After reading this article, there is yet another company to keep Tivo nervous at night is a company called Digeo, that is funded by Paul Allen. It’s currently rolling out a new product called the Moxi Broadband Media Center that acts as an HDTV PVR, HDTV receiver, set top box, and interactive television. In Laurence, they are partnering with cable operator, Sunflower Broadband. At $795 and a $7.95 monthly subscription fee, it’s a pretty good deal for those Kansans that can get it, and it has some really interesting features.

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News.com had an interesting conversation with Mark Cuban, dot-com bazillionaire, Dallas Mavericks owner, and HDNet founder. He discusses HDTV and his predictions of the future.

It’s well worth it to read it all, but on this we completely agree:

Where are we in terms of consumer demand and price affordability for HDTV sets?
We are in Internet 1998. Not everyone has it, but everyone knows that it’s inevitable that they will.

The Boston Globe has some harsh words in regards to plans to regulate devices that record HDTV and the notorious “Broadcast Flag”.

The Broadcast Flag is a signal that a television channel can send down with an HDTV stream telling capture devices that this stream cannot be recorded. The FCC has required all capture devices produced after July 1st, 2005 to respect the flag and not record programming with the broadcast flag set. Capture devices can record the program at a lower quality setting.

Will it have an impact on PVR technology? Absolutely, says the article. They point out the technology innovation that occurred around recorded music and MP3. With a similiar requirement (e.g. only allowing recording to be in mono, for instance), it’s doubtful we’d have all the products we have today including software jukeboxes, IPods, and online music stores.

Since recording television programming for personal use has been ruled a legal activity for over 30 years now, I do find the broadcast flag requirements bad public policy. I can understand why the movie and television industries want it, but that doesn’t make it right. Based on the sales and price trends for HDTV and PVRs, this will undoubtedly have a big impact, and if the broadcast flag rule isn’t reversed, it will be a bad one.

Flat screen televisions will be dropping significantly by 2006, according to this Time article. By 2006, a 37″ LCD TV will likely cost $2000, a 42″ plasma TV will cost $1000 by 2007, and a 37″ LCD TV will cost $1000 by 2008. The reason, say analysts, is upcoming over-production in the Far East.

If it does follow that schedule, I’ll be asking what took it so long. While there are plenty of technology hurdles to manufacture LCD screens to such large sizes, but given the market potential and thirst for revenue in the Far East, I’d be surprised if prices didn’t drop faster.

(Hat Tip: TVPredictions.com Newsletter)

Via TVPredictions.com, Comcast has announced a new HDTV Video on Demand service for it’s subscribers. They will charge $6.99 ($2 more than standard VOD) to be able to watch certain titles at HDTV quality.

Until next generation DVDs come out, this may expand the growth for video on demand since there are no real alternatives out there.

Although lacking in details, this Washington Post article compares several HDTV Recording devices on the market. Some highlights:

• Comcast’s DVR has a clumsy interface, ads in their programming grid, and some quality issues.
• DirecTV’s HR10-250 built with Tivo has a better interface but cost more. They also complained that it was a little sluggish with noticeable pauses.
• Dish Player-DVR 921 doesn’t have the features of Tivo but has picture in picture while in the programming grid and a superior advertising fast forward.

The articly also mentioned the JVC HM-DH5U Digital VHS recorder which will record normal television or HDTV. This suffers the same VHS vs Tivo disadvantages, the tapes sound price ($15 - $25), and it doesn’t work with most set top boxes.