2009
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Wii Warm Up: Butt title for 2009
Not long ago, we spent a little time talking about the games you were looking forward to next year. Today, we want to do the opposite. What upcoming hyped game just doesn't do it for you? Are you so over The Conduit? Could you possible care any less about anything to do with Punch-Out!!? If you're ho-hum over anything, we want to know about it.
Panasonic reopens VIERA HDTV Concierge Service to the public
It's official: Panasonic reopens its VIERA HDTV Concierge Service to the public at large every single holiday season. This year, however, is different. Rather than shutting down the lines to all but those who actually own a VIERA HDTV on December 31st, Panny will keep the cords of communication open through February 17, 2009. Yep, from now until the Digital TV Transition takes place in America, any human with access to a phone can call in to receive all sorts of buying advice and subliminal encouragement to choose a Panasonic set over any other. If that sounds like something you'd be interested in, hit 'em with your best shot at 1-888-777-1170. Just mind the brainwashing and you'll be a-okay.
SAFER bill keeping PSAs alive on analog until March 2009
Not that we're excusing the act of procrastination, but regardless of how much we or any governmental agency does to inform the general public of the impending digital TV transition, you can bank on the fact that some folks will act utterly stunned when their analog set stops receiving signal on February 17, 2009. Being sure that said scenario will become a reality in due time, the US Senate last week passed the Short-Term Analog Flash and Emergency Readiness (SAFER) Act, which would allow "public safety announcements and information about the DTV transition to continue being broadcast for a month after the official cut-off." The House has yet to give its official stamp of approval, but with both FCC chairman Kevin Martin and the Bush administration at large backing it, we don't foresee any snags in passage. On that note, get yourself a voucher and get prepared!
Verizon's FiOS TV now 100% digital
We heard earlier this year that Verizon would be caving to the FCC's request and phasing out any remaining analog duplicate channels that it was still hosting, and as of today, the carrier can claim that its fiber-based programming service is completely digital. For those affected, Verizon has been offering up free digital adapters to cope, and as of this very moment, each of its FiOS TV subscribers should be good to go with its 100% digital lineup. The impending digital TV transition has claimed another, but we won't shed a tear for the removal of analog. Coldhearted, but totally justified.
Two-thirds of OTA households have requested DTV coupons
There's no doubt that the CEA and NTIA have been spreading the word about the 2009 digital TV transition as hard as they can, but some folks still aren't taking the time to listen. 'Course, 62% is way better than what we've seen in the past, but that still leaves a full third of OTA-reliant American households sans a government-issued voucher with under 100 days to go until analog slides under the guillotine. Currently, 17 million homes have requested 33.5 million coupons (in other words, most folks are requesting the maximum of two) and 13.5 million have been redeemed. For those with a strange curiosity to know even more, it's stated that a number of eastern cities have the highest coupon application rates, while folks in Hawaii and Alaska could apparently care less. Can't blame 'em given the scenery, eh?
DirecTV spent $640,000 lobbying on DTV transition, sports programming in Q3
Admit it -- you're curious as to how DirecTV plans on spending / investing that $363 million in pure, sweet net profit that it just raked in, aren't you? If Q3 is any indication, it'll spend at least a snippet of it lobbying Congress. A rather vague report from the AP indicates that the satcaster spent $640,000 last quarter lobbying "on the digital television transition, sports programming, taxes and other issues." Unfortunately, the details about what exactly it was lobbying for on those issues were casually left out, so we suppose it's up to our imaginations to figure out the rest. Or, you know, wait until something decisive goes down.[Image courtesy of DayLife]
Wii Warm Up: Top title for 2009?
So, yesterday we had some talk about 2009 and how there are plenty of great games releasing on the Wii. What we want to know this morning is what is the top 2009 title for you? What are you looking forward to most next year? We know it's a lot to ask, what with everything that is due to release.Is it The Conduit? Is it MadWorld? Sin & Punishment 2? Well, out with it!
