Home Electronics Industry News -- AUGUST 2003
NOTE: This page is an archive for previously posted news stories from August 2003 - Since most of the links are now inactive, they have been removed. However, the headlines and summaries are still posted to historically document the news headlines from the dates listed.
08/31/03
Sony Fighting To Become Top Dog In Flat-Screens
Despite downturns in sales and other enconomic woes this past year, Sony is committing a large portion of its production resources, and will be introducing twelve new flat panel TV models, in an effort to capture the now-lucrative flat panel television market.
08/30/03
Yamaha Debuts the RX-Z9: 9.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver
Yamaha announces what may be the "ultimate" Home Theater receiver that does just about everything but pop the popcorn! The RX-Z9 has 9 channels of discreet amplification, complete audio/video switching capability (with a built-in Faroudja DCDi processor), iLink audio inputs, automatic room equalization, and THX Ultra II processing and certification. To find out more on this amazing unit, including price and availability, check out the above report from Audio Revolution.
08/29/03
SRS Labs' Circle Surround Continues To Gain Momentum...
Most consumers are aware of Dolby Digital and DTS Surround, and their inclusion in most home theater AV products. However, SRS Circle Surround is also becoming a growing presence in home theater. This alternative and effective surround sound option is not only available on a growing number of AV receivers, but Circle Surround encoding will soon be available on standard music CDs as well. CDs encoded with Circle Surround are completely compatible with all standard CD players. However, when such CDs are played through an AV receiver or amplfier equipped with a Dolby Prologic II or Circle Surround decoder, the music is transformed into a full 5.1 channel soundfield.
08/28/03
Consumer Spending Hopes Lift Best Buy, RadioShack
Best Buy and Radio Shack rise to the head of the retail pack as they capture an increasing number of consumer spending dollars, despite stiff competition.
08/27/03
Samsung Unveils 100-Hour DirecTV DVR
Samsung combines a DirecTV satellite receiver with a built-in TIVO DVR (hard disk-based digital video recorder) with a 100 hour recording capacity.
08/26/03
OneDisc To Rule Them All
Buying music at your local retailer is confusing. Do you by the latest music release on CD, DVD-Audio disc, SACD, DVD-music disc, CD-Internet compatible disc or what? What format should the record companies release their product on? All this confusion could end as one company has a plan for a possible single disc solution. For more
for details, check out the above report from Sterophile.
08/25/03
ReplayTV Gets A Second Chance
Although TIVO has dominated the Digital Video Recorder (DVR) market for some time, it competitor, ReplayTV, under new ownership, is introducting a new series of the hard-drive based video recorders with greatly extended recording capacity.
08/24/03
Pakistan Cable TV Vows Boycott
In the World where it seems that the U.S. is often protrayed as the "bad guy", Pakistani cable TV operators are actually threatening a boycott of their own government. Why? It seems that even though Pakistan and India are always on the verge of war, Pakistani TV viewers "love" Indian TV programs, which Pakistani Cable TV operators provide on their systems. This does not sit well with the Pakistani government, which has instituted an official ban on Indian TV progams supplied on Pakistani's cable systems. As a result of this situation, Pakistani cable operators are threatening to pull all local Pakistani channels off their systems, unless allowed to also provide subscribers with Indian channels.
08/23/03
'Lord of the Rings' Wins Big at DVD Entertainment Awards
"Lord Of The Rings" mania reigned at the DVD Entertainment Awards as the highly touted film's Special Extended Edition DVD took four top awards: Best Authoring, Best Video Presentation, Best Special Edition, and Best in Show.
08/22/03
HDNet Concert Series Features Live Performances By Leading Artists Every Friday Night
During the 70's, my favorite late night TV show on Fridays was ABC's "In Concert", which brought new and established Rock and Roll acts taped live to the small screen. Starting tonight, and every Friday night, HDNet (the satellite HDTV network) is bringing taped concerts of classic musical acts to its subscribers in full 1080i High Definition - Just one more reason to get that HDTV!
08/21/03
Panasonic Home Theatre Package Is First To Include DVD Recorder
A home theater system and a DVD recorder for less than $1,000? You bet!
Panasonic has announced its new home-theater-in-a-box SC-HT1000. The system includes a DVD-R/RAM recorder in addition to a complete audio system with a Dolby Digital/DTS AV receiver, subwoofer, and satellite speakers.
08/20/03
Terk Introduces New UHF/VHF/FM/HDTV Amplifier
Whether you receive your TV, FM, or HDTV signals over-the-air, through cable, or broadband, Terk has a compact signal amplifier that will aid you if your signal is weak due to splitting or long in-house cable runs. For more details, check out the above report from Audio Revolution.
08/19/03
Vinyl Record Day 2003
If the era of vinyl records is over, don't tell the vendors and attendees at the second annual Vinyl Record Day, held this past Sunday, August 17th, in San Luis Obispo, Ca. For a complete report and photo gallery of the event, check out the above report from Stereophile Magazine
08/18/03
Action Over Fake DVDS
Bootleg DVDs are popping up everywhere with authorities around the world keeping watch.
