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South Bend, Indiana gets HD news from WSBT-TV
South Bend, Indiana got more than a win from their Fighting Irish this weekend -- they also got a heavy dose of HD news. WSBT-TV, the area's CBS affiliate, became the first in the region to air its newscasts digitally just days ago, and moreover, the first to broadcast in high-definition. Viewers are being treated to clearer views of their favorite anchors and more information on a wider screen platform, including additional weather data on the margins of their TV screens. The station's news director Meg Sauer has also asked for forgiveness if any glitches crop up due to all the new equipment, but we're sure you'll be willing to do so in exchange for an HD quality broadcast.
DirecTV now carrying HD locals in 100 markets
While DISH Network just recently hit market number 70, DirecTV is throwing itself a party after reaching the big 100. With the addition of Columbia-Jefferson City, Missouri and Evansville, Indiana, the satcaster can now claim to have HD locals available in a hundred US regions. The milestone means that some 83% of the US can now get DirecTV and their HD locals sans an OTA antenna, and if all goes to plan, it'll hit 121 cities by the year's end. We suppose a round of golf claps is in order.
Comcast adds TBS HD in West Lafayette, IN
We can only hope that this has happened in more locales than one, but at least in West Lafayette, Indiana, Comcast has flipped on TBS HD just in time for the MLB playoffs to get going. For those of you there in Purdue-land, it's on slot 926. For everyone else, be sure and let us know if your carrier has also green lit the station in time for baseball's most riveting month.[Thanks, Jason]
Six more markets get HD locals on DirecTV
Can't say it still feels like summer in some parts of the US, but regardless of semantics, DirecTV is forging ahead with its HD locals rollout. Effective immediately, a half dozen more markets can find at least a couple of the big broadcast stations in HD, with Mobile, Richmond, South Bend, Syracuse, Toledo and Youngstown all getting gifted. For details on which DMA got which stations, head on down to the read link.[Thanks, VANBROTHERS]
AT&T's U-verse saunters down to Jacksonville, FL and South Bend, IL
While Verizon announced that its FiOS TV service would soon be making its way into a number of new locales this past week, AT&T took the liberty of giving residents in Jacksonville, Florida and South Bend, Indiana another choice for television programming. For folks in one of the two aforesaid cities that are fed up with Comcast's less-than-consumer-friendly tactics, they can now turn their eyes to AT&T's fiber-based basket of services for TV, high-speed internet and digital phone. If your community isn't covered just yet, keep on calling -- the carrier has asserted that it'll make U-verse available to more parts of both cities on an ongoing basis.Read - Jacksonville expansionRead - South Bend expansion
Verizon gets official with 22 new FiOS TV HD channels
Not to beat a dead mule or anything, but Verizon has come clean and admitted that those 20-some-odd HD channels spotted yesterday in Fort Wayne, Indiana are actually supposed to be there. You know, as if to say some engineer didn't accidentally pull a magic lever. Reportedly, 15 new high-def stations are live as we speak in the aforesaid city with seven more due to hit soon, but we've heard reports that the whole lot was flipped on in select areas. Anywho, the carrier has promised to roll the newcomers out to each of its service markets in the near future, though it's anyone's guess as to which locale will claim next. The full list of new HD channels are posted in the read link.
Bright House Networks adds Discovery / Animal Planet HD in Indianapolis
It's turning into quite the weekend for lineup changes. Shortly after Bright House Networks added a few high-def options to the EPG in Tampa Bay, we've received word from the great city of Indianapolis that a couple of fresh ones just appeared there as well. The two in question are Discovery HD (732) and Animal Planet HD (751), both of which should keep you entertained if you decide to spend your 48 hours of leisure kicked back doing absolutely nothing.[Thanks, Patrick]
Sony DADC to expand Indiana Blu-ray manufacturing plant
Terre Haute, Indiana is home to Sony's only Blu-ray Disc manufacturing facility in the entire United States, and while just north of 1,100 people are employed there now, another 85 will soon be joining the staff as finalized expansion plans are hammered down. The $113 million effort will add to its nearly 1 million-square-foot facility, though we aren't given specifics regarding how many more discs the plant will soon crank out. We hear you can wear funny masks there, though.
