Audio Video News

Telecommunications conglomerate SBC Communications may be next in line to attempt an acquisition of Hughes Electronics' DirecTV satellite television service, according to several reports the first week of February.

Early last week, <A HREF="http://www.valley-media.com">Valley Media</A>'s <A HREF="http://www.schwann.com">Schwann Publications</A> announced that they are introducing a new publication, <I>Schwann DVD Advance</I>. The company says the first issue of the bimonthly publication, dated September/October 1999, will list more than 3500 DVDs, sport an initial circulation of 10,000, and be available in retail stories and by subscription.

Until prices for HDTV receivers come down from the stratosphere and high-def programming is available full-time, most viewers will be watching the new format on legacy TVs with the aid of set-top converter boxes. Hearing the clarion call of opportunity, <A HREF="http://www.sciatl.com/">Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.</A> has introduced a line of products to help meet the early demand for HDTV. Among these products is a new HD version of their Explorer 2000 advanced digital set-top box, which will be available in January. This "all-formats" decoder will translate incoming HDTV signals into NTSC video, easing a myriad of consumers into the coming age of digital television.

The screens become the largest in the series rated for 1.4 gain and have a multi-layer optic said to reflect only the light generated by the projector resulting in a significant boost in contrast. In dark environments, the screen is designed to reduce light scatter by more than 75 percent for a sharper image with deeper blacks.

As with all Black Diamond screens, the new models are 4K ready and support active 3D. Prices start at $2,199.