In the 22 city-strong foot race to get a live MPH-based mobile TV network up, running, and available to anyone who wants it, it looks like Washington DC's poised to come out on top. Raleigh has already deployed a handful of transmitters for the benefit of bus-goers, but the Open Mobile Video Coalition has announced that Washington DC's local CBS, PBS, NBC, and Ion affiliates plus a Fox-owned independent will all be ready to roll with MPH transmissions by late summer; of course, what remains to be seen is what sort of hardware will be ready to take advantage of the tech by then. We can likely count AT&T and Verizon out for offering MPH-enabled handsets seeing how they're still trying to figure out how to profit from their MediaFLO-based networks, so T-Mobile and Sprint's decisions to take a wait-and-see approach to the mobile TV phenomenon may really end up working in their favor here. Moving beyond the phones, it's said that Dell will be showing some sort of netbook this week with an integrated MPH tuner at the NAB show in Vegas this week, while Kenwood has in-car solutions in the works. As long as the broadcasts stay free -- which by all accounts they will -- the standard has a fighting chance at relevancy, assuming hardware comes to the table.

Last year, locals in and around the Metro DC area considered it a miracle that Washington Nationals games were broadcast in high-def at all. Now that MASN has had some time to get its act fully together, it's no wonder that fans are expecting more. This season, at least 100 of the club's games -- which will air on MASN or MASN2 -- will be shown in HD compared to just 40 last year, and of course, any that end up on FOX as national telecasts will also be featured in high-definition. Unfortunately, it seems that actually finding the game could be an issue for novice channel surfers, but all the details are ready for digestion in the read link below.

[Image courtesy of NationalsClub]

Go 'head, Adrian -- brush your shoulders off. In a day where politicians are allowed to make and break promises with no real repercussions, the Washington, D.C. mayor deserves a hearty round of applause. After suggesting last May that FiOS would be landing in the District by early 2009, we're now informed that he has signed a bill authorizing the carrier to implement its fiber-based services in the region. Adrian M. Fenty has signed legislation into law that will give Verizon the ability to make FiOS TV available throughout DC over the next nine years, with the first residents able to order service within the next dozen months. Sure, there's a hoop or two more to jump through before this is all set in stone, but it's probably close enough to done to start celebrating.

It's time to celebrate, DC, as you finally have more than one option to turn to when scouting HD news. For some four years, WUSA (CBS 9) has been the lone high-def news station in the immediate region, but at long last WJLA (ABC 7) has stepped in to give it some much needed competition. Reportedly, the station aired its first HD newscast during the noon hour on December 8th, with the next episodes to hit at 5:00PM and 6:00PM for those scooting out of work. So, which network has next?

[Thanks, Ammar]

Now here's an interesting one. Verizon, the carrier who offers up FiOS TV, is actually getting set to launch its very own channel. Granted, it'll only be available to FiOS TV users -- and for now, users in the Washington, DC Metro area -- but still, it's a touch peculiar (albeit useful). For FiOS subscribers in Northern Virginia and parts of Maryland, you'll now be able to tune into Channel 1 (FiOS1, predictably), which will reportedly act as a "one-stop shop for local weather, traffic, news, sports and community features." From now until November 4th, however, it will be airing "rebroadcasts of the three presidential debates and the vice-presidential debate, as well as key speeches from the Democratic and Republican conventions." There's no mention of FiOS1 making a debut in other areas (nor of it going HD), but we'd keep an eye out on Channel 1 just in case.

Update: Seems FiOS1 has been available for a tick, but it's the political coverage that's changing things up. Thanks, urfloormatt!

Project Analog Crush is in full swing, and RCN's next target is the nation's capital. The carrier is reclaiming analog spectrum and converting it to all digital in the Washington, D.C. area next month, and it's hoping to use all that freed bandwidth to deliver 75+ high-definition channels in the near future. Be on the lookout for notification of the changes real soon -- you'll be needing a digital converter box or CableCARD if you're still tapping into pure analog cable.

If you were impressed with the $6.2 million renovation at the Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center, you'll be blown away by the upgrades found on Washington, D.C.'s largest hotel. The Marriott Wardman Park has just underwent a whopping $100 million refreshing (a "comprehensive revitalization," as it were), which added in a 32-inch LG plasma to each and every guest room. Additionally, each PDP will be equipped with Marriott's proprietary plug-in panel, and while 64 channels of programming will be available, we aren't told how many of those will be in high-definition. Looks like the competition in the D.C. hotel market is getting even fiercer.

