Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday is expected to influence the purchase of 2.6 million high-definition television sets, according to the Consumer Electronics Association.

The big football game has had a four-year streak as the top driver for HDTV purchases, said the Arlington-based association.

HDTV sales are expected to have another record-breaking year in 2009. About 29.8 million HD sets are expected to ship, out of a total of 34.5 million digital televisions sold in the U.S. in 2009.

That is up from 26.8 million HD sets sold last year. Another reason for rising sales is the falling average wholesale price of sets.

In the past five years, the average wholesale price for an HDTV has fallen nearly 50 percent to $849 in 2009.

“Even in this tough economy HDTV growth has remained strong and steady,” said Jason Oxman, senior vice president of industry affairs for the trade group, in a statement. “Since the early days of HD, sporting events have lead the way in high-def broadcasts. Sixty percent of consumers said the Super Bowl is one of their favorite sports to watch in HD.”

source : BizJournals.com

Are you gearing up for the Super Bowl? You'll see some good discounts on big-screen TVs this week, especially in the flat-panel LCD and plasma HDTV categories.

Here's a good deal that expires today:
Mitsubishi 60-inch 1080p DLP HDTV for $999 from BestBuy.com with free shipping and free Geek Squad setup.

Look in tomorrow's Daily Press Savvy Shopper section for more information on how to buy an LCD or plasma HDTV and where to find the best prices. (Sneak peek tip: You'll find the most deals on Samsung TVs this week. They're the "official" TV of the Super Bowl, and if you spend more than $1,000 on a Samsung at Amazon.com, you'll get a $200 nflshop.com gift certificate).

source : weblogs.dailypress.com

Question: When will broadcasts go digital?

Answer: Unless Congress extends the deadline, all full-power, over-the-air broadcasts must be digital by Feb. 17. Some consumer advocates have called for a delay. They say the transition was poorly managed and underfunded. At the time of this writing, there are no plans to delay the transition. Prepare now, and you're ready no matter what.

Read more : HdtvNew.com

Here are some ideas to keep in mind if you decide to go high-def.

What size screen should I get? A common rule of thumb is this: Take the distance you’ll be sitting from the TV set, in feet. Multiply it by four to get the number of inches of screen diagonal you should get.

If you sit 10 feet from the TV, that works out to a 40-inch set. That’s the minimum size — you will certainly appreciate an even larger one.

If you’re choosing between a smaller TV with premium features or a larger TV for the same price, go for the larger one. Advanced features like 1080p resolution (see below) aren’t of much value on small sets anyway, and nothing beats the enveloping feel of a large screen.

Read more : hdtvnew.com

LG is launching 12 HDTV lines at this year’s CES – 30 new LCD models and seven fresh plasmas, with screens as small as 19 inches and as gloriously large as 60.

Many of the new HDTVs are a proving ground for LG’s latest technologies. For example, the flagship 55-inch LHX model is less than one-inch thick – 0.97-inches to be precise.

The LHX is also wireless. Along with the new LH85 series HDTVs, the LHX features Wireless HDMI technology. Video signals (up to full 1080p) are broadcast to the TV from a separate media box. While it doesn’t eliminate the power lead, you can wave goodbye to unsightly HDMI cabling.

source : www.hdtvnew.com

Panasonic announced what it said was the first portable Blu-ray Disc player, which will be available in May for an undisclosed price.

The company said the DMP-B15 will have the same functionality as other Panasonic Blu-ray players such as the DMP-BD60, the DMPBD80, and the DMP-B70V, but would include a three-hour rechargeable battery (okay, no epics), and an optional headrest mounting bracket for use in a car (by the passengers, presumably).

source : www.betanews.com

The 240Hz TV isn’t the only thing coming to home cinema in 2009. Onboard Internet looks set to be the next big trend in flat screens with Toshiba and Samsung jumping onboard.
Remember Intel’s Internet TV demo we raved about? Turns out, it wasn’t a passing fad.

While we were gearing up to hear Sony, Samsung, and Panasonic up the ante with 200+ Hz TVs here at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (there’s already several 240Hz model being talked about), turns out the bigger story is the push to wack in Ethernet ports and chips that might have you reaching for the TV remote instead of the keyboard to go online.

And if you though the Blu-Ray vs HD DVD battle was a big deal, it seems the big players in HD TV think this new trend will be bigger, with Samsung’s Executive Vice President calling it the “future of TV”.

source : www.hdtvnew.com

Of the 50 million total TV households in Japan, almost 17 million have HDTV, according to an analyst at IMS Research. In contrast, there are 400 million total TV households in China, but HDTV is only just beginning to be rolled out.

Of course, there are major political and historical factors causing such sharp contrast between the two countries. While Japan has been quick to adopt new technologies for decades, China's adoption of TV technologies is gaining momentum.

Japan's uptake of HDTV has been driven by Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK), the country's sole public broadcaster. NHK has introduced HD via free satellite, thus creating a demand for the programming, said Shane Walker, an analyst at IMS Research. But NHK also delivers digital terrestrial with additional HD programming as a pay service.

One big driver of HD in Japan is an abundance of HD programming.

source : www.cable360.net