HDTV News Roundup: Micronas Acquires LINX Electronics, Adelphia Launches HDTV, DTV Broadcast Lab Fails

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news from around the web...

HDTV News Continued......
From May 14, 2004

Micronas Expands Into HDTV Market With Acquisition of LINX Electronics
Micronas to Provide Best-in-Class ATSC Receiver Technology

ZURICH, Switzerland, May 14 -- Micronas (SWX Swiss Exchange:
MASN; Frankfurt: MNSN; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX) today announced that it
has signed an agreement to acquire LINX Electronics, Inc., a fabless
semiconductor company that develops innovative digital television solutions
for improved reception of high-definition television (HDTV) signals. This
transaction, which is expected to be completed in June 2004, will enable
Micronas to further expand its comprehensive TV system solutions portfolio.
The purchase price of approximately USD 26 million will be paid in cash
and Micronas' shares. Chicago-based LINX Electronics employs a highly
acclaimed HDTV technology team of about 20 engineers and brings complementary
technology to Micronas. The purchase includes all development activities and
patents held by LINX Electronics.MORE

News: by John Merli
Broadcast Lab Wanes
WASHINGTON

Plans for creating and financing a multi-industry broadcast lab to troubleshoot lingering technical problems with terrestrial digital TV, first announced at the National Association of Broadcasters Winter Board meeting in January 2003, have been greeted with overwhelming apathy from two of the three involved trade groups. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the NAB ultimately ponied up zero support for the apparently doomed joint venture with Maximum Service Television (MSTV).

The financial arrangement to fund the broadcast lab, which was presented to the NAB Board by MSTV President David Donovan more than a year ago, called for NAB to commit $6 million to the test lab over a three-year period. Another $6 million would have come from the electronics-manufacturing members of the CEA for the same 36-month period, with MSTV throwing in an estimated $3 million as initial start-up money.

Yet from its infancy, genuine support for the lab appeared to be dubious, at best, both from NAB and CEA, as reflected in the TV Technology headline last year: "DTV Lab Receives 'Quiet' NAB Commitment." MORE

RCA and RCA Scenium LCD HDTV Monitors Deliver Widescreen High-Definition Home Entertainment Experience

Three Slim Models Connect To Wide Array of Video Sources to Create Highly Diverse Entertainment Options

Thomson (Euronext Paris: 18453; NYSE: TMS) is showcasing a new series of RCA and RCA Scenium slim widescreen LCD high-definition displays that easily connect to multiple components for an expansive entertainment experience. The uniquely designed, versatile LCD models produce vibrant pictures and also serve as high-resolution displays for a wide variety of components, including standard and progressive scan DVD players, HDTV over-the-air digital tuner/decoders, HD cable decoders, HD satellite receivers and gaming systems. MORE

Just in case you want to record 7 channels at the same time for a week, Sony has just the product. Well it's a PC too so I guess it's not a complete ripoff. Ripoff? Sony hasn't even presented the price yet. I'll take a guess though, and say...$9000? Just a guess.

Sony held a meeting in Tokyo o­n the 10th to present their new "VAIO" products. Among them was the "type X," a HD recorder o­n a PC base.
Adelphia begins HDTV service in North County MORE

May 11, 2004

Adelphia Communications said yesterday that it has begun offering high-definition television service in North San Diego County, a further boost to the technology.

The new HDTV service, which provides viewers with improved picture clarity, is available to Adelphia customers in Carlsbad, Del Mar, Encinitas, Fallbrook, San Marcos, Vista and Solano Beach.

To get HDTV service, customers have to pay $9.95 a month for an HDTV set box. The company's current digital cable set-top box costs $3.85. Customers also need a high-definition television to receive the service, but there is no installation charge.

Adelphia will provide HDTV on four local broadcast channels – KGTV-Channel 10, KFMB-Channel 8, KNSD-Channel 39 and KPBS-Channel 15. In the next few weeks, Adelphia plans to add HBO and ESPN high-definition service as well.

Mark Kersey, a local cable industry analyst who runs the Web site HDTVsandiego.com, said Adelphia needed to offer HDTV to remain competitive. San Diego County's other large cable companies, Cox Communications and Time Warner Cable, began offering high-definition television in 2002. MORE

How To Choose Right TV
Content provided by HowStuffWorks.com

May 10, 2004

Shopping for TVs is, in a word, overwhelming. You go to the store, you start looking at sets, features, shapes and sizes. Suddenly you feel like the only things you're going to leave the store with are questions and a headache. For example:

What is the difference between HDTV and analog TV?
Do you really need S-video inputs and front RCA jacks?
What on earth is a digital comb filter?
Does any of this really matter when you're sitting down to watch a movie or a ball game?
 

