Audio Video News

The direct broadcast satellite industry is making great progress over cable providers in the digital TV arena, according to a recently published study by research firm <A HREF="http://www.strategyanalytics.com"> Strategy Analytics</A>. Worldwide, more than twice as many new subscribers to digital television signed up with DBS services than with cable last year, the study finds.

Camarillo, California-based SineLock has introduced the first of a series of advanced AC conditioners intended for use in both the consumer and professional markets. The devices provide a minimum of -80dB reduction in line-borne noise and -50dB of isolation between outlets dedicated for either digital or analog gear. The result: better audio detail and clearer video images.

Two thousand bucks buys a lot of technology these days. Yamaha's RX-V3000 is a good example: with seven channels of amplification, auto-detect surround sound decoding, and a learning touchscreen, it's hard to beat.

Scientists at the Department of Energy's <A HREF="http://www.lanl.gov/worldview/">Los Alamos National Laboratory</A> say they have developed a technology that could make the coming transition from current analog television to high-definition television a whole lot easier. The scientists describe the technology as a new transmission algorithm capable of compressing a HDTV data stream to the point where the HDTV and analog TV signals can be broadcast over the same channel.

M<I>ichael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Martin Sheen, Daryl Hannah, Hal Holbrook, John C. McGinley, James Spader, Terence Stamp, Sean Young. Directed by Oliver Stone. Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 (anamorphic). Dolby Digital 5.1. 126 minutes. 1987. 20th Century Fox 2000633. R. $24.99.</I>

L<I>ouis Armstrong, Anita O'Day, Thelonious Monk, Chuck Berry, Mahalia Jackson, Dinah Washington. Directed by Bert Stern. Aspect ratio: 4:3 (full-screen). Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround (remastered). 84 minutes. 1958. New Yorker Video 16500. NR. $29.95.</I>

There's some good news and then there's some bad news for video manufacturers so far this year. According to figures released last week by the <A HREF="http://www.ce.org">Consumer Electronics Association</A> (CEA), DVD sales were up 55% last month over those from January 2000, with sales of 570,000 units. The trade organization says that sales of DVD players seem poised for another year of record growth in 2001, as the "fastest selling consumer electronics product of all time".