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[Link: e-town.com]


Number two in the skies

One category Sony definitely does not dominate is DirecTV Satellite Systems. RCA jumped out of the starting gate with that one in June 1995 and, like Triple-Crown winner Secretariat, looks at the competition which is 30 lengths back. This situation probably will not change in the years ahead. Still Sony is a valiant number two.

Sony will introduce new DirecTV Plus receivers in April. The SAT-B55 ($199) has a single LNB while the SAT-A55 ($299) has a dual LNB and Dolby Digital capability. Sony is selling its satellite system à la carte so you can either buy a classic 18-inch dish or a wider 24-inch dish with dual feedhorns so you can receive signals from multiple satellites. You'll need this if you want to get foreign language packages such as DirecTV Para Todas and local channels if you don't live in the "blessed" areas that can use the older 18-inch dish to pull them in. Sony hinted that a High-Definition DirecTV receiver was in the works for early summer but no specifics were offered.