Finally, Canada is getting a legit digital download option, now that Zip.ca and Sonic Solutions have announced plans to team up on a movie service. Though short on details (according to the PR it is still "exploring a number of models," including a la carte and subscription) CEO Curt Millar's stated goal to become consumer's destination for online movie access should be bolstered by using CinemaNow, since its service is already supported on hardware from TiVo to PC to LG Blu-ray players and more, it shouldn't be too difficult to work with hardware already in customers homes or coming out in the future. Millar told Joystiq his company "would love" to follow Netflix's lead to console access, but don't run to your Xbox 360, PS3 or Wii just yet, Canucks, there's no partnerships to announce yet.

[Via Joystiq]

In a bit of news that would have been considerably juicier back in the old format war days, Paramount is reportedly negotiating with Sony and Fox to take over parts of its home video business, specifically physical fulfillment to retail, billing and collections. Reported by Video Business and Financial Times, it seems like the studio is trying to save cash as the DVD market shrinks while Blu-ray and other distribution methods aren't yet picking up the slack. We're not sure if home viewers would notice any difference from such a deal, but with titles like Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Monsters vs. Aliens releasing later this year it's worth keeping an eye on, if only for the slim possibility of history repeating itself and Paramount promising exclusive China Blue HD format support in return for a huge bundle of incentives. Hey, it could happen....maybe.

\Here at Engadget HD, we'd prefer not to just focus on high-def happenings in the US of A. Thus, we round up the best of the best from the international front each week and present it here, bundled together in a single, easy to digest list. If something went down in your corner of the globe over the past seven days, let the rest of the world know it in comments. 'Til next week, Doei!

Read - Ten HD's sound definition (Australia)
Read - BBC Announces High-Definition Summer
Read - Macquarie kills Ten HD as OneHD spreads to Southern Cross
Read - World Superbike Goes High Definition on Eurosport HD
Read - DNA Gets Two HDTV Licenses (Finland)
Read - 'HD not just about sport and film': BBC
Read - Watford signed shirt deal with Evolution HDTV
Read - Telesat hosts advanced HDTV technology tests at Ottawa R&D lab
Read - Topfield TRF2400 Masterpiece HD Review (Australia)
Read - TechniSat launches new Freesat HD box
Read - Eurosport HD comes to Germany

We're not saying we've ever downloaded anything off the internet that wasn't 100% on the up and up, or that we're here to judge those who have. We just thought it'd be fun to post all the various rationales we've heard over the years by those who do to justify their potentially shady activities. Some of these sound like pretty good reasons to us, but we doubt any of them would hold up in court if the MPAA ever came a knocking. Regardless, if you do download gray area content you might want to have a couple of these ready, and by all means let us know which ones we missed.

1. I ran out of tuners on my DVR.
2. I accidentally deleted the show.
3. My DVR hard drive crashed.
4. I don't get that channel in HD.
5. My cable was out.
6. I have satellite and it was pouring rain.
7. I don't live in the US and the show isn't available here.
8. I delete the shows after I watch them once.
9. The show isn't available on Blu-ray.
10. I live in a valley and can't get over-the-air.

Once upon a time, a smattering of new HD channels in one major metropolitan area was a huge deal. Nowadays, it's almost expected that one area or another will experience some HD expansion each week. In order to keep things nice and tidy around here, we deliver high-def expansions, market expansions and anything else dealing with HD channel growth right here. If we missed an area that you're familiar with, drop us a line in comments so everyone can catch up. The more the merrier, we say!

Read - Suddenlink to add 7 new HD channels
Read - Cox Launches New HD Channels in Line-Up, Including Family-Friendly Channels
Read - Mediacom adds channels to its cable-TV lineups
Read - FiOS TV To Add Six MTVN HD Channels
Read - Atlantic Broadband adds 14 HD channels today for Aiken
Read - Mediacom announces new channels (Mason City, Iowa)
Read - Cablevision Completes 100 HD Channel Rollout [Thanks, Ian]
Read - Big Ten Network Joins Cablevision's iO TV Line-up [Thanks, Ian]
KSTP Channel 5 Twin Cities offering HD local new [Thanks, Chance]

Our friends at TV Squad are asking the same question we've had many times, what's up with MTV's treatment of HD? Specifically, why doesn't the MTV or VH1 HD simulcast channel air music videos in high definition? While it was news to us that MTV even aired music videos anymore, it's sad to see how poorly its handling the simulcast channel, though we don't have reception at this branch of the EHD HQ yet, word is they couldn't even keep simple things like the Real World HD broadcast straight last season. That's no surprise for a network that treats its simulcast like a redheaded stepchild (try finding a mention of it on MTV.com or Viacom's website) and staunchly refuses to loose any details of precisely which shows will be broadcast in high definition no matter how many times we ask, and we'll not even get into the endless loop of repeated programming that has become Palladia. Considering one can view any music video on YouTube in "HD" with little trouble, it's even more disturbing that MTV is so far behind the times.

