A third (33.3%) of US households now have HDTVs, up from 19.3% a year ago, according to a Nielsen survey.
However, only 28.8% of all US homes received HD programming as of February 2009.
High Definition TV News
Time Warner Cable is dropping two HDNet channels, claiming their programming has "limited appeal".
The move is effective from May 31 with the channels to be replaced by other high definition options.
The market for ambient DVDs may still be in its early days – but if HD Coolvision’s offering is anything to go by it could take off very quickly.
The LA-based start-up has released The Moon, a DVD of high-def footage of this celestial wonder intended to be displayed as video artwork on flat-panel HDTVs.
Microsoft Vista users can now stream films from Netflix through the Windows Media Center.
The development comes after Microsoft announced that it has expanded its partnership with the movie service.
US TV-maker VIZIO remains the largest shipper of LCD HDTVs in North America – with an increased market share as consumers turn to value products.
Shipments have increased 21.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2009, which is a 69 per cent increase year over year (YOY), according to iSuppli.
VUDU has agreed a partnership with online video platform Brightcove that will allow its customers to distribute their content directly to the living room television via VUDU.
The first feature available in the VUDU Labs area of the VUDU service will be the MyPlay application, which offers current Sony Music videos through Sony Music’s MyPlay Video Network affiliate program.
Epix plans to offer full-length HD movies over the Internet using a dynamic-streaming feature from Akamai Technologies’ content-distribution network.
The movie service, created by Viacom, MGM and Lionsgate, previously said it was launching as a broadband-video service in May, followed by the linear cable channel in October.
Sony has developed a coin-sized high-def camera module that can be used for security and industrial applications.
The 8.3-megapixel camera, which measures just 9.5 x 7.1mm, is capable of delivering 720p, 30fps video.
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Watching movies and other video content on DVD and Blu-ray Disc accounts for 88 per cent of home entertainment spending – even although newer digital methods are beginning to gain a foothold in the consumer market.
The average US home video consumer reported spending an average of USD $25 per month on all types of home video purchases and rentals, according to NPD Group.
The drop in the average price of Blu-Ray players is, not surprisingly, fuelling sales of the high-def disks. But figures out from NPD show that the effect of cheaper players could finally be giving the format mass market appeal.
High hardware prices has long been given as a barrier to Blu-Ray technology becoming widely accepted.