LATEST ADDITIONS

The antitrust battle being waged by <A HREF="http://www.echostar.com/">EchoStar Communications Corporation</A> has escalated. The operator of direct satellite broadcast service Dish Network announced September 6 that it has hired attorney David Boies to lead the litigation against its bigger rival <A HREF="http://www.directv.com/">DirecTV</A>. Boies successfully prosecuted the US government's antitrust suit against software giant Microsoft.

Want to get the maximum from movies and music? Check out Onkyo's top-of-the-line DV-S939, the company's first DVD player with progressive scan video, and its first with the coveted THX Ultra certification. The new single-disc machine plays DVD video and DVD audio discs, as well as standard audio CDs, video CDs, CD-Rs, and CD-RWs.

Movies or music? Sony has solved this dilemma with its new Sony DVP-S9000ES, an all-purpose disc spinner that offers progressive-scan video with Super Audio CD capability. Not only will the machine output flicker-free 480p video, it will also play standard music CDs, CD-Rs and DVD-Rs. Such versatility enables home theater fans to get the most from their present music and film libraries while being prepared for the future.

Last week, <A HREF="http://www.fujitsu-fme.com">Fujitsu Hitachi Plasma Display Limited</A> (FHP) announced that it has succeeded in developing what it calls the world's first 32- and 37-inch high-definition plasma display panels (PDPs). The new displays, which join FHP's existing lineup of 42-inch PDPs, use the company's proprietary ALIS (Alternate Lighting of Surfaces) drive-circuit technology and are intended for use as household television sets.