Chalk up another one for the big guys. A San Antonio, TX judge has dismissed price-fixing <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/shownews.cgi?1318">charges</A> brought by independent video dealers against video retail giant Blockbuster, Inc. and several Hollywood studios.
The <A HREF="http://www.hdmi.org">High Definition Multimedia Interface</A> (HDMI) organization announced last week that the draft specification version 0.9 defining <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/shownews.cgi?1274">HDMI digital interface</A> for consumer electronics is now available for review at the organization's <A HREF="http://www.hdmi.org">Website</A>. The HDMI members include Hitachi, Matsushita (Panasonic), Philips, Silicon Image, Sony, Thomson Multimedia, and Toshiba.
<I>Gene Hackman, Danny DeVito, Delroy Lindo, Sam Rockwell, Rebecca Pidgeon, Ricky Jay. Directed by David Mamet. Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 (anamorphic). Dolby Digital 5.1 (English, French). 109 minutes. 1999. Warner Video 21321. R. $24.98.</I>
Epson is making a bold foray into the home theater market. On June 28, the venerable printer maker debuted its "first-ever home theater" video projector. Epson has long made projectors for the business presentation market, and the move into home theater was a natural progression, according to company marketing executives.
Arrive at a high-tech hotel, and you're in for a refreshing experience. Imagine being greeted curbside by a bellman bearing a PDA who registers you in just moments, eliminating what can be a frustrating trip to the front desk. In more and more hotels, new technology is making agonizingly long check-in lines and the risk of getting stuck with a lousy room nuisances of the past.
A lot has changed since a year ago, when I was last given the chance to offer some advice in these pages. Home theater systems in general - and DVD players in particular - have gotten a lot cheaper; new formats like DVD-Audio, Super Audio CD, and recordable DVD are becoming established; and convergence gear like hard-drive audio and video recorders is cheaper and more common.
You might suppose Minerva & the Bell Ringers was a 1960s girl group, but it's actually a mechanical clock located outdoors in New York City's Herald Square. On the hour, pivoting statues strike a bell up to 12 times, temporarily dislodging a pigeon or two. A still camera is inadequate for capturing the sound and motion. If I were a tourist, I might reach for a camcorder.
Panasonic is getting serious about DVD recorders. Early this summer, the company announced its third generation DVD-recorder. Available in August, the DMR-E30 will arrive at dealers with a new low price, only $799.95.