Audio Video News

The <A HREF="http://www.hrrc.org">Home Recording Rights Coalition</A> (HRRC) has thrown its support behind a proposal that could extend consumers' rights in the digital age.

From the November 2003 issue, Steven Stone takes a turn with the <A HREF="/speakersystems/1103dali">Dali Euphonia surround speaker system</A>. SS notes that an increasing number of manufacturers are creating high-end multichannel systems that "marry high performance to high style."

News Corporation is about to become the biggest player on the television playing field, thanks to a December 19 approval by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of its proposed $6.6 billion acquisition of satellite broadcaster DirecTV. The deal would give News Corp. a 34% controlling interest in DirecTV parent company Hughes Electronics. DirecTV has more than 11 million subscribers.

New York's Cablevision Systems Corporation is the latest cable provider to announce that it will begin offering set-top boxes with recording capability. The company plans to offer digital video recorders (DVRs) based on the TiVo, Inc. model, with a high-capacity hard-disk drive used to record dozens of hours of TV programming. Cablevision should begin offering its DVRs in spring 2004.

Toshiba and NEC have emerged victorious from a prolonged campaign to gain approval for their blue-laser-based high-definition optical disc system. Known as HD-DVD, the system was approved for read-only applications by the DVD Forum on December 8.

URC
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