Audio Video News

Direct broadcast satellite (DBS) television service might soon gain a competitive edge against cable, thanks to broadcasting-reform legislation passed by the US House of Representatives on Tuesday, April 26. The bill, which won near-unanimous approval in a vote of 422 to 1, lifts restrictions on the transmission of local television signals by satellite services, which is one of the primary advantages held by cable companies. Representative Robert Brady (D-PA) cast the sole dissenting vote. So-called "local-into-local" retransmissions are banned by the <A HREF="http://www.fcc.gov/">Federal Communications Commission</A>, whose arcane regulations have been upheld by Federal judges, as happened in Miami last month in a <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/shownews.cgi?392">case</A> brought by major networks against <A HREF="http://www.directv.com/">DirecTV</A>.

It's been less than a week since we <A href="http://www.ultimateavmag.com/news/208badhd/">reported</A> that Netflix will stop renting HD DVDs in favor of Blu-ray discs and Best Buy will promote only Blu-ray, even though it will still carry HD DVD products in its stores. Now, an <A href="http://checkoutblog.com/entries/2008/2/15/wal_mart_chooses_a_hi_def_plat... blog</A> by some Wal-Mart Associates reveals that the &#252;ber retail chain will carry Blu-ray discs and players exclusively as of June, 2008. As blogger Susan writes, "If you bought the HD player like me, I'd retire it to the bedroom, kid's playroom, or give it to your parents to play their John Wayne standard-def movies."