Washington - A recent survey by Nielsen, the large media rating service, has found that Washington has the largest percentage of HDTV users of all large markets in the country, with a 31.1% penetration rate.

Sony didn't include Blu-ray players or PlayStation 3 consoles among the product lines expected to take a hit this fourth quarter from the global economic slowdown. Instead, it blamed the 38% cut in its earnings forecast for the holiday season on slowing sales of LCD TVs, digital cameras and video camcorders, along with the rise of the yen against the dollar and euro. But given the overall outlook--including the company's indication that further cuts to its forecast are possible--it's probably only corporate pride that keeps Sony from lumping its two flagship products in with the rest of the disaster.

If you havent read, ESPN has come out and said that they will be aggressively bidding for the retransmission rights for the next available Olympics, which will be in 2016. Notice I didnt say TV rights. The battle for the Olympics rights will be in spreadsheet projections done by ESPN, NBC and probably DirecTV (my guess, not based on any info), that will have to take in to account what revenues can be generated on TV advertising (traditional and interactive), through cable/satellite subscription revenues, an ever increasing market size for mobile video and advertising, and of course audio/video and text advertising of all types.

The future of any technology can be defined by the economic opportunities it creates. One just look around Pittsburgh to see the explosion in the number of businesses built around advances in medical technology to see the importance of entrepreneurs focusing on new technology. The impact has been enormous. Which brings us to today. What are the opportunities in front of us to get excited about in the digital media field?

There is a lot of money being spent trying to turn internet video into something its not. Its not TV. It's certainly not going to be HDTV. What is shocking about the entire attempt to turn the internet into a tv/HDTV distribution medium is how much people lie to themselves about what is actually happening.

Silver Spring, Md. - Broadband Internet speeds are seen as more important to consumers than HDTV and other new services, according to a new survey by Pike & Fischer.

When it comes to broadband internet access, you can have speed or large volumes of data transfer. You can't have both. One certainty in the broadband world is that for those of us with cable or DSL modems connecting us to the internet, there is still a finite amount of bandwidth available. When a user consumes a disproportionate and significant amount of bandwidth, it can and will slow down everyone. I hate that.

Port Washington, N.Y. - The percentage of U.S. HDTV owners aware of the next-generation Blu-ray Disc format has grown to 45%, from 35% in June 2007, but just 6% of all consumers and 9% of HDTV owners said they plan to buy a Blu-ray player in the next six months, according to a survey conducted by market research firm NPD Group.

In recent weeks, Low Power Television stations have been the center of attention in Washington in connection with the Digital television transition. While all full-power television stations are set to convert to digital operations less than a year from now, ceasing analog operations at the end of the day on February 17, 2009, there is no specific deadline for LPTV stations to convert to digital. As the NTIA rolls out its coupon program for the purchase of converter boxes that will take digital signals of over-the-air television stations and convert them to analog for those who do not have digital television receivers (see our summary here), LPTV advocates noted that many converters do not pass through analog signals.

Los Gatos, Calif. - Online DVD rental service Netflix (NASD: NFLX) announced on Thursday that it has partnered with Korea's LG Electronics, to develop a set-top box that will allow consumers to stream movies and other video from the Internet to HDTVs.

On the last day of 2007, the FCC released a 108 page order detailing its rules for the final stages of the transition of US full power television stations from analog to digital, a transition that is to be completed in less than 14 months. The Third Periodic Review, as the order is titled, covers in detail the timing of required construction of the final facilities for each full power television station, as well as various details on other transition issues. While we will prepare a more detailed summary of the order, some of the more significant issues that the Commission addressed include the following:

New York - Some 13.7% of U.S. TV households are equipped with a high-definition television and HD tuner capable of receiving HD signals, while 11.3% also receive at least one HD network or station, according to a report released on Wednesday by The Nielsen Company.

Chicago - OnSite Network, the provider of a digital ad and programming network placed in sports bars and restaurants, said on Monday that it has raised over $5 million through a private placement of its shares.

San Diego - Sony Electronics on Monday began shipping a new Blu-ray Disc player to U.S. retailers, which will carry a price tag of $499, or $100 cheaper than previously announced.

London - By 2012, 70% of European homes will own at least one HD-capable TV, up from 8% in 2006, according to a report from market research firm Strategy Analytics.

London - The number of homes worldwide with HDTV sets is expected to triple over the next five years, to 151 million, according to a report from market research firm Informa Telecoms & Media.