDTV streaming more practical. WebM support from Chrome, YouTube, Mozilla, Opera, Microsoft, and Adobe signals a potential shift toward plug-in-free browser video that could lower costs and accelerate development of streaming applications.

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HDTV Almanac - HDTV Manufacturer Fraud?

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Manufacturer Fraud?

Ray Soneira of DisplayMate, creator of the industry-standard DisplayMate testing software, has published findings exposing misleading HDTV specifications including inflated contrast ratio claims, LCD viewing angle measurements that produce meaningless results, and 120 Hz refresh rate marketing. His lab-based shoot-out in New Hampshire also scrutinizes Sharp's 4-color LCD technology and the longstanding misuse of LED TV branding for what are actually LCD panels with LED backlights. Consumers shopping for an HDTV should understand these specification pitfalls before trusting manufacturer claims.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Sell More, Earn Less!

LCD HDTV unit sales rose in Q1 2010 year-over-year, yet revenues collapsed from $5.2 billion to $4.1 billion - a 27% decline in a single year - even as larger screen sizes (55 inches and above) posted notable growth. This paradox of rising volume paired with sharply falling revenue reflects relentless price compression across the category. For consumers, the pressure signals continued bargains, but for mid-tier manufacturers it points toward further market consolidation as margins erode.

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HD DVRSatellite HD

HDTV Almanac - DirecTV Offers Whole Home HD DVR

DirecTV's Whole-Home DVR Service adds multi-room recording and playback for $3 per month (on top of a required $17/month HD and DVR subscription), enabling simultaneous recording of two shows while streaming different content to multiple televisions. The system supports eSATA-connected external hard drives up to 1 TB for expanded storage, and allows users to pause a show in one room and resume it in another. At $36 per year, it offers a cost-effective alternative to purchasing separate DVR units for each room.

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Politics & PolicyDRMOTA Set-Top Boxes (STBs)

HDTV Almanac - FCC Orders Remote Kill Switch

The FCC granted a limited waiver lifting its 2003 ban on selectable output control (SOC), allowing cable and satellite providers to remotely disable unprotected analog output ports on set-top boxes while leaving copy-protection-capable ports such as HDMI unaffected. The waiver restricts SOC activation to a 90-day window per title and mandates a two-year review period before any permanent policy change. For consumers, this means providers can selectively cut off analog outputs on your hardware, though the FCC stopped short of granting the MPAA full control over all output types.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - The Balkanization of Streaming TV

Online TV streaming in 2010 is fragmented across competing platforms, with services like Hulu, HBO Go, and network-specific sites each requiring separate logins and offering inconsistent user interfaces. CBS was reportedly preparing a Showtime-specific streaming portal, adding to the growing patchwork of isolated 'TV Everywhere' services from cable and satellite providers. For average consumers, this balkanization creates real friction, and the author argues that a single content aggregator reaching critical mass is the only practical path forward.

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Home TheaterBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - New BDs for Old DVDs

Warner Brothers has expanded its DVD2Blu exchange program to cover 90 titles, dropping the per-disc exchange price from $7.95 to $4.95 for many titles, with a flat $4.95 shipping fee and a four-to-five-week delivery window. The program offers a practical path to upgrading your movie collection to HD, but the broader economics remain a barrier - Blu-ray players still carry a $100-plus premium over standard DVD players, and most new Blu-ray discs exceed $20 each. Competing HD delivery options such as cable on-demand and Internet streaming may ultimately reshape whether the physical format investment is worthwhile.

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Cable HD

HDTV Almanac - Time Warner and Cox Need More Fiber

The National Advertising Division ruled that Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications must drop "fiber-optic" network claims, since both providers still rely on copper coaxial cable for the final connection to homes rather than true fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) delivery. Verizon's FiOS, which uses genuine FTTH infrastructure, filed the complaint that prompted the decision. Cox agreed to comply while Time Warner plans to appeal, making it essential for consumers comparing subscription TV services to scrutinize technical claims and read the fine print carefully.

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Digital Cinema

HDTV Almanac - The Fat Lady is About to Sing

The Metropolitan Opera's Live in HD program distributes live performances digitally to more than 1,200 movie theaters worldwide, eliminating the cost of physical film prints and selling over 2.2 million tickets in the 2009-2010 season alone. With six summer encores scheduled and nine live transmissions planned for 2010-2011, the model proves that digital cinema infrastructure can make niche content economically viable at scale. For exhibitors facing declining attendance, this approach offers a practical template for alternative programming beyond mainstream film releases.

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HDTV Almanac - Best Buy Includes Streaming Bonuses

Best Buy's RewardZone Premier Silver tier, unlocked at $2,500 in annual spending, bundles free unlimited Napster streaming with 15 MP3 credits per quarter and a monthly CinemaNow movie rental download - digital content perks that directly compete with physical media Best Buy still sells. The move reflects a deliberate strategic pivot: Best Buy reduced CD and DVD floor space the prior year, and already owns Napster outright. For loyal customers, this signals that Best Buy is positioning itself as a digital content destination, not just a physical media retailer.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Hollywood Video to Close

Hollywood Video, the second largest U.S. movie rental chain with 2,415 stores, is liquidating after parent company Movie Gallery filed for bankruptcy in February 2010. The collapse reflects a market shift driven by competing distribution models including Redbox kiosks, Netflix mail rentals, cable on-demand, and online streaming. For consumers, this signals that physical disc rental storefronts are no longer a viable retail format in the face of digital delivery alternatives.

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Politics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - FCC to Impose "Net Neutrality" Rules?

The FCC, under Chairman Genachowski, appears poised to regulate broadband lines under legacy telephone network rules, reversing earlier signals of deregulation and aligning with Democratic committee members to pursue net neutrality enforcement. The move follows Comcast's court victory over throttling BitTorrent traffic, which exposed the legal gap allowing ISPs to selectively slow or prioritize data streams. For consumers relying on streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, or Skype, the outcome of this regulatory push could directly determine whether those services receive equal, unimpeded access to broadband connections.

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HDTV Almanac - High-Definition Floor

Researchers at McGill University have developed pressure-sensitive floor tiles that combine overhead projection with haptic feedback to simulate different surface textures underfoot. The plastic tiles can both detect pressure and vibrate, enabling tactile simulations such as drifting snow or a pebble beach. This technology has practical potential for simulation training environments and interactive user interfaces, including game control systems.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Hulu #2 for March Viewers

comScore Video Metrix data for March 2010 shows Google Sites dominating online video with over 13 billion videos viewed and a 41.8% market share, driven by YouTube. Hulu ranked second with more than 1 billion videos watched, outpacing Microsoft's sites by 50% and drawing more traffic than major broadcast network sites including CBS, Viacom, Turner, and Fox. This signals that online television viewing is becoming a meaningful component of U.S. home entertainment consumption.

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HDTV Almanac - Truth Patrol: $229.99 22″ OLED Monitor

Target mistakenly listed an AOC 22-inch LCD monitor (Model e2237Fwh) as an 'OLED Monitor' at $229.99, a price point roughly 10% of what Sony and LG charge for their smaller OLED televisions. The confusion stems from the monitor using an LED backlight rather than a traditional CCFL backlight, a distinction that manufacturers like Samsung and Toshiba have already blurred by marketing LED-backlit LCDs as 'LED displays.' For consumers, this highlights how loose use of display terminology can create serious misunderstandings about fundamentally different technologies.

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Home TheaterProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - Sanyo 120 Hz HDTV Projector

Sanyo's PLV-Z4000 is a 1080p LCD front projector running at 120 Hz, interpolating intermediate frames from 60 Hz source material to deliver smoother motion, while also supporting 1080p24 from Blu-ray players. Rated at 1,200 lumens, it is well-suited for controlled home theater environments but struggles in ambient light. Priced at $2,495 and shipping in May, it represents a compelling value for viewers seated 10 feet or more from a large screen.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - Amazon Explains 3DTV

Amazon has published a collection of ten short videos at amazon.com/3d addressing common consumer questions about 3DTV technology, including the requirement for active shutter glasses, compatibility across plasma and LCD HDTVs, and how the stereoscopic effect is achieved. The series avoids excessive technical depth while remaining accurate, though its segment on glasses-free 3DTV is noted as overly optimistic given the technology's maturity at the time. For consumers evaluating a 3DTV purchase, the videos offer a practical, accessible starting point for understanding what hardware and viewing conditions are required.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - Would You Wear Goofy 3D Goggles?

Active shutter 3D glasses, which use LCD panels to selectively block or transmit light, could evolve into a multipurpose wearable combining 2 GB MP3 storage, Bluetooth connectivity, and automatic shutter activation near 3D displays. Power-scavenging technologies harvesting heat, light, or motion could eliminate the need to recharge, making them a practical all-day accessory. If these functions converge into a single pair of glasses, consumer resistance to wearing 3D eyewear could diminish significantly.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - YouTube Expands Movie Rental Catalog

YouTube's rental service offers feature-length films and episodic content priced from $0.99 to $3.99, with most titles available for 24-hour viewing windows and select educational content extending to seven days. The catalog, which includes Sundance titles, Bollywood films, anime, and commercial releases such as 'Reservoir Dogs', remains smaller than Netflix's competing streaming library. For casual viewers renting fewer than two titles per month, a single-disc Netflix subscription likely delivers better value, though YouTube's service warrants monitoring as Google refines its approach.

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Plasma TVs3DTV

HDTV Almanac - Panasonic Announces VT25 3D HDTV Series

Panasonic's VT25 Series plasma HDTVs bring 3DTV support to four screen sizes ranging from 50 to 65 inches, priced from $2,599.95 to $4,299.95, with the 50-inch and 54-inch models shipping May 3, 2010. Each set includes one pair of active shutter glasses and supports VIERA CAST WiFi along with optional Skype video calling hardware. Plasma's lower peak brightness compared to LCD means these sets perform best in rooms with controlled ambient lighting, making viewing environment a key consideration for buyers.

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Satellite HD

HDTV Almanac - Who Has the Most HDTV?

Dish Network and DirecTV are locked in an HD channel count battle, with Dish claiming 200 HD channels (including 72 pay-per-view movie slots) and DirecTV countering with 160 channels plus four 3DTV offerings, among them the ESPN 3D channel. The competing tallies raise legitimate questions about how a channel is defined, since a pay-per-view slot differs fundamentally from a 24-hour broadcast feed. For subscribers, the practical takeaway is that raw channel counts mean little if the added content does not match viewer demand.

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Cable HD

HDTV Almanac - Change of Heart by Cable?

Smaller cable operators at the American Cable Association's policy summit floated the idea of abandoning the traditional pay TV bundle in favor of a metered, 'dumb pipe' model for delivering online video, shifting DRM responsibility entirely to content owners. This approach mirrors the utility-style economics of a phone company rather than a TV broadcaster, potentially offering simpler operations and more sustainable margins. Large incumbents with billions invested in content-centric identities are unlikely to pivot quickly, but if smaller operators prove the model viable, the content delivery landscape could look radically different within a decade.

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HDTV Almanac - Best Buy Sues Ultimate

Best Buy has filed a federal lawsuit against regional chain Ultimate Electronics, alleging that Ultimate's advertising claim of consistently beating Best Buy and Walmart prices is false. The suit follows a failed arbitration attempt, and reflects intensifying price competition in the consumer electronics retail sector following the collapse of CompUSA and Circuit City. Shoppers should independently verify advertised price claims, as the ongoing market share battle among surviving chains may yield genuine bargains but also misleading promotions.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Seagate Adds Netflix

Seagate's FreeAgent Theater+ HD media player, priced just above $100, has added Netflix streaming support alongside YouTube, vTuner, and Mediafly via a free firmware download for existing owners. The device supports DLNA for local network media access and USB storage connectivity, making it a low-cost alternative to purchasing a new Internet-enabled HDTV or setting up a living room PC. The ease of adding services through automatic downloads signals how quickly this emerging market can shift allegiances between streaming platforms.

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LCD TVsLED TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - More LED Backlight Price Drops Forecast

DisplayBank forecasts a 43% price drop in LED backlight units for 40-inch LCD HDTVs in 2010, translating to roughly $100 off the bill of materials. This reduction is driven by engineering advances that allow manufacturers to shift from four-sided LED strips to bottom-only configurations, cutting LED component counts by up to 30% or more. For consumers, the practical result is that a 40-inch LED-backlit HDTV next holiday season could cost hundreds less than equivalent models available today.

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Mobile HD

HDTV Almanac - Mobile TV Moves Ahead

The Tivizen, a $149 device from Valups demonstrated at NAB 2010, receives Mobile DTV signals over broadcast spectrum and rebroadcasts them via a built-in WiFi access point to existing smartphones, tablets, and notebooks. This approach eliminates the need for a dedicated mobile TV display, but raises questions about whether a passive broadcast model can compete with on-demand streaming over 3G/4G connections that many of these same devices already support. For consumers accustomed to choosing content on their own schedule, the Tivizen may be solving a problem the market has already moved past.

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OLED TVsManufacturing

HDTV Almanac - OLED Progress

Fraunhofer Institute researchers in Dresden have demonstrated a continuous roll-to-roll manufacturing process for OLED devices built on inexpensive aluminum foil substrates, which also serves as an effective barrier against oxygen and water vapor degradation. A transparent encapsulating top layer was also deposited via the same roll-to-roll method, validating the potential for high-volume, low-cost OLED production. While current devices target uniform-emission lighting panels rather than the finely patterned structures required for HDTV displays, advances in manufacturing scale and material volume could eventually bring OLED HDTVs closer to LCD and plasma price points.

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HDTV Almanac - Hard Drive Comes with Movies On Board

Seagate's 500 GB FreeAgent Go external hard drive ($99) ships preloaded with 21 Paramount films, including the 2009 'Star Trek' as a free unlock after registration, while the remaining 20 titles require fees ranging from $9.99 to $14.99. All content is limited to standard definition DVD resolution, and unlock eligibility expires at year's end, reducing the practical appeal of the bundle. The promotion reflects Hollywood's experimentation with alternative distribution channels ahead of a post-DVD market, though preloaded hard drives seem an unlikely long-term solution for movie delivery.

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HDTV Almanac - ViewSonic Brings 3D Home
Home Theater3DTVProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - ViewSonic Brings 3D Home

ViewSonic's PGD-150 active shutter glasses, priced at $99, bring 3D capability to the company's DLP projector lineup, enabling giant HD images for under $1,200 when paired with a compatible projector. The glasses support multiple ViewSonic projector models, including those below HD native resolution, broadening their appeal to education markets where cost is a priority. Buyers should note that effective use requires a light-controlled room, typically one without windows.

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Streaming HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - Strange Bedfellows?

Cable operators and Hollywood studios are jointly funding a $30 million marketing campaign to promote cable on-demand services, positioning them as a direct competitor to Netflix and Redbox. Fox Home Entertainment plans to triple same-day DVD-release on-demand titles, while some cable operators are extending the viewing window from 24 to 48 hours. For consumers, this means broader same-day access to new releases through cable, potentially reducing the need for physical rentals or subscription streaming services.

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HDTV Almanac - Get Part of the Earth in HD for Free!

The BBC is offering a free iTunes download of 'Pole to Pole,' one episode from the landmark HD nature documentary Planet Earth, available April 12-26 to mark the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. The promotion includes the HD version at no cost, while the remaining 10 episodes are available for purchase at $1.99 in standard definition or $2.99 in HD. For HDTV owners, this is a practical opportunity to acquire high-definition reference-quality content that can demonstrate the full capabilities of a modern display.

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Laser TVs

HDTV Almanac - New Laser HDTV

Prysm's laser phosphor display (LPD) steers a blue laser - the same type used in standard Blu-ray players - via a spinning multi-sided mirror to excite red, green, and blue phosphors, producing an emissive image with near-unlimited viewing angles. A 1080p configuration requires 30 individual 25-inch modules (each at 320x240 pixels) to form a 142-inch diagonal display, and the technology consumes roughly one-quarter the power of a comparable LCD. Targeted initially at commercial venues such as airports and sports arenas, LPD remains far from consumer price points despite its use of off-the-shelf components.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - FCC Loses on Net Neutrality

A federal appeals court ruled that the FCC lacks authority to enforce net neutrality on broadband providers, a regulatory gap traced to a Bush-era decision not to classify broadband under telephone-style common carrier rules. The ruling opens the door for providers like Comcast to throttle competing services such as Skype or prioritize affiliated content like NBC Universal streams over its own network infrastructure. For consumers, this could mean degraded access to independent streaming video and unequal broadband service quality depending on a provider's commercial interests.

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LCD TVsStandards

HDTV Almanac - Anti-Trust Suit Filed Against LCD Makers

A U.S. District judge has cleared the way for class action suits against LCD panel manufacturers including Samsung, Sharp, and LG Display for alleged price fixing between 1999 and 2006, with defendants already facing roughly $585 million in criminal fines from a prior Justice Department investigation. Chunghwa Picture Tubes and Epson have already settled civil cases with direct purchasers, weakening the remaining defendants' positions. The financial pressure from these settlements, layered onto already thin LCD panel margins, is likely to accelerate consolidation across the manufacturing sector.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - HDTV: Just 6% Worldwide

Global HDTV penetration reached only 6% of consumer households in 2009, with North America accounting for roughly two-thirds of that share and U.S. adoption approaching 50% - more than eight times the worldwide average. Projections from Inform Telecoms and Media forecast modest growth to 21% by 2014, constrained by incomplete digital broadcast transitions and economic headwinds. For consumers, the analysis suggests that rising HDTV set availability alone is unlikely to drive meaningful Blu-ray player adoption, given DVD's entrenched price-to-value position.

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HDTV Almanac - $59 LCD TV

A $59 Walmart LCD TV offers an 11-inch widescreen display with 800x480 pixel resolution (Wide VGA/EDTV), capable of running on standard AC power or a 12-volt DC outlet from a car or boat. The set receives over-the-air ATSC signals but lacks the resolution to render HD programming detail, and the bundled antenna may require an upgrade for reliable reception. Its low cost and dual power options make it a practical candidate for casual outdoor use or an emergency kit, provided expectations for picture quality are kept in check.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Headlines

A satirical roundup of fabricated HDTV industry headlines published on April 1st covers absurdities including Verizon offering 4K upscaled content via FiOS using Extron signal processors split across four 1080p displays, Sony OLED TVs that generate electricity when off, and Bausch & Lomb active shutter contact lenses using NIRDS protocol and kinetic energy harvesting from eyeblinks. Sharp's glasses-free 3DTV with LED-based rangefinding and three viewing sweet spots rounds out the spoof. Readers familiar with real display technology will recognize the technical plausibility used to dress up each joke.

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OTA HD & Antennas3DTV

HDTV Almanac - ESPN 3D on DirecTV

DirecTV's addition of ESPN 3D at no extra cost to existing HD subscribers marks a notable expansion of 3D broadcast content, joining Comcast's Masters coverage and Sky UK's dedicated 3D channel launching in April. Despite this programming push, the installed base of 3D-capable flat panel HDTVs remains in the low thousands, and even Twentieth Century Fox has declined to release a 3D Blu-ray of Avatar due to insufficient market penetration. These early broadcasts are best understood as low-risk technical trials and brand positioning moves rather than viable mass-market offerings.

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Home TheaterProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - HDTVs: Is that Model Available in Mauve?

Runco has launched ColourPallette, a customization program offering its full line of home theater projectors and flat panel displays in 13 distinct color options, with names like Runco Magic, Runco Artisan, and Runco Extreme (a purple shade). The program targets interior designers who may view display hardware as visually disruptive, positioning Runco products as design-complementary elements rather than aesthetic compromises. For buyers at the premium end of the home theater market, this means display hardware can now be specified to match or accent a room's decor.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - Cable and Satellite Ask FCC for Help

Cable and satellite TV providers have petitioned the FCC for regulatory protection against broadcasters cutting off programming during licensing disputes, citing high-profile blackout threats involving Cablevision, Disney, college football, and the Super Bowl. Comcast has notably stayed silent on the issue, likely because its pending NBC acquisition would make it both a subscription distributor and a content provider. The FCC is accepting public comments through May 4, 2010 under Docket No. 10-71, giving subscribers a direct channel to influence how retransmission consent rules are shaped.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Cisco to Turbocharge the Internet

Cisco's CRS-3 router, capable of 322 Terabits per second throughput, represents a tripling of bandwidth over its predecessor and signals a coming inflection point for Internet-delivered video. Combined with emerging 1 Gbps broadband experiments from Google and others, the infrastructure for mass streaming is advancing rapidly. The practical implication is clear: as bandwidth constraints ease, Hollywood's resistance to licensing content for services like Hulu and Netflix becomes the primary bottleneck, not the network itself.

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Market Trends & AnalysisLCD TVsLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - HDTVs: What Recession?

DisplaySearch projects global TV unit sales to reach 228 million in 2010, with LCD TVs accounting for 180 million units and LED-backlit models surging from 3.6 million to over 35 million units. Edge-lit LED panels are expected to dominate at 90% of LED models, sacrificing local dimming for thinner designs, while price premiums for LED shrink to as little as 17% in the 22-24 inch range. Despite these forecasts, economic headwinds including slow consumer recovery and deflationary pricing in Japan could push actual price drops well beyond the predicted 5%.

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Sports

HDTV Almanac - 190 Million Watch NBC Winter Olympics

NBC's broadcast of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics reached over 190 million U.S. viewers, falling short of the 204 million record set during the 1994 Lillehammer Games. Despite a 13% ratings increase over the 2006 Winter Games and a reported $200 million loss, the network's post-Olympics prime time ratings rose approximately 45%, though it remains unclear whether Olympic viewership or the removal of Leno from the 10 PM slot drove that gain. Viewers assessing NBC's programming strategy will find the data points to a complicated picture of short-term audience recovery.

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3DTVBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Avatar Blu-ray Goes Flat!

Avatar, the record-breaking film that grossed over $2.6 billion worldwide, is confirmed for a Blu-ray release on April 22, but only in 2D rather than stereoscopic 3D. The decision reflects the still-limited installed base of 3D-capable Blu-ray players and HDTVs at the time of release. For home theater enthusiasts eager to experience the film's visual depth, a 3D version remains a future prospect with no confirmed timeline.

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Streaming HDMobile HD

HDTV Almanac - Netflix Coming to the Tiny Screen

Netflix demonstrated its unlimited streaming service on the Windows Phone 7 platform at Microsoft's MIX10 developer conference, signaling an expansion to mobile devices despite the absence of high-definition resolution on small displays. The move reflects a broader strategy to extend on-demand video delivery across screens of all sizes, positioning Netflix as a potential competitor to broadcast, cable, satellite, and emerging mobile TV services. Wider mobile reach could also pressure Hollywood into licensing more current content for the platform.

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Sports3DTV

HDTV Almanac - 3DTV: It Starts with Sports

Early 3DTV broadcasts are launching through live sports coverage, with Comcast offering free 3D programming of the Masters golf tournament across five days and CBS presenting NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament coverage in approximately 100 movie theaters. Like the early adoption curve of HDTV, real-time 3D stereoscopic imaging requires new production hardware and delivery infrastructure before widespread deployment becomes feasible. These initial sports broadcasts serve a dual purpose: building consumer pull demand for 3D-capable sets from Samsung, Sony, and Panasonic while giving producers critical hands-on experience with live 3D workflows.

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StandardsLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Dell Sues for LCD Price Fixing

Dell filed suit against five LCD panel manufacturers - Sharp, Toshiba, Hitachi, Epson, and HannStar - alleging price fixing on panels used in notebook screens and desktop monitors. Sharp previously agreed to pay $120 million in U.S. Justice Department fines in 2008, while Hitachi settled for $31 million last year. The case raises questions for TV manufacturers as well, and highlights that despite apparent collusion, LCD TV prices still fell roughly 20% annually - suggesting prices could have dropped even further without the alleged interference.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - Universal 3D Glasses

XpanD's X103 universal active 3D glasses are designed to sync with all major TV brands and over 2,700 digital cinema installations, addressing the fragmented ecosystem that followed the company's 2 million-unit sales of the earlier X101 model. The universal compatibility eliminates the need for retailers to stock brand-specific glasses and allows consumers to bring personal eyewear to theaters. This single-model approach could reduce costs for both cinemas and consumers while simplifying the 3DTV purchasing experience.

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HDTV Almanac - Free HD Video Online

FedFlix is a volunteer-driven project that digitizes and distributes National Archives film content through the Internet Archive and a Public.Resource.Org YouTube channel, with a search for '1080' returning 129 results in the moving images section. Most content is standard definition or lower, though many files are downloadable and licensed under Creative Commons, making them usable in personal video projects. The archive spans FAA flight training films, 1950s teen instructional videos, law enforcement training, and documentary content, offering a surprisingly deep catalog for researchers and video producers.

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HDTV Almanac - Broadband: the New Gold

Time Warner Cable COO Landel Hobbes has declared broadband data access the company's 'anchor product', displacing television programming and signaling an intent to raise pricing on high-speed data services. Competing broadband delivery technologies, including FTTH deployments from Verizon and AT&T alongside emerging wireless broadband initiatives, remain the primary check on cable operators that hold government-sanctioned monopolies in most markets. For consumers, the practical implication is clear: without viable local competition, ISPs retain unchecked pricing power over an increasingly essential utility.

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Market Trends & AnalysisStreaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - More Web-to-TV Connections

Network-ready HDTVs, dubbed 'NeTVs,' are gaining traction, with 24% of all U.S. households now connecting a TV to the Internet according to a Leichtman Research Group study. Over half of Netflix subscribers used the 'Watch Instantly' streaming service at least once in the past month, while 20% of households had a video game console connected online. Men aged 18 to 34 are the heaviest users, with 16% watching Internet content on their TV at least once a week, making this demographic a prime target for advertisers.

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HDTV Almanac - Deathwatch: Blockbuster

Blockbuster, carrying roughly $1 billion in debt, closed over 500 of its 7,000 stores and posted a $558 million net loss on a 20% revenue decline in 2009. Its pivot to Express kiosks faces direct competition from redbox, while its mail and streaming efforts contend with Netflix's dominant market position. For consumers, the accelerating collapse signals shrinking physical rental options and reinforces the shift toward streaming and kiosk-based alternatives.

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Smart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Samsung Adds Skype

Samsung's 7000 and 8000 series LED-backlit LCD HDTVs are adding Skype video calling support, joining LG and Panasonic in the NetTV space and requiring an optional camera attachment for full functionality. Skype usage already runs into tens of billions of minutes monthly, with more than one third of all calls involving video. This integration signals a practical shift toward living-room video communication that could drive HDTV sales more meaningfully than 3D support in the near term.

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HDTV Almanac - Wilmington NC: Guinea Pig Again

Wilmington, NC is piloting a 'white space' wireless network that repurposes FCC-mandated spectrum buffers between TV channels, with transmit power capped at 1 watt for fixed installations and 500 mW for mobile stations. The network will support government applications including traffic cameras, wetland monitoring, and medical telemetry, while also extending public WiFi to parks and schools. Because white space signals carry farther than standard WiFi, a successful deployment could enable city-wide wireless coverage without extensive cabling infrastructure.

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HD Camcorders

HDTV Almanac - HD Camcorder: $80

Best Buy's Insignia-branded 720p HD camcorder, priced at $80 after a $50 markdown, includes a 3-inch LCD, digital image stabilization, 90 MB internal storage, an SD card slot, and both HDMI and USB outputs. The price point places HD video capture near disposable-camera territory, a dramatic shift from early HD camcorders that cost thousands of dollars. For consumers, this makes 720p recording a practical baseline for home movies, and reinforces the case for owning an HDTV to view the footage.

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Cable HDOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - And the Oscar Loser Is...

A retransmission consent dispute between ABC/Disney and Cablevision threatened to black out WABC7 for millions of New York-area cable subscribers ahead of the 2010 Academy Awards broadcast, with Cablevision already paying Disney $200 million annually for other channels while resisting an additional $40 million demand for the local ABC affiliate. The standoff reflects a broader industry tension as networks face shrinking ad revenues while cable operators face subscriber backlash over rising fees. Without new revenue models, these carriage disputes will continue to put viewers caught in the middle at risk of losing access to free over-the-air content they could otherwise receive without a cable subscription.

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HDTV Almanac - Broader Band on the Way

Google announced a trial fiber network targeting 1 Gbps bandwidth to homes, roughly 100 times faster than typical broadband, while Cisco is reportedly developing a similar 1 Gbps fiber initiative alongside major carriers AT&T and Comcast. Google's effort appears to be a technology demonstration aimed at pressuring ISPs to upgrade speeds, whereas Cisco's involvement aligns with its core hardware business model. A 100-fold capacity increase would directly address current Internet limitations for bandwidth-intensive applications like widespread HDTV distribution.

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OTA Set-Top Boxes (STBs)

HDTV Almanac - Fighting Over the Phone

Verizon FiOS has launched a smartphone app for Motorola Droid and HTC Imagio users that turns the handset into a full set-top box remote, supporting channel selection, pause, rewind, fast forward, photo-to-TV transfer, and automatic volume muting during incoming calls. The app leverages the considerable processing power of modern smartphones to replace dedicated universal remotes without additional hardware cost. For FiOS subscribers who already carry a compatible Android device, this consolidation of remote control functionality into an existing device offers a practical and immediate convenience.

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DLP TVsProjection HDDigital Cinema

HDTV Almanac - DLP Wins Award from Academy

Texas Instruments DLP Cinema technology, deployed across more than 17,000 screens worldwide including 155 IMAX digital installations, earned four of its developers the 2009 Academy Scientific and Engineering Award for color accuracy. DLP's micro-mirror semiconductor design eliminates the need for polarized light, boosting light output and enabling passive-glasses 3D cinema displays. Beyond commercial cinema and home theater front projectors, miniaturized DLP imagers are now powering pico projectors small enough to embed in cell phones and portable media players.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Walmart to Buy Vudu

Walmart's acquisition of Vudu brings access to roughly 16,000 titles, including what Vudu claims is the largest 1080p video-on-demand library available, along with licensing agreements from nearly every major movie studio. The deal positions Walmart as a potential rival to Netflix in streaming, leveraging Vudu's existing integration in NetTV models and Blu-ray players. Whether Walmart adopts a subscription model or retains Vudu's per-title pricing will determine how significantly it disrupts cable, satellite, and phone-based TV services.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Choose Your Ad

Hulu is testing interactive ad formats that let viewers select which advertisement to watch from a choice of three, or opt into a single long-form ad or movie trailer in exchange for an ad-free remainder of the show. A VivaKi study suggests these viewer-controlled formats outperform standard pre-roll units, pointing to measurable engagement gains when audiences retain some control. For consumers, this signals a near-term shift toward behaviorally targeted streaming ads, where viewing habits, search history, and purchase data could replace generic broadcast spots with interest-specific choices.

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Streaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Netflix Streaming to TVs

A Diffusion Group report finds that over 62% of Netflix broadband subscribers use the Watch Instantly streaming service, with more than half viewing that content on their televisions via NetTVs or adapter devices such as Roku. The subscription-inclusive, no-per-view pricing model creates a DVR-like experience with no commercials, lowering the barrier to adoption compared to pay-per-view alternatives. This entrenched user behavior poses a direct challenge to Apple's iTunes model of $0.99 per TV episode gaining meaningful market share.

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Streaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Netflix Scores Sony

Sony's Dash Personal Internet Viewer, a Wi-Fi enabled touchscreen device, is gaining a dedicated Netflix application that provides direct access to users' Watch Instantly queues. The integration reflects a broader shift toward network-connected displays and Blu-ray players driving broadband video consumption. For consumers already subscribed to Netflix, this means on-screen queue access without a separate media player or computer.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Will People Pay for Online Content?

A Nielsen worldwide survey found that 85% of respondents prefer free online content, yet at least half indicated willingness to pay for movies, music, games, and professionally produced video, with roughly 10% already doing so. Reinforcing this trend, approximately two-thirds of Netflix broadband subscribers have used the company's streaming service, suggesting measurable momentum toward user-supported video distribution. These findings carry practical weight for cable operators pursuing 'TV anywhere' subscription models, as consumer payment habits appear to be shifting in a direction that could make large-scale streaming ventures financially viable.

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LCD TVsLED TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - LED Backlight Prices Falling

DisplaySearch forecasts the cost of an LED backlight for a 40-inch LCD HDTV to drop from $118 to $100 by end of 2010, narrowing to a $50 premium over CCFL alternatives by end of 2011, though LED backlights are still projected to cost more than twice as much as CCFL through 2013. The price gap persists partly because surging global LED production is driven by solid-state lighting demand, not just display applications. For consumers, this means LED-backlit HDTVs will likely become the standard - as they have in notebooks - while exerting modest upward pressure on retail prices relative to CCFL models.

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OLED TVsStandards

HDTV Almanac - Sony Pulls Plug on OLED TV in Japan

Sony is discontinuing its 11-inch, XEL-1 OLED TV in Japan after just two years, a product that carried a $2,222 price tag while delivering sub-HD resolution in a market segment with severely limited demand. The exit leaves LG's 15-inch OLED HDTV as the sole competitor in the ultra-premium OLED display space. Sony's pivot toward 3D television faces its own headwinds, as broad flat panel HDTV manufacturer adoption of 3D support is expected to erode any first-mover advantage.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - More Bad News for High-End Retailers

MyerEmco Audio Video, a Washington DC area high-end electronics retailer, has announced it is closing due to lack of available credit and a collapse in new housing construction, which had sustained its custom installation business. The store is liquidating remaining inventory at half-price or greater discounts as it winds down. For consumers, this reflects a broader market contraction where big-box retailers and online resources are displacing specialized system integrators, even as demand for HDTV and home entertainment products continues to grow.

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3DTVHome TheaterProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - 3D Front Projector for the Home

Acer's S5200 DLP projector brings 3D certification to the home theater market at approximately $1,000, supporting a 120 Hz refresh rate for active-glasses stereoscopic 3D content, though its XGA resolution (1024x768) falls short of HD. The trade-off between 3D capability and image resolution reflects the early-adopter stage of the technology. As content libraries expand and competition increases, 3D-capable displays are expected to reach mainstream price points across the full market spectrum.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Apple Wants Lower Prices

Apple is reportedly negotiating with TV networks to reduce iTunes episode pricing to $0.99 for standard definition content, down from the current $1.99, with HD episodes remaining at $2.99, timed to coincide with the iPad launch. The move raises questions about whether discounted downloads can compete with free on-demand streaming from network sites, Hulu, and Netflix's no-additional-cost streaming library. Unlike music tracks that users replay repeatedly on iPods, TV episodes may not drive the same habitual repurchase behavior, limiting iTunes' potential impact on the television market.

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Streaming HDSportsProgramming

HDTV Almanac - The Power of Internet TV

ESPN360 delivered full live coverage of the 2010 America's Cup sailing competition via internet streaming, complete with helicopter cameras, expert commentary, and real-time speed and leader-advantage graphics comparable to modern motorsport broadcasts. The event's unpredictable schedule and niche audience made traditional broadcast impractical, yet the online platform allowed on-demand, full-screen HDTV-quality viewing at no cost to the viewer. This illustrates how internet video enables narrow-casting to targeted audiences, a model with significant implications for advertisers and the future of sports media distribution.

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LCD TVsStandards

HDTV Almanac - Sharp and Samsung Settle

Samsung and Sharp have resolved a patent dispute over LCD panel technology dating back to August 2007, reaching a cross-licensing agreement that grants each company access to the other's contested intellectual property. The settlement removes potential infringement liability for both manufacturers, freeing resources to focus on production efficiency and LCD advancement. While the consolidation of IP between two already dominant portfolio holders raises minor competitive concerns, the practical effect on the broader display market is expected to be minimal.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Is This Any Time to Expand CE Stores?

Consumer electronics retailer hhgregg, currently operating 127 stores, is pursuing an aggressive expansion plan targeting up to 600 new locations, beginning with the Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington D.C. metro areas. The company is capitalizing on depressed commercial real estate rates, securing properties vacated by the defunct Circuit City chain. This expansion puts hhgregg in direct competition with regionally growing rivals 6th Avenue Electronics and PC Richard & Son, while betting that its commission-based, bargaining-authorized sales model will attract shoppers over fixed-price competitors.

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Plasma TVsHome TheaterCalibration

HDTV Almanac - Panasonic Plasmas Not So Smart?

Panasonic has acknowledged a black level drift issue affecting certain Viera plasma HDTVs, where automatic adjustments raise black levels over time in response to changes in internal material characteristics, a process the company says stabilizes after several years of use. The problem is most visible in darkened viewing environments, where elevated black levels reduce display contrast and cause images to appear washed out. Newer Viera models are designed to apply these adjustments in smaller increments, though no fix has been confirmed for older affected units.

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Mobile HD

HDTV Almanac - AT&T Supports SlingPlayer Mobile on 3G

AT&T has announced support for the SlingPlayer Mobile app on its 3G network after testing confirmed the application makes efficient use of 3G bandwidth, enabling subscribers to control a Slingbox remotely, switch live TV channels, and access recorded content from a cell phone or 3G-capable device. Previously limited to WiFi connections, the move to 3G raises competitive questions for cable and satellite 'TV anywhere' initiatives and the emerging Mobile DTV standard that broadcasters are developing for digital content delivery to mobile devices. Which approach gains critical mass of users may ultimately determine the winners in mobile video.

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Streaming HDMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Movie Gallery Files for Bankruptcy

Movie Gallery, operating over 2,600 stores under the Movie Gallery, Hollywood Video, and Crazy Games brands, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy a second time after revenues collapsed from $2 billion in 2008 to $1.4 billion in 2009. The company plans to close at least 760 locations as it struggles to compete with Netflix streaming and RedBox kiosk delivery models. This contraction signals a broader market shift from physical disc distribution to broadband-based video delivery, with real consequences for consumers who rely on storefront rentals.

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Home TheaterBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - $68 Blu-ray Player

The Magnavox NB500MG1F Blu-ray player at $68 from Walmart includes an HDMI connection and SD card slot, narrowing the price gap between Blu-ray and DVD players to roughly the cost of a fast-food meal for four. While the low price point makes Blu-ray accessible to mainstream buyers, the author cautions that physical disc distribution faces a shrinking window, with Netflix streaming and Blockbuster store closures signaling a shift away from optical media. Buyers can expect roughly five years of practical use, but streaming is likely to marginalize disc-based playback well within that timeframe.

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Cable HDMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Rather Switch than Pay?

A Strategy Analytics survey reveals that over 67% of cable subscribers would switch providers for a 20% discount, while fewer than 22% feel they receive value for their monthly fees. Telco TV subscribers show stronger loyalty, with only 1 in 3 willing to switch under the same conditions. The rise of streaming alternatives like Netflix and Hulu, combined with the structural limitations of legacy cable franchising agreements, puts pressure on pay-TV providers to adopt flexible pricing models such as a la carte channel selection or risk accelerating subscriber defection.

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StandardsLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Will Toshiba Call It Quits on LCD?

Toshiba Mobile Display Co Ltd (TMD), a former joint venture with Matsushita that Toshiba fully acquired in early 2009, manufactures small and medium LCD panels up to approximately 10 inches diagonal for mobile devices - not televisions. Increasing production capacity from Taiwan and mainland China is intensifying competition in this segment, putting TMD under serious financial pressure. Toshiba America Consumer Products, the division selling LCD HDTVs including the CELL TV line announced at CES, sources panels externally and remains a separate entity unlikely to exit the market.

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HD Camcorders

HDTV Almanac - Another HD Cell Phone Video Camera

The SonyEricsson Vivaz is a 3G touchscreen smartphone capable of recording 720p HD video through its 8.1-megapixel camera, following a similar move by Samsung with the Instinct HD. Expected to ship in Q1 2010, the Vivaz has no confirmed U.S. release plans at the time of reporting. For consumers, this signals a continuing trend of smartphones absorbing dedicated camera and camcorder functionality, driven largely by competitive product differentiation rather than explicit user demand.

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HD Audio

HDTV Almanac - Turn Down the Sound!

SRS Labs' TruVolume technology, deployed across more than 3,500 products and 30 million consumer electronic devices including HDTVs, set-top boxes, and soundbars, offers a market-driven alternative to the proposed CALM Act for addressing loudness disparities between TV programming and commercials. SRS also offers a hardware Analog Volume Leveling Adaptor for under $50, with an HDMI version under $100, enabling automatic volume control on televisions lacking built-in support. These solutions place loudness management in the hands of viewers rather than federal regulators.

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Mobile HD

HDTV Almanac - iPad Display: Flawed Picture

The original iPad's 9.7-inch IPS LCD panel, limited to XGA resolution (1024x768) at a 4:3 aspect ratio, cannot display 720p high definition content without downscaling and letterboxing, reducing the effective viewing area to roughly 8.9 inches diagonal at sub-HD quality. Apple's claims of the iPad being the best movie-watching experience are challenged by these concrete display limitations, which put it behind even budget netbooks offering 16:9 screens. For video enthusiasts, the practical takeaway is that the iPad falls well short of a genuine HD viewing experience.

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Calibration

HDTV Almanac - DisplayMate Now Tweets!

DisplayMate, a display calibration and analysis tool used by PC Magazine for product testing, has launched a Twitter account offering expert commentary on display technology. Creator Raymond Soneira addresses issues such as the pitfalls of glossy screens on notebooks, the flaws of local dimming in LED backlight LCD HDTVs, and why dynamic contrast ratios are a misleading specification. Readers interested in objective display image quality evaluation will find the feed a concise entry point into deeper technical analysis available on the DisplayMate site.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - YouTube to Rent Movies

YouTube launched a movie rental service in early 2010, initially offering five Sundance Film Festival titles at $3.99 each, with plans to expand through select partner agreements. Separately, YouTube secured a deal to stream all 60 Indian Premier League cricket matches starting March 12, delivered free via a dedicated channel supported by advertising, though U.S. viewers are restricted to the fee-based Willow.tv. Both moves signal YouTube's push toward long-form and live content monetization, but the limited rental catalog raises real questions about whether the platform can compete as a mainstream destination for paid video.

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Manufacturing

HDTV Almanac - China Workers Protest at Touch Panel Plant

A Taiwanese-owned touch panel plant in China faced protests from over 2,000 workers citing hazardous hexane exposure linked to at least four worker deaths and disputed pay conditions. Rising labor unrest signals that China's role as a low-cost manufacturing hub for consumer electronics components may be shifting, as per capita income of $3,200 annually drives demands for better wages and safety standards. Consumers could face higher prices on imported electronics, or production may migrate to lower-cost alternatives such as Vietnam, India, or Brazil.

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Emerging Tech

HDTV Almanac - FED: Not Yet Dead

AUO, one of Taiwan's two largest LCD manufacturers, has acquired intellectual property and assets from Field Emission Technology (FET), a Sony spin-off that developed field-emission displays (FEDs) before folding amid the economic downturn. FEDs combine an active matrix backplane with CRT-style phosphor screens and microscopic electron emitters per sub-pixel, delivering CRT-like response times, wide viewing angles, and emissive color performance in a thin panel form factor. AUO is targeting professional applications such as TV studios, though persistent manufacturing challenges and the failure of Canon's similar SED initiative make commercial success far from certain.

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Cable HDStandardsPolitics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - FCC Backs "Sports Neutrality"

The FCC ruled to close the 'terrestrial loophole,' requiring cable companies with exclusive local sports rights to make that programming available to satellite providers such as DirecTV and DISH Network. Previously, content distributed solely via terrestrial connections like phone lines or microwave radio was exempt from mandatory sharing, leaving satellite subscribers in markets like New York and San Diego without access to local professional sports games. Dissenting commissioner Robert McDowell warned the ruling exceeds the FCC's statutory authority, making legal challenges likely before any implementation occurs.

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OTA HD & AntennasSportsProgramming

HDTV Almanac - TV Rights for Next Olympics: $2 Billion

NBC paid nearly $0.9 billion for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics broadcast rights yet still reported a $150 million loss, setting the stage for the IOC's expectation of over $2 billion for the combined 2014 Sochi and 2016 Rio broadcast rights. For context, NFL annual telecast licensing fees already exceed $3.7 billion, and rights fees represent only a fraction of total production costs. These figures underscore why ad-free, consumer-free content distribution models face serious economic barriers in high-definition and emerging 3D sports broadcasting.

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Home TheaterStandards

HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: Ban the Black Bars?

CinemaScope films encoded at a 2.35:1 aspect ratio (equivalent to 21.15:9) cannot fill a 16:9 HDTV screen without either cropping the image or introducing geometric distortion that visibly stretches actors and objects. Similarly, standard-definition 4:3 content produces vertical black bars on widescreen displays when shown without stretching or zooming. Letterboxing preserves the director's intended framing and avoids distortion, making it the recommended viewing approach despite leaving portions of the screen unused.

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Streaming HDSatellite HDHD Receivers

HDTV Almanac - DISH Network is Everywhere

DISH Network is integrating Sling Box functionality directly into subscriber set-top boxes, enabling point-to-point broadband streaming from a subscriber's own hardware rather than distributing content from company servers. This approach sidesteps licensing and security concerns tied to traditional TV Everywhere models, and EchoStar's ownership of Sling Media keeps the technology stack in-house. For subscribers with DVR-equipped boxes, the practical result is remote access to both live and recorded content over the Internet without triggering unlicensed redistribution issues.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Where Did You Shop?

BIGresearch survey data for December 2009 shows Best Buy commanding 33.1% of consumer electronics shoppers, up from 29.9% the prior year, while Walmart captured 20.6%, together accounting for more than half the retail market. Amazon posted the highest Consumer Engagement Index score at 159.12, signaling growing willingness to purchase electronics online despite its small 3.6% share. For specialty retailers, these dynamics translate directly into existential pressure, as evidenced by Bernie's filing for Chapter 11 and Ken Crane's closing four of ten stores.

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Smart TVsEvents & Trade Shows

HDTV Almanac - CES 2010: The Big Story

At CES 2010, while 3DTV dominated headlines, the more commercially significant announcement was Skype integration built directly into televisions from LG and Panasonic, requiring no external hardware and offering free video calling as simple to use as changing channels. The author argues this feature has a stronger two-year sales trajectory than 3D, which he estimates is at least two years away from meaningful home adoption. Skype on TV lowers the barrier to video communication for a broader demographic, particularly those less motivated by raw display technology.

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Events & Trade ShowsLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - CES 2010: Here Comes 480 Hz!

Toshiba's CELL TV lineup, announced at CES 2010, uses a CELL Engine processor claiming 143 times the processing power of a typical HDTV to power its ClearScan 480 feature. The system generates three interpolated frames for every original 60 Hz source frame to reach 240 fps, then applies black frame insertion to simulate a 480 Hz refresh rate without actually displaying 480 unique frames. Whether this delivers a visible improvement over 120 Hz LCD HDTVs is questionable, making it more a spec-sheet differentiator than a guaranteed real-world upgrade.

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OLED TVsLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - CES 2010: OLED TVS — Keep Waiting

At CES 2010, OLED TV remained a distant prospect despite demos from Samsung (14"), Sony (24.5"), and LG's commercially available 15" HDTV in Korea, as large-screen production hurdles kept the technology out of reach for mainstream consumers. On a per-square-inch basis, OLEDs cost roughly 20 times more than LCDs, which themselves continue to drop in price at approximately 20% per year. For buyers considering a new television, waiting for affordable large-screen OLEDs is not a practical strategy given the uncertain multi-year timeline to viability.

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Events & Trade ShowsLCD TVsLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - CES 2010: LED Backlights Take Over

LED backlights dominated CES 2010 HDTV announcements, with Samsung, LG, Sharp, and Toshiba collectively launching dozens of LED-backlit LCD TV lines featuring benefits including longer lifespans, mercury-free construction, and improved color performance over traditional fluorescent backlights. Edge-lighting technology enables sets under one inch thick, while full-array configurations support local dimming for enhanced contrast and reduced power consumption. Increased market competition is expected to drive down the current price premiums on these models, though widespread mislabeling of them as 'LED TVs' continues to obscure the fact that they remain LCD displays with a different backlight technology.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - CES 2010: Four-Color LCD HDTVs

Sharp demonstrated RGBY LCD technology at CES 2010, adding a fourth yellow sub-pixel to the traditional red-green-blue arrangement to improve rendering of gold metallic hues and difficult yellow-orange shades. Side-by-side comparisons showed a visible improvement in those color ranges, though the added sub-pixel is expected to increase production costs and reduce panel brightness. For most consumers, the practical benefit may be limited, as the human visual system compensates for color shifts and differences are only apparent in direct comparison.

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Events & Trade Shows3DTV

HDTV Almanac - CES 2010: Do We Need 3DTV Content?

Toshiba and Samsung demonstrated real-time 2D-to-3D conversion in LCD TVs at CES 2010, using onboard processing algorithms to generate depth effects without pushing image elements into minus-Z space, resulting in a watchable and reportedly natural-looking picture. Both demonstrations were convincing enough to overcome initial skepticism about whether a television controller could handle such a computationally intensive task. If this conversion technology proves reliable at retail, it could eliminate the scarcity of native 3D content as a primary barrier to 3DTV adoption.

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3DTVStandards

HDTV Almanac - CES 2010: 3D Broadcasts on the Way

ESPN 3D, DirecTV, and a Sony-Discovery-IMAX joint venture are among the U.S. broadcasters racing to launch dedicated 3D HDTV channels in 2010-2011, with DirecTV planning two linear channels plus a VOD offering by June. Hollywood's current output of roughly 15 3D films per year amounts to only about 30 hours of content, barely enough to fill a single week of prime time. Viewers should expect heavy content repetition in the near term, mirroring the early struggles of HDTV adoption.

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Smart TVs

HDTV Almanac - CES 2010: Dress Nice When You Call

LG and Panasonic announced at CES 2010 that select NetTV models will gain built-in support for HD Skype video calls, requiring only a software update and an add-on webcam since the sets already include network connectivity. Skype reports that nearly one-third of its calls are video calls, signaling strong existing demand for the feature. Unlike 3DTV, which requires new content infrastructure, this integration works with a service millions already use, making it immediately practical for living-room video communication.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - Why 16:9? Is There Room for Others?

The 16:9 aspect ratio dominates modern displays from HDTVs to computer monitors, optimized for widescreen video content but poorly suited for many real-world applications such as clock faces, digital calendars, and irregular form factors on refrigerators or car dashboards. Sports venues already demonstrate that multiple display formats can coexist, with jumbo screens, fascia displays, and score tickers each serving distinct informational roles. As broadband penetration grows and home server or cloud-based distribution matures, intelligent content-routing automation could match information to the most appropriate display format rather than forcing everything into a single standard.

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Satellite HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - Fox and Time Warner Settle, but...

The Fox and Time Warner retransmission dispute settled on New Year's Day, with Time Warner agreeing to pay carriage fees for Fox Network and select News Corp cable properties, averting a blackout during a high-stakes football weekend. The resolution is expected to push Time Warner subscription fees higher, adding pressure to an already strained ecosystem where advertisers cite ad-skipping and content producers report shrinking margins. The compounding disputes - including Scripps pulling Food Network and HGTV from 3.1 million Cablevision subscribers - suggest the current bundled-channel pricing model is structurally unsustainable and ripe for disruption by a la carte alternatives.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Happy HD New Year!

HDTV prices dropped over 20% in 2009 with further declines expected, while plasma and LCD panels continue improving in energy efficiency, thinness, and image quality. Blu-ray is approaching mainstream affordability, internet content delivery via Netflix and Blockbuster is gaining traction, and 3D home television is positioned to launch in 2010 with limited content availability. OLED remains a future prospect, but the convergence of falling prices and emerging technologies makes this a pivotal year for home display consumers.

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Market Trends & AnalysisLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - LCD HDTVs: Speed Hertz

LCD HDTV manufacturers are competing on refresh rate technology, with 120 Hz panels using interpolated intermediate frames to reduce motion blur, and 240 Hz implementations either generating three intermediate frames or strobing the backlight at double the panel rate. DisplaySearch projects that by 2013, 120 Hz and 240 Hz sets will together account for over 50% of worldwide LCD HDTV revenues, with 240 Hz alone capturing 20%. Consumers can expect these higher refresh rates to become standard features as price premiums erode, much as LED backlighting and emerging 3D stereoscopic capabilities are likely to follow the same trajectory.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Itsy Bitsy HDTV Spider

Price Spider is a web-crawling tool that tracks retail pricing data for consumer electronics such as the LG 47LG50DC 47-inch LCD TV, plotting both average and lowest advertised prices over a 12-month period. The graph for this specific model reveals three distinct price tiers, with the average price lagging noticeably behind the lowest advertised price before eventually converging. Shoppers can use this kind of historical pricing data to time purchases more strategically, though spider-bot systems may occasionally miss deals.

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Cable HDOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Fox vs. Time Warner

A fee dispute between Fox Broadcasting and Time Warner Cable threatened to pull Fox's broadcast content, including NFL games and top-rated shows, from cable systems ahead of a January 1st deadline, with Fox demanding $1 per subscriber per month in retransmission fees. Analysts projected a compromise settlement near $0.50 to $0.60 per subscriber, reflecting the broader tension between falling ad revenues and the rising cost of content production and cable infrastructure. The standoff highlights a structural shift in how video content gets funded, with implications for consumers who may face higher subscription fees or a push toward a la carte cable pricing.

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Market Trends & AnalysisLCD TVsPlasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Prices Holding Steady

LCD and plasma HDTV prices have held steady for roughly two months heading into the post-holiday period, with 42-inch LCD sets remaining a significant purchase. Retailers have neither raised nor lowered advertised prices, suggesting moderate inventory pressure rather than a clearance push. Shoppers willing to negotiate at electronics and big-box stores this week may find end-of-year sales targets create room for a modest discount.

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HDTV Almanac - Happy Holidays!

The HDTV Almanac author Alfred shares a pre-scheduled holiday greeting with readers, noting the message was queued for automated delivery rather than sent in real time. The column, focused on HDTV technology coverage, pauses its technical content to offer seasonal wishes to its readership. For regular followers of the publication, this brief note serves as a personal acknowledgment of their ongoing support heading into the new year.

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Politics & PolicyOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Broadcast Battle

The FCC, charged by Congress with developing a nationwide wireless mobile broadband system, is weighing proposals to reassign portions of the broadcast television spectrum currently allocated to TV stations. Industry groups and broadcasters are locked in debate over whether TV frequencies are being used efficiently enough to justify reallocation for broadband Internet services. The outcome could reshape how consumers access content, potentially displacing cable, wired Internet, and over-the-air broadcast television in favor of on-demand wireless delivery.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - Avatar Is Box Office Boffo!

James Cameron's 'Avatar' opened to over $236 million worldwide in its premiere weekend, with roughly $77 million from U.S. cinemas across 3,452 theaters, 2,032 of which screened the film in stereoscopic 3D. The opening figures are notable given a northeast blizzard likely suppressed domestic attendance. For consumers, the film's reception could directly influence the 3DTV product lineup and adoption momentum heading into CES.

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LCD TVsLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - LG Gets Super Skinny

LG has demonstrated a 42-inch LCD panel measuring just 2.6 mm thick, undercutting Samsung's previously reported 3.8 mm 24-inch prototype shown at the Society for Information Display conference. The ultra-thin profile is achieved using high-brightness edge-lit LEDs combined with complex light guides, though the panel remains a prototype with no announced production plans. For consumers, this signals meaningful progress in LCD thinness, but real-world TV sets will require additional electronics that add thickness beyond the bare panel measurement.

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Mobile HDStandards

HDTV Almanac - Milennials Want Mobile TV

A Magid Media Labs survey commissioned by the OMVC finds that 18-to-29-year-old Millennials show the strongest interest in mobile TV, with local news, weather, and live content topping their preferences. The OMVC is backing the Mobile DTV standard approved by the ATSC, which uses existing broadcast bandwidth allocated to local TV stations, with at least 30 stations already trialing the service and a Washington DC market test planned for 2010. For consumers, this means locally relevant live programming on mobile devices may be closer than current nationwide-only services like Flo TV suggest.

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OTA HD & AntennasStandards

HDTV Almanac - Almost Silent Night?

The U.S. House of Representatives passed HR 1084, the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act (CALM Act), requiring that TV commercials be broadcast at no louder than the average volume level of surrounding programming content. The bill secured 90 co-sponsors and passed by voice vote, though its Senate companion bill S 2847 remains stalled in the Commerce Committee with no scheduled action among more than 100 pending bills. For viewers, full relief from jarring volume spikes between programs and ads depends on whether the Senate advances the legislation.

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Home Theater PC (HTPC)

HDTV Almanac - The Ultimate Living Room PC

Jeffrey Stephenson's 'Mission' PC, winner of the Intel Core Custom Challenge 'Best for Digital Lifestyle' category, conceals a full tower computer inside a mission-style furniture piece, complete with air filtration and a slide-out chassis for servicing. As PCs increasingly serve living rooms as DVRs, internet video gateways, and Skype-enabled video calling platforms, the case for furniture-integrated designs becomes compelling. Stephenson's work raises a practical question for consumers and manufacturers: why should a living room PC look like a computer at all?

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3DTVMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - LG Aims at 3D

LG has announced plans to sell 400,000 3DTVs in 2010, scaling aggressively to 3.4 million units in 2011, while projecting total LCD TV sales of 25 million units in 2010. The author argues that widespread 3D adoption hinges on affordable price premiums and sufficient content availability, with Sony's vertical integration from studio to display giving it a potential edge. By 2012, 3D capability could become a standard feature in mid-priced LCD TVs, much like 1080p and 120Hz refresh rates are today.

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HD DVR

HDTV Almanac - On the Skids, or Just Skidding on the Turn?

TiVo's subscriber base has dropped from 3.5 million to 2.7 million, prompting the company to pivot toward licensing its software to cable operators rather than relying on standalone hardware sales. For cord-cutters using over-the-air signals, Nero Liquid TV offers a Windows-based alternative that bundles TiVo's DVR software with a one-year TiVo service subscription for $19.99, down from $99.99. This software-only approach could make TiVo's well-regarded user interface accessible without the cost of dedicated hardware.

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Home Theater3DTV

HDTV Almanac - Countdown to 3D

James Cameron's 'Avatar,' releasing December 19, 2009, was filmed natively in stereoscopic 3D and represents a pivotal test of whether 3D cinematography can mature beyond shock-value gimmickry into a storytelling staple comparable to widescreen or surround sound. Thousands of cinemas worldwide had already been converted to digital projection capable of displaying stereoscopic 3D, with audiences consistently paying a premium for the format. Success could accelerate the consumer electronics industry's push into home 3D displays, with Panasonic and Sony already positioned ahead of anticipated CES 2010 announcements.

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Home TheaterStandards

HDTV Almanac - Wireless HD Standard Approved

The WHDI specification enables uncompressed wireless HDTV transmission at 1080p resolution with sub-millisecond latency over a 40 MHz channel in the 5 GHz unlicensed band, reaching up to 100 feet through walls. The standard includes HDCP support and has backing from major manufacturers including Sharp, Samsung, and Sony, with some pre-standard products already on the market. Consumers face a familiar standards battle, as the competing WirelessHD specification - backed by Intel, Panasonic, and Toshiba among others - vies to become the dominant cable-free connection between HDTVs and source devices.

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Awards

HDTV Almanac - A Little Horn Blowing

HDTV Almanac, a consumer electronics analysis blog focused on HDTV and home entertainment, has earned a ranking of 85th out of 400 analyst blogs on a list compiled by The Customer Collective using metrics including inbound links from Twitter and major search engines. The blog outranked established research firms such as NPD, Forrester, Parks Associates, and Gartner Group, and appears to be the only HDTV-specific publication on the list. For readers, this ranking reflects the practical value of community engagement - RSS subscriptions, social sharing, and search clicks directly contribute to the visibility of independent technical analysis.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Hulu Provides Needle-Finder

Hulu's Advanced Search feature, accessible from the results page of any standard search query, introduces filtering criteria including Full Episodes, Network, date ranges, actor names, and keyword exclusion lists. These controls address a core usability gap in streaming content discovery, where a large catalog without precise navigation tools becomes difficult to navigate efficiently. For viewers managing a queue-based workflow, the ability to exclude terms and filter by broadcast origin can meaningfully reduce the time spent locating specific series or episodes.

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LCD TVsLED TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - LED LCD TVs: Gaining Ground

LCD HDTVs with LED backlights commanded a price premium of roughly 1.4 to 1.5 times the cost of equivalent fluorescent-backlit models as of 2009, yet DisplayBank forecasts their global market share will surge from 2.4% in 2009 to over 40% by 2012. LED backlights offer advantages including better color performance, localized dimming capability, and mercury-free construction. Buyers willing to pay the premium gain tangible image quality improvements, though a 46-inch LED-backlit model is still projected to cost nearly 25% more than a fluorescent equivalent by end of 2011.

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HDTV Almanac - You Want It When?!?

J&R Music World in New York City launched a same-day delivery service allowing orders placed by 3 PM to arrive that evening, covering Manhattan, outer boroughs, and parts of New Jersey and Connecticut. Delivery fees start at $20 in Manhattan and $55 for surrounding regions on orders under 10 pounds, with higher rates for heavier shipments. For last-minute shoppers in the coverage area, this service offers a practical alternative to in-store pickup during peak retail seasons.

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LED TVs

HDTV Almanac - LED Backlights Gaining

LED backlights are rapidly displacing CCFL technology across LCD panels, with DisplaySearch projecting LED adoption in desktop monitors to grow from under 2% in Q3 2009 to nearly 25% of the market by Q3 2010. Unlike CCFL tubes, which contain mercury and draw more power, LED backlights enable thinner designs, better color performance, and lower energy consumption - key factors behind California's 2013 HDTV energy standards that most compliant sets already meet. Delta Electronics, a major CCFL producer, has announced its exit from that business by March 2010, signaling a meaningful supply chain shift that could accelerate cost reductions for consumers.

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Cable HDStandards

HDTV Almanac - Comcast Gets NBC

Comcast's $6.5 billion deal to acquire a controlling 51% stake in NBC Universal gives the cable giant vertical integration spanning content production, broadcast television, film distribution, and Internet delivery. The acquisition includes the NBC network, Telemundo, Universal Studios, and theme parks, with the total transaction valued at over $30 billion. For consumers, the deal could reshape streaming access, potentially pushing Hulu toward a subscription model as Comcast weighs NBC's ownership stake against its core cable business interests.

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DealsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Black Friday: I Was Wrong

LCD HDTV prices fell an average of 22% during Black Friday 2009 compared to just the week prior, with 32-inch models averaging $369 down from $490, and smaller 19-inch sets dropping nearly 37%. Despite these steep promotional cuts, weekly sales rose only about 6% year-over-year, suggesting significant inventory remains in retail channels. Shoppers who missed Black Friday deals may still find comparable discounts through year-end as retailers work to clear excess stock.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - We Have Our HDTVs! (Well, Almost Half)

A Leichtman Research Group report finds that 46% of U.S. households owned at least one HDTV as of late 2009, roughly double the penetration rate from two years prior, driven in part by annual price declines exceeding 20%. Ownership climbs to 61% among households earning over $75,000, while nearly 30% of households under $30,000 also own an HDTV. Notably, 14% of HDTV owners still believe they are watching HD content without an active HD service subscription, a figure that has improved from a previous high of 25%.

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HDTV Almanac - Gaming Redbox

Redbox operates over 17,500 kiosk locations partnered with major retailers like Walmart and Walgreens, offering DVD rentals at $1 per night with cross-kiosk return flexibility that benefits travelers. A growing ecosystem of promo code aggregator websites and a dedicated iPhone app from Neese Products now surface free-night codes beyond Redbox's own monthly email promotions. With more than half a billion rentals logged, the low price point and convenient placement make Redbox a compelling alternative to subscription-based DVD services.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - We Want Our HDTVs!

InStat survey data places HDTVs at the top of holiday consumer electronics purchase lists for 2009, though buyer intent has declined year-over-year as economic pressures dampen spending on larger screen sizes above 40 inches. Black Friday sales data shows strong movement in sub-40-inch models, with a notable price gap between 32-inch and 42-inch units driving the split. Shoppers targeting large flat-panel displays are advised to act within the next week to avoid stockouts on popular models.

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HDTV Almanac - Happy Thanksgiving!

Alfred's HDTV Almanac column for Thanksgiving 2009 pauses its usual high-definition television coverage for a brief holiday message to readers. The author acknowledges the reader feedback that sustains the column and hints at Black Friday deals ahead, a practically significant moment for HDTV shoppers. No technical specifications or product details are covered in this installment, making it a rare non-technical entry in an otherwise spec-focused publication.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Hulu Grows Again

Hulu recorded a 47% traffic surge in October 2009, delivering 856 million video streams to 42.5 million unique viewers as new fall network programming from NBC, ABC, and Fox drove engagement. Average viewing time climbed from 92 minutes in September to 123 minutes in October, roughly equivalent to three hour-long episodes per viewer. Despite near-sellout ad inventory for the quarter, Hulu holds only a 2.2% share of online video versus YouTube's dominant 40.2%, raising ongoing questions about its ad-supported revenue model.

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Smart TVs

HDTV Almanac - TV Guide For NeTVs

Rovi has launched a TV Guide widget for the Yahoo! Widget Engine platform, now available on select Samsung HDTV models, providing program listings for 28 popular networks with current and upcoming show data organized by category. The widget represents a practical application of NetTV technology, letting viewers check channel listings without switching to their subscription provider's guide. However, its utility is limited by the lack of DVR integration, leaving users without a unified interface to schedule recordings, view cached content, and access streaming services in one place.

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HDTV Almanac - No-Battery Remote

Arveni, a French company, has developed a prototype battery-free remote control that uses piezoelectric energy harvesting to generate enough power from a single button press to transmit 2 to 10 remote control commands. The technology converts mechanical motion directly into electricity, the same principle used in piezo igniters found in barbecue lighters. If the components can be manufactured at low cost, keypress energy harvesting could extend battery life in devices ranging from remote controls to notebooks and cell phones.

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DealsPlasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Silly Season in Full Swing

Two 50-inch 720p plasma HDTVs stand out as notable seasonal bargains: the Sanyo DP50749 at $698 via Walmart ship-to-store and the LG 50PQ30 at $799 from BuyDig.com. The LG bundle adds a Panasonic DMP-BD60K Blu-ray player, two HDMI cables, component cables, an optical digital audio cable, and accessories at no extra cost. Shoppers hunting large-screen plasma deals during the holiday season will find these bundles worth comparing against competing retailer offers.

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Politics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - California Choose Stick Over Carrot

California's Energy Commission unanimously adopted mandatory electricity consumption limits for televisions, requiring a 42-inch set to draw no more than 183 watts by January 2011 and 115 watts or less by January 2013 - stricter and legally binding compared to the optional federal Energy Star program. A key concern from manufacturers is that integrated features like DVR or Internet access could push sets over the limit, potentially forcing separate devices that collectively consume more power. With at least 1,000 current models already meeting the 2011 thresholds, market forces may render the regulation largely redundant before the deadlines arrive.

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Home TheaterBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - New Lamps for Old!

Warner Brothers launched a DVD-to-Blu-ray exchange program at dvd2blu.com, allowing consumers to swap existing WB DVD titles for Blu-ray versions at $7.95 or more per disc, with a cap of 25 titles per order and free shipping on orders over $25. The program arrives as entry-level Blu-ray players have dropped to around $100, lowering the barrier to high-definition home viewing. Whether the cost of upgrading individual titles proves worthwhile depends on how many consumers still consider standard DVD quality sufficient for their needs.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - 3M Promotes Energy Star for HDTVs

3M, a manufacturer of optical films used in LCD backlights, has launched a consumer campaign promoting Energy Star-certified HDTVs, highlighting that power consumption can vary by nearly 2x between certified sets of the same size. Their proprietary plastic films capture scattered backlight and redirect it through the panel, reducing the backlight intensity needed to achieve target brightness and cutting overall power draw. For buyers, this means that choosing a high-efficiency LCD may involve 3M optical film technology, and comparing Energy Star consumption figures - not just the label itself - is essential before purchasing.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Bugged, But It Could Be Good

Hulu's geo-targeted overlay system demonstrated the ability to display a viewer's local ABC affiliate bug (WPVI Philadelphia) alongside its own watermark during streamed content, revealing that location-aware ad targeting is already operational on the platform. This capability points toward a "micro advertising" model where thousands of precision-targeted sponsors could replace the handful of broad-reach advertisers typical of traditional broadcast. For viewers, the practical implication is fewer irrelevant commercials and a more personalized ad experience during streaming video.

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Streaming HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - How Much Can You Stand?

Turner Broadcasting is testing a full ad load of approximately 18 commercials per episode for online streaming of TNT's 'The Closer' through cable TV Everywhere platforms, with fast-forward functionality disabled during ads. Cox Communications claims research supports viewer tolerance for this ad volume, though the approach contrasts sharply with DVR-enabled broadcast viewing where skipping is possible. The outcome could shape whether streaming services like Hulu adopt tiered models - subscription, pay-per-view, or ad-supported - and whether the market fragments by content provider or consolidates under unified platforms.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - More on DVD Killers

NCR and MOD Systems have launched digital movie kiosks that download films directly to SD cards, offering over 1,000 titles with a 30-day activation window and 48-hour viewing period once started. Unlike Red Box's physical DVD kiosks, this system requires no physical inventory or returns, and kiosk content can be updated remotely over the Internet without on-site service visits. For consumers and retailers alike, this model signals a meaningful shift away from disc-based rental infrastructure toward low-overhead digital distribution.

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HDTV Almanac - Wrong-Way Corrigan Works for Sony?

Sony announced a wireless power transmission system for wall-mounted HDTVs capable of bridging up to 50 cm between the display and its power source, but the system's efficiency tells a different story: rated at only 80% on its own and dropping to 60% when accounting for supporting components, a 100-watt TV would consume over 166 watts under this arrangement. At a time when the industry is focused on reducing HDTV power consumption, this 66% overhead penalty raises serious questions about the practical value of the technology.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - Is 3DTV in the Cloud?

Converting legacy 2D television and film catalogs to 3D using automated depth-extraction techniques - leveraging motion parallax, texture analysis, and perspective cues - could unlock enough content for a continuous 24/7 3DTV channel in high definition. Cloud computing infrastructure, with its surplus CPU cycles, offers a practical processing backbone for this conversion workload without requiring dedicated hardware investment. For consumers, this approach could accelerate 3DTV adoption far more effectively than waiting on Hollywood's current output of roughly 30 to 40 hours of native 3D content per year.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Where Are the DVDs?

Retail giants Best Buy and Walmart are pulling back physical DVD floor space as digital delivery accelerates, with Best Buy partnering with Sonic Solutions to bundle the Roxio CinemaNow streaming service alongside broadband and connected devices. Best Buy's Insignia Blu-ray player, priced at $99, adds Netflix streaming support, positioning it as a competitive transition product against disc-free media players. These moves signal a rapid industry shift toward online movie rental and purchase, reducing reliance on physical disc inventory for both retailers and consumers.

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Deals

HDTV Almanac - Walmart Joins Early Sales Trend

Walmart's one-day in-store sale on November 7 features notable HDTV deals, including a Panasonic 46-inch 1080p plasma (TC-P46U1) for $788 and a Sharp 42-inch 1080p LCD (LC42SB45UT) for $498, alongside a Sony Blu-ray player at $149 and a Magnavox 1080p upconverting DVD player for just $29. These early Black Friday doorbusters arrive unusually early in the season with strict quantity limits per customer. Shoppers weighing whether to wait for deeper discounts risk missing out if stock sells out quickly.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Looks Like Last Year

NPD Group survey data shows 63% of consumers plan to spend the same as last year on holiday electronics, with analysts forecasting only 0.5% to 1.5% sales growth over a already weak prior year. Consumer hesitation to shop early could trigger competitive price-cutting among retailers before Black Friday, potentially cascading into a race to discount. For buyers eyeing a flat panel HDTV, mid-December may offer the most aggressive pricing of the season.

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Mobile HD

HDTV Almanac - Go with the Flo

Qualcomm's Flo TV mobile broadcast service is coming to Chrysler vehicles as a dealer-installed option priced at $629, delivering up to 20 channels of live television with the first year of subscription included and subsequent monthly fees expected to start at $9. The system targets rear-seat passenger entertainment, competing with existing in-car DVD setups for keeping passengers occupied on the road. Whether the limited passenger-carrying use case justifies the hardware and ongoing subscription cost remains an open question for potential buyers.

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StandardsSatellite HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - Comcast Close to Buying NBC

Comcast, a major U.S. broadband and cable provider, is reportedly close to acquiring 51% of NBC Universal from General Electric, with GE retaining 49% pending Vivendi's divestiture of its 20% stake and government approval. The deal would create a vertically integrated pipeline from content production to living room HDTV delivery, raising immediate concerns about net neutrality and preferential quality-of-service treatment for NBC content over competing streams. Existing NBC Universal licensing agreements with rival cable and satellite services could also face renegotiation, making regulatory and market developments worth tracking closely.

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DIY

HDTV Almanac - DIY Big Antenna

A 40-by-36-inch DIY TV antenna, sourced from a hobbyist's experimental designs on Instructables, promises over-the-air reception up to 30 miles from transmitters using inexpensive materials from a hardware store. The design is optimized for UHF frequencies and performs well at the high end of the VHF range, though it may underperform for lower VHF signals used by some ABC affiliates. For cord-cutters or fringe-area viewers, building this antenna from scrap parts could deliver reliable digital broadcast reception at minimal cost.

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HDTV Almanac - Fall Back - Bah, Humbug!

A 2009 editorial column argues that any device connected to the Internet, GPS, cellular, or television signals should automatically synchronize its clock, eliminating the need for manual Daylight Saving Time adjustments. The author proposes a powerline network standard to distribute accurate time data to every plugged-in device in the home. For consumers, this highlights a persistent gap between available synchronization technologies and their inconsistent implementation across everyday electronics.

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DealsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Sears: Eating Their Young?

Sears has launched a 'Black Friday Now' campaign offering weekly doorbuster deals every Saturday from late October through Christmas, with a 42-inch Zenith Plasma TV dropping from $649.99 to $499 on November 7 - a deal already available for pre-order online. The campaign raises a practical concern for shoppers: early promotional pricing may cannibalize actual Black Friday revenue rather than expand total sales. Consumers willing to monitor weekly flyers could capture holiday pricing weeks ahead of the traditional shopping window.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - How Much Would You Pay for Hulu?

Sky's move to satellite service delivery over the Internet prompts a broader question about the sustainability of ad-supported streaming platforms, with Hulu's 40 million viewers at the center of the debate. News Corp's reported push to raise cable licensing fees signals potential revenue pressure on Hulu, whose CEO insists the service remains on track. Whether Hulu shifts to a subscription model, a pay-per-view structure similar to iTunes or Amazon Video, or maintains its free tier has direct implications for how viewers budget their streaming habits.

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Streaming HDBlu-rayGaming

HDTV Almanac - No Blu-ray for XBox

Microsoft has confirmed no plans to add a Blu-ray drive to the Xbox console, opting instead to pursue network-delivered HD content via Xbox Live and Netflix streaming on-demand. Having backed the failed HD DVD format, Microsoft is now betting on broadband distribution rather than physical media. With broadband adoption accelerating rapidly, consumers relying on disc-based HD playback may find that streaming overtakes Blu-ray as the dominant delivery method for HD movies and television.

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Satellite HDStreaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Satellite Without the Dish

Sky UK is offering satellite TV content delivered entirely over the Internet via Windows 7 Media Center, requiring no dish installation and no prior satellite subscription. The service bundles live broadcast channels with on-demand programming under a flat monthly subscription model, distinguishing it from U.S. 'TV Everywhere' initiatives that restrict streaming to existing pay-TV subscribers. For consumers, this represents a practical shift toward dish-free TV access, and Sky's concurrent announcement of a 3DTV channel signals its broader ambitions as a technology innovator.

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LED TVsSports

HDTV Almanac - NBA Knicks Get Courtside LED TVs - Really

The New York Knicks became the first NBA team to deploy true LED display modules courtside, built by Mitsubishi for ANC Sports Enterprises, where individual LEDs form the image directly rather than serving as a backlight. This distinguishes them from the so-called 'LED TVs' marketed by Samsung and LG, which are LCD panels using LED backlighting. The thinner form factor and wider viewing angles of these true LED panels make them a practical upgrade over the DLP rear-projection modules already used by 10 other NBA teams.

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Alfred Poor's Video Report - Epson Artisan 810 All-In-One Printer

The Epson Artisan 810 is a wireless all-in-one printer optimized for photo output that also handles copying, scanning, and fax transmission and reception. Its wireless connectivity enables shared access across multiple users or devices without requiring a direct cable connection. Readers evaluating a single device to cover home office and photo printing needs will find this multi-function capability worth examining.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - New Wireless HDTV Option

Philips has begun shipping its Wireless HDTV Link, a transmitter-receiver pair priced at $799 that supports wireless HDMI transmission at up to 1080p resolution. The transmitter offers two HDMI inputs and two component video connections, eliminating long cable runs and freeing the TV to require only a single AC outlet. One practical limitation is the lack of a built-in network connection for network-capable televisions, though an 802.11n WiFi connection can serve as a workaround.

