Growing Pains: HD TiVo DirecTV/Pegasus Transfer Frustrations and HDTV Market Growth Forecasts

THURSDAY, JULY 29 2004
 

 

GROWING PAINS...

Just hours ago I received a piece (below) from our reader Jerry Rutledge. While it serves scant purpose to dwell on negatives it is our duty to bring those things to light which have a corrosive power to impede the progress that support this still adolescent transition to HDTV. Your comments?

I finally managed to get hold of the new HD TIVO from Weaknees.com. 1600 clams for an upgraded unit. And you must agree to activate within 30 days with DirecTV.....

Well, I am a Pegasus customer but learned that I can now switch to DirecTV. So, about 3 weeks ago I sent in the consent form and a copy of my last Pegasus bill as they require. To date I have heard nothing. So, I called DirecTV and talked (and talked and talked and talked) and got plenty of information and zero satisfaction. This is the ultimate in frustration. Here's what I learned:

1) Pegasus absolutely does not have the capability to provide ANYONE with TIVO HD service. No matter what. Period. So much for them.

2) If you are a current Pegasus customer and HAVE NOT requested to transfer your business to DirecTV already, DirecTV will apparently open a separate account for you with DirecTV to give you the TIVO HD capability.

You would get two bills - one from Pegasus, another from DirecTV.

3) If you are a current Pegasus customer and HAVE ALREADY sent the paperwork to DirecTV to transfer your account and DirecTV has not gotten to your request yet, you're sh*t out of luck until they do. Their excuses range from screwing up the transfer to out-and-out potential legal problems with Pegasus. I don't understand how this really differs from (2) above, but I wheedled, whined, and cajoled to no avail. 4) D* is unable or unwilling to give you a phone number to call to politely request a speedup of your transfer to DirecTV. Sez it's not possible.........

So my new receiver is hooked up and working - well, that is, it will get me my local off the air stations. Period. Of course, it won't record anything except to record along on the program I'm currently watching. I can't get DirecTV of course. Whether I can activate the new Access Card in the 30 days as promised, is totally out of my hands. The numerous folks I talked to said that since my request was in fover two weeks ago I should hear from DirecTV "any day now".......that was a week ago already....

So much for customer service.

Thanks for the ear.

Jerry Rutledge - rural Minnesota

In Related News....More and more recognition leading to greater sales

"Fueled by greater awareness, reduced pricing, and increased content availability, the Yankee Group predicts 59.3 million U.S. homes will have high-definition televisions (HDTV) (defined as 720p or 1080i) by the end of 2008. While roughly 10 percent of U.S. households currently claim to have high-definition televisions, another 20 percent intend to purchase the units.

Consumer awareness has steadily increased two percentage points per year since 2002, according to a pair of research firms. Ipsos-Insight found that 74 percent of the 1,000 U.S. survey respondents in 2002 were familiar with the high-resolution TVs, rising to 76 percent in the firm's October 2003 poll. Yankee Group measured awareness at 78 percent in its recent 2004 report.

Further encouraging news comes from the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM), which placed awareness at a high of 87 percent in its 2004 study of more than 1,000 participants — up from 80 percent in 2003.

The Yankee Group found that the average retail price for HDTVs has declined 20 percent annually, and 54 percent of the respondents to the 2004 CTAM survey said they would buy a high-definition or digital television set if they thought it was reasonably priced and affordable to them.

Nearly half (45 percent) of the respondents in the previous year's CTAM survey said they would be very likely to buy a HDTV set priced at $300.

Consumers are already indicating preferences in the types of programming they like to watch in high-definition quality. CTAM found that 48 percent of men and 35 percent of women chose sporting events as the best high-definition content, followed by theatrical movies for men and police/western action adventure programs for women.

Lyra Research, Inc. found that movies were rated the most important programs to view in high definition for both men and women, and commercials were the least important."


 

No HDTV Tonight.

 

9:00PM ET/8:00 C
CSI:

"Turn of the Screws"
No Description Available.

