News

SDMI Phase One Products Will Use Verance Watermarks

Stereophile Staff Dec 12, 1999 First Published: Dec 12, 1999

Phase One of the Secure">http://sdmi.org/">Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI) will incorporate watermarking technology for DVD-Audio from Verance">http://www.verance.com/">Verance Corporation. The agreement was announced at a meeting of the SDMI in Hawaii early in December. Verance Corp. was formed recently by the merger of ARIS Technologies Corporation and Solana Technology Development Corp. ARIS's technology was announced a few months ago as the SDMI's choice for watermarking.

News

But Aren't They One Year Too Early?

Jon Iverson Dec 12, 1999 First Published: Dec 12, 1999

Any FM-radio DJ who was on the air in the US through the late '70s and early '80s will tell you that the song most often requested was easily Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven." Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" popped up regularly, but it was never a contest. So it comes as no surprise that Zep's epic hit would make the list of the 10 songs included in the "Millennium Mix" being presented this month by Dick Clark. (Never mind that the millennium actually ends December 31, 2000.)

News

B&W, Rotel Take Sales Online with KnowledgeLINK

Barry Willis Dec 12, 1999 First Published: Dec 12, 1999

Loudspeaker manufacturer B&W has been extremely aggressive in the past two years in reining in abuses of its dealer agreements. Last year, the company cut off many dealers and stocking distributors in an attempt to tighten control over its distribution. Now, as a result of a program announced November 22 by KnowledgeLINK, many B&W dealers will be able to take sales online in complete compliance with their dealer agreements. Rotel dealers are also participating.

News

You Can Listen, But Don't Touch

Jon Iverson Dec 12, 1999 First Published: Dec 12, 1999

Audiophiles have been hit hard lately, as DVD-Audio's release schedule has succumbed to piracy concerns and Sony has so far refused to allow digital outputs on SACD decks. (Only digital outs for CD playback are allowed.) You can listen, but don't touch. But at least there are still no such restrictions on CD players that would inhibit the use of their digital datastreams . . . for now.

News

Added to the Archives This Week

Stereophile Staff Dec 12, 1999 First Published: Dec 12, 1999

There's nothing like a new high-resolution format to get an audiophile's interest, and this year saw two major announcements. But with DVD-Audio stalling, attention is sure to focus on Sony and Philips' new SACD format. Jonathan Scull jumps right in with his review of the Sony">http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/180/">Sony SCD-1 Super Audio CD/CD player. As J-10 notes: "Rarely have I anticipated the arrival of a review component as I did the Sony SCD-1 Super Audio CD player." But does it live up to the hype?

News

Grateful Dead in Family Feud over Web

Barry Willis Dec 12, 1999 First Published: Dec 12, 1999

The band that built a cult following on good vibes is feeling a trifle dysfunctional of late. Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh is at odds with fellow bandmembers over how best to put the group’s 35-year musical archive on the Internet. Grateful">http://www.dead.net/">Grateful Dead Productions has been consulting about the prospect of making their vault available for computer download with several Silicon Valley companies, many of whose executives are Deadheads eager to affiliate themselves with the legendary rockers by sponsoring the venture.

News

Added to the Archives This Week

Stereophile Staff Dec 05, 1999 First Published: Dec 05, 1999

Time does fly when you're having fun, and it's hard to believe that the Stereophile website is two years old—so it's time for a party and some presents!

News

Matsushita, JVC Delay DVD-Audio Rollout

Barry Willis Dec 05, 1999 First Published: Dec 05, 1999

Audiophiles eager to try DVD-Audio will have to wait just a bit longer. Matsushita Industrial Electric Co. and Japan Victor Company have decided to hold back their new DVD-A players, in the wake of the widely publicized decryption of the format's copy-protection scheme by a Norwegian computer hacker. The hacker published his workaround of the encryption on the Internet late in November.

News

Von Schweikert Back from the Flood

Jon Iverson Dec 05, 1999 First Published: Dec 05, 1999

As reported last March, loudspeaker manufacturer Von Schweikert Research closed its doors after a disastrous flood hit the factory (see previous">http://www.stereophile.com/news/10413/">previous report). Many thought this was the end of the story, but last week, Dr. Edward Gonzaga, of the Gonzaga Investment Group, announced the formation of a new version of the company, to be named Von">mailto:albertvonn@aol.com">Von Schweikert Audio.

News

Harvey Electronics and CoolAudio.com Propose Merger

Jon Iverson Dec 05, 1999 First Published: Dec 05, 1999

Last August, we reportedhttp://www.stereophile.com/news/10515/">reported; that brick-and-mortar retailer Tweeter Home Entertainment Group had aligned itself with online retailer Cyberian Outpost to leverage each company's respective strengths, both on- and offline. The trend continues as, last week, brick-and-mortar retailer Harvey">http://www.harveyonline.com">Harvey Electronics announced that it has reached an "agreement in principle" with CoolAudio.comhttp://www.coolaudio.com">CoolAudio.com; (see previous">http://www.stereophile.com/news/10479/">previous story) to merge the two companies through an exchange of common stock.