The world is evidently DirecTV's oyster, as the satcaster has now launched an HD web portal for Argentinians just a week after going live with HD service in Latin America. Details about actual high-def offerings (outside of Fox HD and DirecTV HD Showcase) are still vague at the moment, but we are told that those who opt for the service will be handed an HD DVR capable of storing 400 hours of SD content and 100 hours of HD footage. Let us know if you gather up the courage to bite.

[Via The Argentine Post, thanks Santiago]

Funny story -- so just four months back, we were seriously wondering if 3D theaters could truly thrive. Here we are just a season later, and the answer is looking clearer all the time. Cinépolis, the planet's fifth largest cinema exhibitor, has just announced in conjunction with RealD a new partnership that will bring 500 new 3D screens to locales in Mexico, South America and Central America. Six of the new screens have already been installed, while the remainder will continue to be rolled out until 2010. Exact cities weren't mentioned, but we are told that those who get 'em before December can expect to see Disney's BOLT in eye-popping 3D this Christmas.

[Image courtesy of HomeTheaterBlog]

While it's admittedly unfortunate that the world just can't agree on a single high definition broadcast format to use around the globe, boundaries have already been laid across most of the first world nations. Many South American countries, however, still haven't chosen which format to support, and proponents for both ISDB and DVB are lobbying intently to get their support business. As we suspected early last year, Brazil has finally made its choice, and will take in ISDB as it looks to create more local jobs by manufacturing the equipment from within in new construction factories. Brazilian officials were even able to solicit $2 billion in Japanese funding to erect a "local semiconductor factory be financed by Panasonic, Toshiba, NEC, and Sony." Argentina, however, wasn't swayed one way or the other by the snazzy presentations it saw, and enters 2007 with an "undecided" bid. So as unfortunate as it may be, it looks you'll probably be picking up a separate portable tuner for almost every nation you visit, but hey, at least some things are universal, right?

With World Cup action just a week away, HDTVs are flying off store shelves and broadcasters are gearing up to provide high definition signals worldwide...but not quite. If you live in the Americas south of Mexico there will be no high-def broadcasts available to you as the governments there have not agreed on a broadcast standard. As the article notes (and we've noted previously), Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Colombia are looking into it, but will not have anything set until well after this summer's sports action has ended. Unfortunately, the people of futbol-crazy South America won't get the same broadcast quality available elsewhere, at least in Europe people will go to bars or even movie theaters to catch the HD game. Our government (with quite a bit of prodding from CE manufacturers) at least has a standard set so we can watch HD, now if they can just work something out so cable subscribers can get more channels.

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