11:34PM ET/10:34 C
The Tonight Show With Jay Leno


Michael Moore, Richard Roeper, Roger Ebert,alanis Morrisette

No HDTV Tonight

NO HDTV TONIGHT



 

UPCONVERSIONS STRETCHED

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4:00PM ET/3:00 C
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No Description Available.

12:00PM ET/11:00 C
Blue Realm, The

"Tentacles"
Do squids talk? Scientists come together in a quest to unravel the mysteries of some of the sea's most enigmatic creatures, cephalopods. It features the bizarre courtship and egg-laying rituals of the reef squid and giant octopus.

1:00AM ET/12:00 C
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Lake Ontario

No Description Available.

4:00AM ET/3:00 C
Blue Realm, The

"Tentacles"
Do squids talk? Scientists come together in a quest to unravel the mysteries of some of the sea's most enigmatic creatures, cephalopods. It features the bizarre courtship and egg-laying rituals of the reef squid and giant octopus.

5:00AM ET/4:00 C
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"Paris"
Some of the most spectacular monuments in Paris, the Opera and the Arc de Triumphe, are new residential units for the cities wildlife. Examine the creatures such as birds of prey and rabbits that thrive in the City of Lights.
 

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6:00PM ET/5:00 C
Higher Definition

Take Two: Errol Morris - Pop-culture critic Robert Wilonsky sits down with Academy Award winner, Errol Morris, to talk about his career in documentaries, and the making of his latest, the Oscar winning The Fog of War.

6:30PM ET/5:30 C
Designing America

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7:00PM ET/6:00 C
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7:30PM ET/6:30 C
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8:00PM ET/7:00 C
HDNet News Special Report - LIVE!

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11:00PM ET/10:00 C
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Special Encore Presentation

2:00AM ET/1:00 C
Face 2 Face with Roy Firestone

Mike Tyson - Featuring former Heavyweight Champion of the World Mike Tyson. Deemed one of the most dynamic sports personalities of the 20th century, Mike Tyson sits down for an exclusive and personal interview with Roy Firestone. Tyson speaks on his turbulent life of fame and failure as well as his current campaign to captivate the boxing world.

2:30AM ET/1:30 C
Robbery Homicide Division

A Life of its Own - Two crimes committed in opposite corners of the city draw the attention of Los Angeles' elite detective unit, the Robbery Homicide Division. The first: a shooting outside a Koreatown nightclub. The second: the massacre of a family in Van Nuys.

3:30AM ET/2:30 C
Odyssey 5

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4:30AM ET/3:30 C
Equal Justice

Opening Farewell - Rogan announces he's resigning to run against Bach. Searls' murder case is thwarted by federal bigwigs.

5:30AM ET/4:30 C
Ladies Man

Estrogen Wave - Donna notes that they don't know what Chester's sexual orientation will be. Jimmy begins to worry that Chester may be gay from having so many women around him. Alex Trebek keeps up his demands and now that Jimmy's figured out the pool problem, Alex adds that he'd like a water slide. Jimmy comes to accept that no matter what Chester's sexuality is, he'll love him all the same.
 

 
j

7:15AM ET/6:15 C
Josh and S.A.M.

PG-13 - 1:37 - 1993
Cast: Jacob Tierney, Noah Fleiss, Martha Plimpton Director: Billy Weber
To escape their parents' divorce, two young brothers steal a car and go on a runaway road trip together.

9:00AM ET/8:00 C
The Endless Summer II

PG - 1:49 - 1994
Cast: Robert August, T.J. Baron, Jeff Booth Director: Bruce Brown
Sequel to The Endless Summer, which follows two hard core surfers as they search the globe for the perfect wave.

11:00AM ET/10:00 C
Butterfield 8

NR - 1:49 - 1960
Cast: Elizabeth Taylor, Laurence Harvey, Eddie Fisher Director: Daniel Mann
A high-class prostitute starts a relationship with a married lawyer, and convinces herself that she is in love with him.

