HDTV And Other New Technologies To Be Showcased At HI-FI ë99, The Home Theater & Specialty Audio Show In Chicago, May 11-16, 1999
Several of the most important new consumer electronics technologies to come along since the advent of color television and CDs will make headlines this May at HI-FI ë99, The Home Theater & Specialty Audio Show, to be held at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, Illinois May 11-16, 1999. Several hot and controversial technologies, including high-definition television (HDTV), flat-screen televisions and Super Audio CD, will all have a major presence at the Show, which is expected to draw home theatre and audio enthusiasts, music aficionados, members of the press, retailers, and consumers from around the world. Several exhibitors plan on showcasing HDTV demonstrations in their rooms, including Dolby, Philips, Samsung, and Zenith. In addition, two Chicago-area retailers, Custom Entertainment and Premiere Music & Film, will, via Unity Motion, have a HDTV signal piped directly to their rooms at HI-FI ë99 for HDTV demonstrations. A seminar focusing on this revolutionary new technology and geared for retailers and members of the press will take place during the Showís Academy Trade Days. HDTV: Where Weíre At, Where Wexíe Going is scheduled for Wednesday, May 12 at 9 am and 10:30 am. Consumers will also have a chance to learn more about HDTV on Saturday, May 15 at 1:15 am when Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and New York Times writer Joel Brinkley and panel members share their perspectives on what the public can expect to see from HDTV manufacturers, the FCC, broadcasters, and the movie industry over the next several years. Third Millennium Technologies will be showcasing Fujitsuís new plasma televisions, specifically the Plasmavision 4207, a 42-inch screen that can switch between a HDTV source, a Standard video signal, and a VGA/SVGA/XGA computer signal. Sony will announce the newest developments in their new Super Audio CD format at a press conference on Wednesday, May 12 from 10:15 am to 12 noon. Super Audio CDs offer high-quality, two-channel digital audio with 24-bit word length and 96kHz sampling. Sony will also demonstrate their Super Audio CD format in PDR7 and 8, on the third floor at the Show. The DVD-Audio format, which is based on the audio specification contained in the existing DVD-Video standard, will be discussed at a press luncheon on Thursday, May 13th from 11:30 am to 1 pm. Jordan Rost, Vice President of New Technology at Warner Music Group, will discuss the software side of DVD Audio. Robert Stuart, Chairman of Meridian Audio and Meridian America, will discuss developments on the hardware side of DVD-Audio. Twenty Live Music Events Scheduled To Take Center Stage In Chicago At Hi-Fi ë99 The HI-FI í99, The Home Theater & Specialty Audio Show also will feature 20 live musical events, May 14-16, 1999. Music lovers attending the Show at the Palmer House Hilton will have their pick of 20 separate live musical events featuring renowned jazz, classical, blues and folk artists, including two grand concerts - one on Friday evening with the Antony Michaelson Clarinet Quintet; and one on Saturday evening with an all-star cast of Chicago blues artists, including guitarist Jimmy D. Lane (son of Jimmy Rogers), guitarist Jimmie Lee Robinson, harmonica player Eomot RaSun, and guitarist/singer David ""Honeyboy"" Edwards. Consumers attending HI-FI ë99 will be able to audition more than $10 million worth of the finest audio and home theatre equipment currently available, meet the industryís top designers, participate in educational seminars on HDTV and other hot topics, and shop for CDs, LPs, DVDs, and other software. In addition to the three Consumer Days of the Show, members of the trade and press are invited to special preview days on May 11-13, sponsored by the Academy Advancing High Performance Audio & Video. These Trade Days are packed with a variety of sales and technical seminars covering the latest technologies and how they will affect business in the future. During the Trade Days exhibits are open to trade and press only. The following details the live music scheduled at HI-FI ë99, The Home Theatre & Specialty Audio Show. All concerts will be held in the Red Lacquer Room at the Palmer House Hilton. EVENING CONCERTS Friday, May 14, 1999 at 8 pm, sponsored by Audio Advisor & Stereophile Recordings The Antony Michaelson Clarinet Quintet, featuring clarinetist Antony Michaelson. Saturday, May 15, 1999 at 8 pm, sponsored by Acoustic Sounds/Analogue Productions Acoustic Sounds/Analogue Productions Original Blues Players, featuring guitarist/singer/songwriter Jimmy D. Lane; guitarist Jimmie Lee Robinson; harmonica player Eomot RaSun, and guitarist/singer David ""Honeyboy"" Edwards. DAYTIME CONCERTS Friday, May 14, 1999 10:45 AM - Patrick Noland Trio - sponsored by Naim Audio 12:00 PM - Doug MacLeod - sponsored by AudioQuest, California Audio Labs, Vandersteen Audio 1:15 PM - Rebel Souls - sponsored by Naim Audio 2:30 PM - Lorna Hun - sponsored by Classic Records 3:45 PM - Union - sponsored by Naim Audio 5:00 PM - Patricia Barber - sponsored by Vacuum Tube Logic (VTL) Saturday, May 15, 1999 10:45 AM - Atkinson/Perkins/Reina/Stewart Quartet - sponsored by Stereophile Magazine 12:00 PM - Lorna Hunt - sponsored by Classic Records 1:15 PM - Union - sponsored by Naim Audio 2:30 PM - Patricia Barber - sponsored by Vacuum Tube Logic (VTL) 3:45 PM - Rebel Souls - sponsored by Naim Audio 5:00 PM - Doug MacLeod - sponsored by AudioQuest, California Audio Labs, Vandersteen Audio Sunday, May 16, 1999 10:45 AM - Patrick Noland Trio - sponsored by Naim Audio 12:00 PM - Atkinson/Perkins/ Reina/Stewart Quartet - sponsored by Stereophile Magazine 1:15 PM - Lorna Hunt - sponsored by Classic Records 2:30 PM - Doug MacLeod - sponsored by AudioQuest, California Audio Labs, Vandersteen Audio 3:45 PM - Patricia Barber - sponsored by Vacuum Tube Logic (VTL) 5:00 PM - Patrick Noland Trio - sponsored by Naim Audio Although concert tickets are included with the price of admission to the Show, seating is limited. Therefore, advance orders are encouraged. Show attendees purchasing tickets at the door will receive concert tickets on a first come, first served basis. HI-FI ë99, The Home Theater & Specialty Audio Show, will be held in Chicago, Illinois at the Palmer House Hilton from Tuesday, May 11 through Sunday, May 16. The Show will feature a day and a half of Academy Trade Seminars (May 11 and 12), and a day and a half when the Show floor is open to trade and press only (May 12 and 13), sponsored by the Academy Advancing High Performance Audio & Video. The Show will be open to consumers May 14-16. Admission to HI-FI í99 can be purchased through the HI-FI í99 Show office by Calling 505 992 6600, by placing an order on the HI-FI í99 website at www.hifishow.com or at the door. Advance three-day tickets are $25, three-day tickets at the door are $35, and one-day tickets are $20 in advance or at the door. If you are interested in attending the Show as a member of the press, or would like to schedule an interview with any of the musical guests mentioned here, please contact Nicoll Public Relations at 781 784 4400 or nicollpr@ix.netcom.com. For information about exhibiting at HI-FI ë99, please contact Ken or Dan Nelson, Nelson & Associates, Inc., 62 Wendover Road, Yonkers, New York 10705, at 914 476 3157 (phone) or 914 969 2746 (fax); or call Megean Coldwells, Petersen Events, at 323 782 2617.