Audio Video News

Satellite receivers with HDTV capability are big news here in Las Vegas. Several companies have followed in the wake of RCA's announcement of its $649 DTC100, an HDTV-ready DirecTV satellite receiver, among them Hughes, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, and Toshiba. Now Samsung Electronics America has announced a set-top box with all the latest technology.

Samsung's SIR-TS200 gives consumers the ability to receive standard and high-definition programming from DirecTV, over-the-air digital broadcasts, and local analog signals. Samsung is the eighth manufacturer to sign on as a licensee of the DirecTV Plus system. Available in the third quarter of 2000, the SIR-TS200 will feature the DirecTV Advanced Program Guide, allowing users to view all available channels—whether HDTV or standard digital format—via an integrated onscreen guide.

"The SIR-TS200 gives DirecTV customers extreme flexibility in viewing formats," said Mark Knox, senior manager of Samsung Electronics America's digital group. "With the Samsung HDTV-compatible set-top receiver, consumers have reception capabilities for analog, DirecTV digital-quality and high-definition programming—from one set-top box."

DirecTV broadcasts two channels of hi-def programming: HBO HDTV (channel 509), and the DirecTV dedicated channel of HDTV pay-per-view movies and events (channel 199).