LodgeNet acts to keep OTA signals alive in analog hotels
LodgeNet is looking out for hoteliers and hotel guests who actually want to watch a little TV while traveling after February 17, 2009 by rolling out a digital transition roadmap to bring venues up to speed. Granted, most hotels don't rely on analog OTA signals to begin with, but for those that still do, it's hoping to "propose a customized solution for each property." In other words, it'll see if analog OTA is still in use, and then offer a marked-up installation of DirecTV and / or a gaggle of DTV converter boxes -- brilliant!
Best Buy / NAB to host DTV transition workshops for the uninformed
Best Buy has been pushing out "surveys" asserting that the vast majority of America still isn't prepared for the looming 2009 digital TV transition for months now, but at long last the retailer is stepping up to do something about it. Similar to Circuit City's initiative earlier this year, Best Buy is teaming up with NAB to host in-store DTV workshops in the 25 largest cities across the nation. The festivities will begin on the morning of November 17th in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami and a smattering of others, and of course, you can count on store employees coaxing you into buying a DTV converter box right then and there. Ah well, whatever it takes to get you prepared. Like an Eagle Scout.
Dayton, Ohio broadcasters begin analog shutoff drills
You can now add Dayton, Ohio to the list of towns across America running analog shutoff drills to ensure that procrastinating locals, um, get the message. At approximately 6:58PM local time this evening, the city's five stations -- WBDT-TV, WDTN-TV, WHIO-TV, WKEF-TV, and WRGT-TV -- will broadcast a 60-second announcement in which viewers will be tasked to "look for a message which will only be visible on the digital signal." If they can spot the message, they're suitably prepped for February 17, 2009; if not, they'll be given a phone number to frantically call for help. We're told that tonight's test will be the first of a long line of drills taking place over the next 13 weeks, and given that a swath of folks will likely be out getting their Friday night party on, that's probably a good thing.[Thanks, Dayton Guy]
Hawaiian analog TV shutoff to come early, saving God's creatures
Technological progress marches forward, assimilating all those who resist -- we know this well in our line of work, but sometimes you've got to stand up and say, "The line must be drawn here! This far, no further!" Take the digital TV transition in the United States for example: all the analog TV signals will be shut off in February. It won't be pretty, but it'll be progress. Hawaii, though, has a dilemma: it just so happens that the analog towers that'll be torn down are awfully close to the nests of the state's adorable and endangered petrel birds, whose nesting season also occurs in February. Hence Hawaii's digital switch will occur a month early on January 15th, so you 17,000 affected Hawaiians have that much less time to grab converter boxes, or you'll end up watching the next season of Lost in person on your beautiful beaches instead of your ancient tube televisions.
Digital TV transition spoof video is both informative and hilarious
By now, you've probably seen at least one DTV transition commercial, and if not, you're clearly not watching enough television. Criticisms aside, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to point you at what will unquestionably be the most hilarious (albeit informative) digital TV conversion ad of all time. We won't even bother trying to explain what happens in this 1 minute, 53 second masterpiece, but as you can glean from the photo above, this is a can't-miss experience. Jump past the break and mash play.[Thanks, Sean]
DISH Network joins with CBA to push awareness of DTV transition, sell converter boxes
Let us not forget, DISH Network has a dog in the fight too when it comes to digital TV converter boxes. Said satcaster currently has a few such devices on the market right now -- the TR-40 CRA, DTVPal, and DTVPal Plus -- and it's looking to simultaneously push awareness of the impending analog switchover and sell a few converters while it's out there. Via a partnership with the Community Broadcasters Association (CBA), the two will ambiguously reach out to those not yet informed and urge them to take action well before February 2009. Of course, how exactly they plan on doing that remains somewhat of a mystery. In related news, we are told that the TR-50 standalone OTA DVR (or the DTVPal DVR, as it will be known), should be available later this month. Huzzah!