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Streaming HD

Alfred Poor's Video Report - Western Digital WD TV Live HD Media Player

The Western Digital WD TV Live HD Media Player is a standalone device that outputs HD video, music, and photos to an HDTV without requiring a computer. It supports local storage playback alongside network and Internet content access via a built-in network connection. For users seeking a simple media hub, this player offers a broad range of source options from a single compact unit.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Consumers Still Buying HDTVs

An NPD survey finds that 25% of U.S. households plan to purchase a new TV within six months, with the most sought-after sets averaging 40 to 42 inches in screen size. Average prices for that size range fell 27% year-over-year to $838 for the first three quarters of 2009, down from $1,150 in 2008. For consumers, the price drop makes large flat panel displays more accessible, but manufacturers face the prospect of flat or declining revenues despite rising unit sales.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Taiwan Power Outage Cools Corning

A power outage at Corning's Central Taiwan Science Park plant has disrupted production of Gen 6 and Gen 7 glass substrates, potentially damaging melting tanks and tightening supply for Taiwan LCD manufacturers in November and December 2009. Because holiday-season panels were manufactured months earlier, near-term pricing should remain stable, but constrained substrate availability could push prices upward in spring 2010 if consumer demand increases. The incident highlights how vulnerable the flat panel TV supply chain is to localized disruptions.

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Mobile HDDTV TransitionStandards

HDTV Almanac - ATSC Approves Mobile TV Standard

The ATSC has approved a Mobile DTV standard for free over-the-air television broadcasting on mobile devices, operating in the 6 MHz band with sub-channel support and datacasting capabilities such as traffic reports. With 70 broadcasters across 29 markets planning 2010 rollouts and LG Electronics among the first manufacturers to ship compliant hardware, the ecosystem is moving quickly. However, the practical appeal of scheduled broadcast programming remains questionable against the on-demand video access already offered by expanding 3G and 4G mobile broadband networks.

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Streaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Samsung Adds Amazon On Demand

Samsung Series 650 and 7000 flat panel HDTVs gained access to Amazon Video on Demand, a catalog of over 50,000 commercial-free movies and TV episodes with many available in HD, via a downloadable services feature built into the sets. This firmware-extensible architecture allows manufacturers to push new streaming integrations to existing hardware, avoiding consumer lock-in to a fixed set of online services. For owners of these Samsung models, it means a pay-as-you-go rental or purchase option joins their TV's capabilities without requiring new hardware.

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HD Camcorders

HDTV Almanac - Another Tiny HD Video Camera

The JVC Picsio GC-FM1 is a shirt-pocket-sized camera capable of shooting 1080p video at 30 fps and 720p at 60 fps, with an 8-megapixel still resolution of 3,264 by 2,448 pixels, all at a list price of $199.95. It encodes footage using MPEG-4/H.264 compression in .MOV format, includes HDMI output, USB charging, image stabilization, and supports SD cards up to 32 GB. For consumers wanting affordable high-definition home video, this camera delivers a compelling feature set at a price point that was notably rare at the time of its release.

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OLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - Giant OLED Screen at CEATEC

Mitsubishi Electric demonstrated a 155-inch OLED display at CEATEC Japan, constructed from 720 tiled panels each measuring approximately 5 inches diagonal with 16x16 pixel resolution, combining to produce a 720p image. The display uses a passive backplane rather than active matrix technology, which Mitsubishi claims makes it cheaper to manufacture than conventional LED billboard and stadium displays. For consumers, large-format OLED remains out of reach for home use, with competitive OLED HDTV pricing unlikely before 2013 at the earliest.

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Politics & PolicyStandards

HDTV Almanac - Be CALM: House Bill Passes Sub-Committee

H.R. 1084, the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act (CALM Act), passed the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet, requiring the FCC to establish broadcast modulation standards that prevent commercials from exceeding the average maximum loudness of accompanying program material. The bill mandates the FCC produce compliant provisions within one year of enactment, though it still faces full committee, House, and Senate votes. For viewers, practical relief remains limited to television sets with automatic volume control until and unless the legislation clears all remaining legislative hurdles.

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Mobile HDOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - TV in Your Pocket

FLO TV's Personal Television is a $249 pocket device that receives live streaming TV over a proprietary transmitter network, featuring a 3.5-inch LCD display, up to five hours of battery life, and a $9 monthly subscription covering 17 channels including ESPN, NBC, and FOX. Unlike mobile broadband video, the device locks viewers to a live broadcast schedule with no on-demand control, which limits its appeal as consumer expectations shift toward time-shifted viewing. The author argues mobile broadband will ultimately win the mobile video market despite higher near-term bandwidth costs.

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HDMIHome Theater

HDTV Almanac - Fiber for Your HDMI

Gefen's DVI-1600HD extends HDMI connectivity up to two kilometers over four strands of fiber optic cable, with HDCP-compliant 1080p resolution supported at distances up to 1,000 feet. The fiber optic transmission eliminates electromagnetic interference concerns and carries audio and control signals alongside video on the same cables. Designed primarily for digital signage installations, this professional-grade extender is impractical for typical home setups but represents a viable solution for large-scale venue deployments.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - Can One-Eyed People Watch 3DTV?

3DTV stereoscopic displays present separate images to each eye, and viewers with monocular vision can still watch using active LCD shutter glasses, receiving a normal (non-stereoscopic) image through their functional eye. Passive polarized lens systems also work for one-eyed viewers, while anaglyph red-cyan filter systems produce a degraded image due to color filtering. Autostereoscopic (glasses-free) displays remain usable with one eye from the correct viewing position, making 3DTV broadly accessible despite its stereoscopic design.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - A Dangerous Game

A 1998 Forrester Research report predicted HDTV would fail, forecasting only 1 million U.S. households would own HDTV sets by 2003 and that prices would remain above $2,000 for a decade. In reality, 3.4 million HDTVs were sold in the U.S. in 2003 alone, and 42-inch models were available for under $1,000 by early 2008. The case illustrates how underestimating economies of scale and competitive market forces can render long-range technology forecasts unreliable, a caution worth keeping in mind when evaluating current predictions.

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HDTV Almanac - Cisco to Buy Tandberg: Why You Should Care

Cisco's pending $3 billion acquisition of TANDBERG, a professional videoconferencing company, signals a potential push into consumer-grade HD telepresence for home use. Cisco already holds a foothold in home networking through its Linksys brand, and the author speculates the roadmap includes hardware and software enabling Internet-connected HDTVs to function as telepresence stations. For consumers already using tools like Skype for free video calls over broadband, a Cisco-backed HD solution could bring life-size, big-screen video communication into the living room.

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3DTVMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Do You Want 3D TV?

A consumer survey by In-Stat found that 64% of respondents were at least somewhat interested in 3D television, with 25% rating their interest as 'very' or 'extremely' high, while 68% were unwilling to pay more than $200 extra for the capability. The incremental cost of 3D support is expected to be absorbed into base TV pricing, similar to how 120 Hz LCD technology reached near-parity with standard designs, with active shutter glasses representing the primary added expense for consumers. Panasonic and Sony have both announced major 3D home entertainment pushes for 2010, suggesting that within three to four years, 3D-capable displays could become a standard option in the flat panel market.

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ManufacturingLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Sharp Fires Up Gen 10 LCD Plant

Sharp has begun production at its new Generation 10 LCD panel manufacturing plant in Japan, using glass sheets approximately 9 by 10 feet that yield six 60-inch HDTV panels or 15 40-inch panels per sheet. Starting at half-capacity, the facility processes 36,000 sheets per month, scaling to 5.2 million 60-inch panels annually at full output. For consumers, this economy of scale - combined with Sharp's lead over Korean rivals LG and Samsung - should sustain downward pressure on large-screen LCD HDTV prices.

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Smart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Will You Have to Tip Your HDTV?

Sharp demonstrated a service on Internet-capable Aquos LCD HDTVs that delivers the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper directly to the television screen, offering the first five pages in the original print layout with zoom functionality. The six-month free trial, set to be showcased at CEATEC 2009, bypasses the need for a separate computer by leveraging the TV's built-in Internet connection. For readers and publishers alike, this experiment could signal a viable new revenue model that preserves familiar newspaper formatting while reaching audiences through their living room displays.

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HDTV Almanac - Who Will Pay for TV?

Vizio is stepping into branded content production with 'Vizio's Profiles,' a weekly half-hour NFL-focused show debuting October 2, 2009, on Fox Sports Net, directly responding to DVR-driven ad-skipping behavior. The company's marketing director explicitly frames the move as a shift away from traditional media buys toward owned branded content. This strategy raises a broader question about whether other consumer electronics and consumer brands will follow suit as advertising revenue models for broadcast television continue to erode.

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LCD TVsLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - Truth Patrol: Best Buy Explains "LED TV"

A Best Buy staff training video for Samsung LED TVs reveals that the word 'LCD' appears only twice in four minutes, never clarifying that LED TVs are simply LCD displays with LED backlighting replacing traditional fluorescent lamps. The video's claim that 'there's no barrier between the LEDs and the front of the panel screen' is technically inaccurate, since the LCD layer is precisely what blocks light to form an image, and the 40% energy savings comparison against 'traditional LCD TV' implies the LED model is a fundamentally different technology. Buyers relying on retail staff trained this way risk misunderstanding what they are purchasing.

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HDTV Almanac - A Remote Rant

Remote controls remain frustratingly over-engineered, with typical designs featuring 50-plus buttons and context-dependent multi-function inputs, while touch-screen alternatives carry price tags of $350 or more. The Epson Artisan 810 all-in-one printer, priced at $299, demonstrates that a 7-inch touch control panel combining a 3.5-inch LCD touchscreen with context-sensitive backlit regions is achievable at consumer-friendly costs. This cost comparison raises a practical question for TV manufacturers and third-party accessory makers: intuitive, iPhone-style touch interfaces for home theater control may already be economically viable.

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Mobile HDHD Camcorders

HDTV Almanac - HD in a Cell Phone?

The Samsung Instinct HD, launching exclusively at Best Buy for $250 after rebate with a two-year Sprint contract, packs a 5-megapixel still camera alongside HD video capture into a 3G/WiFi b/g touchscreen handset. While the phone cannot play back HD footage on its own display, it supports HDTV output for sharing recorded clips on a larger screen. For consumers seeking an all-in-one mobile device with GPS, Opera browsing, and social media integration, the Instinct HD represents a notable convergence of HD video and smartphone functionality.

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Mobile HDStreaming HDMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Hit the Road, Kid!

Nielsen's Q2 2009 'A2/M2 Three Screen Report' reveals a striking generational divide in video consumption, with teens watching more mobile video on cell phones than either timeshifted or Internet video combined. The 18-to-24 age bracket watched nearly as much online TV as timeshifted content, suggesting they are a leading indicator for broader Internet television adoption. For consumers tracking where TV is headed, the data implies that mobile video and online streaming will increasingly challenge traditional timeshifted viewing as younger demographics age into the mainstream.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Where Is Blockbuster Headed?

Blockbuster is pursuing a fragmented multi-channel strategy, announcing plans to close up to 960 retail stores while deploying kiosks to compete with Redbox, and simultaneously forming cable partnerships with Suddenlink and Mediacom to offer branded video-on-demand services powered by third-party provider Avail-TVN. The arrangement is essentially a brand-licensing deal rather than a true technology deployment, leaving Blockbuster without direct control of the streaming infrastructure. For consumers, this raises questions about whether a patchwork of storefronts, kiosks, postal rentals, and third-party VOD can realistically compete with Netflix's integrated streaming platform.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - We're Off to See the Wizard

Netflix is offering a free 24-hour stream of the digitally restored 'Wizard of Oz' starting October 3, using Microsoft's Silverlight platform to deliver on-demand playback with pause, fast-forward, and rewind controls. Subscribers with current unlimited plans can access the stream in high definition at no extra cost. The promotion serves as a strategic signal that Netflix is shifting focus toward internet-based movie delivery, positioning streaming as a viable alternative to its physical DVD business.

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Politics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - California Pushes Energy Savings

The California Energy Commission (CEC) is proposing mandatory power consumption limits for televisions, requiring sets with screens up to 1,400 square inches to draw no more than 0.2 watts per square inch plus 32 watts by 2011, tightening to 0.12 watts per square inch plus 25 watts by 2013. For a 42-inch display, the 2013 limit translates to roughly 115 watts, comparable to two incandescent bulbs. With 848 models already meeting the 2011 threshold and projected savings of $18 to $30 annually over a typical 10-year TV lifespan, compliance appears achievable without waiting for next-generation technology.

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HDTV Almanac - Get Connected!

A 2009 Pepcom press event showcased a wave of network-connected consumer electronics, from 1080p-capable digital cameras to Netflix streaming devices, all pointing toward inevitable home network adoption. Fast 802.11n wireless and Powerline adapters were among the connectivity solutions on display, alongside facial recognition software that tracks individuals across years of photos. For consumers, the practical takeaway is clear: a living room network connection is no longer optional but an emerging baseline requirement for modern devices.

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HDTV Almanac - It's Not a TV, But...

HP's DreamScreen 100 and 130 are networked entertainment displays featuring 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and 10/100BaseT Ethernet, with Wide VGA (800x640) screens sized at 10.2 and 13.3 inches respectively. Both models support DLNA media streaming, SD card playback, and a widget-based walled garden granting access to services like Pandora, Snapfish, and over 10,000 aggregated audio streams. Priced at $249 and $299, they offer a practical middle ground between a static LCD photo frame and a full television for kitchen or secondary-room use.

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HDTV Almanac - Can You Trust User Ratings?

A study highlighted by Technology Review finds that a disproportionately small number of users account for the majority of product ratings, skewing communal wisdom scores in ways that can mislead HDTV shoppers. Compounding this, emotional investment in purchase decisions and manufacturer-paid reviews further compromise star-count reliability. Rather than relying on aggregate ratings, readers are advised to identify specific feature claims, assess their personal relevance, and independently verify those claims before committing to a purchase.

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3DTVMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - 2010: Year of 3DTV?

Sony has announced plans to release LCD HDTVs and Blu-ray players supporting 3D content, joining Panasonic in an early push to bring 3D display technology into the home. Both manufacturers are moving aggressively, with Panasonic deploying demonstration trucks tied to the AVATAR film release and Sony leveraging its existing professional 3D camera lineup as a foundation. For consumers, this signals that 3D home entertainment hardware could become a mainstream retail option as early as 2010, though the competitive landscape among TV makers remains unsettled.

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HDTV Almanac - End of the Draft!

The IEEE ratified the 802.11n Wi-Fi specification, delivering approximately 150 Mb/sec typical throughput, which edges out 100BaseT Ethernet and is roughly 30 times faster than the original 802.11b standard. Manufacturers including D-Link and Belkin have already confirmed compliance, meaning existing draft-N certified products should meet the final specification without hardware changes. For consumers, this makes wireless delivery of high-definition video content across the home a practical reality, accelerating the shift toward broadband-based movie and TV distribution.

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Market Trends & AnalysisLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Quake Breaks Glass Supply

A 2009 earthquake in Japan forced Corning to shut down its LCD glass production facility in Shizuoka, creating a supply gap that threatened LCD panel availability through year-end. Corning has since restarted the plant and accelerated idle Taiwan facilities, but forecasts still show demand exceeding supply, while U.S. LCD TV sales rose 14% year-over-year in August. Buyers who find an acceptable deal at a fair price should consider purchasing promptly, as holiday pricing pressure may not deliver the steep Black Friday discounts typically expected.

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Home TheaterHDMICabling & Wiring

HDTV Almanac - Torrent HDMI Cables Get Distribution

Torrent's Sureconnect HDMI cables feature a secure-locking plug design and an LED indicator that confirms a solid connection, differentiating them from standard HDMI cables. Now available through Amazon and Dell.com, the cables are priced below top-tier brands while using environmentally friendly materials. For users who need a reliable, stay-put connection in demanding setups, the Sureconnect design offers a practical upgrade over budget HDMI options.

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HDTV Almanac - HDTV and Video Phones

HDTV manufacturers are exploring Skype integration as a differentiating feature, leveraging H.264 compression to deliver practical video calling over broadband connections. With HDTVs already present in a majority of homes and digital cameras cheap enough to bundle into nearly any device, the hardware prerequisites for mainstream video telephony are largely in place. For consumers, this convergence could mean video phone calls become a standard living-room experience rather than a niche computing feature.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Vudu Scores Twice

Vudu, a streaming service delivering rental movies at 1080p resolution with instant playback over broadband, has secured integration deals with two major HDTV manufacturers. Mitsubishi is shipping the 46-inch LT-46249 and 52-inch LT-52249 Diamond Unisen LCD HDTVs with native Vudu support, while LG has added the service to its LH50 and PS80 flat panel series. These hardware partnerships signal a broader industry shift toward embedded broadband video delivery as a standard HDTV feature, reducing the need for separate streaming devices.

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HDTV Almanac - No Labor Day

The HDTV Almanac, a long-running column covering HDTV and home entertainment technology, takes a brief pause for Labor Day 2009 after four years of publication. The author, who regularly addresses topics such as HDTV standards and related display technologies, steps away from the usual news and commentary format for this single issue. Readers interested in HDTV developments are directed to return the following day for the next installment.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - YouFlix?

Google is negotiating with Hollywood studios to offer streaming movie rentals on YouTube, potentially including day-and-date DVD release titles alongside existing free back-catalog content. YouTube's dominance in video traffic, with 8.95 billion U.S. views in July 2009 compared to Hulu's 457 million, gives it significant leverage over competing services like iTunes, Vudu, and CinemaNow. For consumers, a deal could mean access to new releases through the most widely used video platform on the web.

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StandardsHDMIHome Theater

HDTV Almanac - HDMI 1.4: What Is It Good For?

HDMI 1.4 introduced several new features over previous versions, including a built-in Ethernet networking channel intended to reduce cable clutter for HDTVs, but a Key Digital white paper exposes a practical flaw: switching inputs between devices such as a Blu-ray player and a cable set-top box interrupts the shared Internet connection. The analysis covers all HDMI versions from 1.0 to 1.4, ultimately concluding that HDMI 1.1 remains sufficient for most current HDTV installations since many later additions are redundant or lack broad source device support.

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OTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - L.A. TV Towers Safe for Now

Mount Wilson, the broadcast antenna farm serving over 20 television stations across greater Los Angeles, faced serious threat from Southern California wildfires, putting over-the-air TV signals for the entire region at risk. Firefighters deployed retardants, backfires, and large amphibious aircraft water drops to protect the summit transmitters, with power loss to the towers remaining a secondary concern even if flames were contained. Officials confirmed the towers are no longer in direct or immediate danger, but the episode highlights how concentrated broadcast infrastructure creates a single point of failure for OTA reception across a major metro area.

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StandardsLCD TVsLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - UK Proclaims "LED TV" Misleading

The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that Samsung's marketing of LCD televisions with LED backlights as 'LED TVs' is misleading, finding the ads ambiguous about how LED technology is actually utilized in the display. The ruling requires Samsung to revise its television and magazine advertisements in the UK market, drawing a clear distinction between a full LED display and an LCD panel using LED backlighting. Consumers in other markets remain exposed to the same terminology from Samsung and Toshiba, making awareness of this technical distinction practically relevant when evaluating TV purchases.

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OLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - OLED HDTV Update: LG 15" This Fall

LG announced plans to ship a 15-inch OLED HDTV in November 2009, limited to the Korean market, featuring a Wide XGA resolution of 1366x768 pixels that supports 720p HD but carries an optimal viewing distance of just two feet. No pricing was disclosed, though cost-per-square-inch estimates suggest a premium of 20 to 80 times that of a comparable 42-inch 1080p LCD. Persistent manufacturing challenges and falling LCD production costs mean full-size OLED HDTVs remain unlikely before 2011 or 2012, making this a niche product rather than a mainstream option.

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DTV TransitionMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Musical Chairs: The DTV Converter Market

Following the June 12, 2009 analog broadcast cutoff deadline, the secondary market for digital TV converter boxes collapsed rapidly, with units selling on eBay for $10 or less including shipping. Sellers who acquired extra boxes using the government's $40 rebate coupon program in hopes of reselling at a profit have largely missed any viable window. The oversaturated inventory makes resale impractical, and donating units to elderly or low-income recipients is the more realistic option for those holding surplus hardware.

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HDTV Almanac - World's Biggest HDTV Gets Punted

The Dallas Cowboys Stadium debuted a 600-ton center-hung LED display system capable of rendering 1080p full-color video, with 48-foot end-zone panels positioned 90 feet above the field. Basic kinematics show that a 4.6-second average NFL punt hang time corresponds to a peak height of roughly 85 feet, meaning the display was installed at the physical threshold of interference - a threshold the Cowboys crossed when a Tennessee Titans punter struck the screen during a pre-season game. For fans and engineers alike, the incident illustrates how chasing record-breaking display specs without accounting for real-world physics can produce embarrassing and unresolved operational problems.

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HD DVR

HDTV Almanac - Is That a Hard Drive in Your HDTV?

Mitsubishi and Hitachi have announced HDTV lines with built-in hard disk drives for digital video recording, targeting the Japanese market exclusively for now. The Mitsubishi Real BHR LCD sets (32" and 37") include a 320 GB HDD paired with a Blu-ray recorder, while Hitachi's P-XP035 plasma series (42" to 50") offers a 500 GB HDD for DVR functions. For consumers who rely on over-the-air broadcasts without cable or satellite DVR service, these integrated solutions could offer a compelling alternative to standalone units.

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Blu-rayHome Theater3DTV

HDTV Almanac - 3D HDTV Is Unstoppable

Panasonic is positioning itself at the forefront of consumer 3D HDTV adoption, leveraging a marketing partnership with James Cameron's AVATAR and announcing 3D-enabled Blu-ray players with up to 100 launch titles, even as Blu-ray 3D delivery standards remain unratified. Millions of existing rear-projection HDTVs already support 3D display, but the absence of a standardized content pipeline has stalled mainstream uptake. Hollywood's substantial investment in 3D film production means studios will push 3D Blu-ray as a revenue stream, making home 3D adoption a matter of when, not if.

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HDTV Almanac - Blockbuster: Closing Shop?

Blockbuster CEO James Keyes outlined a kiosk-driven pivot, targeting 2,500 unmanned rental units by year-end 2009 and up to 10,000 by mid-2010, while accelerating closure of roughly 300 of its 7,100 storefronts. The company is also exploring SD memory card distribution as a disc-free alternative for kiosks, though limited consumer device compatibility makes near-term adoption unlikely. With $350 million in debt due by end of 2010 and Redbox revenues up 110% against Blockbuster's 22% earnings drop, the competitive math points toward a difficult transition.

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HDTV Almanac - Video in Your Magazine

CBS is embedding a sub-3mm thick LCD panel running at 320x240 pixels (quarter VGA) into a print ad inside the September 18 issue of Entertainment Weekly, allowing readers in New York and Los Angeles to watch up to 40 minutes of video clips directly from the magazine page. The panel, manufactured by Americhip, supports USB recharging and offers controls to select among five different clips. This marks a notable convergence of print and digital media, though its broader adoption will depend on whether the high production cost proves worthwhile for advertisers.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - DIY Mount with Extra Features

The Level Mount from Elexa is a fixed (non-tilting) flat panel wall mount rated for up to 200 pounds and compatible with VESA mounting patterns 75, 100, 200, 400, 600, and 800, covering virtually all wall-mountable flat panels up to around 50 inches. Priced at $39.99 with free shipping from Buy.com, the package includes a built-in bubble level and a battery-powered electronic stud finder at no extra cost. For homeowners tackling a one-time installation without a full tool kit, this bundle offers a practical way to avoid purchasing separate tools.

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HDTV Almanac - Truth Patrol: "The Portable Pocket HDTV"

A Hammacher Schlemmer product marketed as a 'Portable Pocket HDTV' is called out for falsely claiming high-definition capability while only delivering 480x272 pixel resolution, which falls short of even standard-definition thresholds. The 4.25-inch display with a 1.5-hour battery life and a sub-$200 price point further limit its practical appeal. Consumers should scrutinize published specifications carefully, as marketing copy does not always reflect technical reality.

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Home TheaterDRMBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - DVD Archiving at Risk

A 2009 appeals court ruling remanded the Kaleidescape case back to a lower court, challenging the legality of DVD ripping devices that store movies on a local hard drive network server. The dispute, rooted in a 2004 contract breakdown between the DVD Content Control Authority and Kaleidescape, hinges on license terms rather than DMCA provisions directly. If the DVD CCA prevails, consumers lose the practical ability to make archival backups of purchased discs, potentially pushing them toward cable, satellite, and internet on-demand services instead.

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DTV TransitionPolitics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - VHF to UHF: Moving on Up!

Several U.S. television stations are petitioning the FCC to reassign their digital broadcasts from VHF channels (2-13) to UHF channels (14-51), citing ATSC error-correction performance advantages at UHF frequencies and better signal propagation in dense urban environments. A key practical problem is that many consumers purchased so-called 'digital TV antennas' that were UHF-only designs, leaving them unable to receive VHF digital signals after stations reverted from temporary UHF transmissions post-analog shutdown. Affected viewers in markets such as Boston, Chicago, Colorado Springs, and Fond du Lac will need to rescan their digital tuners once stations complete the switch, though virtual channel numbers will remain unchanged.

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Deals

HDTV Almanac - Did You Get a $10 LCD HDTV?

A pricing error on Best Buy's website briefly listed a Samsung 52-inch LCD HDTV at $9.99 instead of the correct $1,699.99, generating a wave of customer orders backed by email confirmations before the retailer corrected the typo and refused to honor the price. The Federal Trade Commission's guidelines indicate retailers are only liable for advertised pricing errors when deceptive intent, bait-and-switch tactics, or fraudulent promotions are involved. Customers who placed orders were told to expect full refunds, leaving them without the deal despite having written confirmation.

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HD DVRMobile HD

HDTV Almanac - Program DVR on Your Cell Phone

Verizon FiOS TV subscribers can now remotely manage their DVR via cell phone, with dedicated applications available for devices including the BlackBerry Storm 9530, Curve 8330, and LG Voyager, plus a mobile Web interface accessible from any Internet-enabled handset. The free service supports scheduling recordings, deleting watched content, managing parental controls, and bookmarking On Demand titles across multiple DVR units. For FiOS subscribers who frequently think of shows to record while away from home, this eliminates the need to program recordings through the television entirely.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Win a Panasonic 50″ Plasma

Panasonic's Living in HD contest offers a chance to win a 50-inch VIERA G10 Series plasma HDTV, a THX Certified 1080p display with VIERA CAST support for streaming services including Amazon Video On Demand and YouTube, listed at $1,799.95. The four-week contest runs through September 6th, with one prize awarded weekly via random selection from user-submitted photos or videos. Readers who enter daily maximize their odds of taking home a capable large-screen display without any skill-based barrier to winning.

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Home TheaterProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - 1080p Projector Under $1,000

Optoma's HD20 DLP projector brings 1080p projection under $1,000 with a 1,700-lumen rating, a price point that shatters the previous $5,000 barrier for full HD front projection. This positions the HD20 at mainstream retail outlets like Best Buy and Amazon, making large-screen home theater genuinely accessible without professional installation. Buyers willing to manage ambient light can now achieve 70" to 80" images for less than the cost of a 50" LCD flat panel, a compelling trade-off for dedicated viewing spaces.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Online Video Growing Rapidly

An Ipsos MediaCT study found that over 25% of U.S. Internet users streamed at least one full-length video program in April 2009, representing more than double the usage from just eight months prior. Among 18-to-24-year-olds, more than half watched a full episode and nearly one third watched a full-length movie. The rapid growth of ad-supported services like Hulu signals that free, on-demand Internet video is becoming a mainstream distribution channel with real implications for how audiences consume television and film content.

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DealsLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - 42″ LCD HDTV Under $600

The Vizio VO420E, a 42-inch 1080p LCD HDTV released in June 2009 with a list price of $849, is available at Walmart for $598, well below its standard retail and Vizio's own web price of $750. The set includes SRS Labs' TruSurround audio and Vizio's EchoHD technology, which delivers energy efficiency exceeding Energy Star 3.0 standards. For budget-conscious buyers, this represents a compelling entry point into large-screen 1080p viewing at roughly half the cost of comparable sets from a year or two prior.

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Market Trends & AnalysisBuying GuidesLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Prices: Reading the Tea Leaves

Wholesale LCD and plasma panel pricing data from DisplaySearch's PriceWise report reveals a 16% rise in 42-inch 1080p LCD panels since April, climbing from $310 to $360, while 50-inch plasma panels dropped 17% to $287 due to Panasonic's oversupply. The 46-inch 1080p LCD panel held steady at $470, suggesting manufacturers are absorbing cost increases to sustain retail price stability during weak consumer demand. Buyers looking for a new HDTV now face little incentive to wait for holiday discounts, as production capacity is expected to keep outpacing orders through the end of 2009.

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Streaming HDBlu-raySmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Panasonic BD Players Add Amazon Access

Panasonic's 2009 VIERA CAST Blu-ray players, including the portable B15 model, now support Amazon Video On Demand via streaming over a standard Internet connection, with no local storage required. The service provides access to more than 45,000 titles, over 1,000 of which are available in HD format, and purchased content is playable across VIERA CAST devices, PCs, and Macs. Supported units receive the update automatically if connected to the Internet, making this a practical, no-cost upgrade for existing owners.

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Projection HD

HDTV Almanac - All-In-One: Movie Camera and Projector

Nikon's Coolpix S1000pj is a 12.1-megapixel point-and-shoot camera with a built-in pico projector, a first for digital cameras, producing VGA-resolution images via LED light source at 10 lumens. While that brightness falls far short of the 1,000 to 2,000 lumens typical of room projectors, it is sufficient for small-group viewing without crowding around the 2.7-inch LCD. Priced at $430 and shipping the following month, it offers a practical way to share photos and video clips on any available surface.

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Streaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - VUDU Inside LG HDTVs

LG's LH50 LCD and PS80 plasma HDTV series will integrate VUDU streaming directly into the television via the NetCast Entertainment Access feature, eliminating the need for a separate set-top box. VUDU's catalog of over 15,000 titles includes more than 2,000 in 1080p HD, with rentals priced from $0.99 to $5.99, alongside free services such as Pandora and YouTube. This convergence of streaming and display hardware signals a practical shift toward the living room TV replacing dedicated media players for on-demand content access.

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Cabling & WiringHDMIHome Theater

HDTV Almanac - Swivel-Head Cables

Atlona's swivel-head HDMI 1.3b cables feature connectors that rotate up to 90 degrees, reducing the cable's protrusion from the port to approximately one inch - less than half the depth of a standard HDMI connector. This design directly addresses the challenge of mounting ultra-thin flat panel HDTVs flush against walls or inside tight cabinet spaces where a straight-exit cable would force the display several inches forward. Priced at $29.99 MSRP for the 3-foot version, roughly twice the cost of a generic cable, these offer a practical and reasonably priced fix for a genuine installation problem.

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DTV TransitionOTA Set-Top Boxes (STBs)

HDTV Almanac - Only Two Days Left!

The U.S. analog-to-digital broadcast transition, completed in June 2009, left only 1.1% of TV households unprepared according to Nielsen data, though that still represents over 1 million homes. The federal coupon program, which issued more than 63 million coupons worth $40 each toward approved digital converter boxes, closes July 31, 2009, with 4.4 million coupons still active. Households with televisions not connected to cable or satellite need a converter box to continue receiving over-the-air digital signals, making this deadline practically significant for multi-TV homes.

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Home TheaterPlasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Runco Still Offers Plasma

Runco has announced new 50-inch and 65-inch CinemaWall and PlasmaWall plasma HDTV models priced from $6,995 to $15,495, targeting the luxury home theater segment vacated by Pioneer's exit from the plasma market. Select models incorporate Runco's OPAL technology for improved black levels and reduced ambient light reflection, while others pair with an external video processor for advanced signal processing and scaling. Sold exclusively through dealers and custom installers, these displays are a serious option for videophiles who prioritize image quality in controlled lighting environments.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Toshiba Matches Your Refrigerator

Toshiba's 19LV612U is a 19-inch combo LCD TV with a built-in DVD player, featuring an 18.5-inch diagonal panel at Wide XGA resolution (1,366 x 768 pixels) and a stainless steel finish designed to complement modern kitchen appliances. Priced at $349.99 with an EnergyStar compliance rating, the set targets space-constrained environments like kitchens and dorm rooms. At typical kitchen viewing distances, the 1,366 x 768 panel delivers a picture indistinguishable from 1080p, making the resolution trade-off a non-issue in practice.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - CinemaNow in the News

CinemaNow, part of Sonic Solutions, is expanding its 14,000-title streaming and download service through three notable initiatives: LG's BD370 and BD390 Blu-ray players now offer direct network access to CinemaNow alongside Netflix and YouTube, a Widevine partnership enables movie delivery on USB drives with an embedded media player, and a collaboration with NVIDIA brings 3D content to PCs equipped with NVIDIA 3D Vision and compatible displays like the Samsung SyncMaster 2233RZ. These moves signal a direct competitive push against Netflix's dominance in broadband video delivery, with high-definition and emerging 3D content positioning CinemaNow for the living room market.

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HDTV Almanac - Four Digits: The 1,000th Post

The HDTV Almanac reaches its 1,000th post, a milestone blog covering technical topics such as contrast ratio and 120 Hz refresh rates that has earned high Google search rankings and citations in major publications including the New York Times. Beginning with this post, the Almanac expands its reach by joining HDTV Magazine as a regular column, giving its daily coverage of HDTV and home entertainment technology access to a significantly larger readership. Existing subscribers via RSS or hdtvprofessor.com will see no disruption to their current access.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - We Want Broadband TV

A TDG survey of 2,000 broadband users reveals that roughly two-thirds expressed interest in supplementing or replacing subscription TV with Internet-delivered video, with 21% willing to cut cable or satellite entirely. The findings point to a near-term inflection point for how video content is distributed, funded, and monetized, whether through pay-per-view, subscription, or ad-supported models. For broadband households, services like Hulu already offer HD content today, making it practical to begin evaluating web-based TV as a genuine alternative.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Where Is Microsoft?

Rovi, rebranded from Macrovision, is developing a multi-faceted integrated GUI designed to unify local storage, Internet content, and broadcast sources like cable and over-the-air TV within embedded consumer electronics systems. Existing solutions such as Microsoft Media Center and Hauppauge DVR software fall short in usability, while HDTV manufacturers are beginning to support Internet connectivity via Yahoo! Widgets and Netflix streaming. As flat panel HDTV pricing flattens and feature sets converge, the window for a dominant embedded interface standard opens, raising the question of whether Rovi or Microsoft will define it.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Rumor: Amazon to Buy Netflix?

Netflix dominated the DVD-by-mail rental market and has made measurable inroads with free unlimited streaming for subscribers, yet remains unable to secure Hollywood licensing for new releases on that platform. A speculated Amazon acquisition could change that calculus, given Amazon's position as one of the largest DVD retail channels and its proven ability to leverage scale in online marketplaces. For consumers, Amazon's negotiating clout could accelerate access to newer titles through streaming - a gap Netflix has not yet closed on its own.

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OLED TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - OLED HDTV: LG says 2012 for 3o”

LG Display CEO Kwon Young-soo announced plans to produce 30-inch OLED panels for TVs by 2012, marking one of the first credible timelines from a major manufacturer. The author dismisses a rumored 15-inch OLED TV for 2009, noting that a 1080p panel at that size would require an impractical 10.5-inch viewing distance. For consumers, the real barrier to OLED adoption is not image quality alone but achieving price parity with LCD, a threshold the author argues no challenger technology has yet managed to clear.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - More Little HDTVs

The ASUS T1 line of 1080p LCD HDTVs, available in 22, 24, and 27-inch sizes, includes DVB-T and PAL/SECAM tuners that are incompatible with the U.S. ATSC standard, a critical omission in most press coverage. The sets support HDMI, S-Video, and composite inputs, but the heavily marketed PC monitor capability is unremarkable since most digital TVs already accept VGA or DVI-D-to-HDMI connections. Consumers should scrutinize such marketing claims carefully before purchasing to avoid being misled by features presented as innovations.

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DTV TransitionSatellite HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - DTV Transition Winners

The June 12, 2009 analog-to-digital broadcast transition drove an estimated 653,000 U.S. homes toward new pay-TV subscriptions, with cable capturing roughly 74% and satellite about 20% of those gains. Fringe reception areas and the complexity of upgrading antenna equipment pushed many viewers toward subscription services, while the FCC-reported average expanded basic cable bill of $49.65 per month remains a barrier for low-income households. A significant portion of the millions of totally unprepared households may still lack television service entirely.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Blockbuster and Samsung Team Up

Blockbuster OnDemand is launching as an integrated widget on Samsung 650 Series and later HDTVs, Series 7000 and above LED-backlit LCD TVs, and select 2009 Blu-ray players via firmware upgrade, enabling per-transaction movie rentals and purchases with some titles available in high definition. Unlike Netflix's subscription-based streaming, Blockbuster charges per view but counters with access to recent releases and HD content that Netflix's online catalog could not yet match. For consumers already invested in compatible Samsung hardware, this deal offers a meaningful on-demand alternative, though Blockbuster's long-term viability hinges on closing the gap with Netflix's broader platform reach.

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HDTV Almanac - Panasonic Aims Low for Big Sales

Panasonic is targeting emerging markets such as Brazil, India, and China with stripped-down flat panel TVs priced as low as $50, a dramatic reduction from the roughly $5,000 price point of 42-inch panels just a few years prior. These budget sets will forgo HDMI connectivity, internet access, and advanced image processing electronics to hit the price target, competing directly with the small CRT sets currently dominant in those regions. For consumers in developing economies, this strategy could make flat panel technology accessible for the first time, while giving Panasonic a volume-driven growth path as developed-market sales projections flatten.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - Vizio Wins Another Round

Vizio secured a ruling from US Customs and Border Protection confirming its products do not infringe Funai's patent, allowing the company to continue importing its display products into the US market. The decision is one of several ongoing IP disputes shaping the display industry, where patent litigation functions as a competitive tool that favors well-funded players. For consumers and manufacturers alike, the growing trend of IP battles and invalidated patents signals that legal strategy will remain as central to the display business as product development.

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LED TVsLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Sharp Joins the LED LCD Movement

Sharp's AQUOS LED LE700 series uses a full-array LED backlight rather than an edge-light design, a distinction the company accurately markets as 'LCD TV' unlike competitors Samsung and Toshiba. The 1080p lineup spans 32 to 52 inches and exceeds Energy Star guidelines by 50% or more, though Sharp opted not to implement local dimming despite the full-array configuration. Buyers gain improved color performance and AQUOS Net connectivity, but internet features remain limited compared to rival platforms.

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HDTV Almanac - Please Define "Necessity"

A 2009 PriceGrabber Consumer Behavior Report reveals that 20% of men versus 10% of women classify HDTV as a necessity, a gap that highlights a broader pattern where men consistently rate electronics including high-speed Internet, PCs, and MP3 players as essential more often than women do. The survey also found 90% of respondents plan to maintain tighter spending habits even after economic recovery. These findings raise a practical question for consumers: how cultural attitudes toward technology shape purchasing decisions during a downturn.

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HDTV Almanac - Broadband Growing at High Speed

A Futuresource study projects 500 million high-speed broadband home connections worldwide by 2010, with roughly 60% delivered over DSL and 20% over cable. Download speeds vary sharply by region: the average U.S. connection peaks at 2.7 Mbps, while Japan and South Korea average 30 Mbps, and India is forecast to grow from 5 million to nearly 25 million subscribers by 2013. These expanding pipelines make on-demand video, Internet radio, and services like Skype increasingly viable for mainstream home use.

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Mobile HD

HDTV Almanac - Trying Harder: Rent-a-TV

AT&T CruiseCast brings satellite-delivered mobile TV to Avis rental cars at five Florida vacation markets, offering 22 video channels and 20 audio channels via a rooftop antenna with a 2-minute content buffer designed to maintain uninterrupted playback through signal obstructions like tunnels and bridges. The aftermarket system mounts LCD panels on front headrests and connects through a 12-volt plug, priced at $8.95 per day or $62.65 per week. Beyond the rental novelty, the service may function as a low-commitment trial that gauges real consumer appetite for mobile TV on cell phones and other portable devices.

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Blu-rayMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Where is Blu-ray?

Blu-ray adoption remains far behind DVD despite Sony's 2008 projection of capturing 50 percent of DVD market share, with only 400,000 U.S. units sold in Q1 2009 compared to over 142 million DVD players sold worldwide in 2007. The price gap is stark: a Blu-ray player costs up to six times more than a progressive scan DVD player at retail, and upscaling DVD players already deliver acceptable image quality on most HDTVs. Internet streaming from services like Amazon and Hulu further undermines the case for investing in new Blu-ray hardware and disc purchases.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Netflix Plans for the Future

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings anticipated a decline in physical DVD rental revenue within four years, pushing the company toward internet streaming as its core business model. At the time, Netflix offered on-demand access to roughly 12,000 titles online out of a physical catalog exceeding 100,000, with about 20% of its 10 million subscribers using the streaming service regularly. Securing digital distribution rights from studios remained the critical obstacle, as cable and satellite providers already held competing licensing agreements.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Small 1080p LCD HDTVs

Budget 24-inch 1080p LCD HDTVs priced under $200 feature a pixel pitch of approximately 0.27 mm, yielding 94 pixels per inch, which demands a viewing distance of roughly 34 inches to resolve full HD detail. For comparison, the Apple iPhone delivers 163 pixels per inch, highlighting how coarse these panels appear at typical living room distances. Practically, these sets work best as personal displays or dual-purpose computer monitors in tight spaces like dorm rooms, not as primary living room screens.

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Satellite HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - Comcast Launches Wireless Pipe

Comcast has launched its High-Speed 2go 4G wireless service in Portland, Oregon, offering download speeds up to 4 Mbps - nearly three times the 1.4 Mbps available on 3G. The service comes in two tiers: a 4G-only Metro package and a Nationwide card that falls back to Sprint's 3G network for broader coverage. Bundled pricing starts at $50 per month, with existing triple-play subscribers able to add wireless for as little as $30 more, positioning Comcast as a serious competitor in mobile broadband ahead of rivals.

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Cable HDHD DVR

HDTV Almanac - Supreme Court Okays Cable DVR

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to Cablevision's cloud-based DVR service, letting stand a 2nd Circuit ruling that remote server-side recording is functionally equivalent to a home VCR under the Betamax precedent. The decision enables cable operators to store individual subscriber recordings on centralized servers rather than dedicated set-top hardware, reducing in-home equipment requirements. For consumers, this could mean fewer devices and lower hardware costs, while broadcasters face mounting pressure on ad revenues that may drive higher cable fees and increased product placement.

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LED TVsSmart TVsStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - New Vizio Sets Add More Internet

VIZIO's upcoming XVT-series LCD HDTVs feature LED backlighting with local dimming on 47-inch and 55-inch models, plus a 240 SPS implementation that combines 120 Hz interpolation with backlight strobing to reduce motion blur on the 42-inch variant. The headline feature is VIA (VIZION Internet Apps), which delivers wired or wireless Ethernet connectivity with streaming services including Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand, Vudu, and Pandora built directly into the panel. With the 55-inch VF551XVT priced at $2,199.99 and VIA included at no extra cost, these sets offer a compelling case for cutting out the set-top box entirely.

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LCD TVsStandards

HDTV Almanac - Slamming the Door on Sharp

The U.S. International Trade Commission issued a limited exclusion order blocking Sharp from importing LCD panels and LCD TVs into the U.S. after finding the company violated a Samsung-held patent, following an investigation that began in January 2008. A mandatory 60-day Presidential review period means Sharp can continue importing and selling its Aquos HDTVs without posting additional bond while the U.S. Trade Representative advises on whether to override the order. A parallel Sharp-versus-Samsung ITC complaint raises the possibility of a cross-licensing resolution that could render the exclusion order moot.

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Streaming HDSatellite HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - Cable and Satellite: Selling Pipes or Water?

Time Warner and Comcast are jointly piloting their 'TV Everywhere' initiative with 5,000 trial subscribers, initially streaming TNT and TBS content, with a full fourth-quarter 2009 launch targeted for their combined 37 million subscriber base. Delivering high-definition streams at scale demands serious infrastructure investment, while securing on-demand rights from content producers presents the harder challenge. The author argues this tension will ultimately force cable companies to split into two distinct businesses: one managing broadband pipe infrastructure, the other aggregating and licensing content for web delivery.

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HDTV Almanac - Walmart: I Beg to Differ

A Walmart executive's call for product simplicity over feature complexity draws a pointed rebuttal, using the iPhone 3G S selling over one million units in a single weekend as evidence that consumers embrace sophisticated devices when the user interface is intuitive. The real barrier to connected HDTV adoption is not feature depth but the absence of a streamlined navigation experience comparable to iOS, while Windows Media Center is cited as a capable but incomplete attempt. Solving the interface problem, the argument goes, would unlock strong consumer demand for Internet-connected televisions with advanced streaming and content features.

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OLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - OLED TV: More Mixed Messages

LG Display's 15-inch OLED panel, featuring WXGA resolution (1366x768 pixels) capable of displaying 720p without scaling, is reportedly targeting a December 2009 to January 2010 launch in the Korean market, which would make it the first OLED HDTV commercially available. However, the author remains skeptical, noting unresolved technology challenges around long duty-cycle reliability that currently limit OLED to small mobile devices. If the timeline holds, consumers could see a 720p OLED HDTV before a global rollout follows.

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DTV TransitionPolitics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - 10 Days Later

The June 12, 2009 analog-to-digital television transition generated over 900,000 calls to the FCC hotline in a single week, with 49% reporting reception problems and 28% needing help configuring digital converter boxes. A key technical issue involved stations shifting from UHF to VHF broadcast frequencies post-transition, catching many viewers off guard since popular 'digital' antennas were often UHF-only and lacked the dipole elements needed for VHF reception. Viewers still struggling can use antennaweb.org to identify their local stations' frequency bands and determine the correct antenna type.

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LED TVs

HDTV Almanac - InfoComm 2009: That's Big!

Daktronics showcased large-format LED display modules at InfoComm 2009, featuring a 6 mm pixel pitch and panels rated at 2,000 nits brightness, each delivering 120 by 120 pixels of resolution. The 12-panel demonstration unit achieved only 480 by 360 pixels at a 4:3 aspect ratio, meaning a 720p HD configuration would require stacking panels to roughly 14 feet tall. For installers and venue operators, these remarkably thin, high-brightness modules represent a compelling option for stadium-scale or large outdoor display applications.

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LED TVsProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - InfoComm 2009: No Bulb in the Projector

Texas Instruments, Luminus, and Coretronic have collaborated to develop a front projector using solid-state LEDs as the light source, rated at 100,000 hours of operation and capable of reaching up to 1,000 lumens of output. This compares favorably to traditional lamp-based projectors, where bulb replacement costs recur every few thousand hours. For consumers, eliminating lamp maintenance could make front projection a more practical and cost-effective alternative to large flat-panel displays.

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Projection HDMobile HD

HDTV Almanac - Pico Projectors Getting Better

Pico projectors demonstrated at the Projector Summit in Orlando are advancing rapidly, with resolutions ranging from HVGA (480x320) up to WVGA (850x480) and brightness levels reaching 12 lumens average, using light sources including high-brightness LEDs, lasers, and imaging chips such as Texas Instruments DLP and LCoS. Shipments are forecast to grow from roughly 400,000 units in 2009 to over 25 million by 2013, driven primarily by personal use cases. Samsung is already selling phones and portable media players with built-in projectors in Korea, signaling that mainstream availability in the United States is approaching.

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LCD TVsLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - "LED TVs": Good News, Bad News

LCD HDTVs with LED backlights are being marketed as 'LED TVs' by Samsung and now Toshiba, a misleading label that risks confusing consumers into thinking these are OLED or some entirely different display technology. The performance case for LED backlights is real: local dimming delivers significant power savings, and Samsung demonstrated a 3.5 mm thin 24-inch LCD panel at SID 2009 using edge-lit LEDs. DisplaySearch forecasts 109 million LED-backlit LCD panels shipping in 2009, with iSupply projecting nearly two in five LCD TVs will carry LED backlights by 2013, making this technology the likely default for your next TV purchase.

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HDMICabling & Wiring

HDTV Almanac - A Better HDMI Cable

Torrent's SureConnect HDMI cable addresses the common problem of loose connections by using a ferrous metal sleeve bonded to the device on first insertion, paired with a strong magnet in the cable end that delivers more than triple the holding power of a standard HDMI connector. A built-in LED indicator provides instant visual confirmation of a secure connection, eliminating guesswork when cables are routed through enclosed cabinets or equipment racks. With list prices starting under $50, the design offers a practical reliability upgrade without the premium pricing seen from some cable manufacturers.

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HDTV Almanac - Something Small from Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi's Unisen LCD TVs feature a 16-speaker array mounted along the bottom edge of the panel, using psychoacoustics to simulate surround sound from a single integrated unit. The system includes a calibration microphone for room-specific tuning and optional subwoofer volume support for extended low-frequency response. For viewers unwilling to invest in a separate home theater setup, the Unisen line offers a measurably richer audio experience than competing flat-panel TVs at the cost of a premium price point.

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Home TheaterDIY

HDTV Almanac - Flat Panel Wall Mounts Get Easier

OmniMount's new wall mount system simplifies flat panel TV installation by using four plastic discs and a cardboard template with a built-in bubble level, supporting VESA-standard mounting hole patterns. The system is rated for up to 40 pounds on drywall without requiring a stud finder, doubling to 80 pounds when two discs are anchored into a stud. At $39.95, it offers a practical, tool-light alternative to traditional metal bracket kits that often exceed $100 and demand more complex installation steps.

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LCD TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - 120 Hz LCD Grows Slowly

DisplaySearch data for Q1 2009 shows 120 Hz LCD panels holding roughly 14% of flat panel shipments, with 240 Hz quadruple-frame-rate models adding another 4%, and full-year projections suggesting minimal share growth. The 40-inch and 46-inch screen sizes dominate 120 Hz shipments, while a SID 2009 demo confirmed 240 Hz technology reduces motion blur further but does not eliminate all motion artifacts. The persistent price premium over standard 60 Hz panels remains the key barrier to broader consumer adoption.

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Mobile HDStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Will Apple Change Television?

Apple's iPhone 3G S launch was accompanied by the release of iPhone OS 3.0, which opens the door to new mobile video applications including iLiveTV from Envivio, a live television solution supporting multiple channels, a program guide, video on demand, and dynamic bandwidth adjustment. The upgrade path to OS 3.0 for existing iPhone 3G models broadens the potential audience for these services considerably. Whether Apple can replicate its disruptive track record in mobile TV, as it did with downloaded music and smartphones, remains an open question worth watching.

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Streaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Amazon on Panasonic HDTVs

Panasonic's Viera Cast platform, built into select plasma and Blu-ray players, now supports Amazon Video on Demand, giving users access to over 40,000 titles including 500-plus in HD via a broadband Internet connection with a minimum 3.5 Mb requirement for HD streams. Content is streamed directly to the display without local storage, eliminating the need for a set-top box or computer. With the digital broadcast transition imminent, this integration positions internet-connected TVs as a practical alternative to traditional over-the-air and cable television.

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LCD TVsCalibration

HDTV Almanac - SID 2009: More Color!

Sharp demonstrated a 60-inch 1080p LCD prototype at SID 2009 featuring RGBCY sub-pixels, achieving color coverage greater than 100% of NTSC requirements compared to the roughly 75% typical of standard RGB LCD panels. The addition of cyan and yellow sub-pixels alongside the conventional red, green, and blue elements expands the color mixing palette significantly. While the technology shows genuine promise, increased per-pixel complexity and higher production costs currently stand between this prototype and mainstream commercial availability.

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Market Trends & AnalysisLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - SID 2009: It's All Good

At SID 2009, flat panel displays for HDTV applications have converged to a high baseline of quality, with Samsung's 240 Hz LCD panel showing measurably less motion blur than 120 Hz panels and OLEDs delivering deeper blacks that remain difficult to replicate in LCDs. LED backlights enable local dimming for improved contrast and power efficiency, while edge-lit LED designs yield notably thinner form factors. For consumers, this convergence means image quality differences between HDTV panels are shrinking, shifting purchasing decisions toward connectivity, Internet features, and price.

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LCD TVsLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - SID 2009: Who Needs OLED TV?

Samsung demonstrated a 24-inch flat panel display at SID 2009 measuring just 3.5 mm thick, achieved by routing tiny LEDs along the bottom edge through a slim light pipe and diffuser assembly behind the LCD layer. The panel weighs approximately a quarter of a pound, rivaling the thinness of anticipated OLED TVs without requiring that technology. For consumers and manufacturers, this edge-lit LED approach could deliver ultra-thin display form factors at potentially lower cost if Samsung moves it into commercial production.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - SID 2009: Average TV Sale Price Down

DisplaySearch data from SID 2009 reveals that 91% of all TVs sold worldwide in Q1 2009 cost less than $1,000, with sets below $300 capturing nearly 40% of unit sales. LCD technology dominated at 60% of unit sales versus just 7% for plasma, and the average screen size across all sets sold worldwide was approximately 30 inches. For consumers, this signals a sustained shift toward smaller, lower-cost secondary TVs rather than large-screen premium models, with the market above $2,500 described as negligible.

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Politics & PolicyDTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - DTV Transition: Down to the Wire

With the U.S. analog television broadcast shutdown days away, Nielsen data shows approximately 3.1 million households remain completely unprepared for the DTV transition, despite a five-month delay from the original February cutoff date. A one-week test simulating the analog cutoff across 125 of 210 market areas generated over 55,000 calls to the FCC help line (1-888-CALL-FCC), with 15% reporting reception problems and 10% needing help connecting converter boxes. The full cutover is expected to trigger potentially over one million help calls nationwide, signaling a difficult rollout for unprepared viewers.

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LCD TVsLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - LED TVs: What Are They Really?

Despite aggressive marketing by Samsung and others, so-called 'LED TVs' are simply LCD televisions with LED backlighting replacing traditional fluorescent lamps, not a fundamentally new display technology. LED backlights offer advantages including improved energy efficiency, reduced hazardous materials, and optional local dimming for higher contrast or edge-placement for thinner chassis designs. Consumers comparing these sets to true OLED displays, which generate light per pixel organically, risk paying a premium based on a misleading product label.

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HDMI

HDTV Almanac - New HDMI Spec on the Way

HDMI 1.4, scheduled for finalization by June 30, introduces an integrated Ethernet channel, an audio return channel, and support for 4K resolution at 4,096 by 2,160 pixels - four times the pixel count of 1080p. The audio return channel eliminates the need for separate cables when routing over-the-air audio from a TV to a home theater system. These additions point toward a future where a single button press can trigger automatic configuration across all connected components, reducing the manual setup burden on users.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - JVC Launches LCD TV Monitor

The JVC Xiview LT-42WX70 is a 42-inch 1080p LCD display that omits a built-in tuner entirely, targeting digital photography enthusiasts with coverage of 100% of the sRGB color space and 96% of Adobe RGB, all in a profile just over 1.5 inches thick. Priced at approximately $2,400, it costs roughly three times comparable 42-inch LCD HDTVs with tuners, and a separate controller box with tuner is available as an add-on. For households already relying on cable or satellite set-top boxes, the tunerless design is functionally transparent, though the premium pricing limits its mainstream appeal.

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OTA HD & AntennasSatellite HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - Time Warner Drops HDNet

Time Warner is dropping HDNet and HDNet Movies from its cable lineup on May 31, 2009, after failing to reach a carriage agreement with founder Mark Cuban, who launched the HD-focused network in September 2001. Subscribers who want to retain access to the channels can switch to DirecTV, Dish Network, or Verizon FiOS where available. The timing coincides with the impending analog-to-digital broadcast transition, positioning satellite providers for a significant surge in new subscribers.

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HDTV Almanac - Happy Memorial Day!

HDTV Almanac marks Memorial Day 2009 with a brief pause in its regular coverage of HDTV technology and consumer display topics. The column, approaching its 1,000th entry, serves as a consistent reference point for readers tracking developments in high-definition television. For longtime followers, the milestone signals a substantial archive of technical content on HDTV standards, screens, and related consumer electronics.

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Streaming HDHome Theater PC (HTPC)HD Media Centers

HDTV Almanac - Windows Media Center Gets Netflix

Netflix streaming integration with Windows Media Center gives subscribers direct access to over 12,000 movies and videos through the TV and Movies section, bypassing the need for a separate browser and Windows Media Player setup. This consolidation of streaming content into a living-room interface represents a practical shift for home theater PC users who can now navigate their Netflix queue alongside traditional media. The move signals a broader trend toward electronic video delivery that threatens both broadcast television and physical disc distribution.

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Smart TVsLED TVsLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Samsung TVs to Tweet!

Samsung is rolling out a free firmware upgrade to bring a Twitter widget to its Series 6 and 7 LCD TVs, as well as the 6000, 7000, and 8000 LED-backlit LCD lines, allowing tweets to scroll across the screen during playback. The feature extends an existing Yahoo! widget platform already delivering headlines, weather, stock data, and sports scores via Internet connectivity. For viewers of live social-TV events like 'Lost' or 'American Idol,' real-time tweet streams could add a new layer of engagement, though the added on-screen clutter may prove distracting for others.

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Digital CinemaStandardsProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - Dots Enough Already?

JVC's Super Hi-Vision D-ILA projector delivers a staggering 7,680 by 4,320 pixel resolution using three LCOS imagers, equivalent to 16 tiled 1080p screens, at 60 Hz with 36-bit color depth requiring nearly 10 GB/s throughput. To handle that data load, JVC developed a four-channel fiber optic interface replacing the 16 coax connections that would otherwise be required. Powered by a 3,000-watt lamp producing 10,000 lumens and requiring 200V AC, this technology points toward the next frontier for digital cinema rather than home use.

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LCD TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - LCD TV Sales Up... and Down

DisplaySearch Q1 2009 data shows LCD TV shipments reached 26.7 million units, a 27% year-over-year increase, yet revenues declined 1% as falling prices offset volume gains. Plasma TVs managed only 2.8 million shipments, roughly one-tenth of LCD volume, underscoring LCD's widening dominance in flat panel displays. Notably, 13.7 million CRT TVs still shipped globally that quarter, a reminder that legacy display technology remains a significant market force outside North America.

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Politics & PolicyDTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - DTV-Day Minus 25…

With roughly 3.3 million U.S. households still lacking any preparation for the June 12, 2009 analog television shutoff, the FCC's response includes deploying approximately 180 field employees across 49 markets and arranging up to 218,700 third-party installations, covering only one in fifteen unprepared homes. Walk-in assistance centers are planned at a ratio of one per 8,000 unprepared households, and the national DTV help line (1-888-CALL-FCC) is expected to be overwhelmed on transition day. Consumers who need cable or satellite installation should schedule service immediately, as demand will surge sharply after the analog cutoff.

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DRMPolitics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - Real Networks Fights Back Against DRM

Real Networks has filed a legal motion arguing that the DVD Copy Control Association's CSS License Agreement constitutes an anti-trust violation, claiming the agreement structurally blocks individual studios from licensing copying rights to third parties like RealNetworks. The dispute centers on RealDVD software, which circumvents CSS copy protection to enable disc backups that are permitted under copyright law but restricted by the DMCA. If the anti-trust argument succeeds, it could unravel the legal framework underpinning DRM enforcement across the entire movie distribution industry.

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Home TheaterBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Blu-ray Player on the Wall…

The Samsung BD-P4600 measures just 1.5 inches thick and is designed to mount directly on the wall beside a flat panel HDTV, making it one of the slimmest Blu-ray players available. It supports wired and WiFi connectivity for BD Live interactivity, plus access to Pandora and Netflix streaming with up to 12,000 titles included at no extra cost for subscribers. Priced at $499.99 with a limited $50 rebate at Best Buy, this feature-rich player warrants consideration for home theater setups where space and aesthetics matter.

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HDTV Almanac - Systemax Expands Online Empire

Systemax, parent company of TigerDirect and CompUSA.com, won the auction for Circuit City's online retail assets and intellectual property, pending bankruptcy court confirmation. The acquisition strengthens Systemax's position in consumer electronics e-commerce, particularly in HDTV and home entertainment categories already emphasized across its existing brands. Operating multiple retail brands under one corporate umbrella is a deliberate market-share strategy, meaning shoppers may encounter familiar Circuit City branding backed by a very different company.

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DLNA

Video Report - Buffalo TeraStation III NAS

The Buffalo TeraStation III is a network-attached storage (NAS) device with DLNA Certified media server capability, designed for file sharing and backup across a home network. Alfred Poor's five-minute sponsored video walkthrough demonstrates the setup process and feature set, highlighting ease of installation as a practical advantage for home users. Viewers with high-speed broadband can access the review content itself in high definition, adding a layer of relevance for HDTV-focused audiences.

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LCD TVsManufacturingMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Vizio Regains #1 Spot in LCD TV

DisplaySearch preliminary Q1 2009 data shows LCD TV shipments rebounded 23% year-over-year after declining for the first time ever in Q4 2008, with Vizio reclaiming the top LCD TV position and posting a 21% unit market share increase over the prior quarter. Samsung, despite 26% share declines in both LCD and plasma segments, secured the overall flat panel lead at 18.2% unit share, narrowly edging Vizio's 17.9%. Vizio's strength in discount retail distribution positions it favorably as manufacturers attempt price increases that could dampen consumer demand heading into late 2009.

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HDTV Almanac - Will Someone Please Answer the Remote?

Motorola's R331 universal remote, introduced at CES 2009, is designed for set-top box control with a recharging base unit featuring a clock display and a speaker for a 'lost remote' locator function. Motorola is reportedly working with Microsoft to integrate voice command recognition, a microphone, and wireless telephone handset capability, with Caller ID information displayed directly on the TV screen. For households with multiple viewers, combining the remote and phone handset into one device raises practical questions about convenience when taking calls away from the room.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Not Your Father's Rabbit Ears

The ClearStream Convertible from Antennas Direct is a moderately directional indoor/outdoor TV antenna rated at 8.1 dBi gain with a 70-degree beamwidth, designed to receive both VHF and UHF digital broadcast frequencies. Priced under $80 and including a 12-inch square reflector grid for outdoor mounting, it is rated for reception up to 30 miles from the transmitter. With the analog broadcast cutoff imminent, viewers relying on over-the-air signals may find that upgrading to a higher-performance antenna is necessary to maintain reliable digital reception.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Maine Senators Concerned about DTV Cliff

The DTV Cliff Effect Assistance Act of 2009, introduced by Maine Senators Snowe and Collins, proposes $125 million to fund at least 1,250 additional translator and repeater towers at roughly $80,000 to $100,000 each to address digital broadcast reception failures in rural areas. Unlike analog signals, which degrade gradually into static, digital signals maintain full picture quality until signal strength drops below a threshold, at which point the screen goes completely blank. Rural viewers accustomed to weak but watchable analog reception face losing all over-the-air television access after the June 12 digital transition cutover.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Hulu Scores Again

Hulu expands its streaming library with Disney's equity partnership, adding full-length ABC and Disney titles including Lost, Grey's Anatomy, and Desperate Housewives to an already broad catalog spanning NBC, Fox, and over a dozen content partners. Many shows are available in high-definition, viewable full-screen on a home television over a high-speed broadband connection. Ad breaks are capped at 30 seconds or less, making the free, on-demand service a notably lighter interruption than traditional broadcast TV.

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LCD TVsLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - LED LCD TVs: Back or Side-Lit?

LED backlighting for LCD TVs comes in two configurations - full matrix arrays behind the panel and edge-lit designs along the panel perimeter - each with distinct engineering trade-offs. Matrix LED arrays enable localized dimming, which deepens black levels to approach plasma-level contrast ratios, while edge-lit designs use complex diffusion plates to achieve panels under half an inch thick with simpler heat management. Viewers choosing between these technologies face a practical choice between superior contrast performance and a slimmer, potentially more reliable display.

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HD Camcorders

HDTV Almanac - Panasonic HD Camera Give-Away

Panasonic launched its 'Living in HD' (LiHD) social networking platform aimed at educating consumers about high definition technology, running a promotion that gives away one HD camera daily throughout May for a total of 30 units. Prize options include the DMC-ZS3 at 10.1 megapixels, the waterproof DMC-TS1 at 12.1 megapixels rated to 3 meters depth, and the HDC-TM20 camcorder with 16GB storage and Full HD resolution. For families selected into the Living in HD Family program, Panasonic provides a complete HD ecosystem including a 50-inch Internet-enabled HDTV and Blu-ray player, making the transition to full HD home entertainment more accessible.

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DTV TransitionPolitics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - FCC Updates DTV Transition Site

The FCC relaunched its digital TV transition site at dtv.gov roughly six weeks before the June 12, 2009 analog shutoff deadline, offering a sequentially organized interface that predicts receivable signals by address, including compass headings to transmission towers and planned broadcast changes. A 15-page transition booklet, co-produced with Consumers Union, is available as a free download. Readers uncertain about their readiness for the OTA digital switchover will find the updated site a practical starting point for diagnosing reception issues.

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OLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - More on OLED TVs: Maybe Next Year?

Samsung's 23-inch display, initially reported as an OLED monitor, was corrected to be an LED-backlit LCD using edge-lighting technology, explaining its sub-inch thickness. Separately, Panasonic executives cited an 18-to-24-month timeline for OLED TV availability, a forecast the author treats with skepticism given the technology's track record. Consumers interested in OLED should expect pricing at least double that of comparable plasma or LCD sets when the technology does reach market.

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DTV TransitionMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Radio Shack Survives on Converter Boxes

Radio Shack posted an 11% income increase in Q1, driven heavily by digital TV converter box sales that contributed roughly $70 million of the quarter's $43.1 million net income period revenues, compared to $200 million for all of 2008. Strip out converter box and cell phone sales, however, and the company would have reported a loss. With the June 12 analog TV cutoff approaching and wireless carriers pushing direct sales, Radio Shack faces a serious revenue gap that its retreating HDTV strategy does little to fill.

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HDTV Almanac - LG Supports DivX

LG Electronics has expanded its DivX HD support across more than 200 certified TV models, enabling 2 hours of 1080p content to fit on a single 8 GB USB drive through more efficient compression than competing formats. The technology reduces download times and local storage requirements, positioning LG favorably as video distribution shifts toward internet delivery. With services like CinemaNow already supporting DivX, consumers using compatible LG TVs gain a practical advantage in accessing compressed HD content from emerging digital rental platforms.

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Cable HDStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Comcast Cable TV on Your Computer

Comcast, the leading U.S. cable TV provider, has announced plans to let subscribers stream their full cable content lineup over the Internet at no additional charge, mirroring the subscription-based delivery model Netflix is pursuing for rental movies. On-demand content is expected to remain largely limited to what Comcast already offers via Fancast.com, while live broadcast material would be accessible remotely. For subscribers, this means viewing their paid cable package from any Internet-connected device, untethered from a physical coax connection.

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HD DVRStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - TiVo Downloads from Amazon

TiVo has enabled direct HD content downloads from Amazon to its Series3, TiVo HD, and TiVo HD XL DVRs, with HD TV episodes priced at approximately $3 and HD movie rentals ranging from $4 to $5. The integration surfaces Amazon titles within TiVo Search, allowing users to browse and acquire content without leaving the familiar TiVo interface. For TiVo's 3.3 million subscribers, this partnership lowers the barrier to Internet-delivered video by embedding on-demand purchasing directly into hardware they already own.

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OLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - More OLED TVs This Year?

LG has signaled OLED TV availability by end of 2009 at roughly 2.1 times the price of a comparable LCD HDTV, a significant but far more accessible premium than Sony's current non-HD OLED panel which carries a 10x price multiplier. Sony has separately been demonstrating a 21-inch WXGA 720p OLED HDTV at Asian trade shows, with speculation pointing to a commercial release as early as fall 2009. For consumers, both developments suggest OLED is edging closer to the mainstream market, though pricing will still exceed that of large-screen LCD sets.

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ManufacturingMarket Trends & AnalysisLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - LCD TV Production on the Rise

LCD TV panel shipments reached 9.9 million units in March 2009, a 30% month-over-month increase and a 14% year-over-year gain that signals recovery from recession-driven oversupply. Sharp's Kameyama Plant No. 2 is running at full capacity, and its new Gen 10 facility in Sakai is slated for October 2009 operation, using substrates too large to ship and requiring co-located glass plants for efficiency. For consumers, this shift toward lower-cost production rather than oversupply-driven pricing means LCD TV prices may rise modestly but remain more stable long-term.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Hulu Growing

Hulu reached approximately 330 million videos served in February 2009, a 42% monthly increase that pushed it to fourth place among Internet video sites, while YouTube led with over 5.3 billion videos. Hulu's ad-supported model delivers full-length current broadcast TV episodes viewable in full-screen HD over high-speed broadband, though occasional frame drops can produce minor playback stuttering. For viewers with a computer connected to a large display, this setup offers a practical alternative to DVR recording for catching up on missed programming.

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DTV TransitionPolitics & PolicyStandards

HDTV Almanac - FFC Sets Rules For DTV Help Centers

The FCC published rules requiring TV broadcasters to establish walk-in DTV help centers ahead of the June 12, 2009 analog broadcast cutoff, mandating specific hours, equipment including converter boxes and antennas, and high-speed Internet access for rebate coupon applications. Nielsen data from April showed 3.8 million U.S. households still unprepared for the transition, down from 6.5 million in January, yet early switchovers in Denver already overwhelmed support lines and filled Americorps voicemail by noon. The delayed rollout of these requirements - published just two months before the cutoff - raises real concerns about whether consumers will receive adequate assistance in time.

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DLP TVs

HDTV Almanac - The Norwegian Blue of HDTV

Mitsubishi's 2009 DLP rear-projection HDTV lineup spans seven models across the 737 and 837 series, ranging from 60 to 82 inches, with the entry-level 60-inch unit priced at $1,499 and the flagship 82-inch topping out at $4,999. All models carry EnergyStar 3.0 certification, include multiple HDMI inputs, USB storage support, and native 3D image compatibility - a feature rarely found in flat panels at the time. For size-conscious buyers on a budget, these sets offer substantially more screen real estate than comparably priced flat panels, though Mitsubishi's continued commitment to rear-projection technology runs against clear U.S. consumer preference for flat panels.

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HDTV Almanac - More Electronics Recycling Centers

The Manufacturers Recycling Management Company (MRM), a joint venture between Panasonic, Sharp, and Toshiba, has expanded its U.S. consumer electronics recycling network by 30 sites to a total of 310 locations with coverage across all 50 states. MRM sites accept Panasonic, Sharp, and Toshiba products at no charge, with other brands accepted at possible cost. With over 100 million cell phones sold annually in the U.S. alone, this expanded drop-off network offers a practical way to divert televisions, DVD players, and other devices from landfills.

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HDTV Almanac - Circuit City Online to Continue

Systemax, the parent company of Tiger Direct, is acquiring the CircuitCity.com domain and select assets for $6.5 million plus a percentage of sales over two and a half years, pending a final auction of remaining Circuit City assets on May 13. The deal follows Systemax's earlier purchase of CompUSA.com and Florida store locations, further consolidating its position in online consumer electronics retail. Meanwhile, P.C. Richard is set to absorb five former Circuit City store properties across the New York metro area, illustrating how the recession is reshaping retail competition.

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Projection HDStandards

HDTV Almanac - Projector Company InFocus to Be Sold

InFocus, a leading front projector manufacturer whose products are built on Texas Instruments DLP technology, is being acquired by Image Holdings Corporation in a cash deal valued at approximately $39 million, or $0.95 per share. The traditional projector market for business, education, and home entertainment is projected to decline by single-digit percentages in units and dollars, while a new segment of palm-sized and cell phone-integrated projectors is emerging. Buyers considering InFocus products should watch how new ownership leverages the brand to potentially enter this compact projector market.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - HD VuNow Available from Amazon

The VuNow VN1000HD is a palm-sized network media player priced at $149 that streams HD internet video to your television via HDMI without requiring a separate PC. The device supports both wired and wireless home network connections, includes USB ports for external storage access, and is DLNA compatible for reaching media files stored on networked computers. With no subscription fee and planned support for the CinemaNow rental service, it offers a compact and cost-effective alternative to a full media center PC for watching online video on a TV.

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Streaming HDSportsProgramming

HDTV Almanac - Online March Madness Gets Bigger

CBS Interactive's free online streaming of the 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball championship delivered 8.6 million hours of video and audio, a 70% year-over-year increase, generating roughly $30 million in revenue. By comparison, Nielsen measured 17.6 million viewers for the traditional broadcast, underscoring how far Internet distribution still lags behind conventional TV reach. With broadband penetration approaching critical mass and approximately half of online viewers choosing higher-quality video streams, the trajectory suggests television faces the same disruptive pressures already reshaping music and print media.

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Home TheaterHD DVRStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Moxi HD DVR Adds Features

The Digeo Moxi HD DVR ($799) offers a no-subscription alternative to TiVo, featuring dual tuners, 500 GB of onboard storage (roughly 75 hours of HD content), and USB expandability up to 2 TB. New promotions include a free copy of PlayOn media server software (a $40 value), enabling streaming from YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, and other services directly to an HDTV. DLNA compatibility, Z-wave home automation support, and Rhapsody integration make this a capable all-in-one living room device, though its cable-only limitation excludes satellite and over-the-air users.

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Home TheaterProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - Backyard Movie Theater?

Open Air Cinema's inflatable movie screens, available in 10-, 14-, and 18-foot sizes and constructed from ripstop nylon kept taut by an included electrical blower, offer a backyard theater setup weighing just 12 to 17 pounds. Paired with an all-in-one unit like the Epson MovieMate projector/DVD player combo, the system requires minimal additional equipment to get running. For anyone wanting an outdoor screening experience without permanent installation, this portable approach delivers a surprisingly scalable solution.

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Digital Cinema

HDTV Almanac - Really High-Def Cinemas

AMC Entertainment and Sony Electronics announced a joint initiative to convert all 4,628 screens across 309 North American theaters to Sony 4K digital projection systems, delivering 4,096 by 2,160 pixel resolution - four times the pixel count of standard 2K cinema displays (2,048 by 1,080). Sony Pictures Entertainment has committed to shooting most productions in 4K, with a full cinematography equipment line in development to support the format. For moviegoers, this resolution gap over home 1080p displays represents a concrete, near-term reason to choose the theater over an increasingly capable living room setup.

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HDTV Almanac - One Hot HDTV: Insignia IS-LCDTV26

Best Buy issued a voluntary recall of the Insignia IS-LCDTV26 LCD television, covering all 13,300 units after two reported incidents of power supply failures causing fires, including one case of minor burns. The recall offers affected owners a gift card equal to the value of a replacement television. Notably, flat panel TV recalls are exceptionally rare, with only one other instance found in the prior two years, underscoring the generally high reliability of modern flat panel displays across all price tiers.

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HDTV Almanac - What is the "Best" Flat Panel TV?

With over 850 new flat panel TV models released annually, no organization has the resources to test every unit using repeatable, uniform procedures that reliably predict real-world user experience. Aggregated consumer review platforms like Wize compile buyer feedback at scale, but end users are notoriously poor evaluators of technically complex products, often rationalizing their purchase decisions rather than objectively assessing performance. The practical takeaway is that crowd-sourced rankings are best treated as buyer sentiment summaries, not authoritative guides to the best flat panel TV.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - More Consolidation in LCD Panel Business

Toshiba is acquiring Panasonic's 40% stake in Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology Co., a joint venture producing LCDs and OLEDs for small and medium mobile displays, renaming it Toshiba Mobile Display Co. The deal consolidates a 2,700-employee operation as weak demand and falling LCD panel prices squeeze margins across the industry. For consumers and industry watchers, this signals a broader wave of mergers and exits as manufacturers compete for shrinking market share in the display sector.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - Sony Shutters FED

Sony has shut down Field Emissions Technology (FET), its subsidiary developing field emission display (FED) technology, which promised CRT-level contrast and clarity in a panel thinner than LCD by placing electron emitters directly behind each pixel to excite colored phosphors. The closure follows Sony's broader 8,000-person layoff announcement and reflects the wider collapse of FED development, as aggressive LCD TV price drops have made ramping new display technologies to competitive production volumes economically unviable. For consumers, this narrows the near-term path to next-generation flat panels, with large-format OLED also delayed despite gains in mobile phone displays.

