Audio Video News

In an effort to simplify the mess that the 500-channel TV universe has become, Panasonic announced last week the shipment of its new DirecTV-enabled HDTV receiver to retailers. In addition to receiving and decoding both DirectTV and DirecTV HD satellite transmissions, the TU-HDS20 is a DTV-ready multiple-format tuner capable of receiving all 18 ATSC digital television broadcast formats as well as current analog (NTSC) signals.

To help integrate all of the analog and digital sources, the TU-HDS20 features the Advanced Programming Guide (APG), which, the company says, "seamlessly merges and displays program information from all the available sources." Panasonic says that, in addition to being able to receive all analog and DTV terrestrial broadcasts in local service areas via a rooftop antenna, the receiver will also accept and integrate NTSC local cable channels into the program guide.

Tuner outputs include component video (Y, PB, PR), composite video and audio, RGB-HV, S-Video, Dolby Digital audio (optical), and a modem. Panasonic notes that the users television must be equipped with a composite video input or an S-video input to receive an NTSC signal, while component video inputs are required to receive converted DTV signals.

The TU-HDS20 has a retail price of $1099, and an elliptically shaped satellite dish, which will receive analog and digital DirecTV signals, is available with it for $199.95. Included with the tuner is Panasonic's Director Home Theater universal remote control, which operates hundreds of brands of both video and audio components and sports illuminated keys.