Microsoft promises a few surprises in 2009
After confirming plans to stick with its current Xbox 360 pricing, Microsoft UK head Stephen McGill has informed Videogamer that there's a "lot of great stuff" headed to the Xbox 360 in 2009. Secret, surprising stuff."I know a lot of the games coming out from us and our third parties. Most of them, in fact, have not been announced because everyone's very focused on what's out for Christmas" says McGill, admitting that "there's lots of great stuff coming in 2009 that people know about. Lots more, I'm sure that they don't know about." Hmm, lots more we don't know about huh?True, we're all focused on the jam packed Holiday 2008 game lineup, but we've been keen to remember that 2009 will bring Halo Wars, Halo 3: Recon and even Resident Evil 5. But even more surprises in 2009? Unimaginable! We'll be accepting of these Xbox surprises, but we're not sure our bank account will be as understanding.[Via Game Stooge]
Judge maintains that cable companies must air broadcast signals post-DTV cutover
While some cable companies have already committed to keeping analog signals around for three years after the impending 2009 digital TV transition, a judge in the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit made it universal. The ruling demands that cable providers "must continue to carry the same broadcast channels that over-the-air viewers receive once those stations make their federally mandated conversion to digital signals in February." In other words, they either switch to an all-digital system or carry both the digital and analog signals of local stations for three years (after the DTV cutover). Judge Judith Rogers asserted that cable companies at large had either already implemented an all-digital system or were "moving in that direction." Hopefully after this, more will make that move with renewed haste.[Image courtesy of AussieBloggers]
Video: New York City conducts analog shutoff drill
We've seen a smattering of shutoff drills go down from one side of the country to the other, but honestly, hearing of one is still more the exception than the rule. With the digital TV transition drawing ever closer here in the USA, the Big Apple decided to flip the test switch on its local OTA stations in order to give antenna-using citizens a much-needed heads-up. As you can see in the video waiting in the read link, the two-minute test only affected an analog set using an antenna; televisions tuned to WCBS via cable, digital OTA or satellite didn't even notice the warning message. Nice show, New York.
CEA launches YouTube digital transition PSA contest, winner gets a home theater
Think you know how to inform people about the digital transition in three minutes or less? The Consumer Electronics Association is sponsoring a contest with country band Whiskey Falls (yes, that's what we think when we think DTV, country music), offering a flat screen HDTV, Blu-ray player and surround sound system to the maker of the best video demonstrating how to get family and friends ready for the analog shutoff coming in February. Head over to the dedicated YouTube channel to check out the entries, and Whiskey Falls promo asking for entries after the break. Voting opens December 1 with a winner selected December 10, any questions?[Via CE Pro]
ION sets to launch HD in 2009, no kidding this time
Seriously, guys, ION promises that this time around when it says it has a schedule for an HD launch, it's for real; maybe the previous 2008 figure was a clerical error, because now things are go for 2009. ION Television will lead things off in the first quarter, with the other two offerings getting switched on sometime later in the year -- qubo will target kids' eyeballs and multilingual ears and ION Life will offer up themes of "active lifestyles and personal growth." Sounds great, right? Well, not so fast -- even though the company has taken an extra year in prep, this year's press release has some pretty familiar echoes of the previous one that we don't like the sound of: "native and up-converted HD programming."
FCC official predicts "messy" digital TV switch, probably a three sheeter
Don't let the smooth transition experienced in Wilmington and other tests fool you, FCC member Robert McDowell just returned from a tour in Afghanistan Alaska, Montana & Oklahoma, and he's seen things, terrible things. Things that have convinced him that the transition on February 17, 2009 "will be messy ... but we will get through it" when over the air broadcasts go all-digital. Hopefully there's enough time (and money left in the budget) to take care of any problems -- the Government Accountability Office recently found that regulators are unprepared for the demand of consumers in need of help switching.
DTV coupon requests surging in LIN TV blackout markets
Here's an interesting one. While we'd say it's perfectly normal to see upticks in voucher requests from areas affected by early analog shutoff drills, this here is just bizarre. According to a release put out by the American Cable Association, an irregular surge in coupon requests has occurred in three markets where Time Warner Cable dropped LIN TV's stations after the two couldn't come to a retransmission agreement. On top of that, FCC chairman Kevin Martin has reportedly asserted that the voucher program is running out of cash, but given that this isn't the FCC's program, we'd take that as speculation more than anything. Either way, because of this blackout, it seems consumers are asking for items (and thus, cash) they probably don't even need. Look LIN TV, we know you loathe TWC, but please -- put your stations back online. Do it for the taxpayer. Do it for love.
