Several months ago, Clark told you about a fight that's going on in the TV world between Verizon and the monopoly cable companies. The issue of contention has been Verizon's build-out of its FiOS (high-speed fiber-optic broadband Internet) network.

FiOS comes with the promise of a wide range of programming choices, which has the monopoly cable companies running scared and fighting it every step of the way. The hand-to-hand combat became so intense that Verizon began offering free HDTVs to new FiOS customers.

But now it turns out that Verizon has not been delivering on its promise. Adding insult to injury, Verizon is also refusing to grant media interviews about the "customer no service" debacle. They instead released a statement that simply confirms that there have been delivery delays.

The one-two punch of the statement and the refusal to talk to the media smells of a monopoly mentality, according to Clark. What would Verizon's "Customer Care Czar" Tom Maguire -- a former guest on the show -- have to say about this debacle? And will it result in a proposed class-action suit years from now, in which case nobody wins??

Clark would like to extend an offer to be the personal shopper for Verizon's CEO, helping him find the best deals on HDTVs. That way Verizon can honor its word to all FiOS customers. After all, Clark assumes Verizon wasn't actually trying to scam people -- they just don't have their act together, right?

In the early days of NetFlix, no one was quite sure if the company's business model would work. Now they've become an enormous success and have practically demolished competitors like Blockbuster.

The next challenge NetFlix has to face is the on-demand movie threat. So the company has come up with a $99 box that delivers on-demand flicks directly to your TV. A monthly subscription fee of about $9 is required to have access to some 10,000 movies.

Netflix is hoping this device will help them counter the on-demand services from some of the cable companies. But do you really want another box on top of your TV? That's become valuable real estate.

In related news, expect to see more tiny computers during the next few years. This trend should be a real boon for all the road warriors who have to lug around heavy laptops.

Clark has a new Hewlett Packard mini-laptop ($599) that weighs 2 pounds and has a full keyboard. It can fit easily in a woman's purse or inside a carry-on bag -- no need for a separate computer bag.

Think of it as HP's response to Clark's beloved "Triple E" PC. Clark was an early adopter of the "Triple E" and bought it for $399. Now he recently saw BJ's selling it for $274!

So business travelers and others, take heart. The days of hurting your shoulder are over. You no longer need to lug a heavy laptop and create a living for the chiropractors!

Have you been hearing all about the coming switch to high-definition TV? There's some misinformation floating around that Clark wants to clear up. If you still get your reception via rabbit ears or a roof-based antenna, your old TV will not be obsolete when the switch is made from analog to digital signals in early 2009. That's because you'll be able to get a converter box for around $50 -- and the feds will even subsidize around $40 of it. So there's no need to buy a new HDTV -- unless you really want one! Meanwhile, how you watch TV is going to be changing. Hulu.com is a new website that will make network TV shows available via your high-speed internet connection. But the really big news that Clark's excited about is that 32-inch LCDs are being designed to hook up to your computer. You can even split the signal so that you don't have to check your e-mail on the boob tube. Clark loves all the changes and choices that are coming -- even though he doesn't really watch TV! We're moving into era where you'll be able to be anywhere in the world and watch the shows you love if you have a high-speed Internet connection.

Renters are about to enjoy the benefits of more competition for their cable business. The FCC plans to announce that landlords can no longer rip-off tenants by dictating which TV/cable/Internet providers they can use. Landlords previously could receive huge kickbacks from little private cable companies by signing exclusive deals for their buildings. When it comes to cable service, we don't have a lot of choice in this arena to begin with thanks to monopolies. The FCC's upcoming move will afford renters a little more wiggle room. Very rarely has a landlord dictating who you can go with for cable been a positive thing. In one unusual case, Clark's executive producer Christa once lived in an apartment where the management company offered her cable service at below-market price. Right now there's no telling how soon renters will feel the benefit of the upcoming FCC decision. On a related note, renters already have the right to go the satellite route. Under the Satellite Home Viewers Act, you can get satellite if you have a clear shot of the southern sky.

Have you ever wanted to see a film but didn't want to order it on Netflix and wait for it to come in the mail? And what if you just couldn't find the time to get out to your local Blockbuster and rent a copy? TiVo has teamed up with Amazon to make sure that you can get a wide variety of films delivered directly to your TV screen without ever leaving home. The pricing for the newly revamped "Amazon Unbox on TiVo" service runs about $2 for older films and $4 for new releases. The service was initially launched last winter, but back then you had to select your movie and watch it on your computer. This new upgrade is great for self-professed "techno-idiots" like Clark, who can now get their favorite flicks directly on the boob tube!