08/17/03
RIAA Methods Under Scrutiny
Just as the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America) begins to implement its anti-piracy campagain against music file downloaders, its tactics are coming under scrutiny of the U.S. government in the form of the Senate Subcommittee on Investigations, led by Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minnesota). Concerns over the over-broadness of the RIAA crackdown and privacy rights of PC users are two topics of concern. For more details, check out the above article by Wired
08/16/03
The Second Annual Surround Music Awards
One way to promote surround sound CD, DVD-Audio, and SACD discs is to create awards for the best products. The next annual surround sound awards will be given out later this year in specific categories, such as: Most Adventurous Mix, Best Additional Features, Best Menu Design, and more. For complete list of categories and other details on the Surround Sound Music Awards, check out the above report from High Fidelity Review
08/15/03
New Pioneer Plasma TVs
As Plasma TVs become more popular, demands for better performance increase as well. Pioneer introduces two new Plasma monitors that incorporate new technology to improve image quality: "Pure Drive" reduces the effects of analog/digital conversion problems to insure that the viewer gets a consistenly good image, regardless of the source; while "Advanced Pure Cinema" is a new technology that improves the quality of film-based programming, reducing factors such as motion artifacts. For more information on these and additional new technology innovations of the Pioneer's latest Plasma monitors, check out the above report from Home Theater Magazine
08/14/03
Nominees Announced For 6th Annual DVD Awards
From Best Video Presentation to Best Menu Design and Best DVD-Audio and SACD releases, the nominees for the 6th Annual DVD Awards with Leonard Maltin (noted film critic) have been announced.
08/13/03
VSDA Releases Annual Report On The Home Entertainment Industry
According to the latest annual report on home entertainment, the Video Software Dealer's Association (VSDA) sees a bright future for DVD, but, contrary to most analysts, also states that the perceived end of VHS may still be premature.
08/12/03
NEC Drops Projector And Plasma Display Prices
As a sign of both increased consumer acceptance and larger production runs, NEC joins the growing number of manufacturers that are reducing prices on both Plasma displays and DLP projectors. Among the current price drops are a $500 decrease in price for the celebrated HT1000 DLP projector and reductions ranging from $1,500 to $6,000 on its Plasma display line.
08/11/03
Amoisonic Launches Its Own Dual-Brand Strategy
A host of new CE brand names are flooding the U.S. market (APEX, Cyberhome, Akai, Oritron, etc...) that are not quite household names, but provide retailers with low-priced options for consumers. The latest new "brand" to enter the U.S. market is Amoisonic. Making components, for others over the years (including some BETAMAX VCRs for Sony and VHS VCRs for Panasonic), Amoisonic will introduce new products into the U.S. market under two brand names: Amoi and Sungale. Look for these new labels on store shelves.
08/10/03
CBS Sports and DirecTV To Present “The NFL On CBS” In HDTV
Get ready football fans! CBS and DirecTV are teaming up to provide an HDTV feed of the lead NFL game every week during the upcoming football season. Transmissions will be in the 1080i format for video and Dolby Digtial 5.1 audio. Viewers will be able to access the games through over-the-air or by satellite. Viewers must have the correct equipment to receive either. For the rest of the details, check out the above report from Audio Revolution
08/09/03
Retail Sales Rebound In July
Despite statements of "doom and gloom" regarding the economic state of the U.S. these days, some major retailers are enjoying surges in sales and profits this Summer, especially Wal-Mart, Target, and Costco.
08/08/03
XM To Launch “Roady” Radio For Youth Market
The satellite radio war goes on-and-on as market leader XM expands its subscriber base to the younger set with a new satellite radio called "XM Roady". The unit is compact, inexpensive, and easy to use with existing car stereos by using a cassette adapter or the soon-to-be available RF modulator. This may be a great back-to-school gift, especially for the mobile college student. For more info this product and XM satellite radio, check the above report from XM To Launch “Roady” Radio For Youth Market
08/07/03
Sony's New Plasma TV Adds Home Smarts
Sony announces its new KDE-P50HZ1 and KDE-P42HZ1 plasma TVs, that can not only function as a centerpiece of your home theater system, but can be an integral part of a total home networking system, including web browsing. The remote control of both units can also be used as a web pad as well as perform its traditional functions. For more details, check out the above report from CNET
08/06/03
Comcast Adds ESPN HD To Its HDTV Service In Washington
High definition TV through cable is making more inroads as Comcast begins HD feeds from ESPN and will also offer select Seattle Mariners games in HD as well on its Washingtion state cable systems.
08/05/03
Consumer Spending On Home Video Set For A Record Year
With DVD as the catalyst, consumers are shelling out more money all the time for the latest video and home theater gear. Even discounters such as Wal Mart have enjoyed increased profits by incorporating DVD and home theater products in their stores. For an interesting analysis on this ongoing trend, check out the above article by DVD Insider.
08/04/03
Sony Japan Announces DCR-PC300 3 Mega Pixel Camcorder
Are you tired of taking separate video and still cameras on vacations and outings in order to get both great video and high resolution still shots? If so, Sony may have a solution with the announcement of its DCR-P300 miniDV camcorder, allows you to shot great video and high quality stills and also fits in the palm of your hand. For more details, check out the above report from Camcorder Info.
08/03/03
Gateway Begins CE Changeover<
Having struggled for profits in the PC market for some time, Gateway is in the process of coverting its store operations to a more generalized consumer electronics product mix. However, can Gateway carve a niche in a market already dominated by Best Buy, Circuit City, etc...? For more details, check out the above report from TWICE.
08/02/03
DTV Sales On Fire during Q1-Q2 2003 According to CEA
According to the Consumer Electronics Association, sales of Digital and HDTVs reached well over $2 Billion during the first two quarters of this year. The trend towards digital TV, bolstered by increased programming options and lower unit prices seems to be on a steady pace.
For a detailed analysis, check out the above report from Audio Revolution.
08/01/03
HDTV for Less Than $1,000
This year's Christmas shopping season could be very exciting for CE retailers and consumers as a slew of HD-Ready TVs in the 27-to-32inch screen size, and targeted to sell for $1,000 and less, begin to reach the market. Watch for the ADs! For additional details, check out the above article from NY Times
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