The EPA will consider changes in the Energy Star set-top box specification for cable, satellite and IPTV service providers to “allow both utilities and manufacturers to further their promotion” of compliant boxes, the agency said in response to comments. It said talks with interested parties on proposed changes will start this month. The EPA has started work on revising the specification for box makers, releasing last week the first draft of version 3.0, which would make the program stricter.

DirecTV will take a three-pronged approach when it launches its 3D channels in June, company executives said in recent conference calls and investor conferences, apparently with little fanfare. The satellite operator will dedicate one 3D channel to documentaries, movies and concerts, and a second to live sports and concerts, the executives said. A third channel will be devoted to video-on-demand, they said. A highlight will be DirecTV’s 3D airing of Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game in July, CEO Michael White said on an earnings call. We were awaiting word from DirecTV at our Friday deadline whether the game will be aired live in 3D.

Sirius XM probably won’t pursue a reverse stock split to get back into compliance with NASDAQ’s listing requirements, executives said on an earnings call Thursday. NASDAQ had warned the company in September that its stock must trade above $1 for 10 straight business days by March 15 or risk delisting.

TiVo is expected next week to introduce a DVR platform to search for shows on YouTube and other sites, an analyst said. TiVo executives, expected to demonstrate the new platform at a news conference March 2 in New York, weren’t available Thursday to comment. The technology probably will provide users with Web search results alongside broadcast, cable TV and pay-per-view listings, said Tony Wible, an analyst at Janney Montgomery Scott.

Whether Blockbuster becomes “a bit more aggressive” in closing stores this year depends on whether other studios join Warner in adopting new DVD release windows, Blockbuster CEO James Keyes said in a conference call.

House Democrats voiced skepticism that no jobs would be lost as a result of the Comcast-NBC Universal deal, during a wide-ranging hearing Thursday before the Judiciary Committee. Members also grilled the companies’ executives on independent programming and diversity in programming and corporate leadership. Republicans seemed more amenable to the deal, though some sought assurances that Comcast would more forcefully address intellectual property issues.

Cablevision is planning by year-end to stop buying DVRs to lease to its customers and phase out the in-home boxes in favor of its remote-storage system, Chief Operating Officer Thomas Rutledge told investors Thursday.

Philips disputed Panasonic’s assertion that plasma is superior to LCD for 3D display (CED Feb 22 p1). Like Sony, Philips defended its choice of active-shuttering LCD for 3D, telling us Wednesday that LCD and plasma have equal merit. On Tuesday, Philips announced a line of eight “3D-Ready” LCD TVs that go on sale this summer in Europe.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Apple will be at the high end of its annual range of 25-50 store openings this year, reflecting a winning bet on real estate prices, its second-in-command said Tuesday at the Goldman Sachs conference.

SRS Labs and Sony are nearing settlement of a legal battle over Sony’s use of virtual surround technology in flat-panel TVs, SRS CEO Thomas Yuen said in a conference call. The companies are scheduled to meet in March in Japan in an effort to resolve the suit, he said.