It's expensive to acquire new satellite TV subscribers. Both DirecTV and EchoStar added hundreds of thousands of new subscribers in the most recent quarter, but both posted financial losses in the process.

Netflix ups rates: DVD rental firm Netflix Inc. will boost its monthly fees by 10.2%, effective mid-June. The news caused a 16.9% drop in the value of Netflix stock, which closed Friday April 16 at $30.75/share. The Los Gatos, CA–based operation reported a loss for the first fiscal quarter ended March 31 due to expensive TV advertising.

Retailers on the rise: Best Buy and Circuit City, North America's largest and second-largest electronics chains, both reported surges in profits for the fourth fiscal quarter ended February 28. Best Buy's profits rose 51% to $469 million on strong sales of flat-panel TVs, digital cameras, and computers, while Circuit City posted a net income of $89.6 million, a 26% increase in profits over last year's fourth-quarter $70.9 million, after making cost-cutting efforts.

Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (68 minutes, 1942); Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (68 minutes, 1943); Sherlock Holmes in Washington (71 minutes, 1943). Directed by Roy William Neill. Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (66 minutes, 1942). Directed by John Rawlings. Aspect ratio: 4:3. Monophonic. B&W MPI Home Video DVD7545, DVD7549, DVD7540, DVD7550. NR. $27.88 each.