News Corp. and DirecTV: The satellite broadcast merger appears to be a done deal now that both the Federal Communications Commission and the US Department of Justice have given their approval. News Corporation will buy a 34% stake in Hughes Electronics, giving it control over satellite broadcasting service DirecTV.
Michael Fremer positions the complete $21,000 <A HREF="/speakersystems/1103ap">Audio Physic Virgo III surround speaker system</A> into place and then wonders whether "using speakers capable of exceptionally stunning imaging would make sense in a home theater."
From the November 2003 issue, Steven Stone takes a turn with the <A HREF="/speakersystems/1103dali">Dali Euphonia surround speaker system</A>. SS notes that an increasing number of manufacturers are creating high-end multichannel systems that "marry high performance to high style."
Photos by Michelle Hood On third-and-one with 1:22 left in the third quarter of a game between the Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills, Miami quarterback Jay Fiedler overshot tight end Randy McMichael with a short pass down the middle. The play, which unfolded in roughly 8 seconds, had no bearing on the outcome of the game.
The words "flat-out huge" come to mind when I try to describe Samsung's HPN6339. This massive panel claims the title of the world's largest plasma TV - at least until the Korean electronics giant begins selling its 70-inch model, announced last spring.
Photos by Tony Cordoza In the not too distant future, most TVs will be flat. Svelte, inches-thin LCD and plasma displays just make more sense than bulky tubes, especially in kitchens, bedrooms, and other smaller spaces. Even big-screen projection TVs are slimming down as tubes give way to newer technologies.
In the world of fine art, the name Dal conjures up images of flaccid clocks created by a mustachioed wild man. But in high-end audio, DALI is an acronym for Danish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries. Since 1983, DALI has been producing speakers for the home entertainment market. With a staff of just over 60, DALI doesn't rate as an industrial behemoth, but it does display the kind of creative independence that leads to big things. DALI does all their R&D work in-house, and instead of being built on a standard production line, their speakers are assembled by two-person teams. Although DALI is better known in Europe than in the US, their new line of Euphonia home-theater speakers should change that.
Barry Willis | Dec 20, 2003 | First Published: Dec 21, 2003
News Corporation is about to become the biggest player on the television playing field, thanks to a December 19 approval by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of its proposed $6.6 billion acquisition of satellite broadcaster DirecTV. The deal would give News Corp. a 34% controlling interest in DirecTV parent company Hughes Electronics. DirecTV has more than 11 million subscribers.