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According to research firm Pike and Fischer, over 100 million households will pay for HDTV by 2012. That’s about 47 million homes.

At the end of 2007, there were 17 million homes with HD service, so that’s a big growth.
The demand for HD will generate up to $2.6 billion in annual revenue for TV providers by the end of 2012.

It happens every year. Consumer buy big screen TVs in time for the Super Bowl. They are also well-known for returning TVs right after the Super Bowl is over.

The Consumer Electronics Association said that Super Bowl XLII is expected to drive sales of approximately 2.4 million HDTVs, according to a survey they conducted. The organization says that the Super Bowl has already generated $2.2 billion in HDTV sales this year alone.

In fact, Fox News was saying that people may buy flat-screen TVs now that the stimulus package is going through Congress right now. They pointed out that taxpayers will get back about $1,200, which is enough for a good-sized flat screen HDTV set.

Additionally, Super Bowl viewers are likely to go on the Internet after the game. The survey found that 57% of HDTV owners will go online after the game to view memorable moments or television commercials.

A press release by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) said that over 50% of U.S. households own a digital television (DTV). The group predicts that TV manufacturers will post 11% revenue growth, to over $25 billion, from sales of digital televisions in 2007. CEA also is predicting 13% of revenue and 17% unit sales growth for digital television in 2008.

Now keep in mind DTV does not necessarily mean HDTV. DTV, according to the FCC, just means the ability to view digital programming via a built in or external digital tuner.

Nevertheless, consumers in the U.S. are definitely buying more HDTV sets–or at least are planning on buying them in 2008. The Financial Times writes:

“According to research published last month by The Diffusion Group, almost a third of non-HDTV households in the US are interested in purchasing a new HDTV set in the next six months.”

With the analog switch-off happening in Feb. 2009, it’s a fair bet to say that 2008 will see a huge growth in DTV sets.

For anyone using a DVR and HD, it’s the classic dilemma: Do you use your cable or satellite provider’s DVR box or buy a Tivo? It’s like “Sophie’s Choice”.

On one hand, your cable provider offers a low cost DVR that works with HD content for just a few dollars a month–Comcast charges me about $5 per month. You also get just one box, rather than having to use a cable set-top and a separate DVR. Plus cable companies don’t charge you for buying the box; you usually rent the box for just a few dollars a month.

Going with Tivo means, higher initial cost of buying the HD DVR (about $600 to $800 for a Series 3 DVR).  It also means higher monthly costs–I pay about $20 per month for the Tivo service.

So lots of people are going through these issues when they upgrade to an HDTV and HD service. One blogger called “Dog Monster” wrote about this dilemma after deciding to go with a Comcast DVR, rather than buy an HD Tivo DVR.  And he writes that his frustrations with the Comcast DVR happened in less than one day of using it. He writes: “I loved watching television until I got my cablebox DVR.”

He goes on to list his 20 reasons why he decided to dump Comcast’s DVR and buy a new Tivo Series 3 box. Here’s the quick list:

1. Comcast DVR has no predictive fast-forward.
2. No Start From Beginning When Reaching the End of a Recording.
3. Not Recording Shows.
4. Searching for Shows is Clunky and Slow.
5. Finding Your Favorites Shows is Difficult.
6. The Cable Box Doesn’t Show the Time When Recording.
7. No Way of Knowing if A Show is Being Recorded.
8. Button Lag.
9. No Sound Effects like Tivo.
10. Not Intuitive Interface.
11. No Recommendations.
12. Recording Same Episode Multiple Times.
13. Doesn’t Know What Shows Are New.
14. Cannot Change Recording Quality.
15. Not Being Able to Exit the Play Timeline.
16. Doesn’t Warn About Conflicting Recordings.
17. Accidentally Recording SD Channel Rather than HD.
18. Comcast Doesn’t Group Shows Together Like Tivo.
19. Remote Control Is Not Easy to Use.
20. No Scheduling Shows Online.

Along with the points made here, I really miss the integration with the Internet for downloading photos, and other content (like RocketBoom) and the ability to save files on my computer with Tivo Desktop software. I must admit I am hitting my breaking point with Comcast’s DVR. I’ve been using it for about two months now (alongside my Series 2 Tivo for SD recordings) and have been very frustrated with it as well. Since I have multiple inputs on my HDTV set, I have both my Comcast DVR connected to watch and record HD content, and my Tivo for SD recordings and all my previously recorded shows.

But switching between the two is getting tedious. I want HD recording and Comcast’s DVR just isn’t giving me what I want out of an HD DVR.

It’s probably just a matter of time before I buy an HD Tivo and use it 100% of the time and drop Comcast’s DVR.

[tags] Tivo, Comcast, HD DVR, DVR, Comcast DVR, Series 2 Tivo [/tags]

The digital TV transition occurs on February 17th, 2009. That’s just over a year from today. But many people are getting concerned that consumers just aren’t ready for the analog-to-digital transition.