12:50PM ET/11:50 C
Big Hand For The Little Lady

NR - 1:35 - 1966
Cast: Henry Fonda, Joanne Woodward, Jason Robards Director: Fielder Cook
A couple, headed out west, gets involved in a high stakes poker game. When the husband has a heart-attack, the wife must step in, unsure of how to play the game.

2:30PM ET/1:30 C
Prisoner of Second Avenue

PG - 1:38 - 1975
Cast: Jack Lemmon, Anne Bancroft, Gene Saks Director: Melvin Frank
A 48 year-old man and his wife must face the trivial and relentless vexations of New York life when he loses not just his job, but also his confidence.

4:10PM ET/3:10 C
Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

NR - 1:47 - 1958
Cast: Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Burl Ives Director: Richard Brooks
A Southern family is torn apart by greed when they learn that "Big Daddy" is dying of cancer.

6:00PM ET/5:00 C
Three Days of the Condor

R - 1:57 - 1975
Cast: Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson Director: Sydney Pollack
A CIA researcher must discover the identities of his co-worker's murderers before they find him.

8:00PM ET/7:00 C
A Chorus Line

PG-13 - 1:57 - 1985
Cast: Michael Douglas, Alyson Reed, Vicki Frederick Director: Richard Attenborough
Film version of the Broadway musical about a group of dancers auditioning for a chorus line.

10:00PM ET/9:00 C
Big Hand For The Little Lady

NR - 1:35 - 1966
Cast: Henry Fonda, Joanne Woodward, Jason Robards Director: Fielder Cook
A couple, headed out west, gets involved in a high stakes poker game. When the husband has a heart-attack, the wife must step in, unsure of how to play the game.

11:45PM ET/10:45 C
A Chorus Line

PG-13 - 1:57 - 1985
Cast: Michael Douglas, Alyson Reed, Vicki Frederick Director: Richard Attenborough
Film version of the Broadway musical about a group of dancers auditioning for a chorus line.

1:45AM ET/12:45 C
White Nights

PG-13 - 2:16 - 1985
Cast: Mikhail Baryshnikov, Gregory Hines, Isabella Rossellini Director: Taylor Hackford
After his defection to the U.S, a Russian dancer finds himself back in the Soviet Union after a plane crash. With the help of an American tap dancer, he plans to escape again.

4:05AM ET/3:05 C
The Emerald Forest

R - 1:53 - 1985
Cast: Powers Boothe, Meg Foster, Charley Boorman Director: John Boorman
Based on a true story of an American father, searching for his son, who was kidnapped by an Amazon tribe.
 

9:30AM ET/8:30 C
Identity

R Time: 90  
A group of strangers are stranded at a remote motel where a maniac begins slaying them one by one in this pulse-pounding thriller with a dynamite twist. With torrential rains washing out roads and cell phone signals alike, the various characters--including a cop and the killer he's transporting--are forced to bed down for the night at a small Nevada motel. But when bodies begin turning up, it's up to the survivors to flush out the killer...and uncover the shocking revelation that connects them all. With John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, John Hawkes, Alfred Molina, Clea DuVall, John C. McGinley and Rebecca De Mornay. Directed by James Mangold; screenplay by Michael Cooney.

11:00AM ET/10:00 C
Bad Boys II

R Time: 146  
Martin Lawrence and Will Smith reteam for another go-round as maverick Miami cops who put their lives on the line to stop a rising drug kingpin in this slam-bang action sequel. Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) and Mike Lowrey (Smith) are the police duo who share a hilariously volatile friendship...especially after a bullet from Mike's gun winds up lodged in Marcus's posterior! When Marcus's D.E.A. agent sister Syd--another amusing source of contention between the pair--winds up under the control of the Cuban villain (Jordi Molla), the pair must put their differences aside in order to save the day. Gabrielle Union, Peter Stormare, Theresa Randle and Joe Pantoliano co-star. Directed by Michael Bay (Armageddon, Pearl Harbor); story by Marianne Wibberley & Comac Wibberley and Ron Shelton; screenplay by Ron Shelton and Jerry Stahl.

