CE manufacturer Panasonic got into the internet-connected HDTV game on Tuesday when it announced the availability of its new PZ850 series of Viera plasma HDTVs. Initially launched at CES in January (and reported here in The Retail BRIDGE), the Viera line's built-in connection gives users direct access to a variety of internet-based content, including sites like YouTube, Google's Picasa Web Album and Bloomberg.

In addition to the web connection, the PZ850 series features 1080p displays, 30,000:1 contrast ratios and 24p native reproduction for true-to-film accuracy. The available SD memory card slot allows the user to load their digital still photos and home video content directly into the TV for viewing, while the optional Game Mode optimizes the set for video game use by cutting the screen lag time.

The line includes four models -- the 46-inch TH-46PZ850, the 50-inch TH-50PZ850, the 58-inch TH-58PZ850 and the 65-inch TH-65PZ850. Prices for the sets range from $3,099 for the smallest size to $7,999 for the largest.

The first commercially available MPEG-4 cable boxes are rolling into the marketplace from what is now the third largest (thanks to its acquisition of the Philips Electronics STB business earlier this year) set-top box manufacturer in the U.S.  

Introduced at this week's Cable Show in New Orleans, Pace Micro Technology's MPEG-4 offerings come in three flavors:  a dual-turner, HD DVR set-top; a HD set top and a standard def box, all with CableCARD capability.  

According to Pace VP of technology Chris Dinallo, the high-end HD DVR is "now in full production" with the next two versions scheduled for roll-out in the third and fourth quarters of this year.  The MPEG-4 technology, which has been in use by DIRECTV for some time, will help cable operators to conserve extra bandwidth for high-definition offerings.

At The Cable Show this week in New Orleans computer hard drive maker Seagate introduced a new digital media storage drive designed specifically for use with digital video recorders. The Showcase, Seagate said, will allow users to expand their DVR's capacity to up to 1TB, enough to keep up to 200 hours of HD or 1,000 hours of SD programming.

Make no mistake. That is some serious storage space, and it marks the first time an HD DVR cracks the 200-hour mark.

The Showcase is plug-and-play compatible via a USB 2.0 or eSATA connection and includes Seagate's new Pipeline HD DVR-specific hard drive, featuring quiet operation and the ability to support up to 12 simultaneous HD streams.

The Showcase, which is similar to the My DVR Expander product from Western Digital, is set to be available in the third quarter. Pricing information was not released.

Well, they've done it again.

For the eighth year in a row, DIRECTV on Tuesday was named number one in customer satisfaction among all major pay TV providers in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), posting an index score of 68.

"Our customer experience is extremely important to the success of our business and we are proud to continue our record of scoring higher in customer satisfaction than any other major cable TV company in the country," said Mike Palkovic, DIRECTV's executive vice president of operations. "While we saw an improvement over 2007, this year we are still clearly focused on improving all facets of the overall customer experience to further distance ourselves from the competition."

What's the secret? Since the ACSI polls customers on issues like perceived quality, perceived value and expectations, it's probably pretty safe to hypothesize that DIRECTV's cost-benefit equation has something to do with it. That is, small dish subscribers tend to get more programming for their money when compared to the major cable providers, and that factors into their opinion of the overall service.

Still, as helpful as studies like the ACSI are, the real news still lies with the customers. Does DIRECTV's reputation stand up in the field? Are real-world subscribers really that satisfied with the service, or is it just the best option available? Send your comments to editor@theretailbridge.com and we'll post select responses in this space on Thursday.

RETAIL -- Wal-Mart has long been known for dropping prices on everything from lawnmowers to hair gel. Now Blu-ray is getting into the act. According to reports, the mega retailer will soon begin selling the first sub-$300 Blu-ray Disc player in the U.S. under the Magnavox brand name.

RETAIL -- In other Wal-Mart news, the Bentonville-based retailer is now selling Netgear branded wireless networking routers at its 3,500-plus U.S. stores.

CABLE -- Cox Communications on Tuesday introduced a new marketing campaign that will be centered on a pair of new brand icons called the "Digis." No one really seems to be clear on what these Digis are all about, but I'm assuming it has something to do with Cox's digital TV, internet and telephone bundles.

RADIO -- Beginning Saturday, May 24, XM will air three broadcasts of every game of the 2008 Stanley Cup finals. The NHL broadcast will be on channel 204, XM said, with the home team broadcast on channel 205 and the away team broadcast on channel 206.