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Blu-rayStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - NetFlix Raises Rates for Blu-Ray

Netflix introduced a Blu-ray surcharge adding $1 plus $1 per additional disc slot to existing subscription tiers, roughly a 20% cost increase for affected plans. At retail, Blu-ray discs run approximately $10 more than standard DVDs, and Netflix's wholesale costs may be up to 60% higher for the format. The surcharge is optional, meaning subscribers who stick with standard DVDs pay nothing extra, and Netflix's unlimited streaming remains free of per-title charges.

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DTV TransitionPolitics & PolicyStandards

HDTV Almanac - FCC Enlists AmeriCorps for DTV Transition

The FCC has partnered with AmeriCorps NCCC to deploy volunteer teams across 49 major metropolitan areas to assist households with the analog-to-digital broadcast transition ahead of the June 12, 2009 cutoff, with Denver targeted first due to early April analog shutoffs at several local stations. Teams of 10 to 12 volunteers will help residents connect antennas and analog TVs to digital converter boxes and apply for $40 converter box coupons. However, with roughly 2 million unprepared households in target markets and only 50 days remaining, the math suggests at least 4,000 dedicated volunteers would be needed, raising serious doubts about whether this late-stage mobilization can succeed.

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Politics & PolicyDTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - CEA Rides Again: We're Ready for DTV

With the June 12, 2009 analog-to-digital television broadcast cutoff approaching, the CEA's claim that the nation is 'fully prepared' for the DTV transition draws sharp scrutiny. Over 4 million U.S. households remained without converter boxes or digital-capable TVs, down from 13 million a year prior but with conversion rates slowing sharply. For those households, the end of free analog broadcasts would mean a complete loss of over-the-air news and entertainment, making the industry group's optimistic testimony to Congress difficult to accept at face value.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - NetFlix Bogs Down

Netflix streaming video faced widespread complaints in early 2009, with users reporting choppy playback on both HD and SD titles due to server congestion, ISP routing differences, and end-user hardware decoding limitations. Chief Product Officer Neil Hunt confirmed the company was developing multisource content delivery for load leveling, while denying selective throttling of any clients. For households sharing a broadband connection, simultaneous uploads or heavy usage on other devices can directly degrade Netflix streaming performance.

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Politics & PolicyDTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - NTIA to Replace Expired Converter Coupons

The NTIA has cleared its backlog of digital converter box rebate coupon requests and is now accepting replacement applications for expired coupons, including cases where one of two issued coupons went unredeemed within its 90-day window. Coupons are now sent via first class mail with a nine-business-day fulfillment turnaround, and the agency urges consumers to test converter boxes before the June 12 analog broadcast cutoff. Millions of low-income and elderly viewers may still face challenges completing the transition without targeted community assistance.

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DTV TransitionOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - More Homes Prepare for DTV Transition

Nielsen's March 2009 estimate shows only 4.1 million U.S. households (3.6% of the national total) remain unprepared for the June analog broadcast cutoff, down from roughly double that figure in December. The over-55 demographic improved sharply from 5.2% to 2.0% unprepared, while Hispanic and African American households remain disproportionately at risk at 6.1% and 6.6% respectively. For viewers in low-income segments, the rate of improvement is expected to flatten before the transition deadline, meaning a meaningful gap in over-the-air access could persist.

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ManufacturingMarket Trends & AnalysisStandards

HDTV Almanac - LCD TV Shipments: Turning the Corner?

LCD TV panel shipments reached 7.7 million units in February 2009, an 11% month-over-month gain and the first such increase in six months, though still 6% below February 2008 levels. The broader LCD panel market swung up 23% month to month but remains down 17% year over year, reflecting manufacturers scaling back production to clear inventory surpluses that caused price crashes in late 2008. These figures suggest supply and demand are rebalancing, pointing toward price stabilization for LCD TV buyers in the near term.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - More 12 Volt DC LCD TVs

Naxa Electronics offers a line of small LCD TVs, maxing out at 26 inches, with non-standard panel resolutions such as 1280x800 and 1440x900 pixels sourced from computer monitor panels. A standout feature is dual-voltage support, operating on either 120V AC household current or 12V DC from automotive or marine electrical systems, making these sets viable for emergency use or off-grid viewing. Distributed primarily through truck stops, the sets target long-haul truckers and others needing compact, portable display solutions without relying on battery power.

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HDTV Almanac - Circuit City is Gone; Wattles Remains

Investor Mark Wattles, founder of Hollywood Video, has acquired nearly 6% of Blockbuster's stock after Circuit City's closure, despite Blockbuster facing the expiration of two major credit lines in August 2009. Netflix holds a commanding lead in electronic movie delivery, a segment already showing strong consumer demand, while Blockbuster lacks both the capital and strategy to close the gap. Wattles is wagering on Blockbuster's ability to secure new credit, but the odds favor Netflix as the sole survivor if the market consolidates.

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Satellite HD

HDTV Almanac - Dish-ing Out Movie Tickets

Dish Network is launching a channel integrated with Fandango that displays local movie showtimes and enables ticket purchases directly through a satellite receiver, provided a phone line is connected. The service introduces an unusual dynamic where a satellite TV provider facilitates cinema attendance rather than competing with it, and adds a notable business irony: Fandango is owned by Comcast, Dish Network's cable rival. For subscribers, this means a single remote interface for both home viewing and planning trips to the theater.

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Plasma TVsStandards

HDTV Almanac - Hitach Hits Hard Times

Hitachi is spinning off its consumer electronics division into a separate company starting in July, while simultaneously abandoning in-house plasma panel production in favor of sourcing displays from Panasonic to reduce manufacturing risk. The company's non-standard 1024x1080 pixel plasma format, marketed as 'HD1080' despite delivering roughly half the pixel count of true 1080p, failed to gain meaningful market traction. Caught between premium and budget segments in the U.S. market, Hitachi's restructuring looks more like a prelude to an eventual exit from the television business than a genuine turnaround strategy.

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Streaming HDSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Growing Demand for Web-Enhanced TVs

A Parks Associates white paper reveals that nearly 50% of U.S. broadband households are interested in premium streaming services such as movie rentals and video on demand delivered via set-top box, while 40% prefer these features integrated directly into their TVs. More than a third of respondents expressed interest in Internet-fed TV widgets displaying news, weather, and financial data. For consumers, the data signals a rapidly maturing market for web-enhanced television, though on-screen clutter remains a practical concern worth weighing against the convenience of built-in connectivity.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Wal-Mart and Best Buy Dominate CE Shopping

A March 2009 BIGresearch survey found that Best Buy captured 35 percent of consumer electronics shoppers while Wal-Mart claimed 20 percent, giving the two retailers a combined 55 percent share of buyer attention. Target and Sears each registered below 3 percent, illustrating a stark two-player dominance that contributed to the collapse of Tweeter and Circuit City. For LCD TV manufacturers, securing distribution through at least one of these two chains is effectively a prerequisite for achieving meaningful market presence.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: How to "Rescan"?

Rescanning a digital TV tuner or converter box requires navigating to the channel menu and selecting 'scan' rather than 'update', which clears all previously assigned channels and performs a completely new frequency search. The process mirrors the initial channel setup performed when the device was first configured, and applies equally to standalone tuners and external converter boxes. With the June 12 digital broadcast transition deadline approaching, periodic rescans every month are recommended to capture station frequency changes in your area.

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StandardsLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Hitachi Takes a Fall: $31 Million Fine

Hitachi has pleaded guilty to a single felony count of price-fixing conspiracy related to LCD panel supply agreements with Dell covering notebook and desktop monitors from 2001 through 2004, resulting in a $31 million fine and a requirement to cooperate with ongoing antitrust proceedings. Combined with prior settlements from LG Display, Sharp, and Chungwa Picture Tubes, total criminal fines across the four defendants exceed $616 million. The case raises practical questions about whether similar price-fixing pressures exist in the HDTV panel market, where the supplier landscape is dominated by Asian manufacturers with fewer independent American buyers to trigger comparable enforcement.

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HDTV Almanac - U.S. Consumers Staying Connected

An In-Stat study finds that roughly 85% of U.S. households plan to maintain their television, cell phone, and broadband subscriptions despite the global recession, with cutbacks concentrated among households earning under $35,000 annually. The 15% planning to reduce spending could still cost TV, wireless, and broadband providers up to $5 billion over the next 12 months. For consumers, the data suggests these services are treated as near-essential, driven by 'cocooning' behavior as people substitute home entertainment for costlier outside activities.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Does ZillionTV Have the Formula?

ZillionTV, a broadband streaming service backed by Disney, NBC, Universal, Sony Pictures Television, and Warner Bros., plans to launch with roughly 15,000 titles by end of 2009 using a hybrid free-with-commercials and pay-per-view model delivered via a sub-$100 settop box with no subscription fee. By comparison, Netflix already offers 12,000 streaming titles drawn from a 100,000-title library under a flat monthly rate. For consumers, the choice between ad-supported a-la-carte pricing and an all-you-can-watch subscription will shape how - and how often - they engage with either platform.

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HD Camcorders

HDTV Almanac - Ready for Your Close-Up?

Digital cameras capable of 720p HD video recording have become widely affordable, with models like the Sony W230 (12 megapixel, optical image stabilization, 720p) priced at just $199 and the Samsung SL820 (12 megapixel, HDMI output, 720p) at $279. The convergence of still photography and HD video in sub-$300 point-and-shoot cameras marks a significant shift from the era when HD capture required professional-grade equipment costing far more. Consumers who want to shoot HD footage of everyday events no longer need a dedicated camcorder to do so.

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DTV TransitionStandards

HDTV Almanac - FCC to Investigate DTV Licensing Fees

Vizio-led coalition CUT FATT is challenging DTV patent licensing fees that reportedly cost U.S. television manufacturers $20 to $30 per unit, compared to roughly $1 per unit paid by European and Japanese counterparts. The group has petitioned the FCC for a declaratory ruling, arguing that inflated royalty bundles and fee disparities violate FCC rules, though the agency's jurisdiction over patent licensing remains legally uncertain. For consumers and manufacturers alike, the outcome could meaningfully affect the cost structure of digital tuner-equipped televisions sold in the U.S. market.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Is Roku the Next Settop Box?

The $99 Roku Digital Video Player supports both Netflix streaming and Amazon Video on Demand, giving users access to more than 50,000 titles without a hard drive or Media Center PC. Its 720p HD output and dual-service library make it a credible alternative to Blu-ray for budget-conscious viewers. The combination of Netflix's subscription model and Amazon's pay-as-you-go rentals fills content gaps while studios negotiate broader streaming rights.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Netflix May Offer Streaming Subscription

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings signaled a potential standalone streaming-only subscription tier, separate from the existing DVD-by-mail service that bundled free streaming for its 10 million-plus subscribers. The shift would eliminate operational costs tied to postage, physical inventory management, and disc attrition, while relying on continued broadband adoption across U.S. households. For consumers, this could mean a lower-cost entry point to Netflix content without a disc plan requirement.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - Free HDTVs in March!

Newegg is running a daily giveaway throughout March 2009, offering 31 Samsung 52-inch LCD HDTVs bundled with a Belkin surge protector and HDMI cable, plus a wall mount. A grand prize package includes a 63-inch Samsung plasma TV paired with Polk Audio surround sound speakers and an Onkyo home theater receiver. U.S. and Canadian residents can enter at newegg.com/EXTREME, with earlier registration increasing the odds of winning a daily prize.

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DTV TransitionOTA Set-Top Boxes (STBs)

HDTV Almanac - Big Brother Hides in DTV Converters?

A viral YouTube video claimed to expose hidden cameras and microphones inside federally subsidized digital television converter boxes, but the footage was deliberately fabricated using hot melt glue and salvaged cell phone components. The boxes lack any Internet or phone line connection, making covert data transmission technically impossible. Consumers using DTV converter boxes can be confident the devices have no surveillance capability, though the author pointedly leaves cable set-top boxes as an open question.

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DealsMarket Trends & AnalysisLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - How Low Can They Go?

Flat screen TV prices have dropped sharply, with CompUSA offering the 40-inch Sony KDL40S4100 1080p set with three HDMI inputs for $799.99 and the 46-inch model for $999.99 - roughly half what comparable Sony sets cost a year prior. Circuit City liquidation sales are yielding 52-inch Samsung 120 Hz LCD panels like the LN52A750 for around $2,030, approximately $1,000 less than older 550-series pricing. Buyers with cash on hand can negotiate further discounts, though factory warranty verification is essential when purchasing from liquidating retailers.

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Streaming HDSatellite HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - If You Can't Beat Them...

Cable and satellite providers including Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and DirecTV are exploring broadband delivery models that would allow subscribers to stream content online beyond their set-top box, mirroring Netflix's all-you-can-eat internet access approach. This shift toward on-demand internet delivery could also ease bandwidth constraints currently straining traditional distribution infrastructure. For consumers, the practical payoff is location-independent viewing, whether at home or traveling, though significant technology and business hurdles remain before services like HBO become available on demand anywhere.

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HDTV Almanac - Free Movies on Your Phone

Samsung's Delve smartphone, offered through Alltel Wireless, comes bundled with a free 2 GB microSD card pre-loaded with the complete Mission: Impossible trilogy from Paramount Pictures, making it one of the first movie-bundled mobile phone promotions of its kind. The deal raises broader questions about consumer appetite for video on a 3-inch display, particularly among American viewers less accustomed to small-screen viewing than European or Japanese counterparts. Whether this promotion signals a viable new distribution model for mobile video content is worth watching closely.

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Streaming HDSportsProgramming

HDTV Almanac - March Madness Goes Online with HD

CBSSports.com is streaming all 63 games of the 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship via Microsoft Silverlight, with video quality scaling to available bandwidth. Connections at 550 Kbps receive standard quality, while broadband at 1.5 Mbps or higher unlocks high-definition quality through the enhanced player. The free, full-tournament coverage makes connecting a notebook to a large display a practical consideration for anyone wanting a bigger-screen viewing experience.

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Mobile HDProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - Here Come Projector Phones

Samsung unveiled the I7410 and W7900, the first mobile phones with a built-in DLP projector using a Texas Instruments imager, initially launching in Korea and Europe. The high-end models also integrate an OLED touchscreen and a 5-megapixel camera, consolidating what previously required a separate pico projector companion device into a single handset. This integration enables practical on-the-go sharing of video, photos, and presentations by projecting up to a 30-inch image onto any available surface.

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DTV TransitionPolitics & PolicyOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - No Big Bang on Digital TV Transition

On February 17, 2009, 421 full-power TV stations ended analog broadcasts ahead of the federally mandated June 12 deadline, yet the FCC's toll-free hotline (888-CALL-FCC) received only about 28,000 calls, a figure the agency treated as a success. Adding NAB-reported local station call volumes of 50 to 200 per station in the first 12 hours pushes the real total closer to 60,000, and those hours largely covered overnight periods with minimal viewership. Because the FCC required at least one top-four network affiliate to remain on analog in every market, the February rollout is not representative of the full June transition, suggesting significant viewer disruption is still likely.

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DTV TransitionOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Fix Digital TV Signal Problems

The FCC has launched new online resources at dtv.gov and fcc.gov to help viewers troubleshoot weak digital TV reception ahead of the analog-to-digital broadcast transition, addressing a critical gap in public awareness. Unlike analog signals that degrade gracefully into a snowy image, a weak digital signal produces a completely blank screen, leaving unprepared viewers with no picture at all. Practical steps such as repositioning a rabbit-ear antenna by just a few feet, monitoring converter box signal strength meters, and using the FCC terrain-based signal prediction map can meaningfully improve reception.

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OTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Shootout in Space

Sirius XM, the merged satellite radio provider operating geosynchronous satellites at 22,000 miles altitude, narrowly avoided bankruptcy after Liberty Media stepped in with a rescue loan covering two major debt payments in exchange for board representation and just under 50% ownership. EchoStar, owner of Dish Network, had previously acquired the debt in what some analysts viewed as a takeover attempt. The deal's outcome matters to subscribers because Sirius XM's survival depends heavily on new car sales, which had stalled sharply during the economic downturn.

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DTV TransitionOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Where's My TV Station?

Cavell Mertz & Associates, a Virginia-based engineering consulting firm, has integrated the FCC broadcast database with Google Earth to map transmitter locations for AM and FM radio, analog and digital television, and microwave signals. Accessible via fccinfo.com, the tool lets users visually locate broadcast towers by category, including the well-known Philadelphia antenna farm in Roxborough. For viewers who already use antennaweb.org to find station headings, this resource adds a practical geographic layer to understanding local broadcast infrastructure.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Vizio Bails on Plasma

Vizio has exited the plasma TV market, announcing no new plasma models at CES and committing exclusively to LCD, leaving Panasonic as the dominant plasma manufacturer after Pioneer's simultaneous withdrawal from the TV market entirely. Despite incremental improvements in panel thickness and energy efficiency, plasma's reputation as a power-hungry, heavy technology continues to erode consumer confidence. Panasonic's decision to delay its new large-scale plasma panel factory by at least six months signals that even the segment's strongest supporter is hedging its bets.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Can Movies over the Internet Succeed?

Netflix streaming on Xbox Live surpassed 1.5 billion minutes of viewed content after more than one million users activated the app, equivalent to roughly 17 million full-length films. By comparison, Netflix still ships approximately 2 million DVDs daily, putting the Xbox streaming volume at just over one week of disc shipments. Competing services like Verizon's Starz Play are adopting fixed-price subscription models, and hardware makers including LG, Samsung, and Vizio are embedding direct streaming access into Blu-ray players and TVs, signaling a meaningful shift in how consumers will access home video.

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DTV TransitionPolitics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - FCC Releases "Early" Transition List

The FCC has published a list of full-power TV broadcast stations choosing to end analog transmissions on the original February 17, 2009 deadline, ahead of the delayed DTV transition date. With 190 stations already off analog and 491 more announcing cuts on that date, over-the-air viewers will need to rescan their digital tuners to maintain reception. Stations remaining on analog briefly may carry night light broadcasts, a limited analog signal displaying only a message directing viewers to the digital channel.

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Home TheaterBlu-rayMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - How You Doin', Blu-ray?

One year after defeating HD DVD, Blu-ray had sold 10.7 million players in the U.S., yet roughly 60% of those units were Sony PlayStation 3 consoles rather than dedicated disc players. By comparison, standard DVD reached 50% market penetration within five years, a pace Blu-ray is unlikely to match given that standalone players still cost $150 or more - three times the price of a capable upscaling DVD player. Consumer surveys consistently show HDTV owners consider standard DVD quality sufficient, raising serious questions about whether digital distribution will outpace physical Blu-ray adoption entirely.

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Plasma TVsStandards

HDTV Almanac - Pioneer Plasma is "on the Roof"

Pioneer, already reeling from its exit of plasma panel manufacturing and a projected loss requiring elimination of roughly 2,000 jobs, confirmed it will cease TV production entirely by March 2010, shifting focus to automotive electronics. The move reflects brutal market conditions in which even dominant players like Sony, Panasonic, and Samsung posted large losses during the last quarter, leaving no viable foothold for smaller premium brands. With Pioneer gone, Panasonic stands as the sole major manufacturer committed to plasma as its primary display technology, intensifying pressure on the format's survival.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - High-End Home Theater Sales Decline

Planar, which acquired the premium home theater brand Runco two years ago, reported a 32% year-over-year sales decline for the October-December quarter in the high-end home theater segment, where systems routinely exceed $50,000. Despite the drop, the company remained profitable, cushioned by its digital signage business, currently one of the fastest-growing display industry segments in the U.S. For consumers and industry watchers, this signals softening demand at the ultra-premium end of home theater, even as commercial display markets continue to expand.

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DTV TransitionPolitics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - DTV Transition Delayed

The U.S. House of Representatives voted to delay the analog television broadcast cutoff by four months to June 12, 2009, a move that will cost taxpayers, broadcasters, and spectrum buyers who paid $19 billion for newly available radio frequencies. The delay targets roughly 6.5 million households still unprepared for the digital transition, yet projections suggest at least 5 million will remain unready by the new deadline. A provision allowing broadcasters to voluntarily cease analog transmissions before June 12 may create additional viewer confusion, particularly in markets with interdependent frequency reassignments.

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LCD TVsStandards

HDTV Almanac - Panasonic’s Turn in the Box

Panasonic announced a $4.3 billion loss forecast for its current fiscal year, triggering plans to cut 15,000 jobs worldwide and close 27 plants, with U.S. flat panel TV sales down 5% contributing to a 1% decline across the CE division. A strengthening Japanese yen further complicates Panasonic's ability to compete in the U.S. market. For consumers with available cash, the resulting inventory pressure is already producing notable discounts, with a Sharp 52-inch LCD TV available new for under $1,100.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - Camel’s Nose under JVC’s HDTV Tent?

JVC Americas is consolidating its four U.S. divisions, including consumer electronics, mobile, professional products, and service, into a single operation amid struggles to crack the top ten in consumer TV market share. Despite showcasing new LCD TV models at CES and demonstrating a 32-inch panel measuring roughly a quarter inch thick, the restructuring signals weakening commitment to the HDTV segment. For consumers, this raises real questions about long-term product support and whether JVC will remain a viable TV brand in the near future.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - DTV Transition: Remember to Rescan

The U.S. analog-to-digital television transition requires viewers to rescan their digital tuners and converter boxes after stations shift to new broadcast frequencies, a process complicated by a chain-reaction reassignment of channels across markets. Stations such as WNET in New York City and WHYY in Philadelphia are currently operating on reduced-power digital transmitters and will upgrade to full-power transmitters post-transition, meaningfully expanding their coverage areas. Viewers who skip the rescan step risk losing channels that have moved to new frequencies.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - HDTV on the Half Shell

Media Decor's Ecco Series offers a motorized picture frame system that conceals flat screen televisions behind fine art reproductions, including Botticelli's 'Birth of Venus,' starting at just under $1,500. The RF remote-controlled unit is battery powered, requiring no wiring, and comes in four frame colors across two sizes. For households where aesthetics and decor take priority, this solution trades a modest premium over the TV's own cost for seamless integration into living spaces.

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Home TheaterHDMI

HDTV Almanac - High-Def Domestic Tranquility

An HDMI splitter allows a single source device (DVD player, DVR, or set-top box) to feed two HDTVs simultaneously, enabling synchronized viewing across rooms without pausing playback. HDMI carries both audio and video over a single cable, though runs beyond 20 to 30 feet may require a higher-quality cable or signal-boosting hardware. For households with TVs in multiple rooms, this setup offers a practical way to stay current with content while moving between spaces.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Owners Don't Watch HDTV

An InStat report reveals that 17 million of 39 million U.S. HDTV households lack an HD signal source, meaning roughly two in five owners never experience the full resolution their sets support. Many viewers mistake upconverted standard-definition DVDs played on 1080p players for true HD content, a misconception that leaves genuine HD resolution unused. Free over-the-air HD broadcasts and direct cable connections offer no-cost paths to real HD, yet low consumer awareness also dims near-term prospects for Blu-ray adoption.

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Politics & PolicyDTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Who's Not Ready?

As of January 2009, Nielsen data shows 6.5 million U.S. households remain completely unprepared for the mandated analog-to-digital television broadcast transition, down from 10.7 million in May 2008. Federal phone support infrastructure could handle calls from only roughly 1 in 20 of those affected households per day, making a smooth cutover logistically difficult. Whether Congress delays the transition or not, millions of viewers face losing over-the-air service, and the delay carries real costs for taxpayers and broadcasters with no guarantee of closing the readiness gap.

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HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: Pixelated Text

Pixelated text on retail HDTV displays is commonly caused by degraded distributed signals routed through low-quality splitters and amplifiers from a single source to multiple sets, or by poor upscaling of standard-definition content to HD resolution. A text crawl in the lower third can further stress a TV's image processing, compounding visible artifacts in that region. To accurately evaluate a set's true picture quality, connecting a standard DVD player directly bypasses distribution issues and reveals the TV's own scaler performance.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - DTV Transition: The End is Nigh!

With 25 days remaining before the analog television broadcast cutoff, retailers like CompUSA.com are aggressively discounting digital converter boxes to as low as $4.99 after rebate, including models with analog pass-through connections. Congressional efforts to delay the transition have stalled, leaving inventory risk high for retailers, particularly given anticipated fringe-area reception failures that may push buyers toward cable or satellite instead. Consumers should expect a marketing push on converter boxes in the coming weeks, though post-transition resale value is expected to drop sharply.

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Cable HDDRMStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Cable TV: Moving to the Internet?

Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox Communications are exploring place-shifting services that would extend cable TV subscriptions to Internet-connected devices anywhere, mirroring what Slingbox has offered independently for years. The primary obstacle is securing content rights from networks that are pursuing their own Internet distribution strategies, a negotiation process that could take years. If resolved, subscribers could gain on-demand streaming and server-side recording tied to existing cable accounts, positioning cable operators similarly to how Netflix leveraged its subscriber base to transition from physical disc to electronic delivery.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Battery Powered LCD TV

Eviant debuted two battery-powered LCD TVs at CES in 4.3-inch and 7-inch sizes, with the 7-inch model featuring a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery rated for three hours per charge and a digital tuner capable of receiving post-transition DTV broadcasts. Priced at $199 and shipping in March, the set includes both AC and 12-volt adapters for car or boat use. For households in hurricane-prone regions, a functional battery-powered digital TV represents a meaningful upgrade over radio-only emergency preparedness options.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Don't Delay the DTV Transition

The planned February 17 analog-to-digital TV broadcast transition carries significant financial stakes, with companies having paid $19 billion to license spectrum that becomes available only when analog signals cease. Delaying the cutoff to June 12 would force local broadcasters to operate dual analog and digital transmissions for four additional months, wasting energy and triggering contract penalties that fall on taxpayers. The author argues the delay offers little practical benefit, since unprepared viewers are unlikely to become ready in four months regardless.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - RIP: Circuit City

Circuit City's court-authorized liquidation began Saturday, with sales managed by Hudson Capital Partners, SB Capital Group, and Tiger Capital Group - the same firms that handled the Tweeter chain closure. Discounts are set to increase through the end of March 2009, offering potential bargains for shoppers willing to wait. The collapse highlights a brutal holiday sales season for consumer electronics retailers, raising questions about which chains may follow, with Radio Shack flagged as a risk given its reliance on digital TV converter box sales potentially ending in February.

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Events & Trade ShowsStandards

HDTV Almanac - CES 2009: Trend - Green

At CES 2009, environmental responsibility emerged as a baseline competitive requirement rather than a differentiator, with virtually every major display manufacturer touting EnergyStar compliance and reduced emissions. Panasonic's new plasma technology cuts power consumption to half that of older sets, with a further revision targeting one-third the original draw. Sharp, Panasonic, and Toshiba are jointly backing MRM Recycling across 280 U.S. sites, meaning consumers shopping for HDTVs this year can expect a meaningfully smaller environmental footprint from their purchase.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - CES 2009: Trend - No Wires

Wireless HDMI connections emerged as a major trend at CES 2009, with manufacturers including LG integrating the interface directly into television sets, allowing signal sources to be routed through a set-top box anywhere in the room without physical cabling. This approach eliminates the notoriously difficult task of snaking wires through walls behind wall-mounted flat screens. For consumers, the practical payoff is significant: entertainment hardware can be relocated to the back of the room for easy access, reducing installation complexity, professional labor costs, and visible wire management compromises.

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Events & Trade Shows

HDTV Almanac - CES 2009: Trend - Thin is In, Sort Of

Samsung's LCD panel division showcased a near-bezel-free flat panel display at CES 2009, originally engineered for digital signage applications where four or more units tile together to form a larger composite image. The design is compelling enough that, from across the room, the author mistook the flat panel for a rear-projection set, a reaction that underscores how dramatically the reduced bezel changes perceived screen geometry. For home viewers, this approach offers a genuinely practical upgrade over the sub-inch thickness race, delivering more usable screen area without decorative plastic surrounds.

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Projection HDMobile HD

HDTV Almanac - CES 2009: Is That a Projector in Your Pocket?

Pico projectors emerged as a standout trend at CES 2009, with ultra-compact devices like the Samsung MBP200 media player supporting DivX, MPEG-4, and MPEG-2 video codecs alongside a microSD card slot, all without a connected computer. Samsung's 'Show' mobile phone takes integration further, combining a pico projector capable of a 50-inch diagonal image with a 5-megapixel camera and an OLED touchscreen with haptic feedback. For consumers, these battery-powered devices signal a practical shift toward portable projection that fits in a pocket.

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OTA HD & AntennasDTV TransitionSatellite HD

HDTV Almanac - CES 2009: DTV Switch Boosts Satellite

DISH Network promoted a $9.95/month introductory package at CES 2009 featuring over 50 HD channels and 15 premium movie channels, with rates rising to $45/month after the promotional period. The February 17th analog-to-digital broadcast transition is expected to drive a surge in satellite subscriptions, particularly in fringe reception areas underserved by cable. A pilot transition in Wilmington, NC last September already demonstrated a measurable spike in new DISH sign-ups across the three days surrounding the switchover.

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Home TheaterHD Audio

HDTV Almanac - CES 2009: Dolby Smooths the Volume

Dolby Volume is a new audio processing technology that addresses inconsistent loudness levels in broadcast TV and film by both attenuating loud passages and boosting quiet ones, while simultaneously adjusting bass, midrange, and treble balance to maintain sound fidelity at any volume level. Announced at CES 2009, the technology is set to debut in Toshiba Regza flat panel HDTVs and a Harman Kardon audio-video receiver. Unlike simple noise-limiting clamps found on some TVs, Dolby Volume preserves tonal balance, meaning viewers can watch without constantly adjusting their remote.

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Streaming HDSmart TVsEvents & Trade Shows

HDTV Almanac - CES 2009: Netflix Everywhere

At CES 2009, Netflix emerged as a dominant force in Internet-delivered video, with LG, Samsung, and Vizio announcing flat panel TVs featuring built-in Netflix access, and both LG and Samsung unveiling Netflix-enabled Blu-ray players. Yahoo!'s TV widget platform also announced Netflix integration, signaling broad industry adoption. Netflix's flat-rate subscription model, which removes per-title rental fees and viewing time limits, gives it a structural advantage over competitors like CinemaNow and Amazon that could prove difficult to overcome.

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Home TheaterStandardsHDMI

HDTV Almanac - HDMI Wins an Emmy

HDMI, the digital connection standard now installed in roughly 600 million devices, has earned a Technology and Engineering Excellence Emmy Award from NATAS for its role in delivering high-definition video and digital audio over a single cable. The forthcoming next version, expected in the first half of 2009, will add Ethernet networking, bidirectional audio, a new smaller 19-pin connector, and support for 4Kx2K and 3D video while remaining backward compatible. For consumers, this means a single cable could eventually handle video, audio, and internet connectivity simultaneously, reducing wiring complexity in home theater setups.

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Politics & PolicyDTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Hurry Up and Wait!

The NTIA digital TV converter coupon program has exhausted its funding after fulfilling 46 million requests from 24 million households, leaving new applicants on a waiting list ahead of the February 17th analog broadcast cutoff. With roughly 1.7 million over-the-air-dependent households still uncoupon-ed and 13 million coupons expired unredeemed within their 90-day window, the gap between supply and demand is significant. Viewers who rely solely on broadcast television and have not yet secured a coupon face a real risk of losing TV service entirely on the transition date.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Your DTV Broadcast Reception

The FCC has published signal quality prediction maps comparing digital and analog broadcast reception across all 1,818 TV stations nationwide, available at fcc.gov/dtv/markets/. Unlike analog signals that degrade gracefully into a snowy picture, weak digital signals produce a blank screen, making coverage gaps a hard cutoff rather than a gradual decline. The maps, color-coded down to the county level, let viewers identify whether they will gain coverage, lose a network partially, or lose it entirely when analog transmissions cease next month.

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Projection HD

HDTV Almanac - A Really Big Screen

LG Electronics engineered a large-scale video projection installation on the Shell Building in London, turning the skyscraper into what was claimed to be the world's tallest video projection screen on New Year's Eve 2008. The display featured projected messages from Mayor Boris Johnson and other celebrities, with LG also sponsoring the accompanying fireworks. For those interested in large-format display technology and real-world projection scale, the footage offers a striking benchmark of what projection systems could achieve at architectural scale.

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LCD TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Happy New Year!

LCD TV adoption surged in 2008 with DisplaySearch reporting over 102 million units sold worldwide, a nearly 30% increase over 2007, even as revenues were forecast to drop 15-20% in 2009 due to falling prices. Rear projection and LaserTV technologies effectively ceded the market to flat panels, while the early digital broadcast transition in Wilmington, NC exposed readiness gaps ahead of the February 2009 nationwide analog shutoff. For consumers, the near-term outlook means significant bargains on flat panel TVs despite broader economic uncertainty.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - DTV Conversion Heats Up

With seven weeks remaining before the U.S. analog TV broadcast shutdown, Nielsen estimates at least 7 million over-the-air households remain unprepared, and coupon redemption lags badly with only 18 million of 44 million issued coupons actually used. Digital signals present a harder cutoff than analog, since a weak digital signal produces a blank screen rather than a degraded but watchable snowy picture, meaning roughly 2% of households may need antenna upgrades to receive any signal at all. Acting before the deadline is critical, as early-converting markets like Wilmington, NC saw converter boxes sell out near the transition date.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - LG Tops 120 Hz

LG Display has developed a 'Trumotion 480Hz' LCD HDTV panel combining a 240Hz native refresh rate with a scanning backlight to claim 480 images per second, achieving a 4ms Motion Picture Response Time (MPRT) compared to the 8ms benchmark of current top-tier sets. The technical validity of the 480Hz claim is debatable, since the panel can only render 240 distinct frames per second regardless of backlight strobing frequency. Consumers considering this technology, expected to reach market in the second half of 2009, should understand the distinction between panel refresh rate and backlight scanning when evaluating motion clarity claims.

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Home TheaterBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Do You Blu-ray?

The Sylvania NB501SL9 Blu-ray player briefly sold for $180 at CompUSA.com, roughly 10% below its typical $200 street price, yet it only meets the Blu-ray Profile 1.1 standard and lacks upgradeable firmware, making it a notably limited entry-level option. At approximately four times the cost of a capable upscaling DVD player, and without BD-Live (Profile 2.0) network functionality, buyers face real trade-offs in both features and future-proofing. The author questions whether sub-$200 pricing is sufficient to drive mainstream Blu-ray adoption when existing DVD setups remain fully functional.

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LCD TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Inventory Management

The LCD flat panel supply chain is facing severe contraction as weak 2008 holiday sales leave retailers with bloated inventories, forcing manufacturers to cut orders upstream. LG Display suspended production lines through early January, Chi Mei Optoelectronics laid off 3,000 contract workers, and Innolux is running at only 80% capacity, while several makers are postponing new fab construction. For consumers, the pressure on panel makers to cover fixed plant costs while prices fall could accelerate industry consolidation and reduce the number of LCD manufacturers competing in the market.

Columns

HDTV Almanac - Happy Holidays!

The HDTV Almanac, a long-running consumer electronics reference column focused on high-definition television technology, pauses its technical coverage to mark the Christmas holiday in 2008. The author, reachable at a dedicated reader contact address, acknowledges both new and returning readers of the publication. For followers of the column, this brief seasonal post signals a temporary break from HDTV guidance before regular coverage resumes in the new year.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - The CE Retail Carnage Continues

Theater Xtreme, a Delaware-based home theater retailer and franchise operation with 11 independently owned locations, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy after closing its two company-owned stores in early December. The company specialized in affordable home theater installations, a segment that benefited from HD front projector prices dropping from over $20,000 to under $5,000, yet still struggled to secure credit amid a tightening market. Cash-strapped homeowners are increasingly opting for flat-screen TVs from big-box retailers, a shift that signals continued pressure on specialty consumer electronics installers and dealers.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Roku Adds HD

The Roku Netflix Player, priced at $99, has received a free firmware update enabling HD video streaming, likely using H.264/MPEG4 AVC compression, with Netflix recommending a minimum 3 Mbps broadband connection for acceptable picture quality. Of Netflix's 100,000+ titles, only 12,000 are available for streaming, with HD content representing a subset of that library. For subscribers on any unlimited Netflix plan starting at $9 per month, the Roku box delivers an all-you-can-watch HD streaming experience that could realistically replace a digital video recorder for many viewers.

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Market Trends & AnalysisStandards

HDTV Almanac - Polaroid: Out with the Tide?

The flat panel HDTV market faces accelerating brand consolidation as economic pressures and retail contraction eliminate shelf space for smaller players. Polaroid, acquired by Petters Group Worldwide in 2005, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after a financial scandal involving alleged evasion of $20 million in federal taxes, while its key retail partner Circuit City simultaneously collapsed. With Olevia already exiting the market and Philips licensing its North American brand to Funai, smaller HDTV brands face a shrinking retail landscape that makes sustaining revenue nearly impossible.

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LED TVs

HDTV Almanac - Big JVC HDTV for Times Square

JVC has installed what it claims is the first true 720p high definition display in New York City's Times Square, measuring 19 feet tall by 34 feet wide and built from 1,152,000 individual LEDs. The installation also includes two ticker displays, one of which wraps around the globe structure. At 12,500 pounds, this large-format LED display illustrates the scale and infrastructure demands of commercial-grade HD signage compared to consumer television technology.

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OLED TVsManufacturingMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - No OLED TV For You!

Samsung has confirmed it will not release OLED TVs until pricing reaches competitive parity with LCD and plasma, a threshold that may never arrive given current manufacturing economics. The Sony XEL-1, the first commercial OLED TV, is roughly 1/16th the size of a 42-inch flat panel yet costs at least 2.5 times more and does not support HD resolution. For consumers, this means large-screen OLED remains a distant prospect, with the technology confined to small-format mobile displays where it can realistically compete.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Shoe Drops for Best Buy

Best Buy reported a 77% drop in third quarter net earnings year-over-year, with cash and short-term investments falling from $1.6 billion to $594 million, a 63% decline in liquidity. Receivables ballooned from $739 million to $2.6 billion while inventory values rose to $8.2 billion, compounding financial pressure as short and long-term debt more than doubled. The retailer responded by offering voluntary separation packages to nearly all corporate employees and cutting roughly half of planned capital expenditures, signaling a significant contraction in its retail footprint.

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Politics & PolicyDTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Preparing for the DTV Transition

The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund (LCCREF) is opening physical DTV Assistance Centers in 14 locations across seven U.S. cities ahead of the February 17, 2009 mandatory switch to digital-only over-the-air broadcasts. The centers target populations with low uptake of the NTIA's $40 converter box rebate coupons, including seniors, fixed-income households, and non-English speakers. For viewers who rely solely on over-the-air reception, these walk-in centers offer hands-on guidance, but coverage remains limited and broader community involvement will be critical to a smooth nationwide transition.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - And the Emmy Goes to...

NATAS will present a Technology Emmy Award to 10 companies, including Molex, Sony, Intel, and Silicon Image, for their contributions to developing the HDMI interface. HDMI consolidates digital video and multi-channel audio into a single connector while incorporating content copy protection, replacing the multi-cable analog component video approach that lacked DRM support. For consumers, this means cleaner signal transmission and simplified device interoperability, allowing components like TVs, DVD players, and home theater systems to coordinate settings automatically.

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DTV TransitionMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Nielsen: 23.3% Have HDTVs

Nielsen data from November 2008 shows 23.3% of U.S. households own at least one HDTV, more than double the July 2007 baseline, yet up to half of those sets may not be receiving any HD service. The digital broadcast transition was expected to drive flat panel HDTV adoption, but with fewer than 25% of households relying solely on over-the-air signals, cable and satellite subscribers face no technical urgency to upgrade. In a weakening economy, the added cost of HD subscription tiers makes a near-term acceleration in HDTV penetration unlikely.

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HDTV Almanac - HDTV Almanac Added to Alltop

HDTV Almanac has been added to Alltop, an RSS feed aggregator that functions as an online magazine rack covering HDTV topics alongside outlets such as PC World, PC Magazine, Engadget, and AVS Forum. The inclusion places HDTV Almanac among established consumer electronics publications that operate at significantly larger scale. For readers, this expanded distribution means HDTV Almanac content is now more discoverable alongside other major HDTV news and commentary sources.

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DTV TransitionStandards

HDTV Almanac - Truth Patrol: Digital TV Misinformation Abounds

Not all HDTVs include a built-in digital tuner, a critical distinction as the February 17, 2009 analog broadcast cutoff approaches. FCC mandates required digital tuners only in sets 36 inches and larger by July 1, 2005, sets 25 to 36 inches by March 1, 2006, and all tuner-equipped devices by March 1, 2007, leaving many earlier HDTVs and flat panels without one. Owners of sets purchased before these deadlines should verify tuner status directly with the manufacturer to avoid losing over-the-air reception.

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Programming

HDTV Almanac - Big Transition for NBC

NBC's decision to place Jay Leno in a nightly 10-11 PM primetime slot five days a week marks a structural shift in how broadcast networks compete for viewers, replacing costly scripted dramas like 'ER' with lower-production-cost talk programming. The move reflects accelerating audience fragmentation driven by cable original programming and growing Internet video delivery, which are eroding the advertiser base that sustains traditional network broadcasts. For viewers, it signals that the era of large national networks dominating primetime is giving way to a more distributed media landscape.

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ManufacturingStandards

HDTV Almanac - Sony Sharpens Its Ax

Sony announced plans to cut approximately $1.1 billion in annual costs, including eliminating roughly 8,000 jobs (5% of its workforce) and closing about 10% of its 57 manufacturing sites in favor of lower-cost production locations. Unlike its previous restructuring driven by competitive failures, this round of cuts reflects a broader industry-wide cash flow crisis caused by retailers postponing or cancelling orders across the supply chain. For consumers, the resulting inventory buildup signals potential bargains as manufacturers and retailers work to convert existing stock into cash.

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Blu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Blu-ray Built-In

Sharp is planning to release 42-inch and 32-inch LCD HDTVs with built-in Blu-ray players for the U.S. market, with the 42-inch model expected to come in under $2,000. Bundling a Blu-ray drive into larger-screen sets makes economic sense, since the added cost of the drive would be prohibitive on cheaper small-screen combos. For consumers hesitant about Blu-ray adoption, this strategy could lower the perceived barrier to entry, though Sharp may need to hit closer to $1,000 to drive meaningful sales volume.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - WalMart Up, Others Down

November 2008 retail data shows consumer electronics and major appliances down 22.1 percent in the first two weeks of the month, following a 19.9 percent drop in October, while WalMart bucked the trend with a 6.5 percent gain as Costco fell 3 percent and Target dropped 6.1 percent. Price deflation of 10 to 20 percent on electronics complicates the revenue figures, as unit volumes may not have declined as sharply as dollar totals suggest. Shoppers trading down to smaller flat panel HDTVs and shifting to discount one-stop retailers signals a prolonged period of competitive pricing pressure across the consumer electronics market.

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3DTVOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - More on Broadcast 3D

Fox Sports CEO David Hill announced plans to broadcast the BCS championship game in 3D at select theaters in Boston, New York, and Los Angeles, while demanding that TV manufacturers and advertisers share the cost of 3D adoption - a position the author challenges by noting that neither group subsidized the industry's earlier transitions to color or HD. Panasonic and Samsung had already been selling 3D-capable rear-projection sets for years with weak sales, undermining Hill's assumption of available industry capital. For networks, the harder reality is that a fragmented advertising market may force an entirely new business model rather than a cost-sharing arrangement.

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HDTV Almanac - Tweeter Closes its Doors

Tweeter, a consumer electronics retail chain, abruptly shuttered all 70 of its stores after converting its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing to Chapter 7 liquidation in a Delaware court, leaving over 600 employees unemployed. Customers who prepaid for undelivered equipment now hold creditor status, placing them far down the priority list for any financial recovery. This case serves as a practical warning to consumers to avoid advance payment for electronics purchases, opting instead to pay on delivery to avoid financial exposure during retailer insolvencies.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Another Transition Exception

KTVH in Helena, Montana, completed an early switch to digital broadcasting on November 10, 2008, ahead of the national February 17, 2009 analog cutoff deadline, partly due to the logistical challenge of servicing a transmission tower above 8,000 feet in winter conditions. A notable finding was that digital reception actually improved coverage for some viewers who had previously been unable to receive the station's analog signal. With KTVH as the only Helena market station to transition early, the full impact on viewers and telephone infrastructure remains to be seen when remaining stations make the switch.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Blockbuster Goes Online

Blockbuster's 2Wire MediaPoint digital media player delivers broadband movie rentals over Ethernet or 802.11b/g wireless, with HDMI and component outputs supporting standard DVD-quality video and advertised HD capability not yet available. The device is bundled with 25 rentals for $99 upfront, followed by on-demand pricing starting at $1.99 per title. Compared to Netflix's flat-rate subscription model, the per-rental cost structure may deter high-volume viewers looking for a more economical streaming solution.

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3DTVSportsProgramming

HDTV Almanac - Are You Ready for Some 3D-Fence?

The NFL's first-ever live 3D broadcast, a December 4th Chargers vs. Raiders game, will be shown in select movie theaters using RealD projection technology already deployed across more than 1,500 screens worldwide, with content produced by 3ality Digital. Panasonic and Samsung have offered rear-projection HDTVs with 3D support for years, suggesting the consumer hardware foundation already exists. If theater audiences respond well, demand could accelerate the push toward home delivery of live 3D sports via cable or broadband sooner than the industry anticipates.

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HDTV Almanac - Happy Thanksgiving

Alfred Poor, writing the HDTV Almanac column in November 2008, steps away from flat screen TV coverage to offer a brief Thanksgiving message to readers. The post acknowledges that flat screen TV purchases were out of reach for many consumers during that economically difficult period. No technical specifications or product reviews are covered in this entry.

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DealsBuying Guides

HDTV Almanac - Bracing for Black Friday

Black Friday 2008 brings dramatic price drops in flat panel TVs, with Walmart offering a Polaroid 42-inch 1080p LCD HDTV for $598 and Costco bundling a Sharp 52-inch 1080p with a 32-inch 720p set for $1,799.99 - a price point that undercuts Best Buy's year-ago 52-inch-only price by over $1,000. Best Buy's same-store sales fell 7.8% in October, signaling deep retailer stress. Savvy buyers willing to negotiate in late December may find even steeper discounts as retailers push to clear elevated inventory.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - 120 Hz Gaining Ground

LCD panel adoption of 120 Hz refresh rates jumped from 12% to 16% in a single quarter in 2008, with penetration reaching 59% among panels 52 inches and larger according to DisplaySearch data. The higher refresh rate reduces motion blur and is concentrating in larger screen sizes partly because electronics costs represent a smaller fraction of total manufacturing cost at those dimensions. For buyers choosing between similarly priced sets, the practical takeaway is clear: 120 Hz delivers measurably sharper moving images and is on track to become a baseline consumer expectation.

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Politics & PolicyDTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Seniors to Get DTV Help

The NTIA has awarded a $2.7 million grant to the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) to help seniors navigate the February 17, 2009 analog-to-digital television broadcast transition. The program, running through April 2009, targets 250,000 elderly viewers who need assistance with converter box installation and related setup challenges. For nursing home residents and other seniors with limited technical familiarity, this initiative addresses a critical gap in access to over-the-air DTV signals.

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StandardsHD DVRHome Theater PC (HTPC)

HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: DVRs after the Transition

With the U.S. transition to digital broadcasts, VCR users face a recording gap since basic converter boxes lack timer functionality. TV tuner cards from ATI and Hauppauge, paired with Windows XP Media Center Edition or Vista Ultimate, offer a PC-based DVR solution that can record scheduled programming and even fit living-room setups using VCR-style computer cases. A small number of dedicated DVRs with built-in digital tuners also exist as a standalone alternative for those who prefer to avoid a full PC setup.

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HDTV Almanac - Fireside IPTV

President-elect Barack Obama announced plans to distribute his weekly radio address via YouTube, marking a significant shift in how presidential communications reach the public. By pairing traditional radio format with on-demand video streaming, the initiative bypasses conventional broadcast schedules and news media filtering, allowing citizens to watch at their convenience. This approach mirrors how younger audiences already share video content virally, potentially expanding the reach of official presidential messaging well beyond Saturday morning radio audiences.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Transition: One More Exception

Hawaii's analog-to-digital television broadcast transition is scheduled for January 15, 2009, more than a month ahead of the national February 17, 2009 deadline, due to an unusual environmental constraint. Analog broadcast towers on the slopes of Haleakala volcano on Maui must be demolished and relocated further down the mountain before the Hawaiian Petrel's nesting season begins in February. For viewers tracking the DTV transition, this case highlights how local factors - wildlife protection among them - continue to create exceptions to what was never a truly uniform national switchover.

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LCD TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - LCD TV Prices Sinking Fast

Sharp, Japan's largest LCD TV maker and fifth largest LCD panel manufacturer worldwide, faced a 12% price drop in its 50-inch-and-larger LCD HDTV segment in October 2008 alone, double the 6% industry-wide decline for that size category. With manufacturer profit margins running only 9% to 16%, such rapid price erosion leaves little room for profitability. Sharp is now weighing cuts to LCD panel production, with the scale of reductions contingent on holiday sales performance and whether retailer inventory levels normalize.

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DTV TransitionOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Need Help with a Converter Box?

The U.S. analog-to-digital TV transition, mandated for February 17, 2009, requires antenna-connected televisions to use a digital converter box, which connects between the antenna and TV and outputs on Channel 3 or 4. Unlike analog signals that produce a snowy picture under weak reception, digital signals produce a completely blank screen, meaning antenna upgrades may be necessary before the cutover. Federal rebate coupons remain available at dtv2009.gov, and setting up a box early is strongly advised to identify and resolve reception issues in advance.

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Projection HDMobile HD

HDTV Almanac - Pico Projector to Ship Next Month

The Optoma Pico PK-101 is a four-ounce portable projector priced at $399 that uses a DLP micromirror imager and solid-state LED lighting to project images onto virtually any flat surface. Running at 480x320 resolution, it requires dim lighting to produce a usable image but can fill a large screen in darkened conditions. Its battery-powered, pocket-sized form factor makes it a practical tool for impromptu business presentations or sharing video content without crowding around a small screen.

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DealsProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - RP HDTV: Not Quite Gone

Samsung's 61-inch 1080p 120Hz DLP rear-projection HDTV is currently available at CompUSA.com for $1,099.99, a price point that undercuts many 40-inch LCD flat panels while delivering roughly twice the display area. At only 14 inches deep, the set is 3D-ready and carries a full factory warranty, making it a technically competitive option. Buyers willing to look past the rear-projection stigma can secure a genuinely large screen at a fraction of flat-panel costs, particularly as slowing flat-panel sales push retailers toward deeper discounts.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - How "H" is Online HDTV?

Online HD video streams fall well short of broadcast quality, with services like Apple iTunes and Vudu delivering 4 to 4.5 Mbps and Xbox Live reaching 6.8 Mbps - far below the 19.39 Mbps ceiling of ATSC over-the-air HD or Blu-ray's 40 Mbps maximum bit rate. These compressed streams are engineered to fit within the 5 Mbps limits common to residential broadband, meaning viewers are accepting a significant quality trade-off. Higher-bandwidth infrastructure such as Verizon FiOS will eventually enable delivery of broadcast-grade HD streams online.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - The Lion Roars on YouTube

MGM Studios has agreed to post full-length movies and TV episodes on YouTube, including titles such as 'Bulletproof Monk' and 'The Magnificent Seven,' marking a significant expansion of legitimate copyrighted content on the platform. CBS had already committed to hosting complete older TV series episodes, reflecting Google's broader push to monetize YouTube through advertising-supported premium content. However, YouTube's low video resolution and its established identity as a short-clip destination may limit adoption compared to dedicated streaming competitors like Joost and Hulu.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Circuit City Tunes to Channel 11

Circuit City filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 2008, weighed down by debt to suppliers it needed for holiday inventory restocking. With October sales figures already weak across retail, the company faced an 8-week window to reach profitability while competitors like Tweeter had already shuttered. Consumers with available cash or credit stood to benefit from aggressive margin cuts on HDTVs and other consumer electronics as struggling specialty retailers competed against big-box chains like Wal-Mart.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - Vizio Meets Energy Star Specs

Vizio has announced that all its LCD HDTV models shipping to U.S. and Canadian retailers meet or exceed the new Energy Star 3.0 requirements, which cap power draw at 120 watts for a 32-inch set. The company also introduced the EchoHD, a 32-inch LCD HDTV claiming 44% lower electricity consumption than comparable sets. While the environmental benefits are real, the practical savings for individual consumers watching four hours of TV nightly amount to roughly a nickel per month, and notably, Vizio's announcement omits any mention of its plasma lineup.

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Home TheaterBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Sharp LCD TVs with Blu-ray Recorders

Sharp's AQUOS DX series LCD HDTVs, available in 26-inch to 52-inch screen sizes, integrate a built-in Blu-ray HD recorder directly into the television set, a combination that remains rare in the market. Unlike TiVo subscriptions or cable provider DVR services, this all-in-one approach offers a self-contained HD recording solution without additional hardware. Currently sold only in Japan, the lineup's viability in the U.S. market remains uncertain, partly due to slower Blu-ray adoption stateside.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - NetFlix Takes Another Step

Netflix has launched an open beta of Microsoft Silverlight-based streaming, giving subscribers access to over 12,000 movies and TV episodes through its 'Watch Instantly' service at no additional cost. The company simultaneously ended sales of used DVDs, signaling a strategic pivot toward electronic delivery while maintaining its physical disc rental business for an estimated five to ten more years. For subscribers, this means immediate access to a substantial streaming library, though the long-term balance between physical and digital revenue remains unaddressed by the company.

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HDTV Almanac - Help Me, Obi-Wan!

CNN's 2008 election night broadcast deployed a holographic-style imaging system using 43 individual HD cameras arranged in portrait mode across a 220-degree arc, with 20 computers stitching the footage into real-time composite 3D images of remote correspondents. CBS equipped its studio with 13 HD cameras, a four-sided LED scoreboard display, and a 65-inch touch screen, while DirecTV offered an 8-panel multi-feed view on SD channel 102 and HD channel 352. Viewers wanting simultaneous coverage from CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and BBC America could hover over panels to switch audio sources.

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Deals

HDTV Almanac - Circuit City Closing Deals Start Wednesday

Circuit City announced the closure of 155 stores, with liquidation sales beginning Wednesday, November 5, 2008. A notable deal includes a Sony 52-inch LCD HDTV with Blu-ray bundle priced $269.99 below the comparable Best Buy offering, potentially representing up to 10% savings on hardware after accounting for the $199.99 Geek Squad setup fee included in the competing bundle. Shoppers near one of the targeted locations may find competitive pricing on home theater hardware during the closing sales.

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StandardsBuying Guides

HDTV Almanac - Tomorrow: New EnergyStar Requirements

New EnergyStar requirements taking effect establish screen-area-based power consumption limits for flat panel televisions, with high-definition sets (defined as exceeding 480 lines of resolution) permitted higher wattage than standard-definition models - for example, a 42-inch HD set must draw no more than 208 Watts at maximum. LCD and plasma technologies present distinct power profiles, with LCD consumption driven by backlight intensity and plasma consumption varying with image content. Consumers shopping for large-screen TVs can use these thresholds as a practical benchmark to compare running costs across competing models.

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DTV TransitionMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Converter Boxes Instead of New TVs

Sales of digital-to-analog converter boxes are outpacing projections as consumers opt to extend the life of existing analog TVs rather than purchase new flat panel sets with integrated digital tuners. Radio Shack reported an 8% quarterly profit boost driven by converter box sales, while Best Buy also noted higher-than-expected demand. With the federal $40 rebate coupon reducing out-of-pocket costs to $10 or less, economic uncertainty is steering buyers away from even entry-level flat screen purchases.

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Deals

HDTV Almanac - Be First in Line at Best Buy on Black Friday

Best Buy's Black Friday VIP contest offers 25 winners across 25 markets a limo ride for four guests, early 4:30 AM store access ahead of general crowds, and a $1,000 gift card to spend on doorbuster deals. Winners also receive a video camcorder to document the experience, and entry requires a 250-word essay submission by November 24th. The $1,000 gift card carries particular value this season for shoppers targeting big-ticket items like HDTVs, where Black Friday pricing can yield significant savings.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Are “Staycations” the Answer?

Futuresource predicts continued growth in flat panel HDTV and Blu-ray disc player sales in Europe and the USA, citing a 'staycation' consumer trend where economic anxiety drives home electronics spending as a substitute for vacations. However, the analysis overlooks a critical revenue problem: consumers shifting from 42-inch to 32-inch HDTVs could cut retailer and manufacturer revenues by roughly half, even if unit sales hold steady. With credit markets tightening and job losses mounting, the rosy unit-based projections may not translate into meaningful industry gains.

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OTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - iTunes Pushes HD

Apple's iTunes platform launched HD television episode downloads, surpassing 1 million HD downloads in its first month while the broader catalog has moved over 200 million standard-definition episodes to date. The HD offerings span major broadcast networks including ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, covering titles such as 'Lost,' 'House,' and '30 Rock.' Whether paid downloads can evolve into a meaningful revenue stream alongside traditional broadcast advertising remains an open question, but early adoption figures suggest genuine consumer appetite for purchasing content already available for free.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Slowdown? Ask Sony!

Sony revised its fiscal year operating income forecast downward by 270 billion yen (roughly $2.7 billion), with electronic sales alone accounting for a 90 billion yen ($900 million) shortfall driven by increased competition and slowing global economies. The revision directly implicates Sony's LCD HDTV and digital camera segments, signaling broad weakness across consumer electronics categories. For buyers with available cash, the forecast points toward significant discounting on flat panel displays during the 2008 holiday season.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Will It Be Joost Enough?

Joost has relaunched its streaming video platform with a Flash-based interface that eliminates the previously required software download, making content instantly accessible in-browser. The revamped site now offers more than 8,000 free hours of video and over 18,000 music videos sourced from major networks including CBS, ABC, Comedy Central, and Warner Brothers Television Group. For viewers, this means no installation barrier to accessing a broad library of free, ad-supported content ranging from classic films to current TV series.

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HDTV Almanac - Bugged about Bugs

Network television's on-screen overlays, including persistent channel bugs, animated promotional graphics, and text crawls inserted during regular programming, have escalated from minor nuisances into a significant viewing disruption. The author argues that animated promos, particularly aggressive during Olympic coverage, compete directly with the broadcast content for viewer attention in a way that undermines the creative work itself. For viewers seeking an uncluttered experience, the practical takeaway is that streaming online episodes may be the only reliable escape from these intrusions.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Circuit City: Strong Measures

Circuit City, one of 712-store retail chains carrying name brand flat panel TVs and consumer electronics, faces potential closure of up to 150 locations and mass layoffs before the end of 2008 after rejecting a $1 billion Blockbuster buyout offer. Squeezed by competitors like Costco and Wal-Mart and hurt by tightening consumer credit that has dampened big-ticket HDTV purchases, the chain is fighting to survive the holiday season. Shoppers near closing locations may find significant liquidation bargains on HDTVs and other electronics as the company races to convert inventory to cash.

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LCD TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - LCD HDTV: What’s Happening “Upstream”?

LCD HDTV panel prices fell sharply in late 2008, with 1080p panels dropping from $505 to $440 between July and mid-October, a nearly 15% decline, while 32-inch 720p panels fell close to 18% over the same period. Taiwanese and Korean manufacturers throttled production for months to combat oversupply, yet demand remained suppressed as consumer confidence collapsed amid the credit crisis. Buyers shopping that holiday season could expect steeper discounts, but those savings came at serious cost to manufacturers and retailers already under pressure.

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Market Trends & AnalysisStandards

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Price Crash

DisplaySearch analyst David Barnes forecasts rapid LCD HDTV price declines beginning Black Friday 2008, with 32-inch sets potentially dropping to $350 as consumers shift away from 42-inch models amid tightening budgets. High retailer inventory levels and the global credit crisis are compounding pressure on manufacturers and chains like Circuit City, which some analysts predicted would not survive into 2009. Buyers with available cash stand to benefit significantly by waiting until after the new year for purchases.

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Blu-rayMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - What is "Affordable"?

Sherwood and Olevia have introduced Blu-ray players priced at $299.95 and $229 respectively, marketed as affordable options, yet upconverting DVD players are widely available for under $100 or even $50. With Sony, Sharp, and Samsung already offering Blu-ray models below $300, the value proposition of these new entrants is questionable at best. The author argues that Blu-ray's pricing barrier, combined with consumer satisfaction with standard DVD, makes Internet-based HD movie distribution a more likely path to mainstream HD adoption.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Shop for Tunes on YouTube

Google introduced click-to-buy links on YouTube partner video watch pages, enabling viewers to purchase music tracks directly from iTunes or Amazon after watching content from labels such as EMI Music. The model relies on near-zero incremental transaction costs to make micro-revenue streams viable across high viewing volumes, with Google taking a referral cut to offset YouTube's operating expenses. For consumers, the feature collapses the gap between music discovery and purchase into a single click.

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Politics & PolicyDTV TransitionOTA Set-Top Boxes (STBs)

HDTV Almanac - DTV Transition: Oops.

The U.S. analog-to-digital television transition, mandated for February 17, 2009, faces a significant funding shortfall after the NTIA underestimated coupon demand by 39%, with requests potentially reaching 19.3 million households instead of the projected 8.4 million. The $40 federal rebate coupons apply only to digital converter boxes that add a digital tuner to existing analog-tuner TVs receiving over-the-air signals, and do not upgrade sets to HDTV capability. Households relying on antennas, particularly elderly and low-income viewers, face the greatest risk of disruption if coupon funding runs dry before the cutover.

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DRMStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Preempting Movie Piracy

Warner Brothers is piloting early online movie releases in South Korea, a market with over 90% broadband penetration and an estimated 50% movie piracy rate, releasing titles digitally two weeks before DVD availability. Online distribution offers studios up to three times the revenue share of a DVD rental, while also enabling more robust digital rights management and digital watermarking to trace unauthorized copies. For consumers and the industry alike, this signals a potential tipping point toward Internet-based movie distribution as the dominant commercial model.

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IPTVGaming

HDTV Almanac - Xbox Gets Nova

Microsoft's Xbox LIVE service, already hosting over 8,500 hours of video content and reaching more than 10 million Xbox 360 installations in the US, has partnered with PBS to add nonfiction programming including Nova, Wired Science, and Scientific American Frontiers. The deal reflects strong audience demand for nonfiction content on the platform, with Microsoft noting the category has performed particularly well. As broadband-connected households grow accustomed to streaming television through their gaming consoles, the appeal of traditional scheduled broadcast programming continues to erode.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Black Friday Watch

A weekly TWICE and IFR Group price-tracking report for October 5, 2008 reveals double-digit percentage drops on major HDTV brands, including a 13.33% cut on the Panasonic TH-42PZ-80U 42-inch plasma at Best Buy and a 10% reduction on the Sony KDL-46V-4100 46-inch LCD at Circuit City. One anomaly stands out: the Sony KDL-52V-4100 52-inch LCD rose 15% at Sears, though the author expects that increase to be short-lived. Consumers tracking Black Friday deals will find this advertised-price comparison tool useful for identifying meaningful discounts in the weeks ahead.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Does This Sound Right?

A PriceGrabber.com survey of 1,915 online consumers found that 57% already own an HDTV, and nearly 75% of non-owners plan to purchase one within 12 months. The effective sample for that purchase-intent figure is only around 824 respondents, likely skewed toward active electronics shoppers visiting a price-comparison site. With the 2009 digital broadcast transition approaching and economic pressures mounting, the real-world conversion rate for those stated purchase intentions is almost certainly far lower than the headline figure suggests.

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HDTV Almanac - Diamond HDTV

Schaub Lorenz, a German manufacturer, offers a 40-inch LCD HDTV priced at $130,000, featuring a jet black bezel studded with VVS1 diamonds and white gold. Each unit is built-to-order, allowing buyers to customize screen size, resolution, and the type and size of precious gems used in the bezel. For consumers less focused on value-per-dollar, this positions the set as a bespoke luxury fixture rather than a conventional display purchase.

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Projection HD

HDTV Almanac - Do LCD Projectors Turn Yellow?

LCD front projectors using three separate microdisplay panels can develop a yellow cast over time due to UV degradation of the blue beam's plastic polarizer films, leaving red and green light to combine into yellow. The Dukane 8801 LCD projector observed at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry showed visible yellowing concentrated at the center of the screen, where UV exposure is highest. Buyers seeking long-term color accuracy should look for models equipped with inorganic polarizers on the blue beam, or ideally on all three color channels.

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HD AudioPolitics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - Internet Radio Lives to See Another Day

Internet radio services faced a potentially fatal royalty fee structure imposed in March 2008, with fees projected to exceed 70% of gross revenues for services like Pandora, threatening their viability. Congressional action extended the negotiation deadline to February 15, buying time for Web radio groups and Sound Exchange to reach licensing terms, while AM and FM broadcasters remain exempt from equivalent copyright royalty obligations. The outcome of these negotiations carries direct implications for consumers who rely on streaming audio and sets a precedent for how web-distributed video and entertainment content may be monetized.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Netflix: Full Stream Ahead!

Netflix has secured a deal with Starz to add approximately 2,500 titles to its streaming library, bringing the total catalog to over 12,000 titles, with roughly 1,000 Starz titles available immediately. The agreement bundles Starz Play access at no additional cost to subscribers, including major theatrical releases such as 'Ratatouille' and 'No Country for Old Men.' Combined with flat-rate, on-demand pricing, this positions Netflix as a direct competitor to both physical DVD rental and traditional cable and satellite subscription services.

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3DTVPlasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - 150″ 3D Panasonic Plasma

Panasonic demonstrated a 150-inch 1080p plasma display at CEATEC 2008 in Japan, capable of rendering 3D images via LCD shutter glasses that deliver alternating fields to each eye, preserving full 1080p resolution unlike autostereoscopic systems that sacrifice half their pixel count. The 12.5-foot diagonal panel is slated for production once Panasonic's new plasma line is operational, targeting commercial and professional markets before reaching high-end consumers. Anyone considering home installation should plan construction around the display rather than the other way around.

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HD DVRHome Theater PC (HTPC)

HDTV Almanac - TiVo HD DVR on Your PC

Nero LiquidTV paired with TiVo software brings the TiVo interface to home theater PCs, bundled with a TV tuner, remote control, and IR Blaster for cable or satellite box control at a $199 launch price including a one-year TiVo subscription. The software-only option runs $99 as a download, matching the annual renewal cost, and requires a broadband connection for TiVo's guide data and Internet video access. For viewers facing the February 2009 analog-to-digital broadcast cutoff with DVRs lacking digital tuners, this PC-based solution offers a practical path to programmable recording without replacing existing hardware.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Circuit City on the Rocks?

Circuit City reported a $239.2 million loss for Q2 2008, halting new store openings and signaling potential further closures as in-store traffic declined sharply. Chief merchandising officer John Kelly indicated the company would pursue aggressive pricing to drive holiday foot traffic, a move that competitors Best Buy, Walmart, and Costco are already monitoring. For consumers with cash on hand, this retail pressure points to significant HDTV discounts arriving within weeks, making fall 2008 a potentially strong buying window.

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Satellite HD

HDTV Almanac - Sony Signs with DISH Network

DISH Network has secured a content agreement with Sony Pictures Television to deliver standard and HD movies through DISH on Demand and its Pay-Per-View service, with select titles available on DVD release day. The HD package is priced under $25 per month, positioning DISH competitively against DirecTV as HD content increasingly drives subscriber decisions. For consumers, this deal signals a broader industry shift toward electronic movie delivery, reducing reliance on physical media distribution entirely.

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HDTV Almanac - LG Puts Holy Text in HDTV

LG Electronics has embedded the full text of the Koran across all 114 chapters into two HDTV models sized 42 and 50 inches, targeting Middle East markets where daily Koran reading and listening are common practices. The implementation supports on-screen text display, audio playback, remote control navigation, and bookmarking, leveraging the HDTV's onboard processing without meaningful hardware overhead. This move raises a broader question about preloading HDTVs with culturally or religiously significant content for targeted regional markets.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Wilmington NC: What Did We Learn?

Wilmington, NC served as a national test case on September 8 when most local TV stations cut analog broadcasts and switched to digital-only transmission, ahead of the February 2009 nationwide transition. Dr. Connie Ledoux Book of Elon University, who testified before the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, found that while outreach efforts such as firefighter-assisted converter box installations helped, local WalMart sold out of converter boxes three days before the changeover. The Wilmington pilot offers instructive lessons, but its compact market size and concentrated resources may not reflect the challenges facing dense urban or sprawling rural communities during the full national rollout.

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HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: Scaling HDTV

When a 1080p signal is fed to a 720p native-resolution display, the TV's controller must discard pixel data to fit the image, a downscaling process that risks visible artifacts along edges and object boundaries. Upscaling a smaller signal to a larger panel requires the circuitry to interpolate and synthesize missing pixels, the same technique used by upconverting DVD players. For viewers who want to preserve full image fidelity, matching the display's native resolution to the incoming signal - ideally 1080p - avoids both forms of lossy scaling.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - DTV Transition Contest

The Consumer Electronics Association and the National Association of Broadcasters are sponsoring the 'Rabbit Ears Pioneers' contest to raise awareness ahead of the February analog-to-digital over-the-air broadcast transition. Monthly semi-final winners receive a GE digital converter box and an RCA antenna, while the grand prize includes a flat screen TV, Blu-ray player, and surround sound system. For anyone with friends or family relying solely on over-the-air reception, this contest and direct outreach to vulnerable groups such as nursing home residents are practical steps to ensure no one is caught unprepared.

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Plasma TVsManufacturingLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - One More Nail in Plasma Coffin

Hitachi's decision to exit plasma panel manufacturing and source displays from Panasonic mirrors Pioneer's earlier move, leaving Panasonic as the dominant plasma supplier while weakening the technology's long-term prospects. DisplayBank data shows plasma panel shipments fell 10.2% and 10.8% in June and July respectively, nearly triple LCD's losses, with plasma volume already at roughly one-eighth of LCD output. For consumers, this consolidation signals fewer competitive plasma options and raises the real possibility that mid-tier brands like Hitachi may exit the flat panel market entirely.

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Market Trends & AnalysisLCD TVsDeals

HDTV Almanac - Top This!

A 46-inch Westinghouse LTV46w1 LCD TV with Wide XGA resolution (1,366 x 768 pixels) and both analog and digital tuners is available at Buy.com for $799 with free shipping, undercutting typical 37-inch 720p name-brand pricing by a notable margin. The unit ships new-in-box with a one-year factory warranty, though it carries limitations including a single HDMI port and VESA mount compatibility of 75 mm and 100 mm. This pricing signals a broader inventory surplus, suggesting consumers who acclimate to sub-$800 46-inch HDTVs will resist paying $1,500 for comparable new models later in the year.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Half Full? Half Empty?

NPD research shows 46 percent of U.S. television households own at least one HDTV, yet roughly half of those sets lacked a true high-definition signal source as of a year prior, with many owners mistakenly believing they were watching HD. The flat-panel form factor appears to be driving purchases as much as the desire for HD resolution, complicating adoption metrics. With most early adopters already converted and CRT replacements requiring hundreds to thousands of dollars, HDTV penetration growth is expected to plateau well below full market saturation.

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IPTV

HDTV Almanac - IPTV Impacts Presidential Campaigns?

During the 2008 Democratic National Convention, MSNBC streamed over 1.2 million live video streams, with 5.6 million videos delivered on August 29 alone, while CNN added 4.9 million streams the same day. These figures represent a measurable fraction of the 38.4 million viewers Nielsen recorded for Obama's acceptance speech, signaling that online video was becoming a notable share of total political media consumption. For viewers, IPTV's on-demand flexibility means direct access to candidate speeches and primary sources without relying on filtered coverage.

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HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: Black Bars on Wide Screen

When displaying standard definition 4:3 content on a 16:9 HDTV panel, side bars appear because there are insufficient pixels to fill the wider frame. Stretch and wide modes introduce geometric distortion, while zoom mode crops the top and bottom of the image, making the Normal Mode setting the recommended default for most viewing. The one practical exception is letterboxed SD content like Law and Order, where zoom mode expands the image to fill the screen without distortion or cropping.

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Satellite HD

HDTV Almanac - DirecTV Grows

DirecTV gained 219,000 subscribers in Q2 2008, pushing its total past 17 million and positioning it as the second-largest US pay-TV provider overall, trailing only Comcast. A key driver is its industry-leading HDTV lineup of 95 channels, with expansion plans targeting 130 national and 120 local HD channels enabled by the newly launched DIRECTV 11 satellite. The February 2009 analog-to-digital broadcast transition is expected to push additional over-the-air viewers toward subscription services, likely accelerating DirecTV's growth further.

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DTV TransitionOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: Rabbit Ears for Digital TV?

Digital TV signals exhibit a hard cutoff behavior, dropping to a blank screen once signal strength falls below a minimum threshold, unlike analog signals that degrade gradually into a snowy but viewable picture. This cliff effect means antennas that performed adequately for analog reception may fail entirely with digital broadcasts, potentially requiring a higher-gain indoor or outdoor antenna. Readers are advised to test their existing antenna before purchasing a replacement, as an upgrade is only necessary if current reception proves insufficient.

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DLP TVsHome Theater

HDTV Almanac - Built for “a Really Big Shoe”

The Runco CineWall CW-95HD is a 95-inch wall-integrated display featuring a 2.35:1 cinematic aspect ratio and TI DLP projection technology augmented by Runco's proprietary controlling chipset. Priced at $49,995 and available exclusively through Runco dealers, the unit requires less than 33 inches of wall depth and is claimed to install in under two hours. For serious home theater enthusiasts with the budget to match, this display targets a level of cinematic accuracy rarely achievable outside a dedicated screening room.

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Laser TVsProjection HDMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Laser TV Price Set; Brace Yourself

Mitsubishi's 65-inch Laservue rear-projection 1080p laser TV is priced at $6,999, a steep premium over comparable 65-inch flat panels from Sharp and Panasonic selling below $4,000, and far above Mitsubishi's own 65-inch DLP rear-projection model at $1,899. The solid-state laser design eliminates the micro arc lamp and reduces optical components, yet the price undercuts its core value proposition. At this price point, the Laservue is unlikely to revive the struggling rear-projection market and will appeal only to early adopters willing to pay a significant premium.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Amazon Heats Up Online Video

Amazon's Video on Demand service streams movies and TV episodes directly to a web browser without requiring additional software installation, differentiating it from the earlier Unbox download platform. With a catalog exceeding 40,000 titles and a two-minute preview feature before purchase or rental commitment, the service also supports direct streaming to Sony Bravia TVs equipped with Internet Video Link. Offline viewing still requires the Unbox client, but the browser-based streaming option positions Amazon as a serious competitor to Netflix and Blockbuster.

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LCD TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Has the Silly Season Started Already?

A 42-inch 1080p LCD HDTV from Westinghouse was spotted at Costco for $699, undercutting a Toshiba 37-inch 720p model priced at $749 and representing roughly a 30% drop compared to equivalent sets from the same period in 2007. The Westinghouse unit also appeared to offer better black levels than the adjacent Toshiba display. With steep discounts arriving this early in September, retailers may have limited room left to maneuver when holiday promotions begin.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Sony Speeds Up the Clock

Sony's KDL-52XBR7, a 52-inch 1080p LCD announced at CEDIA Expo 2008, introduces a 240 Hz refresh rate by interpolating three synthetic frames between each of the original 60 frames per second to reach the target cadence. The 240 Hz rate is an even multiple of film's 24 fps, preserving compatibility with 1080p24 Blu-ray output while theoretically reducing the motion blur that persists even at 120 Hz. Whether the interpolation delivers genuinely sharper motion or introduces unwanted artifacts remains to be seen when the set ships in December.

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LED TVsDLP TVsHome Theater

HDTV Almanac - HD Projector Has No Lamp

Delta Electronics debuted a 1080p DLP front projector at CEDIA 2008 that replaces the traditional arc lamp with high-brightness LEDs rated at 20,000 hours or more, eliminating both the lamp and the color wheel required in single-chip DLP designs. The LED-based approach allows red, green, and blue channels to fire independently, reducing part count while delivering a measured 700 lumens - adequate for controlled-lighting environments. Expected to ship under the Optoma and Vivitek brands, this design could meaningfully lower long-term maintenance burdens for home theater installations.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - Westinghouse Ships Big All-in-One

The Westinghouse VK-40F580D is a 40-inch 1080p LCD HDTV priced at $1,049 MSRP that integrates a front-loading slot-fed standard DVD player, eliminating the need for a separate disc player and external cabling beyond power and cable connections. The set includes two HDMI connectors and a USB port, and automatically powers on and switches to DVD playback when a disc is inserted. The choice of standard DVD over Blu-ray reflects the manufacturer's read on value-focused consumers, offering a practical data point in the ongoing debate over Blu-ray's mainstream adoption.