If you attack these questions piece by piece, it's really not that complicated. This guide will walk you through the basic decisions involved in TV shopping and explain the available features in plain, easy-to-understand language. MORE

Matrixstream Introduces the I-MX HDTV and DVD Video On Demand System Over the IP Network

Matrixstream, a leader in the Video On Demand (VOD) over IP industry, today announced the introduction of the I-MX end-to-end VOD system over the IP network - a system that will revolutionize the way people watch TV, movies and videos. Matrixstream was founded by Internet veterans who tired of driving to video stores looking for movie videos, only to come away empty-handed because the videos they sought were already rented out. Today, people can watch on-demand videos only if they rented them from a video store or if they bought particular DVDs from a retail store. "The I-MX system will give the power of choice back to the viewers," according to Robert Liu, VP of Business Development and Marketing for Matrixstream, "allowing viewers to have access to an entire video rental store right from the comfort of their couches and to watch their selections at a time that's convenient to them in DVD or HDTV quality without fear of paying that annoying video rental late fee." MORE

U.S. Growth of 45% in 2003, 51% Expectation for 2004 Outpaces World

Menlo Park, CA – May 6, 2004. The Worldwide market for front projectors grew from 1,840,000 units in 2002 to 2,490,000 units in 2003, and is predicted to grow to about 3,620,000 units in 2004, according to Pacific Media Associates (PMA), the Menlo Park, CA market research firm that tracks the Worldwide large-screen displays market. These newly-released figures include all electronic projectors of all sizes, sold either to organizations or individual consumers, and are updated quarterly in the Market Outlook reports component of PMA’s Large-Screen Displays Industry Service.

“The front projector market has long demonstrated a strong sensitivity to product prices, and the dramatic decrease that accompanied the emergence of the sub-$1000 “crossover” models during 2003 clearly fueled an important portion of this strong units growth,” said Michael Abramson, who directs PMA’s research efforts in front projectors. “Because of this large decrease in the average selling price, though, revenues actually declined 2%, from US$5.68 billion in 2002 to US$5.55 billion in 2003. However, we believe that prices will stabilize somewhat in 2004­partly because the supply of projectors is now lagging demand due to a shortage of lamps for some of the most popular model designs­so we expect revenues to grow a healthy 28% in 2004, to about US$7.10 billion.

In the United States, the market grew from 579,000 units in 2002 to 840,000 units in 2003, and is estimated to grow to 1,268,000 units in 2004. In revenue terms, the market eked out a 2% gain, growing from $1.91 billion in 2002 to $1.94 billion in 2003, with an expected growth of a healthy 31% in 2004 to $2.54 billion. “The more rapid growth in the U.S. than in the rest of the world is primarily due to its faster economic recovery,” according to Michael Abramson. “In particular, the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) region should equal or exceed the Americas region (of which the U.S. accounts for about 84%), especially with the expanded membership of the EU, but the strong Euro and continuing structural issues are currently restraining economic growth.”

DIRECTV 7S Successfully Delivered on Sea Launch Vehicle
Space Systems/Loral-built Spot Beam Satellite will Significantly Expand DIRECTV Local Channel Coverage


El Segundo, CA May 5, 2004 DIRECTV 7S, a spot beam satellite that will deliver hundreds of local channels to DIRECTV customers in more than 60 markets, was launched successfully today from the ocean-based Sea Launch platform. DIRECTV 7S, a Space Systems/Loral-built 1300 model spacecraft and the second spot beam satellite in the DIRECTV fleet, lifted off from the Odyssey Launch Platform aboard a Sea Launch Zenit-3SL rocket at 5:42 a.m. PDT from the equatorial launch site at 154 degrees west longitude.

The satellite will enable DIRECTV to expand its local channel programming to an additional 42 markets and transmit local channels to 19 existing local-into-local markets, freeing up capacity on other DIRECTV satellites for delivery of more local channels and other new services. DIRECTV plans to offer local channels in a minimum of 130 markets - representing 92 percent of U.S. TV households - by year end. More

The High-Definition Gaming Experience
Thursday, 6th May, 2004

The release of the GV-R800 series is concurrent with the recent launch of ATI enthusiast-class RADEON X800 XT Platinum Edition / RADEON X800 Pro VPU. The RADEON X800 series (the world’s most powerful VPU) sets a new standard in graphics performance and visual realism by delivering amazing graphics, abundant features and rock-solid stability for next-generation games and applications.

