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TNT Serie aims to rival FOX in Germany -- starting in 2009 {Engadget HD}
Jun 1st 2008 6:54PM What? Not VOX, FOX and no VOX isnt spelled like FOX. The FOX Channel started almost two weeks ago in Germany as stated here on Engadget. Just for the record, VOX never showed NFL Games. AFN is restricted to the Army and you need a Receiver from the Army to receive the signal. Receiving AFN in Germany is just allowed on american german ground and areas where the the Army is located too.
FOX and TNT headed to Germany {Engadget HD}
Apr 28th 2008 6:40PM For now there are no technical information about FOX, so we don`t know if FOX will come in PAL widescreen, or just 4:3. The shows they picked up from HBO, TheCW and so on are all available in widescreen, also most of the shows are available in HD. Our hope is that FOX will come in Widescreen, instead of just 4:3. FOX International bought rights of Lost - Season 4, which will be a german Pay TV Premiere for Season 4. An PREMIERE owned channel had Season 1-3 in widescreen, so as FOX just took the fourth season away, 4:3 would be a desaster. I don`t believe in a HD Version yet, but why not after a year.
Just 5% of Europe's HDTV owners watch HD programming {Engadget HD}
Mar 6th 2008 12:27PM In Germany it isnt about the Cable Providers. Its all about money talks. It`s curious, but the war between blu-ray and HD-DVD is one reason for the major breakdown. HD-DVD/blu-ray had a better standing over HD television programming, but if you let become it a war you lose customer, not just for your own business more for the whole thing. It isn`t a part of the story here, but why did Warner go to blu-ray, instead of HD-DVD? Easy, cause they lose customer and money.
The situation in germany is more difficult than in the USA. In the USA you have the problem with all the locals, in Germany every major channel is nationwide. The next Problem is that the two major Channels in Germany saying no to any support. Now they starting with HD periods for realtime simulation.
You need to check this out:
2008 - you have two big sport events European Soccer Cup (really big in Europe) and the Olympics. The two channels will broadcast both events with so much hours per day, but nothing in HD, just PAL widescreen. The official start will be 2010 from Vancouver, Winter Olympics.
Toshiba's HD-E1 HD DVD player launches in Europe {Engadget HD}
Dec 23rd 2006 7:59PM There are a few titles available right now. But Toshiba shipped just 1000 units to various shops. The problem is that every Player needs to import to Europe over sea, cause they aren`t made in Europe.
So, til mid January Toshiba will have shipped every Player to every person who pre-orders.
Every title which will release in the US will come to Europe one or two month after. Right now available are titles like: Mission Impossible I-III, Mission Impossible Ultimate Box, Miamai Vice, Fast and furious: Tokyo Drift etc.
Astra promises 20 additional HD channels for Europe, Spain {Engadget HD}
Dec 1st 2006 3:26PM It`s funny because I live in central Europe and the story sounds good if you live somewhere outside Europe or at the other pond, but for me as HDTV set owner in Europe and hopefully HD-DVD owner (if there will be no second delay PR next week and I get my player shipped out) it isn`t reality. First, the channels named in the story aren`t available for everyone. For example the BBC in HD is on ASTRA 2, a satellite that you can receive in countries like Germany, Austria etc., but you need to move your dish cause most europeans receive ASTRA 1 satellite, that`swhere most of the channels are home, doesnt matter if free or pay tv. ANIXE HD has a long way to go. They show some very old movies and series in HD, but the picture isnt that good. I guess only highlight there is that they reair Roswell episodes in HD. ProSiebenSat.1 HD (two HD channnels) is just related to german speaking people and they show like Greys Anatomy, NCIS, Criminal Minds and some movies Sundays and Mondays in HD. The Quality is good and those are the two best free tv channels showing HD content so far in europe. The other named channels are pay TV channels, like Sky (again ASTRA 2) and PREMIERE (ASTRA). I guess the biggest HD supporter in Europe for Pay TV is Discovery. Every Pay TV which goes HD in Europe gets Discovery first on bord. So, I would like to see some more channels in HD like he said but til the end of the year?...wow he loaded up big man, hopefully he can count days, 30 left.
I guess he meant SD channels cause there are a few on the run, like Comedy Central from you US guys and another sports network, all free to air, but HD..... .
Well, HD-DVD coming out next week and you already can buy HD-DVD titles on european Amazon, I guess that will push HD in Europe to the next step.
When will HDTV arrive in Europe? {Engadget HD}
Jul 31st 2006 2:52PM The information quality on this article is just horrible. HDBeat, I normally do like your articles cause these article most of the time very interesting and right, but you`re totally wrong here.
...and for all the UK guys reading here: You guys are so nice to hear, man. How in the whole world can you guys think you`re on the top? About two month the UK was way back in HD on the other side of the world. Just now launching the Sky services you guys are in the glory? ;)
France, Italy, Germany etc. .....all have HD up for almost a half year and running stable. They show Lost, Deadwood, Into the west etc. all in HD. Some countries do have free to air channels like Germany and those channels running movies in HD during the week and beiside all the Pay TV HD services.
How fast was the U.S into HD? How much content we got here as HD started? You still see how hard it is to get a new HD channel to Cableco or Satellite services such as Dish Network or Directv. Remember if all these companies were so nice to HD. I don`t see the point for us americans to pick on the europeans here.
They will have HD-DVD and blu-ray in the next two or three month, so they arent much behind us. They all started their services in H.264 way before some locals here aired their program in H.264.
HD001
How to make your own HD DVDs on DVD-Rs {Engadget HD}
Jul 3rd 2006 6:02PM That`s what I meant. These Players like Buffalo`s don`t have any problems with .ts files if the stream hasn`t any errors. I explained it before that the stream is broken when someone removes little pieces, but that`s fixed in like 2 minutes. Just get a program tp repair the stream and it will run smooth. That`s why I think that this isn`t really new.
I mean ok, converting it to Mpeg-4 level means more space on a single Layer or double Layer DVD-R disc, but to save a 1-hour 1080i show you just need one normal double Layer DVD-R.
- HD001
30% failure rate for BSkyB set-top HDTV boxes? {Engadget HD}
Jul 3rd 2006 12:43PM HDTV Receivers in Europe do have problems with switching channels, these Receivers have audio/video sync problems, HDCP blackouts. For every error you have a solution to get rid of, but it isn`t how it should be. Normally it should work in first place, not with a trick.
How to make your own HD DVDs on DVD-Rs {Engadget HD}
Jul 3rd 2006 12:28PM This isn`t really new. It`s just a new story for the Toshiba HD-DVD Player. Players like the Buffalo Player are able to playback .ts, .mpeg etc. with high profiles.
The only problem there is to cut out the commercials. You need to repair the stream afterwards to let it playback smooth in Players like Buffalo`s.
HD001
Problems with Toshiba's HD DVD player {Engadget HD}
May 13th 2006 10:21AM As said in the first comment, the sync problem could be a MPEG-4 problem. This kind of problems also happend with other different players.
It`s also tricky with the new MPEG-4 HD Receivers for Satellite out for sale. They had also issues with MPEG-4 video and sound, but they fixed it on time.
I don`t see here a big issue, it`s more like when Toshiba will fix this problem.
- HD001
