Sharp just recently announced that its AQUOS Advantage Program would be expanded to cover 32- and 37-inch sets here in the States, and apparently it felt quite rotten about leaving our dear friends to the north out in the cold. Sadly, the Canadian launch of the platinum-level customer support experience -- which includes "priority repair services, extended weekday and weekend telephone support hours and a dedicated toll-free support line staffed by highly-trained AQUOS Advantage Advisors" -- only applies to HDTVs 42-inches and up, so those looking to get a set for their bedroom will likely be sorely disappointed in the lack of coverage. C'mon Sharp, whatever happened to fair and equal treatment?

Maybe companies really do get in the holiday spirit, as it seems that about this time each year we get wind of yet another concierge type service related to HDTVs. This year, we're seeing Sharp kindly expand its AQUOS Advantage Program to cover mid-sized HDTVs. Previously, only AQUOS sets 42-inches and up were eligible for the special customer service program, which grants owners "priority repair services, including next business day scheduling and expedited service visits." Now, even AQUOS HDTVs of the 32- and 37-inch varieties are included. Unfortunately for Sharp, we still get the feeling that cash-strapped consumers will be eying that sticker more so than any fancy extras this holiday season, but we reckon it can't hurt.

It's official: Panasonic reopens its VIERA HDTV Concierge Service to the public at large every single holiday season. This year, however, is different. Rather than shutting down the lines to all but those who actually own a VIERA HDTV on December 31st, Panny will keep the cords of communication open through February 17, 2009. Yep, from now until the Digital TV Transition takes place in America, any human with access to a phone can call in to receive all sorts of buying advice and subliminal encouragement to choose a Panasonic set over any other. If that sounds like something you'd be interested in, hit 'em with your best shot at 1-888-777-1170. Just mind the brainwashing and you'll be a-okay.

Aside from the recent compression bit, we haven't heard a whole lot of negative things about AT&T's U-verse. In the same breath, we'd like to add that we haven't heard a tremendous amount of praise either, which leads us to believe it's about as good as every other middle-of-the-road carrier out there. Clearly, those assumptions are remarkably misguided, as AT&T has pumped out a release tooting its own horn over the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Residential Television Service Provider Satisfaction Study. In the three regions where it was critiqued, U-verse TV ranked highest in customer satisfaction, with the service receiving particularly high marks in the "offerings and promotions factor and the performance and reliability factor." So, the question beckons: agree, or disagree?

We're still trying to decipher all of this, but we've received word that AT&T is intending to create two different service levels for its U-verse customers. Essentially, it will be extending the current loop limitation from around 3,000 feet to 3,400 feet from the VRAD, which sounds as if this could enable more customers to receive service in U-verse areas. For folks less than 3,000 feet away from the VRAD, 2 HD / 2 SD service will be available; for individuals between 3,001 and 3,400 feet away, you'll be stuck with 1 HD / 3 SD -- but at least you've have the option of signing up, right? Early signs show the two-tiered service kicking off in St. Louis real soon, with a dozen or so other markets following suit by October.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

In a bid to assure you, the prospective customer, that Texas Instruments' DLP chip is "bullet-proof" (its word, not ours), said outfit is stretching the warranty on any single-chip DLP module to five full years. Of note, this announcement covers chips within education, business, and home theater projectors only, and each manufacturer will be responsible for "providing details regarding their warranty programs, taking into consideration this new five year extension." Curiously enough, we can't decipher whether units that have already been purchased will be covered under the extension or if only new units purchased post-July 1, 2008 will be affected. If we owned one such device, we'd sure be on the phone with our manufacturer with this press release (in the read link) in hand.

You've known this day was coming, but it still has to feel good to have a hard figure to wrap your noodle around. Foxtel's HD+ is reportedly set to go live on June 22nd, with an HD VOD service and two puny HD tiers available at launch. The first tier consists of Fox Sports HD and ESPN HD, while the HD Explore package includes footage from BBC HD, National Geographic HD and Discovery HD. The tiers will set you back AUD $9.95 each per month (or AUD $14.95 for both), but how on Earth could you resist seeing the World Cup Qualifier between Australia and China in glorious high-definition this Sunday? That's right, you can't.

