The <A HREF="http://www.fcc.gov">Federal Communications Commission</A> announced July 11 that it will postpone indefinitely its much–discussed auction of the analog broadcast spectrum. Many observers interpreted the decision as evidence that the 2006 deadline for converting the nation's television system to digital will not be met.
The film industry is going to hate this. A Santa Monica technology company has announced a digital video compression scheme that supposedly can increase the data density of ordinary DVDs by three to ten times.
Last week <A HREF="http://www.jvc.com">JVC</A> announced that the final touches have been applied and the D'Ahlia 61" D-ILA hologram HDTV rear projection television (official model number AV-61S902) has begun shipping to several retailers nationwide and will soon be available to consumers at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $13k.
One of the most difficult aspects of home entertainment systems is getting equipment from many different manufacturers to operate as one system. It's bad enough with a simple video-and-sound setup, but add projector, screen, drapes, lighting, and security, and you've got a technical nightmare.
Increasing the length of a product's warranty is a pretty good indication that a manufacturer has plenty of confidence in that product---and plenty of confidence in the market.
On Monday, July 2, 2001, Primedia announced that it has agreed to acquire emap usa from Emap plc. This transaction, which will create the second largest magazine company in the United States, is currently under a customary regulatory review. It is expected to close during the third quarter of the calendar year.
<I>Jimmy Cliff, Janet Bartley, Earl Bradshaw, Ras Daniel Hartman. Directed by Perry Henzell. Aspect ratio: 1.66:1. Dolby Digital 2.0 (mono). 103 minutes. 1973. The Criterion Collection 83. R. $35.99.</I>
It would seem that online junkies get all the breaks. Music fans are able to find thousands of free MP3 audio files (in spite of Napster's demise), and promo clips for new films are increasingly released first online and then in theaters. And then there are the illicit copies of new films available for download (see <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/shownews.cgi?1038">previous story</A>). Video fans can now add tax breaks to the list of Internet perks.
There won't be any end to the blitz of new movies and television shows, thanks to an agreement reached late July 3 between members of the <A HREF="http://www.sag.org">Screen Actors Guild</A> (SAG), the <A HREF="http://www.aftra.org">American Federation of Television and Radio Artists</A> (AFTRA), and Hollywood film studios. Actors agreed to keep working beyond the expiration date of their old contract on June 30; discussions were said to be "amicable" and "low-key."
On Monday, July 2, 2001, Primedia announced that it has agreed to acquire emap usa from Emap plc. This transaction, which will create the second largest magazine company in the United States, is currently under a customary regulatory review. It is expected to close during the third quarter of the calendar year.
Movie tickets worth approximately $3.89 <I>billion</I> were sold in the United States during the first six months of 2001. That number is a 10% increase over the same period in the previous year, according to a report from Exhibitor Relations Company, which tracks business trends for the theater industry.
Pioneer Electronics continues to refine audio and video performance with its new generation of DVD players. The $2000 DV-38A is the company's effort to combine high-resolution sound and image at an upscale but not unattainable price.
<I>Brendan Fraser, Elizabeth Hurley, Frances O'Connor, Orlando Jones, Miriam Shor, Brian Doyle-Murray. Directed by Harold Ramis. Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 (anamorphic). Dolby Digital 5.1. 93 minutes. 2000. Fox Home Entertainment 2000815. PG-13. $26.98.</I>