Audio Video News

HDTV Forum 2004 will be bigger and better than last year's inaugural event, thanks to the addition of dozens of heavyweights from a cross-section of participating industries. Scheduled for August 24–26 at the Westin Century Plaza in Los Angeles, the theme of this year's confab is "Accelerating the HDTV Transition."

Sponsored by Austin, TX–based DisplaySearch ("the worldwide leader in flat panel display (FPD) market research and consulting") and Norwalk, CT–based Insight Media ("the leading source for information on the microdisplay industry"), HDTV Forum 2004 will feature presentations "from experts throughout the TV food chain including TV and cable networks, government agencies, satellite and cable providers, retailers, distributors, TV brands, TV OEMs, panel/tube/engine manufacturers, and IC manufacturers."

Recently announced participants include: Randall Hoffner, Manager of Technical and Strategic Planning, AB;, Danny Cagwin, Buyer, Television, Circuit City; Maverick Yun-Ho Hsieh, Coordinator, Strategic Marketing and Business Development, Delta Electronics; Jordan Greenhall, CEO and Founder, DivX Networks; Dale Cripps, Publisher, HDTV Magazine; Joe Jensen, General Manager, Intel Consumer Electronics Group; Robin Ore, Editor, The Ore Report; Kurt Riegelman, Vice President, North American Sales, PanAmSat; Marc Fleischmann, Senior Vice President, Engineering, Pixelworks; Peter Cullen, General Manager, Premier Retail Network (PRN); Jonas Tanenbaum, Senior Marketing Manager, Flat Panel TV Products, Samsung Electronics; Gary Feather, Director, Sharp Laboratories; Mike Fidler, Senior Vice President, Home Products Division, Sony Electronics; James Li, CEO, Syntax Groups; Jon Herron, National Director of Product Training, Tweeter; Tom French, Vice President, Marketing, VOOM/Rainbow DNS; Mike Wilson, Product Manager, Westar Display Technologies; Vinayak Bhide, Director, Platforms Marketing, DTV Division, Zoran.

Keynote speakers include HDNet€™s Mark Cuban and ESPN€™s Bryan Burns. Participating companies include 16x9 Productions, ABC, Brillian, Canon, Circuit City, Dell, Delta Electronics, DisplaySearch, Discovery HD Theater, DivX Networks, the European Commission, Genesis Microchip, HDTV Magazine, HDVision Studios, Hollywood Digital Imaging, Indiana University, InFocus, Intel, Insight Media, Joe Kane Productions, LG.Philips LCD, Mitsubishi, National Semiconductor, Oplus Technologies, Pacific Growth Equities, PamAmSat, Pixelworks, Premier Retail Network, Roku, Samsung Electronics, Samsung SDI, Sharp, Sharp Labs, Silicon Image, Silicon Optix, Sony, Syntax Groups, Texas Instruments, TiVo, Tweeter, VOOM, Warner Bros., The WB, Westar Display Technologies, and Zoran.

Corporate sponsors of the event include LG.Philips LCD, Samsung LCD Business, Texas Instruments, Zoran, Delta Electronics, DivX Networks, Syntax Groups, Brillian, InFocus Corporation, Intel, and Pixelworks. The event is also supported by CustomRetailer, Dealerscope, HDTV Magazine,HighDef Magazine, Home Toys, Residential Systems, USDC, and Widescreen Review.

Attendees will have a chance to win one of two Viewsonic LCD TVs at the August 24th "Casino Night" and a dinner sponsored by Samsung LCD Business. The hotel deadline has been extended to July 31st. Registrants who commit to the Century Plaza by July 31 will be entered into a raffle to win three nights (Mon/Tues/Wed) in the St. Regis Presidential Suite, a 6000 sq. ft. luxury suite located right next door to the Century Plaza—a $20,000 value. Register onlineor directly with the Westin Century Plaza by calling 310-277-2000.