[Via iTWire]

Far from being the first time Time Warner Cable has upset its subscriber base, the Los Angeles city attorney's office is pulling a Dee Snider and refusing to take the carrier's lackluster service anymore. In a 25-page lawsuit, the city is alleging that the operator "caused major havoc and distress" two years ago when it "failed to live up to its part of the franchise cable agreement requiring that a company answer subscribers' calls within 30 seconds and begin repairs of service interruptions within 24 hours of notification in 90% of its calls for service." The suit claims that no more than 60% of customer calls were answered in time, and cable / internet service was said to be "so intermittent and inferior in quality that it was not much better than no service at all." Not surprisingly, TWC representatives chose not to comment on the whole ordeal, but the outfit could face civil penalties of tens of millions of crisp US dollars in the case. Should've picked up the phone, TWC -- it would've been easier than picking up this tab. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]

[Image courtesy of Web 2 Concepts, thanks Scott]

Ruh roh. Seems that perpetual gripes down in Tampa Bay, Florida have finally amounted to something substantial. Just months after hearing a chorus of complaints about Verizon's lackluster customer service, we're now seeing that the carrier could face upwards of $6.5 million in fines for "willful and repeated lapses in Verizon's telephone service." Interestingly, it's reported that Verizon actually has fessed up to some service lapses, and it made a point to explain that it has been "simply overwhelmed with demand for the FiOS service." More specifically, it "acknowledged hiccups in repair service amid strong demand for its FiOS services," but has promised to bring things back up to par hastily. Tap the read link for more on the mess.

Hard to say if this is just another fling that will expire as soon as some TiVo exec feels that it should, but for whatever it's worth, interested users can now purchase a Lifetime Service plan for their TiVo. Those operating sans a TiVo HD DVR can actually still take advantage of the Blue Moon special, but for everyone else, you can snag the Lifetime package for $399 (or $299 if adding it to your second, third, fourth or twentieth TiVo box). Remember, however, that the "Lifetime" subscription only applies to whatever deck you currently have, and with all this talk of tru2way, we might suggest holding off and letting the dust settle before pulling the trigger.

[Via Zatz Not Funny, thanks MegaZone]

As if it wasn't apparent enough from our breakdown of HD carriers earlier this year, the two satcasters here in the US have a dominant lead in HD offerings. Still, the abundance of high-def material comes at a cost, and it's a price many are hesitant to pay for fear of stepping too far out of their comfort zone. According to Sam:

"Now that DirecTV is almost at 100 national HD channels, I'm this close to cutting my cable off and making the switch. However, I'm terrified of hidden installation costs (fishing cables, etc.), punching all sorts of new holes in my home, locking myself into a contract and having to pay a non-discounted rate to keep my cable internet around without bundled HD service. There seems to be so many drawbacks to getting a dish -- is it really worth it?"

We have no doubts that many of you have indeed pulled the trigger in a similar situation, and we're equally sure that a large chunk of you have decided to play it safe and stick with fewer HD channels (and fewer battle scars on your siding). We can definitely see this one getting heated, but make sure you speak your mind on the matter in comments below.

[Image courtesy of Flickr]

Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.

[Image courtesy of AT&T]

Details are admittedly scant on this at the moment, but what is clear is that SuddenLink Communications is writing a check for $16 million in order to improve services in and around Eastern North Carolina. According to Phil Ahlschlager, SuddenLink's North Carolina Regional Vice President, the capital improvements "will enhance the overall quality and reliability of the company's services." Additionally, the 95,000 or so homes in the area currently using SuddenLink can reportedly expect "faster internet connections, better phone service and more HD channels," though we're not told when the improvements will start nor what high-def channels are slated to get added. Looks like it's wait-and-see from here, sadly.

For the second time this season, Charter Communications and its Malibu, California-area customers are dealing with outages stemming from wildfires. Granted, one's cable service is the least of our worries when dealing with situations such as this, but a whopping 12,000 feet of the operator's primary fiber optic cable was recently torched and will have to be replaced. The cable also provides feeds to homes in Agoura Hills, Calabasas and Hidden Hills, and while the firm is working to provide service to those affected, it's having to wait for power crews to sweep through first. Notably, Charter was already in the process of constructing a "redundant path to make the company less vulnerable to fire damage," and the latest word is that it's still a few weeks away from being completed.

Vizio may be known for its ultra-low cost LCD TVs and plasmas, but it's not surprising to find that the firm's warranty terms are less than attractive. Interestingly, a recent article has found that Vizio has actually tweaked its warranty so that shipping a faulty set back to the company becomes Vizio's responsibility rather than the users if the display in question is 42-inches or larger. Of course, this process isn't necessary if Vizio can repair the television on-site, but for units less than 42-inches, shipping it back for "a replacement" could cost the customer "hundreds of dollars." Granted, it's not shocking that mailing a heavy, unwieldy object is pricey, but you may want to think twice about snagging that under-42-inch Vizio if you've got a paranoid bone in your body. Check out the read link for the full details of the change.