Not like we haven't seen this happen a time or two already in the US, but we'd wager that Comcast's Washington, D.C. market is fairly sizable. Nevertheless, Comcast will be bumping a number of channels -- namely the D.C.-area ABC / NBC / FOX / CBS affiliates -- to digital only. In other words, those relying on analog service will have to upgrade to digital cable in order to continue viewing the affected stations. Granted, some 80% of subscribers in Annapolis and Anne Arundel already have digital cable (so says Comcast), and the changes are being made to open up space for potential HD expansion. Unfortunately, Comcast isn't following in the footsteps of certain other carriers and offering free digital adapters -- but hey, progress has to happen eventually, right?

[Image courtesy of Brent Nelson, thanks Harry]

It's no secret that Comcast is the 800-pound behemoth in the Metro DC area, and while Verizon has been scattering its FiOS TV seeds all around the region, it has yet to really infiltrate Washington, D.C. proper. According to Mayor Adrian Fenty, all that could be changing. In a recent interview on NBC4, Mr. Fenty states that "negotiations are still ongoing," though things seemed to be moving more quickly than in "other jurisdictions." He continued on to say that he estimates the service (though he didn't specify FiOS TV, just "broadband capability") will be available to DCers "early next year." Of course, we've seen promise dates slip out before, so we wouldn't bet the farm on this coming to fruition just yet, but at least all that finger crossing hasn't been completely in vain, yeah?

[Thanks, Jeevan]

Oh sure, Verizon's not coming right out and admitting that it's looking to go mano a mano with Comcast in Manassas, Virginia, but you can bet it'll be trying to sway customers away from the cable carrier as soon as it launches FiOS TV there. Not content with upgrading the network in areas of Southeastern Virginia, the operator has just announced that it has received a cable franchise from the City Council enabling it to provide FiOS TV to 12,000 more households in the NoVa region. Unfortunately, just 1,100 city domiciles are within reach at the moment, but Verizon is slated to string fiber to that other lot within three years. 'Tis a shame three years is practically an eternity.

Just in case the recently revamped Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center isn't close enough to all the action for you, aloft is getting set to bring its traditionally modern style to a new hotel in Ashburn, Virginia. The 136-room aloft Dulles-North is merely minutes away from the Dulles International Airport, and besides being near a plethora of shopping and dining options, it also offers each guest free WiFi, their own flat-panel HDTV and a "one-stop connectivity" panel for interfacing with gizmos in tow. No word on just how pricey a night in this place will be, but you can find out for yourself starting on November 6th

Ever wonder what a $6.2 million renovation can do? It'll buy 284 32-inch LCD HDTVs, that's for sure. At the Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center in Gaithersburg, Maryland, that's exactly what has been added to its guest rooms, and all eleven floors have now been refreshed with the oh-so-useful "plug-in panel" that enables patrons to sync up their travel gadgetry with the in-room flat-panel. You'll also find wireless internet and more HDTVs in the lobby downstairs, and the free on-site parking makes you feel as if you're much further away from D.C. than just a half hour.

For those that witnessed the Nationals topple the Braves on Opening Day (at least on US soil), you got a glimpse of just how nice the all new Nationals Park really is. Now, Sanjay Talwani has taken an in-depth look at the stadium, and he found that copious quantities of HD equipment abounds. For starters, you'll find four 52-inch Sony LCD monitors along with a number of Luma LCDs within the control room, not to mention the 1,552 x 720 Mitsubishi scoreboard screen and the Sony MVS-8000G switcher. As for cameras, there are a pair of HDC-1400s alongside two wireless XDCAMs, but those pale in comparison to the four remote-controlled BRC-H700s around the top of the venue. 'Tis a shame the club's regional carrier, MASN, isn't diving in head first to carry all of its unclaimed matchups in HD, huh? For more details on the technology-crammed park, check out the read link below.

Interested in taking a peek at a few Christie DLP projectors, Stewart screens, Tannoy speakers and Bag End subs? What if a few HD flat-panels and a "4D" theater are throw in? Astoundingly enough, all of the aforesaid equipment and much, much more has been installed at the soon-to-open Newseum in Washington, D.C. Put simply, the venue "traces the history of news reporting from the 16th century to the present," and needless to say, it does so in impressive fashion. There's no telling exactly how many Benjamins Electrosonic burned through installing the plethora of high-end gear, but with 250,000 square feet of technology-laced area, we're thinking a trip (for "education," of course) may be in order.

[Via AboutProjectors]

Say it ain't so! After what feels like ages of watching the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals in shoddy SD, its regional carrier has finally decided to slip into this decade and go HD. As we'd heard rumored just weeks ago, the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network will indeed be beaming out 80 MLB games this season in high-definition: 40 for the Nats and 40 for the O's. More specifically, all six interleague games between the two aforementioned clubs will be in high-def as well as the Nationals' first game back after the opener. Unfortunately, 242 games between the duo will still be in SD, but at least we're making progress. Look for the complete schedule of HD games to surface "in the next two weeks."

[Image courtesy of NastyNats]