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Market Trends & AnalysisLCD TVsLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - Would You Pay More for Less?

Sony announced a new LCD HDTV measuring just 9.9 mm thick, likely using an edge-lit LED backlight similar to the 10 mm panel demonstrated by AUO at the SID 2008 Symposium, with a Japanese launch price of approximately $4,478. The ultra-thin design raises a practical question for buyers: since panel depth is only visible from the side, most viewers in a standard TV-watching position will never perceive the difference. For price-sensitive consumers, the premium may be difficult to justify unless aesthetics and room design are primary concerns.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Do We Need Another HDTV Brand?

Sherwood, known primarily for audio equipment, is entering the HDTV market with a 32-inch WXGA LCD and a 42-inch 1080p LCD model set to ship in December. The two-model lineup lacks a 50-inch option, a size considered essential for high-end buyers, and a mid-holiday-season launch risks missing critical shelf placement and consumer mindshare. With established discount brands like Vizio already entrenched and major players like Philips exiting North America, Sherwood faces a steep uphill battle for retail distribution.

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HDTV Almanac - More Wireless HDTVs

WHDI (Wireless Home Digital Interface), backed by AMIMON and major manufacturers including Sony, Samsung, and Hitachi, enables uncompressed 1080p HD video transmission over the unlicensed 5 GHz band at distances up to 100 feet through walls. Mitsubishi is set to deploy this technology in a new HDTV line for the Japanese market, separating the display panel from the tuner and control circuitry entirely via wireless link. For consumers, this eliminates the cost and complexity of routing HDMI or component cables through walls while still delivering full-resolution HD.

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DRM

HDTV Almanac - Fair Use a Factor in Video Take-Down Orders

A federal judge ruled that copyright holders must evaluate Fair Use provisions before issuing take-down notices on platforms like YouTube, a decision prompted by Universal's attempt to remove a home video featuring a Prince song playing in the background. The ruling weighs four statutory factors, including whether the new work is intended for sale and whether it devalues the original, to distinguish incidental use from outright piracy. For everyday users posting personal videos with incidental background music, this decision provides meaningful legal protection against automated or indiscriminate removal of non-commercial content.

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Cable HDDTV TransitionPolitics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - Small Cable Companies of the HD Hook

The FCC has granted small cable systems with fewer than 2,500 subscribers or 552 MHz of bandwidth or less a three-year extension until February 17, 2012, exempting them from the requirement to carry local HD content alongside analog service. The federal digital broadcast transition mandates only that full-power terrestrial stations end analog transmissions, not that all content be in HD, and cable providers are largely unaffected except for the local HD carriage rule. Notably, this waiver excludes Comcast and Time Warner subsidiaries, meaning small systems under those operators must still comply on the original timeline.

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Smart TVs

HDTV Almanac - More Thoughts on Widgets

Intel and Yahoo! announced the Widget Channel, a platform designed to deliver Internet content including Yahoo! services, eBay, and Blockbuster to televisions and other consumer electronics via developer-built applications. The author raises concerns about screen clutter, noting that network overlays and animated promotional tickers have already degraded the viewing experience, and argues that adding on-screen widgets compounds the problem. For households where TV remains a shared activity, individually tailored Internet content on a communal display creates a fundamental usability conflict that widgets do not solve.

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Home TheaterBlu-rayMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - What Has Blu-Ray Won?

Blu-ray holds only 5% to 6% unit sales share despite winning the format war against HD DVD, and a Futuresource report predicts it will surpass standard DVD in U.S. sell-through retail value by 2012. With standalone players still priced well above the $60 entry point for serviceable DVD players, and upscaling DVD players available for around $150, mainstream consumer adoption remains a steep climb. The growing threat of broadband delivery services like Netflix further complicates any forecast of sustained physical disc growth.

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Market Trends & AnalysisLCD TVsPlasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - LCD Slams the Door on 32″ Plasma

The Vizio VP322, a 32-inch plasma TV priced at $650, exposes a core resolution limitation of smaller plasma panels: only 1,024 horizontal pixels versus the 1,366 x 768 native resolution of competing 32-inch LCD sets, making it unable to fully render a 720p image's 1,280 x 720 pixel requirement. LCD panels also handle image scaling more efficiently, interpolating to expand existing data rather than discarding pixels when fitting high-definition content. With 32-inch LCD prices continuing to fall and panel supply stabilizing, plasma's brief market share gain in early 2008 is unlikely to translate into long-term competitiveness at this screen size.

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DTV TransitionPolitics & PolicyOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - FCC DTV Road Tour: Your Tax Dollars at Work

The FCC's digital television transition, set to begin with Wilmington, NC as a test market the week after Labor Day 2008, is drawing criticism for apparent lack of coordinated planning, including unresolved issues with converter box rebate card expirations and border broadcaster rule changes. In response to low consumer awareness, the FCC announced an 81-market road tour featuring town halls and roundtables with commissioners, though the market selection criteria and funding sources remain unexplained. The outreach effort is unlikely to reach the over-the-air-only households most vulnerable to signal disruption when the transition occurs.

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HDTV Almanac - New Toshiba DVD Player: Blow Up?

Toshiba's XD-E500 DVD player ($149) introduces eXtended Detail Enhancement (XDE) technology, applying edge enhancement, color correction, and contrast processing to standard DVDs in a bid for 'near-HD' quality. However, standard DVD resolution contains roughly one-quarter the data of true HD, making genuine detail invention impossible regardless of processing sophistication. Consumers with HDTVs that include built-in upscaling may find a dedicated upscaling player unnecessary, and Blu-ray remains the only reliable path to actual high-definition playback.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Panasonic Announces Long Life Plasma HDTVs

Panasonic's 2008 Viera plasma HDTV lineup carries a 100,000-hour lifetime rating, which at 6.5 hours of daily viewing translates to roughly 42 years of use. That rating marks the point at which light output drops to half its original level, though human logarithmic light perception means the image appears only moderately dimmer rather than drastically degraded. Given that the average TV replacement cycle has already shortened to around 10 years, the practical benefit of this extended rating is limited, making the spec more a confidence signal than a functional advantage for most buyers.

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DTV TransitionPolitics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - Digital Transition: Border Wars

U.S. full-power television stations within 50 miles of the Mexico border face a regulatory conflict as the February 2009 mandatory digital transition deadline approaches, while Mexican stations broadcasting into the same markets remain on analog indefinitely. The Senate-passed S.2507, the Digital TV Border Fix Act of 2008, would extend analog broadcast rights for these border stations through February 17, 2014, provided their signals do not interfere with reallocated spectrum auctions. For viewers in these border markets, the exemption could preserve analog reception options and delay the need for digital converter equipment.

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HDTV Almanac - Mounting Advice

Premier Mounts, a leading flat panel mounting manufacturer, highlights that roughly 75% of corporate displays are wall-mounted versus only 25% in homes, and offers practical installation guidance in a sub-four-minute video. Key tips include drilling into the center of wall studs to avoid electrical wires, using heavy-duty drywall anchors as an alternative, and connecting cables before lifting the panel onto the bracket. Paintable plastic wire channels offer a clean, DIY-friendly solution for concealing cables without the complexity of fishing wires through walls.

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HDTV Almanac - Canon Back on Track with SED

Canon's SED (surface-conduction electron-emitter display) technology, which places individual electron emitters behind each sub-pixel to deliver CRT-quality black levels in an ultra-thin panel, received a legal boost after an appeals court ruled Canon did not violate its license with Applied Nanotech Holdings by partnering with Toshiba. Despite the ruling, Canon had already pivoted away from consumer mass-market ambitions, targeting professional video production monitors instead, as LCD manufacturing efficiencies continue to drive down costs. The widening price gap makes SED's path to mainstream display competition increasingly unlikely.

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Emerging Tech

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Alternative Technologies

Field Emission Technologies (FET), a Sony spin-off, is targeting commercial production of 26-inch Field Emission Display (FED) panels by end of 2009, with an initial run of 10,000 units per month using a repurposed Pioneer plasma manufacturing plant. FED technology places thousands of microscopic electron emitters behind each sub-pixel, producing CRT-quality images in a form factor as thin as LCD while avoiding LCD's inherent ~95% backlight efficiency loss. The initial product will be positioned as a professional video production monitor, meaning consumer pricing remains a distant goal contingent on scaling production economics.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Wal-Mart Sales Are Up

Wal-Mart posted a 6.7% year-over-year sales increase for July 2008, driven in part by flat panel TV demand despite economic headwinds including rising fuel costs and unemployment. LCD panel manufacturers have been cutting production output to manage existing inventory, signaling nervousness about holiday season order volumes. Consumers willing to wait could find significant discounts at retail as early as October if holiday demand softens.

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LCD TVsPlasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: How Green is My HDTV?

Plasma and LCD televisions consume power in fundamentally different ways: plasma panels draw peak wattage proportional to image brightness, while LCD fluorescent backlights maintain constant output regardless of content. Newer LCD models with LED backlights can cut consumption by roughly half through localized dimming, and generally produce brighter images than plasma at comparable wattage. In practical terms, the real-world cost difference between competing 46-inch models amounts to approximately $2 per month, making power consumption a minor factor in purchasing decisions.

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Mobile HD

HDTV Almanac - Subscription Fees Lose Out to "Free"

Mobile TV subscription services in Japan and Germany are collapsing after failing to compete with free broadcast television alternatives, with Mobile Broadcasting Corp. shutting down after 10 years despite Toyota's backing. MultiMedia Intelligence's new research report highlights 'Call to Action' advertising as a potential revenue model, where a single button press on a cell phone triggers interactive responses such as location-based offers or dealer brochure requests. This two-way communication capability gives advertisers measurable response data, which could financially sustain free mobile TV services through targeted ad spending.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Converter Coupons Go Unused

The U.S. digital TV transition, scheduled for February 2009, is leaving millions of households unprepared, with fewer than a third of the estimated 20 million analog-only TV households having used a government rebate coupon to purchase a converter box. The NTIA has issued roughly 20 million coupons, but redemption rates are low enough that the agency is negotiating with contractor IBM to reissue 6 million expired coupons, while Zenith alone has shipped over one million units. Consumers who still need a converter should request coupons immediately to avoid potential supply shortages this fall.

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Streaming HDSportsProgramming

HDTV Almanac - Olympic Coverage Includes Online

NBC's 2008 Olympic coverage spans 1,400 hours across broadcast and cable networks, with 24/7 HD programming on Universal HD, plus an additional 2,000 hours of free broadband streaming at nbcolympics.com. Installing Microsoft Silverlight unlocks multi-stream viewing with picture-in-picture support, enabling simultaneous coverage of multiple sports. For fans of lower-profile events like sailing that rarely reach primetime, the online platform offers a practical alternative to the edited network broadcast schedule.

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Streaming HDBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - LG Streams Netflix

The LG BD300 Network Blu-ray Disc Player features a wired Ethernet connection that enables unlimited streaming access to Netflix's library of more than 12,000 movies and video titles at no additional cost beyond a standard Netflix subscription. This announcement follows Netflix's partnership with Microsoft Xbox Live to deliver free streaming video, signaling an aggressive platform expansion strategy. For consumers already invested in Blu-ray, the BD300's built-in Netflix streaming capability adds meaningful value that helps justify the format's premium price point.

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Streaming HDSportsProgramming

HDTV Almanac - Ready for Some IPTV Football?

NBC and the NFL are bringing Sunday Night Football to broadband-connected viewers via NFL.com and NBCSports.com, launching with the Redskins vs. Giants on September 4. The streaming package includes interactive features such as selectable camera angles, picture-in-picture multi-view, live stats, and on-demand highlight replays. The practical trade-off is resolution: streaming quality may fall short of the HDTV experience that broadcast football has been optimized to showcase.

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Satellite HD

HDTV Almanac - DIRECTV Adds HD Channels

DIRECTV is expanding its HD lineup to more than 130 channels by adding over 30 new HD channels, a capacity increase enabled by the DIRECTV 11 satellite launched in March 2008. The service is also completing its transition from MPEG-2 to the more efficient MPEG-4 compression standard, and plans to deliver HD movies at 1080p resolution before year-end. For subscribers, these upgrades translate to broader content selection and improved video quality from a single provider.

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HDTV Almanac - NYC Gets FiOS TV

Verizon FiOS TV has launched fiber optic television service across 108 New York City neighborhoods, with initial capacity for 300,000 subscribers and a planned expansion to 500,000 homes by year-end. The rollout includes 100 high definition channels and a triple-play Internet/HDTV/phone bundle priced under $100 per month, with full five-borough coverage targeted for 2014. For urban residents, this marks a meaningful shift from broadcast-model cable and satellite services toward a more scalable fiber-based delivery architecture, though it stops short of a true IPTV implementation.

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Cable HDSatellite HDStandards

HDTV Almanac - Tax Fairness Passes House Judiciary

H.R. 3679, the State Video Tax Fairness Act, cleared the House Judiciary Committee unanimously, targeting discriminatory state tax structures that charge satellite video providers at higher rates than cable operators for substantially equivalent multichannel video programming services. The bill explicitly covers delivery methods including direct broadcast satellite, cable television, and Internet Protocol-based services, bringing telecoms like Verizon under its scope as well. For subscribers, passage could mean more consistent pricing across competing video delivery platforms by removing a tax disadvantage that currently distorts competition.

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Smart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Samsung TVs Go Online

Samsung's Infolink feature, standard on all Series 6 and higher LCD HDTVs, uses RSS feeds to overlay translucent boxes of news, weather, and financial data from the Internet directly on top of live TV content. The service is free and requires only a home network connection, though it currently operates as a walled garden sourced exclusively through a custom USA Today data partnership. For viewers already on a home network, this represents a low-friction entry point into connected TV functionality without added subscription costs.

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LCD TVsPlasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Stores Recommend LCD HDTVs

A J.D. Power and Market Force Information study of over 2,000 mystery shoppers reveals widespread misinformation from retail salespeople about HDTV technology, including false claims that LCD TVs outlast plasma displays despite both sharing rated lifespans of 50,000 to 60,000 hours (roughly 17 years at 8 hours daily). Fewer than a quarter of shoppers were accurately informed about LCD advantages such as lower power consumption and lighter weight. Consumers relying solely on in-store guidance, particularly at big box and warehouse retailers, risk making costly purchasing decisions based on inaccurate technical claims.

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HD DVR

HDTV Almanac - Boob Tube Becomes Buy Box

TiVo has announced a partnership with Amazon enabling broadband-connected Series2, Series3, and TiVo HD DVR owners to purchase advertised products directly via remote control or add them to an Amazon shopping cart for later checkout. The integration targets content-driven commerce, including books tied to shows like 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' and soundtrack CDs from popular series. By converting TiVo-equipped televisions into point-of-sale terminals, advertisers gain real-time purchase data from video ads and product placements, potentially reshaping how video content is funded.

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Politics & PolicyDTV TransitionOTA Set-Top Boxes (STBs)

HDTV Almanac - CEA Gives Free Converters to Seniors

The February 17, 2009 analog-to-digital broadcast transition (ATSC standard) creates a specific hardship for seniors in long-term care facilities, who are ineligible for the federal $40 converter box rebate coupons due to their non-residential address status. The Consumer Electronics Association is donating over 100 converter boxes - supplied by Best Buy (Insignia), EchoStar (DTVPal), and LG/Zenith - to qualifying residents in the Wilmington, NC area ahead of that region's early September transition. With an estimated 1.5 to 2 million people in such facilities nationwide, the donation addresses awareness more than scale, but points to a practical opportunity for individual community action.

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HDTV Almanac - Belkin Cuts the HDTV Wires

Belkin's FlyWire lineup offers two wireless HDTV transmission products targeting different use cases: the R1 model handles single-room signal distribution, while the standard FlyWire model extends signals throughout an entire home and includes infrared passthrough for controlling hidden source components like cable boxes or DVD players. The home model is scheduled to ship in October 2008, with the R1 following in early 2009. For consumers frustrated by the cost and complexity of running cables through walls, these products represent a practical path toward fully wireless home entertainment setups.

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LED TVs

HDTV Almanac - 880-Inch HD Display for Times Square

Toshiba has unveiled an 880-inch diagonal LED billboard atop One Times Square in New York City, featuring a 1280x1248 resolution that accommodates a full 720p HD image with room for supplementary content. The display employs Toshiba's TECHNOVIRTUAL technology, which shares adjacent sub-pixels to simulate finer resolution, while the roughly half-inch pixel pitch and LED power efficiency make it a technically notable large-format installation. For consumers, the display demonstrates how HD standards and LED efficiency are scaling into large public venue applications.

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HDTV Almanac - The Professor on Fox Business News

A consumer electronics expert visited a Best Buy retail location in New York City alongside a Fox Business News reporter and camera crew to produce a segment on HDTV technology. The resulting coverage, tied to the HDTV Almanac column, is scheduled to air on Fox Business News over the weekend. Viewers interested in practical HDTV buying guidance from a recognized industry voice may find the broadcast segment worth seeking out.

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HD Camcorders

HDTV Almanac - Olympics Force Export Exception

Military-grade gyroscopes embedded in certain HD image stabilization systems triggered a U.S. export control issue ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, requiring President Bush to seek a temporary Congressional exemption. The same gyroscope technology used to stabilize HD camera footage is classified under munitions export restrictions due to its potential application in guiding ballistic missiles. For broadcasters and camera operators covering the Games, the exemption was a prerequisite for legally bringing professional HD equipment into China.

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IPTVStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - IPTV Box for $199

The WhereverTV Receiver is a $199 set-top box that connects via broadband to stream free international television channels directly to a standard TV, with channel selection managed through a companion PC interface and remote control. The device is limited to S-video and composite video outputs, making high-definition output impossible, and incoming streams typically fall below standard definition resolution. For viewers seeking foreign-language programming, international sports like cricket or rugby, or news from abroad, it offers a low-cost entry point with the trade-off of reduced picture quality.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - What is "Analog Pass-Through"?

The U.S. digital television transition, mandated for February 17, 2009, requires full-power stations to switch to digital broadcasts, but thousands of low-power and repeater stations are exempt and may continue analog transmissions indefinitely. Converter boxes with an analog pass-through feature address this gap by accepting a single antenna input and outputting both translated digital signals on Channel 3 or 4 and unmodified analog signals on their native channels. Consumers relying on over-the-air reception should verify their converter box supports this feature before purchasing, with models like the Zenith DTT901 and Radio Shack DTX9950 cited as candidates worth investigating.

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HDTV Almanac - FCC Chair Slaps Comcast Wrist

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin declared that Comcast violated open Internet access principles by throttling traffic from peer-to-peer file sharing applications, a ruling that could trigger significant penalties if two more commissioners concur. Comcast counters that its traffic management practices are load-balancing measures to preserve equal quality of service across its subscriber base. For consumers, the outcome carries real stakes: if ISPs can selectively throttle competing video services like Netflix, the future of broadband-delivered HDTV content and legitimate movie downloads could be shaped by provider self-interest rather than open market competition.

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LCD TVsStandards

HDTV Almanac - So Long, Syntax-Brillian!

Syntax-Brillian, maker of the Olevia LCD TV brand, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, reduced staff to eight employees, and is selling its LCD TV assets to a new entity called Olevia International Group, LLC, backed by parts manufacturer TCV Group. The company's separate Vivitar camera division is expected to be sold independently. The collapse reflects a broader contraction in the HDTV market, mirroring Pioneer's exit from plasma production, and raises serious doubts about whether the restructured Olevia brand can survive the anticipated downturn in LCD TV sales.

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HDTV Almanac - Sony Bets on FED

Field Emission Technologies, in which Sony holds nearly a 40% stake, is reportedly negotiating to acquire Pioneer's shuttered plasma manufacturing lines for commercial production of field-emitter display (FED) panels, starting with a capacity of 10,000 units per month at 26 inches. FEDs use billions of electron emitters behind phosphor dots to deliver CRT-like image quality in a thin, flat panel form factor. Readers interested in display technology should watch this space, as FEDs could pose a credible challenge to LCD dominance in premium professional and medical markets.

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Laser TVsProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - Orders for Projector Lasers

QPC Lasers has secured a $3.5 million contract to develop red, green, and blue lasers for a 3D projector system, adding to a previously announced $12 million Laser TV contract. Laser-based displays offer advantages in color accuracy and contrast but face technical hurdles such as 'speckle,' a visual artifact that gives solid colors a sparkling, textured appearance. Both contracts remain in development phases, suggesting commercially available laser projection products are still at least a year away from reaching consumers.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Reading the Tea Leaves

Sony Electronics president Stan Glasgow cited the February 2009 analog-to-digital broadcast transition as a key driver for HDTV adoption, yet Taiwanese LCD manufacturer DisplayBank data shows a 10% production cut due to falling orders and compressed margins. UK flat panel retailers are already slashing prices amid a 3% year-over-year sales decline, signaling oversupply pressure across the supply chain. For buyers with cash ready, these converging forces point toward aggressive discounting well before the holiday season.

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HD DVRSatellite HD

HDTV Almanac - DIRECTV On Demand Nationwide

DIRECTV has launched its On Demand service nationwide, offering 4,000 standard definition and HD titles to subscribers with a DIRECTV Plus HD DVR or R22 DVR receiver at no additional charge. The service streams content over broadband via wired Ethernet, wireless Ethernet, or HomePlug AC powerline networking, and allows remote DVR scheduling from a computer or mobile phone. While Netflix offers over 8,000 titles at no cost, its lack of HD content gives DIRECTV a meaningful quality advantage for high-definition viewers.

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HDTV Almanac - Blockbuster Bags Circuit City Deal

Blockbuster has withdrawn its acquisition proposal for Circuit City, citing unfavorable market conditions and due diligence findings, while reaffirming its intent to combine media content and consumer electronics under its own brand. The company faces a strategic pivot away from physical disc rentals as electronic delivery gains traction, reducing the physical inventory space required in its existing brick-and-mortar locations. For consumers, this signals that Blockbuster stores may gradually shift floor space toward consumer electronics hardware rather than expanding through a major retail acquisition.

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Cable HD

HDTV Almanac - Tru2way to Dominate Cable

Tru2way technology, formerly known as Open Cable Applications Platform (OCAP), enables interactive television features built directly into TV sets or set-top boxes, allowing consumers to switch cable services without new hardware purchases. ABI Research forecasts 50% cable subscriber adoption by 2013, though cable operator reluctance and the typical 8-to-12-year TV replacement cycle cast doubt on that timeline. For consumers, widespread adoption hinges more on set-top box rollouts than new TV purchases, and economic pressures on cable companies make a rapid hardware transition unlikely.

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DTV TransitionOTA Set-Top Boxes (STBs)

HDTV Almanac - DISH Sells Converter Boxes

DISH Network has entered the DTV converter box market with the DTVPal, priced at $59.99 plus $8.95 shipping, though a US government rebate coupon reduces the net cost to $28.94 per unit. The box supports analog pass-through alongside digital reception, allowing viewers to continue receiving analog broadcasts before the February 17, 2009 transition deadline and low-power stations exempt from the digital cutoff afterward. Connection options include composite video or RF output on Channel 3 or 4, making it a practical option for households with secondary TVs not connected to cable or satellite service.

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OTA HD & AntennasSportsProgramming

HDTV Almanac - Slo-Mo HDTV for the Olympics

The I-Movix SprintCam Live 2 HDTV camera, capable of recording at up to 8,000 frames per second - more than 260 times standard video rates - will be deployed at Beijing Olympic venues for the 2008 Summer Games. These units deliver immediate slow-motion replay in high definition, bringing a capability long standard in SD broadcasts into the HD domain. Sports viewers who rely on slow-motion replays to scrutinize close calls and officiating decisions will benefit directly from this HD upgrade.

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Laser TVs

HDTV Almanac - Laser TV Makes Green Claim

Mitsubishi's 65-inch LaserVue laser TV, rated at 200 watts, promises roughly half the power consumption of comparable LCD sets and one-third that of plasma displays, making it a notable contender in energy-efficient large-screen technology. For context, a 47-inch LCD HDTV can draw 250 watts or more, meaning the LaserVue delivers four times the screen area at 20% lower power. Pricing remains undisclosed, and without a competitive price point against flat-panel alternatives, the technology's green credentials alone may not be enough to drive meaningful sales.

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Streaming HDSportsProgramming

HDTV Almanac - The Game's the Thing!

Streaming sports coverage is emerging as a potential catalyst for mainstream Internet video adoption, with CBS's March Madness On Demand recording 4.7 million unique visitors in 2008, a 160% increase over the prior year, while total viewing hours nearly doubled to 5 million. The removal of the registration requirement contributed to growth, though the figures still fall far short of the 97.5 million viewers who watched the 2008 Super Bowl via broadcast. If the historical pattern of sports driving new media adoption holds, broadband sports streaming could serve as a gateway to broader online video consumption.

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Cable HDDTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Cable Transition to Digital

Cable providers are accelerating their shift from analog to digital service, driven by the ability to carry HDTV content and transmit more channels over existing infrastructure, leaving subscribers with analog TVs facing compatibility issues even though the federally mandated February 2009 terrestrial broadcast cutover does not directly affect them. Homes with secondary TVs connected directly to the cable line without a set-top box are particularly vulnerable, and some providers are already reducing the analog channel lineup to pressure upgrades. A digital-to-analog converter box is one potential workaround, but unlike the broadcast transition, this shift is a cable company business decision with no regulatory deadline.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Wonderful World on the Internet

Disney is running a summer experiment in streaming full-length movies for free on its website, making each ABC Saturday-night broadcast film available Monday through Friday the following week via broadband connection. The initiative raises practical questions about audience reach, given that most homes in 2008 lacked a broadband-connected television and the content skews toward younger viewers unlikely to stream independently. Whether Disney repeats or expands the model depends on how many users actually engage with streamed feature-length family films outside a traditional broadcast context.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - Sat-Radio Merger on the Way?

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin's support for the XM and Sirius satellite radio merger signals a shift in how regulators define media competition, now encompassing Web radio, iTunes, and portable entertainment devices alongside traditional broadcasters. Sirius Backseat TV already delivers video programming from three family networks to mobile receivers for $7 per month above standard subscription fees. The merger's outcome could shape the competitive landscape for mobile TV, particularly as WiMax broadband threatens to make IPTV viable on portable devices anywhere.

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Projection HD

HDTV Almanac - Optoma Shows Tiny Projector

Optoma debuted a four-ounce pico projector at InfoComm, built around Texas Instruments' DLP Pico imager chipset, designed to project large full-color images from portable devices such as iPods, digital cameras, and mobile phones. Planned for European and Asian launch later in 2008 with a worldwide rollout in 2009, the device targets a market analyst Bill Coggshall projects will reach 6 million units shipped by 2012, surpassing all front projector categories combined. Supply chain and materials challenges remain, but the convenience factor for portable large-image display could prove compelling.

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Home TheaterBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Blockbuster Promotes Blu-ray

Blockbuster is promoting Blu-ray rentals and purchases across participating stores while bundling a Sony PS3 with its built-in Blu-ray player, an HDMI cable, a Blu-ray remote, a movie, a game, and a 12-week rental card. The PS3 bundle is priced above Amazon's standalone PS3 cost by roughly $100, making its value proposition questionable against competing stand-alone Blu-ray players. For consumers, this signals that major rental chains are beginning to treat HD physical media as a mainstream offering worth hardware-level investment.

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Sports

HDTV Almanac - Big Bucks for Olympic Coverage

The International Olympic Committee has secured $2.5 billion in broadcasting fees from media outlets worldwide for Olympic coverage, reflecting the enormous commercial value of the quadrennial event. A notable tension surrounds the 2008 Beijing Summer Games, where Chinese authorities are actively working to suppress unlicensed video distribution despite the country's well-documented history of copyright infringement. Whether enforcement will hold against unauthorized Internet streaming has direct implications for how licensees recoup their multibillion-dollar investment.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Sharp Sells 9 Foot LCD Monitor

Sharp's LB-1085 is a 108-inch (9-foot diagonal) LCD panel manufactured at the Gen 8 production line in Kameyama Plant No. 2, making it the largest panel the facility can produce. The Shinjuku Picadilly cinema complex in Tokyo will deploy this display in its lobby for trailers and promotional content. Available only as a built-to-order product with negotiated pricing, this panel is a commercial-grade installation rather than a consumer purchase.

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Blu-rayMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Is Blu-ray Taking Hold?

Blu-ray adoption figures from Futuresource Consulting claim over 10 million players installed by end of 2008, but a closer look reveals that PS3 consoles inflate that count significantly. Screen Digest data shows fewer than 15% of U.S. PS3 households actually purchased Blu-ray discs in late 2007, and adjusting for that rate brings Blu-ray's real adoption curve roughly in line with standard DVD's early trajectory rather than ahead of it. For consumers and industry stakeholders, this suggests Blu-ray's path to mainstream penetration remains uncertain and slower than headline numbers imply.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Flexible LCDs from AUO

AUO, a leading Taiwanese LCD manufacturer, claims to have produced the world's first convex curved LCD display, following its demonstration of a concave LCD panel curved to a 100 mm radius at SID 2008 in Los Angeles. The company developed specialized substrate glass thinning techniques to maintain consistent liquid crystal cell thickness across a curved surface, a key engineering challenge for conformable displays. For automotive applications, this technology could enable dashboard panels that dynamically reconfigure their readouts based on driving context, replacing fixed gauges with context-sensitive information.

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Buying Guides

HDTV Almanac - Truth Patrol: Wal-Mart Goof

A Wal-Mart Father's Day flyer for the Sanyo DP52848 52-inch LCD TV incorrectly listed the resolution as 1366 x 1080 and labeled it '1080p Full HDTV,' when true Full HD requires a minimum of 1920 x 1080 pixels. Compounding the error, no 52-inch LCD panels exist with that non-standard pixel count, though some plasma displays do. Verification on both the Wal-Mart and Sanyo websites confirmed the set does carry the correct 1920 x 1080 resolution, underscoring why buyers should cross-check advertised specs before purchasing.

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DealsLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Time to Buy!

The Olevia 747i, a 47-inch 1080p LCD TV with 1920x1080 resolution, two HDMI inputs, dual component video inputs, and a VGA port, was listed at $999.99 through CompUSA.com and Tiger Direct during a summer retail slowdown. This price point, once typical for 42-inch panels, represents a notable value shift for full HD displays at the larger screen size. Shoppers considering a living room upgrade or home theater build should verify current availability directly on both retail sites.

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HDTV Almanac - HP’s Touch TV PC

The HP TouchSmart IQ506 is an all-in-one PC built around a 22-inch widescreen HD LCD display and powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, integrating a dual NTSC/ATSC tuner that enables free over-the-air broadcast TV reception with a standard antenna. The unit packs a 500 GB hard drive, slot-loading DVD burner, touchscreen interface, and both wired and wireless networking into a monitor-chassis form factor with a wireless keyboard and mouse. Priced from $1,499 and scheduled to ship in July, it targets space-constrained environments like college dorm rooms where a single device can serve as TV, PC, and media streamer.

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LCD TVsLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - Sony Rolls Out New LED LCD HDTVs

Sony's KDL-55XBR8 and KDL-46XBR8 introduce TRILUMINOS, a full-array RGB LED backlight system that enables localized dimming to deliver improved contrast by reducing light output in dark image regions. Both 1080p displays also feature 120 Hz refresh rate to reduce motion blur and support the Digital Media Extender link for Internet video services including YouTube. For buyers concerned about environmental impact, the LED backlight eliminates the mercury dependency found in conventional fluorescent-backlit LCD panels.

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Home TheaterBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Blu-Ray Faces More Blues

Blu-ray adoption remains sluggish despite winning the high-definition format war against HD DVD, with only 6% of American consumers planning to purchase a player and just 9% of HDTV owners intending to buy one within six months. To stimulate demand, Wal-Mart is offering a $100 gift card with any Blu-ray player purchase during a one-week promotion starting June 8, alongside select Blu-ray titles at $15 each. Competing pressures from downloadable movie rentals and consumer satisfaction with upscaled standard-definition DVDs on HDTVs suggest the format faces a difficult path to mainstream adoption.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - How Many Online Videos Viewed?

comScore data from March 2008 recorded 11.5 billion online videos viewed by U.S. Internet users, with YouTube commanding over 37% of that total - more than 4 billion views in a single month. That figure represents a 64% year-over-year increase from the roughly 7 billion videos counted in March 2007, with Fox Interactive Media a distant second below 500 million views. For viewers, this trajectory signals that Internet delivery is becoming a serious rival to traditional broadcast, removing both scheduling constraints and location dependencies.

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HDTV Almanac - Best Buy Tries Free Electronics Recycling

Best Buy launched a free in-store electronics recycling pilot on June 1 across three major markets - Minneapolis, Baltimore-Washington D.C., and Boston - accepting cameras, phones, computers, and peripherals with a two-item-per-person daily limit. Televisions larger than 32 inches and major appliances are excluded from the program. For U.S. consumers who typically face inconvenient community events or per-item recycling fees, a no-cost drop-off at a local retail chain could meaningfully reduce consumer electronics ending up in landfills.

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Politics & PolicyDTV TransitionOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Digital TV Transition Train Wreck

Nielsen data shows 22% of U.S. TV households remain unprepared for the February analog broadcast cutoff, with roughly 10 million homes completely unready despite a full year of public awareness efforts. The slow improvement of only 3 million households since February 2008 points to a persistent gap, particularly among Hispanic, lower-income, and senior demographics. Millions of viewers risk losing over-the-air reception entirely when analog signals cease, even in homes that subscribe to cable or satellite but rely on unconnected secondary sets.

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HDTV Almanac - Brave New Movie Rental World

Blockbuster is testing kiosks capable of downloading a rental movie to a portable player in approximately 30 seconds, with the initial rollout limited to Archos hardware before a broader device rollout. The author argues that tying rentals to an expensive portable device requiring a TV connection is too complex for mainstream consumers, and proposes USB thumb drives with embedded DRM and TV autorun support as a simpler, more practical delivery format. The broader movie rental market remains unsettled, with competing subscription, pricing, and delivery models still vying for dominance.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - Universal TV Tuner

Mirics FlexiTV chips use software-defined demodulation via a computer's processor to support multiple broadcast standards including NTSC, PAL, SECAM, DVB-T, ISDB-T, and SBTVD, enabling near-universal TV reception from a single hardware design priced under $5. This approach eliminates the need for separate hardware demodulators for each regional standard, making it a compelling low-cost option for notebook and portable DVD manufacturers. World travelers and home users alike could benefit from a single tuner that adapts to virtually any broadcast environment.

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Blu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Blue Laser Update

Sony and Sanyo have signed licensing agreements with inventor Gertrude Neumark Rothschild, resolving key patent disputes over blue LED and laser technology used in Blu-ray hardware. The settlements, part of a complaint originally filed against 31 electronics companies, are expected to clear the path for Blu-ray DVD player distribution in the US market. With two major manufacturers reaching agreement, remaining defendants face increased pressure to settle out of court rather than pursue litigation.

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Cable HD

HDTV Almanac - Sony Chooses tru2way

Sony has announced tru2way integration into its TVs, enabling direct connection to digital cable services without a set-top box and supporting two-way features such as pay-per-view and video recording. Tru2way, formerly known as OCAP (Open Cable Application Platform), is a CableLabs software solution covering more than 82 percent of U.S. cable subscribers across major providers. Sony is not the first mover here - Panasonic, Samsung, and LG demonstrated tru2way support at CES 2008, making the second half of 2008 a potentially competitive window for TV buyers.

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Home TheaterStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - The Netflix Box Bombshell

The Netflix Player by Roku, priced at $100, connects televisions directly to the Internet and unlocks access to over 10,000 streaming titles included with an existing Netflix subscription starting at $9 per month. The device supports component video and HDMI outputs for future HD content delivery, and requires a minimum 1.5 Mbps download speed, with 4.0 Mbps recommended for DVD-quality playback. For consumers, this shifts movie watching from physical disc delivery to on-demand streaming at no additional per-title cost, raising serious questions about the long-term viability of DVD and Blu-ray formats.

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DTV TransitionPolitics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - War Funding Funds Low-Power TV Broadcasts

A Senate-passed emergency war supplemental funding bill includes two provisions affecting low-power television stations: grants to extend analog broadcasts past the February 17, 2009 full-power analog cutoff deadline, and accelerated funding to support digital conversion. Unlike full-power broadcasters, low-power and translator stations face no mandatory analog shutoff date, leaving a patchwork of mixed-signal broadcasts that could prolong viewer confusion. The dual approach of funding both delay and transition simultaneously raises questions about the efficiency of the nationwide digital switchover.

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LCD TVsLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - SID 2008: Thinner LCDs

At SID 2008, LCD manufacturers showcased edge-lit LED backlight designs pushing panel thickness to new extremes, with AU Optronics displaying a 42-inch LCD under 10 mm thick rated at 450 cd/m2, and Samsung presenting a 40-inch prototype at exactly 10 mm. A collaborative design from Global Lighting, Luminus, and Jabsco demonstrated that just 24 PhlatLight LEDs across eight RGB blade diffusers can illuminate a 46-inch panel. For buyers weighing upgrades, the real question is whether sub-inch thickness differences justify a meaningful price premium over standard 1080p sets.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - SID 2008: In Touch with HDTVs

Samsung showcased an 82-inch multitouch display at SID 2008 featuring QFHD resolution (3,840 x 2,160 pixels), equivalent to four 1080p panels combined. The exhibit hall broadly reflected an industry push toward multitouch technology, with multiple manufacturers demonstrating gesture-based interfaces capable of pinch-to-zoom and swipe interactions. For consumers, this signals a shift toward more intuitive control of complex home network and internet-connected display devices.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - SID 2008: Display Industry Tackles Energy Use

LCD HDTVs collectively consume tens of terawatt hours annually, and the display industry showcased energy-saving advances at SID 2008 in Los Angeles. DuPont demonstrated a backlight design reflecting up to 98% of light through the LCD layer, potentially cutting fluorescent tube count by half to two-thirds, while dynamic backlight dimming from companies like Chi Mei Optics and LG Electronics can reduce power draw by as much as 50%. Consumers seeking efficient sets will soon have guidance from the LCD TV Association's 'Green TV' initiative and a stricter EPA Energy Star program planned for late 2008.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - SID 2008: How to Pick an HDTV

Survey data from iSupply Corporation, presented at the SID 2008 Business Conference, reveals that HDTV buyers rank picture quality first and price second among purchase factors, while sound quality ranks dead last. The finding aligns with the reality that flat panel HDTV speakers consistently underperform even budget home theater audio systems or computer speakers with a subwoofer. Consumers also largely ignore professional reviews, preferring to evaluate image quality firsthand, which has practical implications for how shoppers should approach the buying process.

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OLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - SID 2008: Here We Go!

The Society for Information Display (SID) 2008 conference in Los Angeles brings together display engineers worldwide to present cutting-edge research, including Samsung's Blue Phase 240 Hz LCD panel technology and advances in large OLED panels targeting HDTV production. Miniature projectors capable of delivering large-format HDTV images via cell phones are also on the agenda. For consumers and industry watchers, SID previews technologies that could reshape home entertainment and mobile displays well before they reach the market.

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Market Trends & AnalysisStandards

HDTV Almanac - JVC and Kenwood to Merge

JVC and Kenwood are set to merge in October under the new holding company JVC Kenwood Holdings, Inc., combining JVC's struggling consumer electronics and HDTV lineup with Kenwood's automotive entertainment systems business. The consolidation reflects broader market pressure, with Pioneer exiting plasma production and handing manufacturing to Matsushita (Panasonic), while Wal-Mart has narrowed its TV shelf space to roughly a dozen brands. Middle-tier manufacturers face shrinking retail visibility, making mergers and strategic pivots increasingly necessary to remain competitive.

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OTA Set-Top Boxes (STBs)

HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: Digital TV Reception

Digital TV signals exhibit a hard threshold failure mode, dropping from DVD-quality clarity to complete freeze or blockiness once signal strength falls below a critical level, unlike analog signals that degrade gradually with snow and static. Viewers experiencing picture freezes or audio distortion on converter-box setups should verify directional antenna alignment using compass headings from antennaweb.org, consider upgrading to a higher-gain antenna, or add a quality signal amplifier between the antenna and converter box. These steps are especially relevant ahead of the analog-to-digital broadcast cutover, when transmitter power levels may also change.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Mark Cuban on Internet TV: Show Me the Money

A Bernstein Research report by Craig Moffett highlights a critical monetization gap for web video: broadcast TV carries 8 minutes of commercials per half-hour show, while web viewers tolerate no more than 2 minutes, theoretically yielding only 1/16th the ad revenue. Mark Cuban builds on this to question whether streaming current TV lineups online is sustainable, drawing a parallel to the sub-prime credit crisis. Counterarguments suggest targeted, unskippable web ads could command premium rates well above that 16x deficit, making the economics more viable than they first appear.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - Sharp Cuts the Cables

Sharp's X-Series LCD HDTVs feature a slim panel design achieved by separating the controlling circuitry from the display itself, with 120 Hz 1080p performance across 37-inch, 42-inch, and 46-inch models. An optional WDHI wireless technology from Amimon streams uncompressed HD video up to 100 feet, eliminating the need to run cables between source components and the screen. For viewers who prefer keeping media players and disc changers within arm's reach rather than across the room, this wireless approach offers a genuinely practical setup advantage.

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Politics & PolicyDTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Wimington NC: Lab Rat?

Wilmington, NC will serve as the FCC's test market for the national analog-to-digital television transition, with full-power stations cutting analog broadcasts on September 8, 2008 - roughly five months ahead of the February 17, 2009 national deadline. Complications include low-power stations remaining analog, converter box coupon allocation concerns, and the fact that not all converter boxes pass through analog channels, requiring viewers to use a separate switch. With studies showing only 75% of US viewers aware of the transition, the compressed four-month preparation window raises serious questions about consumer readiness.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Pioneer Rolls Out KURO Models

Pioneer has introduced two new KURO plasma HDTVs, the 50-inch PDP-5020FD at $4,000 and the 60-inch PDP-6020FD at $5,500, both delivering 1080p resolution and scheduled to ship in June 2008. The KURO technology is engineered to produce exceptionally deep black levels, resulting in high contrast ratios and vivid color reproduction. Buyers considering a premium plasma purchase should weigh whether the image quality advantage justifies the significant price premium over competing HDTV options.

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OLED TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - How Long Does Sony’s OLED TV Last?

Sony's XEL-1 OLED TV, priced above comparable LCD sets yet lacking HD resolution, faces serious longevity questions after DisplaySearch testing found brightness dropping to 50% after just 17,000 hours of typical video use. More critically, blue phosphors degraded 12% after only 1,000 hours compared to 7-8% for red and green, causing a progressive yellow color shift in the image. For buyers considering early OLED adoption, these findings suggest the technology carries real risks of visible image quality degradation well within a typical product lifespan.

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HDTV Almanac - Does the World Need Another DIVA?

A consortium of major Chinese consumer electronics manufacturers, including Hisense, TCL, Haier, and Skyworth, has announced DIVA (Digital Interface for Video and Audio), a new single-cable interface designed to transmit uncompressed digital audio and video alongside high-speed bidirectional data. The specification is targeted for publication before the end of 2008, with a demonstration planned for May 21 in China. If adopted broadly, DIVA could reduce royalty costs compared to HDMI and simplify home entertainment setups by consolidating audio, video, and network data over one connection.

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Cable HD

HDTV Almanac - Time Warner to Sell Cable Business

Time Warner announced plans to spin off Time Warner Cable, in which it holds an 84% stake, as a standalone publicly traded entity. The move reflects mounting uncertainty in the cable and broadband industry, where converging video and high-speed Internet services are reshaping revenue models. For consumers and investors, the separation could allow the cable operation to pivot faster toward emerging opportunities without the constraints of a larger media conglomerate.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - iTunes: New Release Movies at Your House

iTunes launched day-and-date movie downloads in partnership with nine major studios including 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros., and Sony Pictures, offering new releases at $14.95 and catalog titles at $9.99, with over 200 of its 1,500-plus titles available in high-definition. Rentals start at $2.99, though HD viewing requires Apple TV hardware, keeping the service tightly tied to Apple's proprietary ecosystem. For consumers weighing a several-hundred-dollar Blu-ray player purchase, this digital distribution model presents a compelling but platform-restricted alternative worth monitoring.

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HDTV Almanac - Sam's Club Goes eGreen

Sam's Club has launched ecoNEW, an online electronics recycling program exclusive to its members, accepting a broad range of devices including LCD monitors, digital cameras, laptops, gaming systems, and MP3 players. The program offers a pre-paid shipping label at no cost, and items with trade-in value yield a Sam's Club gift card in return. A 'no export and no landfill guarantee' addresses the well-documented problem of e-waste being shipped overseas under unsafe labor conditions, making this a more accountable recycling option.

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OLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - Samsung OLEDs on the Way

Samsung planned to scale OLED panel production to 3 million units per year in 2009, targeting medium and large panels for notebooks and televisions after years of focusing on small mobile-device displays. Two critical technical hurdles remain: differential blue phosphor aging that causes image yellowing over time, and inadequate encapsulation against oxygen and water vapor intrusion. Until these issues are resolved, OLED HDTVs face real-world limitations in long duty cycle use, and unmet production targets risk damaging confidence in the technology itself.

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HD Camcorders

HDTV Almanac - Ready for Your Close Up?

The DXG-569V HD camcorder records 720p video at 1280x720 at 30 fps and doubles as an 8-megapixel still camera with LED flash, all at a list price of $169.99 through retailers like Radio Shack. It stores footage on SDHC cards and transfers via USB 2.0, and bundles ArcSoft Total Media Extreme for HD editing and disc burning. At this price point, the camera makes HD video capture accessible for home users and small businesses looking to produce custom video content without a significant investment.

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LCD TVsMarket Trends & AnalysisStandards

HDTV Almanac - JVC Pulls Back Further

JVC is scaling back its HDTV operations by ceasing manufacturing in Japan and Scotland and discontinuing mass-market LCD TV models below 42 inches. The company faces a classic mid-market squeeze, caught between premium brands like Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, and Pioneer above, and value competitors like Vizio and Westinghouse below, with insufficient price or quality differentiation to justify its position. For U.S. consumers, this signals shrinking retail availability of JVC displays and raises questions about the brand's long-term viability in the HDTV segment.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Netflix Thinks Inside the Box

Netflix is expanding its set-top box partnerships beyond its existing LG Electronics deal, with four total hardware partners expected to ship streaming-capable devices before year-end, bundled at no extra cost to subscribers. The service currently offers around 9,000 titles for PC streaming versus roughly 100,000 in its DVD-by-mail catalog, highlighting a significant content gap that digital conversion must close. For subscribers, these partnerships promise a channel-like browsing experience for streaming movies directly on a TV, signaling a pivotal shift in how the rental market will operate.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Are You Spending Your Share?

A CEA report estimates average U.S. household consumer electronics spending at $1,405 annually, with cell phone replacement cycles now averaging just 1.5 years and HDTV penetration projected to exceed 50% of U.S. households by end of 2008. However, with analog broadcast shutdowns affecting fewer than one in four households and economic headwinds tightening consumer credit, demand for HDTVs may soften considerably. Readers watching the market could find this summer an opportune window to purchase an HDTV at reduced prices as manufacturers and retailers navigate oversupply against rising energy and labor costs.

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Home TheaterBlu-rayMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Just What Did Blu-ray Win?

Blu-ray's format war victory over HD DVD may prove hollow, as ABI Research projects that 85% of Blu-ray players in homes by end of 2008 will be PS3 units rather than dedicated players. Upconverting DVD players, already present in 35% of installed units and projected to reach 60% by 2013, give consumers a "good enough" HD-like experience that reduces urgency to upgrade. With Netflix and Blockbuster exploring digital distribution, the window for Blu-ray to achieve mass adoption may close before standalone players ever reach majority status.

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DTV TransitionOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Digital TV Transition: Rough Terrain Ahead?

The U.S. analog-to-digital broadcast transition, set for February 17, 2009, carries a significant hidden risk: a Centris market research study estimates that more than half of the 17 million households relying solely on over-the-air analog signals will likely face digital reception problems due to distance and terrain. Unlike analog signals, digital broadcasts may not reach homes that currently receive acceptable analog quality, with no fallback degraded picture. Testing reception now with a digital converter box or a TV with a built-in digital tuner allows time to upgrade antennas or add signal amplifiers before the cutover.

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Streaming HDOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - "This Program Brought to You by..."

NBC Universal has announced a production unit partnering with ad agency Omnicom to develop brand-centric digital content, with two web series - 'Gemini Division' and 'Woke Up Dead' - already in production featuring organically integrated client products. This model echoes early radio sponsorship formats such as the 'General Motors Symphony' and 'Ford Sunday Evening Hour', adapted now for web distribution. Whether this funding approach proves viable depends on the Web's ability to deliver sufficient viewership of targeted demographics to justify sponsor investment in quality programming.

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GamingIPTVStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Sony Bringing IPTV to PS3

Sony's PlayStation Network is preparing a video service for PS3 that promises to deliver full-length TV shows, movies, and gaming content via Internet download, differentiating itself from existing digital media platforms. Market research firm iSuppli projected 20.3 million PS3 units in circulation by end of 2008, growing to 38.4 million by 2011, establishing a substantial potential audience for the service. If Sony extends the same delivery pipeline directly to televisions, the platform could become a meaningful competitor in the emerging IPTV landscape.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - 3D TV Is Coming

Live 3D broadcast technology demonstrated at the NAB convention by 3ality Digital, which transmitted a real-time 3D signal via satellite from a Burbank studio to a Las Vegas digital screening room with no post-processing, signals a potential turning point for consumer 3D TV adoption. Samsung, Mitsubishi, Hyundai, and Spectroniq already offer 3D-capable HDTVs using DLP and LCD display technologies, while the newly formed 3D@Home Consortium - backed by Samsung, Philips, Disney, Universal, and IMAX - is pushing standardization. Live sports broadcasting in 3D could be the practical catalyst that drives mainstream consumer uptake.

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LCD TVsManufacturingMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - LG Display Takes Shot at Sony

LG Display CEO Kwon Young-soo criticized Sony for 'excessive' price cuts on LCD TVs in Q4 2007, cuts that boosted Sony's market share but squeezed panel manufacturers already reeling from Philips' exit from the U.S. and Canada LCD TV market. The tension highlights a broader industry dynamic where rising production capacity and weakening HDTV demand are driving oversupply, putting sustained downward pressure on panel prices. For consumers, near-term LCD TV price declines are likely to continue despite manufacturer resistance.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Blockbuster Wants Circuit City

Blockbuster's $1 billion acquisition bid for Circuit City signals a strategic pivot away from physical DVD rentals, a segment that saw revenues decline nearly 1% in 2007, toward controlling a retail distribution channel for potential branded video-on-demand hardware. With cable, satellite, and broadband delivery threatening to displace disc rentals, owning Circuit City's brick-and-mortar footprint could give Blockbuster a tangible shelf-space advantage over rivals like Netflix while positioning it to sell its own set-top or streaming devices directly to consumers.

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HD DVRSatellite HD

HDTV Almanac - TiVo vs. EchoStar: Nearing a Decision?

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit denied EchoStar's rehearing request in TiVo's patent infringement case, which targeted DVR hardware and software used in Dish Network receivers, with the software complaint previously decided in TiVo's favor. A lower court had already awarded TiVo $94 million in damages, a figure still pending final resolution. EchoStar claims a software upgrade eliminates the infringing code, but Dish Network subscribers and investors should watch closely as the company simultaneously contends with a failed satellite launch.

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HDTV Almanac - Free Internet TV Network: Revision3

Revision3 is a free internet TV network offering shows like Tekzilla and Systm in multiple formats including WMV, XVID, and high-resolution QuickTime downloads, making it a step above the low-resolution, over-compressed clips typical of YouTube. No registration or software installation is required, and the network is funded through brief host-read sponsor announcements rather than disruptive ad breaks. For viewers with fast broadband and sufficient storage, the high-resolution QuickTime option delivers a noticeably more satisfying viewing experience than standard online video of the era.

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ManufacturingMarket Trends & AnalysisStandards

HDTV Almanac - Philips to End HDTV Sales in US & Canada

Philips Electronics is exiting direct HDTV sales in the US and Canada, licensing the brand to Funai Electric, a Tokyo-based OEM already behind Sylvania, Emerson, and Symphionic labels. Funai will handle panel sourcing, design, and marketing for the 2008 Philips HDTV lineup while paying royalties to Philips, shifting financial risk in a low-margin, crowded market. The key concern is whether Funai can maintain a premium price tier against Sony and Samsung, or whether cost pressures will push Philips-branded sets into opening-price-point territory, risking global brand erosion.

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Buying Guides

HDTV Almanac - New Price for "Professor Poor's Guide to Buying HDTV"

Professor Poor's Guide to Buying HDTV, a consumer reference book covering HDTV purchasing decisions, has dropped in price by nearly 60% from $37.00 to $14.95 following the author's decision to discontinue direct marketing and associated bonuses such as the Weekly Price Intelligence Report. The second edition is now available through Amazon and other book retailers under ISBN 978-0965197526. Readers seeking practical HDTV buying guidance can now access the paperback at a significantly reduced cost, though the lifetime money-back guarantee applies only to previous direct purchasers.

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DTV TransitionOTA Set-Top Boxes (STBs)

HDTV Almanac - My PC = My HDTV

Pinnacle Systems' PCTV HD Stick and PCTV HD Pro Stick are USB-connected tuners priced under $100 that receive both analog and digital over-the-air broadcasts, and add ClearQAM support for unscrambled digital cable channels without requiring a cable box. Both devices also enable personal video recorder (PVR) functionality, allowing users to record SD and HD broadcast content for later viewing. For space-conscious users such as college students, these sticks offer a practical way to consolidate television and computing onto a single display.

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Smart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Hooked Up HDTV

ABI Research projects networked HDTV shipments will surge from 3.6 million units in 2008 to 65 million units by 2012, with LG, Sony, and HP already fielding connected models. The shift is driven by consumers storing hundreds of gigabytes of photos and music on home computers and increasingly purchasing media through digital downloads rather than physical formats. For viewers, this means televisions will soon function as primary access points for both personal media libraries and commercially distributed video content.

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LED TVsSports

HDTV Almanac - HDTV for the Babe's House

Mitsubishi Electric's Diamond Vision LED scoreboard, installed at the new Yankee Stadium, measures 101 feet wide by 59 feet tall and incorporates more than 8.6 million LEDs. The display supports simultaneous output of up to four 1080p images, making it one of the most technically capable large-format sports venue screens of its era. For fans in the stands, this translates to broadcast-quality high-definition video at a scale that dwarfs conventional display technology.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Where Will the Analog TVs Go?

The U.S. analog television broadcast shutdown will render fewer than 15 million over-the-air TVs obsolete through 2010, according to a Consumer Electronics Association study. Electronics recycling rates rose 30% in 2007 compared to 2005, while disposal in landfills dropped 7% across consumer electronics broadly. Nearly half of affected households plan to use a digital converter box rather than replace their sets, a practical choice that will significantly reduce electronic waste entering landfills.

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Blu-rayLED TVsStandards

HDTV Almanac - Blue Lasers in Peril?

Blu-ray discs rely on blue laser light, which has a shorter wavelength than the red lasers used in standard DVDs, enabling it to read the far smaller data pits required for high-definition content. Inventor Gertrude Neumark Rothschild holds a 1993 patent covering blue and violet LEDs and lasers, and has petitioned the U.S. International Trade Commission to block imports of products using blue laser technology without a licensing agreement. With 30 companies named as respondents, including major consumer electronics manufacturers, the outcome could force industry-wide licensing settlements affecting Blu-ray and related products.

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HDTV Almanac - Thin Mounts

Chief Manufacturing's new Thinstall wall mount measures less than half an inch deep, designed to complement ultra-slim flat panel HDTVs like Hitachi's 1.5-inch thick models while supporting up to 175 pounds. The mount targets a growing segment of thin-profile displays, though its practical appeal depends on whether consumers prioritize form factor over price and energy efficiency. For buyers already invested in slim HDTV aesthetics, this mount offers a flush-wall solution worth considering.

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Mobile HDOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - TV Comes to the Small Screen

AT&T is launching ten channels of mobile television using the MediaFLO broadcast system, the same platform Verizon already deploys for its mobile TV service, with shared content from major networks including CBS, ESPN, FOX, and NBC. Rather than a live rebroadcast, programming is rescheduled to air multiple times daily, letting viewers catch popular shows during commutes or other off-hours windows. Whether a ten-channel lineup can sustain subscriber retention beyond the initial novelty period remains the critical open question.

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DTV TransitionStandardsPolitics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - Digital TV Converter Complications

Microtune, a semiconductor tuner manufacturer, has filed a complaint with the NTIA alleging that several certified digital-to-analog converter boxes fail to meet the qualification requirements for the federal rebate program. The concern stems from the FCC's shift to manufacturer self-certification, which replaced independent third-party lab testing and introduced inconsistency in compliance rigor. For consumers relying on rebate-eligible converters ahead of the February 2009 analog broadcast cutoff, there is currently no reliable way to verify whether a given unit actually performs to specification.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Movie Clips on Facebook

Paramount Pictures has launched VooZoo, a Facebook application that makes thousands of short movie clips available to social network users, with clips ranging from a few seconds to several minutes in length. The initiative targets both existing DVD catalog titles and upcoming theatrical releases, including the then-forthcoming Indiana Jones film. For consumers, this represents a notable shift from content lockdown strategies toward permission-based viral distribution, using social sharing as a marketing channel rather than a legal battleground.

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DealsBuying Guides

HDTV Almanac - Playing "The HDTV Price is Right"

Retail price negotiation is gaining traction in U.S. consumer electronics stores, with up to 25% of Best Buy customers attempting to haggle on HDTV purchases and succeeding much of the time. Seasonal factors, including a slow post-holiday period and uncertain sales lift from the 2008 Beijing Olympics, give buyers added leverage to negotiate discounts below posted prices. Shoppers willing to make a reasonable counteroffer stand a solid chance of saving money on discretionary big-ticket purchases rather than paying sticker price.

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HDTV Almanac - FCC Seeks More Fines

Federal law banned the manufacture or import of analog-only television devices without digital tuners, requiring retailers to clearly label any remaining analog-only inventory. FCC chairman Kevin Martin is pursuing fines against major retailers, including Best Buy, Circuit City, Sears, Target, Walmart, and Toys R Us, for allegedly failing to meet that labeling requirement. Consumers who purchased unlabeled analog-only sets during this period may have unknowingly bought hardware incompatible with the ongoing digital broadcast transition.

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Satellite HDOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Englewood, We Have a Problem

A Russian rocket failure left a DISH Network satellite in a lower-than-intended orbit on March 14, forcing the company to use onboard positioning fuel to correct its trajectory and potentially cutting the satellite's operational lifespan from over 10 years to as little as two. Despite the setback, DISH Network claims it will still increase local HD offerings by more than 60 percent within two months, though it remains behind DirecTV, whose successful March 19 launch enables up to 150 HD channels across 100 local markets. Subscribers appear to be voting with their wallets, as DirecTV added roughly 474,000 new customers in Q4 2007 compared to DISH Network's 85,000.

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DTV TransitionPolitics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - Why We're Switching to Digital TV

The FCC concluded spectrum auctions tied to the February analog TV broadcast shutdown, generating nearly $20 billion - roughly double the projected $10 billion - as Verizon secured the nationwide 'C' block license for nearly half the total and AT&T claimed 227 'B' block licenses for most of the remainder. Congress earmarked a portion of the proceeds to fund the $40 digital adapter rebate coupon program, covering up to 33.5 million coupons at a cost of up to $1.5 billion. For consumers, understanding this financial backdrop clarifies why the digital transition carries firm regulatory deadlines rather than being a purely technical upgrade.

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LCD TVsLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - Propeller Headed: Polarized LEDs

A doctoral student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has developed a new class of inorganic LEDs engineered to emit polarized light, addressing a fundamental inefficiency in LCD backlighting where roughly 95% of backlight output is blocked by the polarizing filter layer. By maximizing the polarization effect inherent in standard LEDs, this invention could eliminate the need for a dedicated polarizing layer in LCD panels, reducing energy consumption and improving image brightness. If commercialized, the technology could strengthen LCD's competitive position in the flat panel display market.

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Home TheaterHD DVDBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - R.I.P. HD DVD

With Blu-ray winning the high-definition format war, retailers Circuit City and Best Buy launched compensation programs for HD DVD buyers: Circuit City extended returns to 90 days for full store credit, while Best Buy is issuing $50 gift cards to all HD DVD player purchasers with no time limit and no trade-in required. Best Buy also launched a trade-in program at bestbuytradein.com starting March 21, accepting HD DVD players and discs regardless of purchase origin, with prepaid shipping labels provided. Best Buy estimates the gift card program alone will exceed $10 million in total payouts.

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OLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - OLEDs: Still moving ahead

The Sony XEL-1 OLED TV demonstrates the technology's potential by combining LCD-level detail with CRT-like emissive image quality in an exceptionally thin and light form factor, while remaining limited in size and value. LG Display has signed a cross-licensing agreement with Eastman Kodak, gaining access to Kodak's foundational OLED materials patents to accelerate its own OLED development. LG's near-term focus on small and medium panels - including a 3-inch OLED used in KAGA Electronics' 1-Seg portable TV - signals that large-screen competitive OLED HDTVs remain a work in progress.

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Home TheaterDealsBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Best Buy Offers Blu-Ray for $300

The 40 GB Sony PlayStation 3, normally priced at $399, drops to $299 through a Best Buy bundle deal requiring a concurrent HDTV purchase of $999 or more, making it one of the most cost-effective Blu-ray players available. This promotion emerges as manufacturers face pressure to cut prices following Blu-ray's format war victory, a slowing economy, and consumer hesitation over next-generation Internet-enabled players not expected until fall. For buyers already shopping for an HDTV, the bundle offers a practical entry point into Blu-ray with the added benefit of a full gaming console.

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Projection HD

HDTV Almanac - Truth Patrol: Not All RP Is LCD

Rear-projection HDTVs span three distinct technologies - LCD, DLP, and LCoS (marketed as SXRD by Sony and D-ILA by JVC) - not a single category as some outlets incorrectly report. While many RP sets rely on UHP lamps costing $200 to $300 and requiring replacement roughly every three years, alternatives exist: Panasonic's LiFi light engine uses microwave-excited plasma in a quartz capsule for near-lifetime durability, and Samsung offers high-brightness LED solid-state lighting. Buyers seeking large-screen value should understand these distinctions before dismissing rear-projection based on lamp replacement concerns.

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IPTVHD DVRStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - YouTube on TiVo

TiVo announced YouTube integration for its Series3 DVR platform, including the TiVo HD model, requiring a broadband Internet connection to stream clips directly to a television set. The content will not be in HD due to YouTube's lack of high-resolution support, limiting visual quality on large displays. This move advances IPTV adoption in the living room, though the walled-garden restriction to YouTube alone leaves room for broader Internet video access.

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Home Theater3DTV

HDTV Almanac - More 3D on the Way

Hollywood studios have committed up to $700 million with Access Integrated Technologies to convert 10,000 additional theater screens to digital 3D projection, accelerating a shift that currently covers only 4,000 of 38,000 screens in North America. The Hannah Montana 3D concert film demonstrated the format's revenue potential by grossing $31.3 million on just 683 screens, a figure that dwarfs typical wide-release per-screen averages. For home viewers, this theatrical momentum is pushing 3D directly into HDTV, with Samsung debuting a prototype 3D plasma at CES 2008 and SpectronIQ pursuing a dedicated 3D LCD HDTV lineup.

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Home TheaterHDMICabling & Wiring

HDTV Almanac - Monster Promotes "Entry-Level" Cables

Monster Cable's MC 500 HD HDMI cable, priced at roughly $50 for a one meter run, represents a deliberate move downmarket from the company's $100-per-meter MC 700 HD flagship. Because HDMI is a digital interface operating on a pass/fail basis, signal quality does not degrade gradually the way it can with analog connections like component video. Consumers can likely achieve identical results with cables sourced online for under $20, making premium pricing a questionable value proposition for most HDTV setups.

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Home TheaterHD DVDBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - More Blu-ray Fallout

Samsung has cancelled the BD-UP5500 dual-format HD DVD/Blu-ray player announced at CES 2008, leaving the older BD-UP5000 hybrid available at under $500 while the format war winds down in Blu-ray's favor. Unlike multi-format computer optical drives where combining CD and DVD variants adds little cost, the technical differences between HD DVD and Blu-ray made single-box integration more expensive than separate units. With the U.S. economy weakening and standard DVDs still performing well on HDTVs, consumers face little incentive to invest $300 or more in a Blu-ray player, raising questions about the format's near-term profitability.

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Plasma TVsManufacturingStandards

HDTV Almanac - Pioneer To End Plasma Production

Pioneer has officially confirmed it will cease plasma panel production, ending its role as one of the last remaining plasma manufacturers alongside Matsushita/Panasonic. The company plans to source plasma panels from Panasonic and LCD panels from Sharp via a joint venture, potentially repurposing its plasma plants for HDTV assembly. This shift raises serious questions about whether Pioneer can sustain its premium pricing when selling displays built on the same panels available under competing brand names.

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HDTV Almanac - eWaste: HP Makes a Dent

HP recycled nearly 250 million pounds of electronics hardware and consumables in 2007, a 50% increase over 2006, putting the company on track toward its 2 billion pound recycling goal by 2010. An additional 65 million pounds was refurbished for resale or donation rather than disposal. With an accelerated TV replacement cycle driven by the digital broadcast switchover and HD adoption, consumers and businesses face growing e-waste challenges but have practical options including state hazardous waste programs, charitable agencies, and commercial recyclers.

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HDTV Almanac - End of an Era: Sony Trinitron

Sony's Trinitron CRT technology, which arranged three electron guns in a line with vertical phosphor stripes instead of circular dots, is ending production after decades as the gold standard for display quality. The inline gun geometry produced a screen flat in the vertical dimension, reducing glare and convergence artifacts compared to conventional delta-gun picture tubes. With LCD demand rising and CRT sales declining sharply, Sony is discontinuing the last Trinitron units produced for Latin American and Asian markets, closing a chapter in consumer display history.

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LCD TVsManufacturingStandards

HDTV Almanac - Changing Partners

Sony, which sources LCD panels from S-LCD, a 50/50 joint venture with Samsung established in 2004, has signed a non-binding agreement to partner with Sharp on a new Gen 10 LCD manufacturing facility, covering roughly one-third of the capital investment in exchange for one-third of the plant's output. Gen 10 production uses the largest glass sheets in LCD history, enabling more efficient fabrication of large-screen panels at a scale requiring billions in capital. For consumers and the industry, this shift could determine which TV makers secure panel supply if demand outpaces production capacity, while placing significant competitive pressure on smaller Taiwanese LCD manufacturers.

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DTV TransitionPolitics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - Border Wars

The U.S. analog broadcast cutoff on February 17, 2009 creates uneven cross-border reception scenarios: Canadians watching U.S. over-the-air signals will need a digital tuner or converter box, while U.S. viewers can still receive Canadian analog broadcasts until that country's own transition on August 31, 2011. Along the southern border, high-power Mexican 'border blaster' transmitters licensed in Mexico continue analog broadcasts into U.S. markets, prompting Senate bill S2507 to propose a five-year cutoff delay for U.S. stations within 50 miles of the Mexican border.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - More Trouble for Olevia

Syntax-Brillian, maker of Olevia HDTVs, faces potential NASDAQ delisting after missing quarterly financial filings and watching its stock collapse from $8.78 to $0.70 in under a year. The company has already abandoned its LCoS rear projection television business and reshuffled top management, while also contending with a shareholder civil suit for stock fraud. Post-holiday inventory gluts across the HDTV industry are compressing margins further, leaving mid-tier brands like Olevia with shrinking room to compete against budget labels and established names such as Sony and Samsung.

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OTA Set-Top Boxes (STBs)

HDTV Almanac - Verizon Plagued by Success?

Verizon's FiOS television service is facing a shortage of HD set-top boxes after Motorola, its hardware supplier, failed to keep pace with subscriber demand that has 'exceeded expectations.' The supply constraint affects only FiOS, not cable operators like Comcast or Cox, highlighting how hardware manufacturing lead times create real-world bottlenecks that software cannot solve. New FiOS customers may face a wait of roughly one week for installation, though the backlog has not noticeably slowed subscriber sign-ups.

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HD DVD

HDTV Almanac - HD DVD for $50

Microsoft has dropped the Xbox 360 HD DVD player to $49.99, bundled with five free HD DVD titles at roughly $10 per disc, following Blu-ray's decisive victory in the format war. With hundreds of existing HD DVD titles now flooding clearance channels, including eBay listings starting at $0.99 with no bids, the collapsed market creates a low-cost entry point for high-definition viewing. Xbox 360 owners willing to invest in a discontinued format could assemble an HD library at steep discounts before remaining stock disappears.

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Streaming HDIPTV

HDTV Almanac - How Real is IPTV?

The Diffusion Group projects 162 million households will be watching broadband television by 2011, signaling a major shift in how consumers access video content. TiVo's integration with Amazon Unbox is cited as an early indicator of this trend, while the open source Miro platform offers a complementary approach by downloading and locally caching web video, including HD content, from sources like YouTube into a personal library with automatic five-day expiration. For viewers, Miro eliminates buffering issues common to streaming and enables scheduled, channel-like aggregation of free online video.

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Gaming

HDTV Almanac - Samsung's 32″ 1080p LCD HDTV

Samsung's 32-inch 1080p LCD HDTV is positioned primarily as a gaming display, with the company citing rising sales of PS3 and Xbox 360 content as the driver for releasing a full HD panel at this compact size. At 32 inches, the optimal viewing distance for a 1080p image falls under four feet, making it impractical as a living room centerpiece but well-suited for close-range gaming sessions. Gamers seeking maximum resolution in a more affordable and space-efficient form factor than 40-inch-plus displays represent the clearest target audience for this model.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Digital Converters, Almost for Free!

Digital TV converter boxes from Thomson RCA (DTA800) and Magnavox have already dropped below $50 at Walmart, ahead of the anticipated late-2008 price decline driven by market competition. With the NTIA rebate coupon program just launching, consumers can acquire these DTV transition boxes for under $10 out of pocket. Anyone who needs to convert over-the-air analog reception to digital has little reason to delay a purchase at these prices.

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LCD TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - So Long, CRT!

LCD TV shipments surpassed CRT shipments for the first time in 2007, capturing 56% of the 28.5 million units sold in the U.S. according to DisplaySearch, while CRT sets remain cost-competitive only in smaller standard-definition configurations serving emerging markets. Falling LCD prices and plant closures by CRT manufacturers are accelerating the transition, meaning consumers shopping for any screen larger than a budget set will find the picture tube era effectively over.

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DTV TransitionOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - The Dark Side of DTV Transition

The U.S. analog-to-digital television broadcast transition, mandated for completion within a year, carries a significant coverage gap: FCC Chairman Kevin Martin acknowledged that up to 5% of converter box users may lose reception entirely because digital signals do not propagate as far as analog. Viewers in fringe reception areas may resolve the issue by upgrading from rabbit ears to a directional antenna or adding a signal amplifier. The Consumer Electronics Association's antennaweb.org tool lets users enter their address to determine the antenna type and compass headings needed for local digital reception before analog signals go dark.

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Streaming HDSportsProgramming

HDTV Almanac - Madness for Free!

NCAA March Madness on Demand is offering free live streaming of all 63 tournament games via broadband Internet connection, rendered at 640x360 widescreen resolution, a near-standard-definition widescreen format. The service, which drew over 1.3 million unique viewers and 2.6 million hours of streamed programming in its prior year, also archives completed games for on-demand replay. Capacity limits may cause connection delays, but early sign-ups receive a VIP Pass to reduce wait times, making this a practical option for fans without CBS affiliate access.

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Blu-rayHD DVD

HDTV Almanac - High-Def DVD: It's Over!

Toshiba's reported decision to cease HD DVD production marks the end of the high-definition disc format war, with Blu-ray emerging victorious despite HD DVD players costing roughly half the price of comparable Blu-ray units. The turning point was not technical superiority but strategic maneuvering, including Warner Brothers' well-timed pre-CES defection and a coordinated wave of retailer endorsements from Netflix, Best Buy, and Walmart. Sony appears to have learned from its Betamax defeat by applying targeted market pressure rather than relying on specs alone.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: The Fate of TV Radios?

Radios that receive analog TV audio signals will stop working after the February 17, 2009 analog broadcast cutoff, because digital broadcasts encode audio and video into a single unified signal rather than transmitting audio as a separate FM-band stream. Analog TV audio for Channel 6 was receivable on FM radios precisely because it was broadcast independently, a design that digital encoding eliminates entirely. Readers who relied on these radios for local TV audio can use a digital converter box, available for as little as $10 after the $40 government rebate, paired with self-powered speakers as a practical replacement.

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HDTV Almanac - Another DVD Format?

Vmedia Research has announced a 32 mm optical disc format targeting mobile devices, capable of storing 1 GB of data and delivering full-length movies at 576p resolution using H.264 compression. The format arrives as 32 GB flash memory cards already outpace it in capacity, require no moving parts, and support full HD content on a single chip. For consumers, the practical case for yet another read-only physical disc format is difficult to justify when rewritable solid-state storage and digital distribution already offer superior flexibility and value.

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Plasma TVsMarket Trends & AnalysisLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Plasma Revenues Decline

Plasma panel shipments grew 19.4% from 2006 to 2007, reaching 12.1 million units, yet a 28.8% drop in average selling price drove total plasma revenues down 15.0% over the same period. LCD manufacturers, by contrast, posted a 35.7% revenue increase alongside a 41.1% unit shipment gain and only a 3.8% price decline. For consumers and industry observers, the data signals that plasma's market position is eroding despite volume growth, with emerging efficiency and thinner-panel designs representing the technology's best near-term hope.

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Blu-rayHD DVD

HDTV Almanac - Two More Nails for HD DVD

Netflix announced it will cease purchasing HD DVD titles and transition exclusively to Blu-ray, citing four of six major US studios already publishing exclusively in that format, while its current library holds fewer than 400 Blu-ray titles out of more than 90,000 total. Best Buy, with over 800 retail locations, simultaneously declared it would prioritize Blu-ray stocking and direct sales staff to recommend it over HD DVD. Together, these moves signal a decisive industry shift that will shape which high-def format consumers can realistically rent, buy, and find supported going forward.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - What’s Wrong with This Ad?

A 19-inch Viewsonic LCD HDTV with a non-standard 1440x900 resolution forces scaling on virtually all HDTV content, making it a poor fit for the family viewing scenario its ad promotes. At 720p, optimal viewing distance for a 19-inch screen is roughly 30 inches, far too close for a group. The set is better suited as a personal desktop display or single-viewer TV in small living quarters than as a living room centerpiece.

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Satellite HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - Where's the HD?

A 2008 survey of HD channel availability reveals that less than 20% of programming feeds are offered in HD, with DirecTV leading at 66 HD networks and DISH at 56, while cable providers like Cablevision trail at 38. Verizon FiOS distinguishes itself by claiming to pass through HD signals without additional compression, a capability satellite and cable providers cannot match. Consumers evaluating HD services should weigh signal quality and compression practices alongside raw channel counts, as larger numbers do not guarantee a better viewing experience.

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HDTV Almanac - SuperReturns

Retailers are losing significant revenue to 'wardrobing,' a practice where consumers purchase large-screen HDTVs specifically to watch the Super Bowl and return them the following Monday for a full refund, leaving stores with units that can no longer be sold as new. COSTCO was forced to revise its lifetime return policy to a 90-day limit on televisions, computers, cell phones, camcorders, and MP3 players after members exploited it as an informal trade-in program, sometimes pocketing price differences. The National Retail Federation classifies this behavior as fraud, and as HDTV prices continue to fall, consumers are better served by purchasing a set that fits their budget and keeping it.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - EPA Adopts New Energy Star Specs

The EPA finalized Energy Star version 3.0 requirements for televisions, mandating that all qualifying sets draw less than one watt in standby mode and capping operating power based on resolution and screen size - for example, a 42-inch HD set must not exceed 208 watts. Products previously certified under older standards must requalify rather than carry over their designation automatically. For consumers, choosing an Energy Star-certified HDTV under these stricter thresholds translates directly to lower long-term operating costs.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - How Many HDTVs Do You Have?