The GV-R80 series is based on the ATI RADEON X800 platform and is built on 0.13micron, low-k fabrication process technology for high levels of integration and superior operating clock speeds. A revolutionary image enhancement technology “3Dc” defines a new high–definition gaming experience by providing higher detail in images at higher resolution. With up to 16 pixel pipelines, massively parallel 3D architecture, programmable vertex pipelines and advanced pixel shader engine capabilities, immersive and complex special effects are possible. In addition, “3Dc” image enhancement technology brings characters to life and scenery to greater realism art with increased performance and lower memory usage. 3Dc is slated to become the industry standard to support real time complex high-definition visual effects. GV-R80 series brings you the best-in-class performance for the most demanding applications. MORE

Europe Wrestles with HD Strategies
Broadcast market lags, but production facilities are investing
By Jack Lloyd
With only four countries, the United States, Japan, Canada and Australia, making serious steps toward rolling out regular HDTV broadcasting, Europe is still lagging far behind in plans for over-the-air high definition televison. In fact, the sole current source of HD entertainment is the 1080i/50 satellite signal that Euro1080 started beaming up this January from the Lint Media Center in Belgium, but currently only around 10,000 viewers can receive their service.

Yet surprisingly, European production facilities, especially post houses, are investing heavily in HD equipment and services. So with the popular market for HD programming still on the distant horizon, why such a demand for high definition post? MORE

Auction HD Grants a High-Def VIP PASS to Rock Legend Eric Clapton's Guitar Sale
Wednesday May 5
VOOM HD Originals Channel to Telecast June 24th Auction Live from Christie's at Rockefeller Center


JERICHO, N.Y., May 5  This Summer, Auction HD, one of the VOOM HD Originals, further establishes itself in the exciting world of high-profile buying and selling when it airs Christie's Crossroads Guitar Auction: Eric Clapton and Friends for the Crossroads Centre, another episode in their ongoing live series Auction HD L!VE. Auction HD will give fans across the country a "VIP pass" to the "cream" of Clapton's collection. The live high-definition coverage begins at 6pm on Thursday, June 24, 2004. Telecast in crystal-clear high-definition, Auction HD puts collectors at home in the center of the bidding wars, from the first paddle wave until the final hammer falls. MORE

Tech gadgetry key to future

BY HARRY BERKOWITZ
STAFF CORRESPONDENT

May 4, 2004


NEW ORLEANS - So you already have hundreds of channels, on-demand films, high-definition pictures, a digital recorder, high-speed Internet and even telephone service from your local cable TV company, and you're wondering what's next.

How about a $30,000 Jacuzzi with a built-in 43-inch HDTV screen, six surround-sound speakers and floating remote control? Or a Philips bathroom mirror with a built-in television screen?

Or a videophone that looks like a remote control attached to a Palm Pilot and works without jerky pictures?
MORE

Motorola Extends Industry's Leading High-Definition Set-Top Platform by Integrating Dual-Tuner Digital Video Recording

 Motorola Further Supports Broadband Operators' Plans to Drive Digital Penetration by Introducing an Advanced Set-Top Platform That Integrates the Powerful Combination of HD and Dual-Tuner DVR


NEW ORLEANS, May 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT - News) today expanded the company's successful platform for high-definition television (HDTV) by introducing the Motorola DCT6400 series -- a digital set- top family that integrates HDTV with dual-tuner digital video recording (DVR) capabilities.
 
Part of Motorola's "connected home" strategy, the DCT6400 will enhance the value of a digital cable subscriber's package by providing simple, unified access to the latest digital entertainment services, including HDTV decode and watch-and-record DVR. MORE

Matrixstream Introduces the I-MX HDTV and DVD Video On Demand System Over the IP Network
Tuesday May 4, 2:37 pm ET


VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 4-- Matrixstream, a leader in the Video On Demand (VOD) over IP industry, today announced the introduction of the I-MX end-to-end VOD system over the IP network - a system that will revolutionize the way people watch TV, movies and videos. Matrixstream was founded by Internet veterans who tired of driving to video stores looking for movie videos, only to come away empty-handed because the videos they sought were already rented out. Today, people can watch on-demand videos only if they rented them from a video store or if they bought particular DVDs from a retail store. "The I-MX system will give the power of choice back to the viewers," according to Robert Liu, VP of Business Development and Marketing for Matrixstream, "allowing viewers to have access to an entire video rental store right from the comfort of their couches and to watch their selections at a time that's convenient to them in DVD or HDTV quality without fear of paying that annoying video rental late fee." MORE

This is an op

ed piece written by Dale Cripps for the Washington Post.

