May 1, the federally-mandated deadline for US television stations to begin digital broadcasting, will come and go without the full participation of many, according to a March 18 report in the trade journal <I>Multichannel News</I>.
<I>Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Geraldine Chaplin, Rod Steiger, Alec Guinness, Tom Courtenay, Siobhan McKenna, Ralph Richardson, Rita Tushingham. Directed by David Lean. Aspect ratio: 2.35 (anamorphic). Dolby Digital 5.1 (English, French). Two discs. 200 minutes. 1965. Warner Home Video 6557. PG-13. $29.98.</I>
In the past three years, Chinese-made DVD players have flooded the market, bringing low-cost, high-quality video to millions of consumers. Their success has also brought millions of dollars to Chinese electronics manufacturers. Now those same manufacturers are being asked to pay their fair share for the technology that is making them rich.
Things continue to look up for HDTV fans wedded to a cable provider. Following close on the heels of a similar <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/shownews.cgi?1244">recent announcement</A> from Comcast Cable, <A HREF="http://www.charter.com">Charter Communications</A> announced last week that high definition television (HDTV) programming will be made available to some of its customers during the second quarter of this year.
If the major record labels have their way, that bright red "record" indicator on your CD burner or personal computer could eventually become as unresponsive as the long-wave band on a vintage AM radio. Some of the labels have already released music discs that prevent you from using your computer to make digital copies on either recordable CDs or the computer's hard drive.
KENWOOD/BOSTON UNITYDimensions (WxHxD) main unit, 18 x 33/4 x 161/8 inches; subwoofer, 14 x 13 7/8 x 13 3/4 inches System weight 45 1/2 pounds Price $1,000
Ever since that Philips commercial where a European-looking couple try hanging their thin TV in every room of a minimalist apartment, finally settling for a spot on the ceiling above the bed, plasma sets have been creating a stir. From airports to movie theaters to corporate boardrooms, these slimmed-down big-screen TVs draw stares from almost everybody.
If you became seriously interested in high-end 2-channel sound in the 1990s, then Balanced Audio Technology is a name already familiar to you. The first review of BAT products I ever read was Robert Deutsch's, of the VK-5 tube preamplifier and VK-60 tube power amp, in the December 1995 issue of our sister publication, <I>Stereophile</I>. At that time, the buzz was about BAT's "balanced" designs, unique zero-feedback circuitry, and, of course, their products' exemplary sound.