In recent weeks, there have been reports that the FCC was considering pushing back the digital transition. However, the FCC chief said at CES that the February 2009 date was a “hard deadline” and that postponing the date would “dis-incentivize” the industry.

The CEO for Best Buy said that he was “very nervous” about being able to supply consumers with digital TV converter boxes. Consumers that don’t upgrade to a new digital TV set will have to use these converter boxes in order to continue to watch TV. That’s because broadcasters will be shutting off their analog transmissions and going digital.

In December 2007, a study by the Government Accounting Office said that the U.S. has no real comprehensive plan for preparing viewers for the transition.

“Despite efforts by the public and private sectors and ongoing coordination, we found that no comprehensive plan for the transition exists,” the GAO said.

If you’re stuck with an old-fashioned TV set with a regular antenna (no cable or satellite) you should either upgrade to a new digital set or buy a digital converter box.

However, not everyone thinks that supply of the boxes will ready in 13 months.

“I think it’s one of the biggest risks our industry has,” [Best Buy's] vice chairman and CEO Brad Anderson told an industry audience at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Nielsen says that about 14.3 million households still are using over-the-air television. So this is either a golden opportunity for TV providers like cable, telecom and satellite companies, or for digital TV manufacturers.

Another problem is customer education.  Many people are still confused about what the digital transition means and if they’ll still be able to watch TV.

Major retailers say that boxes will be on sale soon, costing between $40 and $70.

Additionally, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is offering $40 coupons to households that own analog sets and want to buy a digital-analog converter box.

Interested in getting a coupon? Visit www.dtv2009.gov and apply online.

[tags] NTIA, digital TV, digital transition, DTV, HDTV, analog to digital, FCC, digital TV transition [/tags]

With high Def flat-screen TVs becoming more and more popular, companies are racing to create wireless HD technology that have wireless connections between HD sets and devices like set-top boxes and DVD players.

According to an AP story on CNN, there are a number of promising wireless technologies for high-definition TVs on display at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week. In fact, manufacturers are promising that wireless HD devices will be available in stores for the 2008 holiday season although prices will be rather high. (A story on Ars Technica last year discussed the major wireless HD players.)

Currently, the best connection between an HD TV and a set-top or DVD player is an HDMI cable. However, these cables are costly and are never included with set-top boxes or TV sets. You have to pay anywhere from $50 to over $100 (depending on length of the cable and quality of the connection) for these cables.

The players in the wireless realm are: 1) WirelessHD (companies include Sony, Intel and Toshiba), and 2). Wireless HDMI (which is based on ultra-wide band technology).

WirelessHD can beam HD audio and video from set-top boxes, DVD players and digital cameras and the chips are small so they can be built into devices. It uses the 60 gigahertz radio spectrum, doesn’t need compression and allows for very fast data transfer rates. Unfortunately, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has forced WirelessHD to be limited in range (30 feet) so that it can’t be delivered through walls, so your neighbors won’t be able to steal your signal. (Gee, thanks for that MPAA.)

Although it can’t go through walls, it can cover a large room, say WirelessHD proponents. However, this limitation also means that you can’t beam signals to other rooms in your own house.

Wireless HDMI is similar although less organized. Gefen announced a Wireless HDMI product last year although it’s unclear if it can be ordered for delivery yet. I haven’t read any reviews, which tells me that it’s still not released. Gefen’s product is not for those on a budget. It costs about $700, can connect up to 30 feet away, and uses the WiMedia technology.

Another player is Pulse-Link Inc. which will be at CES showing an LCD TV with a built-in Pulse-Link receiver chip for wireless HDMI connections. Unfortunately, this technology is too expensive and will only be available for the digital signage market. Pulse-Link uses ultra-wideband technology, covers about 40 feet, uses compression but is slower than WirelessHD.

The reality about wireless HD? It’s a luxury item for consumers right now and it’s not really necessary. Companies dealing with digital signage, however, may find that this is an ideal solution since you don’t have to run HDMI wireless over long distances.

The real beauty of wireless HD connections will come when they become standardized, built-into TVs and other boxes and allow for easy home networking to PCs. And that seems a few years away.

[tags] HDMI, HD, HDTV, wireless HD, WirelessHD, Wireless HDMI, WirelessHDMI [/tags]

I just got a new HDTV set last month and have been enjoying the crisp picture from DVDs, and HD channels from my cable provider. In fact, my HD set has changed how I watch TV.

I now watch HD content almost exclusively. My cable provider Comcast has a decent amount of HD channels and groups them in a separate part of the channel listing, plus I can also search and look at only the HD TV and on-demand channels. So I’ve been ignoring all the SD channels I have (which must be over 70 to 80) in favor of the 20 HD channels I get. In fact, I sometimes prefer watching an HD commercial over actual SD programming! The quality of the picture is so great, it’s almost not worth spending time watching SD content on an HD set.