I am responding to Thomas Heath’s article entitled "Low Returns for Sports on High-Definition television." _Dale Cripps

I sympathize with any reporter who has the task today of assessing the state of the HDTV movement. It is a huge story with many parts and has become less defined as it spreads. In my 21 years of covering HDTV, first as publisher of the HDTV Newsletter and now the consumer publication, HDTV Magazine (www.ilovehdtv.com), and as president of the High-Definition Television Association of America I have never seen a time when we were with such a "blind spot". How do you get useful feedback when the public being polled is still deeply confused about the product? Taking a survey of the confused is like reading radar signals when metal foil has been thrown at them. The terms HDTV and DTV are not interchangeable but have appeared that way for years. These two terms alone leave the nation befuddled. Ask ten people you meet today what DTV is and another ten what HDTV is and this point is proven. While Mr. Heath has chosen excellent sources to build his story how do those sources come to any conclusions about whether HDTV will mean anything to sports or not?

The sports industry lives from the enthusiasm of the middle classes. This segment of the nation has yet to adopt HDTV in large numbers. That is illustrated by the fact that 84% of all televisions sold last year were of the old standard. Another problem for those trying to “read” the HDTV audience is that most of the consumers who do own HDTV don’t watch HDTV signals. Worse yet, these consumers don’t know they are not watching HDTV signals. I hear from my audience how horrified they are to find their friends watching standard definition television on an expensive HDTV monitor simply because they don’t know better. They presume, or were erroneously told, that digital cable or digital satellite is all they need for HDTV reception. Mr. Heath was very accurate in his assessment of who is viewing HDTV broadcasting. We can go a bit further and say that from the ten million HDTV-ready sets installed about 14% percent of those are hooked up to some HDTV receiver and signal source (cable or satellite). How do you sample this group of owners who are not seeing the same thing, but think they are? I have the largest data base containing real HDTV owners with HD receivers since the heart of my Internet service is a program guide for HDTV formatted programs. No one has come asking me to survey this audience for years. How can one forecast the future of HDTV formatted sports viewing when there is no way of knowing what the audience is watching and responding to? It is all anecdotal at present and that is not substantial enough for headlines that can lead or mislead the thinking of millions of people.

DTV Sets New Sales Records During First Quarter 2004

March 2004 DTV Sales Up 79 Percent

Arlington, Va., May 4, 2004 -Manufacturer-to-dealer sales of digital television (DTV) products reached new heights during the first quarter of 2004 with unit sales totaling 1.39 million and dollar revenues of more than $2.1 billion, according to figures released today by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).

The 2004 first quarter sales surpassed the 2003 first quarter total by 104 percent in units and 89 percent in dollars. CEA defines DTV products as integrated sets and monitors displaying active vertical scanning lines of at least 480p and, in the case of integrated sets, receiving and decoding ATSC terrestrial digital broadcasts.

CEA also released single-month sales data for March 2004, announcing that March product sales totaled 533,797 units on dollar sales of $813.5 million. These figures represent a 79 percent and 69 percent increase for unit and dollar sales, respectively, compared to the same period in 2003.

"The future of television is here today," said CEA President and CEO Gary Shapiro. "As manufacturers offer an ever-increasing array of DTV products, more and more consumers are embracing this technology. TV today is truly about digital and high-definition television."

HDNET TO LAUNCH "UP CLOSE WITH ROY FIRESTONE"

In-Depth Interview Show Takes Viewers Inside the World of the Biggest Celebrities

New Orleans - The National Show - May 4, 2004 - HDNet announced today a new original program featuring legendary broadcast journalist Roy Firestone. "Up Close with Roy Firestone" premieres this summer, exclusively on HDNet.

Firestone's deeply personal, probing interview approach has made him a favorite among sports fans and celebrities alike. Now he brings his signature style to HDNet, where he will profile athletes, artists and entertainers in personal settings - in their homes, where they work, and where they play.

"In my new show on HDNet, viewers will be entertained, informed and educated about some of the leading personalities in the sports and entertainment world," said Firestone. "Imagine being inside the home of your favorite actor, on the field with a pro athlete, or in the studio with a Grammy-award-winning musician. With a spectacular high-definition picture, 'Up Close with Roy Firestone' will take you there in a way that you've never seen before."

