LATEST ADDITIONS

One of HDTV's strongest supporters could pull away if an effective copy-protection system isn't in place by next year.

In the realm of 2-channel high-end audio, tube power amplifiers are still king&mdash;so you'd expect them to hold court, or at least a decent market share, in the world of high-end home theater as well. Alas, most home theaters are tubeless, except for the cathode-ray tubes in CRT projectors and direct-view monitors. Perhaps the time has come for tube power amplifiers to make an inroad into home theater. Manley Laboratories' new Snapper monoblock&mdash;the first tube-based power amplifier to be reviewed in the <I>Guide</I>&mdash;could be just the unit to pull the sword from the stone.

The American transition to digital television may be bogged down, but eventually it will reach critical mass. That's the view of NHK president Katsuji Ebisawa.

A government survey of 1000 people indicates that most Americans know little or nothing about digital television. Fewer than half of those surveyed claimed to know the difference between analog and digital: 40% said they had never heard of digital television, while 43% claimed to be "somewhat aware" that a change is taking place in TV and broadcasting technology.