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HDTV: 10 More Things That Don't Make Sense
tvpredictions.com ^ | April 22, 2010 | Phillip Swann

Posted on 04/24/2010 4:32:13 AM PDT by Las Vegas Dave

During the course of a day, I read dozens of news articles about High-Definition TV. But the articles often leave me asking more questions than answering them.

Last month, I recorded my concerns in an article entitled, "10 Things That Don't Make Sense."

The commentary was well received so I thought I would do another one -- God knows, there are still many unanswered questions out there about high-def.

It's not the fault of the writers (well, not always). Usually, it's the TV executives who are quoted in the stories. They purposely leave things vague or sometimes tell outright falsehoods in an attempt to fool the public.

So, here are 10 MORE Things About HDTV That Don't Make Sense

1. DIRECTV & Netflix
DIRECTV recently issued a statement to selected reporters suggesting that it would have an exclusive advantage over Netflix because it could show certain movies 28 days before they are available via the online rental service.

While DIRECTV will have those movies before Netflix, the satcaster did not add that Comcast, Time Warner, Verizon, Dish Network and others would be able to show those movies before Netflix, too. (Netflix made an agreement with a handful of studios to delay the release of some films in return for a larger library of Net streaming videos.)

Unfortunately, Bloomberg News and other media outlets failed to check whether DIRECTV had an exclusive and, consequently, wrote stories suggesting that it did. The stories, of course, were wrong.

What I wonder is: Did DIRECTV send this Netflix statement only to reporters it thought would be less likely to check the facts? Did DIRECTV trick the media into writing articles that made it look like its movie service was something different from its rivals? Was this the act of a sneaky company?

I know I never got the statement from DIRECTV -- and once I saw the Bloomberg article, I realized how wrong it was.

2. Dish Network's '200 HD Channel' Claim
Did Dish Network really think that the industry media was so stupid, so passive that it would not check whether it actually had 200 HD channels when it claimed this week that it did? (Subsequent reports from TVPredictions.com and Multichannel News proved that the claim was laughable.)

Judging from DIRECTV's successful effort to manipulate the media on the Netflix story, perhaps the answer is yes.

3. Samsung's 3D Warning
Did Samsung and other TV makers decide to invest hundreds of millions of dollars on new 3D sets knowing that a large portion of the public might get sick watching them? Or is this something that they found out later?

4. Samsung 3D Discounts
Did Samsung this week drop the price on its 46-inch 3D HDTV to under $1,500 because it's already getting desperate to sell the new sets? The 46-inch model cost $1,000 more when it was introduced just a month ago. The huge price drop makes you wonder if Samsung is panicking.

5. DIRECTV & TiVo
DIRECTV's decision to delay the new TiVo HD DVR to the "latter part of the year" is very curious considering rumors suggesting that Dish Network may be interested in buying TiVo to end their legal dispute. Is DIRECTV waiting to see if Dish buys TiVo before rolling out what could be a rival's product?

6. DIRECTV & Dish Network
DIRECTV and Dish Network sued each other just about a month over some advertising claims. However, the two companies quietly agreed to drop their suits last week. To say the least, that was a quick resolution and makes you wonder if both companies suddenly needed to eliminate some legal entanglements before discussing merger proposals or other major partnerships.

7. Avatar & 3D
If Avatar is such a 3D sensation, why are so many people snapping up today's non-3D, Blu-ray release of the blockbuster hit? The movie has been the top-ranked video release at Amazon.com for weeks. Maybe people don't care that much whether the movie is in 3D or not.

8. Verizon & Comcast
Verizon is currently running a TV commercial in which an apartment dweller is openly rude to a Comcast technician. When the cable guy knocks on the door to pick up a set-top after the resident cancelled service, the resident all but throws the cable box at him and then rudely closes the door on him. The commercial makes the Comcast guy look sympathetic and Verizon look arrogant. Did some hoity-toity ad agency think this was a cool ad? It's not. It's mean and another case of how this country has put civility on the back burner.

9. DIRECTV's New 30 HD Channels
If DIRECTV's new satellite is running so well, why will it take a "few months" to add 30 new high-def channels? Why can't DIRECTV just add them all at once? The new satellite is supposed to give it the capacity for 200 HD channels -- and by DIRECTV's count (an inflated one at that) -- it now has only about 130 HD channels. What's the deal, DIRECTV?

10. Discovery's Life
Despite its undeniable beauty, Life, the new high-def Discovery nature series, needs an advisory saying that kids under 14 shouldn't watch it. The show is one grisly scene after another of animals chewing up other animals to a fair thee well. Why isn't the media writing about this -- and warning parents? Are reporters so infatuated with Discovery (and narrator Oprah Winfrey) that they have neglected their responsibility to provide important information?


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Music/Entertainment; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: blueray; hdtv; media; technology; television
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To: MississippiMan

Not everyone has switched from CRT yet. When we do, 3d will be a nice bonus.


41 posted on 04/24/2010 12:14:37 PM PDT by ctdonath2 (+)
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To: Delta 21

I prefer 1-D. Don’t be fooled by that socially liberal - economically conservative crap!


42 posted on 04/24/2010 8:20:27 PM PDT by dr_who
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To: oh8eleven; Las Vegas Dave

Not to be argumentative, because I agree with you, but have you seen any of the new movies over the last few years?

Many of them are vile even for adult consumption. And we all know, parents these days are letting little kids in to see them.

Even television is loosening up it’s aversion to crusty violence or gore.

And while we’re at it, commercials aren’t any better.

Volkswagen has one out now where people slug each other if they see a Volkswagen before the person they are with. If I recall that was going on about 15 to 20 years aqo, but the television advertisers didn’t promote it back then.

Then there’s the movie, “Fight Club”. Today we have kids across America fighting at school in their various versions of fight club.

The rampant tattooing and piercings our kids are taking part in today, have all been pushed on them by the media.

There’s no responsibility taken by the media players today. And our nation is paying for it.


43 posted on 04/24/2010 9:06:46 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (Be still & kneel before the know-nothing Omnipotent One, Il Douche' Jr., may fleas be upon him.)
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To: DoughtyOne
I've avoided the Hollywood left for decades and I've only been to the movies three times in the last 35 years.
I'm also getting to the point of not watching TV any longer for many reasons, including:
1) The endless proliferation of commercials.
2) Cable bill increases where I end up supporting dozens of channels I wouldn't watch in 1000 years.
3) The aforementioned violence, glorification of life's losers, vulgarity, etc.

44 posted on 04/25/2010 6:05:03 AM PDT by oh8eleven (RVN '67-'68)
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To: oh8eleven

I hear ya...


45 posted on 04/26/2010 9:57:04 AM PDT by DoughtyOne (Be still & kneel before the know-nothing Omnipotent One, Il Douche' Jr., may fleas be upon him.)
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To: Las Vegas Dave

What, are there 545 seats in the two houses of Congress now? ;’)


46 posted on 04/29/2010 5:23:24 PM PDT by SunkenCiv ("Fools learn from experience. I prefer to learn from the experience of others." -- Otto von Bismarck)
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