Audio Video News

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Despite the fact that financial analysts remain nonplussed by VOOM, the HD-content leading satellite service (provided by Rainbow DBS, a subsidiary of Cablevision System Corp.), those of us on the receiving end of the small-dish system see big promise in such a large selection of HD channels from which to choose. That's why the recent announcement that Rainbow DBS has selected Lockheed Martin to build five more geostationary telecommunications satellites to provide direct broadcast services across the continental US (conus) should make all HDTV owners smile. The first of the five satellites is expected to be completed and launched before the end of 2007. VOOM anticipates an ultimate capacity of over 5,000 HD channels.

"TiVo" has become a generic term for both digital video recorders (DVRs) and the process of using them. The devices are surging in popularity, with factory unit sales up 304% during the first 9 months of 2004, compared to the same period last year. Total unit sales of DVRs exceeded one million units for the first time, with dollar volume up 233% to $345 million, according to figures released in late November by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).

Terk
And you thought your antenna days were behind you. With Terk's new HDTVo HDTV antenna, you can receive both UHF and VHF signals. You'll be able to catch all of your local HDTV broadcasts, thanks to the HDTVo's directional log-periodic antenna array with a pair of curved elements that capture and focus HDTV signals toward the array. According to Terk, this produces a high degree of interference rejection. Additionally, the high-gain, ultra-low-noise amplifier is designed to increase the strength of weak signals and optimize them for maximum reception. The $120 antenna is lightweight and sleek, so it's a breeze to mount on the roof.
Terk
(631) 543-1900
www.terk.com

In refusing to play ball in contract renewal negotiations with Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Company probably sabotaged what could have been a very profitable long-term relationship.

Plenty of television gets watched on Thanksgiving Day&mdash;from Disney classics to nonstop college football. Until recently, not much of it was in high-definition.

Why do the Japanese get all the good stuff first? Godzilla destroyed Tokyo (1954) a full 44 years before he was unleashed on New York (1998). (And the original was much better than the schlock Hollywood tried to foist on us as a "modern" version.) Not to mention they've got gobs more camera phones than we do. And now, Sharp - part of the global powerhouse of top-shelf consumer electronics companies plugging the Blu-ray Disc format - is introducing a new Blu-ray Disc recorder that includes a built-in hard drive and a standard DVD recorder. The new gizmo is claimed by Sharp to be the first high-definition recorder in the world to combine three recording disc drives.