Bullish on HDTV, a majority of pay TV operators expect it to increase ARPUs (average revenue per user) and have identified it as a key strategic priority for their business.

The rollout of HDTV is being spearheaded by newer pay TV platforms looking to differentiate their offerings from existing platforms, a Measat Satellite Systems and Euroconsult joint study in the Asia-Pacific region said.

More established platforms were taking a slower approach to implementing HDTV.

According to the study, 75 per cent of pay TV operators surveyed have, or were planning, to launch a HDTV offering during 2008.

The study, which was conducted during May by Euroconsult,
polled the rationale, benefits, challenges and expectations of HDTV amongst the Asia-Pacific pay TV operators. 25 operators in 15 markets, collectively serving more than 24 million subscribers, were interviewed.

Our entertainment systems have evolved from black and white to color, from fuzzy 480i to ultraclear 1080p, from mono to 7.1 surround sound, from Sony's Betamax to Sony's Blu-ray--what's next you might say? With Mitsubishi's latest line of televisions, the company has stuck out its leg into the elusive realm of 3D; that is, 3D with the glasses and stereoscopic display.

You'll notice from the image above that Mitsubishi's display isn't using the traditional 3D headgear. Old '50s era black-and-white movies used what's called an anaglyph display, which simply means an image is colorized in cyan and blue and layered on top of each other, providing an image--albeit fuzzy image--with a 3D effect. The problem was if a person tilted his or her head even slightly, the image would appear askew. Circularly polarized glasses, however, which has been popular lately--as seen in Disney's 3D movies, such as Chicken Little--superimposes two images on top of each other with an active filter, correcting the tilt problem and providing for clearer and more convincing 3D image.

While many Americans have yet to buy their first high-definition television, a new report from DisplaySearch, a consumer electronics research firm, warns the industry that if it wants to keep improving HDTV sales, it will need to quickly install some features that are now extra-cost add-ons available only in high-end models.

Built-in Internet access, 1080p resolution, PVR capabilities and upgraded HDMI connection standards need to become standard fare by next year, the director of research at DisplaySearch, Calvin Hsieh, said. “Our research shows that the growth of the market will peak between 2009 and 2011. Thereafter, growth will be limited without the development of new, enhanced features for TVs,” he said.

Fewer than half the digital TVs sold in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East with screen sizes larger than 40 inches have 1080p resolution (Japan has the highest penetration, at 90 percent). And while Internet access is beginning to show up in sets from Panasonic, Sharp, and Sony, among others, once network connections are integrated right into a chip instead of requiring an ungainly add-on box, we’re likely to see more applications that take advantage of the connectivity, Mr. Hsieh said.

Content management and delivery company GlobeCast has upgraded its HDTV infrastructure and formed strategic alliances in the Americas in response to growing demand for the distribution and contribution of HD content between America and the rest of the world, officials said Monday.

Building on its HD fiber upgrade in 2007, GlobeCast has completed the next phase of its American HD strategy with the installation of state-of-the-art encoding and converting equipment at its broadcast center in Culver City, Calif.

Using gear that includes MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 HD decoders as well as the Snell & Wilcox Alchemist Ph.C HD standards converter with motion compensation, GlobeCast can receive and process HD signals into any international format. GlobeCast can also down convert to standard definition and deliver the signal worldwide using a combination of MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 HD/SD compression.

Wireless HDTV will be the next hot product -- after phones, Internet and home networking -- according to ABI Research, which predicted the number of wireless HD installations will rise more than tenfold worldwide to 1 million by 2012. But ABI added wireless HD has been hampered by a fight among three technologies: 5 GHz, 60 GHz and ultra wideband (UWB).

VIA: tmcnet.com

What's the top-selling HDTV at Amazon.com?

On June 24, the answer is...Samsung's LN52A650 52-inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color -- available today for $2,249 (25 percent off the suggested list price.)

The flat-panel set, which has a 5-star customer rating based on 87 customer reviews, has four HDMI inputs, delivers 'Full HD' 1080p resolution and it's ranked #28 today in Amazon's overall top-selling electronics category.

Wanted, the new thriller starring Angelina Jolie, hasn't even opened yet in theaters. But one studio executive says it could be the movie that puts the Blu-ray high-def disc on the map.

That's according to an article by Variety Magazine.

Craig Kornblau, president of Universal Studios home entertainment, said at the L.A. Film Festival that the movie could do for Blu-ray what The Matrix did for the standard-def DVD.

The Matrix, a sci-fi action hit which starred Keanu Reeves, was an immediate success on DVD, particularly in the sell-through category. Previously, most DVD owners were content to rent movies.

In its latest issue, Consumer Reports Magazine has given top scores to four Digital TV converters now on the market.

The four top-rated converters, which the magazine says delivers the 'Best Picture Quality,' are the Tivax STB-T9 ($50); the Lasonic LTA-260 ($55); the Sansonic FT300A ($60); and the Microgem MG2000 ($65).

Consumer Reports says the four converters are "capable of picture quality that comes close to a good quality DVD."

On February 17, 2009, all full-powered local stations must switch their analog signals to digital which means viewers will need a Digital TV, a digital converter box or a pay TV subscription to watch television.

HP today announced the availability of its new MediaSmart Connect digital media receiver for HDTVs.

Available now for pre-orders, the MediaSmart Connect was first announced at CES, back in January. The device lets users stream digital media, including music, photos, and video from an Windows PC around the house to their HDTV.

The digital media receiver features an HP Pocket Media Drive bay, Windows Media Center Extender integration, and access to online media services. It also includes built-in wireless networking (802.11a/b/g/n), playback from USB-based storage, and output for HDMI, digital audio, and component video.

The MediaSmart Connect is currently available for pre-oder from Amazon, BestBuy.com, NewEgg, and CircuitCity.com for $349. The device comes bundled with a $20 CinemaNow gift certificate.

VIA: gearlog.com

We first talked about the HP MediaSmart Connect back in May when it was originally announced. What we didn’t know back then was when the device would be available to purchase. Today HP announced that the MediaSmart Connect is available for pre-order.

The device connects to any HDTV and allows users to rent movies from CinemaNow as well as share and purchase photos from Snapfish. The device can also find and store digital video and photos from any computer on the same network. The HP MediaSmart Connect will retail for $349.