CE Pro November/December 2024 - 7

Director Sonnenfeld Slams
8K & HDR in Keynote
BARRY SONNENFELD is a director and filmmaker known for
his work on Men in Black and a slew of TV series. After his
CEDIA Expo 2024 keynote, he is now known as a critic of a
handful of home theater technologies that, according to him,
don't portray content the way its producers intended.
Although it was not the first time the acclaimed director
has voiced his opinions on these matters, it may be one of
the only times he's addressed his audience directly, pointing
the finger at newer technology trends and integrators that
fail to provide a good home theater experience.
Sonnenfeld is a known home theater enthusiast, and he
detailed the impressive systems in his homes, including 18foot
screens, tall ceilings, 33mm projectors, and even one
that required an " Exit " sign from the local municipality due to
its size. So, it's safe to say that Sonnenfeld knows a thing or
two about home theater tech.
However, he's clearly not on board with all of the latest
innovations, namely HDR and 8K.
" Technology is both good and bad, but here's the evil:
HDR sucks, " Sonnenfeld said plainly. " I don't have to tell you
how bad Motionflow and CineMotion are. I don't even know
why they're on any television. They suck. "
In between jabs at complicated TV menus and smart TV
operating systems, Sonnenfeld turned to 8K, saying it has no
business being used for watching anything other than sports.
" I admit that 4K viewing of sports is a game changer, and I'll
even grant you that the higher the resolution, the better it is,
specifically as it relates to sports, " Sonnenfeld elaborated briefly
before pivoting to an anecdote about filmmakers using older
cameras or filters to lessen the effects of higher resolution.
" 4K electronic resolution is not pretty, " Sonnenfeld says.
" It's contrasty, super sharp, and shows every pore on an
actor's face or layers of makeup covering those pores. "
DirecTV Finally Pulls
Trigger on Dish
Acquisition
DIRECTV IS acquiring EchoStar's video distribution business,
including Dish TV and Sling TV, via a debt exchange
transaction, ending years of talks between the two TV
providers. According to DirecTV, the combination of
companies will benefit U.S. video consumers essentially by
offering choice and creating more competition in a video
landscape largely dominated by streaming services. Terms
of the deal were not disclosed.
According to the companies, the merger aims to
enhance consumer video options by offering smaller,
more affordable programming packages and integrating
multiple content sources. With increased scale, the combined
company can better invest in improving streaming
services while maximizing satellite platform efficiencies. It
will continue to provide diverse programming, including
local news.
Additionally, the transaction allows EchoStar to focus on
expanding its 5G Open RAN network, alleviating financial
pressures, boosting competition in the wireless sector,
and advancing satellite-to-device technologies through its
Boost Mobile brand.
The companies say the video distribution industry has
become highly competitive, with streaming services from
tech companies now dominating over traditional pay TV,
resulting in the companies losing a combined 63% of their
satellite customers since 2016. With U.S. pay TV penetration
below 50%, this transaction aims to strengthen the
financial profiles of DirecTV and EchoStar.
By generating cost synergies and improving access to
capital, both companies hope to have more flexibility for
investments and reduced debt. EchoStar also wants to
unlock more spectrum and operational flexibility through
the deal. Thanks to its embracing of the integrator channel,
Dish had overtaken once-dominant DirecTV in the CE Pro
Brand Analysis several years ago.
" With greater scale, we expect a combined DirecTV and
Dish will be better able to work with programmers to realize
our vision for the future of TV, which is to aggregate,
curate, and distribute content tailored to customers' interests, "
states DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow. " And to be better
positioned to realize operating efficiencies while creating
value for customers through additional investment. "
Barry Sonnenfeld, best known for the Men in Black trilogy,
raised some eyebrows during his CEDIA Expo talk.
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CE Pro November/December 2024

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