Rounding Up HD News: AT&T, DirecTV Partner; Circuit City Posts 2Q Loss

By Andrew Krukowski

AT&T, DirecTV Partner, Leaving Dish Network Out in Cold
After Jan. 31, AT&T will begin selling co-branded versions of DirecTV’s satellite television service, leaving former partner Dish Network without a major reselling partner, Multichannel News reported. AT&T will honor its deal with Dish Network until Jan. 31. Subscribers will see no interruption of service.

Circuit City Posts Second-Quarter Loss
Circuit City, the second-largest electronics retailer in the country, posted a loss of $239.2 million in the second quarter versus last year, the Associated Press reported. Circuit City also withdrew its 2009 fiscal outlook as sluggish sales and heightened competition abound. The company said sales of camcorders and DVD hardware fell by double digits versus the 2007 second quarter.

Panasonic Plans 150-Inch Plasma TV
Panasonic is testing and preparing to launch a 150-inch plasma-screen television some time next year, tech blog Gizmodo reports. Already offering a $70,000 103-inch plasma television, Panasonic could roll out the 150-incher for double that. Gizmodo went hands-on with the big screen, trying movies and video games out on the set. “It’s more than a TV,” the blog said. “It’s a glimpse into the future, it’s a brazen display of hubris and overkill, and it’s a visceral, skin-searing experience. It belongs on spaceships and in museums, not in living rooms. It’s only right.”

‘Iron Man,’ ‘40 Year Old Virgin,’ ‘Knocked Up’ Get Blu-ray Release
Summer stud “Iron Man” received the Blu-ray treatment and hit shelves this week along with several other films including “The 40 Year Old Virgin” and “Knocked Up,” the Hi Def Digest reports. The “Iron Man” Blu-ray DVD includes two documentaries, one on the comic series and the other a nearly two-hour look at the making of the film, as well as an armor gallery and deleted scenes.