Audio Video News

The LCoS shakeout has begun in earnest. Shortly after Philips announced that it would discontinue production of liquid-crystal-on-silicon rear-projection television sets (RPTVs), chipmaker Intel Corporation made an equivalent move, shutting down its LCoS product development program.

With the growth of internet video, Intel is developing a new group of "system on chips" for use in DTVs, set-top boxes, optical disc players, and other devices. The aim is to provide "uncompromised internet access" with "high-definition video support, home-theater quality audio and advanced 3-D graphics," according to the press release.

Intel Corporation announced on Wednesday that they will invest in a new venture with Revelations Entertainment, an entertainment-development company headed by actor Morgan Freeman and producer Lori McCreary. The deal is based on the formation of a new digital entertainment company called ClickStar, Inc., which will focus on distributing premium movies directly to consumers over the Internet, connecting filmmakers to film fans worldwide.

Chip makers continue to up the ante as computers and television converge. <A HREF="http://www.intel.com/">Intel Corporation</A> has announced the Pentium III, the latest in its famous line of high-speed microprocessors. The new chip, which will replace the highly regarded Pentium II, has been optimized for audio/video, graphics, and data communication with the addition of 70 new instruction codes. It will run at a basic clock rate of 450-500 MHz---fast enough to process high-definition television signals.

Frodo—yes, Frodo as in the famous Hobbit—looks like a watch but it’s actually a wearable camera. And not just any camera.

After the coming merger of <A HREF="http://www.aol.com/">America Online</A> and media giant <A HREF="http://www.timewarner.com/">Time Warner</A> was announced, the <A HREF="http://washingtonpost.com/"><I>Washington Post</I></A> ran a cartoon in which a man comes home to find every item in his house telling him "You've got mail!" AOL hasn't connected to the toaster yet, but may soon have its hooks in that other staple of American household appliances, the television set.