Want more high-def choices on satellite? Both of the major satellite TV providers are adding HD channels, and DirecTV's 3D roster is now up to four channels.
Until now concerns over the transition to digital television, scheduled for 2009, have centered on broadcast-dependent viewers. But satellite viewers may be in for trouble too.
Local stations suffered a setback in the transition to digital television last week when the Federal Communications Commission ruled that satellite providers needn't carry local signals in HD till 2013.
Both DirecTV and the Dish Network announced last week that they would offer viewers more HD channels. Dish also announced it would do video on demand in 1080p.
What's interesting about the proposed merger of the XM and Sirius satellite radio operations is that their licenses, issued by the Federal Communications Commission, specifically prohibit one company from owning both networks. A press release lists benefits of the monopoly as more program choices, advanced tech innovation, enhanced hardware offerings for OEM and retail partners, better financial performance, and more competitiveness. Some of these claims are more credible than others. Will combining the two result in more choices for listeners--or will overlapping programs eventually be cut? How exactly will the removal of competition spur technology? And the big question, of course: Will the FCC provide conclusive proof of incompetence and/or corruption by saying yes to a monopoly and destroying competition in satellite radio?
The AV receiver is such a feature-rich beast that it's hard to believe designers would ever dispense with a single feature. As the category has grown, features have just piled up, and generally manufacturers prefer adding them to subtracting them. But slowly, stealthily, a few features are vanishing from the spec sheet and the back panel. It had to happen eventually. Every feature costs money for parts or licensing. Either prices have to go up, sound quality has to suffer, or some old features must go gentle into that good night. That last alternative seems like the least of all possible evils.
Although home theater is maturing, it's still capable of being transformed by new technology. This year we are doubly blessed with the advents of both Dolby Atmos surround sound and Ultra High-Definition TV, both of which are being supported in AV receivers. Incidentally, if you want an opinion, I'm cautiously optimistic about both, and believe they will have a positive impact on large dedicated home theater installations. But there are also smaller improvements that get less publicity. So here are shout-outs to half a dozen little innovations that are making AVRs more convenient or better sounding.