Home Theater and Consumer Electronics News - December 2003

NOTE: This page is an archive for previously posted news stories from December 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.

12/31/03
CBS And Sony Electronics Team Up To Broadcast Super Bowl XXXVIII And AFC Playoffs In HDTV
HDTV and sports fans rejoice! CBS, with Sony sponsorship (and equipment), will be broadcasting five NFL Playoff Games AND the Superbowl in full 1080i. The first playoff game will be broadcast on Sunday, January 4th 2004, with the Superbowl broadcast taking place on Sunday, February 1st 2004. In addition, the games will also feature 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio.

12/30/03
The Duel Of The Dual-Layer DVD Formats
The battle of the recordable DVD formats continues to heat-up as the +R/+RW camp beats the -R/-RW camp to the punch with a Dual-Layer recordable disc option (doubling the recording space on each disc). The expanded capacity discs are due to arrive on store shelves shortly after the first of the year, which will further the popularity of the +R/+RW format. However, the -R/-RW camp is also working on its own Dual-Layered discs. Those that are concerned about the demise of either the - or + DVD formats better not hold their breath as backers of each format a still in it for the long haul. For additional details, check out the report from CNET.

12/29/03
Fox Home Entertainment Steams Up The D-VHS Format...
Although high definition DVD is on they way, currently, the only way to view pre-recorded high definition recordings is with the D-VHS/D-Theater format. JVC is the principle manufacturer of D-VHS/D-Theater VCRs, and several studios have embraced the format by releasing major titles on D-VHS tape. FOX Home Entertainment has now joined the pack with the release of Alien - The Director's Cut and Unfaithful in full 1080i high definition.

12/28/03
Time Warner Cable Adds HDNet And HDNet Movies To High-Def Lineup
Time Warner Cable increases its commitment to HDTV by adding the only full-time HDTV programming service and the largest producer of original HDTV programming, HDNet, to its already diverse cable HDTV offerings.

12/27/03
There Are So Many DVDs And So Little Time
Everything seems to be coming out on DVD, including entire seasons of your favorite (even failed) television series. But who has time to really watch it all?

12/26/03
DVDs Make Anti-US Pitch
The DVD may be the most successful home entertainment product in history, however, in Iraq, DVDs are being used as another weapon against U.S. and British forces.

12/25/03
Will DVD Acquittal Mean Tougher Copyright Laws?
Both DVD pirates and advocates of "fair-use" may have gotten a Christmas present this year, as a Norwegian court has acquitted Jon Johansen, who successfully cracked DVD anti-copy codes and distributed the information, from any wrongdoing. However, this decision may give more fuel to Hollywood and others who advocate stronger Worldwide copyright laws to prevent this type of court decision from resurfacing. For a complete details on the acquittal and background information on this issue, check out the report from CNET.

12/24/03
Holiday Sales Boost DTV Numbers For October And November
Digital and HDTV sales increased dramatically as a direct by-product of consumers flocking into stores to purchase increasingly popular LCD and Plasma Flat Panel televisions.

12/23/03
News Corp. Gets DirecTV
Rupert Murdoch, owner of Fox News and Fox Broadcasting, scores as his News Corp division wins FCC approval to acquire contolling interest in Hughes Electronics and DirecTV. However, in an effort to safeguard against possible anti-competitive practices, the FCC has placed a series of conditions on News Corp with regards to its new DirecTV subsidiary.

12/22/03
Rivals Overwhelm Sony And Matsushita In Digital AV Sector
When consumers think of consumer electronics, Sony and Panasonic are the names that most quickly come to mind. However, although both manufacturers have dominated the consumer elecronics market in recent times, Sony and Matsushita (parent company of Panasonic) are feeling lots of competitive pressure from their rivals, such as Sharp and Pioneer. With new advances in digital technology, the competitive landscape is changing, with Sony and Panasonic finding themselves losing market share and playing "catch-up". For the reasons why, check out the report from Camcorder Info

12/21/03
NEC Develops High Definition DVD Compatible Drive
In the latest news on the high definition DVD front, NEC has announced the development of a single optical record/playback "head", utilizing a single lens, but housing both a standard DVD laser and an HD-DVD laser. The signifigance of this development is the possible decreased expense of incorporating high definition laser "heads" into DVD players and recorders, while still keeping compatability with standard DVD recording and playback. For additional specifics, check out the report from Camcorder Info.

12/20/03
Federal Court of Appeals Protects Rights of File Swappers...
The relentless pursuit by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America) of online music file-swappers gets a minor setback as an Appeals Court Panel in Washington, D.C. overules a previous decision by a lower court that required Internet Service Providers to provide the RIAA with lists of the names of their online music download enthusiasts. For details on this, check out the report from Audio Revolution.

12/19/03
2003 Surround Music Award Winners
Surround Sound Music is gaining more acceptance with both record makers and consumers. In recognition of the best of surround music recordings, the winners of the 2003 Surround Music Awards have been announced. Some of the winners include recordings from classic artists such as Led Zeppelin, the late Frank Zappa, and Queen to newer artists, such as Insane Clown Posse and The Dixie Chicks. For more details on the winners and categories, check out the report from High Fidelity Review.

12/18/03
GoVideo Introduces New Dual-Deck DVD Recorder/VCR Combo...
Sansui is no longer the only company with a DVD Recorder/VHS VCR combination deck on store shelves, Go-Video officially announces the pending availability of its own DVD/VHS combo recorder.

12/17/03
Sirius Signs NFL Deal
Sirius satellite radio takes a gamble by siging a very expensive deal with the NFL to carry its weekly football schedule next season. XM radio, Sirius's competitor, indicates that they passed on a similar deal.