IDC survey data from early 2008 shows consumers expanding flat panel TV ownership beyond the living room, with one-third of respondents targeting 40"-49" screens for their next purchase and preferring 1080p resolution over 720p even at the cost of screen size. Falling prices are driving a secondary market behavior where smaller sets migrate to kitchens and bedrooms while larger displays replace them as primary screens. Shoppers willing to wait may find post-Super Bowl retailer inventory creating favorable buying conditions.

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HDTV Almanac - SuperBowl Ads

Super Bowl XLII advertising commanded $2.7 million per 30-second spot, making it the premier showcase for high-profile television commercials. MySpace hosted the full ad lineup at myspace.com/superbowlads, organized by quarter, though video quality varies due to inconsistent compression levels. For viewers who missed the broadcast or want a second look, the archive offers convenient on-demand access to the night's most talked-about spots, including the Semi-Pro/Bud Light fourth-quarter ad.

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HDTV Almanac - New Journalism in the HDTV Market

Audioholics, a consumer electronics review publication, launched an online storefront offering free extended warranties, free shipping, and lifetime technical support - features that create a direct conflict of interest with its stated commitment to unbiased product reviews. The site claims editorial and commercial operations will be managed separately, but provides no mechanism to address situations where a reviewed product receives a negative assessment. For readers relying on independent evaluations to make purchasing decisions, the blurred line between retailer and reviewer raises legitimate questions about review credibility.

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Politics & PolicyDTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Dueling Surveys

With the February 17, 2009 analog over-the-air broadcast cutoff approaching, two competing surveys reveal sharply different pictures of public readiness: the NAB claims 79% household awareness, while Consumer Reports found 36% completely unaware, with an estimated 23 million people at risk of losing reception. Confusion runs deep, as 58% of aware respondents incorrectly believe all televisions will need a converter box. Households relying on cable or satellite are unaffected, but over-the-air viewers need either a digital tuner or a government-rebate-eligible converter box to maintain service.

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Streaming HDMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - I Want My IPTV!

A 2008 Ensequence consumer survey found that 72% of viewers want to interact with reality shows and 65% with live sports, while two-thirds expressed interest in engaging with television advertisements. Broadband internet access is accelerating the shift toward on-demand viewing, building on the time-shifting legacy established by VCRs and refined by DVR services like TiVo. For viewers, this signals a near-term future with significantly greater control over when, where, and how television content is consumed.

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HDTV Almanac - DVDs on Demand

HP's DVD manufactured-on-demand service has secured Sony Pictures Home Entertainment as its first major studio partner, enabling on-demand disc production that eliminates traditional inventory and packaging overhead. The Internet Movie Database lists close to half a million titles, yet only a fraction are commercially available on DVD due to low-demand economics that bulk production runs cannot support. This partnership signals a practical path for consumers to access obscure catalog titles that would otherwise remain out of print.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Flicker Makes a Comeback?

LCD HDTV displays using scanning backlights to reduce motion blur risk introducing visible flicker, particularly at the standard 60 Hz refresh rate, according to research from Southeast University and Philips Consumer Electronics. Testing shows that increasing strobe frequency to 75 Hz reduces flicker perception, and the effect is compounded as screen sizes grow because more of the image falls within peripheral vision, which is highly motion-sensitive. For viewers seeking sharp motion with no flicker, scanning backlights paired with 120 Hz refresh rate panels represent the most practical solution.

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DTV TransitionStandards

HDTV Almanac - Digital TV $10 Billion Dividend

The U.S. government began auctioning off analog broadcast spectrum freed by the mandated digital TV transition, with initial bidding rounds nearing $3 billion and experts projecting a final total exceeding $10 billion. These newly available frequencies, vacated as of February 17, 2008, are expected to fuel an expansion of mobile services including cell phone video and low-cost broadband wireless Internet. A portion of the auction proceeds will fund the federal rebate program for digital TV converter boxes, easing the transition for viewers with older analog sets.

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HD DVDBlu-rayMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - HD DVD Dominated Player Sales

DisplaySearch data shows Toshiba HD DVD players outsold Blu-ray standalone units by 64% in North America during the first three quarters of 2007, while game consoles accounted for 85% of all high-definition disc device shipments in the same period. North America represented 80% of worldwide high-definition DVD device sales in Q3 2007, underscoring how slowly the rest of the world is adopting the format. Both camps are competing for a market that remains small and slow-growing, raising the real possibility that whichever format wins may still face a commercially unviable landscape.

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Buying GuidesMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Almanac on the Air

A podcast interview with CBS News tech correspondent Larry Magid covers HDTV purchasing guidance ahead of the post-Super Bowl demand drop, a recurring seasonal pattern that typically suppresses the market until the Olympics. End-of-2007 HDTV sales figures came in below expectations, signaling that retailers may be motivated to discount remaining inventory. Shoppers willing to monitor sales circulars in the near term could find meaningful price reductions on current HDTV models.

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Emerging Tech

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Eyes?

Researchers at MEMS 2008 (21st IEEE International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) demonstrated contact lenses with embedded LED displays, successfully tested on rabbits for 20-minute intervals with no adverse effects. The technology aims to create a heads-up display overlaying digital information directly onto the user's field of view. Practical applications range from GPS-linked navigation overlays to private in-flight screens, though distraction risks for drivers remain a legitimate concern.

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Streaming HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - More Broadband Movie Delivery

HBO on Broadband launches with on-demand access to 600 movie titles and approximately 4,000 hours of original programming, initially limited to Green Bay and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Time Warner cable broadband subscribers and existing HBO subscribers receive the service at no additional cost, while others pay a separate subscription fee. The rollout creates a direct tension with Time Warner's concurrent plan to test monthly data transfer caps, leaving unresolved whether HBO streaming would count against those limits.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Netflix Offers All-You-Can-Eat Streaming Movies

Netflix launched unlimited streaming for all subscribers starting at $8.99 per month, offering over 6,000 movies and TV episodes from a library that otherwise spans 90,000 DVD titles. A joint announcement with LG Electronics revealed plans to embed Netflix streaming directly into LG HDTVs and potentially high-def DVD players, eliminating the need for a set-top box or PC in the living room. The service currently lacks HD content, but competitive pressure from Apple and Blockbuster is expected to accelerate both title expansion and HD availability.

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HD DVDBlu-rayHome Theater

HDTV Almanac - HD DVD: Toshiba Fires Back?

Toshiba slashed prices on its HD DVD player lineup following Warner Brothers' exclusive commitment to Blu-ray, with the entry-level HD-A3 dropping to $149.99 and the 1080p-capable HD-A30 at $199.99. Toshiba also claimed over 80% share of notebook computers with hi-def DVD drives in Q4 2007, though that figure likely reflects Toshiba's laptop market position rather than genuine format preference. Whether the cuts signal a competitive counteroffensive or a clearance strategy, consumers weighing hi-def disc players may want to consider emerging Internet-based movie delivery services as a format-agnostic alternative.

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LCD TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - CES 2008: Bye-bye 37″

The 37-inch LCD HDTV panel is being phased out by major manufacturers, as the minimal cost difference between 37-inch and 42-inch panels makes producing both sizes economically unviable. Manufacturers are consolidating around 32-inch and 42-inch models to give consumers meaningful price differentiation. For buyers, this means the 37-inch option will soon disappear from store shelves, leaving the 32-inch and 42-inch sizes as the practical choices for personal and living room use respectively.

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HDTV Almanac - CES 2008: iPod Your JVC HDTV

JVC's P Series LCD HDTVs, unveiled at CES 2008, span 32 to 52 inches with three of the four models offering 1080p resolution and all featuring three HDMI inputs. The standout TeleDock is a front-mounted flip-down tray that integrates iPod docking with remote control navigation via a dedicated control-wheel button layout, enabling music, video, and photo playback with track and artist metadata displayed on screen. For iPod owners in compact living spaces, this built-in dock with passive recharging offers a practical consolidation of entertainment devices.

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HDTV Almanac - CES 2008: Wide Open Spaces

Ostendo Technologies showcased a 42-inch curved prototype display at CES 2008, featuring a 2,880 by 900 pixel resolution driven by four Texas Instruments DLP imager chips with LED lighting. The curved geometry eliminates the need to refocus when shifting gaze across the screen, reducing eye fatigue during extended use - a practical advantage over flat multi-monitor setups. Initially targeting gamers and power users, the display raises broader questions about how future video consumption may move beyond traditional TV and cinema formats.

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Plasma TVsEvents & Trade Shows

HDTV Almanac - CES 2008: Panasonic Goes Long!

Panasonic unveiled a 150-inch plasma monitor prototype at CES 2008, measuring roughly 11 feet wide and delivering quad-1080p resolution, equivalent to tiling nine 50-inch panels in a 3-by-3 matrix. The company also demonstrated a 50-inch plasma panel under one inch thick and weighing just 48 pounds, positioning itself against Pioneer's 9 mm thin-panel benchmark. For consumers and industry watchers, the demos signal that Panasonic remains firmly committed to advancing plasma technology despite competitors exiting the market.

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3DTVEvents & Trade Shows

HDTV Almanac - CES 2008: 3D HDTV

At CES 2008, multiple manufacturers unveiled 3D-capable flat panel displays, including SpectronIQ's LCD HDTVs in 32", 42", and 47" sizes slated for release the following month, and ZALMAN's 3D LCD monitors ranging from 19" to 32". LCD-based models rely on polarized glasses to separate left and right images, while Samsung's plasma and rear-projection HDTVs use heavier LCD shutter glasses. Gamers represent the most immediate market, given that 3D spatial data has been native to PC games for over a decade, with home 3D movie viewing as a secondary but less certain opportunity.

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Events & Trade Shows

HDTV Almanac - CES 2008: Four Themes

At CES 2008, four major trends are reshaping the HDTV market: ultra-thin panels highlighted by Pioneer's 50-inch plasma measuring just 9 mm thick and weighing 41 pounds, wireless signal delivery via protocols like Wireless HD and powerline connections, Internet-connected TV features including streaming content and on-screen widgets for weather and stock data, and manufacturer 'green' initiatives such as dynamic LCD backlight dimming for energy savings. These developments signal a meaningful shift in how consumers will install, use, and interact with their televisions in the near term.

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Events & Trade ShowsLaser TVs

HDTV Almanac - CES 2008: Laser TV — Too Little, Too Late?

Mitsubishi unveiled a prototype 50-inch, 1080p Laser TV at CES 2008, positioning it as a new display category rather than rear projection, with a chassis roughly 10 inches deep suitable for shelf or wall mounting. The prototype demonstrated deep blacks and vivid colors with no visible speckle at 15 feet, but exhibited noticeable posterization artifacts on color gradient images, signaling unfinished image processing. With no confirmed pricing or firm ship date beyond a vague 'later this year' target, consumers considering this laser-based alternative to flat panels will need to wait for a retail-ready product before drawing conclusions.

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Home TheaterBlu-rayHD DVD

HDTV Almanac - CES 2008: Blu-ray Bombshell

Warner Brothers' announcement at CES 2008 that it will exclusively release high-definition titles in Blu-ray format starting May 2008 marks a potentially decisive shift in the HD format war, leaving HD DVD without support from the only major studio that had backed both formats in the U.S. market. HD DVD players had posted strong Q4 2007 sales partly due to their lower price point compared to Blu-ray hardware, yet Warner's defection severely limits the format's content library at retail. For U.S. consumers, the practical consequence is that HD DVD's shelf presence at major retailers like Best Buy may become untenable.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - Look Ma! No Wires! (again)

Westinghouse Digital is set to demonstrate a wireless HDTV at CES using Wireless HDMI technology, eliminating the need for video and audio cables between the display and source components, with only an AC power connection required at the set. This approach directly addresses the cable management headache that plagues wall-mounted flat panel installations. If priced competitively, wireless HDMI-equipped displays could become the preferred choice for consumers seeking a cleaner, simpler home theater setup.

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IPTV

HDTV Almanac - IPTV: Who Will Pay?

Internet video advertising is projected to reach $1.6 billion in the U.S. this year, representing roughly one dollar out of every fifteen spent on total Internet advertising. For context, traditional television captured $72 billion in ad revenue in 2006, meaning broadcast TV commanded approximately 45 times more advertising spend than IPTV is forecast to receive now. For consumers, this growing advertiser commitment to IPTV signals an expanding slate of free, ad-supported streaming options from services like Joost and broadcast network sites in 2008.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: HDTV for the Road

Selecting an HDTV for a tractor-trailer cab requires balancing temperature extremes, road vibration, and 12V DC power compatibility, all of which point toward LCD as the only practical display technology in the 15-to-20-inch range. Plasma panels are unavailable below 30 inches, and CRTs are too bulky and heavy for the application. Marine-grade LCD HDTVs offer ruggedized housings and native 12V DC support, making them a more reliable choice than consumer models despite the higher cost.

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HD DVDBlu-rayHome Theater PC (HTPC)

HDTV Almanac - High-Def DVD Hybrids in PCs

An ABI Research report predicts universal HD DVD drives will represent two-thirds of high-definition optical drives in PCs and notebooks by 2012, with hybrid Blu-ray/HD DVD combo drives expected to reach Blu-ray-only pricing parity by 2009. The author challenges this outlook, arguing that if Blu-ray components drive the cost of combo drives, standalone HD DVD drives could be built at roughly half the price, creating a decisive cost advantage in budget PC configurations. That price gap could push millions of PC buyers into the HD DVD camp, pressuring studios to abandon Blu-ray exclusivity.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Half of US Homes Have DTVs

The Consumer Electronics Association reported that over 50% of U.S. households now own digital televisions, a milestone framed as progress toward the 2009 digital broadcast transition. However, since roughly 75% of homes receive programming via cable or satellite rather than over-the-air signals, the digital tuner requirement is largely irrelevant for most viewers. The remaining 25% relying on free over-the-air broadcasts are disproportionately lower-income households, raising questions about whether the transition readiness gap is more serious than the headline figure implies.

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HDTV Almanac - Wireless Networked HDTVs

Zepto's Helios LCD line brings wireless Windows Media Center connectivity to HDTVs, with a 720p 32-inch and a 1080p 40-inch model priced above $3,000 in Europe. These sets allow access to locally stored photos, music, and video alongside Internet-streamed content, bypassing traditional over-the-air, cable, and satellite sources. If costs drop to a reasonable premium, wireless network connectivity could realistically become a standard feature on most HDTVs.

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LCD TVsPlasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - More Talk about 32″ Plasma TVs

Emerging low-cost 32-inch plasma panels from brands like Proview, targeting markets originally in China and India, are being positioned as alternatives to scarce 32-inch LCD HDTVs in the U.S. market, but a critical distinction is being overlooked: these plasma sets are EDTV resolution, not HDTV, with LG's 32PC5RV delivering only 852x480 pixels. Unlike their LCD counterparts, small plasma panels are technically difficult and costly to manufacture at high resolutions, making true HD impractical at this size. Buyers drawn in by flat-panel pricing could end up with a noticeably inferior picture compared to a neighbor's genuine HD LCD.

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LCD TVsStandards

HDTV Almanac - Gravity Exerts Control over LCD HDTV Production

Matsushita, Hitachi, and Canon have announced a manufacturing alliance for LCD panels, following similar partnerships between Sony/Samsung and Sharp/Toshiba, signaling accelerating consolidation in the flat panel HDTV market. Panasonic, the world leader in plasma displays, gains a strategic hedge as LCDs continue eroding plasma market share across nearly all screen sizes. For consumers and industry watchers, this realignment of production alliances will likely shape which brands remain competitive in the increasingly crowded flat panel display market.

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HDTV Almanac - Happy Holidays!

The HDTV Almanac closes out 2007 with a holiday message from author Alfred, who notes that 2008 is expected to bring significant shifts to the HDTV market. The brief also mentions an upcoming radio interview on 'Into Tomorrow' with Dave Graveline covering HDTV topics. Readers following the high-definition television space can expect continued coverage of emerging changes as the format evolves in the new year.

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Projection HDMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - The Sony RPTV Shoe Drops

Sony has announced it will cease production of its rear projection HDTV lineup, including its SXRD (LCoS) models, despite holding second place in that market segment. Rear projection sets offer 1080p displays in the 50-to-70-inch range at significantly lower prices than LCD or plasma flat panels, yet consumer preference for flat panels persists regardless of cost savings. The remaining hope for the category rests on LaserTV technology expected at CES 2008, and Sony's exit creates a closeout opportunity for buyers seeking high-performance HDTVs at reduced prices.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Thin is In

Sharp is pursuing a strategy of halving flat panel HDTV thickness to justify premium pricing and counter annual price erosion of 20% to 30%, but the approach faces a skeptical market. Most consumers do not wall-mount their sets, making reduced depth largely imperceptible during normal front-facing viewing. Value-focused brands like Vizio, Olevia, and Westinghouse demonstrate that competitive pricing with full-featured standard models - not industrial design refinements - is the more effective path in a price-sensitive, growing HDTV market.

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Gaming

HDTV Almanac - Gamers Get HDTV

A Nielsen survey reveals that 71% of PS3 owners connect their consoles to HDTVs, compared to 66% of Xbox 360 and 65% of Wii owners. The PS3's slight lead is attributed to its premium positioning and built-in Blu-ray player, making it the only console of the three to include a high-definition disc format. For consumers, the data suggests that game console adoption is a meaningful driver of HDTV purchases across all three major platforms.

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HD DVDHome Theater PC (HTPC)Blu-ray

HDTV Almanac - High Def DVD for Your PC

Addonics has released the Zebra Blu-ray/HD DVD Player, an external drive that reads both high-definition disc formats and supports read/write functionality for most DVD and CD media. The drive ships in two configurations: a USB 2.0 plus external SATA model at $429, and a SATA-only version at $409. For enthusiasts building home media center PCs, this dual-format drive offers a practical path to HDTV playback without committing to a single HD format.

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DTV TransitionPolitics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - FCC Gets Ready for DTV Converters

The NTIA has certified the first 100 retailers, representing roughly 15,000 outlets, to accept $40 government coupons for analog-to-digital converter boxes ahead of the February 17, 2009 analog broadcast shutoff. Households can request up to two coupons between January 1 and March 31, 2008, with a 90-day redemption window, though no eligibility requirements apply to the initial funding round. Importantly, the converter box does not enable HDTV output - it only allows older analog sets to receive digital broadcasts, with high-definition content scaled down to match the display's native resolution.

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HD DVDBlu-rayMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - HD DVD Preferred in New Study

A Diffusion Group study of first-time HDTV buyers planning a purchase within six months shows 43% prefer HD DVD versus 27% for Blu-ray, with 30% undecided. This second wave of buyers skews younger with lower incomes and prioritizes price over technical specs, contrasting with early adopters who favored Blu-ray's higher storage capacity. The author argues that as prices drop in 2008, cost-conscious mainstream consumers will shift the format war decisively toward HD DVD.

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ManufacturingOLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - Another Setback for OLED

Toshiba has shelved its plan to ship 30-inch OLED HDTVs in 2009, citing prohibitive mass-production costs and unresolved material issues including differential aging that make large-panel OLED impractical at scale. The company will redirect its OLED efforts toward small mobile display panels, where lower usage hours reduce the impact of aging degradation. Samsung remains the only manufacturer publicly committed to a large-screen OLED HDTV, targeting a 42-inch model by 2010, though that timeline carries significant uncertainty.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - 1080p: Is It Worth It?

The debate between 720p and 1080p HDTV resolution hinges on viewing distance and screen size: at 8 feet from a 50-inch display, the human visual system cannot resolve the finer pixel structure of a 1080p image, making the formats appear identical. However, 1080p holds practical advantages because most HDTV broadcast content is delivered in 1080i, eliminating the signal degradation caused by downscaling, and emerging high-definition disc sources will reward the higher native resolution over a 5-to-10-year ownership window. With 42-inch 1080p LCD sets now available under $1,000, the resolution premium is minimal provided buyers select a screen large enough to actually leverage the added detail.

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HDTV Almanac - Panasonic Offers HDTV Concierge Service for Free

Panasonic has reopened its 'Plasma Concierge' toll-free advisory service (1-888-777-1170) to the general public through February 3, 2008, offering guidance on HDTV selection based on viewing habits and room size. The service covers Panasonic's full lineup including plasma, LCD, and rear projection HDTVs, though the 'Plasma Concierge' branding raises questions about whether callers will be steered toward plasma solutions. Consumers can use this free resource as a starting point for HDTV research, keeping in mind that the advice reflects Panasonic's commercial interests rather than impartial guidance.

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IPTVStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Voyager TV on the Go

US Telematics' Voyager service delivers streaming IPTV content to vehicles using EVDO or WiMax wireless broadband connections, with VGA-resolution panels that fall short of HDTV quality. Certain configurations also enable a mobile WiFi hotspot, allowing passengers to browse the web and check email while traveling. For families already equipped with in-car LCD screens, Voyager represents a shift from pre-loaded media to live streaming content, though display resolution remains a limiting factor.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - R.I.P. CompUSA

CompUSA, which had already closed roughly half its locations earlier in 2007, has handed its remaining stores to liquidator Gordon Brothers Group, signaling a full retail collapse. The chain's aggressive bet on HDTV floor space and flat panel displays failed to generate sufficient revenue to compete against dominant retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, and Costco. Shoppers may find short-term discounts during the liquidation, but the broader takeaway is accelerating consolidation among smaller HDTV specialty retailers over the next one to two years.

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Gaming

HDTV Almanac - HDTV? Game On!

The Sharp LC-32GP3U is a 1080p Aquos LCD HDTV featuring three HDMI 1.3 connectors, a 6 ms response time, and a proprietary 'Vyper Drive' mode designed to minimize input lag by reducing video processing on synthesized game console signals. Available in black, white, and wine red with a swivel stand, the set targets gamers who want a display optimized for responsiveness rather than broadcast processing. Its existence signals that console owners represent a meaningful and growing segment of the broader HDTV market.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: Digital TV Conversion Rebates

The U.S. government's $40 coupon program for digital-to-analog converter boxes applies only to over-the-air analog TV viewers, not to buyers of new HDTV sets. Converter boxes will not upgrade picture quality to HD resolution; they simply allow existing analog sets to receive digital broadcast signals. Readers who qualify should consider timing their coupon request carefully, as 90-day coupon expiration windows and falling retail prices by late 2008 could make the converter box nearly free.

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Laser TVsProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - Good News for Laser TV

Mitsubishi is expected to unveil Laser TVs at CES 2008, signaling renewed momentum for a display technology that uses solid-state lasers as a light source, eliminating the need for costly periodic lamp replacements. The coherent laser beam delivers more light to the screen with fewer optical components, reducing parts cost and enabling thinner chassis designs compared to conventional rear-projection sets. For consumers eyeing large-format HDTVs, these efficiency and cost advantages make Laser TV a technology worth watching as it moves closer to retail availability.

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HDTV Almanac - Useless HDTV Reviews

A critical column examines a newspaper roundup that named three HDTVs as the best among 300 current models, including the Philips 32PFL7332D with Ambilight, the Pioneer Kuro plasma line, and the Panasonic PT-AX200U front projector, without providing measurable evaluation criteria. Vague descriptors like 'decent upscaling of standard-def content' are called out for lacking any comparative methodology or objective testing across display types including plasma, LCD, and rear projection. Readers are advised to assess HDTVs against their own needs and budget rather than relying on unsupported editorial picks.

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HDTV Almanac - Powerline networks have promise

The Corinex AV200 Powerline Ethernet Wall Mount F turns any standard power outlet into a 200 Mbps network node, roughly 10 times the bandwidth required for broadcast HDTV signals, at a list price of $124 per unit. This approach sidesteps the cost and complexity of running dedicated signal cables through walls for wall-mounted flat panel HDTVs. For consumers eyeing IP-delivered video and devices like Slingbox, powerline networking offers a practical wired alternative without new infrastructure.

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LED TVs

HDTV Almanac - Samsung Ships 81 Series with LED Backlights

Samsung's 81 Series LCD HDTVs, available in four screen sizes from 40 to 57 inches, replace traditional CCFL backlights with LED arrays that enable local dimming - a feature Samsung brands as 'Smart Lighting' - to achieve deeper black levels in dark image regions. The included 'LED Motion Plus' technology strobes the backlight on and off to reduce motion blur. These two backlight innovations offer practical benefits in both picture quality and potential energy savings compared to conventional always-on LCD backlights.

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HDTV Almanac - What's on Tonight?

A national study by Gemstar-TV Guide International and Comcast reveals that 80% of respondents rely on electronic program guides (EPGs) to decide what to watch, with 67% making that decision only after sitting down at the television. DVR adoption is a key factor in this behavior, shifting viewing habits away from scheduled broadcast times toward on-demand selection. Notably, 40% of viewers who saw a pay-per-view ad in the guide ordered the content, suggesting EPG advertising could rival traditional commercial interruptions as a primary revenue model.

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Laser TVsProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - Laser TV a No Show?

Laser TV, a rear-projection HDTV technology using solid-state lasers as a permanent light source, promised thinner chassis and lower costs by eliminating the traditional projection lamp and simplifying optics. Despite commitments from Mitsubishi, Samsung, and the Arastor/Novalux partnership announced in October 2006, no Laser TV units shipped before the end of 2007. Consumers considering a new display will need to wait for CES prototypes before Laser TV becomes a realistic alternative to plasma or LCD flat panels.

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Cable HDSatellite HD

HDTV Almanac - Changing Times for Cable

Cable companies face mounting pressure from regulatory and competitive forces, as the FCC's determination that 70 percent of US consumers have access to cable triggers additional oversight powers and mandates competitor access in large apartment buildings. Satellite providers like DirecTV are aggressively expanding HD capacity, promising 100 HD channels by year-end with a roadmap to 150 national and 1,500 local HD channels, while telcos build out high-bandwidth fiber optic networks. Cable operators, constrained by legacy infrastructure with limited bandwidth, risk over-compressing HD signals while simultaneously funding costly network upgrades to retain subscribers.

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Home TheaterHD DVDBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - High Def DVD: The Votes Are In!

Amazon's 'Customer Vote' promotion pitted the Toshiba HD-A35 HD DVD player at $149 against the TiVo HD Video Recorder at $149 and the Samsung BD-1400 Blu-ray player at $249, with the Toshiba unit capturing 41% of votes compared to 36% for TiVo and 23% for the Samsung. The price gap between the $149 HD DVD player and the $249 Blu-ray deck appears to be a significant factor in consumer preference. For readers tracking the HD DVD vs. Blu-ray format war, this informal but large-scale consumer data point suggests price sensitivity may be shaping early adopter choices.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Truth Patrol: It’s Not 1080p

The Hitachi P42H401 42-inch plasma, marketed as '1080p' in a Yahoo!/PC World Black Friday deal at $776.99, actually has a native resolution of 1024 columns by 1080 lines, falling well short of the 1920x1080 pixels required for true 1080p output. Even Hitachi's own spec sheet avoids the '1080p' label, using the ambiguous term 'HD1080' instead. Shoppers evaluating holiday HDTV deals should verify native panel resolution specs directly rather than relying on retailer or media descriptions.

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Deals

HDTV Almanac - Free HDTVs from Verizon

Verizon FiOS, a television service delivered over a fiber optic network, is offering new subscribers a free 19-inch Sharp Aquos HDTV or a $200 Best Buy gift certificate as a sign-up incentive. The promotion runs through at least December 15 and is available in select markets across eight states including New York, New Jersey, and Virginia. For consumers in eligible areas who also want high-speed broadband bundled with TV service, the FiOS package may offer stronger long-term value than competing satellite deals.

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HDTV Almanac - Look Ma! No Wires!

The LG 52LG71 is a 52-inch LCD TV with built-in 802.11n WiFi, enabling wireless transmission of HD content without physical cable connections to set-top boxes or DVD players. This high-speed wireless standard provides enough bandwidth to handle HD video streams reliably. For consumers, the practical payoff is simplified component placement and the longer-term potential for TVs to access web-based video, music, and networked home media without the constraints of cable routing or connector compatibility.

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LED TVs

HDTV Almanac - A Really WIDE Screen TV

Mitsubishi's Resolia is a 140-inch diagonal LED display that uses discrete LEDs rather than an LCD panel with LED backlighting, and ships in two large modules to ease installation. Despite its massive size, the display tops out at 768x448 resolution, which falls short of HD and barely covers wide standard definition, though it can accept and downscale HD signals. With a price just under $600,000 and only 200 units planned for production, the Resolia is firmly a commercial or large-venue proposition rather than a consumer purchase.

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HD DVDHome TheaterMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - High Def DVD: What Goes Down...

The Toshiba HD-A3 HD DVD player launches at $199.99, matching the discounted price that cleared HD-A2 inventory at major retailers, and includes five free HD DVD titles valued at roughly $150. Priced below both competing Blu-ray players and the PlayStation 3, the HD-A3 establishes a new entry-level benchmark for high-definition disc playback. For consumers weighing format options, this price gap makes HD DVD a significantly more accessible choice heading into the critical holiday sales window.

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ProgrammingSatellite HD

HDTV Almanac - HDTV: Far Out!

DirecTV has announced a promotional offer to outfit the International Space Station's new living quarters with a 42-inch HDTV, an HD DVR, and live HDTV service. The company also used the stunt to highlight its roadmap of delivering more than 100 HD channels before year-end, a milestone that would significantly expand viewing options for subscribers. A velcro-wrapped remote control addresses the practical challenge of zero-gravity environments, underscoring the creative lengths satellite providers will go to differentiate their HD offerings.

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DealsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Black Friday Intelligence

Retailers are shifting Black Friday strategies ahead of the 2007 holiday season, with CompUSA opening Thanksgiving night from 9 PM to midnight and featuring deals such as a 50-inch Zenith Z50PX2D plasma television for $999. Wal-Mart threatened legal action against ad leakers while simultaneously planning early online disclosure of its own sales, reflecting a broader industry push to capture consumer spending before competitors. With credit tightening and stock market volatility dampening consumer confidence, shoppers willing to monitor retailer websites early may find the best discounts before Black Friday itself.

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IPTV

HDTV Almanac - Seen Joost Lately?

Joost, an early IPTV platform, delivered noticeably improved resolution and reduced compression artifacts compared to competing Internet TV services like Shoutcast TV, making it a compelling free alternative to subscription-based viewing. The platform offered a broad content library spanning sports, music, movies, and short films organized into user-curated channel collections, with brief pre-roll ads as the only trade-off. For viewers, this represented a practical shift toward on-demand living room TV without the cost barrier of traditional pay services.

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LCD TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Samsung Gen 11: 70″ LCD HDTVs

Samsung's LCD Technology Center has announced plans for a Gen 11 fabrication plant using 3,200 by 3,600 millimeter glass substrates, optimized to produce 70-inch LCD HDTVs. The move is a strategic response to competitive pressure from lower-cost Taiwanese and Chinese manufacturers dominating smaller screen sizes, pushing Samsung into larger formats where plasma currently holds an advantage. For consumers, meaningful adoption of 70-inch LCD sets will likely require prices to drop well below $2,000, a threshold the author considers a prerequisite for mainstream appeal.

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HDTV Almanac - HDTV Consumers Still Confused

A Leichtman Research Group study reveals that roughly 25% of U.S. households own an HDTV-capable television, yet only 53% of those subscribers have an active HD service via cable, satellite, or over-the-air broadcast, leaving nearly half without true HD content. Compounding the confusion, many owners mistakenly believe upconverting DVD players produce genuine high-definition output. The practical takeaway is that point-of-sale education and peer guidance remain critical gaps in closing the divide between HDTV ownership and actual HD viewing.

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Projection HDMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - More Bad News for Rear Projection

Hitachi is exiting the North American rear projection HDTV market after shipments collapsed from 340,000 units in 2006 to just 30,000 units in 2007, with its Mexican factories now shuttered. Competing manufacturers including Samsung and Panasonic are pursuing solid-state lighting alternatives such as high-brightness LEDs and LIFI microwave plasma to address lamp reliability and cost concerns. Despite rear projection still offering the best cost-per-inch value for large screens, weak consumer demand is forcing smaller-volume brands to narrow their product focus as a survival strategy.

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HDTV Almanac - Verizon to Boost HD Channels

Verizon FiOS is targeting 150 HD channels and more than 1,000 HD on-demand movies by end of 2008, leveraging its fiber optic network's superior bandwidth to reduce video compression compared to satellite and cable rivals. DirecTV counters with H.264 (MPEG4) compression, which improves on MPEG2 by shrinking data streams with less image quality loss, but still faces inherent satellite bandwidth constraints. For viewers, the real differentiator may not be raw channel counts but whether FiOS delivers measurably better picture quality due to less aggressive signal compression.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Consumer Reports: Flat Panels are Reliable

A Consumer Reports study found that LCD and plasma HDTVs achieve roughly a 3% repair rate, with the Panasonic TH-50PZ700U plasma earning the lowest failure rate among tested models. Rear-projection sets fared significantly worse at an 18% repair rate, with projection lamp failures accounting for about a quarter of warranty-period repairs. Buyers considering rear-projection HDTVs may find the premium for solid-state light source models - such as Samsung LED or Panasonic LIFI variants - justified by avoiding costly lamp replacements.

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OLED TVsStandards

HDTV Almanac - Samsung to Build OLED HDTVs

Samsung's executive vice president announced plans to produce 42-inch OLED HDTVs by 2010, following an aggressive roadmap of 7-inch panels in 2008 and 21-inch panels in 2009. Sony's current 11-inch OLED panel, just 3 mm thick, offers a glimpse of the technology's potential, but significant material and manufacturing challenges remain for large-format OLED production. Skepticism is warranted given the industry's history of unfulfilled display technology promises, most notably Canon's repeatedly delayed SED rollout.

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HD DVDHome Theater

HDTV Almanac - Did You Get a $100 HD DVD Player?

The Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD player briefly sold at Wal-Mart for $98.87 in a one-day limited promotion, with Best Buy subsequently matching that price for remaining inventory. Stock has largely sold out at retail, though eBay listings show units moving for $100 to $120 shipped. Price points at this level are seen as a critical threshold for driving mainstream consumer adoption of high-definition disc formats.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - 270″ Plasma HDTV?

Shinoda Plasma is developing modular plasma displays up to 270 inches (nearly 20 feet wide), using individual RGB phosphor tubes assembled into large arrays rather than traditional multi-channel plasma panels. The 142-inch models already weigh approximately 132 pounds, and the technology targets 720p resolution with six-figure price tags, limiting practical deployment to high-profile installations. For those who can accommodate the scale, applications like immersive wall-sized teleconferencing environments illustrate the compelling potential of this format.

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HD DVDHome TheaterBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Hi-Def DVD under $200

The Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD player has dropped below $200 for the first time, with Circuit City listing it at $197.99 with free shipping, a price point no Blu-ray player can match. The second-generation HD-A2 carries some feature limitations ahead of its replacement by the HD-A3, but the aggressive pricing signals a broader retail strategy of inventory-clearing discounts entering the holiday season. For consumers, this price gap could decisively shift player sales toward HD DVD and erode Blu-ray's early lead built on PS3 adoption.

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Plasma TVsMarket Trends & AnalysisLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Bright Future for Plasma?

Plasma HDTV technology faces competitive pressure from LCD, but new efficiency research shows prototype panels achieving 5 lumens per watt (double the current 2.5 lm/W standard), with test panels reaching 10 lm/W potentially by 2010. A Panasonic white paper projects that a 50-inch 1080p plasma panel at 10 lm/W efficiency could cost roughly one-third the price of an equivalent LCD panel, a significant manufacturing cost advantage. However, Pioneer's concurrent announcement of a 12% production cut and continued unprofitable plasma operations tempers any near-term optimism.

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OTA Set-Top Boxes (STBs)

HDTV Almanac - SneakerNet DVR

SanDisk's SansaTake TV is a USB solid-state storage device that bridges PC-based video content and television playback without requiring a home network or a PC in the living room. The device connects to a computer for content transfer, then docks directly to a TV for playback, offering a plug-and-play alternative to wired or wireless networking setups. For consumers already comfortable with physical media like DVDs, this interim solution addresses a real usability gap while web-aware televisions remain unavailable.

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ManufacturingLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - LCD HDTV: Through the Window?

Samsung demonstrated a 19-inch LCD panel at FPD International 2007 in Yokohama that uses ordinary window glass as the substrate, replacing the specialized glass that currently accounts for roughly 60% of Corning's supply business. This substitution targets a meaningful reduction in material costs for LCD panel manufacturing. If production panels achieve equivalent display performance at lower cost, the technology could make LCD HDTVs more competitively priced for consumers.

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Streaming HDOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - NBC Bails on YouTube

NBC has withdrawn its promotional clips from YouTube ahead of the planned October launch of Hulu, a joint streaming venture with News Corp set to deliver full-length NBC and Fox episodes online. The move follows a back-and-forth relationship with YouTube over copyrighted content, illustrating the unresolved tension between Hollywood's broadcast model and internet video distribution. For viewers, the practical gap remains clear: streaming a missed Grey's Anatomy episode on ABC's website works, but the experience only becomes a true DVR replacement when web video is as seamless on a living room TV as it is on a computer.

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HDTV Almanac - The End of HDTV Cables?

IBM and MediaTek are co-developing mmWave (millimeter wavelength) wireless chips capable of transmitting data at up to 2 Gbits per second, fast enough to carry 1080i or 720p video signals in real time. Commercial availability remains at least three years away, with no prototype timeline announced. If mmWave reaches market, it could eliminate the need for HDMI and other physical cables in home entertainment setups, simplifying device interconnection significantly.

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HD DVDBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Blu-ray? HD DVD? You CAN Choose!

HD DVD and Blu-ray exclusivity agreements with Hollywood studios may matter less than advertised, since international distributors in markets like Europe are free to release titles in either format regardless of US deals. Crucially, HD DVDs lack the region-coding restrictions built into standard DVDs and Blu-ray discs, meaning US consumers can import European releases without compatibility barriers. A Wall Street Journal report noted that most major high-definition titles available overseas appear to favor HD DVD, offering practical import options for format-conscious buyers.

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HDTV Almanac - Is Service the Key to HDTV Sales?

Philips has launched the Simplicity Advantage Program, a tiered service plan covering TVs 26 inches and under with free replacement within the first 30 days of purchase, and sets 37 inches or larger with lifetime technical support and next-day in-home repair. The program notably excludes 32-inch models, a gap the author flags as a potential red flag for buyers. For consumers navigating a crowded HDTV market, this kind of post-purchase support could meaningfully reduce the risk of investing in a high-cost display.

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Streaming HDOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - The Daily Show Archives Online!

Comedy Central has made 13,000 archived video clips from 'The Daily Show' freely available on the program's official website, complete with keyword search and a timeline interface that lets viewers navigate content around specific historical events. The archive functions much like a cross-indexed TiVo library with instant on-demand playback, eliminating the need for low-quality YouTube recordings. For viewers who rely on Jon Stewart's program as a primary news source, this represents a searchable, high-quality alternative to broadcast archives.

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DTV TransitionStandards

HDTV Almanac - FCC Fines for Analog-Only TV Sales

The FCC has begun fining retailers up to $8,000 per model per store for failing to display required disclaimers on analog-only televisions that will lose over-the-air reception after the February 17, 2009 digital broadcast cutoff. Spot checks across thousands of stores turned up fewer than a dozen violations, suggesting broad industry compliance, while Best Buy opted to stop selling analog-only sets entirely. Consumers with cable or satellite are unaffected, and a forthcoming $40 government rebate toward a digital converter box means analog set owners have a practical, low-cost path forward.

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LCoS TVsProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - End of the Road for Another LCoS

Syntax-Brillian has shuttered its LCoS operations, ending development of the Olevia 665H, a 65-inch 1080p LCoS rear-projection HDTV that had been priced at $1,999 and previewed at CEDIA 2007. The company traced a long lineage from Colorado Microdisplay through multiple rebrands, joining Philips among notable LCoS exits, while Sony and JVC remain the primary players in the microdisplay panel segment. For consumers, the promising budget-priced large-screen LCoS option is effectively off the table unless a buyer acquires the 665H design.

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Satellite HD

HDTV Almanac - Satellite Merger?

A potential merger between DirecTV and EchoStar's DISH Network satellite television services is gaining renewed attention after a similar proposal was blocked on anti-trust grounds in 2002, with regulators now evaluating monopoly status within the broader competitive landscape that includes cable and telco providers. EchoStar's recent acquisition of SlingBox adds further strategic rationale for consolidation. A combined entity could gain the leverage needed to negotiate broadband partnerships and better compete against bundled triple-play offerings from cable and telephone companies.

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HD DVDBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Tipping Point for HD DVD?

Toshiba's plan to ship more than 5 million HD DVD drives in notebooks by 2008 could shift the high-definition disc format war, with HD DVD-equipped laptop prices dropping from $3,000 to under $1,000 by Christmas. These drives double as DVD SuperMulti units capable of writing standard recordable DVD and CD media, adding practical data backup utility. With notebooks projected to outsell desktops for the first time in 2008, Toshiba's volume strategy could erode Blu-ray's PlayStation 3 installed-base advantage while further widening HD DVD's price edge.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - More Big Screens from Olevia

Syntax-Brillian has expanded its Olevia LCD HDTV lineup with two new 1080p models: the 47-inch 247TFHD at $1,999 and the 65-inch 265TFHD at $6,995, both featuring dual HDMI inputs and thin bezel designs, with the 65-inch unit using a Sharp-sourced panel. Distribution placements at Costco and Target signal a direct challenge to Vizio's retail dominance in the warehouse club segment. Notably, the 47-inch flat panel carries the same $1,999 price as Olevia's own 65-inch LCoS rear-projection set, illustrating how much consumers are paying for flat panel form factor over screen size.

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LCD TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - LCD HDTV Wins

DisplayBank forecasts global TV shipments will rise 50% from 196 million to 290 million units by 2015, with LCD's share climbing from 38% to 66% of the market. A key driver is LCD's price competitiveness across screen sizes, as the average selling price of a 52-inch 1080p LCD has fallen below that of a 50-inch 1080p plasma HDTV. For buyers, this means LCD is increasingly the default choice at nearly every price point and screen size, with only a major breakthrough in plasma or OLED technology likely to alter that trajectory.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - 2007: When to Buy Your HDTV?

Written in late 2007, this market forecast examines HDTV pricing dynamics heading into the holiday season, noting that flat-panel prices had held relatively stable over the summer while retailers like Best Buy and Wal-Mart were aggressively expanding their HDTV lineups. The author argues that macroeconomic pressures - rising interest rates, tightening credit, and recession fears - would suppress consumer spending enough to force manufacturers and retailers to slash margins around Black Friday. Shoppers willing to wait through late December could find even deeper discounts as retailers sought to avoid carrying excess inventory into 2008.

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StandardsDTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Truth Patrol: EDTV is Analog?

A correction to a widely circulated claim that EDTV is an analog format: EDTV, whether defined as 480p standard or widescreen 848x480 pixels, requires a digital signal and cannot be transmitted over analog broadcast. Federal regulations mandate that all new televisions include a digital tuner, and any EDTV equipped with one will continue functioning after the February 17, 2009 analog shutoff. Consumers should understand that tuner type, not display resolution standard, determines post-transition compatibility.

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Home TheaterHD DVDBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Hi-Def DVD: Confusion Aplenty

A market research firm, DisplaySearch, issued a formal correction after incorrectly implying Blu-ray Disc held exclusive retail partnerships with Target and Blockbuster, when in fact HD DVD titles were available in approximately 250 Blockbuster locations and Toshiba and Microsoft HD DVD players were sold at Target. The correction highlights how Blu-ray's promotional messaging, while technically accurate, was framed to suggest exclusivity that did not exist. For consumers and industry observers tracking the HD DVD vs. Blu-ray format war, this serves as a reminder to scrutinize press releases rather than accept implied claims at face value.

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Buying Guides

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Guide Now Available in Paperback

Professor Poor's Guide to Buying HDTV has been released in a Second Edition, now available in both paperback and ebook formats, with the paperback carrying ISBN 978-0-9651975-2-6. The paperback edition contains identical content to the electronic version, with the key difference that illustrations are reproduced in black and white rather than color. Readers who prefer a physical reference for navigating the fall HDTV buying season can order directly from Amazon or through local bookstores via Ingram distribution.

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HDTV Almanac - Best Buy Survey: Buyers Confused by HDTV

A Best Buy survey found that 89% of HDTV buyers lacked a complete understanding of the technology they purchased, while 48% failed to budget adequately for the full HD experience. A significant portion of HDTV owners are not receiving an actual HD signal, often without realizing it, because they have not subscribed to HD cable or satellite service. For consumers considering HD satellite, the choice between DISH Network and DirecTV remains a practical next step worth examining.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Truth Patrol: Radioactive HDTVs?

A misconception published in Nigerian press claimed plasma displays contain radioactive gases with a measurable half-life, but plasma panels actually use inert gas mixtures such as argon and neon, which carry no radioactivity. The confusion stems from conflating the display industry's use of 'half-life' to describe luminance decay (the point at which brightness drops to 50% of original output) with nuclear half-life. Modern plasma panels now achieve longevity comparable to traditional CRT televisions, making the radioactivity concern entirely unfounded.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - All I Want for Christmas is My HDTV

A 2007 Research and Markets survey placed HDTVs at the top of holiday wish lists, displacing digital cameras from the number-one spot they held in 2006. Falling panel prices are driving broader consumer interest, but the author warns that credit-tightening conditions may suppress actual purchase volumes below manufacturer and retailer forecasts. Shoppers willing to wait until Black Friday could benefit from last-minute price cuts if slow early sales force retailers to blink.

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OLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - Sony Announces OLED TVs

Sony's XEL-1 OLED TV measures just 3 mm thin, weighs under five pounds, and delivers a 940x540 pixel resolution on an 11-inch panel - a wide-format standard definition display, not high definition. Priced at approximately 200,000 yen (roughly US$1,750) with production capped at 2,000 units per month and availability limited to Japan starting December 1, the XEL-1 costs nearly twice as much as some 42-inch LCD HDTVs. For consumers hoping OLED will displace LCD as the dominant display technology, these constraints suggest mainstream adoption remains a distant prospect.

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HDTV Almanac - HDTV Technology Choices

Three Samsung HDTVs priced identically at $1,799.99 at Best Buy illustrate the core trade-offs between display technologies: a 42-inch LCD (LNT4066F) with 1080p resolution, a 50-inch plasma (HPT5054) limited to 1356x768 native pixels supporting 720p without scaling, and a 56-inch DLP rear-projection model (HLT5676S) with 1080p in a slimmer-than-typical chassis. All three include three HDMI connectors, making the decision hinge on screen size, resolution ceiling, and display technology rather than price or connectivity.

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DealsSatellite HD

HDTV Almanac - DISH Discounts Sharp HDTVs

DISH Network is offering up to $800 off Sharp Aquos LCD HDTVs for qualifying subscribers who purchase through SharpDirect, covering select models ranging from 26 to 65 inches through January 31, 2008. New customers also receive a free six-month DishHD trial and a potential free upgrade to DISH HD DVR hardware. The promotion reflects intensifying competition among satellite, cable, phone, and broadband TV providers, making it a practical moment for consumers to compare subscription options before committing.

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HDTV Almanac - What Do You Want in an HDTV?

A Westinghouse Digital poll reveals that consumers most want speech recognition and touch screens added to HDTVs, though both features raise practical implementation questions, such as how a TV would distinguish verbal commands from on-screen dialog. Other top requests, including 120 Hz refresh rate for reduced motion blur, wireless signal connectivity, and built-in DVR functionality, are already available in existing HDTV models. For buyers shopping now, the gap between what consumers say they want and what is already on store shelves suggests closer attention to current feature sets may be warranted.

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DTV TransitionOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Analog TV Cut-Off Date: Not So Fast!

The February 17, 2009 analog broadcast cutoff applies only to full-power TV stations, leaving the 2,189 licensed low-power stations, 568 Class A stations, and 4,717 repeater stations free to continue analog transmissions indefinitely. These stations, which outnumber the 1,754 full-power commercial and educational broadcasters, frequently serve minority, ethnic, and niche audiences underserved by mainstream TV, cable, and satellite. Viewers relying on analog tuners for local low-power content will not lose access after the transition deadline.

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DealsPlasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Still a Good Buy at Best Buy

Best Buy's Sunday circular mistakenly advertised the Panasonic TH-50PZ77U 50-inch 1080p plasma at $1,709 after instant savings, when the intended model was the smaller TH-42PZ77U 42-inch 1080p plasma. The pricing error was notable because the advertised figure was competitive against second and third tier 1080p LCD alternatives. To compensate, Best Buy is offering an additional $100 off all plasma HDTVs in-store, making this a worthwhile window for buyers tracking plasma pricing trends.

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DRM

HDTV Almanac - Movies: Download to DVD

The DVD Copy Control Association finalized a DRM framework allowing consumers to download movies and burn them to specially encoded DVD blanks with embedded serial codes intended to deter piracy, though playback is restricted to devices with compatible copy protection circuitry. The author draws a direct parallel to the failed high-price encoded CD-R blank format, arguing that similar consumer resistance will undermine adoption. Until downloaded movies match the broad selection and device portability that digital music currently offers, this restrictive approach is unlikely to displace the standard DVD disc market.

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Home TheaterDTV TransitionHD DVR

HDTV Almanac - ReplayTV HDTV PVR

ReplayTV's 'Personal HD' package combines an analog/digital USB tuner with multi-tuner support for simultaneous recordings, a one-year Electronic Program Guide subscription, and compatibility with Hauppauge, ATI, and Pinnacle hardware, all at a $99.95 retail price. The system requires an Internet or network connection for guide data, which limits its appeal for setups where connectivity is unavailable near the TV. For budget-conscious HDTV enthusiasts already running a dedicated PC, the low subscription cost of $19.95 per year after the first year makes it a compelling, if conditional, alternative to standalone HD DVRs.

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Programming

HDTV Almanac - Free Episodes from NBC

NBC Direct will offer free, DRM-protected downloads of prime time and late night episodes for Windows PCs, available up to seven days after broadcast airing, with Mac support and portable device transfers planned to follow. The service will use a peer-to-peer distribution system for eventual HD delivery, and embedded unskippable commercials will serve as the funding model. Viewers should note this free tier sits alongside paid iTunes-free sales and streaming options, though NBC has ended its iTunes distribution deal over a pricing dispute with Apple.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: Are Shiny Screens Good?

The Samsung LN-T5271F features a 'Super Clear Panel' that replaces the traditional diffuser layer with a minimal-diffusion clear coat, trading reduced ambient light scattering for deeper black levels and higher contrast. The conventional diffuser spreads reflected light to prevent harsh glare but raises black levels, making dark areas appear gray rather than true black. For viewers who can control room lighting, the clear coat design delivers noticeably richer color and contrast, though bright light sources behind the viewer may cause visible reflections.

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HDTV Almanac - Radio Shack HDTV: One Year Later

Radio Shack's HDTV push, launched roughly a year prior, shows limited traction: the retailer carries only 15 HDTV models in the 31-to-40-inch range, with fewer than a dozen available in physical stores and near-zero presence in weekly sales circulars over six months. Despite posting a Q2 profit, the company's revenue declined, with margins sustained by higher-margin accessories like iPod add-ons and GPS units rather than HDTV sales. For consumers, this signals that Radio Shack is unlikely to be a competitive destination for HDTV purchases as major retailers continue to dominate that segment.

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IPTV

HDTV Almanac - Gore Wins for IPTV

Al Gore's Current TV claimed the first Emmy Award in the 'interactive television services' category, recognizing a hybrid model that blends professionally produced content with user-submitted video voted on via the Current TV website. The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences acknowledged this shift despite the network still relying on traditional cable distribution rather than pure IPTV delivery. For viewers and industry watchers, this signals a formal recognition of interactive, user-driven content models that could pave the way for a future Emmy awarded to an Internet-only production.

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HD DVDBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - High-Def DVD: Who to Believe?

The HD DVD versus Blu-ray format war in 2007 presents conflicting sales claims, with Blu-ray reporting twice the disc sales while Toshiba leads in stand-alone player units at lower price points. The Sony PlayStation 3's built-in Blu-ray drive inflates disc sales figures, while Toshiba's upcoming third-generation HD DVD players and Warner Brothers' dual-format HD DVD/DVD disc could shift momentum heading into the holiday season. Consumers weighing entry costs and content availability will find the pricing gap and dual-format disc developments worth monitoring closely.

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Home TheaterProjection HDEvents & Trade Shows

HDTV Almanac - Cool HDTV Stuff at CEDIA 2007

CEDIA 2007 showcased several notable HDTV developments, including the Epson Ensemble, an all-in-one 720p/1080p front projection system with a motorized 100-inch screen and integrated surround speakers designed for a roughly four-hour homeowner installation. Toshiba's REGZA 40RF350U and 46RF350U flat panels feature bezels under 1 inch wide and three HDMI inputs, while Syntax-Brillian's 65-inch 1080p LCoS 665H targets the value segment at $1,999 with a 5,000-hour lamp rating. These products collectively push image quality and ease of installation into more accessible territory for home theater buyers.

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HD DVR

HDTV Almanac - DVRs Upset Traditional TV Business

DVR adoption, projected to reach 130 million units by 2011 according to MultiMedia Intelligence, poses a direct threat to the $185 billion U.S. television advertising industry as viewers increasingly skip commercials. The looming Writers Guild of America contract expiration on October 31st adds short-term pressure to an already strained content ecosystem. Understanding how content funding models will adapt - particularly as internet video delivery expands - is a practical concern for anyone who consumes broadcast or cable television.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - Truth Patrol: What This Ad Means

A 37-inch Magnavox LCD HDTV was advertised by Target as '1080i', a technically impossible claim since all LCD panels use progressive scan rather than interlaced display. The set's actual native resolution is 1366x768 (Wide XGA), which correctly qualifies it as a 720p display capable of accepting and downscaling a 1080i signal. Shoppers relying on this ad could overpay or misjudge the display's capabilities relative to competing 720p models.

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IPTV

HDTV Almanac - Uh-oh! Comcast Throttles Bandwidth

Comcast has begun cancelling accounts of subscribers who exceed undisclosed bandwidth thresholds, believed to be roughly equivalent to four feature-length films per day, raising concerns for emerging IPTV services like Joost and Netflix streaming. Cable network architecture compounds the issue, as subscribers in a given area share local network segments, meaning heavy users directly degrade performance for neighbors. The transition from standard-definition to HD content increases bandwidth demand by approximately a factor of four, making ISP infrastructure investment a critical factor in whether Internet TV becomes viable for mainstream viewers.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - End of the Optical Disc?

SanDisk's uSSD module, measuring roughly 1 by 1.5 inches and offering capacities up to 8 GB, is designed for direct integration into circuit boards such as computer motherboards or portable device controllers. At 8 GB, the solid-state module can store the equivalent of two standard DVDs, while SanDisk's broader lineup reaches 64 GB, enough for two or three high-definition movies. This points toward a future where portable players download rentals overnight via the Internet, eliminating physical disc inventory and sidestepping the HD DVD vs. Blu-ray format war entirely.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Cost per Hour Down 11%

The PPHHCI2007 index calculates the real-world hourly cost of HDTV ownership at $0.33 per hour, an 11% drop from the prior year's $0.37 figure, based on a 42-inch LCD or plasma flat panel priced at an average of $1,497 and an estimated $65 monthly HD cable or satellite subscription. The model assumes two viewers watching 4.5 hours daily over a five-year ownership period, with HD service accounting for nearly three-quarters of total cost. For football fans weighing an upgrade, a standard three-hour NFL game works out to under $1 of viewing cost on a new HDTV.

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Satellite HD

HDTV Almanac - Satellites and Power Lines

DirecTV is partnering with Current Group to deliver broadband over power lines (BPL) to up to 1.8 million homes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, offering symmetrical transfer rates of up to 10 Mb per second via any standard AC outlet. The service provides both wired Ethernet and WiFi connectivity without requiring new cable runs, bundling satellite TV with broadband in a single infrastructure. The key trade-off is power dependency: a grid outage would take down phone and internet service simultaneously, though a battery backup can keep satellite TV running.

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Buying Guides

HDTV Almanac - New Updated "Guide to Buying HDTV"

The Second Edition of Professor Poor's Guide to Buying HDTV, revised for 2007, covers all three HDTV classes - direct view, rear projection, and front projection - along with updated pricing and display technology analysis including LCD and plasma flat panels. The edition notes that SED flat panel technology has been effectively shelved, while Laser TV displays are expected to reach market before year-end. Buyers seeking to match display technology to their specific needs and budget will find the updated sweet-spot guidance and technology comparisons practically useful.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Download Your Movie Rentals

Blockbuster's announced acquisition of Movielink and Netflix's existing download feature signal an industry shift toward Internet-based movie delivery, yet both services face a critical barrier: most consumers have not integrated their broadband connections with their televisions. Until streaming a film online matches the simplicity of a cable on-demand request, physical mail rental remains the path of least resistance for most households. The gap between available download technology and living-room usability will determine how quickly this transition unfolds.

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Mobile HDProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - Tiny Projector

Ilgin Display plans to ship a laser-based add-on projector for mobile phones in Korea starting September 2007, capable of projecting a 20-inch diagonal image using solid-state lasers as the light source. The device could pair with flash memory cards to turn a cell phone into a portable media platform for photos, downloaded movies, or video calls. For consumers, this points toward a future where a single pocket device handles both content storage and large-format display without dedicated hardware.

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Streaming HDHome Theater PC (HTPC)

HDTV Almanac - Half of You Are Watching!

An ABI Research study finds that nearly 50% of U.S. consumers watch video on their PCs, with 72% using a web browser and roughly two-thirds watching DVD movies on widescreen monitors. Emerging segments include internet-purchased video at 14% and cable or satellite content at 7%, both poised for growth as services like Netflix and Blockbuster expand digital delivery. For consumers, this signals a practical convergence where a single monitor can replace a dedicated television screen, saving space and cost at home or at work.

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LCoS TVsProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - 65″ 1080p HDTV Under $2,000

Syntax-Brillian's Olevia 665H is a 65-inch 1080p rear-projection LCoS HDTV priced at $1,999, featuring dual HDMI, dual component inputs, a PC input, and RS-232 serial control for commercial use. Video processing is handled by Pixelworks DNX technology, and the LCoS imaging approach is widely regarded by experts as delivering superior image quality compared to competing display technologies. For budget-conscious buyers seeking large-screen 1080p performance, this set represents a potentially compelling value ahead of its Q4 2007 release.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - HDTV: Who profits?

Flat panel HDTV manufacturers and retailers are caught in a margin-crushing price war, with traditional profit centers like extended warranties, installation services, and accessories failing to compensate. Digital connections such as HDMI operate on a pass/fail basis, meaning expensive cables offer no measurable advantage over cheap ones, and standard-definition DVDs already deliver strong picture quality on HDTV displays. For consumers, this market dynamic translates into exceptional buying conditions, while retailers scramble to find sustainable revenue.

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Home TheaterProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - Panasonic Ships LIFI HDTVs

Panasonic has begun shipping its LCX and LCZ rear projection HDTV lines powered by Luxim's LIFI light source, a microwave-excited plasma lamp sealed in a quartz capsule that eliminates electrodes and the metal transfer that degrades conventional projector lamps. The LIFI technology cuts startup time from roughly 60 seconds to as little as 15 seconds and is rated to last the life of the set, removing the $200-$300 replacement cost every two years typical of standard 3,000-hour projector lamps. Five models span 50 to 61 inches with 720p and 1080p options, priced from $1,699.95 to $2,199.95.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - LCD HDTV: Never Too Thin

Sharp unveiled a 52-inch prototype LCD HDTV measuring less than 30 mm thick, roughly equivalent to the depth of a typical 10-inch LCD panel, achieved through advances in both backlight and panel construction. The display weighs approximately 55 pounds, about one-third lighter than comparable units, with production of the new technology targeted for 2010. For consumers weighing LCD against plasma, this development further extends LCD's practical advantages in wall-mounting and space-constrained installations.

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HD DVDBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Paramount Backs HDTV

Paramount and DreamWorks announced an exclusive commitment to HD DVD, citing easier interactive feature development, lower production costs, and greater disc reliability compared to Blu-ray. A widely circulated rumor suggests the DVD Forum paid for an 18-month exclusivity deal, though Paramount declined to confirm or deny co-marketing terms. For consumers, HD DVD players currently cost roughly half the price of Blu-ray players, and bundle deals offering five free movies could quickly shift disc sales figures heading into the fall buying season.

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HDTV Almanac - Reader Comment: HDTV Size Too Big

Optimal HDTV viewing distance is a function of pixel pitch and human visual acuity: a 42-inch 1080p LCD has a pixel pitch under 0.5 mm, which requires a viewing distance of roughly 5 feet to resolve the full detail the panel can deliver. A simple pencil-dot test illustrates why the human eye cannot distinguish adjacent sub-millimeter points beyond about six feet. In practical terms, viewers who sit farther back may gain nothing from a 1080p panel over a lower-resolution display, making screen size selection a critical purchasing decision.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Tougher Times for Tweeter

Tweeter, a high-end consumer electronics retailer, sold its assets to Schultze Asset Management for $38 million after filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy, with new owners cutting 80 headquarters jobs in Canton, Massachusetts. The chain is betting its survival on remodeling 40 stores as premium 'consumer electronics playgrounds,' targeting the high-end HDTV segment. However, economic headwinds including tighter home equity credit, aggressive competition from big-box and warehouse retailers, and oversupply from HDTV manufacturers suggest a buyer's market ahead that may further pressure Tweeter's recovery.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Truth Patrol: Not All Digital TV is Wide

The February 2009 analog over-the-air broadcast cutoff mandates a switch to digital transmission, but does not guarantee widescreen or high-definition content, a distinction that NPR's coverage conflates. HD production equipment including cameras, editing gear, and storage remains costly, meaning a significant volume of 4:3 standard-definition programming will persist well beyond the transition deadline. Viewers expecting an automatic upgrade to widescreen content after the cutoff should understand that distribution format and production format are entirely separate considerations.

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Politics & PolicyDTV TransitionStandards

HDTV Almanac - IBM Gets the DTV Gig

The U.S. analog television broadcast cutoff, mandated for February 17, 2009, will free spectrum frequencies for commercial sale while triggering a federally funded coupon program worth up to $1.5 billion in $40 rebates for digital tuner purchases. IBM, awarded the lead contractor role, will receive approximately $200 million to administer coupon distribution starting January 2008, with households eligible for up to two coupons. With fewer than 25% of households relying solely on over-the-air signals and add-on tuners projected to drop below $50, consumer education may prove a greater challenge than affordability.

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Home Theater PC (HTPC)HD DVR

HDTV Almanac - Sony PC for Living Room

Sony's VAIO TP1 is a living room PC built around an Intel Core 2 Duo processor and a 300 GB hard drive, housed in a compact white enclosure designed to blend with home theater setups rather than resemble a traditional computer. It supports high-definition DVR functionality including over-the-air recording, features an HDMI output, built-in wireless networking, and a DVD writer. Priced at $1,600, the TP1 carries a notable premium for its form factor, but signals a potential shift toward aesthetically integrated living room computing hardware.

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DRM

HDTV Almanac - Camel's Nose Further into the Tent

Universal Music Group announced the release of thousands of DRM-free albums and tracks from major artists including Prince, Stevie Wonder, and Johnny Cash, available through retailers such as Amazon.com, Rhapsody, and Wal-Mart. This shift follows Steve Jobs's public stance against copy protection and the milestone of 3 billion songs sold on iTunes, signaling a broader industry move away from restrictive digital rights management. For consumers, removing DRM means purchased tracks can be played across multiple devices without compatibility barriers.

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HDTV Almanac - HDTV Before "Same Day Release"

Mark Cuban's 'Ultra HD Video on Demand' service aims to release films in HD up to three weeks before their theatrical debut, with pricing expected between $13 and $20 per title. Brian De Palma's 'Redacted' is slated as the first offering under this model, which Cuban intends to use to equalize revenue across TV, theater, and DVD distribution for his Magnolia Pictures catalog. For consumers, this means first-run HD movie access at home could undercut the cost of a multi-person theater outing.

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SportsProgramming

HDTV Almanac - NFL Zebras to Get HD Replay

Harris Corporation has deployed HD instant replay systems in 28 NFL stadiums, with New York, Dallas, and Indianapolis pending facility renovations before completing the rollout. The upgrade gives officiating crews high-definition clarity on critical calls, such as determining whether a receiver's foot is in bounds or whether a catch was completed, details that standard-definition feeds could obscure. For fans investing in HDTV ahead of football season, this shift signals that HD picture quality now has direct, consequential applications beyond home viewing.

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Home TheaterStandards

HDTV Almanac - Hi-Def DVD: Door #3?

HD VMD (High Definition Versatile Multilayer Disc) enters the U.S. market at CEDIA, challenging Blu-ray and HD DVD by using a standard red laser paired with up to 20 data layers to achieve 20 GB or more of disc capacity. Unlike competitors that rely on shorter-wavelength blue lasers to pack smaller pits, HD VMD stacks more layers on familiar red-laser media, which could translate to significantly lower player costs. Whether that cost advantage is enough to overcome limited Hollywood studio support and the challenge of breaking into a market already split between two entrenched formats remains the critical question.

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IPTVStandards

HDTV Almanac - IPTV: Heavyweights Join Forces in Japan

Sony, Matsushita, Sharp, Toshiba, and Hitachi have partnered to launch TV Portal Service, a Japan-based IPTV platform delivering video-on-demand directly to televisions at approximately $2 per title with unlimited views during the rental window. The service launches with a catalog of roughly 2,000 movies and titles, positioning IPTV as a credible alternative to cable VOD. For viewers, the practical appeal hinges on broadband and home network adoption rates, which could accelerate a similar shift in the U.S. market.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Sharp Sues Samsung

Sharp has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Samsung in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, citing five LCD technology patents it claims Samsung products have violated. Prior attempts at a negotiated settlement failed to produce a resolution, pushing the dispute into litigation. For consumers and industry observers, the case raises practical questions about how patent validity is determined before issuance and how such suits can shape competition in the LCD display market.

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HD DVDBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Hi-Def DVDs Taking Off

Warner Home Video reported 250,000 high definition copies of '300' sold in its first week, making it the fastest-selling HD title available across both HD DVD and Blu-ray formats. Analysts cite falling player prices as a driver, though the PS3's 1.3 million US install base likely contributed significantly given the demographic overlap with the film's audience. These figures, while notable for HD media, remain a fraction of standard DVD sales, suggesting high definition adoption is real but still far from mainstream.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - When Is 1080 Not HDTV?

Hitachi's P42H401 and P50H401 plasma panels advertise '1080' resolution but deliver only 1,024 pixels per row rather than the 1,920 required by a true 1080i/1080p signal, discarding nearly half the horizontal detail. This follows an established pattern of plasma manufacturers using non-standard pixel counts while claiming HD compliance, a practice a federal court upheld for 720p panels. For buyers, the practical consequence is visible loss of fine horizontal detail, particularly noticeable on content with closely spaced vertical elements like pinstripe patterns.

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HDTV Almanac - Wal-Mart HDTV Juggernaut Advances

Wal-Mart recorded approximately $22.6 billion in electronics sales in 2006, nearly double Circuit City's $11.9 billion, with projections of 10-12% revenue growth in 2007 suggesting even steeper unit volume increases as prices continue to fall. The retailer is targeting cost-sensitive mainstream consumers entering the flat panel and rear projection HDTV market, stocking top brands such as Samsung alongside revamped in-store displays designed for self-directed purchasing. Smaller specialty chains including CompUSA, Radio Shack, and Tweeter face mounting pressure as Wal-Mart's aggressive pricing reshapes where consumers buy their first HDTV.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Sharp Announces Gen 10 LCD Plant

Sharp has announced plans for the world's first 10th-generation (10G) LCD production facility, requiring a $3.2 billion investment to handle glass substrates exceeding 10 feet square - large enough to yield six 60-inch HDTV panels per sheet. The substrate size makes transport impractical, prompting Sharp to co-locate supplier factories on-site, with both Corning (holding roughly 60% market share) and Asahi Glass Company committing to build at the complex. Scheduled for production by 2010, the site will also house the world's largest solar cell plant, making it a significant vertical integration play in display manufacturing.

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IPTV

HDTV Almanac - IPTV to Reach $5.8 Billion in 2011

An iSupply report forecasts the IPTV market will grow from $423 million in 2006 to $5.8 billion by 2011, driven by professionally produced broadband video monetized through advertising. Required Internet bandwidth to support this growth is projected to reach 7 million terabytes per year, a 44-times increase over then-current levels. For consumers, this signals a shift toward longer-form episode and full-length content delivered directly to connected televisions, raising unresolved questions about who funds the infrastructure.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - 120 Hz: Does It Matter?

LCD HDTVs with 120 Hz refresh rates address motion blur by writing each frame to the panel twice as fast as the standard 60 Hz cycle, with some models also pulsing the backlight in strobe-like synchronization to further sharpen fast-moving images to near-CRT quality. A key practical benefit is clean handling of 24 fps Blu-ray content, since 120 Hz is an even multiple of both 24 and 30 fps, eliminating the 3:2 pulldown process that causes the jerky motion artifact known as judder. Viewers evaluating LCD HDTVs for film playback or sports will find 120 Hz a meaningful differentiator worth examining closely.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Bigger is Smaller

The Mitsubishi LT-46144 features a sub-one-inch bezel that allows this 46-inch 1080p LCD to occupy the same physical footprint as most competing 42-inch models, delivering roughly 130 additional square inches of viewable area. The set also includes three HDMI 1.3 inputs and a 120 Hz refresh rate, making it a technically competitive option in its class. For buyers constrained by cabinet or wall space, bezel width is a practical spec worth comparing alongside screen diagonal, particularly as upcoming Laser TV rear-projection models promise bezels that shrink even further.

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HDTV Almanac - Blockbuster Raises Rates

Blockbuster has revised its DVD-by-mail subscription plans, raising monthly rates while introducing tiered in-store exchange limits - for example, the three-DVD plan now caps free store pickups at five per month. The company reported a $38 million loss in Q2 2007, and Netflix responded to competitive pressure by cutting subscription prices by $1 per month, matching Blockbuster's new rate for plans without in-store exchanges. Existing Blockbuster subscribers are grandfathered at current pricing, and the ongoing rivalry between the two services continues to drive down costs for consumers.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - ABC Goes HD on the Web

ABC has launched full-screen HD streaming of full-length prime time episodes online, with a limited ad load of just two to three 30-second breaks per episode depending on length. Broadband is required for HD playback, and access to full episodes is restricted to U.S. viewers, with fiber optic connections delivering near-broadcast quality despite some compression artifacts during fast-motion scenes. For cord-cutters and early adopters, this points toward a future where on-demand streaming could rival the simplicity of traditional cable or satellite channel selection.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Is IPV the Future for US Viewers?

Broadband penetration has reached 57.8 million U.S. households, a 21% year-over-year increase, positioning Internet Protocol Video (IPV) as a credible challenger to traditional broadcast, cable, and satellite television. YouTube's rise to the number four most visited site globally signals that video is now the dominant content format on the web. As viewers increasingly consume clips and full-length content on computers, demand for home network integration to route that content to televisions is expected to accelerate, directly eroding traditional broadcast audiences.

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Cable HDCableCARDHD Receivers

HDTV Almanac - CableCard Deadline

New FCC rules now require cable companies to separate security and channel-selection functions, ending the mandatory lease of proprietary settop boxes and opening the market to consumer-owned hardware. CableCards, expansion cards that slot into compatible HDTVs to handle descrambling, remain limited to one-way communication, blocking interactive features like pay-per-view until the OCAP two-way standard gains wider adoption. Consumers shopping for a new HDTV should consider adding CableCard slot compatibility to their feature checklist to take advantage of this regulatory shift.

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Deals

HDTV Almanac - Westinghouse Set to Give Away HDTVs

Westinghouse Digital is partnering with the Oxygen cable network on a 'Girls Gone Wired' sweepstakes launching August 13, offering prizes across 20 local affiliate markets including up to $5,000 in Westinghouse products and runner-up prizes of the SK-32H590D, a 32-inch LCD TV with a built-in front-slot DVD player. The promotion targets women as active participants in consumer technology decisions, covering HDTVs, GPS, mobile phones, and digital imaging. Both men and women appear eligible to enter at oxygen.com.

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IPTV

HDTV Almanac - IPTV Set to Boom

ABI Research projects broadband video viewership will surge from 300 million to nearly 1 billion consumers by 2012, driven by ad-supported, subscription, and rental models across broadcast, movie, and user-generated content. HDTV's widescreen format is already enabling split-screen ad delivery during live sporting events, reducing viewer avoidance. For paid models to remain viable at Internet scale, per-unit costs must stay low - comparable to iTunes track pricing - while services achieve the economies of scale needed to sustain operations.

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IPTVSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - Who Wants IPTV?

An iSupply survey finding that nearly two-thirds of consumers want Internet-connected televisions points to entertainment, not data processing, as the primary driver of home networking adoption. Multiple connectivity technologies are competing for dominance, including coaxial cabling, powerline networking, and wireless, with no clear winner yet established. For consumers, this convergence signals a practical shift toward Ethernet-equipped HDTVs capable of sharing local content, accessing cable or satellite feeds, and streaming Internet video from sources like YouTube.

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HDTV Almanac - Is "Pause" the Next HDTV Feature?

Magnum Semiconductor has developed a chip design that embeds solid-state flash memory directly into television controller circuitry, storing up to one hour of programming to enable a native pause-live-TV function without a separate DVR. The approach leverages falling flash memory costs to add the feature to HDTVs at minimal price impact, though fast-forward capability through commercials remains unconfirmed. For cord-cutters relying on over-the-air broadcasts, this could be a meaningful convenience upgrade, though it falls short of the full recording functionality offered by TiVo or DVR-equipped cable and satellite packages.

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HD DVDBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - HD DVD on Demand from Amazon

Amazon's CustomFlix Labs has launched a DVD-on-demand service that has notably chosen HD DVD over Blu-ray as its disc format, offering free authoring and setup for the first 1,000 indie film titles. A content deal with ABC News further expands the catalog, while Amazon's existing Unbox video download service signals a parallel bet on digital distribution. For consumers and content creators, this print-on-demand model lowers the barrier to video self-publishing, though broadband growth and Flash memory storage may challenge disc-based formats sooner than expected.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Sharp Boosts AQUOS LCD HDTV Support

Sharp's AQUOS Advantage program offers free expanded support for AQUOS LCD HDTVs 42 inches and larger, including access to trained setup advisors and priority repair services with a potential loaner TV during repairs. The program targets a documented retail pain point: high HDTV return rates driven by setup complexity and unmet expectations. As picture quality differences between competing displays narrow, post-purchase service programs like this may become a key differentiator for manufacturers competing in the premium LCD HDTV market.

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Home TheaterBlu-rayHome Theater PC (HTPC)

HDTV Almanac - Blu-ray HD Movies on Your PC

Pioneer's BDC-2202 combination optical drive brings Blu-ray disc playback to personal computers at a $299 list price, matching the cost of Toshiba's HD DVD player and undercutting Sony's standalone Blu-ray player by $200. The drive supports read/write functionality across most DVD and CD formats and bundles movie playback and video authoring software. For users with computers already connected to an HDTV via a digital output, this drive offers a practical path to 720p or 1080p high-definition movie playback without purchasing a dedicated player.

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Satellite HD

HDTV Almanac - DISH Adds HDTV Channels

DISH Network is expanding its HD lineup with eight regional sports network channels added immediately, bringing its total to 17, followed by seven national HD channels including Animal Planet HD, Discovery HD, and History HD on August 15. The provider claims the largest HD package in the nation, delivering over 200 hours of HD content daily, and positions itself as the only service offering a free HD DVR. With nearly one-in-three U.S. households owning at least one HDTV, this expansion signals intensifying competition among satellite, cable, and telco video providers.

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ManufacturingLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Big Glass for LCD HDTVs

Sharp is building a 10th-generation (10G) LCD production facility using glass substrates measuring 2,880 by 3,080 mm, skipping the Gen9 standard entirely and targeting 57-inch and 65-inch HDTV panels. The scale of these sheets exceeds the 3-meter transport threshold identified by Corning Glass, requiring a co-located glass factory, and a single sheet can yield up to 15 42-inch panels simultaneously. Expected online by 2009, the plant aims to drive down costs in the 50-inch-and-larger segment, putting LCD in a direct price battle with plasma displays.

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Home TheaterMarket Trends & AnalysisHD DVD

HDTV Almanac - Sony Blu-ray Player for $500

Sony's 60 GB PlayStation 3, now priced under $500 following a $100 price cut, narrows the cost gap with HD DVD players such as Toshiba's HD-A2 at $299 and HD-A20 at $399. The PS3's installed base is contributing to Blu-ray's early lead in discs shipped, while Toshiba reports surging HD-A2 sales since reaching the $299 price point in April. Whether either format survives potential disruption from flash memory storage and internet distribution remains the defining question for high-definition disc adoption.

