Unfortunately, the recently rescheduled launch of the DirecTV 11 won't make our list of things to watch in HD tonight, but for those anxious to see the sat provider's next bird take flight, here's the skinny. Today at around 6:30PM EDT (3:30PM for those of you on the left coast), live coverage is slated to start on DirecTV channel 573. For those operating sans DTV (or simply not near your television), you can click here to view the launch online. T-minus four hours and counting 'til liftoff -- consider our fingers crossed that things go smoother than they did for the AMC-14.

[Thanks, Vanbrothers]

We've polled you fine folks before to get your take on whether sporting events are better seen live and in person or on an HDTV, and while responses tend to vary, one particular Giants fan recently made the decision to enjoy Super Bowl XLII from the comfort of his own home rather than jetting down to Arizona with a pocketful of Benjamins. Said fan has yet to miss a New York Giants home game in 17 years, but after mulling it over with his better half, they collectively decided to plunk down two large on a new Samsung and made plans to host a sure-to-be-riveting party. Of course, judging by recent HDTV sales and home theater installations in the New York region alone, it's pretty safe to say that they aren't the only ones making this choice. Our only concern is that the fan somehow believes his TV purchase will last (read: not be replaced) "for 15 years" -- something tells us he was misinformed.

Considering that we've seen not one, but two surveys in recent months suggesting that individuals tend to prefer watching sports in the comfort of their own HDTV-equipped homes versus showing up in person, we're quite curious to see how this crowd feels. The question's pretty simple: given the choice, would you show up (face paint and all) on gameday, or would you kick back with a fresh bag of Cheetos and utilize that HD service you've spent your hard earned cash on? We know this may vary by sport / team, but we're lumping all sports together to get a general consensus. Feel free to give your input below, and sound off on your choice in comments.

P.S. - For whatever it's worth, this particular editor would take a seat in Carter-Finley any day over an HD broadcast.

Do you prefer your sports live or in HD?

Live! Is this even a debate?HD all the way! Manning's eyes are to die for in 1080iGive me live, but only if the price is rightOther (check my comments for details)Vote

Apparently, the first season of Metropolitan Opera: Live in High Definition went over quite well, as the second season looks to hit even more venues and capture the hearts of more individuals in 2007 - 2008. Reportedly, the season gets started on December 15th with a live opera transmission of Gounod's Roméo et Juliette, which will be the first of eight total broadcasts. Other features include Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, Verdi's Macbeth, Puccini's Manon Lescaut, Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, Britten's Peter Grimes and Donizetti's La Fille du Régiment. Over 600 venues in North America, Australia, Europe and Japan will be participating in the Met's upcoming series, and if all goes to plan, over one million people will be picking up tickets. Speaking of which, be sure to hit the read link for more detailed information on ticket prices, venues and schedules, and do be sure to let us know how things turn out if you take in a show or two.

Unsurprisingly, surveys these days can often have very interesting results, which may not necessarily represent the general population in a factual manner, but nonetheless, if the "Big Game Survey" is to be believed, more people would rather watch the Super Bowl on an HDTV than actually going to the event in-person. Conducted on behalf of Circuit City, the survey found that 48-percent of all respondents would rather catch the big game from the comforts of their couch compared to just 26-percent who would rather cheer from the nosebleed seats. While it wasn't directly stated where the other 26-percent fell, we can only assume that those were the folks who'd rather pressure-wash their entire house than suffer through four hours of non-stop partying over a game of pigskin. Nevertheless, it's certainly not a surprise to find that sports offerings glue Americans to their couches like no other type of programming can, and the survey also found that around 60-percent of men (and 49-percent of women) were more likely to throw down for an HD set solely because of the Super Bowl (and hosting a subsequent party). While we'd probably have no qualms accepting an all-expenses-paid trip to see the biggest NFL game of the year, we have to assume that folks were taking total cost into account when answering the questions, and considering the dough you'd likely lay down just to get a seat for this primetime event, wouldn't you rather bring home a svelte HDTV instead?

It's hard to decide. We're seeing so many great HDTVs every day like these two giants -- and some not so giant -- but still, which one of these screens would we rather take home? On the left we've got Samsung's old school 102-inch plasma, on the right Sharp's new 108-inch 1080p Aquos LCD. Some people could be content with a mere 102-inch or even 103-inch screen and prefer plasma to LCD, but with 120Hz motion and other advancements coming off of Sharp's 8th-generation manufacturing line its impossible to say no to the new size king in town. Check out the gallery for a couple more pictures of both.

