LCD television sets are the next wave in trendy consumer electronics. The LCD TV market should grow from 1.3 million units in 2002 to more than 16.1 million units by 2006, according to industry research firm DisplaySearch.
Simplify, simplify. It's some of the oldest and best advice. Rotel has taken it to heart with the RSX-1065, a multichannel receiver that can take the place of separate processors and amplifiers.
Television broadcasters in New York City will receive approximately $8.2 million in federal assistance to rebuild antennas lost in the terrorist attack of September 11, according to a December 23 report in the <A HREF="http://www.nytimes.com"><I>New York Times</I></A>. Almost all of the city's broadcasters had their transmitters mounted on the top of the north tower of the World Trade Center, which collapsed after being struck by a hijacked airliner.
In the ongoing battle between small-dish satellite and cable, the ability to broadcast local channels was a decided advantage for the wired approach. But the direct broadcast satellite (DBS) companies <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/shownews.cgi?582">successfully petitioned</A> the FCC for the right to carry local stations on their system; early in December a federal appeals court ruled that they must carry "<A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/shownews.cgi?1171">all or none</A>" of those stations to comply.
Travelers parked for the evening in their RVs and campers will never look at satellite TV or high-speed Internet access in quite the same way again, following the recent introduction of the TracVision S3 satellite TV antenna from <A HREF="http://www.kvh.com">KVH Industries</A>.
<I>Voices of Adriana Caselotti, Harry Stockwell, Lucille La-Verne, Scotty Mattraw, Roy Atwell, Pinto Colvig, Otis Harlan, Billy Gilbert, Moroni Olsen. Directed by Ben Sharpsteen. Aspect ratio: 4:3. Dolby Digital (mono). Two discs. 84 minutes. 1937. Disney 22254. G. $29.99.</I>
Madrigal has recalled approximately 1300 Revel Performa B15 subwoofers for repair of a potential shock hazard. A screw in the subwoofer's power amp section can cause a high-voltage short circuit, with risk of injury to consumers. To date, no injuries have been reported, but the company has received at least one report of someone getting shocked.
Philips Electronics has thrown its weight behind "SmartRight," a digital content copy-protection technology developed by Thomson Multimedia, according to mid-December reports from Paris and Geneva. Originally called XCA, SmartRight is a smart-card–based technique that could allay Hollywood's fears about offering hit movies over the Internet or via high-definition broadcasts.
New generations of television products should be easier to connect to cable systems and easier to use, as a result of an agreement signed Thursday, December 19, by cable providers and electronics manufacturers.
Warner Home Video president and DVD pioneer Warren Lieberfarb abruptly departed from the company Friday, December 20. No official reason for his resignation was given, but some industry insiders alluded to his dissatisfaction with upper management at media conglomerate AOL TimeWarner.
The best rear-projection set reviewed to date? Thomas Norton lavishes high praise on the <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/showarchives.cgi?72">Hitachi 51SWX20B HD-ready CRT rear-projection television</A> and is especially fond of its handles.