1:30PM ET/12:30 C
Celtic Pride

PG13 Time: 90  
Two die-hard Boston Celtics fans kidnap the opposing team's hotshot ballplayer on the eve of Game Seven of the NBA Finals in this comedy. Bostonians Mike O'Hara (Stern) and Jimmy Flaherty (Aykroyd) walk into a bar after their beloved Celtics lose Game Six of the NBA playoffs only to see Lewis Scott (Wayans), the showoff star of the Utah Jazz at the joint. The Celtics fans liquor up Scott, hoping to see him perform poorly in his next game. But soon it seems like a better idea if the duo just duct tape the ballplayer and prevent him from showing up at the game at all! With cameo appearances from Larry Bird, Marv Albert, Bill Walton and Deion Sanders. Co-starring Gail O'Grady an

3:00PM ET/2:00 C
Missing In Action

R Time: 101  
A former Vietnam prisoner of war blasts his way through Southeast Asia, determined to rescue missing Americans. Chuck Norris stars in the blistering saga of one man's battle against brutality--and the greatest odds. A fighter of quiet strength and controlled power, Norris takes on the Vietnamese military almost single-handedly.

4:45PM ET/3:45 C
Chain Reaction

PG13 Time: 106  
Ace scientist Eddie Kasalvich (Keanu Reeves) is a man on the run in this high-voltage suspense thriller. As the key man in a Chicago-based secret energy project, Eddie suddenly finds himself suspected of murder and firebombing his lab. Now he's fleeing the Windy City with the F.B.I., C.I.A., and corporate bad guys on his tail. One thing he's sure of: something's got to give...or someone's going to die.

6:45PM ET/5:45 C
Two Weeks Notice

PG13 Time: 101  
A Harvard-educated attorney prepares to leave her job to rid herself of her egotistical boss's trifling demands in this witty romantic comedy. Sandra Bullock stars as the pretty, intelligent Lucy Kelson whose work as an environmental lawyer-activist crosses paths with arrogant real-estate mogul George Wade (Hugh Grant). Impressed by her style and savvy, George hires Lucy as his Chief Counsel, but when she spends more time bickering with her boss and choosing his wardrobe, she throws in the towel and sends George her two weeks notice. Co-starring Alicia Witt, Dana Ivey, Robert Klein, Heather Burns, David Haig and Dorian Missick. Written and directed by Marc Lawrence.

8:30PM ET/7:30 C
Identity

R Time: 90  
A group of strangers are stranded at a remote motel where a maniac begins slaying them one by one in this pulse-pounding thriller with a dynamite twist. With torrential rains washing out roads and cell phone signals alike, the various characters--including a cop and the killer he's transporting--are forced to bed down for the night at a small Nevada motel. But when bodies begin turning up, it's up to the survivors to flush out the killer...and uncover the shocking revelation that connects them all. With John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, John Hawkes, Alfred Molina, Clea DuVall, John C. McGinley and Rebecca De Mornay. Directed by James Mangold; screenplay by Michael Cooney.

10:00PM ET/9:00 C
Bad Boys II

R Time: 146  
Martin Lawrence and Will Smith reteam for another go-round as maverick Miami cops who put their lives on the line to stop a rising drug kingpin in this slam-bang action sequel. Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) and Mike Lowrey (Smith) are the police duo who share a hilariously volatile friendship...especially after a bullet from Mike's gun winds up lodged in Marcus's posterior! When Marcus's D.E.A. agent sister Syd--another amusing source of contention between the pair--winds up under the control of the Cuban villain (Jordi Molla), the pair must put their differences aside in order to save the day. Gabrielle Union, Peter Stormare, Theresa Randle and Joe Pantoliano co-star. Directed by Michael Bay (Armageddon, Pearl Harbor); story by Marianne Wibberley & Comac Wibberley and Ron Shelton; screenplay by Ron Shelton and Jerry Stahl.

