Audio Video News

<I>Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight, Colm Feore, Alec Baldwin. Directed by Michael Bay. Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 (anamorphic). Dolby Digital 5.1 (English, French), DTS 5.1 (English), Dolby Headphone. THX-certified. Two discs. 183 minutes (film only). 2001. Touchstone Home Video 2388903. PG-13. $29.99.</I>

Lightweight video projectors are the hottest tickets in home theater. Marantz has taken the concept to a new level of performance with the HDTV-ready VP-12S1.

<I>Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Sally Field, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson. Directed by Robert Zemeckis. Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 (anamorphic widescreen). Dolby Digital, DTS 5.1. Two discs. 141 minutes. 1994. Paramount 15644. PG-13. $29.99.</I>

<A HREF="http://www.threefive.com">Three-Five Systems</A> announced the first public demonstration of the company's recently developed Brillian 1920, a high-resolution, reflective, liquid crystal on silicon "microdisplay," which the company has created in addition to its more traditional LCD products. The demonstration took place at the 19th Annual Flat Information Displays Conference in Monterey, California last week.

Canadian HDTV fans got a boost when <A HREF="http://www.rogers.com">Rogers Cable</A> announced last week that it has launched the largest high definition television offering by a cable operator in Canada to date. Rogers provides services to 2.3 million customers in Ontario, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland.

<I>Robin Wright, Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Christopher Guest, Andr&#233; the Giant, Wallace Shawn, Peter Falk. Directed by Rob Reiner. Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 (anamorphic). Dolby Digital 5.1. 98 minutes. 1987. MGM 1002362. PG. $29.08.</I>

The completion of a proposed $26 billion acquisition of DirecTV's parent company Hughes Electronics by EchoStar Communications Corporation appeared in doubt after a week of intense scrutiny by federal lawmakers.