- - - Consumer Interest In Digital TV Jumps - - -

According to the Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association, consumer awareness and interest in digital TV products continues to jump.

Since last March, awareness of digital TV has increased by more than a third - from 60 to 85 percent. Fifty-one percent of consumers surveyed expect their next television purchase to be a digital set. That figure translates into 46 million households purchasing a digital TV over the next eight years, up six million from July 1998.

Picture resolution (95 percent) and sound quality (69 percent) ranked highest as factors in DTV purchases, with interactivity applications not far behind (32 percent).

With increased awareness comes increased interest in purchasing the technology, said CEMA Vice President of Market Research Todd Thibodeaux.

"The questions consumers are asking retailers about DTV are positive - when will it be available? How will it work with current equipment? What are the differences between HDTV and SDTV?," Thibodeaux said. "And retailers report that about 85 percent of consumers who see HDTV are impressed or very impressed with the technology."

- - - SkyBridge Taps Thomson As Partner - - -

SkyBridge, the controversial broadband satellite system, signed a partnership agreement with Thomson Multimedia under which the consumer electronics giant will become an equity partner and a provider of SkyBridge terminals.

In its position, Thomson Multimedia will work with the SkyBridge industrial team and play a major role in the design, development and manufacturing of SkyBridge terminals for both professional and residential users.

SkyBridge - backed by Alcatel, Loral and others - is planning a constellation of 80 low-earth-orbiting satellites that will deliver instant broadband connections to users that previously only had narrowband access.

The SkyBridge LEO system wants to use Ku-Band spectrum, a frequency used by DBS providers and commercial satellite operators. The use of that spectrum has raised concerns about possible interference with those geostationary birds.

- - - XM Reconsiders IPO Pricing - - -

XM Satellite Radio Holdings cut the expected price range for its initial public offering to between $12 and $13 from the $14 to $16 range, lead underwriter Bear Stearns reported.

The satellite-based digital audio provider is set to offer 10 million shares. The company's deal could be priced early this week.

So far, XM Satellite has raised up to $330.8 million in financing from investors and strategic partners. Investors include General Motors, DirecTV and American Mobile Satellite Corp.

- - - TECHNOLOGY: - - -

• Music Company Continues U.S. Expansion -
  DMX Music has acquired Advanced Audio, the Atlanta-based music and audio systems provider. DMX is a leader in digital music programming and delivers music services to more than 3 million subscribers worldwide via satellite, cable, compact disk, DVD and the Internet. With the acquisition, DMX assumes management of 450 music customers.

• DigitalXpress Grows Business Training -
  DigitalXpress, the St. Paul-based provider of satellite communications services, has signed an agreement with the American Management Association to broadcast career-building sessions. DigitalXpress will preview the service this week at the 7th Annual Conference for Executive Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in Las Vegas.

• OrbImage Progresses With Cities Projects -
  Orbital Imaging Corporation (OrbImage) plans to distribute its OrbView high-resolution imagery through the ArcData Online data store, a repository of geographic data for Internet users to download content and generate maps. The company also has entered into a five-year agreement under which Spot Image of Toulouse, France will become the exclusive European distributor of OrbImage's satellite imagery. And OrbImage recently inked a deal with Radarsat International in which the former will be the principal U.S. distributor of Radarsat -1 synthetic aperture radar imagery. OrbImage is a subsidiary of Virginia-based Orbital Sciences Corporation.

• SkySteam Expands Broadcast Systems -
  SkyStream, a leader in broadcast networking solutions, announced plans to buy Varuna Software of Ontario, Canada. Varuna builds the Jetsteam Data Broadcasting System, a server-client software solution that enables digital broadcasters to air Web content and IP-based data over their existing broadcast spectrum.

• Companies Prepare For International Expo -
  San Diego-based Logic Innovations and InfoGlobal of Spain will demonstrate an integrated system that provides Internet services via satellite at the upcoming Telecom99 exhibition, an international event that takes place October 10 through October 17 in Switzerland.