2:35AM ET/1:35 C
Frailty

R Time: 99  
"Four stars...an extraordinary work" (Roger Ebert). Bill Paxton's directorial debut is an ultra-chilling horror film in which he stars as a mentally unraveled father who enlists his two young sons in helping do God's work as requested of him by an angel--to kill people who are really demons. Matthew McConaughey plays the grown-up version of one of the boys who reveals the terrifying truth behind the series of murders to a stumped FBI agent (Powers Boothe). "A completely spooky piece of business that gets under your skin" (L.A. Times).
 

6:00AM ET/5:00 C
Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights

PG13 Time: 76
A mean-spirited drunk is kept out of jail during the Hanukkah season by a kindly old man who employs him at the local community center in this animated musical voiced by Adam Sandler. In a small New England village, Davey Stone is the local boozehound causing chaos, wreaking havoc and ruining the holiday season for the townsfolk. But just as he's about to go to jail for good, compassionate local basketball coach Whitey Duvall asks to use Davey as his assistant. With Whitey's help, Davey coaches the kids' team and has one chance to reform in time for the holidays. Featuring the voices of Jackie Titone, Austin Stout, Kevin Nealon and Jon Lovitz. Written by Brooks Arthur, Allen Covert, Brad Isaacs and Adam Sandler. Directed by Seth Kearsley.

7:15AM ET/6:15 C
Look Who's Talking

PG13 Time: 95
A baby's got the gift of gab in this "warm and lovable comedy" blockbuster (New York Daily News). Mikey's not just another cute kid--in fact, he sounds just like wiseguy Bruce Willis and he's got a knack for getting what he wants. The Die Hard star is the voice of little Mikey's thoughts even before his birth to unwed mom Kirstie Alley (TV's Cheers). Mom, a CPA, dates a series of upscale New York dweebs, but Mikey knows what he likes--he thinks cabbie John Travolta would be the perfect dad! Olympia Dukakis and George Segal co-star.

9:15AMT/8:15 C
My Big Fat Greek Wedding

PG Time: 94
Nia Vardalos stars as a single girl who creates a major stir within her traditional Greek family by falling for a guy who has one fatal flaw--he's not Greek! John Corbett co-stars as the handsome gentleman who gets swept up in a big Greek love story in this riotous 2002 Best Original Screenplay Oscar(R) nominee that has become one of the most successful independent films ever made. Lainie Kazan, Michael Constantine and Gia Carides co-star. Written by Nia Vardalos, directed by Joel Zwick.

11:00AM ET/10:00 C
Hero

PG13 Time: 118
He's the perfect media hero-handsome, modest and likable. Problem is, Andy Garcia's not the guy who saved 54 people from a burning airplane. That guy is small-time con man Dustin Hoffman, who just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Nobody likes him-not even his kid. But Hoffman's the real hero...and deserves the million dollar reward. Geena Davis co-stars in this comedy-drama about fame in America as a beautiful TV reporter who falls in love with one of the competing heroes. Directed by Stephen Frears (The Grifters).

1:00PM ET/12:00 C
Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron

G Time: 83
A wild horse yearns to answer the call of the wild after he is captured by a nasty U.S. colonel in this 2002 Oscar(R)-nominee for Best Animated Feature. Spirit is a lightning-fast mustang who leads his herd across the plains of Old West until his capture by a cruel commander who resolves to break the creature. Efforts to tame Spirit fail, but it is in captivity that he meets an American Indian boy named Little Creek--and falls for the brave's beautiful horse, Rain. Together, the trio forms a bond as they concoct a plan to escape and return to freedom.

2:30PM ET/1:30 C
My Fellow Americans

PG13 Time: 101
Jack Lemmon and James Garner take winning turns as two rival ex-Presidents beset by misadventure in this "funny, farcical spoof of Presidential mediocrity" (N.Y. Times). Penny-pinching Lemmon and lady-pinching Garner hate each other with an executive vengeance, but with a killer scandal on their heads and murderous goons on their tails, they're forced to hit the road together with hilarious results. With Dan Aykroyd, Lauren Bacall, John Heard and Wilford Brimley.

