At CES 2006 the Syntax-Brillian Corp. announced it would be diving into high-end home theater with the "Olevia Signature" line of LCD flat panels. The first two models will be the 42" LT42HVi and 47" LT47HVi. Obviously intending to make a big splash out of the gate, Syntax revealed that both sets will feature full 1920x1080 resolution and Silicon Optix' vaunted Realta video processor with HQV.

What a difference nine months can make. At CES 2005 in January the HD-DVD group hosted a gala event at a posh Vegas strip nightclub to unveil its plan to be the first HD disc format to market with the most- Toshiba said they’d have a $999 player in the fourth quarter of 2005 and representatives from major studios such as Warner, Paramount, and Universal strode to the podium amid swirling lights and pledged their support for the format to the tune of 90 HD-DVD titles at launch. All the elements seemed in place for a strong pre-emptive strike against Blu-ray, which has yet to announce a US launch date of either hardware or pre-packaged movie titles. The splashy 2005 holiday season launch was to be one of HD-DVD’s key advantages over the rival Blu-ray Disc format.

Looking to continue the sales tear that was sparked by recent promotions that included a $100 in-store rebate on its HD DVD players, Toshiba has made its price reductions on its HD-A2 and HD-A20 permanent. On the other side of the HD fence the Blu-ray camp is responding with a summer-long promo campaign that offers consumers five free Blu-ray titles with the purchase of a player.

Leading companies across a variety of converging electronics sectors have formed the High-definition Audio-Video Network Alliance (HANA) in an attempt to create “guidelines” that will increase capabilities and ease of use for networked high-definition components throughout the home, and include robust copy protection.