The cat and mouse game being played by Intel's Viiv and AMD Live! isn't exactly enthralling, especially when you consider a vast majority of the HTPCs out there get along perfectly fine without either label slapped on them. Nevertheless, AMD is hoping to garner a bit more attention by announcing that its media-centric platform will be gettin' friendly with HD DVD and Blu-ray late next year. In a (likely futile) attempt to grab a "bigger share of the multimedia market," AMD Live! will be supporting the two major high definition movie formats as of "Q3 2007," and sources with PC vendors reportedly stated that it could prove to be a boost for the blue-laser market. So while a select few wait around to see what the fuss will be about this time next year, we'll probably be content with all the options already surrounding us.

Responding to the request of "more MHD, please," we're thrilled to see the high-definition spinoff giving some much needed love to live concerts shot in HD. In case Times Square is too crowded, or you just aren't much for going out on the town, Gorillaz are hoping that you ring in the New Year with them as MHD airs the band's live concert from Harlem, NY at 9:00PM EST/PST on December 31st. "Gorillaz: Live in Harlem" will be shot at Harlem's legendary Apollo Theater, and while the original airing takes places three hours before 2007, it will re-air at the stroke of midnight for those who miss the premiere.

When demos at CES held nearly 12 months ago promised a svelte, online-enabled feature set not available on regular DVD to take the high definition formats to the next level, we were admittedly excited -- unfortunately, we're still waiting to see what the fuss is all about, and it looks like we'll be waiting even longer now. On the Blu-ray front, BD Live was (and still is) supposed to "deliver new content to disc via broadband connections," but it appears that the technology won't actually be seen on retail shelves until "the second half of next year." Additionally, no current Blu-ray player (Sony's PS3 notwithstanding) sports the "interactivity capabilities necessary to download media content onto system hard drives," and this promises to be "remedied" by asking the dear consumers to throw down for a second-generation player in 2007. Notably, the HD DVD camp isn't exactly seizing the opportunity to get a leg up, as "no HD DVD titles featuring connectivity have so far been slated," even though Toshiba's player already touts the capabilities to do it. Furthermore, analysts are suggesting that the vast majority of early adopters either don't know or don't really care about the bonus connectivity features, so long as the "picture and sound" are improved from their old setup, which doesn't exactly bode well for those anxious to see a mass rollout of this here technology in the near future.

Don't forget, this is the morning of the live HDTV broadcast from the International Space Station, being shown exclusively in Japan on NHK and elsewhere on Discovery HD Theater. The Sony HD camera was donated by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), so that we can get the best look at space available without heading to the local IMAX theater. Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and engineer Mikhail Tyurin will host the event, while third crewmember Thomas Reiter operates the camera. Hopefully this is the first of many live broadcasts, which are preferred because it saves money from transporting extra weight in the form of tapes to and from the ISS. The broadcast kicks off at 11:30 am EST and will re-air at 9 p.m. and midnight.

Whether you just sacrificed a few nights out to afford the new HDTV, or don't find much reason in going out after getting one -- and with some of our readers' setups why would you? -- Morton's Steakhouse thinks they have just the thing: A private live performance by jazz great Wynton Marsalis and of course a four-course meal. Marsalis won't actually be live in front of you, you'll be sitting in Morton's "HD Suite" that seats 40 watching a satellite broadcast of his live performance on a 108-inch HD screen (no word on the resolution), with 7.2 surround sound and a limited-edition copy of the performance signed by the performer on HD DVD. It seems like they're really trying to give the feeling of a live in-person private performance with 16 cameras and the ability for guests to have a Q&A after the performance. Looks like the theater, not just the movie theater, needs to be wary of high definition if something like this catches on, two nights only, October 6th & 7th. Still, for $250 some might choose a DVR'd copy of Legends of Jazz and some takeout.

Why have we yet to see any high-volume morning talk shows go high-def. It's not that we want to watch these shows but if a plasma really is more desired then a diamond, don't you think your wife/girlfriend would want to watch something she enjoys on your valentines gift. Live, The Martha Stewart Show, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show all seem like prime candidates for the high-def medium. They don't require many HD cams, all the sets are specular, and they garner huge followings. It would seem that shows like this would reach that un-touched women market. These three shows all take place in their own dedicated studio that features five to six different camera angles, max. All the backgrounds would be HD friendly plus, the sets being extra-wide already and these shows get such a large and dedicated audience. Plus, high-def will prove once and for all who colors their hair more -- Regis or Kelly.