• Dish has local HD in 4 more markets
By Brian Santo

Dish Network is getting close to having played out its strong suit: HD. The satellite provider introduced local high-definition channels in four more markets.

The areas now receiving local channels from Dish are Ft. Wayne, Ind.; La Crosse-Eau Claire, Wis.; Panama City, Fla; and Wausau-Rhinelander, Wis.

With local programming available in 150 markets covering more than 92 percent of U.S. households, Dish has local channels in all but a few major U.S. markets. Dish is claiming approximately 13.6 million satellite TV customers as of March 31.

• DoCoMo invests $45.5M in PacketVideo
By The Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) – NTT DoCoMo, Japan's largest mobile phone operator, said Monday it spent $45.5 million to take a 35 percent share in a U.S. company that makes multimedia technology for its mobile phones.

The cellular carrier made the investment in PacketVideo Corp., a San Diego-based company that makes a multimedia player used in its handsets. PacketVideo is a subsidiary of NextWave Wireless Inc. NTT DoCoMo said the purchase was made to strengthen its music and video services domestically.

In Japan, where most phones come with digital TV tuners and software to play audio and video files, operators have traditionally had strict control over the software and standards used in phones on their networks. But the industry is warily eyeing popular foreign entrants like Apple's iPhone. Softbank Corp., the carrier that exclusively offers the iPhone in Japan, has used the device to lure subscribers from its rivals.

• Windstream taps into Dish’s remote DVR service
By Mike Robuck

Triple-play provider Windstream has signed on to use Dish Network’s remote DVR access service in order to allow customers to access their DVRs when they’re away from their homes.

The free service lets Windstream’s subscribers find and record TV programs from Internet-connect devices through their broadband connections. Customers need to have a Dish Network ViP Series DVR receiver connected to Windstream’s broadband service in order to use the remote access DVR service.

Windstream offers data, digital and HD video services to residential and business customers in 16 states.