Coming Soon to an HDTV Near You

I Feel a Draft

The NFL Network on February 22 will begin 27 hours of high-def coverage of the NFL Combine. The Combine enables coaches and general managers to test college players in a number of skill exercises prior to April's NFL Draft.

Pioneer HDTV
PBS has begun production on Pioneers of Television, a four-part documentary on past stars of TV, including Dick Van Dyke, Andy Griffith, Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Barker, Andy Williams, Tommy Smothers and Art Linkletter. The documentary, which is scheduled to air in 2008, will be filmed entirely in high-def and some vintage clips of old shows will be remastered in HD for the show.

Fox Pitches HDTV
Fox has announced that it will air up to 72 Major League Baseball games this season -- and for the first time -- most will be presented in high-def. The coverage begins on April 7 with three regional match-ups.

Your Own Personal HD Concert
Bolstering its continued status as the prime television destination for top music acts, VOOM HD Network's Rave HD-the first and only 24/7 high definition music channel-will present the premiere of Depeche Mode's "Touring the Angel: Live From Milan's Fila Forum." Catch the band as they celebrate 25 years of achievement with "Touring the Angel," one of the most successful, highly grossing and critically acclaimed tours of last year.

And the Winner is....

Blu-ray: We've Won!

Sony says it will boast of the "victory" in promotional campaigns.

Washington, D.C. (February 11, 2007) -- Did you hear that Sony's Blu-ray HDTV DVD format has defeated Toshiba's HD-DVD?Well, you will -- although HD-DVD supporters won't hear of it.

Fueled by some recent sales reports, Sony says it will soon market Blu-ray as the winner in the high-def DVD format war. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment president David Bishop tells Video Business that consumers no longer have to wonder which format will prevail.“I think finally everything that we knew going into this format has started to happen,” Bishop told the publication. "We have a critical mass of content, we have the biggest mass of consumer electronics companies in the world supporting this format. That has moved Blu-ray into the forefront.”



Bishop notes that Blu-ray titles outsold HD-DVD movies and TV shows in January by a two to one margin. He also says Blu-ray players are outselling HD-DVD players in part because of the launch last November of the PlayStation 3, which has a Blu-ray player inside.

"The message that we’re going to put out to the consumer now is, now it is safe to make a choice,” Bishop says. “No more fence-sitting is needed.”

However, HD-DVD backers say there were more Blu-ray DVD sales in January because there were more Blu-ray titles released during the month. In addition, some retailers told Video Business that Sony's declaration of victory may not mean much to consumers.

The Main Event: HD DVD vs. Blu-Ray

Well, as far as HD DVD vs. Blu-ray goes, it looks like we've pretty much passed the point of no return now; with each passing day it seems less and less likely that a compromise will be reached on a next-gen format. The ongoing peace talks between the two camps seem to have finally dissolved. It's disappointing, but however you feel about the fact that the HD DVD and Blu-ray factions squandered countless chances to make it right and come together, it looks like they're going to be duking it out mano a mano right in our living rooms. There may not be a lot we can do to fight back — apart from refusing to adopt either format out of sheer spite of their pigheadedness.

Current Sales of HD DVD and Blu-ray Players

Blu-ray=48%

HDDVD=52%

Winner: Undecided

*However, the group that came up with these numbers did not include the Blu-ray features of the PS3 or the HD DVD attachment to the XBox 360. Estimates say that the sales of the 360 attachment don't even come close to the success of the PS3.

Movie Studio Support

Blu-ray=Sony Pictures (including MGM/Columbia TriStar), Disney (including Touchstone, Miramax), Fox, Paramount, Warner, Lions Gate

HDDVD=Paramount, Studio Canal, Universal, Warner, the Weinstein Company


Winner: Blu-Ray
*Everyone knows that Disney has complete power over every aspect of the entertainment world, just ask my 6 year old.



Movie Sales




Winner: Blu-Ray... I think
*Seriously, If you can make any sense out this graph let me know. This was the only format comparison I could find on the Net. According to my 6 year-old, the blue line totally kicked the black lines butt.


Bottom Line
When it comes to picture and sound quality, both formats are identical. The driving factor that will choose a winner in this war will be the video game industry. Sony has done a great job in marketing the PS3 to the home theater market. With the 60 gig system, you could entertain guests with family photos, music, or high-def movies (and the kids can play games on it too).