4:15PM ET/3:15 C
Look Who's Talking

PG13 Time: 95
A baby's got the gift of gab in this "warm and lovable comedy" blockbuster (New York Daily News). Mikey's not just another cute kid--in fact, he sounds just like wiseguy Bruce Willis and he's got a knack for getting what he wants. The Die Hard star is the voice of little Mikey's thoughts even before his birth to unwed mom Kirstie Alley (TV's Cheers). Mom, a CPA, dates a series of upscale New York dweebs, but Mikey knows what he likes--he thinks cabbie John Travolta would be the perfect dad! Olympia Dukakis and George Segal co-star.

6:00PM ET/5:00 C
My Big Fat Greek Wedding

PG Time: 94
Nia Vardalos stars as a single girl who creates a major stir within her traditional Greek family by falling for a guy who has one fatal flaw--he's not Greek! John Corbett co-stars as the handsome gentleman who gets swept up in a big Greek love story in this riotous 2002 Best Original Screenplay Oscar(R) nominee that has become one of the most successful independent films ever made. Lainie Kazan, Michael Constantine and Gia Carides co-star. Written by Nia Vardalos, directed by Joel Zwick.

8:00PM ET/7:00 C
And Starring Pancho Villa As Himself

TVMA Time: 111
Lights...Camera...Action...Revolution! Antonio Banderas delivers a tour-de-force performance in this incredible true story of the legendary real-life Mexican revolutionary who starred in Hollywood's first action epic. This exceptional HBO Films production explores the fine line between fact and fiction, revealing how Pancho Villa (Banderas) allowed a Hollywood crew to film him and his army as they battled the nationalist Huerta forces in 1914--altering the course of film and military history in the process. Eion Bailey co-stars with Alan Arkin (The In-Laws) and Oscar(R)-winner Jim Broadbent (Iris). Written by Larry Gelbart (TV's M*A*S*H) and directed by Bruce Beresford (Tender Mercies). Widescreen.

12:30AM ET/11:30 C
Enough

PG13 Time: 115
A pretty waitress's storybook romance with a handsome customer takes a nightmarish turn in this thriller starring Jennifer Lopez. Slim (Lopez) waits tables in a small L.A. diner when she quickly finds herself swept off her feet--and right down the aisle--by a wealthy contractor named Mitch (Billy Campbell). Several years and a baby later, Slim discovers that Mitch has been cheating, but her accusation leaves her beaten and on the run for her life. With no one to help her, Slim learns to defend herself--while bracing for an inevitable confrontation with the malevolent Mitch. Juliette Lewis, Dan Futterman and Noah Wyle co-star. Directed by Michael Apted (The World is Not Enough).

3:00AM ET/2:00 C
Cold Heart

R Time: 95
Arrested for attacking his girlfriend in a jealous rage, an unstable man named Sean beats the rap, thanks to the efforts of a psychiatrist in the courtroom. Now out on his own, Sean gets a job in a public relations agency and instantly falls for his beautiful, neglected boss...whose inattentive husband just happens to be the shrink to whom Sean owes his freedom. Things go from complicated to very dangerous in this thriller starring Nastassja Kinski and Jeff Fahey.

4:40AM ET/3:40 C
Men Of War

R Time: 102
Dolph Lundgren stars in this action drama as a soldier of fortune hired to strong-arm South Seas island natives into giving up valuable mineral rights. But he does an about-face after soldiers burn the natives' village. Now he's leading them in a fierce struggle for control of their island! With Charlotte Lewis, B.D. Wong. (C) Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc.
 

9:10AM ET/8:10 C
Heaven Can Wait (1978)

WIDESCREEN OAR HDTV
CCAP
PG 1h 41m
Warren Beatty stars in, co-wrote and co-directed this romantic comedy remake of "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" (1941) about a pro football player who's reincarnated into the body of a middle-aged millionaire but remains determined to take the L.A. Rams to the Super Bowl - despite the fact that his former coach (Jack Warden) thinks he's nuts and his wife (Dyan Cannon) and accountant (Charles Grodin) are trying to murder him. Julie Christie, Buck Henry and James Mason costar in this delightful box office smash.