DISH Network launching HD locals in South Bend, Indiana?
Last we checked, South Bend, Indiana wasn't on DISH Network's master list of cities to receive HD locals in April or May, but sure enough, it seems as if the locale will be joining that exclusive club after all. According to a resident, DISH sent out an email informing him that HD locals "were available in his area," and while he's yet to contact the satcaster to verify, it does match up with some lingering reports from earlier this month that South Bend could be launched soon. So, any other locations finding HD locals from DISH right out of the blue?[Thanks, Josh]Update: Seems DISH may have pulled a trigger too early here. We'll keep listening to see if South Bend really is one of the next in line to get HD locals. Thanks, Jason!
Comcast dropping a fresh dozen in former Insight territory
Unfortunately for those in areas that used to be covered by Insight, it seems that not all of you will be blessed with the full 22 HD channels that were announced for Bloomington, IL. A new report originating from Martinsville, Indiana asserts that programming changes are looming for Comcast subscribers in and around that city. Aside from many SD networks being shuffled around and even dropped entirely, a full dozen high-def channels are slated to land on May 1st. Of course, we can't know just how far these additions will spread from Martinsville, but feel free to jump on past the break for the full list (and cross your fingers come May).
AT&T's U-verse spreads to more of Indiana
Although Smithville is aiming to offer fiber-based services to much of the Hoosier State within the next couple of years, AT&T isn't waiting around to boost its market share in Indiana. As of this week, legions of residents can now get connected to U-verse -- over 300,000 living units in total. Folks residing in parts of Anderson, Bloomington, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Muncie, Gary, Griffith, Merrillville, Highland, Crown Point, Hammond, Schererville and Dyer now have one more option for fetching content (Big Ten Network and all), and AT&T has already made known its intentions to reach out to more Indiana communities in the future. Ah, the sweet smell of competition.
Smithville to bring FTTH to 29,000 Indiana customers
For an estimated 29,000 Smithville customers in 17 counties in the central, south central and southern part of Indiana, they could soon find themselves smack dab in the middle of a fiber heartland. The aforesaid telco is investing some $90 million to build a fiber-to-the-home network over the next 48 months in order to give rurally located individuals and businesses access to ultra-quick data, voice and video services. The upgrade is so extensive, in fact, that none of Smithville's customers will be relying on copper or hybrid (copper, fiber or coaxial) systems once the build-out is complete. Who needs FiOS TV / U-verse anyway, right Hoosiers?[Via DSLReports]
WoW TCG March of the Legion event dates and locations announced
As you may recall, Upper Deck recently announced the March of the Legion tour, a series of tournaments against their own legionnaires for fabulous prizes. They've updated the tour page today with information on the first leg of the tour, including the identities of the legionnaires and the places they'll be visiting, including Northern California, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Philadelphia, Florida, Michigan, and Ontario (Canada). The events last through June, so there's sure to be more locations and dates added later. The legionnaires are no slouches, though. We're talking lead developers and high class judges for the TCG here, so it sounds like you'll have your work cut out for you if you want to win yourself a Varimathras extended art card and a Leeroy Jenkins T-shirt by defeating them. Of course, as mentioned, just showing up gets you that Weeble extended art card, and it sounds like the event should be fun. Let us know how it goes if you show up to one!
Little 500 spinning to HDNet
On this week's podcast we got down a little bit on oval course racing, but if you want to check out a different take on the theme, tune in to HDNet on April 11th and 12th. For the sixth year, the network will be broadcasting the "Little 500" from Indiana University. It's an oval all right, but the event is all about fixed-gear single-speed bicycles with coaster brakes on a quarter-mile cinder track. No matter whether they're a "cutter" or a "frat boy," riders must use an event-provided bike with no mods and must make switches during the event. Think you were fast on that banana-seat Schwinn (complete with "are you kidding me" toptube-mounted gearshift) as a kid? Think again.[Image courtesy BikeIcons]
Indiana's Harrison Square condominiums to come pre-wired with FiOS
Nary a week after finding that a forthcoming University of Houston residence hall was being erected with U-verse built-in, along comes word that 62 luxury condominiums in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana will be constructed with FiOS pre-installed. Dubbed The Harrison, the aforementioned units are a vital part of the downtown revitalization efforts, and each one promises dedicated underground parking, near-10-foot ceilings and access to an indoor / outdoor roof deck overlooking the nearby ballpark. Units start at around $150,000, and while over 100-percent have already been claimed, folks are still encouraged to place deposits in case anything falls through.