If you want to see how a PS3 could enhance your home theater, come by our showroom today.



Or you can visit us at the home show at the American Center February 22nd through the 25th.

What is HDMI?

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is the first and only industry-supported, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface. By delivering crystal-clear, all-digital audio and video via a single cable, HDMI dramatically simplifies cabling and helps provide consumers with the highest-quality home theater experience. HDMI provides an interface between any audio/video source, such as a set-top box, DVD player, or A/V receiver and an audio and/or video monitor, such as a digital television (DTV), over a single cable.





Before HDMI

After HDMI



With the launch of HDMI version 1.3, HDMI continues to increase its overall functionality to meet the needs of the High-Definition marketplace. HDMI 1.3 will include the following new features:

Give me a call if you would like to upgrade to HDMI or if you any other questions.

Robert Matt (636) 938-7666
Visit our showroom today.

Top 15 Best Shows in HDTV

15. NBA- TV: Better than being courtside. The NBA TV high-def cameras get so close to the action that they should be whistled for a lane violation.

14. Story Tellers: Featuring artists such as Pearl Jam, Green Day and The Pretenders performing before a studio audience, MHD's Story Tellers is a feast for the eyes and the ears. Don't spent your money at Ticketmaster; just get MHD. But be careful holding up your lighter at the end of the show; couches can burn.

13. The Today Show: The morning talkfest delivers a bright and vivid broadcast, although the in-studio cameras are 'filtered up' to gloss over the increasingly wrinkled Meredith Vieira.

12. Late Night With David Letterman: Unlike NBC's Tonight Show, which seems to have a cloudy filter on each camera, Late Night offers a sharp and detailed image of Dave and his guests. It's a great program to gaze at the stars.

11. HDNet World Report: Watching the high-def news doc is like being a correspondent in the field. The show has brought its HD cameras to such faraway (and dangerous) spots as Iraq, Afghanistan and early post-Katrina New Orleans. The images are sometimes breathtaking -- and sometimes hard to look at. But that's what TV news is supposed to be all about.

10. NBC Sunday Night Football: The network's premiere season for the primetime NFL broadcast delivered some sensational images. Although there was occasional pixelation during the action, the overall effort was terrific. Loved the overhead HD camera. Great high-def pre-game show, too.

9. Sports Center: The studio shots are so-so, but there's no better place to watch game highlights in high-def than Sports Center.


8. NHL On HDNet: Fox Sports Chairman David Hill calls HDNet's coverage of the National Hockey League "sensational" and I have to agree. The broadcast offers a panoramic view of the ice -- and jaw-dropping close-ups of the players as they bang into the boards. Coupled with incredibly crisp sounds, it's no wonder why the NHL is so excited about how high-def's potential impact on the league.


7. CSI: Miami: The CBS police drama beautifully captures the vibrant colors of South Beach and surrounding Miami. If they could only do something about David Caruso's pasty face.


6. Rome: The Roman Empire was one wild and crazy place and this show realistically depicts the scene. Don't miss the program's opening credits montage; it's a real masterpiece.

5. Dan Rather Reports: The veteran journalist's return to TV has been an unqualified success. Using the high-def cameras to tell more of the story, Rather seems more comfortable than he ever did at CBS. The result is a no-nonsense look at the day's most pressing issues and controversies. Last month's expose of the drug wars on the Mexican border was Peabody-worthy.

4. ESPN's Monday Night Football: The primetime NFL broadcast lost something when it switched from Michaels/Madden to Tony, Tony and Joe. But the images are just as good and the earlier start time doesn't hurt, either.

3. American Idol: I'll be frank --I'm not the biggest fan of this show. But the high-def broadcast offers an equally frank view of the contestants as they reach for stardom. In HD, you can see every lip quiver; eye twitch; and cosmetic enhancement. And that's just Paula Abdul.

2. Lost: Okay, the show's taking a beating among the press corps for its meandering plot turns. But it's still a high-def looker and I still have faith that creator J.J. Abrams will find a way out of his own personal jungle.

1. 24: Wow. The HD 24 brings the drama into your living room. In high-def, you can see the tension in the faces of the characters; the muscles in their cheeks are clenching so hard that I'm afraid that Kiefer Sutherland is going to pop a vein. Particularly when he yells, "Put the weapon down! Now!!"