August, 2011 | HD TV PROFESSOR

Month: August 2011

Tablets: the New TV?

August 31, 2011 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

When I was growing up, television was a group activity. Sunday evenings, I'd get an early bath and put on my pajamas so that I could watch "The Ed Sullivan Show" with my family. Shows like "American Idol" and "Dancing with the Stars" seem to be keeping that group activity alive, but the it seems that more and more people are turning to television as an individual activity. As evidence,...

DISH on the Road

August 30, 2011 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

Satellite TV subscriptions are great, especially if you live out past where the sidewalks end, beyond the reach of cable services. But it's not so great when you want to go somewhere else. You can't exactly bring down your dish antenna and take it with you. At least you couldn't until now. DISH Network is now offering their new Tailgater that lets you bring your great television content with you...

Bye-Bye Channel 51?

August 29, 2011 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

Last week, the FCC announced a procedural decision to freeze all pending applications for new low-power or full-power television broadcast stations on channel 51. The announcement also permits any of these pending applications to be modified within the next 60 days to request assignment to a lower channel. Any discussion of television channels is complicated by the fact that each station broadcasts on a certain assigned channel, but that typically...

Let’s Watch a Movie; Fire Up Facebook

August 26, 2011 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

Maybe it would be easier if I just listed all the websites that aren't offering streaming movies these days. We can now add one more to the list of the ones that do: Facebook. Miramax has signed a deal to provide blockbuster titles for streaming onto computers, tables, or Google TV devices. You can now choose among 20 titles for a $3 rental, including "Chicago," "Cold Mountain," "Pulp Fiction," and...

Bad Economy? hhgregg Steams Full Speed Ahead

August 25, 2011 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

After opening ten new stores in Florida this summer, electronics retailer hhgregg is expanding into the Chicago market with 14 new stores. It was not so long ago that we saw the implosion of Circuit City and CompUSA, and the discounting 6th Ave Electronics beat a retreat from its efforts to expand into the Philadelphia market. So here is hhgregg, swimming against the tide with an expansion that will reportedly...

NFL on PS3: It’s More than Just Madden

August 24, 2011 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

Okay, here's how I see it. Online streaming content has been the poor step-child of the broadcast networks, movie studios, and other content distributors. All the good stuff goes to the cable and satellite services, and the crumbs fall to the online sites. But streaming is managing to post some impressive growth and revenue figures, and the content folks are beginning to tip to the fact that there may be...

Optoma Shatters 3D Home Projector Price

August 23, 2011 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

Have I got a deal for you! How would you like a 55" 1080p high definition display for $1,500? Not so exciting? Okay, let's make it 70"; does that make it more interesting? I'll sweeten the pot and throw in 3D capability and support for radio frequency (RF) active glasses, still for $1,500. Do I have your attention yet? Okay, how about if I increase the size to 100"? No,...

Fox Limits New Episode Access

August 22, 2011 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

Are you a fan of a Fox Network series such as Family Guy, the Simpsons, or Fringe? Have you been using Hulu or Fox.com to catch up on a recent episode that you missed? Well, Fox has delayed your access to new episodes until eight days after the original air date. If you try to watch a newer episode, you'll be prompted to log in so that you can watch...

Netflix Retools For Kids

August 19, 2011 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

According to an article published by GigaOM, Netflix appears to be testing a new user interface designed specifically for children. Not only is the listed content limited to kid-friendly titles, it also makes it easier for youngsters to navigate. A scroll bar at the top of the screen shows individual characters, including kid favorites such as Big Bird, Barney, and Dora. Click on the character, and you get a screen...

TWC: #2 and Growing

August 18, 2011 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

The cable TV industry news has been full of gloom and doom over the loss of subscribers recently. Time Warner Cable (TWC) has found a way to boost its subscriber rolls quickly; the company is going to acquire Insight Communications which is a leading cable company in Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. In exchange for $3 billion in cash, TWC picks up nearly 700,000 video subscribers. It also gets about 550,oo0...