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<I>Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Brad Renfro, Steve Buscemi, Illeana Douglas. Directed by Terry Zwigoff. Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 (anamorphic). Dolby 5.1 surround. 111 minutes. 2001. MGM 1002564. R. $26.98.</I>

The <A HREF="http://www.hdmi.org">High Definition Multimedia Interface</A> (HDMI) organization announced last week that the draft specification version 0.9 defining <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/shownews.cgi?1274">HDMI digital interface</A> for consumer electronics is now available for review at the organization's <A HREF="http://www.hdmi.org">Website</A>. The HDMI members include Hitachi, Matsushita (Panasonic), Philips, Silicon Image, Sony, Thomson Multimedia, and Toshiba.

Epson is making a bold foray into the home theater market. On June 28, the venerable printer maker debuted its "first-ever home theater" video projector. Epson has long made projectors for the business presentation market, and the move into home theater was a natural progression, according to company marketing executives.

The future for high definition digital video connection technology remains cloudy, so having a few choices is a plus. <A HREF="http://www.vividlogic.com">VividLogic</A>, which specializes in creating software for IEEE 1394 (Firewire, iLink) enabled consumer electronics products, announced last week that it has struck a deal with <A HREF="http://www.dishnetwork.com">EchoStar Communications</A> to deploy VividLogic's "FireBus" software to provide digital connectivity and interoperability in a future, next generation HDTV-compatible set-top box (STB).