M<I>el Gibson, Heath Ledger, Joely Richardson, Jason Isaacs, Chris Cooper, Tcheky Karyo, Rene Auberjonois, Tom Wilkinson. Directed by Roland Emmerich. Aspect ratio: 2.35 (anamorphic). Dolby Digital 5.1. 165 minutes. 2000. Columbia TriStar Home Video 05731. R. $27.96</I>
The erosion of long-standing regulatory policy that began with the Telecommunications Act of 1996 continues under the leadership of <A HREF="http://www.fcc.gov">Federal Communications Commission</A> chairman Michael Powell. The FCC has approved by a 3–1 vote the ownership of multiple networks by a single owner, thereby reversing one of the agency's oldest rules.
New technology often debuts at the annual <A HREF="http://www.nab.org">National Association of Broadcasters</A> convention. This year's late April confab in Las Vegas is no different. From Monday the 23rd through Thursday the 26th, engineers, marketers, and journalists alike will get a glimpse of the world to come.
Consumers attending the Home Entertainment 2001 Show in NYC, May 11–13, 2001, will have a unique opportunity to speak with and learn from the home entertainment industry's leading experts. As part of the three-day audio and video extravaganza, the Show will offer educational seminars and panel discussions—included with the admission ticket price on a first come, first served basis. This is a rare opportunity for consumers to meet with legendary industry journalists, manufacturers, dealers, and others.
"Looking huge" is an understatement when applied to Marantz's new PV6480W HDTV-ready rear projection television set. Not only is its 64" (diagonal) screen among the biggest on the market, so are its 9" CRTs.
Consumers attending the Home Entertainment 2001 Show in NYC, May 11–13, 2001, will have a unique opportunity to speak with and learn from the home entertainment industry's leading experts. As part of the three-day audio and video extravaganza, the Show will offer educational seminars and panel discussions—included with the admission ticket price on a first come, first served basis. This is a rare opportunity for consumers to meet with legendary industry journalists, manufacturers, dealers, and others.
Hard-disc–based digital video recorder (DVR) products (aka PVRs or personal digital recorders) such as those sold by TiVo and ReplayTV have been getting a lot of press lately, but only a modest share of consumer dollars. In the few short months since DVRs hit the shelves, ReplayTV has already <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/shownews.cgi?876">bailed out</A> of the manufacturing business, and the ultimate fate of TiVo is still unkown. In spite of its shaky start, the DVR category is slated to take off in the next five years, according to a new report from the <A HREF="http://www.yankeegroup.com">Yankee Group</A>.
Civil libertarians and computer hackers are united in their opposition to a ruling last summer by US District Judge Lewis Kaplan that banned the posting or propagation of DeCSS. The code, named for its ability to unlock DVD's Content Scrambling System, enables the copying of DVDs. In his ruling, Judge Kaplan ordered website <A HREF:"http://www.2600.com">2600</A> to remove not only the code, but also links to other sites where curious visitors might find it.
I<I>an Bannen, David Kelly, Fionnula Flanagan, Susan Lynch, James Nesbitt. Directed by Kirk Jones. Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 (widescreen). Dolby Digital 2.0. 91 minutes. 1998. 20th Century Fox 4110285. PG. $24.95.</I>