Apple Computer recently announced that they would be changing processors from IBM’s Power PC chips to an Intel chip starting in 2006. The switch ends a long term relationship between Apple and IBM but also could mean a change in the way Macs run that is relevant to your home theater system.

DTS has launched its newest PC initiative, DTS Connect, designed to enhance the entertainment value of the PC platform. DTS has formed strategic partnerships with C-Media Electronics Inc. and Realtek Semiconductor Corp. to offer DTS audio technologies with both companies' popular chip sets for PC motherboards, and PCI or USB soundcards.

Sony Electronics is expanding its lineup of DVD burners with a pair of new drives that support 4X DVD-R Dual Layer (DL) recording. The internal DRU-800A and external DRX-800UL models can burn up to four hours of high-quality video or up to 8.5 GB of data, music and/or images onto a single DVD-R DL disc.

DigitalDeck has developed and is marketing an end-to-end platform for aggregating and managing entertainment content in the home. The result is the DigitalDeck Entertainment Network (DDEN) – an integrated audio-visual system which gives consumers access to audio and visual entertainment from anywhere in the house.

The number of households using Wi-Fi wireless technology for home networking has surpassed the number using Ethernet, according to Global Digital Living, a recent survey by Parks Associates. This study, which surveyed consumers in Europe and North America on technology adoption and use, found 52% of U.S. households with a home network use Wi-Fi and 50% use Ethernet. By comparison, only 32% of Canadian households with a home network use Wi-Fi, 43% use Ethernet, and 26% were unsure which technology they were using.