Jon Iverson

<A HREF="http://www.showtimenetworks.com/">Showtime Networks</A> must be on an HDTV roll. On the heels of its recent announcement about adding its high definition offerings to the DirecTV service, the premium channel broadcaster announced more HDTV programming this week, along with an audio upgrade.

Ask most folks what it will take to get HDTV rolling and the answer is content, content, and more content. Two weeks ago, Discovery Network announced its <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/shownews.cgi?1273">first all HDTV 24-hour/day</A> channel, which is set to go live in a couple of months, and last week Showtime Networks and DirecTV announced that the satellite provider will carry the East Coast SHO HDTV channel beginning April 30.

When it comes to persuasive reasons to purchase an HDTV, nothing beats having compelling content&mdash;and lots of it. Add one more notch to the content totals: Discovery Communications announced last week that it will launch Discovery HD Theater. The company describes HD Theater as a new 24-hour network "which will transmit high-definition content in all the popular categories of entertainment offered by Discovery" including nature, history, world cultures, geographic explorations, science, education, travel, and a wealth of children's and how-to programming.

One limitation often preventing home theater enthusiasts from installing a front projection video system is the need to place the projector in a particular place in the room to get a proper image on screen. A semiconductor company exhibiting at the National Association of Broadcasters 2002 convention this week in Las Vegas says they can change all that.