While the government officially delayed the analog to digital TV switch until June 12th, 641 small-market stations are still flipping the switch today, mainly in thinly populated areas. So basically, the stations in the markets where people probably still use rabbit-ear antennae and, thus, will be most affected by the switch are the ones going ahead with the original date. Bravo. For more details, check out dtv.gov.

[Yahoo! Tech]

I searched high and low for the best possible TV I could get for the lowest possible price. I’ve already got a 32″ so it had to be bigger than that, and my parents recently picked up a 52″ and I decided that was too big. I settled on the 46″ Samsung 500 series because it was a smaller version of what my parents got and I liked theirs a lot. Luckily, I haven’t been disappointed. (more…)

One of the easiest ways to tell how cool a dude is is to take a look at his TV. If it’s not HD, there’s something seriously wrong. But just because a TV is “HD” doesn’t mean it’s good. There are a lot of things that factor into what makes an HDTV good but all the numbers that get thrown at you can be confusing. Don’t worry, dumbass. We’re here to steer you in the right direction. (more…)

One of the first stories we posted on Average Dudes was about the Writers Strike last year. It was a devastating time in the lives of Americans. With a lack of new, original shows to watch, weeknights became mundane…some poor dudes were even forced to read or have conversations with their spouses. It’s a time I’d like to forget completely. (more…)

I’ve had my eye on a 46″ Samsung LCD HDTV for a while now. According to Consumer Reports, it’s the best TV in its size range and its price on Amazon had dropped to $1,399.98…roughly $300 cheaper than at Best Buy. This morning, I checked the product listing on Amazon again and saw a brand new “$200 Rebate” offer. I immediately signed up for the Amazon credit card (to get 24 months no interest financing) and ordered that thing. Then I downloaded the PDF for the “rebate.” (more…)

It looks like your Xbox just got a little more purpose. It was announced yesterday that a Hollywood based company, Safran Digital Group, would be producing original shows for the Xbox.

Microsoft, seeking to expand offerings on its Xbox 360 console, has reached an agreement with a company headed by Peter Safran, the veteran Hollywood producer and talent manager, to produce original shows for distribution on the system

Few details were given regarding any of the shows except that they would be targeted for the the Xbox core audience, males 14 to 34. Since I’ve been told I have the mentality of an 8 year old I have no interest on any of this.

[NY Times]

Watch out Godzilla, there’s a new big boy in town. This is an actual video of a promotion Sony Pictures has going in Tokyo, Japan depicting the late great Loch Ness Monster coming out of Tokyo Bay. (more…)

The Consumer Electronics Show ended on January 10th after four long days of companies climbing over each other to show off their latest and greatest innovations. As you can see by checking out a site like Engadget or Gizmodo, the sheer amount of crap that is shown off is nothing short of overwhelming so it’s difficult for a non-nerd to sift through and find things to really look forward to. That’s where we come in. We’re just nerdy enough to check out all the coverage, but just normal enough to spot the things that will really have an impact on our lives (and wallets) in the coming year. (more…)

Panasonic have outdone themselves again at this year’s CES by releasing this mammoth TV. The scary thing is that it’s 50% bigger than the 103 inch model they released last year. I’m not really sure why it’s necessary or how it would even fit through a door, but I want one. I think you would cause some minor brown-outs when you turned it on for the first time.

Just imagine what football would be like on that sucker…or the Food Network. Something about a 150 inch closeup of a freshly-baked pie gets me excited.

I can’t wait for next year’s model.

[via gizmodo]

As another year comes to a close it looks like we take another small step toward a pure digital society. It appears 2007 will be the first year Americans spent more on cell phone service than land line service. (more…)