Microsoft drops Zune HD price, others follow
on February 8, 2010
With no real announcement Microsoft has dropped the price of its Zune HD 16GB and 32GB models by $20. The Microsoft online store, as well as Best Buy, have the media players priced at $199 and $269 respectively. Amazon and Walmart have dropped the 32GB model by $40, offering it at $249 (Reg. $289). The 16GB model is currently $188 (Reg. $219). Full Story

For the first time Cox Communications will provide all its Winter Olympics coverage, approximately 835 hours of it, in high-definition. Cox says it is also providing the content online and On Demand, at no additional cost to subscribers. For online distribution, the Cox/NBC Universal agreement includes 1,000+ hours of digital content which will be available to customers with at least Expanded Basic service.
Endeavour’s 13-day, STS-130 mission is scheduled for liftoff at 4:39 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 7. HDNet will start covering the lift off at 4:00 a.m., with a re-broadcast the launch on Sunday, February 7 at 11:00 a.m. ET. This is the last scheduled night time launch for the Space Shuttle Mission. (See remaining launch dates below.)
V Network (V HD) has been added to the Shaw Direct lineup in Canada, where the cable provider offers French programming in both standard and high definition. The addition will allow Shaw Direct to provide more coverage of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games, as well as movies and live events.
If you subscribe to Charter Communications you’ll soon be able to get Epix HD, a premium movie channel launched in Oct. ‘09 by Viacom Inc., its Paramount Pictures unit, MGM and Lionsgate. Epix is currently running films like Star Trek, GI Joe, and Paranormal Activity, as well as comedy and concert programming.
There are lots of re-released Academy Award Winning films on the on the Blu-ray shelves this week. The packaging on these releases will be different than the originals, with a gold background to indicate an award winning film. Some other re-releases, like Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York, boast digital re-mastering and audio upgrade to DTS HD-Master Audio 5.1.
Netflix has announced the addition of 300 titles from several independent film distributers including The Criterion Collection, Gravitas Ventures, Kino Lorber, Music Box Films, Oscilloscope Laboratories and Regent Releasing. If the titles aren’t available for streaming now, Netflix says they will be available early next year. (Next year? Your guess is as good as mine.) However, some deals with the distributors include new releases as they become available while under contract. 

Parts of Connecticut are now getting MSNBC and MSNBC HD through AT&T’s U-verse service. The standard-definition version can be found on channel 215 (as part of the U100 package), and the high-definition version on channel 1215.
Verizon says they will launch MSNBC throughout the New York metropolitan area on Feb. 2, however, they will not be providing the HD simulcast which is available in 1080i. Well, the 480i feed is at least a start. Previously Verizon, along with AT&T, was in a carriage dispute with area cable provider Cablevision, preventing them from broadcasting the channel.
Comcast has added 36 HD channels for customers in Pittsburgh, PA, according to TVPredictions.com. The new high-definition channels include Travel Channel HD, Comedy Central HD, Nickelodeon HD and Weather Channel HD.
The BBC will broadcast every match of the RBS Six Nations Championship in HD this year, a first for the rugby series. The Six Nations will start off Feb. 6, 2010 on BBC One and BBC HD with Ireland versus Italy. In the US, the game appears on the BBC America 
Oppo has released the BDP-80 Blu-ray Disc player, their cheapest player yet at $289. The BDP-80 features 1080p24 at 24Hz, SACD & DVD-Audio/Video, and BD-Live (w/1GB memory). For audio the BDP-80 supports Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, 7.1 Channel output, and comes with digital optical and coaxial outputs.
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