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DTV TransitionPolitics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - FCC Cites Retailers on Analog Tuner Warnings

The FCC mandated warning labels on analog-only tuner TVs starting April 2007, ahead of the February 17, 2009 analog terrestrial broadcast cut-off, and has issued 250 citations to non-compliant retailers. Only viewers relying on over-the-air signals are affected, as cable and satellite services bypass the TV's internal tuner entirely. Consumers who want to receive free over-the-air HD content will need an HDTV with a digital tuner, though standard-definition digital broadcasts work on any set equipped with one.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Circuit City to Drop Some HDTV Brands

Circuit City's announcement to 'simplify the selection' of HDTVs following weak Q1 financials signals a potential industry shake-out among competing display brands. Top-tier names like Sony, Panasonic, and Sharp are expected to retain shelf space, while mid-tier brands such as Toshiba, Mitsubishi, and Hitachi face the greatest risk of losing retail distribution. Reduced competition in the retail channel could ease downward price pressure on HDTVs, making it worth monitoring ad circulars for shifts in model variety and price point targeting.

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OTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - New HDTV Content: Who Pays?

The shift away from traditional ad-supported television, accelerated by DVR technology like TiVo that lets viewers skip commercials entirely, is forcing content producers and distributors to rethink funding models. A Parks Associates study projects in-game advertising will drive video game ad spending from $370 million to over $2 billion by 2012, with more than 90% of core gamers reportedly tolerating embedded ads. Product placement and digitally inserted virtual billboards in live sports coverage suggest this model could increasingly define how video content, including HDTV, gets funded.

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HDTV Almanac - FiOS Hits Seven Figures

Verizon's FiOS fiber optic broadband service reached one million subscribers, with half receiving television via the same fiber infrastructure, despite launching only in the second half of 2006. The service delivers downstream speeds of 5 to 50 Mbps and upstream rates of 2 to 10 Mbps, providing sufficient bandwidth for HDTV content delivery. Because Internet and video signals share the same optical medium, FiOS presents a practical path toward merging web-based video with traditional broadcast content in the home.

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Projection HDMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - No New Rear Projection HDTVs from Toshiba

Toshiba's summer line show revealed no new rear projection models, signaling a likely exit from the segment as the company shifts focus to its Regza LCD HDTV lineup. With 50-inch rear projection sets selling below $1,000 compared to roughly $2,000 for equivalent plasma or LCD panels, margin pressure is a key driver, while emerging solid-state light sources including high-brightness LEDs, electrode-less plasma, and lasers are reshaping the technology's outlook. For budget-conscious buyers still waiting on the sidelines, rear projection may still offer a compelling value proposition before committing to a digital television upgrade.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Movie Rentals without the DVD

Digital movie distribution over broadband is emerging as a practical alternative to physical disc rentals, with Apple iTunes and Amazon Unbox already offering download-based purchase and rental options while Lionsgate has signed digital distribution deals with Apple, Amazon, Best Buy, and Blockbuster. The shift sidesteps the HD DVD vs. Blu-ray format war entirely, eliminating per-disc costs and the problem of lost or damaged media. The key remaining challenge is integrating download services into a DVR-style interface simple enough to rival the ease of scheduling a TiVo recording.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Hitachi Drops Rear Projection

Hitachi is exiting the rear projection market to concentrate on flat panel HDTVs, offering 10 plasma models ranging from 42" to 60" and four 1080p LCD models in 42" and 47" sizes. The company also unveiled the 60" P60X901 at $7,999 and the 50" P50X901 at $4,299, both 1080i plasma displays slated for August availability through specialty A/V dealers. For consumers, this signals a narrowing field of flat panel brands as consolidation pressures mid-tier manufacturers to compete against both larger and smaller rivals.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Keeping Up with the Jones's HDTV

CEA data from 2007 shows 30% of U.S. households owned at least one HDTV, with 16 million new units forecast for purchase that year, yet more than half of HDTV owners were not receiving any high-definition content. Among those who were, cable led delivery at 66%, followed by satellite at 27%, over-the-air at 8%, and emerging sources including fiber optic and internet each at 3%. Continued CRT replacement and broader HD adoption hinge on further price reductions reaching mainstream consumers.

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Projection HD

HDTV Almanac - Sony’s New Rear Projection HDTVs

Sony's new SXRD rear-projection HDTV lineup spans five models across the A3000 and XBR5 series, all featuring 1080p resolution and 120Hz refresh rates, with the XBR5 models measuring 40 percent thinner than their predecessors. The 120Hz frame rate is an exact multiple of 24Hz, eliminating pull-down conversion artifacts for native 24fps source material. Priced from $3,000 to $6,000, these sets position rear projection as a competitive large-screen option for buyers seeking strong image quality without the cost premium of flat-panel alternatives.

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HDTV Almanac - Sam’s Club and Costco Start HDTV Install Service

Flat panel HDTVs of 42 inches or larger can weigh 100 to 150 pounds, making wall installation a significant challenge that most buyers ultimately avoid in favor of stand placement. Costco has tightened its return policy on HDTVs and electronics to a 90-day limit, while Sam's Club maintains unlimited returns, and both retailers are piloting third-party wall-mount installation programs in select states to reduce return rates. Whether subsidized installation services will meaningfully curb the consumer habit of returning sets when lower-priced models emerge remains an open question.

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HDTV Almanac - SlingBox Makes a Power Connection

SlingMedia has announced two SlingLink HomePlug powerline network adapters, priced at $99.99 (single Ethernet port) and $149.99 (four Ethernet ports), that use existing household AC wiring to create Ethernet connections without running new cable. Based on the HomePlug standard first released in 2001, these adapters address real-world obstacles like stone walls and steel-lathed plaster that defeat WiFi signals. For homeowners wanting to stream iTunes libraries, MP3 collections, or DVR content to entertainment systems, SlingLink offers a practical plug-and-play alternative to both cable runs and unreliable wireless.

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HDTV Almanac - Fighting E-Waste

Electronics recycling is emerging as a critical component of the consumer electronics lifecycle, with a Cal State University Bakersfield event collecting over 90,000 pounds of televisions, monitors, computers, and cell phones while generating $9,300 for the institution. Green product lifecycle management now spans both manufacturing and end-of-life disposal, making community recycling programs and donation channels to organizations like Goodwill Industries practical alternatives to landfill disposal. Resources from the Electronic Industries Alliance and the EPA offer consumers direct pathways to responsible e-waste handling.

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Cable HDSatellite HD

HDTV Almanac - Satellite Services Lead in Satisfaction

The 2007 American Customer Satisfaction Index from the University of Michigan shows DISH Network and DirecTV tied at 67 points, down from DirecTV's 71-point lead in 2006, yet both satellite providers still outpace the cable industry average of 62 points. Charter scored the lowest among measured providers at 55 points, while the entire pay-TV sector trails hotel chains, which averaged 71 points. For consumers choosing a video service, the data suggests satellite remains the more customer-friendly option, though growing competition from telcos and internet video may pressure all providers to improve.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - Westinghouse Adds High End LCD HDTVs

Westinghouse Digital Electronics unveiled its TX Series LCD HDTVs at InfoComm 2007, featuring 1080p native resolution, four HDMI connectors, and both digital and analog tuners across three screen sizes: 42, 47, and 52 inches. The lineup also includes tuner-less professional models ranging from 26 to 52 inches targeting digital signage and hotel in-room entertainment. This marks a deliberate push by Westinghouse beyond its established budget segment into higher-margin custom installation and professional display markets, where competition is considerably more intense.

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Blu-rayHD DVDStandards

HDTV Almanac - Big News for Blu-ray

Blockbuster's decision to stock Blu-ray exclusively in 1,400 stores, driven by a 70 percent customer preference rate observed across 250 test locations, marks a significant moment in the HD format war. However, HD DVD still holds a meaningful price advantage, with entry-level players priced at roughly half the cost of Blu-ray equivalents, suggesting broader consumer adoption may favor the cheaper format as early adopters give way to price-sensitive buyers. The outcome remains genuinely uncertain, and the full argument for skepticism is worth examining.

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HDTV Almanac - Best Buy and Blockbuster Plan Movie Downloads

Best Buy and Blockbuster are preparing to enter the digital movie download market, following deals with Lionsgate studio that signal a broader retail shift toward electronic distribution. Apple has already sold over 2 million movies through iTunes, yet persistent challenges remain, including lengthy download times over broadband and DRM restrictions that limit playback flexibility. If these hurdles are resolved, widespread HD movie downloads could effectively sideline the ongoing Blu-ray vs. HD DVD format war before a winner is decided.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Panasonic Helps Plasma Dads

Panasonic is temporarily opening its Plasma Concierge service, normally restricted to existing plasma HDTV owners, to all consumers free of charge through June 17th via toll-free number 888-777-7134. The service specializes in installation, setup support, and purchase guidance for plasma HDTVs, making it a practical resource for shoppers navigating a crowded and confusing HDTV market. While recommendations will naturally favor Panasonic products, the hands-on expert access offers genuine value for anyone considering a plasma display purchase.

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GamingLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Westinghouse Backs Gaming on HDTV

Westinghouse Digital Electronics is promoting its 1080p LCD HDTVs in 37", 42", and 47" sizes at three national gaming events, including Comic-Con and two Showdown LAN events, with giveaways of 37" sets at each. The push targets gamers who benefit from large-screen immersion, particularly for motion-heavy titles like Wii games that demand a wider field of view. Aggressive pricing on these 1080p models could make high-resolution large-format displays a realistic option for gaming enthusiasts.

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Blu-rayStandards

HDTV Almanac - Sony Sued over Blu-ray Patents

Target Technology has filed a patent suit against Sony in Southern Indiana U.S. District Court, claiming ownership of patents covering silver alloy reflective layer materials used in Blu-ray disc construction. The PS3's built-in Blu-ray drive remains a key cost driver, and Sony's $100 price cut on its entry-level Blu-ray player still leaves it more expensive than competing HD DVD hardware. For consumers and investors, this litigation adds financial pressure to an already costly format war that remains unresolved.

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Home TheaterStandards

HDTV Almanac - Planar Buys Runco

Planar Systems, a display manufacturer with roots in medical and desktop PC monitor markets, acquired Runco International after announcing its push into the high-end HDTV enthusiast segment at CEDIA 2006. Runco specializes in custom home theater installations featuring six-figure front projectors and premium components, giving Planar an established foothold in a market where key relationships with builders, architects, and designers are critical. The move highlights how difficult it is for newcomers to penetrate the high-end custom installation space, with big-box retailers adding further pressure through bargain-priced installation services.

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HD Audio

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Sounds Great

SRS Labs, a psychoacoustics-based audio technology developer, was present in nearly two out of five flat panel TVs sold in 2007, with implementations including SRS TruSurround XT and SRS WOW designed to simulate surround sound from just two speakers. These virtual surround technologies can meaningfully improve audio perception without requiring a full 5.1 channel home theater setup, though they cannot fully compensate for the low-quality speakers found in budget LCD and plasma HDTVs. Buyers skipping a separate audio system should audition a set's sound and surround features before purchasing.

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HDTV Almanac - SID 2007: Flexible Displays

Flexible display technology showcased at SID 2007 ranged from LG.Philips OLED built on stainless steel foil to Samsung's 40-inch bi-stable panel at Wide XGA resolution in black and white, claimed as the world's largest at the time. Samsung also demonstrated a 14.3-inch color electronic paper display, though image quality fell short of television standards. Bi-stable panels require no power to hold an image, making them practical for low-power signage and e-reader applications rather than video or HDTV use.

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DTV TransitionOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Highs and Lows in HD

The Weather Channel is investing $50 million over 18 months to transition fully to HDTV production, launching a dedicated HD channel in September 2007 with a target of all-HD content by mid-2008. The shift reflects a broader industry inflection point as digital service adoption and HD-capable displays become mainstream. For viewers, this signals that standard definition broadcasts will increasingly feel obsolete, much like analog signals once did, making HD production an essential baseline for competitive broadcasting.

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Market Trends & AnalysisLCD TVsPlasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - More on Wal-Mart HDTV

Wal-Mart is aggressively expanding its HDTV lineup, growing from 28 to 36 models between April and May 2007 by adding Vizio as an 11th brand, with four new Vizio LCD models including the VW26L through VW42L. The retailer is targeting price-sensitive mainstream consumers rather than early adopters who have historically shopped at specialty electronics stores. With large plasma HDTV prices already softening and Wal-Mart's market influence, further price reductions are expected through summer and into fall.

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HD DVD

HDTV Almanac - Licensing Pool for HD DVD

MPEG LA, LLC announced plans to establish a patent pool clearinghouse specifically for the HD DVD standard, a move that consolidates licensing access for manufacturers into a single-stop process. This development is significant in the context of the ongoing format war between HD DVD and Blu-ray, where control of licensing fees represents a core business objective for patent holders. Streamlined licensing could lower barriers for HD DVD product manufacturers, potentially increasing competition and broadening adoption of the format.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - SED HDTV is DED

SED (Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display) technology, a flat panel format thinner than LCD yet emissive like a CRT with notably deep blacks and accurate color, has been indefinitely postponed by Toshiba and Canon with no new launch timetable provided. A lawsuit the previous winter had already forced Toshiba to exit its Canon partnership, and falling LCD and plasma prices eliminated any viable pricing window for SED panels. For consumers, this means the technology is effectively dead as a commercial product despite its technical merits.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - More HDTV Clearance and Closeouts

Major national retailers including Circuit City, Best Buy, and KMart advertised clearance and closeout pricing on flat-panel and projection HDTVs during May 2007, with discounts spanning screen sizes from 15 to 61 inches and prices ranging from $179.99 for a Sharp LC-15SH6U up to $2,299.99 for a 61-inch JVC rear-projection unit. Models from Sony, Mitsubishi, HP, Magnavox, and Optoma also appeared on clearance as spring inventory turnover pushed older units off shelves. Shoppers tracking these price drops can use the data as a benchmark for gauging how much newer model cycles typically reduce the cost of outgoing HDTV hardware.

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LED TVs

HDTV Almanac - SID 2007: Sony KDL-70XBR3

The Sony KDL-70XBR3 is a 70-inch 1080p LCD TV featuring a 120 Hz refresh rate and an LED backlight array of 1,152 OSRAM Golden Dragon LEDs arranged in red:green:green:blue quads, producing 500 nits of brightness. The LED backlight measures only about 2 inches thick and supports Sony's xvColor standard, delivering a noticeably wider color gamut with richer, more saturated reds compared to traditional fluorescent backlights. Buyers willing to pay a premium now can expect LED-backlit LCD pricing to drop as production scales up.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - SID 2007: HDTV Industry Goes Green

At the SID 2007 display industry conference, energy efficiency emerged as a central theme, with LCD dynamic backlights demonstrated to reduce power consumption by 40% or more compared to fixed-brightness panels. Novalux's Laser TV prototype drew particular attention, with a 65-inch model projected to consume only 25% of the power required by a comparable 65-inch plasma HDTV. For consumers, these advances signal that environmentally conscious display choices are moving from niche to mainstream, with green credentials poised to become a competitive differentiator in the near-term retail market.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - Monster HDTV Hiding Under Your Bed

A motorized under-bed HDTV mount from MK 1 Studio raises a practical question about optimal viewing distance for bedroom installations: at typical bedroom distances, a 42-inch flat panel placed at the foot of the bed may not deliver the resolution advantage of true HDTV over EDTV. The five-figure lift solves the proximity problem by sliding the display to a closer, angle-adjustable position. Viewers considering bedroom setups should weigh screen size, viewing distance, and cost before committing to a solution.

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Home TheaterDigital Cinema3DTV

HDTV Almanac - SID 2007: Will 3D Be Big?

Samsung's rear projection HDTVs announced in 2007 already include native 3D image support, signaling that the display industry is positioned ahead of consumer demand. Digital cinema infrastructure enabling separate left- and right-eye image delivery to audiences is driving mainstream Hollywood 3D releases, from 'Chicken Little' to 'Meet the Robinsons', beyond the established IMAX format. If theater audiences embrace 3D visuals as they once embraced multichannel sound in the 1950s, game console enthusiasts and home viewers could accelerate adoption faster than the industry expects.

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Laser TVsProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - SID 2007: Laser TV Looks Great

Laser TV, a rear projection HDTV variant using solid-state lasers in place of conventional projection lamps, was demonstrated by Novalux using a modified LCoS rear projection unit with lasers coupled directly to three LCoS imager panels. The prototype delivered notably rich, saturated colors and deep blacks, though laser speckle remains a technical hurdle addressable via a vibrating diffuser. If commercial timelines hold, units could reach retail by the 2007 holiday season, potentially making rear projection HDTVs a more competitive alternative to flat panels.

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Plasma TVsManufacturingMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - SID 2007: Hope for Plasma HDTV

Two emerging technologies showcased at the Society for Information Display 2007 conference could reshape the competitive outlook for plasma HDTVs. DisplaySearch analyst Ross Young described a new plasma panel architecture projected to increase light output per watt by three to four times, potentially cutting production costs by one third and dropping a $1,800 panel to $1,200 within two years. DuPont's Transfer Materials Technology enables barrier rib pitches as small as 20 microns, making true 1080p resolution achievable in a 42-inch plasma panel, which would directly address one of plasma's key competitive disadvantages against LCD.

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DLP TVsProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - Mitsubishi Goes 1080p for RP HDTV

Mitsubishi has announced a full lineup of nine DLP rear-projection HDTVs, all featuring 1080p resolution across three series and three screen sizes ranging from 57 to 73 inches. The entry-level 733 Series includes a six-color light engine and three HDMI 1.3 inputs, while the top-tier Diamond Series adds 3D support, FireWire (IEEE 1394), and RS-232C connectivity. For consumers weighing 1080p versus 720p, the key practical advantage is that 1080i broadcast content displays without scaling artifacts on a native 1080p panel.

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Emerging Tech

HDTV Almanac - Diamond HDTVs?

Researchers at the University of Bristol have developed a diamond dust-based electron emitter for field emitter displays (FEDs), where lithium-processed nano-diamond crystals coat a substrate to drive individual pixels with CRT-quality brightness and color. Unlike carbon nanotubes, the diamond emitters are stable in oxygen, and the material cost is estimated at just $0.20 per square meter - enough to cover a 50-inch HDTV panel. If the technology scales to production, it could offer a compelling and affordable alternative to plasma and LCD flat panels.

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Home TheaterDealsHD DVD

HDTV Almanac - HD DVD Prices Drop!

Toshiba is aggressively cutting HD DVD player prices, offering a $100 rebate on the entry-level HD-A2 model starting May 20, 2007, dropping it 25% to $299, with additional rebates tied to Toshiba HDTV purchases of 42 inches or larger. A separate promotion bundles five free HD DVD titles with any player purchase through July 31. These moves widen the price gap between HD DVD and Blu-ray, putting pressure on Sony and hybrid drive manufacturers heading into the consumer electronics slow season.

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OLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - OLED Screens of Steel!

LG.Philips LCD is set to demonstrate a 4-inch QVGA (320x240) flexible OLED display at the Society for Information Display Symposium, featuring a stainless steel substrate that blocks oxygen and water vapor to protect OLED materials while keeping the panel under 1/100 of an inch thick. The panel uses an amorphous silicon backplane for active matrix pixel switching, enabling compatibility with existing LCD fabrication lines and potentially lowering manufacturing costs at scale. For consumers, this technology could eventually scale to larger formats such as a 15-inch 720p HDTV panel, though near-term applications will likely target small portable devices.

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Cable HD

HDTV Almanac - Is HDTV on Cable in Peril?

Rembrandt Technologies, a Pennsylvania firm holding eight U.S. patents originally acquired from AT&T and Lucent Technologies, has filed suits against major cable operators including Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, Charter, and Cablevision over alleged patent violations tied to digital data distribution over cable systems. If courts rule in Rembrandt's favor, injunctions could halt HDTV delivery across these providers. This legal challenge, compounded by ongoing retransmission consent disputes with local broadcasters, signals real near-term risk to cable subscribers' access to HDTV content.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Wal-Mart Goes HDTV

Wal-Mart is aggressively expanding its HDTV lineup, adding Vizio flat panels in 26, 32, 37, and 42-inch sizes alongside 1080p sets 40 inches and larger from Philips and Polaroid, plus additional Samsung models. The retailer is targeting sub-$500 pricing on 32-inch LCD televisions, a significant drop from the $1,000 to $1,400 advertised prices common at competing chains. This pricing strategy could accelerate market-wide price compression and intensify competitive pressure on specialty electronics retailers like Circuit City and CompUSA.

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Mobile HD

HDTV Almanac - A Movie on a Card

Motorola announced a new cell phone capable of 30 frames per second full-motion video playback with support for high-capacity SD flash memory cards large enough to store a full-length film, eliminating the need for third-generation wireless network downloads. The same SD card slots already present on many HDTVs could enable seamless viewing across devices, from a morning commute on a handset to a living room big screen. This convergence raises the possibility that SD-based movie distribution could ultimately outmaneuver both HD DVD and Blu-ray formats.

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LCD TVsPlasma TVsStandards

HDTV Almanac - Another Company Bails on Plasma

Funai Electric, maker of Sylvania, Emerson, and Symphonic branded TVs, is exiting the plasma market after sourcing panels from LG Electronics, opting to focus exclusively on LCD HDTVs. Direct view LCD has already captured the HDTV market below 50 inches and is pushing into the 50-55 inch range, with 1080p panels narrowing the price premium over 720p displays. Consumers evaluating HDTV purchases will find the competitive landscape shifting rapidly toward LCD and rear projection as plasma loses ground beyond Panasonic and Pioneer.

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Plasma TVsLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Pioneer Announces New Plasma HDTVs

Pioneer's 2007 plasma HDTV lineup spans 42 to 60 inches, with 1080p models priced from $5,000 to $7,500 and XGA (1,024 by 768) models starting at $2,700, reflecting a deliberate premium positioning strategy. The $1,500 price gap between XGA and 1080p tiers, combined with competing 52-inch 1080p LCD panels from Sharp available under $3,000, puts Pioneer's value proposition under significant pressure. Buyers weighing plasma against LCD at the 50-inch mark will find the price differential hard to ignore.

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HDTV Almanac - LG Replaces ‘Fridge Magnets with HDTV

LG's LSC27990TT refrigerator integrates a 15-inch widescreen HD LCD display into one of its doors, equipped with both analog and digital TV tuners plus cable TV and DVD inputs. The author notes that a 15-inch widescreen panel is roughly equivalent in height to a 12-inch standard-definition display, making HD resolution largely impractical at typical kitchen viewing distances. The USB port for uploading personal photos is identified as the more genuinely useful feature for everyday use.

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HDTV Almanac - Get SMART with Online Video?

MIT's OpenCourseWare platform and Video Index offer free access to recorded lectures covering topics ranging from the One Laptop per Child program to geothermal energy applications, representing a measurable shift in how expert knowledge is distributed online. The availability of structured academic video content on-demand, without enrollment requirements or scheduling constraints, makes self-directed learning from credentialed institutions a practical option for any curious viewer. For those willing to explore beyond entertainment, the web's growing catalog of non-fiction educational video rivals what traditional continuing education once required significant time and cost to access.

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Satellite HD

HDTV Almanac - DirecTV on the Road

DirecTV's Sat-Go is a briefcase-sized portable satellite TV unit featuring a built-in 17-inch LCD screen and DirecTV receiver, powered by rechargeable batteries, AC current, or 12V DC and priced at $1,499. The system supports full DirecTV programming including premium sports packages, though it is limited to standard definition output with no HD capability. For consumers who want live satellite TV at tailgates, remote locations, or anywhere with a southern sky view, Sat-Go represents a practical if pricey step toward truly portable broadcast television.

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DRM

HDTV Almanac - Google Mounts YouTube Defense

Google invoked the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) as its primary defense in a $1 billion copyright infringement lawsuit filed by Viacom over unauthorized clips from MTV, Comedy Central, and Nickelodeon uploaded to YouTube. Google's legal argument centers on a DMCA safe harbor provision that shields website operators from liability for user-uploaded copyrighted content, provided they remove infringing material promptly upon request. The outcome could set a significant precedent for how online video platforms manage user-generated content and copyright compliance.

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IPTV

HDTV Almanac - From Disney to IPTV

Michael Eisner's new studio Vuguru is distributing 'Prom Queen', a serial drama of 80 episodes at 90 seconds each, across platforms including MySpace and YouTube. One episode drew 900,000 viewers on a single Saturday, while production costs ran approximately $200,000 per episode, a fraction of the $2 million some 30-second commercials command. For consumers and industry observers, this signals a potentially viable low-cost model for IPTV content production and distribution that could reshape how video reaches audiences.

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HDTV Almanac - HDTV Market Goes Green

HDTV market trends in 2007 pointed toward environmental responsibility, with manufacturers and retailers expected to emphasize green initiatives in their marketing following record sales growth in 2006. Crutchfield partnered with the Consumer Electronics Association to integrate the CEA's myGreenElectronics database into a dedicated web page, giving consumers a practical tool to locate local recycling centers for used electronics. For shoppers, this signals a shift where purchasing decisions and post-use disposal of consumer electronics are increasingly tied to environmental accountability.

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Home TheaterProjection HDEmerging Tech

HDTV Almanac - A New Microdisplay for HDTVs

Samsung's spatial optical modulator (SOM) is an electromechanical microdisplay technology that uses flexing ribbons to diffract light, switching states in approximately seven microseconds - roughly 1,000 times faster than a single LCD pixel transition. A prototype combining three 1,080-pixel SOM strips illuminated by red, green, and blue lasers achieved 1,920x1,080 (1080p) resolution with 1,000:1 contrast via a scanning mirror on a rear-projection screen. If manufacturing hurdles around yield and cost can be cleared, the laser-based design could enable thinner rear-projection HDTVs with superior color depth and no motion artifacts.

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HDTV Almanac - HDTV Mounts Ready for DIY?

A voluntary recall by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and Circuit City targets Verge brand flat panel TV tilting mount brackets, which can release their lock bar if upward force is applied to a mounted television, risking falls and injury. The defect is particularly consequential given that affected HDTVs can weigh 100 pounds or more. Circuit City is offering a free repair kit, but the incident highlights real safety risks in the expanding DIY flat panel mount market.

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DTV TransitionPolitics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - FCC Requires Warning Labels

The FCC has mandated warning stickers on televisions sold with analog tuners but lacking digital tuners, a requirement targeting existing retail inventory ahead of the February 17, 2009 analog broadcast cutoff date. Sets without a cable, satellite, or digital tuner adapter connection will lose over-the-air reception entirely once analog transmissions end. For most consumers already on cable or satellite, the practical impact is minimal, though the author anticipates digital tuner adapter prices will drop sharply as the deadline approaches and demand rises.

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OLED TVsManufacturing

HDTV Almanac - More OLED HDTV News

Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology has demonstrated a 21-inch OLED panel using Cambridge Display Technology's low-temperature polysilicon substrate, which provides improved electron mobility, with commercial WXGA production targeted for 2009. This follows Sony's announced 11-inch OLED HDTV, and both displays are notably thinner than LCD panels while combining flat panel and CRT strengths. Despite the technical promise, limited production capacity and high costs mean OLED will hold a small market share compared to established LCD fab lines for the foreseeable future.

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HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: 1080i Signal on a 720p HDTV

A 720p HDTV panel with a native 1,280 by 720 pixel matrix can accept 1080i and 1080p signals, but must scale them down, discarding detail in the process. Upscaling DVD players, which often include superior scaling processors compared to those built into HDTVs, may allow manual selection of output resolution. Understanding the difference between a display's native resolution and its supported input formats is essential for setting realistic expectations about image quality.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - HDTV on the Wall

Monster and Tzero have announced a collaboration to produce a wireless HDTV wall mount capable of holding panels up to 60 inches, with Tzero's wireless signal transmission technology eliminating cable runs and built-in power conditioning reducing installation complexity. The product targets a growing segment of cost-conscious consumers who want DIY mounting solutions rather than expensive professional installation services. Expected at Monster dealers worldwide by fall, this development signals a broader shift toward consumer-friendly flat panel mounting as HDTV prices continue to drop.

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Plasma TVsStandards

HDTV Almanac - Court Rules Almost HDTV Is Okay

A federal court in New Jersey dismissed a fraud claim against Panasonic after ruling that its 1,024x768 plasma display meets HDTV standards, despite falling 256 horizontal pixels short of the 1,280 required by the ATSC 720p specification. The missing pixels represent 20% of total image information, and the same shortfall affects 1080-line plasma panels that offer only 1,024 horizontal pixels instead of the 1,920 required for true 1080p. The ruling effectively places the burden on consumers to scrutinize panel specifications before purchasing, making pixel-count literacy a practical necessity when shopping for HDTV displays.

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HDTV Almanac - Truth Patrol: Are DVDs HD?

DVD discs contain only standard-definition content regardless of upscaling, which interpolates a 480-line source across an HD panel by expanding roughly 100 pixels into 400 without adding genuine detail. Upscaling players produce smoother edges but cannot synthesize resolution that was never captured, making DVDs fundamentally non-HD compared to Blu-ray or HD DVD sources. Consumers choosing a viewing distance or screen size based on source quality should understand that only true HD content justifies closer seating for perceived sharpness gains.

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LCD TVsPlasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: Plasma vs. LCD Energy Use

Plasma TVs draw significantly more power than LCD equivalents, with 42-inch plasma sets rated at 329-395 watts compared to 210-247 watts for 42-inch LCD models, though real-world consumption varies because plasma power scales with image brightness while LCD backlights run at constant draw regardless of scene content. Sharp's LCD lineup shows power scaling from 165 watts at 32 inches to 302 watts at 52 inches, with efficiency gains apparent at larger screen sizes. Viewers who watch a lot of dark or low-brightness content may find the plasma-versus-LCD power gap narrower than spec sheets suggest.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Sharp Goes Green with LCD HDTV

Sharp is offering free recycling of old televisions during April for customers who purchase an LCD HDTV with a screen size of 37 inches or larger through its online retail site, with the condition that the replacement screen must be at least as large as the unit being recycled. The promotion includes free home delivery and same-visit pickup of the old set, lowering the barrier for responsible disposal of large-screen electronics. As energy consumption and end-of-life disposal become factors in consumer purchasing decisions, this kind of manufacturer-led recycling initiative may signal a broader industry shift worth watching.

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Home TheaterProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - Sony Goes Wide on Projectors

Sony has introduced two new 720p LCD projectors, the VPL-AW10 and VPL-AW15, priced at $1,000 and $1,300 respectively, filling a gap between budget standard-definition units and premium 1080p home theater models. Both projectors feature automatic irises for enhanced contrast and a brightness rating of 1,100 lumens, while the VPL-AW15 adds vertical and horizontal lens shift. Paired with an ambient-light-rejecting screen, either model can deliver a massive HD image at roughly the cost of a plasma display with only one-quarter the viewable area.

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HD DVDBlu-rayStandards

HDTV Almanac - Toshiba Sues over DVD Licenses

The Blu-ray vs. HD DVD format war persists largely because of patent licensing revenue, not just technical incompatibility, as demonstrated by Toshiba's petition to the International Trade Commission to block DVD player imports from 17 manufacturers accused of bypassing licensing fees. Standard red-laser DVD technology already generates substantial royalty income even at the $60 consumer price point, illustrating how lucrative intellectual property rights can be. For consumers, this means a unified high-definition format remains unlikely as long as competing patent holders have strong financial incentives to protect their own standards.

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OLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - OLED HDTVs This Year!

Sony announced plans to bring 11-inch OLED HDTVs to market before the end of 2007, with initial production capped at roughly 1,000 units per month and pricing positioned as a luxury status symbol. Unlike LCDs, OLED panels require only a single glass layer with no backlight, enabling a dramatically thinner form factor, near-instantaneous response times free of motion smearing, and wide viewing angles comparable to CRT displays. The low volume and small screen size limit near-term impact, but Sony's brand strength and willingness to pioneer the technology could shape long-term consumer adoption of OLED displays.

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HD DVDBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Blu-ray Calls to Gamers

Digital Leisure has ported the 1983 arcade classic Dragon's Lair, digitally restored and enhanced, to the Blu-ray Java (BD-J) environment in an effort to attract gamers to the Blu-ray format. The move comes as Blu-ray backers work to close the market lead held by HD DVD, though the author questions whether a decades-old title dressed up in high definition carries enough appeal to sway serious gamers already invested in Xbox 360 and PS3 platforms. This release is unlikely to serve as a meaningful tipping point in the ongoing Blu-ray versus HD DVD format war.

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Buying Guides

HDTV Almanac - Online Buyer Beware: Shipping Prices

Buying an HDTV online can yield attractive prices, but hidden shipping costs can erode those savings significantly - a Vizio GV42L 42-inch LCD HDTV listed under $900 from one online retailer carried a $155 shipping charge, roughly double the actual UPS coast-to-coast rate for a sub-100-pound package. Savvy shoppers should calculate the full delivered cost before assuming an online listing beats local retail pricing, where no shipping fees apply.

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Plasma TVsManufacturingMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Panasonic Makes Big Plasma Play

Panasonic is doubling down on plasma display technology as parent company Matsushita commits $2.4 billion to build a third manufacturing plant in Amagasaki, targeting an annual production capacity of 22 million units by 2009. The strategy aims to reduce per-unit manufacturing costs to stay competitive against a growing field of LCD producers pushing into larger screen sizes. For consumers, this investment signals continued price competition in the large-screen HDTV market and keeps plasma a viable option in purchasing decisions for years ahead.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: LCD TV with DVD

A 32-inch Westinghouse LTV-32W4 LCD TV with built-in DVD player and digital tuner was available for $800 at Best Buy, offering over-the-air HD and digital broadcasts within a sub-$1000 budget. Most LCD TVs with DVD players also support audio CD playback, though built-in speakers are typically poor quality, and self-powered computer speakers plugged into the headphone jack provide a practical audio upgrade. At 26 to 32 inches, optimal viewing distance is roughly four feet, meaning the effective image height is comparable to a 23-inch standard-definition CRT.

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SportsProgramming

HDTV Almanac - Sharp Plays Ball with HDTV

Sharp has secured an official HDTV sponsorship deal with Major League Baseball, committing to significant advertising buys on broadcast networks in exchange for the designation. Over 1,300 MLB games were broadcast locally in HD last season, with at least that many expected again, giving fans a growing slate of high-definition coverage. The improved resolution delivers visible detail down to the seams on a pitched ball, making HD baseball a compelling upgrade for viewers who cannot attend games in person.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Tough Times for Tweeter

Tweeter Home Entertainment Group announced the closure of one third of its retail locations and layoffs exceeding 20% of its workforce, casualties of intensifying price wars in the consumer electronics sector. HDTV prices are forecast to continue declining throughout the year, compressing margins further even as unit sales rise, leaving mid-tier chains like CompUSA and Circuit City similarly exposed. Shoppers near a closing location may find discounted inventory, but the broader retail shakeout signals a difficult operating environment for anyone not named Best Buy.

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IPTVStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - When Do You Watch IPTV?

Comscore data commissioned by HDNet chairman Mark Cuban reveals that 50 percent of weekday online video (IPTV) viewing occurs between 7 AM and 5 PM, with only 12 percent during evening prime time hours, strongly suggesting widespread consumption during work hours. The figures raise pointed questions about workplace productivity, as entertainment streams like Daily Show clips and Lost episodes dominate alongside legitimate use cases such as news and financial market monitoring. Corporate network administrators may not yet be blocking entertainment streams, but the data suggests that policy responses are likely inevitable.

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DRM

HDTV Almanac - Another DRM Card Falls

Apple iTunes and EMI Group announced a landmark deal allowing DRM-free music downloads from EMI's catalog, with tracks priced at $1.29 compared to the standard $0.99, but offering double the bit rate for improved audio quality. This marks the first major label to act on Steve Jobs' earlier call to eliminate copy protection from downloaded music. For consumers, the move signals a practical shift toward unrestricted playback across devices, and suggests broader industry momentum toward abandoning DRM on digital content.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Panasonic 42″ 1080p Plasma HDTV

Panasonic's TH-42PZ700 is a 42-inch 1080p plasma display priced at $2,499, with a June 2007 ship date, making it one of the first plasma panels to achieve full HD resolution at that screen size. The manufacturing challenge of fabricating the fine pixel structures required for 1080p on a 42-inch plasma panel drives the cost significantly higher than competing 50-inch lower-resolution plasma sets available under $2,000. Buyers seeking 1080p at 42 inches may find the $1,500 Westinghouse LVM-42w2 LCD a more practical alternative.

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Cable HDOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Cable Goes Local for HDTV

A new generation of cable set-top boxes integrates a digital TV tuner, allowing subscribers to receive local broadcast stations over the air via antenna rather than through cable rebroadcast. This approach eliminates retransmission licensing fees for cable operators and frees up bandwidth, while subscribers may actually gain a cleaner picture since digital OTA signals deliver either a perfect image or nothing, with no analog-style degradation. For cable companies facing competition from satellite and telco providers, this dual-path strategy offers a meaningful cost and quality advantage.

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IPTVStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - It Joost Gets Better!

Joost, the IPTV service built by the creators of Skype and formerly known as the Venice Project, delivers impressively high-resolution on-demand video with a quality of service that avoids the buffer overruns and playback interruptions common to many online video streams. The ad-supported platform organizes content into browsable channels spanning short films, sports, and nature programming. For viewers considering a free internet television alternative, Joost's combination of stream stability and on-demand flexibility makes it a compelling early look at where web-based video is heading.

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DLP TVsProjection HDMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - RP HDTV Post January Gains

Rear projection HDTV unit sales rose 1.5% in January while flat panel LCD and plasma sales dropped 20%, with Texas Instruments' DLP technology commanding a 70% share of the rear projection segment. Deep discounts on LG models and closeouts of 55-to-59-inch 720p sets drove prices down nearly 40%, while the 60-to-69-inch 1080p segment captured almost 21% of rear projection sales. Price-sensitive new buyers and consumers upgrading to larger screens for proper viewing distance may signal a sustained shift back toward rear projection displays.

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LCD TVsPlasma TVsStandards

HDTV Almanac - Philips Bails on Plasma HDTV

Philips is exiting the plasma HDTV market globally, retaining only North American and Australian sales where demand for larger screens - such as the 63-inch 63PFP7422D shown at CES - remains stronger. LCD HDTVs have seized a price advantage in sizes below 50 inches and are encroaching on the 50-55 inch range, while rear projection holds dominant cost advantages at 60 inches and above. The accelerating industry shift toward 1080p Full HD resolution, which plasma struggles to match cost-effectively, further narrows the technology's competitive window.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - Down with Wires!

Motorola's acquisition of Amimon, Inc. brings WHDI (Wireless High-Definition Interface) technology into focus, a system demonstrated transmitting uncompressed 1080i video signals without cables. The move targets a real pain point in home entertainment installation, where routing wires through walls and ceilings drives up labor costs regardless of whether a professional or homeowner does the work. For consumers and installers alike, WHDI represents a practical path to cleaner, faster HD video distribution across a room or home.

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HD DVRHD Media CentersHome Theater PC (HTPC)

HDTV Almanac - A Computer for Your HDTV

For over-the-air broadcast HDTV recording, a Windows Media Center Edition PC remains one of the few viable DVR options outside of cable or satellite-tied hardware. Intel's Core Processor Challenge, offering a $1 million prize, is pushing designers to rethink the traditional tower form factor, with finalist Jeffrey Stephenson's art deco 'Decomatic 12b' demonstrating that a silent, full-featured home media PC can also be visually compelling. For consumers building a home theater PC that doubles as a network music server, form factor and aesthetics are increasingly practical considerations.

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Plasma TVsMarket Trends & AnalysisLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Plasma HDTV Stays Aggressive

VIZIO's VP42HDTV brings a 42-inch plasma HDTV to a regular retail price of $999.99 at Costco, featuring a 10,000:1 contrast ratio and dual HDMI connectors alongside two component video inputs. This marks a significant shift from the $5,000-plus price tags common just three years prior, and puts competitive pressure on LCD rivals in the 40-to-50-inch segment. Consumers stand to benefit as budget-aggressive plasma pricing forces the broader HDTV market downward.

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Politics & PolicyDTV TransitionStandards

HDTV Almanac - Feds Help with DTV Transition

The US analog television shutdown, scheduled for February 2009, will require roughly 78 million over-the-air households to adopt digital tuner conversion boxes expected to retail between $25 and $50. The NTIA is administering a $1.5 billion coupon program offering up to two $40 rebates per household starting January 2008, with a second round reserved for non-cable and non-satellite subscribers. A March 31 mandate requiring digital tuners in all new TV-equipped devices sold in the US means the affected household count could shrink significantly before the cutover date.

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LED TVsProjection HDMobile HD

HDTV Almanac - Pocket Projectors Get Brighter

Osram Opto Semiconductors has unveiled a six-LED solid-state lighting module rated at 50,000 hours of use, far exceeding the 2,000-to-3,000-hour lifespan of conventional projector lamps, and brighter than a 50-watt halogen lamp. Designed for integration into smartphones, PDAs, and laptops, these compact light sources are capable of projecting page-sized images under normal lighting conditions. Planned for full production by summer 2007, this technology points toward a future where portable video projection becomes as commonplace as mobile audio.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - New Pioneer 1080p Plasma HDTV

Pioneer's PDP-5000EX is a 50-inch professional 1080p plasma HDTV monitor featuring a deep waffle rib structure that reduces inter-pixel light leakage and boosts phosphor brightness, with pixels half the size of the previous generation. The display accepts 1080p 24 Hz signals and outputs them at 72 Hz, bypassing the 3:2 pulldown conversion required by competing displays. Priced above the $6,500 consumer equivalent, this panel highlights why true 1920x1080 plasma remains rare and costly, making LCD and rear-projection alternatives more practical for most buyers seeking full HD resolution.

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Streaming HDSportsProgramming

HDTV Almanac - March Madness IPTV Again

CBS and the NCAA are again offering free online streaming of the men's basketball tournament via March Madness on Demand, with video resolution upgraded from 320x240 to 480x360 pixels compared to last year's service that drew 1.9 million viewers and 19 million streams. The improved stream remains noticeably blocky at full screen on SXGA monitors and falls well short of HD quality, but represents a meaningful step forward. For viewers in markets without local broadcast coverage, the ad-supported service provides buzzer-to-buzzer access at no cost, signaling a viable model for free Internet-delivered television content.

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Politics & PolicyStandards

HDTV Almanac - Telco Video Franchise Rules Set

The FCC has established new video franchising rules requiring local franchise authorities to reach agreements with telephone companies within 90 days if the applicant holds public rights-of-way access, or six months otherwise. The rules also cap franchise fees that local communities can impose, accelerating the roll-out of telco TV services like Verizon FiOS into major markets. Increased competition from telephone companies entering the cable television space is expected to deliver lower costs and broader service choices for consumers.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - 3-in-1 HDTV Scaler

The Gefen HD Mate Scaler consolidates two component inputs and a DVI-I input (supporting both digital and analog signals) into a single unit that auto-detects incoming resolutions and scales them to match an HDTV's native resolution. Priced at $349, it addresses both signal scaling and the common problem of limited display connections. For users juggling multiple HD sources, this could serve as a practical all-in-one solution without requiring a separate scaler and switcher.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Clearance Time

Post-CES 2007 inventory pressure is creating notable HDTV clearance opportunities, with retailers like Best Buy and Circuit City discounting name-brand sets including the 46-inch Samsung LNS4692D LCD at $2,199.99 and the JVC 56-inch LCoS rear-projection models at $1,599.99. HP plasma options are also surfacing at reduced prices as dealers push existing stock ahead of incoming 2007 model-year units. For buyers willing to shop around, the combination of slow sales and high inventory makes this a practical window to negotiate on premium displays.

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HDTV Almanac - DST and Friendly HDTVs

A 2007 DST transition audit across a home and office found that 9 out of roughly 20 devices updated automatically, including computers synced via the Internet, cell phones relying on network time, and a DVR pulling on-air program guide data. Devices receiving radio frequency signals or Internet connectivity had the technical means to self-correct, yet microwaves, stoves, and multifunction printers still required manual adjustment. The practical takeaway is that consumer electronics manufacturers had not yet closed the gap between network-aware and standalone devices, leaving users to manually configure too many clocks.

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ManufacturingMarket Trends & AnalysisLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - LCD HDTV Surplus through 2008

DisplayBank analyst Kenny Kim forecasts surplus LCD panel manufacturing capacity persisting through early 2009, driven by a dramatic drop in capital investment that could trigger supply shortages thereafter. Building a large LCD plant costs upward of $3 billion, and DisplayBank estimates $60 billion in new investment will be needed over four years to meet demand. For consumers, the near-term outlook is favorable, with industry analysts projecting LCD HDTV prices to fall another 25% or more through 2008 before market conditions become less predictable.

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HD DVDBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Will Flash Trump High-Def DVDs?

A 16 GB Flash drive, available for under $150 in 2007 and exceeding single-layer HD DVD capacity, presents a compelling alternative to blue laser disc formats like HD DVD and Blu-ray. Combined with broadband Internet connections enabling overnight HD movie downloads, Flash-based rental delivery could eliminate the need for physical disc inventory and postage. For consumers, this means potentially avoiding a $500 to $1,000 investment in a high-def DVD player that may never reach mainstream adoption.

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Laser TVsProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - New Wine in New Bottles: Laser TV HDTVs

Novalux is developing solid-state laser light sources for rear-projection televisions, rebranded as 'Laser TVs,' claiming a 30,000-hour lifespan at full brightness and efficiency 3 to 4 times better than conventional lamps. A 65-inch model is projected to measure just 6 inches deep with a quarter-inch bezel, drawing one quarter the power of a comparable plasma display at roughly one fourth the price. Sony demonstrated a prototype at CES 2007, with commercial units expected before the end of that year, potentially reshaping the value proposition for large-screen home theater buyers.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Truth Patrol: More Digital TV Confusion

The February 2009 analog broadcast cutoff requires a digital tuner for over-the-air reception, but does not mandate an HDTV purchase. An external digital tuner added to an existing television is sufficient to receive digital over-the-air signals, and cable or satellite subscribers need no changes at all. Consumers should not conflate the analog-to-digital transition with a mandatory upgrade to high-definition television, as the two are distinct requirements.

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Satellite HD

HDTV Almanac - Satellite HDTV Services Make Nice

EchoStar (DISH Network) and DirecTV settled litigation over the use of each other's trademarked names in Google AdWords sponsored links, a practice both companies had employed to redirect competitor search traffic to their own sites. The agreement commits both parties to halt the tactic pending a definitive ruling from the Supreme Court or Congress on its legality. For consumers, the rivalry reflects a fiercely competitive satellite HDTV market where providers routinely offer free dishes and free installation to offset the high cost of acquiring new subscribers.

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IPTV

HDTV Almanac - Florida Condos Get HDTV IPTV

FrontGate MediaCom is deploying an IPTV service over private fiber-optic networks to deliver standard definition and HDTV content across more than 250 channels to master-planned communities and luxury condo developments in Florida. Unlike early PC-based IPTV experiences on platforms such as YouTube, this implementation is transparent to end users, requiring no technical knowledge of the underlying infrastructure. The seamless delivery model - combining video, voice, Internet, and security over a single connection - represents a practical blueprint for how IPTV could become a credible rival to cable and satellite in the US market.

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HDTV Almanac - Speedbump for SED HDTV

Canon lost a patent dispute to Nano Proprietary over surface-conduction electron-emitter display (SED) technology, voiding a $5.6 million licensing agreement after Canon shared the patents with Toshiba without authorization. SED panels combine CRT-quality imaging with the thin profile of an LCD, but have struggled to reach competitive price points against rapidly falling LCD costs. The ruling forces Canon to renegotiate licensing terms, further straining the economics of a technology already unlikely to reach mainstream consumers.

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Home TheaterBlu-rayHD DVD

HDTV Almanac - Sony Blu-ray DVD Player for $599?

Sony announced an entry-level Blu-ray player at a $599 list price for early summer 2007, roughly $100 more than Toshiba's existing $499 HD DVD player, a gap that could widen to $200 if HD DVD prices drop further by summer. Despite Nielsen VideoScan data showing Blu-ray disc sales outpacing HD DVD three to one, Blockbuster Online's catalog of 162 HD DVD titles versus 150 Blu-ray titles suggests the demand gap may be narrower than reported. For mainstream buyers, the price differential and content availability make HD DVD a more practical near-term choice.

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Cable HDOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - CBS Reaches HDTV Deal with Cable

CBS has secured retransmission consent agreements with nine cable operators, granting rights to rebroadcast analog, digital, and HDTV content from CBS-owned and operated stations, with several of those operators serving over one million subscribers each. The deals reflect a broader industry shift as over-the-air broadcasters, facing pressure on traditional advertising revenue from DVRs and other factors, pursue cable retransmission fees as a new revenue stream. For cable subscribers paying for HDTV tiers, these agreements directly determine whether local CBS HDTV broadcasts are included in their service.

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DRM

HDTV Almanac - HD DVD Copy Protection Unlocked

A newly discovered method to extract the AACS encryption key directly from system memory during HD DVD playback has effectively bypassed copy protection on high-definition discs, with SlySoft's AnyDVD utility already enabling users to rip HD DVDs to hard drives. The exploit does not appear to violate the Digital Millennium Copyright Act's reverse engineering provisions, leaving studios with no clean remediation path since reissuing processing keys would break existing drives until firmware updates are deployed. This development forces a broader reckoning with DRM on digital media before HD DVD or Blu-ray have achieved significant market penetration.

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HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: Upscaling DVD Players

DVD upscaling players take the native 480i/480p signal (roughly 850x480 pixels) and apply intelligent video processing to scale the image to 720p or 1080p resolution, rather than simply duplicating pixels into a blocky mosaic. The processor analyzes lines and patterns to fill in plausible detail in the expanded image, producing a result that appears sharper on large screens than a raw enlargement would. For viewers with HD displays and a library of standard DVDs, upscaling offers a practical near-term improvement while HD disc availability remains limited.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Joost IPTV Gets MTV

Viacom has ended revenue-sharing negotiations with YouTube and signed with Joost, the peer-to-peer IPTV platform formerly known as the Venice Project, to distribute content from MTV Networks, BET Networks, and Paramount Pictures. The Joost beta delivers solid video quality over high-speed broadband with a navigable user interface, though the service has not yet reached general availability. This shift signals a potential reduction in licensed content on YouTube, raising questions about its long-term viability as a destination for premium programming.

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Buying Guides

HDTV Almanac - New Intelligence Report Format!

The HDTV Almanac's 'Professor Poor's Weekly Price Intelligence Report' has been upgraded with a new database-driven format that tracks advertised HDTV prices by individual model, sorted by screen size and price across major national retailers. The revamped report now includes ATSC digital tuner availability alongside resolution and display technology specs, making it easier to compare the same model across competing stores. Priced at $5.95 per weekly Tuesday issue, with a promotional rebate that can reduce the cost to under a dollar, this tool offers practical value for shoppers navigating the HDTV market.

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HDTV Almanac - Is Dell’s Future in HDTV?

Dell has begun selling Sony Bravia LCD HDTVs in 40-inch and 46-inch sizes alongside its own HDTV lineup, which tops out at 37 inches, marking the first time the company has retailed another brand's television sets. This move mirrors Dell's earlier retreat from its own DJ Ditty MP3 players in favor of third-party devices from Archos, Creative Labs, Samsung, and others. For consumers, the practical question is whether Dell's established online ordering platform can translate into meaningful HDTV sales when buyers may prefer same-day in-store pickup.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - DTV Changeover: Two Years to Go!

The U.S. analog television broadcast shutdown, scheduled two years out from this writing, requires viewers relying on over-the-air (OTA) signals to have an ATSC-compatible digital tuner and a suitable antenna to continue receiving free local broadcasts. All TV tuner products sold after late March of that year were mandated to include a digital tuner, identifiable by labels such as 'ATSC tuner' or 'Integrated HD' on spec sheets. Cable and satellite subscribers are unaffected, and receiving OTA digital signals does not guarantee HD picture quality, which at the time was limited mainly to prime-time programming and select sporting events.

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Plasma TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Olevia: HDTV Trend Setter?

Panasonic's aggressive holiday price cuts on plasma HDTVs, not smaller brands like Olevia or Vizio, were the primary driver of the 2006 flat-panel price war, with the best-selling model being a Panasonic 42-inch plasma averaging just over $1,300. While Circuit City's $475 price tag on a 32-inch Olevia LCD grabbed headlines, unit sales data shows major brands like Panasonic outsold all smaller competitors combined. For consumers, this suggests that large-scale inventory and competitive pressure from established manufacturers ultimately set the price floor across the entire flat-panel market.

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DTV TransitionOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - OTA HTDV Gaining Interest

Over-the-air (OTA) digital television reception is gaining renewed consumer interest, driven in part by cable subscribers who missed HD SuperBowl coverage that was freely available via antenna. Local broadcast stations typically apply less signal compression than cable or satellite providers, meaning an HDTV with a built-in digital tuner paired with an OTA antenna can deliver a higher-quality HD picture than a paid subscription service. For cost-conscious viewers, this represents a practical, zero-cost path to premium HD signal quality.

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OTA HD & AntennasMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - SuperBowl HDTV Epilogue

HDTV sales momentum tied to the Super Bowl broadcast appears to have peaked around February 4th, with seasonal demand now entering a historically slow period that could pressure manufacturers and retailers to stimulate purchases. A notable industry development involved Sinclair Broadcasting pulling 22 stations across 13 states from Mediacom cable systems in a retransmission consent dispute, resolved just before kickoff. The standoff illustrates the growing tension over who pays for HD content distribution, a question with direct implications for which channels viewers can access and at what cost.

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ManufacturingMarket Trends & AnalysisLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Corning Making More HDTV Glass

Corning, the dominant supplier in the LCD glass market, projects demand to grow at a compound annual rate of 30 percent over two years, rising from 1.2 billion to 2 billion square feet by 2008. LCD TV market penetration is forecast to climb from 33 percent to 45 percent globally, while average screen sizes are expected to increase from 28 inches to 32 inches, requiring more glass per unit. Consumers upgrading to larger LCD HDTVs in the 40-to-50-inch range are directly displacing plasma displays, meaning manufacturers will need significantly greater glass supply to meet production demands.

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IPTV

HDTV Almanac - Reader Comment: Too Much IPTV?

A reader challenges the editorial focus on IPTV content for an HDTV-oriented site, prompting the editor to defend coverage by citing MPEG-4 compression advances and expanding fiber optic broadband as pathways to future HD delivery. The editor argues that DVRs have already reshaped broadcast scheduling and that emerging platforms like Joost signal a rapidly shifting video landscape. Readers setting up new HDTV systems are advised to factor in a Media Center PC with internet access as part of any complete configuration.

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HDTV Almanac - Radio Shack HDTV: Buy Online, Pickup Locally

Radio Shack's Ship-to-Store program lets customers order HDTVs online and pick them up at a local store within three to eight business days at no shipping cost, addressing the retailer's physical limitation of stocking only screens up to 37 inches. The two-week pickup window and multi-day wait stand in contrast to the immediate take-home experience offered by big-box competitors. For consumers weighing options, the delayed fulfillment and inability to view sets before purchase remain practical disadvantages that may limit the program's appeal.

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DRM

HDTV Almanac - DRM: Good News, Bad News

Steve Jobs published a public essay calling for the removal of DRM from iTunes downloads, arguing that copy protection is contractually mandated by content producers who hold Apple liable for security breaches, effectively forcing a closed ecosystem. Simultaneously, Viacom demanded Google remove roughly 100,000 copyrighted video clips from YouTube, only to see thousands reposted almost immediately by users, raising policing costs for both parties. These parallel events illustrate how consumer behavior directly shapes the future of DRM restrictions and the viability of legitimate digital content platforms.

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HDTV Almanac - Download Movies from Wal-Mart, The Sequel

Wal-Mart's Video Download service (then in public beta) offered full 480p movie and TV show downloads to PC, alongside a Quarter VGA (320x240 pixel) format for portable players, with DRM restricting DVD playback to the account-linked computer only. Burned DVDs could not be played on standard DVD players or other computers, though TV viewing was possible via direct connection or an adapter box. For collectors seeking a legitimate digital purchase option, the service represented a notable step toward mainstream broadband-based movie distribution without physical media.

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IPTVStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Hey Bud, This IPTV's for You!

Budweiser launched Bud.TV, a free IPTV web video platform delivering original on-demand and live content directly to consumers, bypassing traditional broadcast intermediaries. The site requires age-verification registration and features episodic programming ranging from sketch comedy to animation, with product integration varying from overt to absent depending on the show. This sponsor-owned distribution model echoes early television's brand-produced programming and could signal a shift in how advertisers allocate budgets away from conventional broadcast ad spots.

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LCD TVsBuying Guides

HDTV Almanac - Thoughts on a 32″ LCD HDTV

A 32-inch widescreen LCD HDTV has roughly the same image height as a 27-inch standard definition set, making it a modest choice for most living rooms. To perceive the full benefit of 1080p resolution on a 32-inch panel, viewers must sit within approximately 45 inches - nearly a foot closer than the optimal distance for a 27-inch SD set. This size is best suited for close-up, small-group viewing rather than typical living room distances where the resolution advantage becomes imperceptible.

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Buying Guides

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Tutorial: Contrast Ratio

Contrast ratio, defined as the luminance difference between the brightest and darkest parts of an image, is the single most important factor in perceived HDTV image quality, with black level performance being the critical variable. Manufacturer-published contrast ratio specs are unreliable because they are measured under conditions unrelated to real viewing environments, and ambient light significantly shifts the advantage between plasma and LCD displays. For viewers watching DVD content, where average scenes use less than 25% of maximum available light, a deep, accurate black level directly determines whether colors appear vivid or washed out.

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HDTV Almanac - Olevia Plays in the Major Leagues

Syntax-Brillian has secured a multimillion dollar founding partnership with AEG to deploy Olevia-branded LCD and RPTV displays across major venues including STAPLES Center and L.A. Live, covering digital signage and hospitality applications. The deal positions Olevia directly alongside established brands like Samsung and Sharp in a market where sports viewership is a primary driver of HDTV adoption. For consumers, it signals that Olevia has cleared the critical retail distribution hurdle that stops most new display brands from gaining traction in the U.S. market.

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Market Trends & AnalysisLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Prices: Going Down

PIDA forecasts a 7.6% price drop for 32-inch LCD HDTV panels in Q1 2007 alone, with average selling prices hitting $300, while 42-inch panels are projected to fall below $600 from roughly $700 in September 2006. The 32-inch segment has effectively become a commodity, driven by sourcing shifts to Taiwanese and Chinese LCD factories. If these projections hold, consumers could routinely find 42-inch LCD HDTVs retailing at $1,200 or less by summer 2007.

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DRMPolitics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - Let HDTV Freedom Ring!

Digital rights management (DRM) restricts how consumers use purchased content, from blocking iTunes music on non-iPod MP3 players to limiting 1080p output to HDMI connections only on HD DVD players. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act further criminalizes circumvention attempts, though market pressure is beginning to shift the balance, as seen when Lotus 1-2-3 abandoned copy protection after support burdens mounted and Sony faced backlash over its rootkit CD scheme. With HD movie downloads and home network content sharing on the rise, establishing fair DRM standards has direct consequences for how consumers access legally purchased media.

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Streaming HDIPTV

HDTV Almanac - Netflix Streams Movies, for Free!

Netflix has launched a streaming video service that gives subscribers access to 1,000 titles over the Internet at no extra cost beyond their existing monthly DVD plan, with viewing hours tied to the subscription tier (six hours per disc slot, up to 18 hours on the three-disc plan). The service uses IPTV delivery with adaptive bitrate streaming that adjusts video quality to available broadband bandwidth, requiring no local storage since content is not downloaded. For subscribers, this effectively adds a dozen or more free movies per month alongside standard DVD rentals.

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Plasma TVsDeals

HDTV Almanac - 50″ Plasma Two-for-One on Aisle 3

Pioneer is running a limited-time promotion through March 31, 2007, offering a free PDP-5016HD (50-inch, 1365x768 Wide XGA, 720p-capable plasma) with the purchase of the Elite PRO-FHD1, a 50-inch 1080p plasma available exclusively through authorized Elite brick-and-mortar dealers. The deal reflects broader market pressure on flat panel HDTV pricing, where supply appears to be outpacing demand despite manufacturer resistance to rapid price cuts. For buyers already considering a flagship plasma purchase, this effectively delivers a second room-ready 720p display at no additional cost.

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HDTV Almanac - What I Saw at CES

A co-host of WBAI-FM's The Personal Computer Show, the longest-running computer radio program in the United States, recorded a special podcast episode covering key observations from CES 2007. The show is available as streaming audio and a downloadable podcast at pcradioshow2.org, offering an accessible format for listeners who missed the live Wednesday night broadcast. Readers interested in HDTV and consumer electronics trends from CES can download the episode for firsthand commentary from an industry observer.

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Cable HDOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - HD SuperBowl on More Cable

Time Warner Cable has reached a carriage agreement with Sinclair Broadcasting, allowing it to carry Sinclair's local HD broadcasts in markets across Ohio, New York, and Maine. The deal was driven in large part by subscriber demand ahead of the Super Bowl on February 4th, illustrating how major sports events accelerate HD adoption and pressure cable operators to resolve retransmission disputes. The ongoing conflict between broadcast affiliates and cable companies over who pays for HD carriage rights signals that the financial framework for HD television distribution remains unsettled.

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HD DVDBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Blue Movies May Sink Blu-Ray

Sony's decision to bar its Blu-Ray disc production subsidiary from manufacturing adult titles mirrors its earlier Betamax policy, effectively ceding that market to HD DVD at a critical early adoption phase. Major adult content publishers have already committed to HD DVD, a format choice that historically carries real weight given pornography's documented role in accelerating VHS, CD-ROM, and DVD adoption through early volume production. For consumers, this format war dynamic could influence which high-definition disc standard survives long-term.

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ManufacturingMarket Trends & AnalysisLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - No Let Up in LCD Production

LCD panel manufacturers are aggressively expanding production capacity despite post-holiday order declines, with CMO launching a Gen 7.5 plant optimized for 42-inch panels, AUO ramping a Gen 7.5 facility to an eventual 60,000 substrates per month, and Sharp doubling its Gen 8 plant output to 30,000 substrates per month. The scale of investment, running into tens of billions of dollars, signals a potential oversupply scenario in the LCD industry. Consumers stand to benefit directly, as surplus panel production is likely to push HDTV prices to new lows.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Sundance Online

The Sundance Film Festival began streaming complete short films online in January 2007, available free of charge through June 2007, with an optional donation model kept separate from the viewing experience. The offering provides a practical alternative to IPTV and cable, delivering curated, high-quality content in five-to-ten-minute viewing sessions per film. For viewers frustrated by the lack of compelling programming on traditional and internet TV platforms, this represents a low-commitment way to explore web video with editorially vetted short-form content.

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OTA HD & AntennasSatellite HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - SuperBowl in HD? Maybe not...

Local HD broadcast rights disputes between station owners like Belo, Sinclair Broadcasting, and LIN TV and cable providers are leaving subscribers in markets such as Providence RI and Portland ME without an HD feed for the Super Bowl, despite paying for HD cable service. LIN TV has separately reached an agreement with Verizon FiOS optical fiber service to deliver local HD in affected markets, offering one potential workaround. Viewers with an antenna and a digital tuner can receive the free over-the-air broadcast in HD, highlighting that the HDTV experience depends on more than just display hardware.

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IPTV

HDTV Almanac - Apple and Microsoft Back IPTV

Apple TV, shipping in February 2007, pairs a 40 GB hard drive with wireless networking to serve video, photos, and music to televisions, while Microsoft's Xbox 360 IPTV upgrade - powered by Microsoft TV IPTV Edition software - targets the 2007 holiday season. Sony also entered the space with its own CES IPTV announcement, signaling serious investment from major consumer electronics players. Quality of service hurdles remain, but the convergence of internet-delivered video with living room hardware is advancing quickly.

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Projection HDMobile HD

HDTV Almanac - CES: A Projector in Your Phone

Microvision demonstrated a laser-based pico projector small enough to fit inside a cell phone case at CES 2007, capable of producing a 60-inch image in a darkened room without requiring focusing lenses due to the inherent depth-of-field properties of colored laser illumination. The module was bright enough to project a sheet-of-paper-sized image in ambient light, with production units expected by end of 2007 and consumer product integration anticipated in 2008. For users, this technology could replace both pocket LCD screens and laptops for on-the-go video viewing and business presentations.

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Projection HD

HDTV Almanac - CES: New Lamps for Old

Panasonic is adopting LIFI plasma lighting technology from LUXIM Corporation for its 1080p LCZ and 720p LCX series LCD RPTVs in 50", 56", and 61" screen sizes, scheduled to ship in April and May. Unlike traditional UHP lamps, LIFI uses microwave energy directed into a resonant cavity rather than electrodes, with some units rated at 25,000 hours of use. This dramatically reduces the cost and inconvenience of lamp replacement, addressing one of the most common objections consumers have to rear-projection HDTVs.

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LCD TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - CES: Prices Keep Falling

At CES, newly announced 42-inch 1080p LCD HDTVs are arriving with expected street prices between $1,100 and $1,400, a notable narrowing of the premium over Wide XGA (720p) models. Worldwide LCD production capacity continues to expand, putting pressure on manufacturers to move panels and keep inventories manageable. Consumers shopping in 2007 can reasonably expect prices to fall further as the year progresses, making full HD a more accessible mainstream option.

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Events & Trade ShowsOLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - CES: OLED Lives!

Sony is demonstrating a 27-inch 1080p OLED television at CES 2007, a display technology that rivals CRT in brightness, color accuracy, and viewing angle while being thinner than LCD panels. Sony is reportedly considering production of smaller OLED sets while developing larger panels, though cost competitiveness against established LCD and plasma remains the critical barrier to market entry. Consumers interested in next-generation displays should watch OLED closely, but temper expectations given the long adoption curve that LCDs themselves required before becoming price-competitive.

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IPTV

HDTV Almanac - CES: Sony to Offer IPTV

Sony announced at CES an IPTV service for select Bravia television models, enabling direct broadband streaming of both high-definition and standard-definition video content via an optional hardware module, bypassing the need for a separate PC. The ad-supported service launches with content partners AOL, Yahoo!, and Grouper, and supports RSS feed aggregation for custom channel creation. For consumers, this means free on-demand and broadcast-style video accessible directly through the TV remote, a model Sony's backing could help normalize across the broader IPTV market.

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Events & Trade ShowsLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - CES: More Dots, More Colors, and Faster

LCD HDTVs at CES 2007 are converging on three key advances: 1080p resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels), wider color gamut enabled by LED backlights and the HDMI 1.3 interface, and a doubled 120 Hz refresh rate to combat motion blur. The 1080p upgrade carries roughly a 10% cost premium over Wide XGA panels, making the transition economically viable for manufacturers and consumers alike. For buyers, these combined improvements mean sharper images, more accurate color reproduction, and noticeably smoother motion compared to current LCD sets.

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LCD TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Prices Keep Falling

Vizio has undercut the flat panel market with a 47-inch 1080p LCD HDTV priced under $1,900, a model roughly 12% larger diagonally than the 42-inch sets many expected at that price point. The price premium separating 1080p from 720p panels is rapidly eroding for LCD and rear-projection displays, while plasma faces structural challenges producing true 1080p panels affordably, with many 720p plasma models lacking sufficient horizontal pixel counts. LCD manufacturers scaling back plant expansion signals anticipated oversupply, suggesting continued downward price pressure through 2008.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - LG to Try Dual Format DVD

LG Electronics announced a dual-format HD DVD/Blu-Ray player set to debut at CES, while Warner Home Video plans hybrid discs with each format on opposite sides. The author argues that dual-format hardware and media will carry a price premium over single-format alternatives, undermining long-term viability. Unless manufacturers can deliver hybrid compatibility at near-parity pricing, market economics will likely force consumers toward one dominant format.

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DRMIPTVDTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Download Showtime

Showtime Networks is launching a download-to-own service for its proprietary programming, built on Microsoft Windows Vista's Media Center PC platform, allowing consumers to store and view content across networked home devices. The content will be protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology, but the move signals a meaningful shift toward consumer-friendly IPTV distribution. For viewers, this represents early evidence that content producers are beginning to accommodate flexible, multi-device home viewing, potentially pressuring other studios to follow.

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HDTV Almanac - A Bigger Pipe

Siemens demonstrated sustained fiber optic transmission rates exceeding 100 Gbits per second over a 100-mile optical network, more than 2.5 times faster than the 40 Gbits/sec infrastructure previously in place at the same site. Companies like Verizon are investing heavily in fiber buildouts to deliver HDTV and broadband services that compete directly with traditional cable providers. For consumers, advances like this reduce the risk of bandwidth bottlenecks as demand for high-fidelity video and data continues to accelerate.

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HDTV Almanac - Happy New Year!

Alfred Poor, author of the HDTV Almanac, pauses regular coverage to mark the New Year, noting that the HDTV industry continues to deliver improved products at falling price points. The declining costs are expanding access to high-definition viewing for a broader consumer base. For readers following the HDTV market, this signals an increasingly favorable time to enter or upgrade within the high-definition ecosystem.

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ManufacturingDTV TransitionStandards

HDTV Almanac - China Resists Digital TV Royalties

Chinese TV manufacturers are pushing back against ATSC tuner patent royalties of $23 per unit, a fee that represents over 10% of the retail price on sub-$200 LCD televisions ahead of the March 2007 mandatory digital tuner deadline. By contrast, European DVB-T standard royalties are reported at just $1 per unit, and with China producing 50 million TVs annually, the cumulative licensing burden reaches into the billions. The dispute highlights how patent licensing fees can become a dominant cost factor as consumer electronics prices fall and production volumes scale.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: Interference from Flat Panels?

LCD and plasma flat panel TVs present different RF interference profiles for amateur radio operators sharing a room with transceivers. LCD panels generally behave like LCD computer monitors with minimal RF emissions, though 120 Hz backlight-pulsing models introduce some uncertainty, while plasma displays raise more concern due to their high-voltage image generation despite carrying Class B FCC certification. A practical field test using a cheap AM radio tuned to an empty frequency can help evaluate a specific display before purchase.

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HDTV Almanac - Sorry - No SED at CES

Toshiba has confirmed it will not exhibit SED HDTV displays at CES in Las Vegas, with a spokesperson citing reasons that are neither technical nor business-related, fueling speculation of a licensing lawsuit involving partner Canon. The company had previously targeted mid-2007 for production and late 2007 for retail availability, but those dates remain uncertain following this withdrawal. For consumers hoping SED would emerge as a third flat-panel option alongside plasma and LCD, the timeline for a commercially available product remains frustratingly unclear.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Red Friday?

Circuit City posted a $16 million net loss for the quarter ending November 30th, a sharp reversal from the $10 million profit recorded in the same period a year prior. Intense price competition in the HDTV market drove retailers into cut-throat Black Friday strategies that eroded margins across the consumer electronics sector. High manufacturer production rates are expected to sustain downward pressure on HDTV prices, offering little relief for retailers in the near term.

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HDTV Almanac - Best Wishes to All!

Alfred Poor, author of the HDTV Almanac column, pauses his high-definition coverage to deliver a brief seasonal greeting to readers at the close of 2006. The message contains no technical content, specifications, or product analysis, offering only a personal holiday note with no practical implications for HDTV consumers or enthusiasts. Readers seeking technical guidance on high-definition television topics will find substantive coverage in surrounding columns.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: Obsolete TVs?

U.S. television broadcasters will cease all analog transmissions in February 2009, after which only digital signals will be broadcast over the air, requiring either a new TV with an ATSC tuner or a separate digital tuner adapter costing an estimated $25 to $50. Critically, digital broadcasts do not require HDTV hardware, meaning standard-definition sets paired with a digital tuner remain viable for over-the-air reception. Households relying on cable or satellite are entirely unaffected, limiting the real-world impact to fewer than 25% of U.S. homes.

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IPTVStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Shortcut to IPTV?

PCShowBuzz markets itself as a gateway to over 1,000 streaming video, news, sports, and music channels, but research suggests it is largely a paid front end layered over free services already accessible via standard media players such as RealPlayer, QuickTime, and Windows Media Player. Free aggregators like Beeline TV already index more than 100 streaming channels across multiple languages, though most streams deliver low resolution and require broadband for acceptable playback. Whether the convenience premium is worth paying depends entirely on how much a user values the time saved versus doing the discovery work independently.

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Buying Guides

HDTV Almanac - How Reliable Are HDTV Reviews?

Consumer Reports' HDTV ratings show troubling inconsistencies, with one Samsung 32-inch LCD scoring 62 points in December but only 46 points in the prior month's issue - a 16-point swing with no explanation. Seven different models saw rating changes within a single one-month span, raising serious questions about the reproducibility of standardized HDTV testing. For consumers, this underscores a practical reality: published reviews may be unreliable guides for comparing displays, making hands-on personal evaluation the more dependable approach.

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IPTV

HDTV Almanac - IPTV: The Venice Project

The Venice Project is a new IPTV beta platform built on peer-to-peer file streaming, developed by the team behind Skype, aiming to deliver web-based video entertainment with built-in Digital Millennium Copyright Act compliance and copy protection. Unlike conventional broadcast or competing IPTV efforts, its P2P architecture shifts distribution load away from centralized servers, which could meaningfully affect scalability and streaming reliability for end users. Whether the Skype founders can replicate their disruptive success in video delivery is a question worth watching closely.

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Home TheaterProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - RP HDTV on the Wall

JVC has released two slim rear projection HDTV models targeting buyers who want a wall-mountable display without committing to a flat panel: the 58-inch HD-58S998 at 10.7 inches deep and the 63-inch HD-65S998 at 11.6 inches deep, both offering 1080p resolution at a premium price. The reduced chassis depth is achieved through more complex internal projection systems, adding cost compared to standard rear projection sets. For viewers who find hanging a 100-pound flat panel impractical, these models mounted on a floating shelf offer a comparable wall-display experience worth considering.

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LCD TVsStandards

HDTV Almanac - Sharp Announces 1080p 32″ LCD

Sharp has announced a 32-inch 1080p LCD HDTV for the Japanese market, available in two speaker configurations, marking a notable shift as 1080p resolution begins to penetrate smaller LCD panel sizes. Unlike plasma displays, LCD technology faces fewer manufacturing hurdles in achieving the tighter pixel pitch required for higher-resolution panels at this screen size. At 32 inches, optimal viewing distance calculates to roughly 3.5 feet, making this display better suited to Japan's compact living spaces than to typical American home setups.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Video to Go Will Blossom

A McLaughlin Consulting Group study projects personal video viewer sales will reach $1 billion by 2010, with Apple positioned to capitalize on iPod-driven momentum. Head-mounted displays such as the $199 Cyberman GVD310A and $299 MicroOptical myvu are cited as affordable options delivering an equivalent 50-inch perceived screen size. Consumers seeking the same on-demand control over video that MP3 players provide for audio could see this category expand content sources well beyond commercial media, mirroring the podcast and user-generated video boom.

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DealsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - The Cost of Black Friday

Best Buy reported a near one percentage point drop in gross profit rate for Q3, attributing the margin compression to aggressive Black Friday HDTV pricing designed to match or undercut competitors. The retailer served roughly 3 million customers on Black Friday alone, driving a 16% revenue increase while sacrificing profitability. For consumers, the accelerating flat panel price decline signals continued savings heading into 2007, even as manufacturers and retailers struggle to balance volume against margin.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Panasonic Offers Free HDTV Advice

Panasonic has opened its Concierge support program to the general public through December, offering free HDTV guidance via a toll-free line (888-777-7134) staffed by technical experts available Monday through Friday 9 AM to 9 PM Eastern and weekends 10 AM to 7 PM Eastern. The service covers technology selection, model comparisons, and home entertainment integration for plasma HDTVs. Consumers facing complex purchasing decisions involving hundreds or thousands of dollars can use this no-cost resource before committing to a display technology.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - How is HD DVD Doing?

Sony's PlayStation 3, priced at $700-plus on the resale market, undercuts the HD DVD format's value proposition even as standalone HD DVD players drop to $300, yet neither format is gaining traction with mainstream consumers. The limited catalog of high-definition titles - with Warner Home Video releasing only three new titles in mid-January - compounds the slow adoption, while picture quality improvements over standard DVD remain incremental rather than transformative. Broadband-delivered HD content to a settop box or video recorder may prove a more viable path than physical high-def disc formats.