2:05PM ET/1:05 C
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

WIDESCREEN OAR HDTV
Dolby Digital 5.1 / CCAP
PG 1h 51m
Steve Martin and Michael Caine are rival confidence men out to part naive but wealthy women from their riches in the posh resort towns of the Riviera, until they must unite to scam a particularly loaded target (Glenne Headly) from her millions in this hilarious remake of 1963's "Bedtime Story" from director Frank Oz ("In & Out," "Bowfinger").

4:00PM ET/3:00 C
Peter's Friends

WIDESCREEN OAR HDTV
Stereo
R 1h 42m
A classy cast and a sharp-witted script mix to create a heady "Big Chill"-style ensemble drama gone British. Stephen Fry is the titular Peter, a wealthy aristocrat who invites the members of his long-ago Cambridge theater troupe to his estate for a reunion - one that is fraught with romantic assignations, broken hearts, rekindled friendships, and one very startling revelation. Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson and Rita Rudner costar.

5:45PM ET/4:45 C
The Four Feathers

WIDESCREEN OAR HDTV
Dolby Digital 5.1 / CCAP
PG13 2h 11m
Heath Ledger ("A Knight's Tale," "The Patriot') stars in this rollicking 19th century adventure based on the classic novel about a conscientious objector whose opposition to England's war in the Middle East estranges him from his fiancee (Kate Hudson) and his best friend (Wes Bentley) - until a tragic turn of events forces him to heroically rescue the latter from a remote Sudanese prison. Djimon Hounsou costars in this film from director Shekhar Kapur ("Elizabeth").

8:00PM ET/7:00 C
Phoenix

WIDESCREEN OAR UPCONV
Stereo / CCAP
R 1h 48m
Ray Liotta is a well-intentioned Arizona cop who becomes embroiled in illegal gambling and other forms of departmental corruption in this dark crime noir costarring Anthony LaPaglia, Daniel Baldwin, Jeremy Piven, Tom Noonan, Giancarlo Esposito and Kari Wuhrer.

5:30AM ET/4:30 C
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

WIDESCREEN OAR HDTV
Dolby Digital 5.1 / CCAP
PG 1h 51m
Steve Martin and Michael Caine are rival confidence men out to part naive but wealthy women from their riches in the posh resort towns of the Riviera, until they must unite to scam a particularly loaded target (Glenne Headly) from her millions in this hilarious remake of 1963's "Bedtime Story" from director Frank Oz ("In & Out," "Bowfinger").

 

6:30AM ET/5:30 C
Daddy Day Care

Laid-off executive opens in-home daycare center with his friend and learns to appreciate children, including his own neglected son.

2:00PM ET/1:00 C
Daddy Day Care

Laid-off executive opens in-home daycare center with his friend and learns to appreciate children, including his own neglected son.

5:30PM ET/4:30 C
Blank Check

A young boy's bike is run over by a money-laundering con man and a blank check falls into his hands. He decides to go on a spending spree.

9:00PM ET/8:00 C
Daddy Day Care

Laid-off executive opens in-home daycare center with his friend and learns to appreciate children, including his own neglected son.

4:50AM ET/3:50 C
Blank Check

A young boy's bike is run over by a money-laundering con man and a blank check falls into his hands. He decides to go on a spending spree.

8:30AM ET/7:30 C
Princess Caraboo

WIDESCREEN OAR HDTV
Stereo / CCAP
PG 1h 37m
A mysterious young woman (Phoebe Cates), who speaks an unknown tongue and claims to be a South Seas princess who has escaped from a band of pirates, becomes the toast of British society. Stephen Rea and John Lithgow costar in this true story.