"For 22 years, we have seen Roy get up close and personal with all of our favorite athletes," said Mark Cuban of HDNet. "Now we'll see him in all-new interviews with his subjects in intimate settings and choice locations, only on HDNet."

Critically acclaimed for his work in broadcast journalism, Roy Firestone has won six Emmy Awards and six ACE Awards for Cable Excellence. He has interviewed more than 5,000 people, including nearly every major sports figure. Pulitzer Prize winning columnist Jim Murray calls Firestone, "the best interviewer I've ever seen. That's not the best interviewer in sports, that's the best interviewer period." Firestone is also known for his appearance in the Academy Award-winning film "Jerry Maguire."

About HDNet HDNet, (www.hd.net), the leader in high definition broadcasting, produces and televises more hours of original HDTV sports, entertainment and news programming each week than any other network. Original HDNet series include the groundbreaking HDNet World Report, Across America, Hollywood HD, True Music, HDNet Concert Series, Bikini Destinations, Get Out, and Higher Definition. Licensed programming includes series from Paramount, Warner Brothers and Sony. Live HDNet sports productions include National Hockey League games, Major League Soccer games, NASCAR and CART auto racing, the HDNet Horse Racing Challenge, boxing, and college football, basketball and baseball games. HDNet Movies broadcasts 24/7 full-length feature films from Warner Bros, New Line, Paramount, MGM, Buena Vista, Lions Gate, Artisan and Sony Pictures Television. HDNet Movies also features movies produced and finished in true 1080i high-definition. Co-founded by Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, and General Manager Philip Garvin, the HDNet networks are available on Adelphia Communications, Charter Communications, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight Communications, Mediacom Communications, Time Warner Cable and several NCTC cable affiliate companies. A high-definition television set and receiver is required to view HDNet. Viewers should contact their cable or satellite service provider to request HDNet service.
 

VOOM Announces Partnership With National Distributor O'Rourke Sales Company 

Distributor Relationship Is Significant Step for Increasing VOOM Availability and Number of Retailers

JERICHO, N.Y., May 4 /PRNewswire/ -- VOOM, the first comprehensive high- definition (HD) television service, announced today an agreement with O'Rourke Sales Company granting the distributor national distribution rights for VOOM. In a preview period since its October launch, VOOM began ramping up its outreach to potential customers in March and launched a compelling offer, which essentially eliminates the barrier for consumers to experience HDTV. Now, for the first time, VOOM will be available to key independent electronics dealers nationwide. Under the relationship,

VOOM and O'Rourke Sales Company will work closely together to identify and evaluate top-tier specialty retailers for VOOM. Additionally, the two companies will collaborate to execute the dealer application process, provide equipment and start-up kits to retailers, establish co-operative programs, as well as perform dealer sales and installation training. "This national distributor partnership is significant for VOOM because it allows us to reach consumers who shop at high-end specialty retailers," said Bill Casamo, executive vice president, marketing and sales for Rainbow DBS. "Additionally, the independent retailers have highly-trained staff who will ensure the utmost quality in both VOOM sales and installation. O'Rourke is an ideal distribution partner for VOOM because of their solid industry reputation, extensive DBS experience and commitment to serving independent retailers." O'Rourke Sales Company will aggressively market VOOM to its retailers, which number approximately 10,000 with locations in all 50 states.

The company will stage regional events where retailers can experience VOOM and its programming with the goal of generating dealer excitement. "HDTV is the only new viable profit center that puts retailers at the cutting edge of technology," said Jeff O'Rourke, president of O'Rourke Sales Company. "Adding VOOM to our existing HDTV lineup including TVs, surround sound systems, audio receivers and accessories allows us to offer our dealers a complete package to satisfy the increasing HDTV consumer demand. We are currently accepting dealer applications and anticipate a huge response to our regional dealer events."

Thanks to an FCC ruling, you'll either need to get a high-definition television or you'll have to get a high-definition converter.

Wives, though you may hate the argument from your husbands that you need a new TV, he's going to ultimately be right on this one - and soon.

Because if you don't own a high-definition television or a converter within the next couple of years, you'll be unable to view any of your favorite shows, said Marty Overgaard, general manager of Rex TV and Appliance, 2210 W. Broadway.

The FCC ordered digital tuners to start appearing in televisions with 35-inch screens or larger starting in 2004 and in all sets with screens larger than 13 inches by mid-2007.