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DTV TransitionOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Stealth DTV Antenna

The Terrestrial Digital PF7 is an indoor HDTV antenna with reception elements embedded within a cherry wood picture frame, designed for viewers within approximately 15 miles of a broadcast transmitter. The concealed antenna cable is the only visible indicator of its function, making it a practical alternative to rooftop installations or traditional rabbit ears. For those in strong-signal areas who prioritize aesthetics without sacrificing digital TV reception, the PF7 offers a genuinely unobtrusive solution worth considering.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Gets Personal?

Head-mounted personal viewers, which generate virtual wide-screen images from compact goggle-form hardware, are projected to reach $1 billion in sales by 2010 according to a McLaughlin Consulting Group report. Current devices such as the Cyberman GVD310A retail for around $200 and connect to Apple iPods, though they are limited to SVGA resolution - insufficient for HD content. As higher-resolution imagers become cost-effective, these wearable displays could address the real shortcomings of small-screen portable video on phones and media players.

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Satellite HD

HDTV Almanac - Local Weather from Satellite

Dish Network has partnered with The Weather Channel to deliver ZIP code-based local weather information on demand via the DishHOME channel's News menu, launching November 8th. The system selects the closest match from thousands of cities based on the subscriber's ZIP code, with a follow-on feature targeting The Weather Channel's 'Local on the 8s' segments expected within months. For satellite subscribers, this addresses a longstanding gap in localized content that has historically given cable and over-the-air services a competitive edge.

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HDTV Almanac - Plug-in H.264 Conversion

ADS Tech's Instant Video To-Go is a USB 2.0 hardware accelerator that offloads H.264 encoding from the host CPU, reducing conversion time for a 100-minute movie from roughly five hours via software to approximately 20 minutes. H.264, a subset of the MPEG-4 specification, enables full-length HDTV content to fit on a standard single-layer DVD and is widely used in portable and mobile video playback. For consumers moving video libraries to portable devices, dedicated encoding hardware like this could prove as practical as the infrastructure already built around digital audio transfer.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - Ambilight Online

Philips Ambilight technology frames flat screen displays with a dynamically responsive glow that adjusts its intensity and color in real time based on on-screen content, aiming to reduce the contrast between a bright image and its dark surroundings. Philips partnered with MSN Movies to offer a simulated Ambilight preview via computer browser, giving consumers a low-barrier way to evaluate the effect before purchase. For viewers who find prolonged screen viewing fatiguing, even a static nightlight placed behind a TV can approximate the ambient lighting benefit at minimal cost.

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IPTVStreaming HDOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - IPTV Boost Broadcast?

CBS launched its Brand Channel on YouTube in October 2006, amassing over 300 clips and 29 million views within a single month to become the platform's top content channel. Contrary to fears of audience cannibalization, late night ratings for David Letterman rose 5 percent and Craig Ferguson rose 7 percent following the clip postings. The data suggests a potential synergy between IPTV distribution and traditional broadcast models that could benefit both platforms simultaneously.

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HDTV Almanac - Download Movies from Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart has launched a hybrid digital distribution model requiring customers to purchase a physical DVD before downloading a portable version for $2 to $4, depending on format. A separate standalone download service for movies and television content is also in beta testing. The bundled approach faces practical limitations since most PCs already play DVDs directly, and U.S. consumer adoption of video playback on cell phones and portable MP3 players remains low compared to Asian markets.

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ManufacturingMarket Trends & AnalysisLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Taiwan LCD TV Plants Slow Down

AU Optronics and Chungwa Picture Tubes have announced a 10% production cut for December, targeting spring shipments that fall outside the peak holiday demand window. The reduction reflects concerns that retailer inventories may exceed desired levels even after holiday sales, signaling a potential oversupply in the large-panel LCD HDTV market. For consumers and industry watchers, this pullback suggests pricing pressure and shifting supply dynamics heading into early 2007.

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IPTV

HDTV Almanac - HDTV over IP by AT&T

AT&T's U-Verse IPTV service, delivered over existing copper wire using DSL technology, has begun offering up to 30 HDTV channels in its San Antonio test market, though subscribers are limited to one HDTV channel at a time per household. Signal compression levels remain unverified without independent measurement, leaving actual image quality an open question. Compared to Verizon's fiber-to-the-door buildout, AT&T's infrastructure reuse offers faster near-term deployment but faces real competitive pressure from fiber, cable, and satellite alternatives.

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ManufacturingLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Samsung Thinks Big for HDTV

Samsung's second Gen 7 manufacturing plant, capable of producing 1 million 70-inch 1080p LCD panels per year, is set to bring 70-inch HDTVs to market as early as March 2006. The same production line could alternatively yield 4 million 35-inch panels, illustrating the significant resource trade-off involved in scaling up to larger screen sizes. For consumers, this signals that large-screen 1080p displays may become more accessible, though final pricing will determine how broadly the market can absorb this new supply.

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Emerging Tech

HDTV Almanac - HDTV from Soot?

Motorola's carbon nanotube field-emitter display (FED) technology offers a compelling alternative to LCD and plasma panels, combining the thin profile of flat-panel displays with the image quality of a CRT. Canon and Toshiba's SED panels represent a related approach, yet both face the same commercialization hurdle: 42-inch LCD HDTVs have dropped below $1,000, creating a formidable cost barrier for emerging display technologies. The path from prototype to competitive production line remains steep, making near-term market impact unlikely.

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HDTV Almanac - Happy Thanksgiving!

The HDTV Almanac published a brief Thanksgiving holiday message in 2006, offering no technical content but acknowledging its readership ahead of Black Friday consumer electronics deals. The post reflects the era when HDTV adoption was accelerating and Black Friday was becoming a key sales event for high-definition displays. Readers interested in HDTV coverage are pointed toward upcoming deal coverage rather than technical analysis.

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HDTV Almanac - Survey Says: Watch More HDTV!

An ESPN vice president, speaking at a Samsung conference, revealed that 22% of HDTV owners - both sports fans and non-fans alike - reported watching events they would have skipped without access to high-definition television, while 32% of HDTV viewers said HD availability directly influences their program selection. These figures provide concrete behavioral evidence that the improved picture quality and widescreen format of HDTV measurably shifts viewing habits, not just viewer satisfaction scores. For consumers on the fence, the data suggests that owning an HDTV can meaningfully expand the range of content you actually engage with.

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Buying Guides

HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: Screen Size

Replacing a 24-inch 4:3 SDTV with a 16:9 LCD HDTV requires a 28-29 inch widescreen to match the original screen height of roughly 14 inches, but a 720p set viewed from 6 feet optimally calls for a 44-inch display with a vertical height of approximately 22 inches. HDTV pixel density is higher than SDTV, meaning viewers should sit closer to a same-height HDTV to fully resolve the image. Understanding how viewing distance and resolution interact is essential for choosing a screen size that delivers the full benefit of HD.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Research Globally, Buy Locally

A CEA and Yahoo study found that 71% of consumer electronics purchases were made offline, yet nearly three-quarters of those buyers conducted an average of 12 hours of online research beforehand, with television purchases averaging 15 hours. Over the six-month study period, online research influenced more than $25 billion in sales, with web search engines, manufacturer sites, and retailer sites ranking as top research sources. Notably, the absence of reviews among top sources suggests shoppers prioritize factual specs and pricing comparisons over editorial evaluations, a pattern with direct implications for how HDTV buyers should approach purchase decisions.

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Home TheaterCalibration

HDTV Almanac - Does My Hat Look Green?

The Monster/ISF HDTV Calibration Wizard DVD, priced at $30, offers a step-by-step guide to adjusting contrast, brightness, and color accuracy on HDTVs without additional hardware, delivering results limited only by the user's own observations. Produced as a standard DVD in partnership with the Imaging Science Foundation, it provides a practical alternative to professional calibration services that typically accompany five-figure home theater installations. For every copy sold, $10 is donated to the Elf Foundation's Room of Magic program, which builds custom theaters in children's hospitals.

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HDTV Almanac - Truth Patrol: Ford’s Ultimate Confusion

Ford's 'Ultimate Tailgate Sweepstakes' prize, a tricked-out F-150 pickup, is advertised as featuring '5 plasma screen TVs,' but a closer look reveals only one large flat-panel HDTV (approximately 37 inches) that could plausibly be a plasma, while the four smaller fold-down panels (roughly 19 inches) are almost certainly LCDs. Using 'plasma' as a catch-all synonym for 'flat screen television' adds to widespread consumer confusion about display technology. The distinction matters because plasma and LCD panels differ in size range, cost, and performance characteristics relevant to buyers.

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DealsLCD TVsPlasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Black Friday Looms Large

Best Buy's reported Black Friday lineup includes a 50-inch Toshiba plasma at $1,699 and a 42-inch Westinghouse LCD HDTV at $999, the latter being a notably aggressive price point at a screen size that rarely dipped below $1,000 at the time. These deals are expected to be loss leaders with severely limited stock, meaning shoppers willing to queue overnight on Thanksgiving stand the best realistic chance of securing one. For bargain hunters, the savings could be substantial, but availability will likely be the deciding factor.

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LCD TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - A 42″ LCD HDTV for $200?

Samsung Electronics outlined a roadmap at FPD International 2006 to slash LCD panel production costs from $1,500 per square meter down to $100, a 93% reduction, through emerging manufacturing techniques such as roll-to-roll substrate processing and inkjet printing. If realized, these advances could bring a 42-inch LCD HDTV to market for under $200. Such a price point would fundamentally reshape consumer demand for HDTV adoption on a global scale.

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DLP TVsHome TheaterProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - The $500 Projector

The BenQ MP510 is a DLP front projector priced at $499 retail, weighing 5.9 pounds, and delivering SVGA resolution (800x600 pixels) capable of displaying widescreen EDTV content at 848x480 with minimal scaling. Wide-format DVDs are well-suited to this format, and the front-projection design allows image sizes limited only by available wall space. At this price point, the MP510 could meaningfully lower the barrier to home front projection and push competing projector prices downward.

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Streaming HDOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - TV Downloads a Hit!

ABC, CBS, and NBC are offering free online episode downloads, with NBC reporting over 5 million episodes delivered and ABC reaching 2.5 million downloads in its first two weeks. Broadcast audiences for hit shows still dwarf these figures by tens of millions of viewers, but the early adoption numbers confirm measurable consumer demand for on-demand viewing. For viewers, this signals a genuine shift toward flexible, schedule-free TV consumption that the major networks are actively investing in.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Get the Lead Out!

Panasonic has announced that its entire 2006 plasma HDTV product line uses lead-free glass, achieving compliance with the EU's RoHS directive, which restricts hazardous substances in consumer electronics. Unlike plasma displays, LCD glass was already RoHS compliant, though Corning has also developed a fully hazardous-substance-free glass alternative. For consumers and retailers operating in European markets, Panasonic's early adoption of lead-free manufacturing could translate into a meaningful competitive advantage as RoHS enforcement tightens globally.

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Deals

HDTV Almanac - Wal-Mart’s Opening Salvo

Wal-Mart fired an early holiday pricing salvo by dropping the Panasonic 42-inch HD plasma TV from $1,794 to $1,294 and pushing the Polaroid 37-inch LCD HDTV below the $1,000 threshold at $997, ahead of Black Friday 2006. Tightening HDTV inventories had previously eased manufacturer pressure to cut prices, but softening consumer confidence driven by job uncertainty and a weakened housing market is now forcing retailers to compete aggressively on price. Shoppers willing to act over the next two months stand to find competitive deals as other national retailers are expected to follow with their own price reductions.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - The World Wide TV

The Internet Broadcast Corporation launched ibctoday.com, a free web platform delivering video news clips from broadcasters around the world, organized by region and country with keyword search functionality. Non-English clips are subtitled, and the service runs 24/7, effectively replacing the shortwave radio as the primary means of accessing foreign news broadcasts. For viewers curious about international perspectives on current events, this resource offers a direct, cost-free window into how global outlets cover the same stories differently from American networks.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - Wireless HDTV

The WirelessHD special interest group, founded by LG, Panasonic, NEC, Samsung, Sony, and Toshiba, is targeting the unlicensed 60 GHz frequency band to deliver uncompressed wireless video and audio for home entertainment systems, with a standard expected by spring 2007. The specification also includes secure communications and basic device control, allowing an HDTV to trigger a connected DVD player. If adopted broadly, this could eliminate the cable clutter that has long complicated home theater setups.

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HDTV Almanac - HDTV Ads

Sony's BRAVIA 'Color like no other' campaign deployed 70,000 liters of colored paint fired from firework mortars to produce a visually striking HDTV advertisement. The production scale and behind-the-scenes documentation, hosted at bravia-advert.com, reflect the premium positioning of the BRAVIA display line. For consumers evaluating HDTV options, the campaign signals Sony's aggressive push to differentiate BRAVIA on color performance in a competitive flat-panel market.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - Some Assembly Required

Circuit City is bundling a 42-inch LG LCD TV ($1,799) with a 1,000-watt LG 5.1 home theater system and DVD player ($269) at a combined package price of $1,999, undercutting the separate retail total by $69 while including professional installation through their Firedog service. The installation covers component hookup, wall-mounting up to two speakers, and universal remote configuration. For buyers who want a functioning home theater without the learning curve of integrating multiple AV components, this type of retail bundle represents a practical alternative to costly third-party installation services.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: Indoor HDTV Antenna

Standard rabbit ears and low-cost indoor antennas can receive over-the-air DTV signals because digital broadcasts use the same UHF and VHF frequency bands as analog TV, as confirmed by FCC guidance. The tuner quality and cable connections are more likely limiting factors than antenna design. One important practical distinction: a DTV signal is required for HDTV reception, but not all DTV broadcasts carry high-definition content.

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HDTV Almanac - War of the Worlds?

The democratization of sophisticated video recording and editing tools, now accessible via a laptop computer, allows anyone to produce and distribute video content online, raising serious questions about authenticity and credibility. Drawing a parallel to the 1938 Orson Welles radio broadcast of War of the Worlds, which triggered mass panic despite repeated disclaimers, the piece argues that audiences respond viscerally to production values and format cues. As user-posted video floods platforms like YouTube, distinguishing factual content from fabricated material becomes an increasingly practical challenge for everyday viewers.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Rich Folk Buy HDTVs

A Leichtman Research Group report found that 63% of U.S. households owning at least one HDTV earned $75,000 or more annually, reflecting the reality that most U.S. households spend only $300 to $400 on a television and cannot readily absorb a $2,000-plus HDTV purchase plus up to $1,200 per year in HD service fees. The 6% HDTV ownership rate among households earning under $30,000 is a notable outlier, likely skewed by gifting patterns. The central question for manufacturers planning production expansion is whether the high-income consumer base is large enough to sustain projected growth.

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Streaming HDOTA HD & AntennasMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - One in Ten Watch TV on PCs

A Conference Board Consumer Internet Barometer survey found that 10% of respondents watched television broadcasts online via PC, without reducing their traditional TV viewing time. Personal convenience and commercial avoidance were the primary motivators, pointing to a broader consumer shift toward on-demand, location-flexible viewing. This trend, framed as the 'iPodding of video,' suggests that individual control over content and scheduling will increasingly shape consumer technology purchasing decisions.

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IPTV

HDTV Almanac - 10 Million Chinese Can't Be Wrong

Pyramid Research projects IPTV subscribers in China will surpass 10 million by 2011, signaling a major shift in how television content is distributed over IP networks rather than traditional broadcast infrastructure. China is simultaneously developing its own over-the-air digital television standard to compete with the U.S. ATSC protocol, pursuing a dual-path strategy for TV delivery. For the global market, China's scale could drive down infrastructure component costs and accelerate IPTV adoption worldwide.

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Projection HD

HDTV Almanac - Another Pocket Projector

The Toshiba TDP-FF1AU is a battery-powered DLP pocket projector offering 800x600 SVGA resolution, making it capable of displaying EDTV-quality DVD content in a paperback-book-sized form factor weighing just 1.7 pounds. It uses a solid-state LED light source rather than a conventional lamp, runs up to two hours on its rechargeable battery, and includes a USB port for computer-free photo or presentation display. At a $699 estimated price with a bundled 23-inch foldable screen, it represents a notable step forward in portable personal display technology.

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ManufacturingMarket Trends & AnalysisLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Make it Up in Volume?

LG.Philips LCD is pricing its 42-inch LCD TV panel at $10 below Samsung's 40-inch panel, a level reportedly $200 under production cost, in an aggressive move to compete for panel supply contracts. The price cuts are expected to reach set manufacturers next month, meaning consumer-facing retail price reductions are unlikely before late 2006. Rather than triggering a broad market price drop, the primary effect may be a shift in panel sourcing from Samsung to LG.Philips, with modest long-term benefit for buyers.

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Mobile HD

HDTV Almanac - Mobile Video Viewing Habits

Telephia research on U.S. mobile TV viewership reveals that the 4 PM to 8 PM window captures 31% of viewing, narrowly ahead of the noon to 4 PM slot at 30%, while primetime and morning segments each account for just 9%. These figures align with commute and lunch-break patterns, suggesting mobile TV functions as a supplemental screen for news, sports, and episodic content during daytime downtime rather than a competitor to shared primetime viewing. For consumers, the data points to mobile video filling specific gaps in the day where traditional TV access is impractical.

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HDTV Almanac - HDTVs Are Dependable, says Consumer's Union

Consumer Reports data covering the first one to two years of ownership shows that LCD and plasma flat-panel TVs match the historically low repair rates of CRT picture-tube sets, offering buyers meaningful reliability assurance for a significant purchase. The parallel track record of LCD desktop monitors outlasting CRTs further supports confidence in the technology. For consumers weighing the cost of a new flat-panel display, this independent validation suggests long-term dependability is unlikely to be a deciding risk factor.

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Satellite HDOTA HD & AntennasCodecs & Compression

HDTV Almanac - Look Up in the HDTV Sky!

DIRECTV 9S, the latest addition to DirecTV's satellite constellation launched via an Ariane 5 ECA rocket from French Guiana, supports both standard and high-definition programming along with interactive services. The planned 2007 launches of DIRECTV 10 and DIRECTV 11 will expand capacity to 150 national HD channels and over 1,500 local HD channels, more than quadrupling current HD transmission capacity. For subscribers, this addresses the core bottleneck of signal compression, which can reduce HD quality to near standard-definition levels and undermine the value of HDTV service.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - Testing 1080p HDTV Processing

A referenced study by Gary Merson tested 61 1080p HDTV sets for 1080i signal processing quality, revealing that 54% failed deinterlacing (bob vs. weave) and 80% failed the 3:2 film cadence test. These failures directly affect how much on-screen detail a display can actually resolve from broadcast content. The study also provides a replicable testing methodology, enabling consumers to evaluate any display themselves rather than relying solely on third-party recommendations.

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StandardsOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Beyond HDTV

Sharp's 4,096 by 2,160 pixel Ultra HD display demonstrated at CEATEC highlights a resolution four times that of 1080p, but the path to consumer adoption faces serious obstacles. Current broadcast infrastructure already struggles to deliver 1080i efficiently, meaning Ultra HD would require roughly eight times the data bandwidth of today's compressed HD signals. Practical near-term use cases are limited to professional environments such as broadcast control rooms or medical imaging, not mainstream home entertainment.

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Home TheaterMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Slow Start for High-Def DVD

The high-def DVD market in 2006 is struggling under the weight of the HD DVD vs. Blu-ray format war, with Warner Brothers slashing annual sales projections to roughly $900 million after consumers spent only $30 million through September. Supply constraints on Sony PlayStation 3 units with bundled Blu-ray drives, the still-unreleased HD DVD add-on for Xbox 360, and scarce movie titles are all throttling installed base growth. For consumers, an HP press release footnote makes the situation plain: HDCP-compliant DVI-D or HDMI connections may be required for future titles, and flawless playback is not guaranteed.

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HDTV Almanac - A Perfect Match

Google's $1.65 billion acquisition of YouTube positions the combined entity to dominate web video distribution, with early licensing deals struck with Sony BMG and Warner Music Group addressing the significant copyright liability concerns surrounding user-uploaded content. Google's search and indexing capabilities offer a practical mechanism for identifying and managing infringing material at scale. For consumers and content creators alike, the deal signals a shift toward revenue-sharing models that could legitimize and expand ad-supported video delivery across the web.

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Blu-rayHome TheaterHD Audio

HDTV Almanac - 50 GB Blu-ray Discs Today

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released three Blu-ray titles on 50GB dual-layer discs, a capacity large enough to accommodate the full suite of bonus content typically found on standard DVDs, including audio commentaries, deleted scenes, and featurettes. The column questions whether this expanded storage advantage translates into real consumer value, noting that most viewers rarely engage with supplemental material. For those weighing Blu-ray against HD DVD, the practical question is whether bonus content capacity is a meaningful differentiator or simply a spec on paper.

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StandardsCodecs & Compression

HDTV Almanac - OTA HDTV: Not Always Best

Over-the-air HDTV broadcasts on ATSC digital channels offer up to 19.38 Mb/sec of bandwidth, but local stations routinely compress signals to as low as 8 Mb/sec, often to accommodate multiple simulcast channels on a single digital multiplex. A Monday Night Football broadcast on a Philadelphia ABC affiliate illustrated how severe compression can visibly degrade picture quality. With no regulatory equivalent to a weights-and-measures agency enforcing minimum HDTV signal standards, consumers must actively monitor transmission quality and pressure broadcasters when compression compromises their viewing experience.

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HDTV Almanac - Avast, Ye Scurvy Pirates!

Digital piracy of CDs, DVDs, and software costs the motion picture industry an estimated $18.2 billion annually, according to the MPAA, which has now trained Labrador Retrievers to detect polycarbonate used in optical discs at customs checkpoints. Microsoft's Vista OS was also designed to disable core functions if it detects an unlicensed copy, reflecting a broader industry push against counterfeiting. For consumers, unchecked piracy ultimately drives up legitimate retail prices, making it a self-defeating practice.

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Emerging TechMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - SED: Never Jam Today

SED (Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display) technology, co-developed by Toshiba and Canon, promises CRT-level image quality and viewing angles in a panel thinner than LCD, with mass production now targeted for 2008 backed by a $1.7 billion factory investment. The planned lineup is limited to 55-inch models, likely to sidestep the sub-45-inch segment already dominated by rapidly cheapening LCDs. Consumers waiting for SED may face an indefinite delay as falling panel prices and expanding LCD fabrication capacity continue to erode the technology's competitive window.

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HDTV Almanac - In Search of a Problem

Sharp has revived its glasses-free 3D LCD technology, extending it from a two-image parallax display to a three-image panel capable of simultaneously delivering distinct content to a driver, a front passenger, and rear-seat occupants. The proposed automotive dashboard application aims to combine GPS navigation, video entertainment, and a third independent feed in a single screen. While technically inventive, the author argues that the cost advantages of separate panels make this multi-view approach an unlikely commercial success.

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LCD TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Brands: New and Improved?

Asus parent company Asustek has entered the HDTV market with a 42-inch LCD TV launched in Taiwan, targeting China and Europe in 2007, illustrating a broader wave of new brand entrants competing for limited retail shelf space. Premium brands such as Sony, Panasonic, Sharp, and Pioneer are consolidating dominance across price tiers, squeezing value-tier competitors who must offer stronger price-to-performance ratios to secure distribution. Ongoing consolidation among Taiwanese flat panel manufacturers suggests the current proliferation of HDTV brands is likely to contract within one to two years.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Alfred Poor in NYC Oct 12

Alfred Poor, known as 'Professor Poor,' will present 'Will Your Next Computer Be an HDTV?' at the New York Amateur Computer Club on October 12th at 7 PM, covering digital TV, HDTV, display technologies, and IPTV in a single session. The talk targets the convergence of home entertainment and personal computing, addressing how HDTV-capable displays may replace traditional monitors. Attendance is free and open to the public at New York University's Silver Building, Room 806.

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Home TheaterStandards

HDTV Almanac - HD DVD Continues Early Lead

An analysis of over 120 Amazon customer reviews comparing early BluRay and HD DVD players reveals a striking gap in consumer satisfaction, with the HD DVD player averaging 4.53 out of 5 versus BluRay's 2.25. The primary complaint against HD DVD was disc load time, while BluRay's main drawback was its higher price point. For early adopters weighing which format to invest in, this 2006 snapshot suggests HD DVD held a meaningful consumer preference advantage, though newer hardware could shift the balance.

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Projection HD

HDTV Almanac - Pocket Cinema

The Boxlight BumbleBee pocket projector measures just 4.75 x 3.9 x 1.9 inches and weighs under a pound, making it roughly half the size of a small paperback novel. It delivers SVGA resolution, accepts 720p and 1080i signals via downscaling, and uses an LED lamp rated at 20,000 hours, effectively eliminating bulb replacement costs at its $799 list price. While unsuitable as a primary home theater display, its extreme portability opens practical use cases well beyond traditional projection setups.

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Plasma TVsStandards

HDTV Almanac - Pioneer and Samsung in Plasma HDTV Dispute

Pioneer has filed a patent infringement suit against Samsung over plasma panel technology used in HDTVs, with Samsung expected to file a counter-suit. The dispute mirrors a prior cross-licensing settlement between LG Electronics and Matsushita (Panasonic), and ongoing talks between Pioneer and Samsung suggest this lawsuit may serve as leverage to finalize a similar cross-license agreement. For consumers, such legal battles can shape which plasma HDTV technologies reach the market and at what cost.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - HDTV for $.37 an Hour

Using Nielsen Media Research data showing the average American watches 4.5 hours of TV daily and homes average 2.73 televisions, this cost-per-use analysis breaks down HDTV ownership to under $0.37 per person-hour. Assuming a $2,000 HDTV purchase and $100 monthly HD cable service over five years totals $8,000, yielding 16,425 combined viewing hours across two viewers. The math suggests a single football game costs roughly $1.00 and a movie under $0.60, framing HDTV as a reasonably priced entertainment investment.

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Satellite HD

HDTV Almanac - DirecTV Makes Difficult HD Decisions

DirecTV has been temporarily shutting down HD channels including TNT HD, HDNet, and Universal HD to free up satellite bandwidth for NFL game coverage in high definition. Satellite capacity is constrained by the finite number of transponders available, and launching additional satellites costs tens to hundreds of millions of dollars before factoring in the hardware itself. For subscribers, this means HD channel availability can be interrupted during high-demand broadcasts, a limitation DirecTV is working to address through new satellite launches and more efficient video compression.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Getcha New HDTV Right Here!

Retail distribution of HDTVs is expanding well beyond traditional consumer electronics chains, with unexpected entrants like Office Depot, Home Depot, and Kohl's entering the market during the 2006 holiday season. Margins in the HDTV segment are already thin, raising questions about whether non-specialist retailers can sustain inventory and attract new buyers once post-holiday demand subsides. For consumers, broader availability may translate to competitive pricing, but long-term support and selection at these outlets remains uncertain.

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Projection HD

HDTV Almanac - RP HDTV Boosters Unite

The Micro Display Device Consortium (MDDPC) has formed to promote rear projection HDTV across all three competing technologies - DLP, LCD, and LCoS - citing advantages including lower power consumption, reduced CO2 emissions, and long product life supported by lamp replacement. Despite rear projection sets costing hundreds to thousands of dollars less than same-sized LCD and plasma panels, consumers have continued to favor the flat panel alternatives. For budget-conscious buyers seeking larger screens optimized for HDTV viewing distances, rear projection remains a compelling but underappreciated option.

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HD DVDBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - WB Releases HD Titles

Warner Home Video's October 10th release of 12 high-definition DVD titles breaks down as 10 HD DVD titles versus only 2 Blu-Ray titles, with HD DVD discs priced at $28.99 compared to $34.99 for Blu-Ray, a 20% price premium. Combined with greater HD DVD player availability and lower hardware costs, the format gap is widening in HD DVD's favor. Consumers shopping for high-definition content in late 2006 face a market where HD DVD offers more titles, lower disc prices, and better hardware supply.

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Home TheaterProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - RP HDTV Gets Skinnier

Samsung unveiled a 42-inch 720p rear projection HDTV at CEDIA measuring only 10 inches deep, roughly half the weight of comparable plasma or LCD sets and approaching one pound per inch of diagonal screen size. The design also features a notably thin bezel and an advertised price of $1,799, undercutting most plasma and LCD alternatives by hundreds of dollars. For buyers who have avoided rear projection due to bulk or cost, this slimline form factor makes the technology a genuinely competitive option worth reconsidering.

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Home TheaterProjection HDMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - CEDIA HDTV Wrap Up

Sony unveiled a 1080p SXRD LCoS front projector at $4,999 and Mitsubishi introduced a competing three-LCD 1080p projector at $4,495, dramatically undercutting the $15K-$50K range that had defined elite home theater projection. Flat panel LCDs also saw aggressive pricing, with a 42-inch 1080p LCD HDTV listed at $2,499 and a 42-inch 720p LCD monitor at $1,399 street price. These price drops are pressuring custom installers who traditionally relied on high display margins, mirroring the disruption that retail PC sales caused for value-added resellers two decades ago.

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Home TheaterProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - Reconsider Front Projection HDTV

Sony's VPL-VW50 front projector, announced at CEDIA 2006, brings 1080p SXRD LCoS technology to a $4,999 list price, a significant drop from the $10,000-plus threshold that previously defined this category. The unit delivers 900 lumens, dual HDMI inputs, power zoom, and auto-iris, making native 1080p projection accessible to a broader audience. Paired with ambient-light-rejecting screens, this new price point makes large-format HDTV display a practical consideration for typical living room installations.

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LCD TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Sharp Lowers Prices on New HDTVs

Sharp announced pricing for its new Aquos 1080p LCD TV lineup, with the 42-inch model carrying a suggested retail price of $2,499 and expected street prices between $2,000 and $2,200, placing it at the low end of the existing 42-inch LCD market range tracked by Pacific Media Associates. With no 1080p plasma available at 42 inches, this pricing effectively removes the resolution trade-off decision for buyers in that size category. For consumers shopping at 42 inches or below, the narrowing price gap between 720p and 1080p LCD panels makes choosing the higher-resolution option straightforward.

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HD DVR

HDTV Almanac - TiVo Goes HD

TiVo's Series3 HD Digital Media Recorder targets mainstream HDTV adoption with a 250 GB hard drive capable of storing 32 hours of HD programming and dual tuners that allow simultaneous recording of two channels. Priced at $800, it trades the flexibility of a custom Media Center PC build for plug-and-play convenience. For average households, it represents a practical on-ramp to HD time-shifting without requiring technical expertise.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - Let Circuit City Do It!

Circuit City's new 'firedog' installation service addresses a practical gap for consumers purchasing large flat-panel HDTVs, which can weigh up to 108 pounds and require concealed wiring and proper wall mounting. Similar to Best Buy's Magnolia services, firedog offers transparent, upfront package pricing that covers plasma mounting, surround sound speaker placement, and wire concealment, plus a 15-minute system walkthrough. As HDTV adoption grows among price-sensitive buyers less familiar with 720p versus 1080p distinctions, access to professional installation services at big-box retailers becomes increasingly relevant.

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HD DVDBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Tipping Point for High-Def DVD?

Memory-Tech and Toshiba have announced a three-layer single-sided disc format that combines standard DVD and HD-DVD layers on one disc, allowing playback in both legacy DVD players and HD-DVD players without requiring separate purchases. Meanwhile, Sony's PS3 launch is constrained by Blu-ray component shortages, limiting the November U.S. shipment to just 100,000 units, which weakens Blu-ray's early installed-base prospects. If the tri-layer format reaches DVD Forum approval at no price premium, consumers and rental stores gain a future-proof upgrade path that could tip the high-def format war toward HD-DVD.

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Home TheaterHDMI

HDTV Almanac - HDMI Goes Wireless

Gefen's $499 HDMI Extender transmits 1080p video wirelessly at up to 480 Mbps, supporting HDCP copy protection and audio signals via separate send and receive units. The device addresses a real pain point for older homes where routing cables through plaster walls and thick floor beams can consume a full day of labor. Beyond installation convenience, it enables a practical room layout shift: placing source components like DVD players and DVRs near the viewer while keeping the display at the front of the room.

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HDTV Almanac - If You Have to Ask...

The Yalos Diamond HDTV from Keymat Industrie features a bezel encrusted with 160 real diamonds totaling 20 carats, priced at approximately $130,000. Notably, the manufacturer's own press materials omit any display specifications beyond the diamond count, leaving screen size and panel details undisclosed. For buyers at this price point, the TV functions more as a luxury status object than a performance-driven display, raising the question of whether technical merit plays any role in the purchase decision.

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HDTV Almanac - Wal-Mart on ESPN

Wal-Mart has secured an advertising deal with ESPN to promote HDTV products during the relaunched Monday Night Football broadcast, a notable strategic shift for a retailer not traditionally associated with high-end consumer electronics. The campaign targets a mass-market audience at a time when large LCD TV prices may be approaching a threshold that could trigger broader consumer adoption. For shoppers, this signals that HDTV pricing is moving into territory where mainstream retailers feel confident competing with dedicated electronics chains.

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IPTV

HDTV Almanac - The Power of Indie TV

YouTube's low barrier to entry enabled engineer Michael De Kort to publish whistle-blowing allegations against Lockheed Martin and the Department of Homeland Security, reaching over 90,000 views and prompting coverage from outlets including the Washington Post and CNET. This case illustrates how IPTV and web video platforms function as a distributed press, bypassing traditional gatekeepers to give independent producers global reach. For viewers, this democratization of broadcast carries a practical trade-off: the same openness that amplifies legitimate grievances also demands sharper critical evaluation of unvetted video content.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Happy Labor Day!

A 2006 cost-of-living analysis examines whether average American wage earners, taking home under $20,000 annually after Tax Freedom Day on June 3, can realistically afford HDTV adoption. With 32-inch LCD HDTVs averaging $1,400 and HD service running $100 or more per month, the combined expense represents roughly five weeks of after-tax earnings for the typical worker earning $18.62 per hour. Most hourly wage earners are more likely to purchase a digital converter for the 2009 analog cutoff than to transition to HD displays anytime soon.

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LCD TVsPlasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - LCD HDTVs Get Bigger

Sharp's new AQUOS LC-46D62U and LC-52D62U push LCD technology into screen sizes previously dominated by plasma, delivering true 1080p resolution at 1,920 by 1,080 pixels at MSRPs of $3,499.99 and $4,799.99 respectively. WitsView data shows LCD panel shipments grew 2.0% in July with total panel area up 4.2%, confirming a clear trend toward larger average screen sizes. For buyers considering a large-screen HDTV, these models signal that LCD is becoming a genuinely competitive alternative to plasma above 45 inches, with prices falling faster than plasma counterparts.

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IPTV

HDTV Almanac - Video on Demand to Grow

A 2006 iSupply market research study projects the video-on-demand market will grow from $2 billion to $13 billion by 2010, with nearly 150 million VoD subscribers worldwide, driven by global IPTV adoption and high-def DVD recorders enabling download-and-burn of movie content. The traditional broadcast distribution model faces disruption as DVRs like TiVo and online download services reshape viewing habits. For consumers, this shift means on-demand access to movies closer to - or on - their theatrical release date, fundamentally changing how people choose what to watch.

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HDTV Almanac - Truth Patrol: Screen Sizes

Optimal HDTV viewing distance depends critically on screen resolution, and the commonly cited rule of three times the diagonal is misleading because it ignores the pixel density difference between 720p and 1080p panels. A 32-inch 1080p display requires a viewing distance of no more than four feet to resolve its 1,920 horizontal pixels, compared to six feet for a 720p set of the same size. Viewers watching a 32-inch 1080p screen from eight feet away cannot perceive the resolution advantage over 720p, meaning they are paying for detail they cannot see.

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OLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - OLEDs Ready for Prime Time?

Samsung has announced plans to begin mass production of full-color OLED panels in Q1 2007, targeting 1.5 million units per month on substrates measuring approximately 30 by 37.5 inches, large enough to yield a single 40-inch panel. Production is slated to scale to 4 million units per month by Q4 2007, though the ramp-up carries real execution risk given a prior 2005 OLED TV promise that never materialized. If Samsung delivers, 2007 could mark the first year large OLED displays reach the market in meaningful volume.

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Politics & PolicyCable HDOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Are You Up for Downconversion?

Downconversion is the process of reducing HD signals to standard definition resolution, and cable operators currently exploit a legal provision permitting digital SD downconversion primarily to conserve bandwidth on their systems. Evidence already suggests cable companies overcompress HD signals to a noticeable degree, compounding quality concerns. With the February 2009 analog broadcast cutoff approaching, broadcasters are pushing Congress to mandate that cable operators deliver received HD content to subscribers at full HD resolution.

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Satellite HD

HDTV Almanac - TV on the Road

KVH Industries' TracVision A7 is a mobile satellite TV system featuring a hybrid phased array antenna measuring roughly 32 inches square and five inches thick, designed to lock onto DirecTV signals while the vehicle is in motion. GPS-assisted targeting and low-noise motors keep the antenna continuously aimed at the satellite, eliminating signal dropouts during travel. For families or passengers on long cross-country drives, the system offers uninterrupted television reception without the coverage gaps that plague terrestrial broadcasts.

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HDTV Almanac - Click for HDTV Help

Amazon launched a 24/7 Click-to-Call HDTV advisory service targeting sets priced at $1,000 or more, aiming to overcome the core challenge of selling televisions online without in-person comparison. With over 850 new HDTV models released in a single year, the author argues that manufacturer specifications are unreliable predictors of real-world display performance, making hands-on evaluation of image quality, connectors, and onscreen menus essential. For buyers considering high-end displays, this raises a practical question about whether remote advice can substitute for direct product assessment.

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HDTV Almanac - Are You Watching HDTV?

InStat projects global HDTV households will grow from 15 million in mid-2006 to over 55 million by end of 2009, with 91% concentrated in Japan and the USA. A striking data point reveals only one-third of US homes with HD-capable televisions actually subscribe to HDTV service, suggesting cost is a significant barrier - one provider quoted $110 per month after promotional pricing, totaling $1,320 annually. Free over-the-air digital broadcasts may offer a practical alternative for cost-conscious consumers unwilling to absorb those subscription fees.

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LCD TVsPlasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - LCD HDTV: The Big Show!

Samsung announced a 70-inch 1080p LCD HDTV slated for 2007, featuring 120 Hz refresh technology aimed at reducing motion blur, a persistent weakness of LCD panels at large screen sizes. The announcement signals an aggressive push into display territory above 45 inches, where plasma and rear-projection have historically dominated. For consumers, increased LCD competition at larger sizes typically translates to lower prices and broader choices across premium screen formats.

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HDTV Almanac - Is HDTV Contrast Meaningless?

Manufacturer contrast ratios for HDTVs, often cited as high as 10,000:1, are effectively meaningless for real-world comparisons because they rely on all-black and all-white measurements in darkened rooms rather than the ANSI checkerboard test method. Independent testing by Roam Consulting across five plasma HDTVs yielded an average ANSI contrast of only 500:1, a 20-fold gap from typical spec-sheet claims. Consumers comparing plasma, LCD, or rear-projection sets should rely on standardized testing results and direct observation rather than published specifications.

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HDTV Almanac - The New Home Entertainment Network

Amimon, an Israeli company, is developing a wireless HDTV distribution system capable of transmitting 1080p signals at 3 Gb/s using a 40 MHz segment of the unlicensed 5 GHz band, with a range of up to 100 feet through walls and a planned market launch in early 2007. The broader context compares this approach against traditional coax splitter setups and Cat5 Ethernet home wiring, highlighting that wireless installation costs are expected to undercut physical cable retrofits significantly. For homeowners, this signals a near-term shift toward fully wireless home networks delivering TV, phone, music, and Internet to any room without fixed wiring constraints.

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Home Theater PC (HTPC)

HDTV Almanac - Take a PC TV Survey

Jon Peddie, a recognized expert in computer graphics, is surveying consumer attitudes on PC-TV convergence as personal computers are evaluated for their potential role as home entertainment hubs. A key observation is that modern PVRs (personal video recorders) already outperform many home PCs in raw processing power while remaining locked to a narrow set of tasks, illustrating how capable computing hardware is increasingly embedded in dedicated consumer devices. Readers who participate in the survey can directly influence research into where the PC-TV market is headed.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Radio Shack for HDTV?

Radio Shack is attempting to enter the HDTV retail market, but faces significant structural challenges: only 2 of its 37 listed LCD TVs are available in most stores, with 26-inch and 32-inch Panasonic models priced above competing Best Buy listings. The chain has already shuttered 480 locations and cut 450 headquarters jobs, while cell phone sales have underperformed against competitors. Limited floor space in typical Radio Shack stores makes carrying large flat-panel displays impractical, raising serious doubts about the viability of this retail pivot.

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HD DVDBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Disney Goes Slow on BluRay

Disney CEO Robert Iger confirmed that major titles like Cars and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest would not receive BluRay releases in 2006, signaling cautious studio adoption of next-gen disc formats. With upconverting DVD players closing the visual gap and blue-laser hardware costing five to ten times more than standard players, mainstream consumer uptake faces a steep barrier. The outcome may hinge on game consoles, particularly whether Sony can supply enough PS3 BluRay drives at competitive prices against a rumored $200 external HD DVD add-on for the Xbox 360.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - Load Up the Senses

Sensory immersion research from flight simulation demonstrates that saturating multiple senses simultaneously can trigger perceptual responses beyond what is physically present, a principle directly applicable to home theater setups. A large display that fills the field of view, combined with adequate subwoofer low-frequency response and sufficient playback volume, can produce visceral motion sensations even without physical movement. Optimizing both screen size and audio output together is a practical step toward achieving a genuinely immersive big-screen experience at home.

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Deals

HDTV Almanac - Simpler HDTV Offers

Dell announced a plan to cut rebates, special discounts, and promotional offers by 80 percent across its PC, peripheral, and consumer electronics lineup over the next 18 months, while keeping net prices roughly unchanged. The move directly addresses a widespread retail pricing problem where HDTV buyers must parse layered discounts, instant savings, and gift card promotions to determine the actual purchase price. For consumers shopping high-ticket displays, clearer pricing could meaningfully reduce confusion and the risk of miscalculating total cost.

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ManufacturingLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - HDTV: Made in the USA?

Syntax-Brillian announced plans to assemble Olevia LCD TVs in California starting in late August 2006, with LCoS rear projection TV assembly to follow in September, a move aimed at reducing shipping costs and import duties. While LCD panels and electronic components will still be sourced from overseas factories, the domestic assembly step marks a notable shift in a market that had lost its last U.S. television manufacturing plant years prior. For consumers, the key question is whether a 'made in the USA' designation would justify a price premium or serve as a deciding factor between comparable models.

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DTV TransitionPolitics & PolicyStandards

HDTV Almanac - US Gov Sells Frequencies Today

The FCC is auctioning radio spectrum frequencies today in a sale projected to raise $15 billion, with cable and satellite companies joining traditional cellular bidders to secure wireless broadband capabilities. A larger auction is scheduled for 2008, when analog television broadcast frequencies will be sold ahead of the 2009 digital-only transition. If wireless broadband deployment succeeds, it could eliminate the persistent 'last mile' wiring challenge that limits how content reaches consumers at home.

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IPTV

HDTV Almanac - IPTV Forecast to Grow Big

iSupply forecasts a 12x increase in IPTV subscribers by 2010, with Asia holding the largest subscriber base while the Americas drive higher per-subscriber revenue and early service innovation. Verizon FIOS fiber-optic rollouts are positioned to accelerate consumer awareness of IPTV as a viable alternative to cable, satellite, and broadcast television. The bidirectional nature of Internet-based delivery gives IPTV providers a structural advantage that traditional signal sources will struggle to match.

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DLP TVsHome TheaterProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - New Optoma HDTV Projector

The Optoma EP1690 is a DLP front projector with 1280x768 native resolution that displays 720p content without scaling, rated at 2500 lumens and equipped with a digital DVI interface. Priced at an estimated $1,690 street price, it undercuts most 42-inch flat panel displays while capable of projecting an image equivalent to four 42-inch screens. Paired with a light-rejecting screen such as Sony ChromaVue technology, this projector makes large-format home display a practical option for mainstream consumers.

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StandardsIPTVSmart TVs

HDTV Almanac - IPTV for HDTV

Five major HDTV manufacturers, including Sony, Panasonic, Sharp, Toshiba, and Hitachi, have formed TV Portal Service to develop a Linux-based standard interface for accessing Internet video content directly from a television remote, with first compatible sets targeted for 2007. The initiative aims to eliminate the need for a separate PC by leveraging the computing power already built into most HDTVs, drawing a contrast with the limited adoption of Media Center PCs. If successful, the standard could make broadband video access on HDTV sets as straightforward as tuning traditional broadcast or cable sources.

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LCD TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Prices Drop!

Sharp has announced immediate price reductions across its AQUOS LCD TV lineup, with cuts ranging from 5% on the 45-inch LC-45D40U to as steep as 23.3% on the 37-inch LC-37D40U, now priced at $2,299. The reductions coincide with Sharp's upcoming September refresh of new AQUOS models, creating an inventory clearance dynamic similar to end-of-model-year auto sales. Buyers willing to act on current-generation sets stand to capture meaningful savings, and competing manufacturers may respond with cuts of their own.

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DRM

HDTV Almanac - Sony Blinks on DRM?

Sony BMG released Jessica Simpson's 'A Public Affair' as a DRM-free MP3 via Yahoo Music for $1.99, marking a notable departure from the copy protection practices of a major label previously infamous for CD rootkit incidents that damaged users' hard drives. The absence of Digital Rights Management means the file plays on virtually any digital audio device without restriction. If major publishers follow this precedent, copy protection could become a competitive disadvantage in online music and video distribution, much as it did with PC software.

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HD DVDBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - No Hybrid HD DVD from LG

LG has cancelled its planned hybrid blue-laser DVD drive that would have supported both HD DVD and Blu-ray formats in a single unit, a reversal announced at the LG Summer Line Show in New York. Unlike the relatively minor structural differences between DVD-RAM and DVD+/-R/RW formats, the engineering gap between HD DVD and Blu-ray presents substantially greater design challenges. For consumers unwilling to commit to one high-definition format, the only remaining hope lies with other manufacturers still pursuing dual-format drives.

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LCD TVsPlasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Big HDTV Sale for Dell

Dell secured a contract to supply 484 HDTVs to American Airlines Center, home of the NBA Dallas Mavericks, including 185 42-inch plasma units for luxury suites and common areas, 23 50-inch plasma displays for upscale zones, and 276 23- and 32-inch LCD HDTVs for concourse digital signage. The deal highlights the growing hospitality segment, where flat panel HDTVs are being deployed at scale in hotels, arenas, and cruise ships through direct manufacturer sales. Venues that delay adopting flat panel displays risk falling behind competitors who use premium screens as a differentiating guest experience feature.

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HDTV Almanac - When Is a Store Not a Store?

Dell opened its first company-owned retail store at Northpark Center Mall in Dallas, Texas, as an extension of its existing 170 mall and airport kiosks, with a second location planned for West Nyack, NY later that year. Neither the stores nor the kiosks carry inventory; all purchases are ordered in-store and shipped directly to the buyer. This showroom-only model is particularly relevant for high-consideration purchases like HDTVs, where hands-on evaluation drives buyer confidence but direct fulfillment preserves Dell's established direct-sales strategy.

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LCD TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Another LCD Maker Cuts Back

AU Optronics (AUO), Taiwan's largest LCD manufacturer, is reducing its capital expenditure by roughly one-third, cutting from $3 billion to $2 billion and postponing capacity expansion on its Gen6 and Gen7.5 production lines. This move reflects a broader industry response to LCD panel oversupply, with LG.Philips LCD also pulling back while Samsung and Sharp continue aggressive expansion plans including a Gen10 facility. For consumers, the resulting inventory glut is expected to push HDTV prices lower, making late summer a potentially favorable window to buy.

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Programming

HDTV Almanac - Barney and Betty on iTunes

iTunes video downloads surpassed 35 million units at $1.99 each, generating nearly $70 million in sales and prompting Warner Brothers to announce a deal bringing shows like 'Friends' and 'The Flintstones' to the platform. Despite this milestone, 35 million downloads still represents less than one quarter of a single Super Bowl broadcast audience, underscoring that Internet video distribution remains a niche channel rather than a mass-market competitor. For consumers, this signals a growing but still limited catalog of premium TV content available for legal digital purchase.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - HDMI Costs Reduced

Silicon Image, the creator of the HDMI digital interface standard, is cutting its licensing fee by one-third from $15,000 to $10,000 starting in fall 2006, a move that will reduce revenues by more than $2 million across its 400-plus licensees. The reduction comes as competing connection standards have emerged partly to circumvent HDMI licensing costs, threatening its dominance in the HDTV market. For consumers and manufacturers, the lower fee could accelerate HDMI adoption in Chinese consumer electronics and help solidify the interface as the primary HD video and audio connection.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - HDTV on Your Laptop

The Artec T14A is a USB thumb drive-sized ATSC digital tuner priced under $90 that connects to Windows XP or Media Center Edition computers, delivering over-the-air HD broadcasts directly on a laptop or desktop screen. Its existence demonstrates that compact, low-cost digital tuner hardware is already technically feasible at consumer price points. For viewers concerned about the February 2009 analog broadcast cutoff, this signals that affordable legacy TV upgrade solutions should be widely available well before the deadline.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - A Big HDTV Built for You!

Panasonic's 103-inch TH-103PZ600U plasma HDTV delivers 1080p resolution in a panel measuring roughly 90 by 50 inches, priced at $70,000 and built to order with a three-year warranty. The set's enormous footprint and cost put it firmly in luxury territory, comparable in price to a 2006 BMW 6-series. Buyers seeking a similarly large image at a fraction of the cost may find front projection systems a more practical alternative.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: Buy Now?

A 32-inch LCD HDTV priced at $1,600 in stores and $1,200 online is examined through the lens of 2006 market conditions, with LCD manufacturer inventory backlogs and production slowdowns pointing toward likely price cuts as early as September. The 720p versus 1080p resolution question hinges on viewing distance - at 32 inches, a 1080p panel offers no perceptible advantage unless the viewer sits closer than four feet from the screen. Buyers who can tolerate current pricing may find September a practical window to purchase without sacrificing months of HDTV viewing.

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ProgrammingSatellite HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - A La Carte Won't Work

Kagan Research argues that a la carte cable pricing is economically unviable, citing data showing the average cost per channel in basic packages actually fell from $0.75 in 2000 to $0.71 in 2005 as more channels were bundled together. Cable operator profit margins have declined because programming rights fees, including costly sports contracts like ESPN's, have outpaced subscriber revenue growth. For consumers, this means unbundling would likely trigger a sharp revenue drop for providers, making individually priced channel selection an unlikely near-term option.

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Streaming HDOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Can't Beat Them? Join Them!

NBC reversed its copyright takedown policy to begin posting promotional clips on YouTube, a platform drawing 13 million unique visitors monthly, while also launching advertising on the site. The shift reflects a broader industry trend toward web-based distribution as a legitimate promotional channel, with professional production values gradually reasserting themselves alongside user-generated content. For viewers, this signals a growing ability to consume network television content on-demand and outside traditional broadcast schedules, reinforcing what the author calls the 'iPodding' of video.

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LED TVsDLP TVs

HDTV Almanac - Samsung Ships LED DLP HDTV

Samsung's HL-S5679W rear projection DLP HDTV is the first set to ship with an LED light source, rated for at least 20,000 hours compared to the 3,000-to-4,000-hour lifespan of conventional UHP lamps that cost roughly $300 to replace. Beyond longevity, the LED system delivers noticeably improved color reproduction over standard DLP models. For buyers who have hesitated over rear projection due to lamp replacement costs and hassle, this development removes one of the technology's most persistent drawbacks.

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Home TheaterBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Warner Brothers to Ship Blu-ray DVDs

Warner Brothers has announced four Blu-ray titles shipping August 1, 2006, priced between $28.99 and $34.99, including 'Training Day' and 'Good Night and Good Luck,' with three of the four already available on the competing HD DVD format. The Blu-ray format is in its earliest retail phase, with unresolved compatibility and image quality issues still present in first-generation hardware. Prospective buyers are advised to hold off on early adoption until the technology matures and player prices decline.

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DRM

HDTV Almanac - More Movies the Web

Sony has partnered with GUBA.com to distribute feature films via download-to-own, targeting 500 titles within the year including new releases and back-catalog titles. The service relies on Microsoft's Digital Rights Management system, which restricts DVD recording and limits playback to Windows Media-compatible devices. For consumers, broader adoption of this distribution model could drive hardware support for Windows Media formats, potentially improving portability of purchased digital content.

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ManufacturingMarket Trends & AnalysisLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Putting the Brakes on LCD TV Production

LG.Philips LCD posted a Q2 loss of $392 million, a sharp reversal from a $31 million profit in the same quarter a year prior, prompting the company to cut capital expenditures by roughly 25% (approximately $1.2 billion) and slow development of its Gen 8 fab in favor of a smaller Gen 5.5 facility. Four weeks of accumulated panel inventory signal that LCD manufacturing capacity has outpaced market demand. For consumers, the supply glut is likely to translate into downward price pressure on LCD HDTV sets in the near term.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - HD Red Laser Drive Debuts

The AVeL LinkPlayer2, priced at $249 and sold at CompUSA starting August 1, offers a lower-cost entry into HD video playback using a red laser drive rather than expensive blue laser disc formats. The device supports WMV9 HD, DivX, and MPEG4 codecs, enabling 1080i and 720p output from standard DVDs and HD-encoded red laser discs. For consumers unwilling to spend $500 to $1,000 on blue laser hardware, this unit represents a practical - if content-limited - path to HD-resolution playback.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - LCDs Go Wide

AU Optronics, one of Taiwan's largest LCD panel producers, has announced a widescreen lineup for H2 2006 spanning 19 to 26 inches, with select models featuring LED backlights as an alternative to standard CCFL technology. A key practical caveat is that a 20-inch widescreen panel delivers roughly the same image height as a 17-inch standard display, meaning the size upgrade is less dramatic than it appears. The shift is driven partly by manufacturer economics, as consolidating around wide-format panels reduces product line complexity and lowers production costs.

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Gaming

HDTV Almanac - HDTV and Gaming: Samsung

Samsung has formalized its connection between HDTV and competitive gaming by becoming a worldwide sponsor of the World Cyber Games, supplying displays and devices for all US WCG events. The move aligns with the emerging 1080i/1080p capability of next-generation consoles, which is drawing a spending-capable segment of gamers toward large-screen displays. The anticipated PS3 launch could produce a measurable bump in HDTV sales, suggesting that gaming is quietly becoming a significant driver of premium display adoption.

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HDTV Almanac - Who Pays for the Almanac?

Alfred Poor, author of HDTV Almanac, addresses the growing concern over undisclosed corporate payments to bloggers and online commentators, a practice highlighted in Business Week. He clarifies that his posts are self-funded and uncompensated, while revenue is generated indirectly through ad and affiliate links and book sales. For readers evaluating HDTV and display technology coverage, this transparency is a practical signal that editorial positions are independent rather than commercially influenced.

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Blu-ray

HDTV Almanac - BenQ and Blu-ray

BenQ announced a Blu-ray recorder drive capable of reading and writing CD, DVD, and Blu-ray formats, priced at approximately $1,000 - competitive with read-only Blu-ray drives from other manufacturers. The aggressive pricing raises questions about whether BenQ has achieved genuine cost efficiencies or is subsidizing units to capture market share. With Blu-ray and HD DVD products reaching retail shelves with real price tags, actual consumer demand for next-generation optical formats supporting HDTV will finally be tested.

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DTV TransitionPolitics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - Digital TV: Tomorrow's Deadline

FCC mandates required all televisions 25 inches or larger sold in the US to include a built-in digital tuner by March 1, 2006, with the requirement expanding to all sets 13 inches or larger and TV interface devices such as VCRs and DVRs by December 31, 2006. These rules set the stage for the February 17, 2009 cutoff of analog terrestrial broadcasts, after which over-the-air signals will be digital only. Consumers relying on cable or satellite set-top boxes are largely unaffected, but over-the-air viewers without a digital tuner will lose access to broadcast signals entirely.

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DLP TVsProjection HDMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Will Rear Projection HDTV Improvements Help?

Rear projection HDTVs offer significant price advantages over plasma and LCD at 50 inches and larger, yet sales remain weak despite thinner bezels and lighter chassis. Manufacturers are responding with LED-based light engines that eliminate lamp burnout, with Samsung expected to ship a DLP model using this technology in August 2006, while Texas Instruments has prototyped a 40-inch unit just 9.5 inches deep. Sony's SXRD-based LCoS models are a notable exception, but whether these improvements can shift buyer preferences away from flat panels remains an open question.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Panasonic Starts HDTV Concierge Service

Panasonic launched Plasma Concierge, a dedicated customer support service for plasma HDTV buyers that bundles a new Web site, priority telephone support, and a forthcoming online chat feature staffed by plasma specialists. The service appears positioned as a direct response to fee-based programs like Best Buy's Geek Squad, aiming to differentiate Panasonic's plasma lineup through complimentary expert guidance. For prospective HDTV buyers navigating a complex purchasing and setup process, this kind of manufacturer-backed support could reduce the friction of transitioning to high-definition television.

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HD DVRIPTV

HDTV Almanac - TiVo Delives IPTV

TiVo launched TiVoCAST, a free service for TiVo subscribers that delivers web-based video content from partners including the NBA, WNBA, New York Times, CNET, and Rocketboom directly through the TiVo Showcases menu interface. The service supports multiple distribution models - free with or without advertising, subscription, and pay-per-view - lowering the barrier for independent content producers to reach TiVo audiences. If the interface integration performs as described, TiVoCAST could meaningfully accelerate mainstream IPTV adoption by making web video as navigable as traditional television.

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HDMIStandards

HDTV Almanac - A New HDMI

HDMI 1.3 raises the bandwidth ceiling to support higher resolutions, increased frame rates, and an expanded color gamut compared to earlier versions, while also introducing an optional smaller connector and an automatic lip sync function for audio-video alignment. The addition of a second connector form factor, however, adds purchasing complexity for consumers already navigating confusing HDTV connectivity options. Backward compatibility ensures existing HDMI devices remain functional, though mixed-version connections will default to the lowest-standard device in the chain.

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HDTV Almanac - Radio Shack Picks HDTVs

Radio Shack has selected LG and Panasonic as its flat panel HDTV brands for approximately 5,000 company-owned stores, with models scaling up to 42 inches when the rollout begins in September. The decision to exceed the originally planned 32-inch ceiling matters because a 1080p display at that smaller size demands a viewing distance too short for typical living room setups. Shoppers benefit from seeing larger screens on the floor, even if they ultimately purchase a more affordable, smaller model.

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Satellite HD

HDTV Almanac - One with Everything

DirecTV's Titanium Package bundles every channel, movie, pay-per-view event, and HDTV channel into a single all-inclusive subscription priced at $625 per month ($7,500 annually), with support for up to 10 HD DVR receivers. The package represents the full ceiling of DirecTV's satellite offering at the time of its 2006 launch. For households willing to absorb the premium cost, it eliminates any need to manage tiered subscriptions or miss live events across any format.

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HD DVDBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Blue Lasers: Follow the Money!

The Blu-ray vs. HD DVD format war is driven less by technical merit and more by intellectual property licensing revenue, as illustrated by Philips seizing roughly 20,000 Cyberhome DVD units over an alleged $22 million unpaid licensing debt. With blue-laser disc drives only beginning to ship and real-world product comparisons just emerging, the stakes for controlling licensing fees across all manufacturers are substantial. For consumers, the outcome of this battle will determine which format - if either - eventually displaces standard DVD technology.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - ABC Downloads a Success

ABC's free ad-supported download trial drew over 11 million viewings in its first month, with viewers recalling the sponsoring advertiser 87% of the time - more than double the 40% recall rate for standard broadcast. The data also suggests Internet viewership is additive to the broadcast audience rather than cannibalistic, strengthening the case for ad-supported streaming. For consumers, this points toward a sustainable free-download model that could expand access to prime time content without subscription fees.

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HDTV Almanac - Nothing on HDTV?

Panasonic and GalleryPlayer have partnered to offer a PC-based software platform that delivers purchasable high-definition fine art images, sourced from institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and National Geographic, for display on HDTV screens starting at $0.99 per image. The service includes burn-in mitigation technology that rotates image display time, a practical concern for plasma screen owners. While the concept is functional, the author notes that comparable results are achievable with a web-connected PC and photo editing software, and cautions against running the display continuously to preserve panel lifespan.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - Blu-ray Arrives! Almost...

Samsung's first Blu-ray player, priced at $1,000, launched in the U.S. with 1080p output restricted to HDMI connections and only 720p/1080i available over analog component - a limitation the author calls 'obnoxious.' Sony Pictures is shipping seven Blu-ray titles starting June 20th, with new releases planned every few weeks. At ten times the cost of an upconverting red-laser DVD player and a thin title library, the format faces a steep climb before reaching mainstream consumers beyond early adopters.

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Projection HD

HDTV Almanac - HDTV in the Palm of Your Hand

Symbol's prototype pocket projector engine, demonstrated at the Society for Information Display conference, measures just 4.3 cubic inches and uses tiny lasers and moving mirrors to scan images up to 720p HDTV resolution. At 10 lumens, the current output suits only personal-scale viewing, but planned improvements to the green laser module could halve both size and power consumption. Prospective manufacturers are expected to receive sample units within two months, with commercial products targeting a 2007 launch.

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ManufacturingLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - The Next Gen for LCD HDTV

LCD manufacturing has advanced to Gen 8 glass substrates measuring approximately 8 by 7 feet, with Sharp and Samsung both building new Gen 8 plants capable of yielding six 52-inch LCD HDTV panels from a single glass sheet. The increased throughput per production pass is a key driver behind projected ongoing price reductions for LCD HDTVs. Gen 10 glass, at over 3 meters per side, faces hard transportation limits imposed by road infrastructure, suggesting the current fabrication approach may be nearing its final generation.

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LCD TVsPlasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Really Big HDTV

At the Society for Information Display conference, LG.Philips and Samsung unveiled prototype flat panel displays reaching 100 inches (LCD) and 102 inches (plasma) respectively, pushing the boundaries of large-format HDTV manufacturing. These technology demonstrations highlight each company's ability to handle enormous glass substrates, a capability that directly drives economies of scale in flat panel production. For consumers, understanding whether LCD or plasma suits their needs remains a practical consideration as display sizes and technologies continue to expand.

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LCD TVsLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - Flashing Lights for Better LCD HDTV

Brightside's LED backlight technology for LCD HDTVs dynamically adjusts the brightness of individual LEDs to mirror the displayed image, effectively creating a coarse grayscale layer behind the liquid crystal panel. This local dimming approach produces significantly deeper blacks and an expanded color range compared to standard fluorescent-backlit LCDs, with side-by-side comparisons described as astonishing. Currently limited to high-value reference designs targeting medical and digital signage markets, the added cost and complexity may hinder mainstream adoption by panel manufacturers.

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OLED TVsManufacturing

HDTV Almanac - New Approach to OLED HDTVs

DuPont has developed a liquid coating deposition method for OLED panel fabrication that controls where material adheres to a substrate, bypassing the costly vacuum equipment and inkjet uniformity problems that have hindered OLED commercialization. The company projects total fabrication costs for a 15.4-inch widescreen HDTV panel at roughly 70% of equivalent LCD costs, even accounting for lower OLED process yields. If the technique scales successfully, consumers could gain access to emissive flat-panel displays thinner and lighter than LCD or plasma, with potentially superior picture performance.

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3DTV

HDTV Almanac - 3D HDTV

Philips demonstrated a 42-inch 1080p LCD panel at the Society for Information Display conference using a lenticular lens coating to deliver glasses-free 3D effects, while other exhibitors showed parallax barrier designs for mobile devices and polarized-light systems requiring special eyewear. The technology targets digital signage and gaming first, since most PC games already encode 3D display data. Mainstream consumer adoption is expected to remain limited in the near term, with Japanese mobile phones representing the most viable early market.

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LCD TVsManufacturingMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Taiwan Takes Over

Taiwanese manufacturers have surpassed Korea in LCD panel production for displays larger than 10 inches diagonal, outpacing industry giants Samsung and LG.Philips. Massive capital investment in new fabrication lines capable of processing larger glass sheets has pushed production capacity beyond current demand, creating a projected panel surplus for most of the remainder of 2006. Consumers stand to benefit directly, with analysts anticipating notable price reductions in late summer or early fall, ahead of the holiday buying season.

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IPTVStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - 1,600 Movies for $10 a Month

Vongo, an Internet-based video service from Starz, launched in beta in January 2006 offering access to over 1,600 movies plus live Starz channel streaming for $9.95 per month, viewable on computers, televisions, and portable media devices. The IPTV market was already fragmenting into dozens of competing services, raising questions about long-term viability. For consumers, the practical challenge remains usability - seamless integration of IPTV with cable, satellite, over-the-air broadcast, and DVR options is needed before mainstream adoption becomes realistic.

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Emerging Tech

HDTV Almanac - Welcome to San Francisco!

The Society for Information Display (SID) 2006 annual conference in San Francisco brings together engineers and inventors from companies like Philips, Samsung, and smaller firms such as Luminous to showcase next-generation display technologies. Expected highlights include LED backlighting for LCD panels, laser-based rear-projection systems, and flexible plastic displays that can be rolled up. For consumers tracking where HDTV technology is headed, this event offers a direct look at the innovations that will shape future display products.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Dell Fixes HDTV Banding Problems

The Dell 2007WFP LCD HDTV exhibited banding artifacts on smooth gradients in Desktop mode, traced to a fault in the Faroudja video processing pipeline. Dell resolved the issue via a firmware update that disables the problematic processing in Desktop mode, while Multimedia and Gaming modes retain full video processing. Owners can request a replacement unit with the updated firmware, though the fix highlights the inherent complexity of scaling and artifact-reduction algorithms in multi-format HDTV displays.

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HD Media CentersStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Media Servers on the Rise

A Parks Associates study projects U.S. home media server sales will hit 50 million units annually by 2010, driven by falling hard drive storage costs and growing consumer demand for networked media access. Existing platforms like TiVo, Windows Media Center PCs, and SlingBox already demonstrate the viability of streaming audio and video across local networks and the Internet. Readers can expect future personal media repositories to extend beyond the home, accessible from multiple devices in multiple locations.

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Politics & PolicyCodecs & CompressionSatellite HD

HDTV Almanac - Producers Oppose Downconverting of HDTV

Major broadcast networks are pushing Congress to ban cable operators from downconverting HDTV signals to standard definition digital, a practice that denies HDTV owners the full resolution their displays support. Beyond the legislative debate, cable and satellite providers routinely apply heavy compression to both SD and HD signals, visibly degrading image quality to squeeze more channels into limited bandwidth. As wired and wireless broadband services expand, market pressure may ultimately force distributors to improve signal fidelity without regulatory intervention.

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LCD TVsManufacturingMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Oversupply Brewing for LCD HDTV

AU Optronics and competing LCD manufacturers are running large-substrate production lines at full capacity, creating a short-term panel oversupply as warehouse inventory builds faster than demand absorbs it. Manufacturers are resisting calls to cut production despite rising stock levels, which could pressure pricing across LCD, plasma, and rear-projection display segments. Consumers watching the market this summer may find favorable pricing windows before holiday-season demand potentially restabilizes supply and cost.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: Repairing Plasma HDTV?

Plasma TV panels dim irreversibly over time, much like CRT displays, with early models rated for only 5,000 hours before reaching half-brightness - roughly 3 years at 4-5 hours of daily use. Current plasma models have improved dramatically, with lifetime ratings around 60,000 hours, making premature dimming a non-issue for most owners. Modular electronics design also means many component failures can be repaired at reasonable cost, so plasma sets are not inherently uneconomical to maintain.

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Plasma TVsMarket Trends & AnalysisLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - HDTV: Is 50 the New 4o?

AU Optronics executive vice president Hsing Hui predicts that 50-inch LCD HDTVs will reach price parity with 50-inch plasma panels by approximately 2008, but only at the 1080p resolution tier. Lower-resolution plasma panels are expected to remain cheaper, and 1080p sets at this size will likely still command at least $5,000, limiting total sales to tens of thousands of units worldwide. This makes the 50-inch segment a niche rather than a true mainstream category despite the converging price curves.

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Cable HDHD DVR

HDTV Almanac - "No-Box" DVR Challenged

Cablevision's cloud-based DVR service, which stores recorded content on central servers rather than set-top boxes, faces a legal challenge from Hollywood studios and TV networks who argue the system requires separate licensing and fees beyond fair use provisions. The studios contend the architecture does not qualify as permissible time-shifting under copyright law, while Cablevision maintains that storage location is irrelevant to the subscriber's right to time-shift broadcast programming. The outcome could significantly shape what on-demand and cloud recording services cable and IPTV operators are legally permitted to offer.

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HDTV Almanac - Panasonic Picks DivX

Panasonic's DMR-EH55S and DMR-EH75VS DVD recorders add DivX playback support alongside HDMI output with 1080i up-conversion, with the DMR-EH55S pairing a 200 GB hard drive with a red laser DVD burner at a sub-$500 price point. Whether these units will support DivX recording or HD content capture remains unconfirmed. At roughly half the projected cost of a Blu-ray recorder and comparable to Toshiba's entry-level HD DVD player, these devices could position MPEG-4 variants as a practical alternative to the HD DVD and Blu-ray format war.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Electronics Goes HDTV

Radio Shack is re-entering the television market with an HDTV-focused strategy, reversing its 2002 exit from TV sales across its 7,400 U.S. stores. The retailer plans to limit in-store inventory to 32-inch and smaller models, while offering larger displays online, a constraint that raises questions given projections that 35-inch-and-larger sets will account for more than one-third of all HDTV sales. Shrinking profit margins on smaller sizes and growing consumer demand for 40-inch-plus panels could undermine the viability of this space-limited approach.

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HD DVROTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Wait a Second!

General Electric's 'One Second Theater' embeds still images as individual frames within standard 30-frames-per-second broadcast commercials, creating hidden content that DVR users can uncover by stepping through frame by frame. The experiment is a direct response to declining commercial viewership driven by DVR skip functionality, effectively turning the skip-and-pause behavior against itself. If extended to program content with incentives like discount codes or limited-edition product offers, the technique could reframe DVR interaction as a deliberate treasure hunt rather than an ad-avoidance tool.

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Satellite HDOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - DISH Network Expands Local HD

DISH Network is expanding local HDTV channel availability to 11 new markets, bringing total coverage to 24 cities and targeting more than half of US households by end of 2006. The service now delivers over 1,700 hours of HD programming weekly across 23 channels, including ESPN2 HD, Universal HD, and five VOOM HD originals. For subscribers in newly added markets like Dallas, Houston, and Seattle, this expansion means access to local broadcast stations in high definition for the first time via satellite.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - A Plastic HDTV?

Mitsubishi Chemical Group has developed a liquid-coatable semiconductor material with properties comparable to amorphous silicon, enabling transistor fabrication on plastic and other non-glass substrates for LCD and OLED displays. Unlike conventional amorphous silicon, this material can be patterned with lasers rather than costly photolithography masks, potentially reducing panel fabrication costs. Practical deployment is targeted for late 2008, and the technology could eventually enable flexible or lower-cost next-generation television displays.

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Home TheaterStandards

HDTV Almanac - Another Connection

DisplayPort, a new digital interface standard developed by VESA and backed by HP, Lenovo, and Dell, is designed to carry digital video and audio signals with built-in copy protection for both PC and television applications. A key driver behind the standard is reducing or eliminating the royalty licensing fees associated with existing connectors such as HDMI and DVI. With Molex planning connector and cable shipments by Q3 of the year, consumers already struggling with HDMI compatibility gaps on HDTV sets may face further interoperability challenges during the transition.

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HDTV Almanac - Blu-ray Laptop Announced

Sony's VAIO AR Premium notebook targets mobile HD video with a 17-inch wide display, analog TV tuner, and a read/write Blu-ray drive supporting DVD+R/+RW formats, priced at approximately $3,500 - roughly $1,700 more than the standard model. The author questions whether Blu-ray can move beyond early adopters given its cost premium over HD DVD competition and the emerging availability of MPEG4 software enabling HD recording on existing DVD+/-R/RW drives. For consumers, the practical calculus hinges largely on whether PS3 adoption can establish a meaningful installed base to justify the format's steep entry price.

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IPTV

HDTV Almanac - Can the Internet Handle IPTV?

IPTV adoption poses a potential strain on internet infrastructure, as delivering full-resolution and HD video requires sustained, uninterrupted data streams rather than the bursty traffic patterns ISPs currently plan for when overselling capacity. Unlike past concerns about graphics, streaming audio, and MP3 downloads overloading networks, which were resolved through fiber optic expansion, this challenge may follow a similar trajectory. If IPTV demand grows, competitive pressure should drive infrastructure investment, with pricing relative to cable and satellite fees acting as a natural adoption regulator.

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HDTV Almanac - PowerDVD Supports MPEG4 AVC

CyberLink PowerDVD 7 Deluxe adds support for MPEG4 AVC (H.264), a codec that delivers higher compression rates and improved image quality compared to the MPEG2 standard used in conventional DVDs. This development carries a practical implication: H.264 could make HD-quality movies viable on standard DVDs, potentially bypassing the need for costly blue-laser high-density formats such as Blu-ray or HD DVD. The growing adoption of MPEG4 across software and hardware signals a broader shift in how video content is compressed and delivered.

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HDTV Almanac - Peer-to-Peer Goes Legit?

Warner Brothers announced plans to use BitTorrent's peer-to-peer technology to rent and sell movies and television programs, with titles available on the same day as their DVD release. BitTorrent distributes large files as small fragments across member computers, enabling faster transfers than single-server delivery, which is critical for high-data movie files. Pricing has not been confirmed, but whether the service undercuts physical DVD costs and what copy protection scheme is implemented will determine its practical value for consumers.

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HD DVD

HDTV Almanac - HDTV to Go... Now!

The Toshiba Qosmio G35 arrives as a 10-pound, $3,000 notebook featuring a built-in HD DVD drive and dual 100 GB hard drives, capable of displaying 1080p HDTV content. The inclusion of an HD DVD drive, which retails separately for $500, positions this machine as a portable HD video editing station rather than a simple media player. For early adopters, it represents a tangible HD DVD format advantage, though the author remains skeptical that time-to-market will secure HD DVD a lasting edge over Blu-ray.

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Market Trends & AnalysisLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - LCD HDTV Prices to Hold Steady?

WitsView reports the average wholesale cost of a 42-inch LCD panel for HDTV use has dropped to $860, down from $890 the prior month, with analysts predicting price stabilization by summer 2006. The 42-inch segment remains a competitive battleground among LCD, plasma, and rear-projection technologies, where any manufacturer willing to sell panels at a loss to gain market share could trigger broader price matching. Buyers watching the HDTV market should treat stabilization forecasts cautiously, as production capacity increases and slow seasonal sales could push prices lower still.

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IPTVStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Free CBS IPTV

CBS launched 'innertube', a free ad-supported online video platform offering broadcast, special, and behind-the-scenes content with segments ranging from a few minutes to nearly 50 minutes, including a full Pearl Jam concert recorded from the David Letterman show. The platform uses a commercial-interruption model as an alternative to pay-per-play services like iTunes, reflecting the broader industry uncertainty over which IPTV monetization model will dominate. For viewers, this represents an early look at how traditional broadcast networks were beginning to extend their content libraries to internet delivery.

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Home TheaterHD DVDBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - More Blu-ray De-lay

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment pushed its Blu-ray title launch from May 23rd to June 25th to align with Samsung's delayed Blu-ray player shipment, effectively narrowing the head start that Toshiba and HD-DVD had established by being first to market. A Peerflix survey of 1,100 users found only 6% were very likely to purchase a high-density DVD player in 2006, signaling weak early consumer demand for both formats. For buyers, the coordinated delay means little practical difference given that initial hardware and software supply constraints were expected regardless.

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Plasma TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - 50″ Plasma HDTV under $2K

Envision Peripherals has announced a 50-inch plasma HDTV slated for fall release at a $2,395 list price, suggesting a street price potentially under $2,000 - a threshold that 42-inch plasma panels only recently crossed. This aggressive pricing puts direct pressure on competing plasma manufacturers and LCD makers struggling to match plasma costs in the 42-inch segment, while also threatening the price advantage held by rear-projection displays in the 50-inch range. Buyers weighing a purchase now versus waiting for holiday deals face a genuine trade-off worth considering.

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ManufacturingLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Bigger Glass for LCD HTVs

LG.Philips has completed its 7th generation LCD panel manufacturing plant, utilizing glass substrates measuring 1,950 by 2,250 mm - optimized specifically for producing 42- and 47-inch panels. This scale of substrate is strategically targeted at the size range where LCD technology is actively competing against plasma and rear-projection HDTVs on price. For consumers, increased manufacturing efficiency at this scale could translate into lower prices for large-screen LCD displays in the near future.