Best of all, this new technology marks a great stride toward IPTV or internet protocol television. With IPTV, the internet offers the ability to completely control the content on your screen. Here in America, we lag behind many other countries in internet and tech advances because of the shared monopoly of the cable and phone companies. But there's more neat stuff like this coming down the pike. Imagine the day when you'll basically have the entire Hollywood archive of movies at your fingertips. Get ready to break out the microwave popcorn!

The monopoly phone companies are trying to break into the television industry. Verizon, AT&T and others, which have become irrelevant in the antiquated home phone industry, are becoming now key third competitors in the local TV business. This is great for the consumer to have other options and more ability to fire your TV company for bad service or high prices. So look in your market to see if it is close to happening where you are. Also, don’t deal with the companies that have terrible customer-no-service. This extra competition would be just one more avenue for the consumer if they are treated wrongly.

Christa, Clark’s executive producer, has three – count ‘em – three personal video recorders or DVRs. She thought Clark was crazy when he first talked about these in 1998, but now she can’t live without it. Now, Verizon is rolling out digital television service in many markets. It’s offering a DVR that serves the whole household. So, if you have a palatial household with 12 TVs, you only need one unit to service them all. The monthly fee is $20, or $240 a year. Slingbox and Sony don’t charge a monthly fee for their “play shifting” service. You just watch TV shows when you want on a laptop. So, if you’re traveling, you can watch your home news reports or how sports teams on a laptop for nothing. There is a difference in the free and paid programs though. With Tivo and the systems from television companies, services are super easy to use. With Slingbox and Sony, it’s a bit more complicated.

Americans haves suffered for the past 20 years because of a terrible decision Congress made to grant monopolies on pay television. It’s stifled innovation and led to horrible customer service and increased prices. Monopolies in any industry are a bad thing and that goes for long distance telephone companies, too. So, now that alternative phone options are all the go, the traditional phone companies are trying to get into TV. The problem is that with monopolies, companies have to curry favor with local governments by offering money. The cable TV industry has been doing it for years and now cable folks want Verizon and SBC to help them with these corrupt government “contracts.” But the state of Texas is putting up a fight regarding these corrupt “contracts.” Texas wants to rule that phone companies don’t have to pay the corrupt government money and cable companies don’t have to pay if they lose more than 30 percent market share. That will allow the marketplace to decide.

Clark loves competition and hates monopolies. Monopolies stifle capitalism and harm our country. That’s why Clark was so excited when satellite TV started in 1994. It was the first competition for monopoly cable companies, and satellite has been growing ever since. The best scenario is when there are three competitors in an industry. It prevents any of the three from slacking off and keeps all of them on their toes. The good news is that Verizon is going to be that third factor. Verizon is operating pay TV services in Texas, and it’s going to cost one-third of what cable costs, according to Newsday. So, if you were paying $60 a month for cable, you’ll now pay about $40 for Verizon service. There will probably be some fits and starts with it, but Clark is so happy about a third player coming into the market. Consumers will benefit a great deal from this.

Are you paying for television? About 85 out of 100 people are these days. It’s either with a cable company, satellite company or with Voom, the latest player in satellite the game. If you haven’t heard of Voom yet, it’s specifically for people who want HDTV, and it’s growing quickly. But with all of these players, you are paying big bucks each month in subscription rates. What if you could get your paid television for free? Doesn’t make sense does it? But it’s a concept that is spreading in Great Britain. The first service was called “Free View,” which offers 30 channels and 20 satellite radio stations for nothing. You simply pay $100 up front and you’re set. Already, 400 million people have signed up for “Free View.” To compete with this service, Rupert Murdoch, owner of DirecTV, will create “Free Sat.” It will offer 116 TV and 81 radio stations. It costs $225 for equipment and installation, but there is no monthly service fee. After that, it’s free! Why would Murdoch do this? He says if you give people the cable basics, they’ll buy all kinds of sports programming and other premium paid television. But, the bottom line is that eventually this will reach the United States and we will have free premium television. You can bet Clark will sign up for this in a heartbeat. He’s paying $61 a month for satellite.