Audio Video News

As announced last week, the 2000 Republican National Convention will be America's first political convention aired in high-definition television. But in an interesting twist, Republican National Committee Chairman Jim Nicholson noted that the party has approved the request of <A HREF="http://www.nhk.or.jp/index-e.html">NHK</A> (Japan Broadcasting Corp.) to cover the Convention in HDTV. NHK says it will make available a digital high-definition feed to other "accredited" broadcasters choosing to take the signal for transmission to their viewers.

Video is always big news at CES, and this year is no exception. HH Scott, a name long associated with quality audio, has entered the fray with its first flat-screen television set, a 27-inch-diagonal model designated the STV207. Available at what its maker calls an "extraordinary price point," the set is cable-ready for up to 181 channels, and includes an onboard stereo amplifier and speakers. The STV207 isn't a DTV receiver, but Scott claims it will be ideal for "families, offices, and college dorm rooms."

Satellite receivers with HDTV capability are big news here in Las Vegas. Several companies have followed in the wake of RCA's announcement of its $649 DTC100, an HDTV-ready DirecTV satellite receiver, among them Hughes, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, and Toshiba. Now Samsung Electronics America has announced a set-top box with all the latest technology.

Early predictions for 2001: prices will decline, and products will improve. That's the upbeat message delivered at pre-show press conferences held consecutively on January 5 by frequent partners <A HREF="http://www.philips.com/">Philips Electronics</A> and <A HREF="http://www.sony.com/">Sony Corporation</A>.

Last week, <A HREF="http://www.faroudja.com">Faroudja</A> announced that it will introduce its new flagship DVP5000 Digital Video Processor/Scaler at the Consumer Electronics Show this week in Las Vegas, Nevada. The company claims that the DVP5000 is the first processor to automatically upconvert 1080i (interlaced) high-definition signals to 1080p (progressive) resolution, "improving on the best that HDTV currently offers by removing the interlace stairstepping and motion artifacts found in the 1080i signal." The company also adds that standard 480i sources can be upconverted to 1080p.

Film fans in Thailand won't get a chance to see <I>Anna and the King</I> in theaters. Censors in that country have banned the Jodie Foster film because of what they call its "disrespect" toward Thai nobility. The film was released worldwide a few weeks ago.

The upswell in the popularity of DVD, and its low cost per disc, would seem to be a good thing for all concerned&mdash;movie fans, video stores, and film studios. But the very aspects of the new format that are making it grow so huge so fast may cause permanent changes in the business of video rentals and sales, especially for the studios.