Audio Video News

In what could be a major blow to HD DVD in the format war, DVD rental giant Blockbuster announced that it will expand rental of Blu-ray Discs exclusively into 1,450 stores by mid-July. Blockbuster will continue to rent HD DVD discs online and in the 250 stores in which it has been renting both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs since late last year. For a running total, that's 1,700 exclusive Blu-ray stores and 250 stores stocking both formats.

Sony opened up the E3 expo early and with a bang- it announced that the rumors are true and that the current 60GB PlayStation3 will drop $100 in price and will now sell for $499. In addition, Sony will introduce an 80GB PlayStation3 that will occupy the $599 price slot.

Hard-disc&ndash;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>.

B<I>en Affleck, Matt Damon, Linda Fiorentino, Salma Hayek, Jason Lee, Jason Mewes, Alan Rickman, Chris Rock, Kevin Smith. Directed by Kevin Smith. Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 (anamorphic). Dolby Digital 5.1. 130 minutes. 1999. Columbia TriStar 04891. R. $24.95.</I>

Graham Alexander is a talented musician but he’s also an entrepreneur, historian, and music-label exec who has undertaken the enormous (and laudable) task of resurrecting Victor Records, the iconic brand that dates back to the earliest days of recorded music. We’re talking the label that recorded the likes of Sergei Rachaninoff and forged an exclusive recording deal with the legendary opera singer Enrico Caruso. More than that, Alexander has created a delightful live-performance space called The Vault in the small town of Berlin, NJ, about 20 miles from Center City Philadelphia and even closer to the site of the original Victor Talking Machine Co. in Camden. The venue is unique in that it’s home to the official Victor Records archive as well as an assortment of historical artifacts and memorabilia dating back to the earliest days of recorded music. We sat down with Alexander to learn more about his multi-faceted operation.