10:15AM ET/9:15 C
Much Ado About Nothing

WIDESCREEN OAR HDTV
CCAP
PG13 1h 51m
Director and star Kenneth Branagh's sterling adaptation of Shakespeare's romantic comedy follows a pair of young lovers (Robert Sean Leonard and Kate Beckinsale) who scheme, on the eve of their wedding, to unite a preening confirmed bachelor (Branagh) with his sharp-witted verbal sparring partner (Emma Thompson), even as the sinister Don John (Keanu Reeves) conspires to prevent their nuptials. Denzel Washington and Michael Keaton costar in this "vigorous and imaginative work" (Amazon.com).

12:15AM ET/11:15 C
The Final Option

WIDESCREEN OAR HDTV
CCAP
R 2h 6m
Lewis Collins heads up an all-star supporting cast that includes Richard Widmark, Judy Davis and Edward Woodward for this gripping spy thriller about an anti-nuclear terrorist group plotting a takeover of the U.S. Embassy in London - until England's Special Air Services come to the rescue. This British production, also known as "Who Dares Wins," boasts a taut script from legendary screenwriter Reginald Rose ("12 Angry Men," "Whose Life Is It Anyway?").

3:45PM ET/2:45 C
How I Won The War

WIDESCREEN OAR HDTV
CCAP
TV14 - V 1h 51m
During World War II, an incompetent British officer (Michael Crawford) must lead his misfit men into North Africa in order to capture a cricket field from the enemy in this comically arch anti-war fable from director Richard Lester ("A Hard Day's Night," "The Three Musketeers"). John Lennon costars with Roy Kinnear and Lee Montague.

5:40PM ET/4:40 C
K-19: The Widowmaker

WIDESCREEN OAR HDTV
Dolby Digital 5.1 / CCAP
PG13 2h 19m
Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson star in this gripping, fact-based action drama about the crew of a crippled Russian submarine - the communist country's first nuclear vessel, and one that's nearing a meltdown that could spark a worldwide conflagration at the height of the Cold War. Kathryn Bigelow ("Near Dark") directed this taut thriller costarring Peter Sarsgaard and Joss Ackland.

8:00PM ET/7:00 C
Princess Caraboo

WIDESCREEN OAR HDTV
Stereo / CCAP
PG 1h 37m
A mysterious young woman (Phoebe Cates), who speaks an unknown tongue and claims to be a South Seas princess who has escaped from a band of pirates, becomes the toast of British society. Stephen Rea and John Lithgow costar in this true story.

9:45PM ET/8:45 C
Much Ado About Nothing

WIDESCREEN OAR HDTV
CCAP
PG13 1h 51m
Director and star Kenneth Branagh's sterling adaptation of Shakespeare's romantic comedy follows a pair of young lovers (Robert Sean Leonard and Kate Beckinsale) who scheme, on the eve of their wedding, to unite a preening confirmed bachelor (Branagh) with his sharp-witted verbal sparring partner (Emma Thompson), even as the sinister Don John (Keanu Reeves) conspires to prevent their nuptials. Denzel Washington and Michael Keaton costar in this "vigorous and imaginative work" (Amazon.com).

1:15AM ET/12:15 C
Wes Craven Presents Dracula II: Ascension

WIDESCREEN OAR UPCONV
Dolby Digital 5.1 / CCAP
R 1h 25m
Stephen Billington takes over the role of history's greatest bloodsucker in this sequel that finds the infamous vampire revived by a team of scientists that want to study him in order to cure their wheelchair-bound leader (Craig Sheffer) of a mysterious disease. Anyone with the slightest inkling of Dracula's real powers knows, however, that their high-tech precautions will be for naught! Diane Neal, Jason London and Jason Scott Lee costar in this wry continuation of the horror saga, followed by "Dracula III: Legacy."

5:45AM ET/4:45 C
K-19: The Widowmaker

WIDESCREEN OAR HDTV
Dolby Digital 5.1 / CCAP
PG13 2h 19m
Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson star in this gripping, fact-based action drama about the crew of a crippled Russian submarine - the communist country's first nuclear vessel, and one that's nearing a meltdown that could spark a worldwide conflagration at the height of the Cold War. Kathryn Bigelow ("Near Dark") directed this taut thriller costarring Peter Sarsgaard and Joss Ackland.


 

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