FCC feet to the fire: The Bush administration will hold the Federal Communications Commission to an early June deadline for rewriting regulations for media ownership. The changes will likely lift most remaining restrictions on control of radio and television stations in single markets, as well as throughout the nation.
<A HREF="http://www.dts.com">Digital Theater Systems Inc</A> hopes to get a financial boost through an initial public offering of stock to take place later this year.
Lowell/Edwards It's pretty. It's functional. It's Lowell/Edwards' Asymmetric Wall Unit. This elegant unit manages an entire A/V system. The central section is a matte-black-lacquered cabinet that houses all of your components, and you can add drawers to the 36-inch-high granite countertop to hold remotes, software, or whatever you like. The right section of the unit features a platform that can accommodate up to a 32-inch-diagonal display and swivels 180 degrees. Other nice perks are handsome display shelves, cherry-veneer pocket doors that open to reveal a dry bar, and space for three small monitors to suspend from the lower of the two horizontal top panels. This simply beautiful wall unit retails for $12,500. Lowell/Edwards (212) 980-2862 www.lowelledwards.com
Surround sound via Dolby Digital is becoming a standard for an increasing number of television broadcasts. The past few months have seen many special broadcast using technology developed by Dolby Laboratories, including Super Bowl XXXVII, the GRAMMY® Awards, the Academy Awards, NASCAR’s Daytona 500, the NCAA basketball tournament, and the NBA playoffs. All of these special events have been broadcast in Dolby Digital 5.1.
Pink Floyd—The Dark Side of the Moon (SACD, EMI Records) I can't think of many rock bands that are a better fit for the multichannel treatment than Pink Floyd. In addition to their music's many other pioneering aspects, toying with dimensions and perspective has never been something that the band was afraid to do. While it must've been a great temptation to incorporate sonic gymnastics of every kind into this material, the SACD's 5.1 mix has enough presence to make it interesting but enough subtlety to keep it legitimate. You get your experimentation, but it's rarely distracting or overpowering.
The weekend of June 5-8 promises to be a busy one for high-definition fans on the West Coast. <A HREF="http://www.homeentertainment-expo.com/">Home Entertainment Expo 2003</A> takes place during those days at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, simultaneously with this year's <A HREF="http://www.hdfest.com">HDFEST</A> at the Los Angeles Film School.
By December of this year, home-theater-in-a-box systems may be able to record television programs, archive digital videotape on recordable DVDs, and perform other technical feats now possible only with megabuck gear.
In these days of DLP, is there room for any other projector technology? Thomas J. Norton sets out to find the answer as he reviews the <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/showarchives.cgi?109">Sony VPL-VW12HT LCD video projector</A>. As TJN discovers, there may be life yet in the LCD, especially when combined with a FireHawk screen.
DVD: The Transporter—20th Century Fox Audio 4 Video 4 Extras 3 In this film's transport to DVD, 20th Century Fox was able to keep the enthralling lack of plot and the eye-bleeding action scenes intact. The stone-faced Jason Statham plays a driver that transports stuff. I really mean stuff; he'll drive anything anywhere. Carrying the entire movie on about 100 lines of dialogue, Statham mostly just runs around punching, kicking, and shooting. At one point, he even puts his shirt on. This isn't to say that the movie isn't entertaining; it's just as intelligent as the banjo player from Deliverance.
Atlantic Technology The motto may already be taken, but we think Atlantic Technology ought to steal "Have it your way" from a certain fast-food chain. The THX Ultra 2–certified System 8200 is all about customization. This modular speaker system includes the 8200 LR three-way front speaker, the 8200 C three-way center channel, the 8200 SR bipole/dipole surround speaker, and the 8200 PedWoofer, a 12-inch subwoofer that's powered by the external SA 8200 amp. You can mate the 8200 LR with the 8200 PedWoofer to create a powered tower. Or, if you just want the look of tower speakers, you can get an empty pedestal to place under the 8200 LR or 8200 SR. Every piece is finished in Atlantic Tech's duraBlac speckled lacquer finish, and you can choose from accent-panel kits in high-gloss black lacquer, natural maple, oiled cherry, natural mahogany, or unfinished MDF that you can finish any way you please. Depending on the options you choose, the System 8200 can cost anywhere from $6,000 to $18,000. Atlantic Technology (781) 762-6300 www.atlantictechnology.com
Exhibitors at Home Entertainment 2003 (HE2003), the premier home theater & specialty audio show, are gearing up for one of the most important international events of the year. HE2003 will take place June 5-8, 2003 at The Westin-St. Francis Hotel in the heart of downtown San Francisco. This historic location will provide the perfect setting to showcase the latest in home audio/video and home theater entertainment. This will be the show's fourth visit to San Francisco—previous events were held in 1989, 1993, and 1997.