Home Electronics Industry News - May 2003
NOTE: This page is an archive for previously posted news stories from May 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.
05/31/03
Mitsubishi Electric Joins Blu-ray Disc Founders
Mistsubishi is the latest consumer electronics manufacturer to jump on board the recordable HD-DVD bandwagon by joining up with the Blu-Ray forum.
05/30/03
HE2003 Giveaway!
The Home Entertainment Show 2003 will be held in San Francisco on June 6-8. Not only will the show feature the latest home theater gear, but one lucky attendee will win a $15,000 home theater system. For all the exciting details, including information on how to attend, check out the above report from Stereophile Guide To Home Theater.
05/29/03
Sony Announces PSX Combo System
The next Sony game system, the PSX, is expected to combine a game system, DVD player/recorder (or hard drive video recorder), and a TV tuner in one package.
05/28/03
Audio Sales Hit 12-Year Low
With the huge growth in video and home theater-related products, the sales of audio-only products has been steadily declining in recent years.
05/27/03
Replay TV Fast Forwards Promos, Distribution
D&M Holdings, the new owner of ReplayTV, is adopting a very aggressive marketing strategy to make the innovative PVR technology more widely available to consumers.
05/26/03
Sound Technology Turns The Way You Hear On Its Ear
The traditional loudspeaker may become an endangered species if a new sound reproduction device proves successful.
05/25/03
Why Cameron Diaz Hates HDTV
HDTV is considered video perfection by many, but some ways, HDTV reveals our imperfections. To find out what all the fuss is about, check out this interesting perspective by Phillip Swann in TV Week.
05/24/03
Envirionmentalists Blast Disposable DVD Plans...
Environmental Groups, such as Californians Against Waste, blast Disney's and Flexplay's plans to market disposable DVDs. For more on this, check out the above report from Wired.
05/23/03
Film Biz Fights DVD Copy Industry
Just as it tried to tell us with the VCR, Hollywood is now telling us that DVD copying software and video file-sharing hardware and software capabilities will put them out of business. For the latest update on this issue, check out the following report from Stereophile Guide To Home Theater.
05/22/03
New Low Priced Sirius Receivers
Teaming up with Audiovox and Kenwood, Sirius Satellite Radio continues its penetration into the consumer market with new, inexpensive products for use in both home and mobile environments.
05/21/03
Panasonic Stops Production, Cites SARS
The SARs epidemic in China hits the consumer electronics industry as Panasonic and others close some plants or modify someproduction schedules for their Chinese operations. For more details, check out the above report from USA Today.
05/20/03
Loewe Announces...Partnership Agreement With Sharp
Loewe, one of Europe's most well-known maker of high-end televisions, and Sharp Electronics, the leading maker of LCD monitors worldwide, join forces to advance LCD monitor technology for the European market.
05/19/03
V Inc. First To Ship DVI DVD Player With MPEG-4 Playback
DVD players enter a new era as V Inc.'s new Bravo D1 adds MPEG4 playback and a DVI output providing 480p, 720p, and 1080i output options.
05/18/03
Disney To Begin Renting 'Self-destructing' DVDs
Disney, once again displays its paranoid zeal in protection of its video properties, by introducing a chemically-based self-destruct mechanism for DVDs destined for the rental market.
05/17/03
Toshiba Unveils ‘Super MultiDrive’ DVD Recorder
Based on the success of its first DVD Recorder, which contained both hard-drive and DVD recording capability, Toshiba introduces its second generation DVD recorder that drops the hard drive, but records in three formats: DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RW. All this at breakthrough price of $599.
05/16/03
Integra Introduces Its First Home Theatre Separates
While most of the emphasis in home theater components centers around the AV receiver as the main anchor for surround systems, Integra has announced its new separate multi-channel preamp and power units.
05/15/03
Luce Announces Integrated Flat-Panel HDTVs
Luce introduces a lineup of "plug-and-play" flat panel HDTVs that include both a standard NTSC and High-Definition ATSC tuner. For over-the-air HDTV broadcasts, no external decoder is needed.
05/14/03
HE2003 Seminars Announced
The Home Entertainment 2003 Show in San Francisco, to held from June 6-8, will feature not only a lot of exciting home theater and related exhibits and products, but will offer many informative seminars. For more details, check out the above report from Home Theater Magazine.
05/13/03
The Downloading Myth
The music industry continues to "whine" about unauthorized internet downloading "ruining" its ability to sell CDs. However, there are other factors that have to be considered. For the full story, check out the above, revealing, report from Stereophile.
05/12/03
Toshiba's New Dual-Layer, Single-Sided, Blue-Laser Rewritable Optical Disc...
While most DVD player/recorder manufaturers have embraced the umpcoming BluRay HD/DVD recording format, Toshiba and NEC have been hard at work on their own blue laser HD/DVD format. One of the key advantages of the new Toshiba/NEC system is that it can take advantage of current DVD player and blank media production facilities.
05/11/03
Cracking Up
If you were one of the many music fans that purchased the recent SACD/CD hybrid disc of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon", you might want to check out the above report on possible cracks developing on some of the discs. Posted by Stereophile Magazine.
05/10/03
Toshiba Goes HD Integrated
Toshiba expands its committment to HDTV by introducing a total of twenty-nine HD capable TVs, inlcuding Plasma, LCD, Direct-View, and rear projection units for the year 2003.
05/09/03
Lawsuit Accuses Microsoft, Best Buy of Online Scam
Are you tired of shopping at stores, such as Best Buy or other electronics retailers, and constantly getting pressured into signing up for MSN or other internet service? If so, the above story may be of interest.
05/08/03
Disney Consumer Products Launches New Line of Disney-Branded Video & Audio Products
Disney takes the plunge into the consumer electronics market by teaming up with Memorex and Motorola. Watch for DVD players, compact TVs, FRS radios, an more sporting the Disney logo. For more details, check out the above report from DVD Insider.
05/07/03
Sharp Drops Aquos Prices
As a result of lower production costs and increased popularity amongst consumers, flat panel LCD monitors continue their downward price spiral as Sharp announces a round of price reductions throughout their entire Aquos LCD line. For more information on this, check out the above report from Home Theater Magazine.
05/06/03
Digital Projectors a Big Hit for Home Movies
With the advent of both LCD and DLP technology, combined with plummeting price points, video projectors are finally becoming an affordable and flexible alternative to the traditional big-box rear projection television.
05/05/03
Grundig Files For Bankruptcy
The field of European consumer electronics manufacturers has just decreased by one as Grundig folds up, leaving its employees and customers with lots of uncertainty.
05/04/03
Onkyo Unveils Spring 2003 Product Plans
Onkyo announces its new home theater products for 2003, which includes four home theater-in-a-box systems, three 6.1-channel surround receivers, and two DVD players featuring progressive scan outputs.
05/03/03
Full-Time HD Channels Due In Fall
HD programming continues to expand as Pay-Per-View programming source iNDemand will begin a new full-time High Definition programming service to be known as INHD that will begin later this year. For more details, check out the above report from Home Theater Magazine.
05/02/03
High-Definition DVD On The Way
Just as the public is finally settling on DVD as the main form of home entertainment, manufacturers are putting the finishing touches on the HD-DVD. How will this affect the consumer?
05/01/03
Panasonic Sports 2003 DVD Product Lineup
Panasonic announces their DVD product lineup for this year, including three new DVD recorders.
For additional news stories check out my Home Electronics Industry News Archives.
