Audio Video News

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Audio Video News
Parasound Updates AVC-2500 and HCA-2205A
HT Staff  |  Aug 31, 2000  | 
San Francisco-based Parasound, long noted for making great-sounding products at affordable prices, has announced updates for two of its most highly regarded home theater products, the AVC-2500 preamp/processor and the HCA-2205A power amp.
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Audio Video News
Mitsubishi Introduces Industry's Largest DLP Big Screen Set
HT Staff  |  Aug 27, 2000  | 
The biggest television set ever made with Digital Light Processing technology is on its way from Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America Inc. On August 24, the company announced the retail debut of the WD-65000, said to "mark a new era in multimedia entertainment."
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Audio Video News
Disney Will Release Fantasia Series on DVD
HT Staff  |  Aug 27, 2000  | 
One of the most ambitious projects in the history of animation will celebrate its 60th anniversary this fall, and Walt Disney Home Entertainment plans to make it something special. Fantasia, the groundbreaking film that debuted in 1940 and has astounded generations of kids and adults ever since, will be released on DVD this coming November 14.
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Audio Video News
Affordable HDTV and Datacasting on the Desktop?
Jon Iverson  |  Aug 27, 2000  | 

Last week, 14 companies announced that they have joined to create the <A HREF="http://www.pcdtv.org">PC DTV Promoters Group</A>, for "the purpose of marketing and accelerating adoption of digital broadcast receivers and DTV technology for the PC." Members of the group say it was formed to help raise awareness of the PC as the "ideal platform" for receiving Enhanced Digital Television programming, HDTV, and high-bandwidth Datacasting services.

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Audio Video News
Tuvalu
 |  Aug 27, 2000  | 

A while back, we <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/shownews.cgi?269">reported</A> on the small island of Tuvalu in the South Pacific, which, as fate would have it, was assigned the international domain of ".tv." It didn't take long for a company called <A HREF="www.tv">dotTV</A> to make a deal with the Tuvalu government to administer and sell the ".tv" domains. Last week, dotTV announced that they have auctioned off three high-priced domain names&mdash;free.tv, china.tv, and net.tv&mdash;each selling for initial annual registration fees of $100,000.

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Audio Video News
Bringing Dogma to the DVD Masses
Wes Phillips  |  Aug 27, 2000  | 

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>

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Audio Video News
Blockbuster Facing Class-Action Suit for Late Fees
Barry Willis  |  Aug 27, 2000  | 

The world's largest video rental chain has been slapped with a class-action lawsuit over what plaintiffs' attorneys are calling "excessive late fees." Asserting that late fees are punitive and exceed any real costs incurred, Santa Monica law firm O'Neill, Lysaght & Sunn, LLP filed suit against <A HREF="http://www.blockbuster.com/">Blockbuster Inc.</A> Wednesday, August 23, in Los Angeles. The plaintiff: one Monica Rocha of Hollywood, and a "class" of other Blockbuster customers.

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Audio Video News
Actors' Strike Unlikely, Says Guild President
Barry Willis  |  Aug 27, 2000  | 

A strike next year by the <A HREF="http://www.sag.org/">Screen Actors Guild</A> (SAG) is not likely, according to a recent statement by the organization's president, William Daniels. "I'm optimistic that we can work something out with the industry," Daniels told reporters after a meeting with industry heavyweight Lew Wasserman at Universal Studios on Wednesday, August 23. Wasserman, the former head of MCA, is now a consultant at Universal, and is known throughout the industry as a shrewd negotiator and dealmaker.

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Audio Video News
Manufacturers Pumping Up DTV Output
 |  Aug 20, 2000  | 

Some consumer-electronics manufacturers are plunging ahead with increased production and new models of digital television sets, despite continuing controversy about broadcasting standards and a scarcity of high-definition programming.

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Audio Video News
The Green Mile Not the Usual King Fare
Thomas J. Norton  |  Aug 20, 2000  | 

T<I>om Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, David Morse, James Cromwell, Michael Jeter, Bonnie Hunt, Graham Greene, Doug Hutchison, Sam Rockwell, Barry Pepper, Jeffrey DeMunn, Patricia Clarkson, Harry Dean Stanton. Directed by Frank Darabont. Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 (anamorphic). Dolby Digital 5.1. 188 minutes (dual-layer). 1999. Warner Home Video C2579. R. $24.98.</I>

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Audio Video News
An HDTV Kick in the Pants
Jon Iverson  |  Aug 20, 2000  | 

Last week, <A HREF="http://www.cbs.com">CBS Television</A> and Thomson multimedia's <A HREF="http://www.rca.com">RCA</A> brand announced that they have entered into an advertising agreement for Thomson to underwrite the costs of producing high-definition coverage of Super Bowl XXXV as well as the four AFC playoff games. CBS reports that all NFL HDTV programming will be broadcast in 1920x1080i, the highest-definition widescreen digital television format.

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Audio Video News
North Carolina Broadcaster Experiments with Digital Services
Barry Willis  |  Aug 20, 2000  | 

So-called "push technology" was one of the hot buzz phrases two years ago. The concept was that centralized server computers would send customized packages of information and entertainment to end users, rather than having them search for what they wanted.

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Audio Video News
More Options for the Digital Cable Home of the Future
Jon Iverson  |  Aug 20, 2000  | 

With the slow but sure move toward providing consumers with digital television and other services via cable, the set-top box manufacturers have been aggressively jockeying for a position in the audio video system. In a deal sure to give Philips' market share a boost, <A HREF="http://www.att.com/">AT&T Broadband</A> and <A HREF="http://www.philips.com">Philips Electronics</A> announced last week their plan to market Philips' digital cable set-top boxes to US consumers beginning in 2001.

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Audio Video News
Cracking DVD Copy Code Illegal, Judge Rules
Barry Willis  |  Aug 20, 2000  | 

Where does free speech end and copyright violation begin? The film industry has won the first skirmish in what promises to be a long war over this issue. A US federal district judge in Manhattan has ruled against <A HREF="http://www.2600.com/">2600.com</A>, a website that posted software for breaking DVD copy-protection encryption. The site also contained links to other sites posting the software, known as DeCSS.

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Audio Video News
Hitachi Deck Combines DVD Player, CD Recorder
HT Staff  |  Aug 15, 2000  | 
Simplify, simplify. Hitachi has applied this wise old adage to high technology, with a new product that should tweak the interest of movie and music fans everywhere.
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