Nothing spectacular recently in FiOS TV expansion news, but we're sure East Syracuse, North Syracuse and Cicero New York residents are happy to be included in the communities that have reached franchise agreements to allow for upcoming service rollouts. Of course, upgraded internet speeds and related free netbook / camcorder / Entourage promotions are nothing to shake a stick at, so for those who survived the DTV transition intact, there is something new to look forward to beyond a few new local channels in Long Island and New Jersey.

Read - Three Central New York Communities Take Step Closer to Real TV Competition
Read - Verizon FiOS Extends the Ultimate 'Entourage' Experience to Fans of HBO Series
Read - Verizon Amps Up FiOS Internet With Increased Two-Way Speeds and Launches Free Netbook/Camcorder Promotion
Read - Verizon Launches FiOS1 Channels on Long Island and in Northern New Jersey; Verizon FiOS Brings Consumers an Exciting, New Source for Hyper-Local Content With News, Sports, Traffic, Weather and So Much More
Read - Verizon FiOS TV Customers Cruise Through Digital Transition

Finally, after much delay, we have a date to expect Freeview HD service in the UK, at least for those in range of the Winter Hill transmitter (Manchester & Liverpool for sure,) it will go live December 2. elsewhere, you'll be waiting until at least 2010 to experience the joys of OTA HD as has been promised, but keep an eye out and the Beeb, ITV and Channel 4 should be coming your way. Anyone know if those New Zealand PlayTV Freeview HD adaptations will be back-compatible to the UK?

We're pretty big fans of AT&T's U-verse (though, alas, we're not lucky enough to live in an area where we can have it!), and we sort of figured a few days back when the company rolled out some new tweaks to its Total Home DVR that something like this might be on the horizon, and here it is. AT&T's rolled out a free app for the iPhone app store that allows users to access the entire program guide, search for specific shows, and schedule, manage and delete programs and settings. The Mobile Remote Access App -- as it's not-so-creatively called -- sounds like a real winner for those with both U-Verse service and an iPhone... but then, we still communicate primarily with quills and parchment, so what would we know? One more screenshot of the app (plus a video!) after the break.

Larry David mentioned in an Esquire interview that this seventh season of Curb Your Enthusiasm will be the first in high definition, although he has no idea why anyone would watch that way since "No one wants to see this old man on TV." True or not, you can still check him out on HBO in 1080i, but you can always flip back to SD if you want, we're sure it will still be funny.

[Via TV Scoop]

Current CableLabs CEO & prez Richard Green is moving on later this year as Paul Liao from Panasonic takes over the reigns and the first part of Multichannel News' interview with him covers the first time he saw HDTV back in 1980 and the process that eventually gave us the standards we have today.That goes back through the first NFL game recorded in HD, and why high definition took so long to take off -- apparently not everyone wants a 1 million+ lb 40-inch CRT and broadcasters were never happy about spending all the money necessary to upgrade -- from the days of 5x3 with 1125 lines. It's not a crystal ball to the success of Blu-ray, digital downloads, 3D or anything else, but worth a read for some interesting anecdotes on how tough progress is.

Although we were just kids when all the world's computers connected to each other via a coax cable, we still recognize the throughput potential of the medium. This and the fact that just about every home in America already has coax running through its walls has always made us wonder why we couldn't utilize those wires to connect our computers. If you've wondered the same thing, then MoCA might just be for you. It is a CableLabe specification that allows devices to utilize the unused bandwidth on the coax at your house to send bits where no other medium can. So if you're sick of trying to stream HD via Wifi and power-line technologies, you're going to really want to click through and read about how these babies work.

On the 3D movement, DDD has consistently been a step ahead so far, shipping add-on hardware for Samsung televisions and jumping on the bandwagon in Japan, but if you're still unsure about its impact check out this interview with I4U. Unfortunately there's no new details on the latest 2d-to-3D hardware we're waiting on, but CEO Chris Yewdall drops science on glasses free 3D, new laptops on the way from Acer and 3D gaming. Most notable are his comments that users are happy to wear glasses, given the much greater resolution experienced compared to autostereoscopic solutions, plus the company's open approach to porting PC games to its TriDef Ignition platform allowing enthusiasts to create a profile and use any display with their solution. That enough info to have you itching for a 3D TV?

Here at Engadget HD, we'd prefer not to just focus on high-def happenings in the US of A. Thus, we round up the best of the best from the international front each week and present it here, bundled together in a single, easy to digest list. If something went down in your corner of the globe over the past seven days, let the rest of the world know it in comments. 'Til next week, Auf Wiedersehen!

Read - Five to launch HD TV on Freeview
Read - Bell TV Adds New Channels to HD service
Read - Canadian over-the-air TV following U.S. down digital path
Read - Rogers SportsNet Now Offers More High Definition Programming With 4 HD Channels
Read - Astra wins kudos for HD plan
Read - Canal+ brings HD channels to CI Plus receivers
Read - Pace to launch new HD set-top box to Viasat across Scandinavia