Everything seems to be roses and lollipops for <A HREF="http://www.tivo.com">TiVo</A> and <A HREF="http://www.sonicblue.com">SonicBlue</A>, maker of ReplayTV devices. The Silicon Valley rivals are allies now that they've decided to put their time and money into promoting digital video recorders (DVRs) rather than fighting each other.
Delays in tower construction could cause broadcasters in some big cities like New York and Chicago to miss their government-mandated May 1, 1999 deadline for initiating HDTV. The problem is this: The strength of terrestrially transmitted digital signals is dependent on the height of transmitting towers, and big-city broadcasters are having trouble finding the space to build them. "The rollout might be a little slower than anyone anticipated," said <A HREF="http://www.nab.org/">National Association of Broadcasters</A> executive vice president Chuck Sherman at the NAB's annual convention in Las Vegas.
Copyright hysteria is one of the entertainment industry's longest-running programs. Last week's episode featured an announcement by the recently formed Advanced Television Copyright Coalition (ATCC) that the group would exert legal pressure on <A HREF="http://www.tivo.com/">TiVo, Inc.</A>, and <A HREF="http://www.replaytv.com/">RePlay Networks, Inc.</A>, two Silicon Valley-based makers of personal video recorders (PVRs). These are hard-disk-based video recorders that allow users to easily shift viewing times and instantly zip past commercials if they wish. The machines' manufacturers will be asked to sign licensing agreements for the use of the group members' content.
Give-and-take is the essence of politics. On Monday evening, November 24, demonstrating that it's better to compromise than to lose entirely, US lawmakers agreed to cap broadcast ownership at 39% of the national market of potential viewers—less than half-way between the old limit of 35% and a new one of 45% approved by the Federal Communications Commission last June. Some Democratic lawmakers decried the 39% deal as a betrayal by their Republican colleagues.
Despite high-definition television's official debut last year, it still has virtually no audience—the equipment needed to receive it is still too expensive for all but the wealthiest early adopters. No audience means no ad revenue, and in the world of commercial broadcasting, no ad revenue means no budget for program development.
Railroads once defined the US transportation industry, but by the late 20th century, they were all but obsolete, having succumbed to competition from airlines and trucking companies. Television networks may be headed for a similar fate, having lost 18% of the summer audience to cable channels.
Did you know that William Shakespeare, with 329 film titles to his credit, is the most prolific screenwriter of all time? Neither did I. Did you know that Mel Blanc---the voice of Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Tweety Bird, etc.---is the most prolific film actor of all time, with an astounding 672 titles to his credit? Neither did I. Did you know that D.W. Griffith's total of 545 films makes him the most prolific director ever? Neither did I. Did you know he was also the third most prolific screenwriter, with 222 scripts? Did you know that silent-film star Mary Pickford appeared in more movies (238) than any other actress? Have you ever even <i>heard</i> of Julia Caesar, whose 135 film appearances make her the 20th most prolific screen actress of all time? Neither had I.
The digital TV rollout may have more problems than were previously anticipated. A study released July 25 by <A HREF="http://www.trivenidigital.com">Triveni Digital</A> indicates that a majority of the nation's digital broadcasts have transport stream errors that can cause reception problems ranging from "tuner lock-up" to audio sync errors. In addition, a July 26 report in the <I>Los Angeles Times</I> says that new content protection schemes could be incompatible with early generation high-definition TVs.