Audio Video News

In an effort to place the cable set-top box at the center of the home entertainment universe, <A HREF="http://www.scientificatlanta.com">Scientific-Atlanta</A> last week unveiled its new Explorer 8000 set-top, which is expected to begin shipping during the summer of 2001. The company also announced that Time Warner Cable has signed purchase orders, commiting them to buy sufficient numbers of the device to satisfy most of the cable operator's forecasted requirements for calendar years 2001 and 2002 for this class of digital set-top.

Films as physical commodities have begun to disappear, thanks to companies like <A HREF="http://www.harmonicdata.com/">Harmonic, Inc</A>. Eventually, most films shown in theaters&mdash;and many films viewed in homes&mdash;will be delivered not as film reels or video discs but as digital signals beamed from satellites.

In a few years, many computer users will have DVD-ROM drives, DVD burners, and Internet connections with sufficient bandwidth to make the sharing and copying of full-length movies a real possibility. The emerging prospect for what some are calling "Napster for movies" has film studios exploring movie downloading and streaming technology, or "video-on-demand."

According to comments filed by the<A HREF="http://www.ce.org"> Consumer Electronics Association</A> (CEA) last week, if the Federal Communications Commission is serious about developing a robust commercial market for digital cable set-top navigation devices, the agency must immediately revise its rules and the market incentives available to cable operators. The comments were filed in response to the Commission's <I>Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking</I>, regarding the commercial availability of navigation devices.

Last week, <A HREF="http://www.lucasfilm.com/">Lucasfilm THX</A> announced the availability of the first THX certified PCs under a newly created THX program that the company says is designed to deliver "the best picture and sound to date on a personal computer." A Lucasfilm press release states that "with consumers increasingly turning to the PC for entertainment content, a THX certified PC ensures that movies, music, games and more will be enjoyed with a sound and visual impact that will satisfy the most demanding multimedia user."