The <A HREF="http://www.eetimes.com">EETimes</A> recently reported that <A HREF="http://www.jvc.com/">JVC</A> and <A HREF="http://www.sony.com/">Sony</A> are cooperating to develop IEEE 1394 interface technologies for digital video recorders using Sony's i.Link and JVC's D-VHS format. The idea is to entice consumers to use D-VHS recorders in entertainment systems connected with 1394 cables.
Last week, an important milestone in the development of broadcasting in China was marked with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the <A HREF="http://www.dvb.org">Digital Video Broadcasting Consortium</A> (DVB), a group committed to designing a global family of standards for the delivery of digital television, and the Academy of Broadcasting Science (ABS) of the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television of China. The ABS is a research organization responsible for formulating recommendations for digital-television standards for China.
J<I>eff Morrow, Faith Domergue, Rex Reason, Lance Fuller, Russell L. Johnson. Directed by Joseph Newman. Aspect ratio: 1.33:1. Mono (uncompressed PCM). 86 minutes. 1955. Universal ID4268 USDVD. Not rated. $29.99.</I>
Don't leave home without it---home theater, that is. You can now take your movies on the road, thanks to <A HREF=http://www.panasonic.com/>Panasonic</A>'s mobile DVD theater. The complete package---in-dash DVD player, surround processor, video monitor, and 5.1-channel audio system---was unveiled at a <A HREF=http://www.cartoys.com/>Car Toys</A> store in Seattle on Friday, April 9. Car Toys specializes in aftermarket automotive sound.
According to recent figures released by the <A HREF="http://www.cema.org">Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association</A> (CEMA) last week, DVD-Video experienced continued growth during the first quarter of 1999. More than 360,000 players were shipped to retailers through March 26, with the <A HREF="http://www.dvdvideogroup.com">DVD Video Group</A> projecting that an additional 30,000 units would be shipped during the last week of March, bringing the quarter's total shipment to 390,000.
The swingingest cat of them all is 35 years old this week. Monday, April 12, marks the birthday of The Pink Panther. The urbane feline made his first appearance in the Blake Edwards comedy of the same name back in 1964.
Last week, <A HREF="http://www.foxhome.com/">Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment International</A> announced that it will enter the DVD market beginning in September with the release of <I>Titanic</I>, followed by a slate of Fox's top film titles. Fox's DVD products will be distributed directly in the international marketplace by the company's subsidiary offices in Australia, Benelux, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain, and the UK.
If you want to be the first on your block to see <A HREF="http://www.starwars.com/"><I>Star Wars: Episode I---The Phantom Menace</I></A>, you'd better get in line soon---if you can figure out which theater is going to show the film. Theater allocations for the long-awaited May 19 debut hadn't been decided as of last week, but exhibitors eagerly agreed to some strict requirements for running the film. One restriction---that no tickets be pre-sold---will thwart ticket scalpers and deprive ticket agencies of sizable fees.
G<I>ary Oldman, William Hurt, Matt LeBlanc, Mimi Rogers, Heather Graham, Lacey Chabert. Directed by Stephen Hopkins. Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 (anamorphic, 16:9 enhanced). Dolby Digital 5.1. 139 minutes. 1998. New Line Cinema N4667. Rated PG-13. $24.99.</I>
T<I>he staff of </I>SGHT<I> would like to thank reader <A HREF="mailto:davidh@rochester.rr.com">David Henderson</A>, who provided this spreadsheet file in response to an article about room acoustics written by Russ Herschelmann in the March/April 1999 issue. Below are Mr. Henderson's notes for using the file.</I>