Sony ups the investment in Blu-ray
Talk about a war chest! Coming off the Blu-ray win in the format war, Sony has announced plans to invest more than $100 million in its Terre Haute, IN plant. The facility is used for Blu-ray disc production, and Sony is budgeting for at least 65 more workers, $101 million in new equipment and $7.4 million in property improvements. The plant is mostly staffed by hourly workers, but Sony plans on 15 of those 65 positions to be salaried. The old adage about "spending money to make money" is true, and at this point we're not going to bother with asking whether the money was freed up from the format war or not. All we ask is that the increased Blu-ray disc production capacity helps move titles from the Sony archive to store shelves!
Comcast and Insight complete midwest transition
Just as expected, Comcast and Insight Communications have wrapped up the so-called "Insight Midwest Transaction." With the completion, Comcast now owns 100-percent of the cable systems serving Illinois customers in Rockford / Dixon, Quincy / Macomb, Springfield, Peoria and Champaign / Urbana as well as Indiana customers in Bloomington, Anderson, and Lafayette / Kokomo. It was also noted that Insight has full ownership of cable systems in Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green and Covington, Kentucky along with those in Evansville, Indiana and Columbus, Ohio. Considering just how much area this deal covers, we've all ideas a reader or two has been affected one way or another -- if that's you, drop us a comment and let us know how things are faring, would you?
Comcast swallowing Insight in Greater Lafayette, Indiana area
For 69,000 cable subscribers in the Greater Lafayette, Indiana area, December 31st will be the last day you tune into cable provided by Insight Communications. As of January 1, 2008, Comcast will be taking over hordes of customers in the Lafayette-Attica-Kokomo markets and surrounding areas, but according to Comcast spokesman Mark Apple, there won't be any "immediate changes." It was noted that no price hikes would be throw in initially, but due to promises of extra HD programming and HD VOD, we can't imagine those bills staying flat for too long. Additionally, Comcast still hasn't worked out a deal to carry the Big Ten Network, which will certainly present a problem considering the proximity of Purdue / Indiana. From the outside looking in, this takeover looks like a mixed bag, but if Comcast finally figures out a way to carry the Big Ten Network and offer up more HD options at a reasonable price, we suppose things would look quite a bit better.
An important Phoenix Wright plush update
If you didn't buy Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations last week, or if you did but didn't get the preorder bonus item, you may not have this important information. Those of you in possession of the bonus plush doll have already been apprised, but we feel that it is our duty to inform the rest of the public of what we have learned.The doll is freaking tiny. We were expecting maybe five or six inches tall, somewhere around Beanie Baby size. What we got, while still adorable, is surprisingly pocket-sized. We're a bit disappointed with some of the details, like the visible glue on the outside of the hair, and the uneven pant legs, but the thing is cute and free. We're not complaining too loudly. Thanks for the thing, Capcom!We've posted more pictures after the break to help you gauge scale.
Indiana game bill put on ice
The Indiana State Senate has elected to stall legislation that would have made the sale of M- and AO-rated games to minors unlawful and punishable by up a $1,000 fine. Despite being approved by a Senate committee earlier this week, the bill has been deemed unconstitutional in its current state and will be passed along to a study committee for further evaluation -- and, as co-sponsor Sen. David Ford (R) hopes, revised to pass under the First Amendment. "Eventually we're going to have to deal with it," warned Sen. Vi Simpson (D), the bill's other co-sponsor.[Via GamePolitics]
