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DISH Network adds four more HD local markets
DISH Network just keeps on cranking down the list of its 22 markets slated for an HD upgrade in the summer/fall, with four going on line today: Albany - Shenectady - Troy, NY; Chattanooga, TN; Lansing, MI; and Syracuse NY. Hope the recent thunderstorms didn't knock anyone's power out, because now you've got one more reason to stay inside. As usual, we don't know what city will be next, but we expect more markets to be added soon.
AT&T announces iPhone 3G pricing plans
Finally, a piece of news we can actually do something with. AT&T today announced its pricing structure for the next iteration of Apple's iPhone -- which you can plunk down money for come 8 am, July 11th. There's not much that's surprising here -- new customers and those eligible for an upgrade will be able to nab the phone for $199 (8GB) or $299 (16GB), while "early upgraders" will have to fork over $399 or $499, all with a two year contract and $18 upgrade fee, of course. The telco says a no-commitment version of the phone will be available for $599 and $699, though it looks like that will come after the initial launch. AT&T appears to be leaning pretty heavily towards the all-in unlimited plans, but there are options if you don't want to go that route. We've sorted out the basics after the break, and included AT&T's "iReady" video -- certainly good for a few chuckles.
DISH Network gets official with summer / fall HD locals
Remember those 20-some-odd cities we heard were getting HD locals via DISH Network earlier this year? Yeah, the satcaster has just now gotten around to confirming what we already knew, but it's good to have something to hold 'em to, regardless. As of today, Grand Rapids, Michigan and Memphis, Tennessee can both look forward to seeing their local channels in high-definition, while 22 other markets are on the clock. As for timing, all we know is that these 22 will be launched sometime during summer / fall of 2008, but it looks like you'll be waiting patiently to find out if your market is closer to going live now or later. Tap the read link for the full list of locales.
Attention U-verse users: 2 HD / 2 SD rollout schedule gets leaked
Up until now, AT&T's rollout of 2 HD / 2 SD -- which, for those unfamiliar, enables U-verse users to record two high-def programs at once rather than just one -- has been hit or miss. Now, however, we've received a list of locales coupled with dates that gives a little rhyme and reason to the sporadicalness. A number of cities will be seeing the service activated in waves (or so it seems), and while some folks should be noticing the change at any moment, others could be waiting for a good while still. We won't keep you wondering any longer -- head on past the break for the entire list.[Thanks, TRHC]
DISH Network's summer HD locals rollout gets revealed
With April and May almost behind us, there's only one place left to turn our attention to: summer. During a recent DISH Network Retailer Chat, a snapshot was captured showing a list of locales in which the satcaster will hopefully flip on HD locals in the next few months. According to Satellite Guys' Scott Greczkowski, DISH will be turning the new list of cities on "as soon as it has them setup and running," and a number of those listed would have already been live if not for "technical delays." Ready to see if your town made the summertime cut? Head on past the break for the full list.
T-Mobile clears everything up: 3G rollout (with data) is on in NYC
Great news, T-Mobile USA fans -- the roller coaster ride is finally over. After we thought T-Mobile's 3G network was but moments away from launching, we soon found that data may be left out. Oddly enough, a few reports hailing from the Big Apple claimed that data actually was included. At long last, the carrier is coming clean and announcing its official 3G rollout in the States. Unfortunately, the UMTS / HSDPA network is initially launching in New York City alone, but the good news is that data will be included and the operator expects the high-speed data network to "be available in cities where a majority of its subscribers currently use data services" by the year's end. Yeah, it's safe to celebrate now, we promise it's not a(nother) false alarm. Full release posted after the jump.
T-Mobile to debut 3G as voice-only. No data. We're over it.
Well screw us -- T-Mobile's 3G network debut tomorrow? It's going to be voice only. That's right, you heard us, VOICE ONLY. So trepidatious is this company to actually get their 3G data rollout, um, rolled out, they're launching first with kneecapped voice-only service, keeping only EDGE for those demanding data. Here's the snippet from the memo we received:"3G is the next generation of our wireless network, following our current GSM network. In this early phase of our network evolution, 3G is a new technology for carrying wireless voice calls and supporting existing data capabilities on our network. In future phases, this next generation network will power 'high-speed' (3G) products and services that connect customers in new and exciting ways. ... Inform customers who are interested in high-speed data that the first phase of our 3G roll out supports voice only." [Emphasis ours]No word on when T-Mobile actually plans to turn on the faster data, but for everyone who hasn't already jumped ship -- hoping against hope -- the wait continues.P.S. -Don't believe everything you hear about this kind of thing being status quo. Every single major US 3G network -- including Cingular, Verizon, and Sprint -- went live as either data card-only (with phones added later), or data and voice together.