12/16/03
Sony & BMG Tie The Knot
In what may be a sign of a weakened recorded music industry, Sony and BMG circle the wagons to form a new company, Sony-BMG. This comes on the heels of a merger by Universal and the Warner Music Group. For a further analysis, check out the report from Stereophile Magazine

12/15/03
Sony To Build LCD TV Plant In Korea
In the wake of its new partnership with Samsung, Sony is hoping to gain ground in the growing LCD television market by setting up a new plant in Korea to manufacture the increasingly popular product.

12/14/03
Hard disks Add Muscle To DVD Recorder Growth
DVD Recorders are selling very well in Japan, despite higher price tags than traditional VCRS. In addition, there are also increasing sales of DVD recorders in the U.S. and Europe, with DVD Recorder/Hard Disk combo units are leading the way.

12/13/03
Flat-Panel Frenzy
Despite their high price tags, LCD and Plasma Flat Panel TVs and monitors are taking the consumer electronics market by storm. Sales of flat panel displays are a significant factor in this year's holiday sales figures and, in fact, may actually turn out to play a major role in the overall retail sales recovery for the year. However, supplies are getting a little short for the holiday season as manufacturers push their production lines to the limit. The era of hand-on-the-wall TV has truly arrived. For more details, check out the above report from Home Theater Magazine

12/12/03
DTV-Like Audio Arrives For Analog TV
Consumers that still own analog stereo TVs can now enjoy a similar 5.1 channel surround sound audio experience to that is offered to digital TV owners, as Dolby Labs has licensed its Dolby Pro Logic II encoding system to several broadcasters. All that is required for the viewer is a stereo TV (with audio outputs) that can receive stations or cable channels using the pro logic II encoding system and an AV receiver with a pro logic II decoder.

12/11/03
Blockbuster Chief: End Regional Codes, Thwart Pirates
At the recent European Video Conference in France, Nigel Travis, Blockbuster Video President, took a bold stand by calling for the end of DVD Region Coding; ending DVD Region Coding could actually decrease video piracy. Mr Travis outlined the logic of his position by pointing out holes in the region code scheme, such as growing market for Code Free DVD Players. This is the first indication by someone considered a part of the "video establishment" to publicly come out against DVD Region Coding.

12/10/03
Large Screen TV Shortages May Hamper Holiday
Consumer demand for large screen televisions may be outstripping supply as both manufacturers and retailers try to cope. The moral of this story may be; if you are planning to buy a big screen TV this holiday season, don't wait until its too late.

12/09/03
So Farewell...Amp and Deck, as Buyers Ditch Hi-Fi In Favour Of DVD
The CD replaced the LP and cassette, the DVD recorder may finally put an end to VHS, and it looks like surround sound may finally dispose of two-channel stereo as both manufacturers and consumers lack onto the lastest home theater gear.

12/08/03
Sony Pares Back Specs For All-in-One PSX Console
What was previously promised as a true merger of the home entertainment component and video game system has been cut back as Sony announces the elimination of several key features from its proposed PSX system, inlcuding the elimination of DVD+RW and CD-R playback compatibility, and the reduction of the included DVD writer's dubbing speed.

12/07/03
Samsung Electronics Announces 57-Inch TFT-LCD Panel For HDTVs
When it comes to large-size flat panel video displays, most people think of Plasma monitors. However, Samsung continues to provide an alternative with its production of large-sized LCD flat panel displays. Its latest achievement is its new world record-sized 57-inch LCD HDTV display.

12/06/03
Electronics Prices Getting Lower At Greater Number Of Stores
Despite decreasing profit margins and increased competition, many consumer electronics chains are on an expansion track. With $30 DVD players and other low priced items, the consumer may be getting some great "deals", but can consumer electronics stores continue to stay in business, let alone justify continued expansion?

12/05/03
DTS Entertainment Earns Eight Nominations For The 2003 Surround Music Awards
Although DVD-Audio and SACD are both vying to replace the aged CD, DTS (Digital Theater Systems) technology is gaining a growing influence in the surround sound music landscape as evidenced by several key nominations for DTS Entertainment's DTS/DVD music releases at this year's surround music awards.

12/04/03
HDTV Sales Jump 50%
With more program content on the major networks, cable, and satellite as well as decreasing price points, sales of HD-upgradable and integrated HDTVs begins to take a big jump. For an analysis of the HDTV sales trends, check out the report from Home Theater Magazine

12/03/03
Playboy To Launch Spice HDTV
Are we suprised? If sports isn't enough to get consumers interested in HDTV in larger numbers, perhaps Playboy's recent announcement that it will be providing adult programming on Cablevision's VOOM HDTV satellite service will spark more interest in HiDef TV viewing (at least it will generate more subscribers for VOOM). For all the revealing details, check out the report from TV Predictions.

12/02/03
U.S. Gov’t Imposes Antidumping Penalties
In an effort to stem the tide of some Chinese companies "dumping" television sets on U.S shores, the U.S. Department Of Commerce has taken action to penalize several major Chinese-based consumer electronics makers for such practices. For the details on what the fuss is all about, check out the above report from TWICE.

12/01/03
Pre-dawn Shoppers Visit Stores For Holiday Season's Best Deals
Shoppers "gobbled" up 30 dollar DVD players, 149 dollar 27-inch TVs, and 299 dollar Digital Camcorders on the day after Thanksgiving, as the holiday shopping season gets off to fast start; but, will the momentum continue throughout the rest of the season?

For additional News Stories check out my Home Electronics Industry News Archives.