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Standards4K Ultra HD

HDTV Almanac - Better than HDTV?

NHK's Super Hi-Vision (SHV) format delivers a staggering 7680x4320 pixel resolution, equivalent to 16 times the pixel count of 1080p HDTV and twice the resolution of 70mm film. Storage demands are measured in terabytes per program, and real-time data transfer remains an unsolved engineering challenge. NHK does not expect commercial availability until around 2025, meaning current 1080p investments are unlikely to become obsolete quickly, but the broadcast industry is already planning the next generational leap.

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IPTV

HDTV Almanac - HDTV IPTV coming in Germany

Deutsche Telekom is deploying a $3.7 billion fiber optic IPTV network across 50 German cities, with test operations launching this month in 10 cities delivering roughly 100 channels from cable and satellite feeds alongside video-on-demand and VoIP. A Linksys/Cisco media receiver with an 80 GB hard drive supports HD recording as a key endpoint device. For consumers, this rollout signals IPTV as a viable HDTV delivery platform with practical advantages over traditional cable, satellite, and terrestrial digital broadcasts.

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Mobile HD

HDTV Almanac - Mobile TV Set to Grow

Mobile video emerged as the dominant theme at the 2006 NAB conference in Las Vegas, with competing broadcast standards, small screens incompatible with HD content, and limited dynamic range in mobile displays cited as key technical barriers. Early consumer demand signals are strong despite these constraints, prompting a rush from industry players to deliver viable solutions. For HDTV stakeholders, a meaningful shift toward personal mobile displays could reshape production forecasts and demand curves for large-screen home displays.

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LCoS TVs

HDTV Almanac - Brillian 1080p HDTV Wins

Syntax-Brillian's 65-inch 1080p rear-projection LCoS HDTV took the LCoS RPTV of the Year Award at the Annual China Digital TV Award 2006 in Beijing, signaling strong industry recognition for the technology. The company has also formed a joint venture with a Chinese government-owned partner to manufacture LCoS imagers for domestic TV producers, with volume production targeted for July 2006. For consumers, this expansion into China's growing middle-class market could accelerate LCoS availability and competitive pricing across both domestic and export channels.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - Parents as TV Censors?

Jack Valenti, former MPAA head, is leading a $300 million industry campaign involving TV networks, cable, satellite, and Hollywood studios to promote parental supervision of viewing habits rather than government-imposed content restrictions. The FCC lacks jurisdiction to regulate cable and satellite programming, making legislative intervention legally complicated. For viewers, the practical takeaway is straightforward: parental oversight and channel selection remain the most direct tools for managing what children watch.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Big 1080p HDTV from LG

LG Electronics has begun shipping the MW-71PY10, a 71-inch 1080p plasma HDTV priced at approximately $70,000 - roughly $1,000 per diagonal inch - and weighing nearly 200 pounds without its stand. At this scale, rear-projection displays present a compelling alternative, offering comparable resolution and depth at a fraction of the cost while avoiding the installation challenges that come with mounting a panel of this size and weight.

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IPTVStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - IPTV Links

A presentation at the Trenton Computer Festival explored the convergence of HDTV and internet-delivered video, specifically IPTV as a potential replacement for traditional computing displays. The talk highlighted free streaming video sources available in 2006, including Yahoo Video Search, YouTube, iFilm, and Sundance Film Festival Shorts. For viewers curious about accessing on-demand video content without cable, these early IPTV platforms offered a practical starting point for cord-cutting experimentation.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Ad Adversion?

Philips has filed a U.S. patent designed to restrict commercial skipping on broadcast and DVR content, with the stated intent of enabling broadcasters to charge a fee for ad-skipping rather than forcing viewers to watch commercials outright. The technology raises questions about consumer control over recorded content and signals a broader industry push to monetize television audiences in new ways. Looking ahead, IPTV's precision targeting capabilities and increased product placement - such as Mitsubishi's backing of MTV's HD channel - may reshape how advertising is delivered and perceived.

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HDTV Almanac - Hear about HDTV!

Jamie Bsales, former Senior Editor at PC Magazine and editor of 'Professor Poor's Guide to HDTV,' is scheduled to appear on Dave Graveline's 'Into Tomorrow' radio show on April 23 at approximately 4:30 PM Eastern, during the show's 2 to 5 PM broadcast window. The interview covers HDTV technology and the book's content, with the broadcast accessible via streaming audio on the web. Readers interested in a practical HDTV primer from an experienced tech editor have a timed opportunity to tune in live.

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HD DVD

HDTV Almanac - Blue laser HD-DVD Arrives

The Toshiba HD-A1, priced at $499, launched in the U.S. as the first commercially available blue laser HD-DVD player, though only three movie titles were available at release. Copy protection (DRM) issues remain unresolved, and firmware or hardware upgrades are likely within the next year or two. Buyers must also verify that their display and player can actually output and render HD content together before committing to the purchase.

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SportsGaming

HDTV Almanac - Video Games on TV

USA Network's planned broadcast of Major League Gaming events signals a convergence of professional esports and mainstream television, with top players already earning hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 both support 1080p output, positioning serious gamers as a motivated audience for large-screen displays. This growing visibility of competitive gaming could accelerate HDTV adoption among players seeking a premium viewing and gaming experience.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: Upscaling?

Plasma and LCD displays both use fixed-pixel addressing, so upscaling performance depends heavily on the scalar chip used, with higher-end processors from companies like Genesis, Silicon Optix, and Pixelworks delivering better results. Many plasma panels marketed as HD actually run at non-square-pixel resolutions such as 1024x768, falling short of the 1280x720 minimum required for true 720p. This lower pixel count means less interpolation is needed during upscaling, which can result in fewer visible artifacts when displaying standard-definition content.

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HD DVR

HDTV Almanac - The End of PIP?

DVR adoption has quietly rendered picture-in-picture (PIP) functionality obsolete for many viewers, as the ability to skip commercials and time-shift recordings eliminates the core motivation for channel-surfing during ad breaks. A no-fee DVR unit with an integrated hard drive and DVD-writer replaces the friction of VHS tape management, making on-demand playback the default viewing mode rather than live broadcast. For practical use, this shift means features once considered essential TV staples may go entirely unused as recording technology reshapes daily viewing schedules.

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IPTVStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - IPTV for Free

ABC is launching a two-month trial offering free streaming episodes of popular TV shows on ABC.com, with unskippable advertising embedded in the stream, one day after broadcast air dates. Unlike the commercial-free iTunes download versions, the free streams require a persistent Internet connection and cannot be transferred to portable devices, creating two distinct distribution tiers. The dual-mode approach signals that a major Disney-owned broadcast network is accelerating its move toward IPTV faster than many industry observers expected.

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ManufacturingMarket Trends & AnalysisLCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - LCD Market Consolidates

Samsung and Sony are jointly investing $2 billion in a new 8th Generation LCD manufacturing facility in Korea, capable of cutting 15 panels for 32-inch LCD TVs from a single glass sheet, with production targeted before end of 2007. Parallel moves include Sharp sourcing panels from Taiwan, and AUO merging with Quanta Display to consolidate Taiwan's LCD supply chain. For consumers, this surge in manufacturing capacity is expected to sustain competitive pressure and continue driving LCD HDTV prices downward, with 30-inch models already appearing below $1,000.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - An Ounce of HDTV Protection

Budgeting for a new HDTV should extend beyond the display itself to include cables, furniture or mounting hardware, and power protection. For analog connections such as component video, cable quality matters, while HDMI and DVI runs can use bargain cables in most standard installations. Treating the HDTV like the dedicated computer it is, a UPS provides surge protection and clean shutdown capability during outages, safeguarding the display along with connected gear like a DVR and home theater system.

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DLP TVs

HDTV Almanac - New HDTVs from Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi unveiled a broad HDTV lineup spanning multiple display technologies, highlighted by 1080p DLP rear-projection sets in 57- and 65-inch sizes featuring a six-color wheel for improved color response, plus 73-inch 1080p DLP models and 720p rear-projection LCD TVs in 52- and 62-inch configurations. Direct-view LCD panels round out the range with 1080p resolution in 37- and 46-inch sizes. The emphasis on larger screen sizes suggests Mitsubishi is strategically retreating from the increasingly competitive smaller-display market segments.

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Laser TVsProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - More Laser HDTV

Mitsubishi is developing a rear-projection TV using laser light sources paired with a Texas Instruments DLP chip, following Epson's earlier announcement of a polarized-laser LCD-based RPTV design. Lasers offer compact yet powerful illumination that could reduce cabinet depth beyond what current lamp-based RPTVs achieve, though mandatory fail-safe circuitry and component costs raise questions about competitive pricing. High-brightness LEDs demonstrated at CES in January represent an alternative technology that laser-based designs will need to match on value.

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OTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - HDTV from Space

HDNet, the high-definition network founded by Mark Cuban in 2001, has secured an agreement with NASA to broadcast Space Shuttle launches and landings in HDTV through 2010, bringing viewers unprecedented visual clarity of spaceflight events. The deal reflects a broader industry shift toward high-definition content production, already underway in Hollywood and major sports. For viewers, it means access to some of the most visually compelling live events in a format that delivers a genuine sense of presence.

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HDTV Almanac - Truth Patrol: Amazing DVD Facts!

HD DVD and Blu-ray formats use blue laser light with shorter wavelengths to read smaller data pits, enabling higher storage capacity than standard red-laser DVDs, but they cannot play conventional DVDs without an additional red-laser read head. A published claim that blue laser drives can extract hidden hi-def information from standard DVDs is factually incorrect. Readers should also understand that DVD upconversion synthesizes a smoother image to fill HD screens rather than recovering any true high-definition detail.

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Home TheaterBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Brave Blu-ray Talk from Samsung

Samsung's BD-P1000 Blu-ray player, priced at $999 and targeting a June 25, 2006 U.S. launch, features HDMI output with native 1080p support and upconversion of standard DVD content to 1080p. The delayed rollout stems from unfinished DRM and copy protection specifications that complicate compatibility testing across the format. For consumers weighing Blu-ray against HD DVD, the $499 price gap versus Toshiba's $500 HD DVD player makes the format war a real consideration before committing to either platform.

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DRM

HDTV Almanac - Movies by Internet

MovieLink and CinemaNow are launching day-and-date digital movie sales, with six major studios including Warner, Universal, and Sony offering titles simultaneously with DVD release, though downloads are restricted to PC and notebook playback with no DVD burning permitted. The services carry distinct DRM restrictions that limit portability, but the author notes that online HDTV delivery could sidestep the Blu-ray vs. HD DVD format war entirely. Growing consumer demand may pressure studios to loosen usage restrictions over time, gradually eroding the more restrictive aspects of copy protection.

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LCoS TVsProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - SpatiaLight LCoS HDTV Bounces Back?

SpatiaLight's LCoS imager shipments to LG Electronics and Thinktek Optronics pushed the company's NASDAQ stock up 20%, but the delivery pace raises questions: only 350 of a promised 1,000 units shipped in roughly half the allotted 30-day window. This shortfall is notable given LG's prior cancellation of rear-projection HDTV models that were to use SpatiaLight imagers. Whether LCoS technology can ultimately compete against LCD and DLP designs in the rear-projection market remains an open and consequential question for display buyers.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - A Big HDTV Screen

Panasonic announced a 103-inch 1080p plasma display set to ship before the end of 2006, a screen so large its diagonal measurement rivals a standard queen size mattress. Originally built as a technology demonstration, the panel generated enough unsolicited orders that Panasonic moved it into production, with many units reportedly destined for high-end homes in southern California. For anyone considering a large-screen purchase, matching screen size and resolution to viewing distance remains a practical necessity before committing to any display of this scale.

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HD DVRSatellite HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - A "No-Box" DVR

Cablevision Systems is piloting a server-side DVR service for Long Island subscribers, storing recorded broadcasts on centralized infrastructure rather than a set-top box, and expects to undercut current per-month DVR rental fees. The approach sidesteps the hardware complexity of home units like Panasonic's DVD-R-capable DVR while raising copyright questions about whether time-shifting rights extend to commercial centralized storage. For consumers, the trade-off is fewer boxes and potentially lower costs, contingent on how legal and bandwidth challenges shake out.

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Buying GuidesLCD TVsPlasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: HDTV Product Recommendation

With over 850 new LCD and plasma television models 30 inches or larger released in 2005 alone, providing reliable individual product recommendations is practically impossible given rapid price changes and model discontinuations. Rather than relying on third-party reviews that quickly become outdated, consumers are advised to evaluate displays directly in-store by learning to assess key performance factors - such as how store lighting and signal conditions affect perceived picture quality - before committing to a purchase they will live with for years.

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DRM

HDTV Almanac - New Releases Come Home

Universal Pictures and Warner Brothers announced plans to release major films for digital download simultaneously with DVD retail launches, a move designed to combat piracy using digital rights management (DRM) copy protection. Unlike rental-based download services, these purchases grant permanent ownership, allowing unlimited repeat viewing. Piloted in Europe first, this simultaneous release model could signal a significant shift in how U.S. consumers access and own movie content.

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IPTV

HDTV Almanac - IPTV for Europe

Microsoft TV software is set to power Deutsche Telekom's IPTV service across 50 German cities by end of 2006, delivered over a VDSL network capable of data speeds up to 50 megabits per second. Inexpensive set-top boxes arriving this year will allow direct television access without a separate computer, lowering the barrier to adoption. With AT&T's Lightspeed service already in testing and phone carriers pushing triple-play bundles, IPTV is positioned to challenge cable and satellite as a mainstream delivery platform.

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HD DVDBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - More Blue Laser DVD Woes

Warner Home Video has pushed back its first HD DVD title releases to April 2006, with only 3 of the originally planned 20 titles shipping at launch, and Blu-ray titles delayed until July. Despite these setbacks, Warner projects high-definition DVD players will reach 600,000 units sold by year-end, a pace twice that of original DVD adoption, potentially climbing into the millions if Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 console sales are included. For consumers, the competing format launches remain uncertain enough that waiting before committing to either platform is the prudent approach.

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Gaming

HDTV Almanac - Gamers Get HDTV

VOOM HD Networks' Gameplay HD channel, available on DISH Network, targets the gaming demographic with original programming, tournament coverage, and GameSpot-produced content in high definition. Modern PC and console games increasingly support HD graphics, positioning the 20-to-30 single-male demographic as a significant driver of large HD display sales. The rise of narrowcasting enabled by expanding channel bandwidth signals a broader shift in television toward niche audiences with specialized interests.

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Buying Guides

HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: 720p or 1080p?

Choosing between 720p and 1080p hinges on how each display handles 1080i source material: a 1080p set can weave two interlaced fields into a single full-resolution image, while a 720p panel must scale down and discard data. However, some early 1080p models use the inferior bob method, expanding only 540 lines and discarding the second field entirely. For viewers whose content is primarily standard definition, screen size and viewing distance often matter more than the resolution difference between these two formats.

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DTV TransitionStandards

HDTV Almanac - Cheap Digital Tuners on the Way?

Microtune's MT2131 integrates three tuners (analog NTSC, digital ATSC, and Digital Cable Ready) onto a single 7mm-square chip priced at $3 in volume quantities. This level of integration eliminates the need for a separate set-top box on digital cable connections. At this price point and footprint, the cost and physical size of consumer digital receivers could drop significantly.

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OLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - UDC Foils Flexible OLED

Universal Display Corporation has demonstrated a flexible OLED panel built on metal foil, achieving a thickness one-fifteenth that of a typical LCD and one-sixth the weight. The display uses a proprietary clear coating called Barix deposited directly on the OLED surface to replace the rigid glass top layer, solving the critical barrier requirement against water vapor and oxygen that would otherwise destroy the OLED materials. For consumers, this points toward a future where emissive displays with no viewing-angle limitations could roll up like window shades, though commercial production remains years away.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - VESA Hangs Up Bigger HDTVs

VESA is updating its Flat Panel Mounting Interface (FPMI) standard to accommodate larger HDTV chassis designs, moving beyond the original single four-hole square mounting pattern to include multiple hole configurations. The revised standard addresses the physical diversity of large flat panel televisions, which have grown well beyond the desktop monitor dimensions the original FPMI was designed for. For consumers, broader FPMI compliance could break brand-specific mounting lock-in, increasing bracket compatibility, market competition, and potentially lowering prices.

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LCoS TVsProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - Downs and Ups of LCoS HDTV

Syntax-Brillian is forming a joint venture with Henan Costar Group to manufacture LCoS light engines, targeting volume production of 300,000 units annually by July 2006. This move directly addresses one of LCoS technology's persistent weaknesses - unreliable production scalability - which has limited its adoption in rear-projection HDTV displays. If the partnership meets its targets, consumers could see a broader range of Syntax-Brillian rear-projection models and potentially third-party products built around the Syntax-Brillian light engine.

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IPTV

HDTV Almanac - Users Want IPTV

A survey of Internet users reveals strong demand for web-based video delivery, with over 40 percent expressing interest in Yahoo! Go and roughly a third in Google Video, while television remained the preferred viewing screen nearly on par with computers. iTunes surpassing 1 billion music track sales is cited as evidence that digital personal entertainment is a proven commercial force. For IPTV to reach its potential, content discovery and seamless TV playback must match the simplicity of traditional broadcast channel selection.

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Digital CinemaDLP TVsProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - HDTV on the BIG Screen

NEC's STARUS line of DLP projectors, capable of projecting images 49 feet wide, represents the cutting edge of digital cinema display technology being showcased at ShoWest 2006. The shift to digital cinema eliminates costly film print production and removes the physical degradation that causes scratches and splices by the end of a film's theatrical run. For HDTV enthusiasts, this transition signals a broader move toward end-to-end digital video pipelines spanning theaters, living rooms, and mobile devices.

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Projection HDStandards

HDTV Almanac - Another Stumble for LCoS

LCoS rear-projection technology, praised by DisplayMate Technologies as the gold standard for display quality and demonstrated in Sony SXRD and JVC D-ILA implementations, is facing supply chain setbacks as LG Electronics drops two LCoS rear-projection units due to reported part procurement issues with imager supplier SpatiaLight. Intel also exited the LCoS space within a single year of announcing entry. For consumers seeking high-end rear-projection displays, availability of LCoS-based models may be constrained in the near term despite the technology's strong performance credentials.

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HDTV Almanac - Who Needs Blue Lasers?

An 8-layer DVD format described in the International Electronic Journal of Optics demonstrates that standard red lasers can read discs storing 20 GB or more on a single disc, enabled by advanced compression such as MPEG4 H.264. This approach challenges the assumption that blue-laser formats are necessary for high-definition content distribution. For consumers and the industry, it raises the practical possibility of HD-capable optical media without requiring a costly transition to new laser hardware.

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HDTV Almanac - Happy Camper!

Verizon is deploying fiber optic cable infrastructure in a residential area of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, signaling a potential triple-play service rollout combining phone, Internet, and television over a single fiber connection. The author notes the area has historically been an early adopter testbed, having received ISDN and DSL ahead of wider rollouts. For consumers in the region, this could mean consolidated broadband and HDTV delivery through one provider before year's end.

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IPTVMobile HD

HDTV Almanac - Watching the Tiny Screen

A Nokia-sponsored study conducted in England found that half of mobile TV viewers watched on their phones at home despite having a full-size television nearby, citing personal control as the key driver. The author frames this behavioral shift as 'The iPod Effect,' drawing a parallel to how the Sony Walkman and MP3 players transformed music from a group activity into an individual one. This trend carries real-world implications for display purchasing decisions and suggests IPTV could gain a significant structural advantage over traditional broadcast models.

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HD DVDBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - More Bad News for Blu-ray

LG Electronics has reportedly shelved its BD199 Blu-ray DVD player from its spring 2006 lineup, with an internal memo suggesting a dual-format HD player may arrive later in the year instead. The cancellation adds to a pattern of Blu-ray delays and cost overruns following the unified front presented at CES 2006. For consumers, this means HD DVD could gain an uncontested window in the high-definition disc market if its backers can deliver promised hardware on schedule.

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Home TheaterDRM

HDTV Almanac - When Is 1080p Not HD?

Next-generation high-definition disc players will downscale output to 480p over component video connections due to the absence of digital copy protection on analog signals, requiring HDMI with HDCP support to achieve 1080p playback. Many existing HDTVs lack HDMI, HDCP, or 1080p signal compatibility, leaving a significant portion of the installed base unable to display HD content at full resolution. Japan has already secured a reprieve from this restriction until 2010, raising questions about whether studios can enforce these limitations globally without ceding ground to competitors.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - You Can Be Sure...

Westinghouse Digital, backed by Taiwanese LCD manufacturer Chi Mei Optoelectronics, has placed two models in the top five best-selling LCD TVs in the US market. The company demonstrated new technology at CES 2006 and announced a partnership with Team Rensi Motorsports to supply LCD displays for NASCAR races. Consumers considering budget LCD TVs will find Westinghouse Digital's competitive pricing and broad distribution make it a credible option worth evaluating.

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Home TheaterBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - Blu-ray on the Way?

Sony Pictures announced May 23, 2006 as the release date for the first Blu-ray HD movies, coinciding with the launch of Samsung's Blu-ray player priced at $1,000 - roughly twice the anticipated cost of the competing Toshiba HD DVD player. Titles including The Fifth Element and House of Flying Daggers headline the initial lineup, but the steep hardware and disc pricing, combined with the PS3 delay, raise real questions about Blu-ray's ability to compete against HD DVD in the early market.

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Home TheaterStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Slow-Delivery HD Movie Rentals

MovieBeam, a Walt Disney Company service available in 29 US markets, delivers movies via unused analog TV broadcast spectrum to a set-top box preloaded with 100 titles, refreshing 10 titles weekly over the air. HD playback requires an HDMI connection with HDCP support, while component outputs are restricted to standard definition, and per-title pricing runs $2 to $4 with a $1 HD surcharge. For viewers who prefer on-demand movie access over live programming, the service offers a cost-competitive alternative to physical DVD rentals with a consistently stocked 100-title library.

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IPTVStreaming HDMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - "I Want My IPTV!"

A Harris Interactive survey found that more than half of Americans polled had heard of IPTV, with nearly one in five ready to sign up immediately if content could be delivered to their television set. Key draws cited include lower cost compared to cable or satellite, on-demand viewing, HD programming, and DVR functionality. Strong public awareness suggests triple-play broadband providers have a real market opportunity to accelerate IPTV rollouts.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - SED Delayed

SED (Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display), a flat-panel technology co-developed by Toshiba and Canon, uses phosphor-based light emission at the front layer to eliminate the need for a backlight, producing notably deep blacks and vibrant colors comparable to or better than standard television. Demonstrated at CES 2006, the panels drew significant attention, but Toshiba has pushed shipment timelines to summer 2006 with mass production not expected until 2007. Prospective buyers should temper expectations, as manufacturing yields and supply chain challenges could push availability even further.

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IPTV

HDTV Almanac - Olympic IPTV

NBCOlympics.com delivered 6.4 million video streams totaling 72,000 hours of video during the 2006 Turin Games, double the streaming volume recorded at the Athens Olympics, signaling a sharp rise in on-demand Internet video consumption. The author frames this growth as a strong indicator for IPTV adoption, where viewer control over content scheduling drives engagement even as traditional broadcast ratings decline. For consumers, the practical takeaway is that less aggressive compression and higher-than-standard resolution are the next competitive frontiers for web-delivered sports video.

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HDTV Almanac - New DTV Antenna

The Terrestrial Digital Lacrosse antenna targets mid- to long-range over-the-air DTV reception up to 40 miles, covering a 135-degree multi-directional range, and is available with an optional signal amplifier for $199. Its low-profile form factor makes it less visually intrusive than typical external antennas. For households planning an HDTV upgrade, free OTA digital broadcasts remain a cost-effective alternative to paid cable, since HD signals require a digital source and a one-time antenna purchase undercuts months of cable subscription fees.

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Blu-rayGamingStandards

HDTV Almanac - BluRay Delay?

A Merrill Lynch analyst report projects PlayStation 3 bill-of-materials costs at $900 this summer, with the included Blu-ray drive alone estimated at $350, dropping to $100 over three years. These figures put Sony in a difficult position against Toshiba's announced $500 HD DVD player and Microsoft's Xbox 360 at $400, potentially forcing Sony into record-breaking loss-leader territory. A PS3 launch delay would suppress Blu-ray drive volumes, keeping component costs elevated and potentially ceding early market dominance to the HD DVD camp before studios pick a winner.

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Home TheaterBuying Guides

HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: HDTV Viewing Distances

Optimal HDTV viewing distance depends critically on display resolution, not just screen size, a factor many published recommendations ignore entirely. A 53-inch HDTV viewed at the wrong distance may render its higher resolution indistinguishable from a lower-resolution panel of the same size, making the premium investment pointless. Rather than starting with screen size, readers can determine the ideal display size by measuring their existing room's viewing distance and applying a single multiplier - a more practical approach for real-world room planning.

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IPTVStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - IPTV for Toons

Nickelodeon's TurboNick platform offers free full-length streaming cartoon episodes over broadband, with a full-screen viewing mode that suppresses on-screen advertisements and clutter. Disney Channel had also announced a planned site redesign to deliver free full-length animated programming via the web. For broadband-connected viewers and animation fans, these early IPTV offerings represented a meaningful shift toward on-demand access to television content outside traditional broadcast schedules.

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DTV TransitionEvents & Trade Shows

HDTV Almanac - Alfred Poor at TCF '06

Alfred Poor will present 'Will Your Next Computer Be an HDTV?' at the Trenton Computer Festival on April 22, 2006, the oldest computer show in the United States, running since 1976. The talk covers how semiconductor processor technology underpins modern digital television and HDTV products, tracing current and near-future developments in home entertainment and information delivery. Attendees interested in the convergence of computing and display technology will have direct Q&A access to the presenter.

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Satellite HDOTA Set-Top Boxes (STBs)

HDTV Almanac - Dishing Out HDTV

Dish Network is expanding local HD station coverage to 50 markets by end of year, starting with New York City and Los Angeles, with packages beginning at $50 per month. The service is adopting MPEG-4 encoding over the less efficient MPEG-2 standard used in DVD video, requiring subscribers to upgrade to new set-top boxes to receive the signals. This shift reflects a broader industry move toward MPEG-4 as a practical solution for maximizing finite satellite bandwidth in HD content delivery.

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HD DVD

HDTV Almanac - First HD-DVD Movies Scheduled

Warner Home Video has opened pre-orders for the first three HD-DVD titles - Batman Begins, Million Dollar Baby, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - with shipments targeted for late March and early April 2006, while Toshiba prepares to launch two HD-DVD players in the same window. Warner has also committed to Blu-ray releases for many of its titles, though no dates are confirmed. The dual-format strategy signals that content library depth and pricing, not hardware launch timing, will likely determine which format wins the high-definition disc market.

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HD Media Centers

HDTV Almanac - HDTV to Go!

The Toshiba Qosmio G30 notebook packs a 17-inch LCD capable of native 1080p resolution at 1,900 by 1,200 pixels, paired with both analog and digital TV tuners, Harman-Kardon speakers, 240GB of storage, a dual-core processor, and an nVidia GPU. This combination positions the G30 as a portable media center rather than a conventional laptop, blurring the line between field production workstation and consumer entertainment device. Whether it finds a niche among HD video professionals or casual users, its feature set signals a potentially new branch in the digital video product landscape.

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Calibration

HDTV Almanac - Learn to Test HDTVs Like the Pros

NIST offers a three-day flat panel display measurement course in Boulder, Colorado for $2,000, underscoring the technical complexity of rigorous HDTV testing, which requires specialized equipment, calibrated measurement tools, and hands-on experience. Many published HDTV reviews fall short because reviewers lack both the technical knowledge and proper instrumentation to produce reliable results. Consumers can still make informed purchasing decisions by learning a focused set of observable display characteristics without formal lab training.

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Plasma TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - 1080p Plasma HDTV

Pioneer's PureVision PRO-FHD1 became the first 50-inch 1080p plasma panel announced at CES 2006, carrying a $10,000 MSRP that puts it in sharp contrast with competing 1080p technologies. Samsung DLP rear-projection units were available for around $2,300, and the Brillian 65-inch LCoS model reached only $5,500, making the Pioneer's price hard to justify on value grounds. Buyers seeking 1080p resolution with a large screen have multiple display technologies to consider, each with meaningful trade-offs in size, image quality, and cost.

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IPTV

HDTV Almanac - Is IPTV for Real?

IPTV services like Hong Kong-based 'now Broadband' already serve over 500,000 subscribers across southeast Asia, delivering more than 80 channels including HBO, ESPN, and CNN over a broadband connection. Verizon's Fios TV rollout in U.S. test markets signals growing momentum for this single-pipe delivery model, which combines television, telephone, and Internet access over one connection. Consumers stand to benefit if bundled IPTV pricing undercuts the combined cost of separate cable and satellite subscriptions.

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OLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - Speedbump for OLEDs

OLED display technology faces significant commercial setbacks, with Kodak dissolving its joint venture with Sanyo Electric and Pioneer also exiting its OLED panel partnership, citing persistent challenges including short blue-emitter lifespans and strict oxygen/water vapor sealing requirements. On the progress side, Universal Display Corporation has patented inkjet-compatible small molecule OLED techniques and announced a blue OLED material rated at 100,000 hours, roughly 7 times its previous benchmark. These developments suggest commercial OLED panels remain viable but further off than originally projected, with more industry exits likely before products reach retail.

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Satellite HD

HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: Satellite in TV a Bad Idea?

A veteran TV technician with 34 years of experience argues that integrating decryption hardware directly into an HDTV creates costly repair scenarios, where a single faulty $100 tuner can escalate into a $1,000 repair bill due to tightly coupled module dependencies. The discussion extends to rear-projection lamp replacement and LCD backlight serviceability as examples of modular design done right. Buyers should research repair and upgrade options before purchasing, since modular card-based satellite tuner designs could offer both cost-effective servicing and future feature upgrades.

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Cabling & WiringHDMI

HDTV Almanac - The Light Side of HDTV Cables

Gefen has introduced fiber optic HDMI and DVI cables that eliminate radio-frequency emissions and block external electromagnetic interference, addressing a problem that conventional copper cables can face near high-current devices. While TEMPEST-grade shielding against electronic eavesdropping is the clearest use case, the author argues that quality shielded copper cables are sufficient for most home installations. The practical takeaway is that fiber optic cabling remains overkill for typical HDTV setups today, though falling fiber costs may eventually make it the standard.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Networked HDTV

Digitrex LCD HDTVs integrate both wired and 802.11b/g WiFi networking, earning Microsoft 'Plays for Sure' certification to enable automatic discovery of Windows Media Connect servers for streaming video, music, and photos across a home network. Unlike satellite-equipped televisions tied to a single provider, these sets retain standard connectors for set-top boxes, DVD players, and game consoles. For consumers, the wireless support means a television can be relocated to any room without requiring a dedicated cable or satellite drop.

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Buying Guides

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Guide Ships!

Professor Poor's Guide to Buying HDTV is a 100-plus page ebook covering major display technologies used in HDTV as of 2006, with content equivalent to over 200 pages in traditional trade paperback format. The guide addresses common purchasing mistakes that lead to returns and includes a proprietary method for calculating the correct screen size based on room dimensions and display resolution. Readers looking to avoid costly errors and potentially save hundreds to thousands of dollars on a television purchase will find practical, consolidated guidance in a single reference.

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Satellite HD

HDTV Almanac - Satellite Built-In?

Humax announced plans to integrate DirecTV satellite tuners directly into LCD TVs, eliminating the need for a separate set-top box, with a 20-inch SD model planned for the first half of 2006 and a 32-inch HD model to follow later that year. Cable subscribers face a parallel but incomplete solution via CableCard, which provides a direct digital cable interface but is rarely made available by providers and lacks support for interactive features. For consumers, built-in tuners mean fewer cables, simpler setup, and a more compact home entertainment configuration.

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HDTV Almanac - One Less Network

The merger of UPN and WB into the CW network, launching fall 2006, leaves multiple local broadcast stations without network affiliations and raises questions about the long-term viability of traditional over-the-air broadcasting. With over 80 percent of U.S. households already subscribing to cable or satellite, the economics increasingly favor targeted content delivery over mass-market broadcast models. This consolidation may signal an opening for IPTV to capture audiences through even more specialized programming than cable or satellite currently offer.

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IPTVOTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - IPTV: Think Small!

CBS and Pontiac have launched 'The Courier,' a seven-episode dramatic series with episodes running just 40 to 60 seconds, designed to test ultra-short-form IPTV distribution. Each episode airs in prime time and becomes immediately available via Verizon VCast on cell phones and on the CBS website, demonstrating a product-placement-funded, multi-platform content model. For viewers, this signals a potential shift toward sponsor-supported micro-content accessible across broadcast, mobile, and online channels simultaneously.

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Emerging Tech

HDTV Almanac - Watching Butterfly Wings

Nanoparticle researchers in China and Japan have developed a process of coating butterfly wings with a compound and baking them to produce microtubes with tiny pores, structures functionally comparable to carbon nanotubes. These microscopic tubes can be induced to emit light, suggesting potential applications in future display technologies, though significant development remains before any consumer product emerges. For display enthusiasts, this sits alongside other emerging research such as polarizer-free LCD panels and laser-based rear-projection HDTV as a glimpse into the long pipeline of lab-stage innovations.

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ProgrammingSatellite HD

HDTV Almanac - Family-Friendly Programming Gets Boost

Dish Network and DirecTV have launched family-tier programming packages, with DishFamily offering 32 channels and DirecTV Total Choice Family offering more than 40 channels including local broadcasts, partly in response to Congressional pressure over content regulation. The satellite industry has also committed up to $300 million to educate consumers on V-chip and parental control features already built into television hardware. These moves raise practical questions for subscribers, as unrated channels like ESPN are excluded from family tiers by definition, creating gaps that may still draw legislative scrutiny.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - More “My HDTV is Bigger”!

Panasonic unveiled a 103-inch 1080p plasma HDTV prototype at CES 2006, measuring roughly 7.5 feet wide and four feet tall, edging out Samsung's 102-inch plasma panel by a single inch. That 0.98% size increase raises a fair question about whether marginal gains in panel size constitute meaningful progress for consumers. Until manufacturers clear a more significant size threshold, buyers eyeing the ultra-large display market may find these incremental announcements more marketing spectacle than practical advancement.

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HD DVDBlu-rayStandards

HDTV Almanac - A Blue Laser DVD Solution?

The HD Disc Consumer Advocacy Alliance has called for a unified high-definition optical disc format, urging HD-DVD and Blu-ray backers to resolve their competing standards - but the author argues this demand fundamentally misunderstands the billions of dollars in intellectual property licensing fees driving the conflict. A forced compromise format would eliminate competitors from the licensing pool, potentially devastating some companies financially. In practice, a format war may actually preserve consumer leverage, since a single mandated standard could embolden studios to impose aggressive copy protection with no market alternative.

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Market Trends & AnalysisSportsProgramming

HDTV Almanac - HDTV: It's All About Sports!

A Consumer Electronics Association and Sports Video Group survey reveals that 50 percent of HDTV owners cited sports programming as their primary purchase motivation, with three out of five identifying as sports fans. Nearly half of respondents named the Super Bowl as their top sporting event, and over a third regularly host viewing gatherings. With the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and the FIFA World Cup in Germany approaching, demand for large-screen HDTVs is expected to climb further.

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OLED TVsEmerging Tech

HDTV Almanac - Roll-Up the TV

Flexible display technologies such as OLEDs and Canon/Toshiba's Surface Emitting Display (SED) are emerging as leading candidates for roll-up televisions, with both relying on single-substrate designs thin enough to work on plastic film. Philips demonstrated a small roll-up panel at CES using bistable display technology, though its slow refresh rate currently disqualifies it for video use. Practical roll-up HDTVs remain roughly five years out, pending advances in flexible semiconductors and printable electrical connections.

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LCD TVsManufacturingMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - The Best Bargains You Never Heard Of

Small Asian manufacturers, including companies like Genesis Tech and YDF (Shenzhen Yongdefu Electronics Industry Co., Ltd.), were aggressively entering the U.S. HDTV market at CES 2006, offering 32-inch LCD HDTVs at wholesale prices around $800. These OEM-focused suppliers from mainland China, Taiwan, and Korea compete primarily on price rather than technology, targeting retail shelf space through distribution deals. Buyers attracted by unfamiliar-brand pricing should weigh the trade-off of potentially limited manufacturer documentation and after-sales support against the cost savings.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - How to Make a Fortune in HDTV

The HDTV market of 2006 is a brutal landscape where thin retail margins, steep inter-technology competition, and sudden price drops can wipe out inventory value overnight. While manufacturers and retailers struggle, the real overlooked opportunity lies in display furniture: a three-shelf stand suitable for a 32-inch HDTV routinely retails at $350, with larger display stands reaching two to three times that figure. For consumers investing in plasma or LCD panels, the hidden cost of a proper stand is a practical budget consideration that rivals the display itself.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - What is MPEG4?

MPEG4 AVC (also standardized as H.264 or MPEG4 Part 10) delivers superior video compression compared to MPEG2, producing files roughly half the size while maintaining better image quality, particularly on fast-moving content at lower bit rates. Originally introduced in 1998, the codec uses more flexible motion compensation techniques that make it practical for HD delivery over satellite, digital camcorders, and potentially standard red-laser DVDs. Consumers will increasingly encounter H.264 across video software, disc players, and broadcast HD services as it becomes a foundational compression standard.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - CES 2006: HDTV Conference

At the 2006 HDTV Business Conference held during CES, industry executives outlined the state of high-definition television, with CBS and ESPN collectively producing over 7,040 hours per week of original HD content and the broadcast industry favoring 1080i over 720p - making 1080p displays the stronger choice for image quality. IPTV emerged as a significant distribution model, promising bandwidth conservation by delivering only requested content rather than broadcasting universally. The LCD-versus-plasma-versus-rear-projection display battle remained unresolved, with the economics principle that 'good enough beats better at the right price' - echoing the VHS-over-Betamax outcome - likely to determine the winner.

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IPTV

HDTV Almanac - CES 2006: Wireless HDTV Is Possible

Ruckus Wireless demonstrated live HDTV transmission over a standard 802.11g WiFi network at CES 2006, delivering high-definition video without noticeable degradation while simultaneously streaming three separate standard-definition digital TV channels over a single connection. The system challenges the prevailing industry assumption that wireless HDTV is not feasible on conventional networks. For consumers, this approach could eliminate the need to rewire homes for multi-room video delivery, with notebooks serving as portable screens via existing WiFi infrastructure.

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Home TheaterProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - CES 2006: Watching a Supernova

DNP's Supernova ambient light rejecting screen, showcased at CES 2006, delivers images claimed to be twice as bright with 10 times the contrast of a typical projection screen by selectively reflecting light from a projector while blocking overhead and floor-level ambient sources. The screen supports front projection setups up to 120 inches diagonal in widescreen format, making large-display home entertainment more practical without requiring a fully darkened room. Side-angle light sources remain a limitation, so partial light control is still needed for optimal results.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - CES 2006: No Clear Winner on Blue Laser DVDs

Blue laser disc formats HD DVD and Blu-ray both competed for dominance at CES 2006, with Blu-ray offering higher storage capacity and HD DVD promising lower manufacturing costs. Sony's PlayStation 3 backing Blu-ray and Microsoft's Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on option illustrate the high-stakes industry split. A potential tipping point is HD DVD's planned dual-sided 'flippy' disc combining standard DVD and HD DVD on one disc, a format compatibility advantage that could drive consumer and rental store adoption during the slow transition to HD players.

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Events & Trade ShowsLED TVsProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - CES 2006: Rear-Projection HDTV with No Lamp!

Samsung and JVC debuted rear-projection HDTV prototypes at CES 2006 that replace traditional lamps with LED illumination, using TI's DLP micro-mirror panel and JVC's HD-ILA LCoS imagers respectively. LED light sources deliver highly saturated color output and offer a near-indefinite lifespan compared to conventional lamps that cost $200 to $300 to replace every two to three years. For consumers, this development could remove one of the most persistent practical drawbacks of owning a rear-projection set.

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LCoS TVsProjection HDMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - LG Aims for #1 Spot

LG Electronics plans to deploy SpatiaLight's LCoS imagers in a 71-inch rear-projection HDTV, with SpatiaLight claiming the sets will sell at roughly one tenth the price of equivalent plasma panels. If that projection holds, a 60-inch LCoS RPTV could retail between $850 and $1,000, compared to current microdisplay RPTVs in that size range selling for $3,000 to $4,000. Such pricing would put serious pressure on LCD and plasma at comparable screen sizes, though the author remains skeptical without further substantiation from LG.

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HD DVROTA Set-Top Boxes (STBs)

HDTV Almanac - Replay TV Goes Soft

ReplayTV, one of the original DVR pioneers dating back to 1997, has exited the hardware business and is pivoting to DVR software, with plans to bundle its technology alongside Hauppauge WinTV-PVR capture cards for PC-based media center setups. This shift reflects a broader industry trend toward consolidating home entertainment functions into a single personal computer rather than discrete components. For consumers, it signals growing competition in the DVR space - including recording features built into digital cable services - that could eventually commoditize the category much as TiVo has already become a genericized verb.

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HDTV Almanac - Network Your HDTVs

ED Digital's Digitrex HDTV line integrates Microsoft Windows Media Connect technology to distribute digital entertainment over a single home network cable, eliminating the tangle of device-specific connectors that complicates traditional home theater setups. Each display acts as an intelligent network node, pulling only its relevant data from a centralized media server. For average consumers, this architecture could significantly reduce the complexity of adding and configuring new home entertainment devices.

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Satellite HD

HDTV Almanac - Display Prices Down; Content Costs Up?

A contract dispute between EchoStar's DISH Network and Lifetime over a reported 76 percent fee increase highlights a core tension in the HDTV ecosystem: while display prices continue to fall, content and signal delivery costs are rising. The full equation - display plus signal plus content - means consumers could face $1,000 or more annually for HD programming. Emerging alternatives such as IPTV triple-play bundles and independent productions may reshape how HD content is funded and distributed.

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OTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Happy HDTV New Year!

Small LCD HDTVs dropped below $500 during the 2005 holiday season, and with analog terrestrial broadcasts scheduled to end in early 2009, consumer adoption pressure is mounting. ESPN's two HD channels signal growing content infrastructure, while a convergence of the Super Bowl, Winter Olympics in Turin, and FIFA World Cup creates a rare triple-whammy of sports programming to drive HDTV sales in 2006. Falling prices combined with expanding cable, satellite, and telco IP-delivered content make a compelling case for mainstream HDTV uptake.

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Satellite HD

HDTV Almanac - Cold News for DirecTV

DirecTV closed 2005 facing two costly legal settlements totaling over $10 million, one with the FTC over Do Not Call Registry violations attributed to third-party marketing firms, and a second with 22 states over inadequate consumer disclosures regarding sports blackouts, missing local coverage, and signal quality issues. The company agreed to improve transparency through clearer language and larger type in its marketing materials. Consumers evaluating satellite TV subscriptions should weigh how these disclosure gaps may affect their understanding of service limitations.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Playing Nice: Part 2

The Unified Display Interface (UDI) is a proposed computer display standard designed to replace the legacy 15-pin VGA analog connector while maintaining compatibility with both DVI and HDMI connections, including support for High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP). Backed by major industry players including Apple, Intel, Samsung, and LG Electronics, the specification was targeted for completion before mid-2006. For consumers, UDI could simplify connecting PCs to HDTVs and monitors by resolving cable incompatibility issues as computers take a central role in home entertainment.

Columns

HDTV Almanac - Blu-ray First to Market?

Pioneer announced plans to ship its Blu-ray read/write drive in Q1 2006, potentially beating Toshiba's competing HD DVD drive to market after Toshiba missed its 2005 deadline. The Pioneer unit supports both Blu-ray media and standard DVD+/-R/RW formats, positioning it as a cross-platform solution for consumer electronics and computer storage. Pricing for drives and media remains unknown, making any cost-performance assessment premature for prospective buyers.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: PC/TV Plasma Bargain?

A 42-inch plasma EDTV panel with 852x480 WideVGA resolution raises the question of whether it can serve as a practical PC monitor, and the short answer is no. Plasma technology struggles to produce small pixels, putting it at a fundamental disadvantage compared to a 19-inch LCD delivering 1280x1024, and the low pixel density makes desktop use impractical. The panel is better suited for home entertainment with DVDs or as a digital signage display driven by a computer, where viewing distance and limited on-screen content offset the resolution limitations.

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IPTVDTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Look Ma! No Wires HDTV!

Ruckus Wireless is set to demonstrate a system at CES capable of transmitting multiple HDTV, DTV, and IPTV streams simultaneously over a standard 802.11g Wi-Fi network, addressing the challenge of distributing video content beyond a single central receiver in the home. The solution targets households where running new wiring is impractical or impossible, such as rental properties or homes with difficult construction. If the product delivers on its claims at an accessible price point, it could meaningfully simplify whole-home entertainment distribution without physical infrastructure changes.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - One in Four with HDTV

A Panasonic-commissioned study claims one in four U.S. households owns or plans to purchase an HD display in 2006, but the practical gap between owning HD hardware and accessing actual HD content remains a critical concern. Without digital cable, satellite, or digital terrestrial broadcast service, consumers cannot receive an HD signal, and standard DVDs do not deliver HD resolution. Buyers should confirm they have a compatible HD content source before assuming their new display will deliver a true high-definition experience.

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Politics & PolicyDTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - US Analog TV Dark Date Set!

The US Senate set February 18, 2009 as the mandatory cutoff date for analog TV broadcasts, with freed spectrum to be auctioned starting January 2008 and projected to generate $10 billion in federal revenue. Viewers relying on over-the-air signals will need either a new TV equipped with an ATSC tuner or a digital-to-analog converter box, while cable and satellite subscribers remain unaffected. A federal subsidy program is expected to offset converter costs, making the transition relatively low-cost for most households.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - Making HDTV Pieces Play Nice

Two industry initiatives aim to solve HDTV component compatibility, with the High Definition Audio Video Network Alliance (HANA) targeting single-cable home network integration across displays, storage, and sound systems from manufacturers including Mitsubishi, JVC, and Samsung. Intel's Viiv Technology takes a PC-centric approach, with over 40 partner companies developing certified products and content services slated for Q1 2006 launch. For consumers assembling HD setups, these certification programs could determine whether a display, signal source, and content all work together seamlessly.

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LCD TVs

HDTV Almanac - Beyond HDTV? Plenty of Pixels

Chi Mei Optoelectronics has developed a 56-inch LCD panel running at 3,840 x 2,160 pixels (QFHD), equivalent to four 1080p displays tiled together, with volume production targeted for Q3 2006. At 78 pixels per inch, the panel is coarser than a typical 19-inch computer monitor, and no native QFHD content exists outside custom or experimental applications. Practical use cases remain unclear, as digital signage works at ED resolutions and four smaller 1080p displays would cost less than a single QFHD unit.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - HP Straddles HD DVD Fence

HP's decision to join the HD DVD Promotions Group while remaining in the Blu-ray Disc Association highlights the unresolved format war for high-definition optical media, with each camp offering distinct trade-offs: HD DVD promises lower production costs and earlier market availability, while Blu-ray offers greater disc capacity and a potential overnight installed base via Sony's PlayStation 3. Microsoft's backing of two HD DVD features - designed for distributing content across home networks via wired and wireless connections - influenced HP's dual allegiance. Consumers face a genuine three-way race that also includes traditional red-laser DVDs using DivX and MPEG-4 compression.

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LCoS TVsProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - Brillian LCoS HDTV Wins Again!

Brillian's 65-inch 6501m rear-projection LCoS HDTV earned PC Magazine's Product of the Year for rear-projection displays, while DisplayMate Technologies' Dr. Raymond Soneira separately designated it the new reference standard against which all other displays should be measured. The three-panel LCoS architecture delivers image quality that outpaces competing projection and direct-view technologies, though it carries a notable price premium. Buyers prioritizing top-tier display performance over cost will find LCoS the strongest candidate in the large-screen HDTV market.

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Plasma TVsStandards

HDTV Almanac - New High Resolution Plasma Panel for HDTV

Fujitsu Hitachi Plasma Display has demonstrated a 42-inch plasma panel running full 1080p resolution (1,920 x 1,080 pixels), with production targeted for 2007 under the Hitachi brand. While 1080p is already well established in LCD and rear-projection displays, achieving it at this screen size marks a significant milestone for plasma technology. For buyers weighing plasma against LCD in the 40-to-45-inch range, this higher resolution could become the deciding factor as LCD prices continue to close the gap.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - USA CRT Plant to Close

Matsushita, in partnership with Toshiba, will close its CRT manufacturing plant in Troy, Ohio in February 2006, a facility that produced CRTs for Panasonic-branded televisions among other labels. The closure coincides with Matsushita aggressively expanding plasma panel production capacity in Japan, reflecting a broader industry shift away from CRT technology. For consumers, this signals that flat-panel LCD and plasma displays are rapidly displacing CRTs, though LCD pricing remains a barrier to fully replacing the lower-cost CRT market segment.

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Home TheaterHD DVR

HDTV Almanac - DivX Support in PVR Software

SnapStream Beyond TV 4 adds DivX compression support to its PC-based personal video recorder software, enabling recordings at roughly one-tenth the file size of standard MPEG2 encoding used on DVDs. This efficiency allows HD content to be stored in the same disk space previously required for SD footage encoded in MPEG2, eliminating the need for emerging blue-laser formats like HD DVD or Blu-ray for HD archiving. For consumers, this raises a pointed question about whether expensive next-generation optical storage is worth the premium when capable, affordable alternatives already exist.

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LCD TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - New LCD HDTV: Astar is Born?

Astar, a division of China-based KXD Multimedia, has launched the LTV 3201, a 32-inch LCD HDTV with 1,366 by 768 pixel resolution targeting 720p content, listed at $1,299.99 but already available online for under $1,000. KXD reported $239 million in revenue in 2004 and claims manufacturing capacity exceeding 16 million units. The launch reflects a broader pattern in the flat panel HDTV market, where technological transitions create openings for unfamiliar brands to compete alongside established names like Sharp, Sony, and Panasonic.

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Projection HD

HDTV Almanac - Epson Announces New Rear-Projection HDTVs

Epson's LivingStation rear-projection LCD HDTVs, the 55-inch ELS-55GL1 and 65-inch ELS-65GL1, feature 1080p resolution and memory-card slots, initially targeting the Japanese market. While no 1080p content existed at the time, the author argues the spec is worth the investment as a future-proofing measure, drawing a parallel to early USB adoption in PCs before OS support arrived. The memory-card slot, often dismissed as a gimmick, proves genuinely useful for sharing digital photos on a large screen with a group.

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HDTV Almanac - Protests over Product Placement

The Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild have issued a formal call for a Code of Conduct challenging product placement in television, arguing viewers deserve disclosure of what WGAw President Patric M. Verrone called 'de facto subliminal advertising.' The practice is hardly new - Ford supplied vehicles to Hawaii Five-O over 35 years ago - and Mitsubishi's integration into MTV's HD channel shows it is accelerating in the streaming era. A buried complaint reveals the guilds' core concern may be financial: writers and actors are not receiving compensation for promoting embedded products.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Truth Patrol: Plasma HDTV Amazing Facts!

Plasma displays rely on chemical phosphors, not inert gases like argon, neon, and xenon, to produce visible light; the gases emit ultraviolet radiation that excites the phosphors, which do degrade over time. The widely cited 60,000-hour manufacturer rating marks the half-brightness threshold, not end-of-life, meaning the panel retains usable output well beyond that point. Consumers evaluating plasma HDTV longevity should understand that neither the inert gases nor the phosphors can be replaced, making phosphor degradation the true limiting factor in display lifespan.

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OTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Almanac - Mitsubishi Wants HD-MTV!

MTV's MHD (Music High Definition) channel launched January 16, 2006, with Mitsubishi Electric as charter sponsor, placing its plasma, LCD, and DLP rear-projection displays throughout the Vail, Colorado studios. The sponsorship arrangement reflects a broader shift in broadcast advertising strategy, as DVR-driven commercial-skipping pushes brands toward integrated product placement within programming. Whether this embedded approach succeeds in digital broadcasting will hinge on how seamlessly sponsors are woven into content without alienating viewers.

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Cable HD

HDTV Almanac - Surprise! Cable Rates Going UP!

Comcast announced a nationwide average 6 percent rate increase for basic analog cable service starting January 1, 2006, pushing the average monthly bill above $47 and making annual cable spending of $600 to $1,000 increasingly common. Competing providers including Time Warner, Cox, and satellite services DirecTV and Dish Network have followed similar upward pricing trends in recent years. For cost-conscious viewers, alternatives such as a Netflix subscription paired with a digital terrestrial broadcast receiver and antenna represent a potentially significant savings.

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CalibrationHome Theater

HDTV Almanac - Brillian Bundles Tune-Up

Brillian Corporation bundles a complimentary in-home ISF (Imaging Science Foundation) calibration with its high-end HDTV displays, addressing a core complaint that new big screens often underperform expectations due to improper setup. A certified ISF calibrator assesses room lighting conditions and fine-tunes picture settings on-site, a service typically reserved for premium-tier purchases. For buyers without access to professional calibration, using a test-image DVD and recording factory default settings before making adjustments are practical steps toward achieving accurate picture quality.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - Really H-HDTV!!

NHK's 'Super Hi-Vision' system, demonstrated live at the 2005 World Exposition in Aichi, Japan, delivers a staggering 7,680 x 4,320 pixel resolution - more than 15 times the pixel count of a 1080p display - requiring a 24 gigabit-per-second uncompressed transmission rate fed by two 8-megapixel digital cinema cameras. Meanwhile, UC Irvine's HIPerWall pushes further still, combining 50 flat panels driven by 50 dual-processor computers to achieve 200 million total pixels. Both systems reframe what 'high resolution' means and put today's consumer HDTV choices in a revealing perspective.

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HDTV Almanac - Holy HDTV Holograph, Batman!

Maxell announced plans for a 300 GB holographic storage disc in a 5.25-inch removable format, capable of a 160 Mbps data transfer rate compared to DVD's 4.7 Mbps, with recording occurring through the full depth of the disc rather than surface layers. The technology writes and reads one million bits in parallel with a single flash of light, eliminating the need for the disc to spin during recording or playback. At a projected $100 per disc, this format could store roughly 15 HD movies using existing compression, raising serious questions about the competitive advantage of Blu-ray's capacity claims.

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Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Reader Question: When to Buy?

HDTV display prices are expected to decline gradually over coming years, driven by increased manufacturing efficiency, fierce competition, and higher production volumes, though sharp near-term drops are unlikely. New models are typically announced at the Consumer Electronics Show each January and may not ship for six to nine months, creating a practical window to purchase prior-generation sets at reduced prices as retailers clear inventory. Shoppers willing to act on a satisfying price rather than waiting for market stabilization will avoid years of indecision without meaningful savings.

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HDTV Almanac - Plasma TVs a Hit for Online Shoppers!

PriceGrabber data from Black Friday 2005 shows electronics sales up 44% year-over-year via online comparison shopping, with 'Plasma TVs' ranking fifth among the top 10 best-selling categories and contributing to $192 million in total referred sales. The data likely encompasses all flat-panel technologies, including LCD, and may include both HD and standard-definition sets. The trend signals that large-screen TVs are moving beyond early adopters into mainstream consumer purchasing, increasingly driven by online price competition.

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Plasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Truth Patrol: Plasma Bulbs?

Plasma displays do not contain replaceable bulbs; the entire panel functions as the light source, rated at approximately 60,000 hours to half-brightness by industry-standard measure. A Seattle Post-Intelligencer article incorrectly implied that costly plasma bulbs could be swapped out to restore dimming panels, and misused the term 'luminescence,' which refers to cool light emission rather than the hot-gas process powering plasma screens. Readers should know that a plasma panel that dims with age cannot be repaired by bulb replacement.

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DTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Happy Thanksgiving!

A 2005 editorial reflects on the state of HDTV and digital TV, highlighting the competitive landscape spanning plasma, LCD, and emerging display technologies such as OLEDs, FEDs, and SEDs. The author notes that market competition is simultaneously driving down consumer costs and accelerating research into next-generation display technologies. For viewers, this convergence of choice and innovation signals a rapidly shifting landscape where Internet video delivery could fundamentally reshape how entertainment content is produced and consumed.

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DRM

HDTV Almanac - DRM: Don't Fence Me In

DRM (digital rights management) copy protection schemes have a documented history of backfiring on the companies that deploy them, with Sony Music's failed audio CD copy protection serving as a cautionary example of technology that harmed paying customers. The Law of Unintended Consequences consistently undermines protection schemes that clever hackers can crack while blocking legitimate users from exercising their rights. For consumers, this pattern means that restrictive copy protection often penalizes honest buyers more than pirates.

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CableCARDDTV TransitionHD Media Centers

HDTV Almanac - Microsoft Backs HDTV

Microsoft's agreement with CableLabs enables Media Center PCs to become digital-cable-ready, accepting CableCARDs to connect directly to digital cable service without a separate set-top box. With over 4 million Windows Media Center Edition licenses sold, Microsoft aims to distribute video content across home networks to devices including the Xbox 360. For consumers, this could mean a unified PC-based hub for HDTV and digital TV content, though widespread adoption remains uncertain.

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Politics & PolicyDTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Analog TV to Go Dark!

The US House and Senate have each passed budget bills mandating a hard shutdown date for analog TV broadcasts, with the House targeting December 31, 2008 and the Senate setting April 9, 2009. A conference committee will reconcile the two dates, and federal subsidies for digital-to-analog converters are on the table, ranging from $990 million to $3 billion. Viewers relying solely on over-the-air signals will need to transition to cable, satellite, a new digital-tuner-equipped set, or a standalone converter before the deadline.

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OLED TVs

HDTV Almanac - Thin and Beautiful HDTV!

Cambridge Display Technology has demonstrated 14-inch full-color OLED panels manufactured via inkjet printing, achieving a resolution of 1280x768 pixels compatible with 720p HDTV and computer display applications. Unlike LCDs, OLED panels are self-emissive and require no backlight, enabling extremely thin form factors comparable to thick paper. While large-format consumer OLED televisions remain years from retail availability, this milestone in scalable inkjet-based production marks a significant step toward practical, affordable OLED displays.

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Streaming HDStandardsSatellite HD

HDTV Almanac - More Networks on Demand

NBC and CBS have struck separate distribution deals, with NBC partnering with DirecTV for interactive video recorder downloads and CBS arranging on-demand access through Comcast, both following Apple and Disney's iTunes episode download model at $2 per episode. The Comcast agreement imposes a 24-hour viewing window after ordering, a restriction that reflects early-stage digital distribution terms. These rapid competitive responses suggest that content availability and viewing conditions will likely improve for consumers as the market matures.

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Events & Trade ShowsHD DVDBlu-ray

HDTV Almanac - See You in Las Vegas?

The HDTV Business Conference, organized by Insight Media on January 4th ahead of CES in Las Vegas, will feature top industry executives presenting on display technologies, IPTV, and the HD DVD vs. Blu-ray format war for high-definition disc media. Presenters include major players such as Microsoft, Toshiba, Warner Brothers, Intel, HP, and Samsung. Readers unable to attend can expect detailed coverage of key announcements and developments from both the conference and CES.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - What Does "Fully HD" Mean?

The term 'Fully HD' lacks a consistent industry definition, creating confusion between displays that meet SMPTE-defined HD resolutions (720p or 1080p) and those capable of receiving HD signals independently via an ATSC digital tuner or Digital Cable Ready certification. Competing labels such as 'Integrated HDTV' and 'HDTV Monitor' further muddy the distinction between tuner-equipped sets and monitor-only panels. For buyers, verifying the resolution spec and the presence of a built-in tuner remains the most reliable way to evaluate any display, regardless of its marketing label.

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Deals

HDTV Almanac - Black Friday Crystal Ball

Black Friday 2005, a website posting scanned retailer sales flyers ahead of the shopping event, offers advance visibility into discounted HDTV prices from major national retailers. The site acknowledges its data should be treated as rumors, yet claims a track record of reasonable accuracy in predicting advertised deals. Shoppers willing to cross-reference these early listings with Professor Poor's Weekly Price Intelligence Report can better gauge realistic price expectations before facing the crowds.

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Sports

HDTV Almanac - Samsung Hikes HDTV

Samsung has secured an official partnership with the NFL, branding its lineup of LCD, plasma, and rear-projection DLP HDTV displays as the 'Official HDTV of the NFL.' The deal extends Samsung's established strategy of leveraging professional sports alliances to drive consumer electronics sales. For buyers considering an HDTV purchase, expect heavy Samsung-NFL co-branding across marketing channels as the company works to convert football viewership into display sales.

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Mobile HD

HDTV Almanac - Cell Phone TV?

Mobile TV on cell phones, already popular in Japan, raises a key optical question about screen size versus viewing distance: a small display with sufficient dots-per-line resolution held close to the eye can subtly match the perceived image size of a much larger screen viewed from across the room. The practical catch is that viewers over 50 typically cannot focus at the close distances required without reading glasses, a limitation conspicuously absent from the marketing campaigns promoting the feature.

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Gaming

HDTV Almanac - Sony Sends TV Anywhere

Sony's PlayStation Portable received a firmware upgrade enabling it to function as a LocationFree display, streaming audio and video from a LocationFree Base Station over both local wireless networks and broadband Internet connections. This means a single handheld device can play back broadcast TV, DVDs, and DVR recordings in addition to games, untethering viewers from fixed screens and schedules. The development signals a broader shift in video consumption toward the on-demand, location-independent model already established in portable music.

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Buying GuidesDTV Transition

HDTV Almanac - Got a Minute? HDTV Survey

Alfred Poor's HDTV Almanac site has officially launched, with a forthcoming buyer's guide titled 'Professor Poor's Guide to Buying HDTV' targeting consumers navigating the HDTV and digital TV market. To shape the guide's content, Poor is soliciting reader input via an HDTV Survey, offering a free email resource in return that he claims could save buyers thousands of dollars on an HDTV purchase. Participating takes only a few minutes and directly influences the practical focus of the upcoming guide.

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Plasma TVsManufacturingStandards

HDTV Almanac - Pioneer Closes 2 Plasma Plants

Pioneer, the second-leading manufacturer of HDTV plasma displays, announced the closure of two manufacturing plants while still targeting a production increase from 380,000 to 640,000 panels annually, though remaining lines will operate below 60% capacity. The move follows a $104 million loss in the first half of fiscal operations, prompting a shift toward consolidating newer, more efficient production lines. The closures reflect broader market pressure on plasma technology, squeezed by direct-view LCD at smaller screen sizes and rear-projection displays at the high end.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - Plug In to Tune In HDTV

Sling Media's Slingbox enables remote access to home video systems, including cable, DVR, and broadband-connected setups, by streaming content across a local network or the Internet. The companion SlingLink adapters leverage HomePlug technology to transmit digital video data over standard AC electrical wiring, eliminating the need for new cable runs or wireless configuration. For households with multi-room viewing needs, this powerline networking approach offers a practical alternative to traditional wired or Wi-Fi home network installations.

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Cable HDStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - VOD is Here! Now!

Comcast reported 100 million VOD program downloads in March 2005 alone, with 94% delivered at no additional cost beyond the standard monthly service fee. Fewer than 10% of subscribers currently use the feature simultaneously, which conveniently aligns with the system's concurrent-user capacity limit - a threshold Comcast is working to triple. Viewers considering VOD adoption should be aware that if uptake accelerates faster than infrastructure expansion, capacity constraints could result in service degradation.

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IPTVPolitics & Policy

HDTV Almanac - Will IPTV Content Be Limited?

IPTV delivers video content on-demand over the Internet, but unlike broadcast television, which is federally regulated in exchange for use of public radio spectrum, IPTV providers operate under far fewer government controls. Cable and telephone companies controlling IPTV pipelines could selectively block or restrict programming without the FCC oversight that governs over-the-air broadcasters. For consumers, this raises a practical concern: the same provider delivering your connection could also act as gatekeeper over the content you receive.

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DLP TVs

HDTV Almanac - Pedal to the Metal for DLP HDTV

Texas Instruments has secured a marketing agreement with International Speedway Corporation to position DLP HDTV as the official high-definition television technology at major NASCAR venues including Daytona and Talladega. TI manufactures the DLP micromirror chips found in many front- and rear-projection displays but sells no consumer products directly, making this a component-level brand awareness campaign targeting a large enthusiast demographic. Understanding how DLP projection compares to plasma can translate into thousands of dollars in savings when purchasing an HDTV.

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HDTV Almanac - Someone Agrees about TV over the Internet

Apple's iTunes video download service surpassed 1 million downloads within two weeks of its October 12 launch, generating nearly $2 million in revenue at $1.99 per clip across content ranging from TV episodes to music videos. Notably, many of these downloads occurred on non-video iPod devices, indicating broader platform demand than hardware sales alone would suggest. The rapid uptake raises a pointed question for studios: whether they will embrace this distribution model or restrict it through copy protection measures that could undermine the user experience.

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Satellite HDCable HD

HDTV Almanac - HDTV is a Hit

A Consumer Reports survey found that 87 percent of respondents rated digital HD content from cable or satellite as significantly better than standard programming, yet half reported insufficient HD content availability. Delivering the full HDTV experience requires three components working together: an HDTV display, a compatible signal source, and actual HD content. Buyers who invest in an HDTV panel without securing an HD signal and content pipeline are effectively paying a premium for capabilities they cannot use.

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Satellite HDHD ReceiversHD DVR

HDTV Almanac - Satellite HDTV Relies on More Compression

DirecTV has selected LG Electronics to manufacture set-top boxes capable of decoding MPEG-4 compressed signals, a more efficient codec that allows greater HD content throughput over existing satellite bandwidth. The move addresses a core infrastructure constraint: HD content demands significantly more bandwidth than standard-definition, straining satellite transmission capacity. For consumers, this means access to a broader selection of HD channels without requiring new satellite infrastructure, with MPEG-4 compatible DVRs and devices from LG expected to follow.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - HP Asks for BluRay Changes

HP, a longtime BluRay backer, publicly called for the format to adopt features currently found in HD-DVD, including improved data portability across drives and media types, as well as tighter integration with Microsoft Windows Vista. The move highlights the unresolved tension between the two competing high-definition disc formats, with neither side showing a decisive technical or market advantage. For consumers, the format war means continued uncertainty about which standard to invest in.

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Streaming HDIPTV

HDTV Almanac - Comedy Central Goes Online

Comedy Central is set to launch 'Motherload,' a broadband-optimized IPTV site on November 1, featuring short clips from The Daily Show and The Colbert Report alongside original content. The ad-supported platform, backed by Verizon broadband, auto makers, and the Army, targets a narrowly-defined demographic audience. For viewers, this signals a meaningful shift toward on-demand TV consumption, with advertising models expected to evolve alongside the delivery format.

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IPTV

HDTV Almanac - Verizon IPTV Takes on Cable

Verizon's FiOS service, built on fiber-optic infrastructure rather than traditional copper cable, received approval to operate in Fairfax County, Virginia as part of an early triple-play deployment delivering phone, Internet, and television over a single connection. The service already serves subscribers in Keller, Texas with 330 channels, including streaming and on-demand programming. For consumers, FiOS represents a concrete alternative to incumbent cable providers, with fiber's higher bandwidth capacity potentially enabling more robust digital delivery.

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DTV TransitionPolitics & PolicyStandards

HDTV Almanac - Digital TV Deadline Looms

U.S. Congress is weighing a hard cutoff date of April 7, 2006 for analog terrestrial TV broadcasts, accelerating an earlier deadline tied to 85 percent digital household penetration. The transition would free up radio spectrum currently occupied by analog signals, with spectrum license auctions projected to generate $10 billion or more for the government. A proposed $3 billion consumer assistance program would subsidize converter boxes, helping owners of the estimated 80 million analog-dependent televisions continue receiving over-the-air broadcasts.

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Home TheaterBuying Guides

HDTV Almanac - What's the Right Size HDTV for Me?

Choosing the right HDTV screen size depends on viewing distance and display resolution, not simply buying the largest available panel. A practical method involves using a 45-degree arm-angle technique to gauge the ideal screen width from your normal seating position, with lower-resolution displays requiring a smaller angular size to avoid visible pixels or compression artifacts. Viewers with sharper eyesight should also favor a smaller screen at a given distance to prevent perceiving individual pixel structure.

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LCD TVsMarket Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - LCD TVs: From Desktop to Den

The LCD TV market, particularly for screens 30 inches and smaller, is expanding rapidly according to Pacific Media Associates research, drawing established computer monitor manufacturers into the segment. Companies such as AOC, maker of Envision monitors, and CTX are leveraging their display manufacturing expertise to enter the LCD TV space, where desktop monitor margins have grown thin. Consumers may soon encounter TV offerings from brands with strong computer display track records but limited name recognition in the television market.

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LCD TVsPlasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - Dude! I'm Watching a Dell HDTV!

Dell entered the large flat panel TV market with a 37-inch LCD HDTV and a 50-inch plasma HDTV, leveraging its position as the number one LCD flat panel source worldwide and a top-three consumer brand ranking from 2003 to 2005. The company planned to sell sets directly and through 120 in-store kiosks, backed by a 21-day no-questions-asked return policy. For buyers, Dell's direct-sales model and established supply chain could translate to competitive pricing and lower-risk purchasing compared to traditional retail channels.

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Streaming HD

HDTV Almanac - iTunes Does Digital TV

Apple's iTunes store began offering ABC network television episodes at $1.99 per show, available for purchase the day after broadcast and playable on the new video-capable iPod or a computer via standard Internet connection. This on-demand model delivers commercial-free content without requiring a DVR or Tivo, making it a cost-competitive alternative to dedicated video recording hardware. The deal signals a potential shift toward broad consumer access to mainstream broadcast content delivered over broadband networks.

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Home TheaterProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - DLP Goes Mainstream

Texas Instruments is aggressively marketing its DLP (Digital Light Processing) digital micromirror device technology directly to consumers, despite selling the chip exclusively to TV and projector manufacturers rather than end users. TI has secured NASCAR sponsorship with Hall of Fame Racing and launched television ad campaigns, a strategy that appears to be gaining traction as internet search volume for 'DLP' is approaching that of 'plasma' displays. For consumers, this brand-awareness push signals growing mainstream relevance of DLP-based front- and rear-projection displays in the competitive HDTV market.

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Home Theater

HDTV Almanac - Networks for HDTV?

The Digital Delivery Group, a consortium of consumer electronics distributors focused on custom-installation home theater, identifies a structural shift in home entertainment: rather than all devices connecting to the television, everything now connects to the network. With 61% of new homes being wired for networks using coaxial or Cat 5 cable, and wireless options lowering the barrier in existing homes, the network becomes the central hub for distributing music, video, and digital photography on demand. For HDTV adopters, building a home network may be a foundational step as internet-delivered video content grows in relevance.

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Buying GuidesPlasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Lies, Damned Lies, and Specifications

Plasma display contrast ratio specs, often cited at 8,000:1 or higher, are measured using separate full-white and full-black screens rather than real mixed-content images, which means real-world contrast can fall significantly below the rated figure. A display with a lower contrast rating may actually outperform a higher-rated rival under normal viewing conditions. Buyers relying solely on manufacturer specifications risk making purchasing decisions based on numbers that do not reflect actual picture quality.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - HDTV on DVD: Will blue lasers be too late?

MPEG-4 (also known as H.264/AVC) offers up to 4 times greater compression efficiency than the MPEG-2 encoding used in current DVD players, raising the possibility of fitting a full HDTV-resolution movie onto a standard red-laser DVD disc. Nero and KiSS have announced a DVD recorder leveraging this standard, which is already being adopted by DirecTV, Dish Network, and European terrestrial digital broadcasters. If viable, this approach could undercut the case for next-generation blue-laser formats like HD DVD and Blu-ray before either gains a foothold.

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Projection HD

HDTV Almanac - $300 DVD LCD Projector

Hasbro's Zoombox combines a DVD player with an integrated front projector at a $299 price point, targeting children with a notably limited 557 x 234 pixel resolution - roughly half of Wide VGA and well below standard television resolution. The unit likely uses a single full-color LCD panel, which typically yields poor picture quality compared to conventional displays. It may serve adequately for animated movies and simple gaming, but buyers should not expect a capable large-image display solution.

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HDTV Almanac - Recordable DVD Dilemma

Recordable DVD formats differ significantly in capability: DVD-RAM supports selective erasure and rewriting much like a slow hard drive, while DVD-R and DVD+R are write-once formats where data cannot be erased after recording. DVD-RW and DVD+RW allow reuse but perform less reliably than DVD-RAM for repeated record-and-erase cycles, and DVD-R offers broader compatibility with standard DVD players. For consumers replacing a DVD player to time-shift TV programming, a hard drive-based DVD recorder eliminates disc management entirely while still allowing selective archiving.

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Home TheaterStandards

HDTV Almanac - Samsung announces dual format HD DVD

Samsung announced a single drive supporting both HD DVD and Blu-ray formats, a dual-format approach aimed at protecting consumers from backing a dead-end technology during an unresolved format war. The competing camps had yet to agree on a unified next-generation high-definition disc standard, leaving content publishers split across both formats. While the superdrive concept offers real-world flexibility for early adopters, significant technical and cost challenges remain before Samsung can deliver a competitive product.

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Home TheaterProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - HDTV: Boggled by Big Screen Bucks

Sony's 60-inch KDS-R60XBR1 rear-projection 1080p television, powered by SXRD LCoS chips, delivers image quality comparable to Sharp's 65-inch Aquos LC-65D LCD panel at roughly one-quarter the $21,000 list price. The Sony's greater cabinet depth is its primary physical trade-off, but for non-wall-mount installations that concession is largely irrelevant. Buyers seeking large-screen 1080p performance without premium pricing will find rear-projection technology offers a compelling cost advantage over direct-view LCD and plasma displays.

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LCD TVsPlasma TVs

HDTV Almanac - HDTV LCD vs Plasma: a Hidden Difference

Plasma TVs sold by Dell require in-home boxing and freight shipping for returns, while LCD models can be sent back via standard package courier services. Plasma panels are more sensitive to shipping damage and, at the sizes Dell offers, exceed the weight and dimensional thresholds for conventional parcel carriers. Buyers should verify warranty terms, confirm whether shipping costs are included, and understand that freight company home deliveries involve more coordination than standard courier pickups.

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LCoS TVsProjection HD

HDTV Almanac - HDTV: Love and Loathing on the Big Screen

Brillian's 6580iFB is a 65-inch 1080p LCoS rear-projection television using three separate 1,920x1,080 panels for red, green, and blue, earning a strong endorsement from DisplayMate Technologies as the best 1080p HDTV at its price point. However, the company's claim of a 'true six-megapixel light engine' is technically misleading, since each full-color pixel requires one dot from all three panels, making it a 2-megapixel display rather than 6. Buyers evaluating this set should be aware that pixel-count marketing can obscure actual resolution, a problem already common in the digital camera industry.

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Standards

HDTV Almanac - Truth Patrol: Confused by "HDTV Experts"

A 2005 column corrects a widespread misconception that all television programming would soon be delivered exclusively in HD, clarifying that U.S. law mandated digital TV broadcasts, not HDTV, and required digital tuners in new sets 36 inches or larger as of July 1, 2005. HD and standard-definition signals are interoperable through image scaling, meaning HD content can be downscaled for SD displays and SD content upscaled for HD sets, with some detail loss but no loss of viewability. Consumers shopping for televisions in this transition period needed accurate information to avoid unnecessary or misguided purchasing decisions.

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Cable HDStreaming HD

HDTV Almanac - VOD: Video On Demand - The Future of HDTV?

Video On Demand (VOD), already integrated into digital cable services as of 2005, streams content directly from provider-side disk drives rather than storing it on local hardware, eliminating the fixed broadcast schedule entirely. This on-demand model undermines traditional 30-second commercial formats, accelerating product placement as the primary sponsorship vehicle. For viewers, VOD suggests a future where program length is unconstrained, enabling everything from sub-5-minute short-form content to multi-hour episodic sagas consumed at a self-directed pace.

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IPTV

HDTV Almanac - Google HDTV?

A Google job posting seeking analysts to identify market trends in television viewing behavior signals a potential move into IPTV, the delivery of television content over the Internet rather than through cable, satellite, or terrestrial broadcast. The posting suggests Google may be exploring ways to apply its proven advertiser-user pairing model to video entertainment discovery and delivery. For consumers, this could mean a Google-powered shift in how people search for and access TV content online.

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