I watch more HD sports. It’s football season and now I’m watching more football than ever. In recent years I haven’t watched much sports on TV, but now with HD I’ve been watching Sunday and Monday Night Football as well as the NBA. The quality is incredible; it seems like there are actual little men running around in my living room. In fact, a recent survey conducted by Motorola, found that more people (45%) would prefer to watch sports like college and NFL football on a HDTV than in person (32%). Watching in HDTV is almost like being there in person, with with the comfort of being at home and (if you have a DVR) the ability to pause, record and re-wind the action).

I watch HD music. I love all kinds of music, especially live music. I get MTV’s high definition music channel called MHD and watch that very often. It features live concert footage of artists like Bon Jovi, Alicia Keys or MTV concerts in HD format. The quality of the concert footage is simply stunning. The lights and sounds and crisp images make it seem like you’re live at the venue. Unfortunately, when I tried to watch music videos on Comcast’s on-demand menu, they were all SD quality. There was no option for HD music videos. Where can I find them? Surely artists are filming their videos in HD, so why can’t I find them?

Planet Earth. I can’t stop watching the Discovery series Planet Earth, a mini-series documentary that took over five years to film. The filmmakers used HD cameras exclusively to capture the majesty of the Earth’s planets, seas, and animals. It was simply made for HD. The other day I watched a slow-motion, high-speed video of a shark attacking a seal. And it was breathtaking to see the clarity, the detail of each split second. This kind of made for HD programming is what viewers want to see.

In sum, I want more HD content. What I have is simply not enough. And SD content seen on an HD set just looks crappy and fuzzy and out of focus. I can’t wait until everything on TV is HD.

In a few days, I’ll be getting a 52″ HDTV set for my home. And that means I’ll be looking for more HD content. I have Comcast cable and have already signed up for HD content and have the HD box with the HD DVR.

It’ll be quite sad to lose my Tivo Series 2 DVR, but it’s not HD so I’ll need to use the Comcast HD DVR. I’ll actually have both connected at the same time since I still have lots of content sitting around my Tivo that I haven’t watched yet. Plus, the Comcast HD DVR only has about 30 hours available for HD programming which means I’ll probably be filling that up pretty quickly. Having a backup Tivo for SD programming makes sense until I bite the bullet and buy a Tivo Series 3.

When I had an HDTV set earlier this year, I noticed a few rather interesting things.

I Only Watched HD Content. Switching to HD really made me want to only watch HD content. I watched nature shows on Discovery HD, travel shows on the Travel Channel and lots of sports in HD. It really changed how and what I watched on my TV. I thought it was just a phase, but I predict it’ll happen again.

Not Enough HD Content.  After getting an HD set, I was hungry for HD content. But I found that it was severely lacking. Sure there were a few movies, sports and some HD channels, but the majority of channels were in SD. Fortunately, some of my favorite prime-time shows–like Lost, 24 and Heroes–are in HD so I’ll be able to enjoy them in HD mode.

I saw a story recently showing research that said consumers are happy with HDTV picture quality, but want more HD programming. A survey of511 HD households found that 85% thought the quality of their HDTV sets was either above average or excellent. Only 39%, however said the same about the selection of HD programming.

Being happy with the programming usually comes down to how you’re getting your HD programming–antenna, cable, satellite or IPTV.  Cable and satellite companies are battling it out over who has the most HD channels, and it’s hard to know unless you do the research.

The survey found that sports and movies were the most popular HD programming. In fact, ESPN HD was the most-watched source of sports programming, and HBO was tops in HD movies.

Meanwhile, there’s evidence that HDTV is getting more and more affordable. With the holidays approaching and the Super Bowl just a month away, it is a great time to start looking around for HDTV deals.

A new JD Power study found that consumers love their HDTV sets and would buy HDTV again, like the sets a lot and would recommend them to friends.  Among HDTV brands, Sony, Pioneer, and Samsung are top consumer favorites. JD Power’s “2007 Large Screen HDTV Usage and Satisfaction Study” measured customer satisfaction with HDTVs.

In my quest for HD programming, I’ll report back on my search of TV providers in the San Francisco Bay Area on who has the most channels for HD. For now, I have cable but am willing to switch to a new provider if they have a better offering.

[tags] HDTV, HD, Comcast, cable, Tivo, HD DVR, DVR [/tags]

According to a survey by the Consumer Electronics Association, 22% of people with analog TV sets plan to “do nothing” when local broadcast stations switch entirely to digital signals in February 2009. The breakdown:

• 22% said they would subscribe to a cable or satellite service

• 33% said they would use a government-issued $40 coupon to purchase a digital-to-analog converter box

• 23% plan to purchase a new digital television set.

• 22% said they would do nothing

The CEA estimates that come Feb. 17, 2009, between 22 million and 28 million TV sets will need to continue receiving broadcast TV signals.

Many industry people are worried that U.S. consumers won’t be ready for the switch With over 20 million analog sets still in use today, there will be a big need to distribute digital-to-analog converter to continue to watch TV on their old sets.

However a massive public awareness campaign will start next year in a variety of media.

[tags] CEA, TV, digital, HDTV [/tags]