For Blu-ray fans in China, last week brought a couple of audio-related milestones.

Audio quality in streaming video has taken another step forward with the news that the Best Buy–owned CinemaNow service is adopting DTS-HD. Despite the moniker, it is not the same lossless DTS-HD Master Audio that appears on 80 percent of Blu-ray Discs—it’s a slimmed-down streaming-friendly DTS Express codec that delivers 5.1 channels at data rates up to 512 kilobits per second. Consumers will access encoded content through Rovi-powered storefronts that will operate through Samsung’s 2013 smart TVs and Blu-ray players and their ARC-enabled HDMI or optical outputs. DTS-HD is not the only surround game in streaming town: Dolby Digital Plus is in use by Netflix, Vudu, and Amazon Instant Video.

The contents of Circuit City's coffin are likely to be snapped up by a sharp-eyed operator called Systemax.

Circuit City announced last week that it would fire 8.5 percent of its retail-floor staff and hire replacements at lower pay. Savor the insane panache of the press release: "The company has completed a wage management initiative that will result in the separation of approximately 3,400 store Associates. The separations...focused on Associates who were paid well above the market-based salary range for their role. New Associates will be hired for these positions and compensated at the current market range for the job." Said CEO Philip J. Schoonover: "We are taking a number of aggressive actions to improve our cost and expense structure, which will better position us for improved and sustainable returns in today's marketplace."