Barry Willis

<A HREF="http://www.runco.com">Runco International</A> has introduced two new widescreen flat-panel plasma monitors. Both are 16:9 units offering true high-definition performance, supporting 720p in its native resolution.

It's obvious to anyone paying attention that consumers love flat-panel displays&mdash;those who are aware of them, that is. Unfortunately for the consumer electronics industry, only a small percentage of potential flat-panel purchasers are either aware of the devices or aware that prices have been steadily dropping while performance improves.

The nation's 10 million satellite TV subscribers may soon be able to receive local broadcasts through their dish antennas, thanks to a bill passed in Washington on Thursday, November 18. Direct-broadcast satellite (DBS) services had been hamstrung in their efforts to compete with cable companies because of <A HREF="http://www.fcc.gov/">Federal Communications Commission</A> restrictions that forbade them to retransmit local signals within areas reachable by stations originating those signals.

Is your local cable company tempting you with a low-cost upgrade package? The improvement it's offering isn't coming from the kindness of its corporate heart, but because cable companies are feeling the heat from satellite competitors, thanks to some strategic alliances with regional telephone companies.