Back in 1997, Congress mandated that television broadcasters convert from their current analog signal to full digital signal by Dec. 31, 2006.

"Realistically, it's not enough time for people to switch over," said Bob Kinne, electronics manager at Lake Manawa's Wal-Mart. MORE

Vigoto Introduces the First Digital Set-Top Box Serving Multiple TVs, Requiring Only One Box Per Household for Full DVR Capabilities in Every Room
Monday May 3, 10:02 am ET

VigoBox Also Records Multiple Channels Simultaneously


NEW ORLEANS, May 3 /PRNewswire/ -- NCTA Show -- Vigoto today introduced the first DVR-enabled digital set-top box that serves all TV sets in the home through the existing coaxial cable, reducing equipment needs to just one unit per household instead of one set-top box per room. The new VigoBox significantly lowers costs for cable operators as well as substantially increasing potential margins on monthly set-top box fees by making it possible to equip up to five rooms for a fraction of the price of multiple conventional DVR-enabled units.

The VigoBox goes beyond currently available DVR features. Users can record up to five channels simultaneously from any room in the home, pause a program on one TV set and continue watching it on another. In addition, providers can now offer to record select premium channels daily at specified times on an ongoing basis, eliminating the need for subscribers to program their DVRs for regularly viewed shows.MORE

PanAmSat Welcomes Every Major Cable Movie Programmer to Its HD Neighborhoods
Monday May 3, 11:52 am ET

Unique Sky-and-Ground Infrastructure Ensures Seamless Delivery to 11,000 Cable Headends
 
NEW ORLEANS, May 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- PanAmSat Corporation (Nasdaq: SPOT - News) today announced that every major cable movie programmer has introduced its HD feed on the PanAmSat hybrid satellite and fiber network. In addition, the company announced that its Galaxy 13/Horizons-1 neighborhood is the first and largest in the industry, enabling cable programming networks to bring high-quality HDTV content to over 11,000 cable headends throughout the United States.

"PanAmSat is the unquestioned leader in HDTV delivery to cable, with 100 percent penetration into every cable system offering HDTV signals to their customers. PanAmSat is also the only satellite operator that carries signals from every single HDTV movie service," said Mike Antonovich, senior vice president, Global Sales and Marketing, PanAmSat. "We will continue with our long-term commitment to HDTV through additional initiatives, including our half-a-billion dollar investment in three 'HD-ready' satellites being deployed through 2005 and our continued investment in the Power-of-Five Antenna program, the terrestrial component to this system. "MORE

TV Recording Pioneer Fights for Survival DVRs Start to Grab More Market Share

The Associated Press

Jeff and Debra Baker, and their 21-month-old daughter, Mara, sit on the floor of their apartment on New York City's Upper West Side while using their Time Warner Cable digital video recorder.

Debra Baker tells people she has TiVo. But she really doesn't.
The 33-year-old New York tax consultant has a variant -- a digital video recorder offered through her cable company. She didn't know what ''DVR'' stood for until then.

''I thought DVR was Time Warner's name for TiVo,'' she said.

So, like many others, Baker simply uses the leading DVR brand as the catchall term for the new love in her lounging life: a machine that lets her easily record her favorite TV shows and watch them whenever she wants.

It's a flattering curse for TiVo, whose revolutionary technology records TV programs without the hassles of videotape, letting users pause live TV, do instant replays and begin watching programs even before the recording has finished. MORE

By Thomas Heath, Washington Post Staff Writer

When the horses bolt from the starting gate at the Kentucky Derby today, viewers watching on high-definition television sets will feel like they are trackside at Churchill Downs. Dirt will splash into the air from the horses' hooves. Sweat will shimmer on the animals' skin. All of it, bridles, whips and saddles, will be richly detailed in digital clarity for the first time.

Audiences Switching from Conventional TV to Specialty Channels: Survey

Fri Apr 30

JOHN MCKAY

TORONTO (CP) - Viewers are developing a growing preference for specialty TV over old, conventional channels, a survey commissioned by Alliance Atlantis Communications suggests.

Conducted by The Strategic Counsel, a leading market research firm, the survey indicates that 53 per cent of Canadians believe programming is superior on such specialty services as the Comedy Network, Showcase and Home & Garden Television.

Those viewers polled also said that more than half their viewing time is now spent watching the specialties, while 40 per cent report that specialties are their first destination when they don't have a particular program on their viewing agenda. MORE

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