Audio Video News

Move over, fiber optics; good-bye, T1 lines. The unexploited potential of ordinary copper telephone wires will soon be mined by a consortium of computer and communications companies. Known as the Home Phoneline Networking Alliance (or HomePNA), the recently formed group intends to deliver affordable, high-speed networking over existing phone lines.

On June 17, <A HREF="http://www.unitymotion.com/unity/home.asp">Unity Motion</A> announced an agreement with <A HREF="http://www.turner.com/">Turner Engineering</A> under which Turner will supply high-definition television (HDTV) broadcast-engineering expertise to Unity Motion, which this year begins transmitting multiple channels of HDTV via satellite to subscribers in the US. In addition, Unity Motion announced that it will broadcast the first national satellite-based HDTV signal in the US on June 23-25.

Yves Faroudja, founder and Chief Technical Officer of <A HREF="http://www.faroudja.com/">Faroudja Laboratories</A>, has been awarded the Charles F. Jenkins Lifetime Achievement Award by the <A HREF="http://www.emmys.org/rindex.html">National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences</A>.

Wit overcomes beauty in a recent, informal DVD survey: When asked which San Francisco-based actress or actor they'd like to have over for dinner and a DVD movie, the majority of local respondents picked Robin Williams (55%) over Sharon Stone (23%).

In its continuing crusade to standardize soundtrack-playback levels, <A HREF="http://www.dolby.com">Dolby Laboratories</A> has introduced a new soundtrack-loudness meter, the Model 737. The device was unveiled two weeks ago at <A HREF="http://www.variety.com"><I>Variety</I></A>'s Dolby Tech Symposium at the Cannes Film Festival. According to a May 20 Dolby press release, the 737 "enables sound mixers to easily monitor the subjective loudness of trailers and other soundtracks as they are being prepared."

Computer-game developers have been moving toward the home-theater market for the last couple of years. And with DVD players now catching on with computer buyers and home-theater buffs, the format is ripe for a crossover hit. What is needed, of course, is the killer title that makes good use of both a computer and a home-theater system.