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Audio Video News
Lucasfilm Combats Star Wars Infringements
Barry Willis  |  Mar 21, 1999  |  0 comments

S<I>tar Wars</I> is with us as much today as it was 22 years ago, when the first film of the series was released. In fact, it has been around so long that it seems an inherent part of popular culture, like <I>Huckleberry Finn</I>---in the public domain, free for anyone to use as they wish. George Lucas, creator of the blockbuster film and its two sequels, has long looked the other way regarding possible copyright infringements. Fanzines, fantasy periodicals, and filmed spoofs have elaborated on <I>Star Wars</I> characters and story lines for two decades without fear.

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Audio Video News
Networks, DirecTV Settle Turf War---For Now
Barry Willis  |  Mar 21, 1999  |  0 comments

According to the March 15 edition of <A HREF="http://www.wsj.com/">The Wall Street Journal</A>, satellite broadcaster <A HREF="http://www.directv.com/">DirecTV</A> will stop beaming network signals to ineligible customers and offer to install terrestrial antennas at a discount as part of an agreement reached with several TV networks. The satellite service has been <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/shownews.cgi?239">wrangling</A> with four major networks---ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox---over rights to deliver network programming to customers in areas served by local broadcasters.

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Audio Video News
Warner Bros. and MGM Negotiate Early Termination of Video-Distribution Agreement
 |  Mar 21, 1999  |  0 comments

In an effort to regain full control of its video library worldwide, <A HREF=http://www.mgm.com">Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer</A> announced last week that it has entered into an agreement with <A HREF="http://www.warnerbros.com">Warner Bros.</A> for an early termination of its existing video-distribution agreement with Warner Home Video. The original agreement with WHV was to end in May 2003.

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Audio Video News
Seven Samurai Done Justice on DVD
Christian Rix  |  Mar 21, 1999  |  0 comments

T<I>oshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima, Ko Kimura. Directed by Akira Kurosawa. Aspect ratio: 4:3. Monaural (Japanese with English subtitles). Two layers. 203 minutes. 1954. Criterion Collection #2. Not Rated. 39.95.</I>

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Audio Video News
Faroudja Experiences Mixed Results from Recent Patent Suits
 |  Mar 14, 1999  |  0 comments

Last week, video-technology developer <A HREF="http://www.faroudja.com">Faroudja</A> announced the resolution of a patent dispute with <A HREF="http://www.snellwilcox.com/">Snell & Wilcox</A>. In the dispute, Faroudja alleged that S&W's Interpolator infringed a patent held by Faroudja as well as two patents licensed by Faroudja from General Instrument on an exclusive basis in certain fields.

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Audio Video News
Kubrick Left Legacy for Home Theater Fans
Barry Willis  |  Mar 14, 1999  |  0 comments

Stanley Kubrick's death on Sunday, March 7, stunned the film community and millions of the director's fans worldwide. He was in the process of completing the finishing technical touches on his last film, <I>Eyes Wide Shut</I>, and editing a trailer for it. His family reported that he died in his sleep, just five days after the film's first private screening for Warner Bros. executives.

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Audio Video News
Audio/Video Hard-Disk Technology Announced for HDTV Applications
Jon Iverson  |  Mar 14, 1999  |  0 comments

Using hard-drive technology to store audio and video data has become a growth industry of late, with startups <A HREF="http://www.tivo.com">TiVo</A> and <A HREF="http://www.replaytv.com">Replay</A> taking the lead (see <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/shownews.cgi?353">previous</A> articles). Consumer-electronics giant Sony has also gotten into the act with its <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/shownews.cgi?321">announcement</A> last December that it will team up with Western Digital to develop hard-disk-based products.

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Audio Video News
Pro BB: Trail Blazers Defeat Timberwolves in HDTV
Barry Willis  |  Mar 14, 1999  |  0 comments

The Oregon Trail Blazers of the National Basketball League lived up to their name in more ways than one on Friday, March 5, when they teamed up with <A HREF="http://www.unitymotion.com/">Unity Motion</A> and Oregon Public Broadcasting for the West Coast's first-ever professional basketball game in HDTV. Oregon PBS has the only functional HDTV system in the state.

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Audio Video News
DTV Summit Concludes
 |  Mar 07, 1999  |  0 comments

Four major industries banded together last week to focus on the business issues necessary to bring digital TV to the American consumer. More than 300 people attended the fourth DTV Summit, which was sponsored by the <A HREF="http://www.cema.org">Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association</A> (CEMA) in conjunction with the <A HREF="http://www.mstv.org/">Association for Maximum Service Television</A> (MSTV), the <A HREF="http://www.nab.org">National Association of Broadcasters</A> (NAB), the <A HREF="http://www.ncta.com/">National Cable Television Association</A> (NCTA), and the <A HREF="http://www.sbca.com/">Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association</A> (SBCA). The one-day summit featured leaders from the consumer-electronics, broadcast, cable, satellite, and retail industries discussing their latest plans and strategies for the DTV transition.

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Audio Video News
DTV Sales Figures for 1998
 |  Mar 07, 1999  |  0 comments

Based on DTV-sales data released by the <A HREF="http://www.cema.org">Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association</A>, <A HREF="http://www.mitsubishi-tv.com">Mitsubishi</A> is the market-share leader in digital televisions sold in the US for 1998. According to its own figures, Mitsubishi sold 9639 units, which constitutes 73.2% of all units reported by CEMA to have been sold last year.

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