T-Mobile rolling out 3G tomorrow in New York, sorry New Jersey
Our best friends at T-Mobile are getting set to roll out 3G in New York soon -- real soon, as was previously expected. New York will launch on May 1, to be exact, according to TmoNews.com. That's, like, tomorrow. The leaked document promises T-Mobile customers the "great call quality they've come to expect...and more network availability". The rest of the network will be rolled out in 2008 to 20 markets, including Los Angeles, Detroit, San Diego, Austin, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Miami, and several more. As TmoNews.com points out, New Jersey and Long Island are mysteriously off the list. View all the launch cities after the break.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Forthcoming BD-Live rollout gets inspected
Our favorite database of Blu-ray statistics has gone above and beyond the call of logging data and has detailed the forthcoming rollout of BD-Live titles. Granted, we already knew of -- and played with -- some BD-Live-enabled films, but this list goes beyond Saw IV and War and touches on flicks landing anywhere between next week and later this summer. Let's just hope designers come up with something a touch more riveting than Yakuza Fighter. Hit the read link and dig in!
Cox deploys SDV solution in Virginia, hopes to expand HD offerings
Those following the inner workings of Cox Communications ought not be too terribly surprised here, but the company has reportedly selected BigBand Networks to provide a switched digital video solution. Better still, the cable operator also announced that it has "begun to deploy the solution in its Northern Virginia market." James Kelso, vice president of video engineering for Cox, was quoted as saying that "BigBand's SDV solution gives us the ability to dramatically expand programming -- particularly high-definition channels -- at a low cost-per-subscriber." Regrettably, there's no mention of what other locales can look forward to SDV next, and while Cox doesn't exactly say what new HD channels we can expect to see utilizing this newfound bandwidth, we'll be waiting in tense anticipation.[Via MultiChannel]
Comcast's digital transition in Chicago rolls on, new HD channels launched
Shortly after Comcast made the bold move of yanking 38 analog channels from its expanded-basic analog tier, customer complaints unsurprisingly began to pour in. Thankfully, those chapped by the move have apparently learned to deal, as Comcast has witnessed a steep decrease in the amount of griping here in recent months. Better yet, the firm has decided to launch four new HD channels -- A&E HD, Food Network HD, HGTV HD, and National Geographic Channel HD -- in the Windy City with the bandwidth it freed up. Kudos Comcast, way to get your priorities in order.
ATT, NTT DoCoMo partner up on 3G rollout for Hawaii
As more and more companies join in the fight to nix international roaming charges, it's not too shocking to find NTT DoCoMo taking the shortest route to the US and hooking up with AT&T on a 3G rollout. More specifically, DoCoMo has apparently agreed to provide "technical assistance" and shell out "up to $24 million" in financial support for the deployment of AT&T's 3G network in the state of Hawaii. Under the deal, AT&T will launch a 3G network based on W-CDMA technology, and from what we can tell, DoCoMo customers vacationing in Hawaii won't be faced with those pesky roaming rates. Sadly, no hard timeline was laid out, but the island of Oahu should be lit by the year's end, while the rest of the state will get served "in early 2008."
Rogers' HSDPA rollout unofficially plods on
While nothing official is on the wires, reports from various sources are popping up with jubilant cries of "HSDPA is here!" If you believe everything you hear (and by that token, what we are hearing) it seems users in Ottawa and London Ontario, Montreal Quebec, plus Edmonton and Calgary Alberta are all seeing that fabulous HSDPA icon on their handsets. Nothing official out of Rogers Corporate yet, but the word is that bigger centers should be up and running by Q1 2008 with general rollout by end of the year. As always, if you have something to add just drop us a line or hit up the comments section.
BT Vision quietly launches V-Box, IPTV services
Although it's likely being overshadowed by the Queen's recent HDTV spending spree, the UK's BT Vision has quietly launched its own set-top box (dubbed V-Box) and IPTV service in hopes of carefully gauging response during the first few months. The company asserted that it wanted to avoid the manufacturing backlogs and "embarrassing supply delays," so it was waiting until "next Spring" to hit the ad campaign in full force. Nevertheless, the V-Box and its subsequent services are live and ready to go, and the pricing structure is quite desirable indeed. The IPTV package brings the entire suite of Freeview channels to the viewer at no cost, and the V-Box (capable of holding "about 80 hours" of content) is also delivered gratis save for £90 ($178) of connection / installation fees. The business model relies on users not being satisfied with the free programming at their disposal, and instead indulging in the plethora of on-demand movies, music videos, sports, and TV shows / replays at their fingertips. While we doubt this launch will steal too many customers away from Sky and NTL (soon to be Virgin Media), this price is most definitely right if you're content with free.
Best Buy PS3 and Wii rollout plans?
Images detailing Best Buy's Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii rollout plans surfaced on the web today, although the general consensus is that they are fakes. Images show kiosk rollouts for the Wii on October 29th, with pre-launch marketing sales happening the same day. "Demo Area" rollouts reportedly on October 20th for the PS3 will have gamers trying that system out more than a week before.With the launches of both consoles less than two months away, don't they get your blood pumping (even if these are fake)?
T-Mobile planning limited UMA rollout for September 12?
GigaOM, citing unnamed sources, is suggesting that T-Mobile's well-documented UMA plans will come to fruition in Seattle and possibly another yet-to-be-named city (Chicago and the Bay Area are mentioned as strong candidates) on September 12 with other markets lighting up shortly thereafter. Given everything we've seen, we don't have a compelling reason to doubt a limited launch on 9/14 is possible -- though if our sources' accounts of battery life, voice quality, and GSM / WiFi handoff buffoonery on the Samsung T709 launch handset are close to accurate, we might have to take a pass on version one.
