Audio Video News

<A HREF="http://www.nec.com">NEC</A> announced last week that it will begin sales in Japan on July 23 of what it describes as the industry's largest plasma display monitor, with a panel size of 61 inches (155cm diagonal) and a 16:9 aspect ratio. The introduction of the PX-61XM1, NEC says, will make it the first company to take the jumbo-size screen from the prototype stage to mass production. The suggested retail price of the plasma monitor is initially expected to be $27,995.

Net neutrality has become a political and regulatory football in the United States, with internet service providers squaring off against electronic libertarians, and the feds uneasily caught in the middle. But in one European nation, for the first time, it may be about to become law.

In the Netherlands, the parliament is weighing a net neutrality bill designed to prevent the dominant (and newly privatized) telco from discriminating against certain kinds of net traffic.

Surprise, <A HREF="http://www.microsoft.com">Microsoft's</A> <A HREF="http://www.webtv.com">WebTV</A> is now the only player in the TV/Internet game. On Wednesday, April 29, NetChannel Inc. threw in the towel, announcing that it was getting out of the business of bringing the Internet into homes via set-top converter boxes. The $20-per-month service never gained a large enough following to become profitable.