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News Headlines For Friday 31st March 2000
This Week's Picks
  • This Week's Picks
    Time: 04:41 EST/09:41 GMT News Source: ActiveDVD Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    Do you have a favorite DVD Movie you would like to see posted here? Drop me an e-mail and we will get it posted.

    The 13th Warrior

    Antonio Banderas (The Mask Of Zorro) brings huge star power to an immensely thrilling action-adventure from the hit-making director of Die Hard and The Thomas Crown Affair! An exiled ambassador far from his homeland, Ahmed (Banderas) comes across a fierce band of warriors who are being attacked by ferocious creatures legendary for devouring all living things in their path!

    And when an old fortune-teller warns the combatants that they are doomed to failure without a 13th warrior, Ahmed is given no choice but to join their battle and help conquer the mysterious enemy! Suspenseful and endlessly exciting, this exhilarating hit is sure to thrill anyone who enjoys action on an epic scale!

    "The 13th Warrior" is rated "R" and has a running time of 103 minutes.

     

    Bowfinger

    How does Bobby Bowfinger (Steve Martin), Hollywood's least successful director, get Kit Ramsey (Eddie Murphy), Hollywood's biggest star, in his ultra low-budget film? Any way he can. With an ingenious scheme and the help of Kit's eager and nerdy brother Jiff, an ambitious and sexy wannabe (Heather Graham) and an over-the-hill diva (Christine Baranski).

    Bowfinger sets out to trick Kit Ramsey into the performance of a lifetime. Enjoy the fun with Eddie Murphy and Steve Martin - together for the first time in the hit comedy Bowfinger.

    "Bowfinger" is rated "PG-13" and has a running time of 97 minutes.

     

    Crazy In Alabama

    Antonio Banderas’ directorial debut opens in the summer of 1965, and everyone in Alabama has gone completely crazy, especially 12-year-old Peejoe’s glamorous Aunt Lucille (Melanie Griffith). Deciding not to let her abusive husband stand in the way of her dreams of television stardom, she gets rid of him in a most unusual way and leaves Peejoe (Lucas Black) with lots of questions and one explosive secret.

    Accompanied only by her hatbox and its mysterious contents, Lucille tries to evade both the cops and her demons on her hilarious journey to Hollywood, while Peejoe is left behind with his uncle (David Morse) in Alabama. And as he tries to steer clear of the cunning sheriff (Meat Loaf), Peejoe learns which secrets to keep and which ones to tell in this poignant comedy about the price of freedom and why it’s always worth it, whatever the cost.

    "Crazy in Alabama" is rated "PG-13" and has a running time of 113 minutes.

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News Headlines For Thursday 30th March 2000
DVD News Around The Net
  • DVD EXPRESS Launches New Name -- Express.com
    Time: 17:59 EDT/22:59 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    DVD EXPRESS announced the launch of its new name, new site and new logo -- Express.com, a premier online entertainment destination.

    The relaunched site marks the first time a Web surfer can find video games, music, movies, auctions, entertainment news, chat, e-mail and more, all at one location.

    A financial merger with Maximum Holdings Inc. in January of this year brings Express.com a plethora of gaming news, information and an opportunity to buy almost any video game title available. Maximum Holdings also brings to Express.com its network of more than 32 interactive gaming sites, including GameCave.com and the leading video game magazine, Game Fan.

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  • Jackie Chan Fans Will Flip Over Columbia TriStar Home Video's Hip New Flick -- Gen-X Cops
    Time: 17:58 EDT/22:58 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    Columbia TriStar Home Video (cthv.com), a Sony Pictures Entertainment company, and Click2Asia Inc., a leading global Internet media company for Asians and those interested in Asia, will launch the ultimate online premiere of Jackie Chan's DVD/VHS release, ``Gen-X Cops.''

    A cutting-edge action-adventure thriller with a millennium attitude, the film stars Nicholas Tse (``Young and Dangerous: The Prequel''), Stephen Fung (``Hold You Tight''), Sam Lee (``Beast Cops'') and a newcomer to the big screen, Grace Kip. The premiere of ``Gen-X Cops'' will be hosted on Click2Asia, at .

    ``Gen-X Cops'' Online Premiere Exclusives Include:

    • Watch the online sneak preview/trailer of ``Gen-X Cops'' on Click2Asia
    • ``Chan Chat'' on Click2Asia to chat real-time with some of the principal talent from ``Gen-X Cops.'' (Reporters are welcomed to participate in the chat sessions.)
    • Read Jackie Chan's editorial discussing work on ``Gen-X Cops'' and his long history in film
    • Check out Jackie Chan fan trivia and more
    • Kick-off of online contest to win a trip to hang out with the stars of ``Gen-X Cops''
    • Win exclusive offers of ``Gen-X Cops'' on DVD and VHS, signed by Jackie Chan and the principal talent
    • Win the ultimate Sony DVD system

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  • Oscars Come Home On DVD
    Time: 17:44 EDT/22:44 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    With nearly 7 million DVD-Video players in U.S. homes, many of this year's Academy Award winning films can be enjoyed in the one theater where the seats are comfortable, the popcorn is cheap and the parking is free -- the home theater.

    While top winner ``American Beauty'' (DreamWorks Home Entertainment/ Universal Studios Home Video) is not expected in stores until fall and ``Cider House Rules'' (Buena Vista Home Entertainment) thereafter, a number of the Oscar winning titles are scheduled to hit stores within the next few months. DVD fans will see Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank in ``Boys Don't Cry'' (Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment) available April 18 and best supporting actress Angelina Jolie in ``Girl, Interrupted'' (Columbia TriStar Home Video) in stores June 8. Tim Burton's mystical story of ``Sleepy Hollow'' (Paramount Home Video) won Oscar nods for its art direction, and can be brought home on May 16. And ``Topsy-Turvy'' (USA Home Entertainment), which won awards for both make-up and costume design, will be available June 13.

    A number of nominated films will be in stores soon as well, including ``The Talented Mr. Ripley'' (Paramount Home Video) on June 27, ``Being John Malkovich'' (USA Home Entertainment) on May 2, ``The Insider'' (Buena Vista Home Entertainment) on April 11, ``The Green Mile'' (Warner Home Video) and ``Magnolia'' (New Line Home Video) this summer and the recently released thriller ``The Sixth Sense'' (Buena Vista Home Entertainment).

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  • Wedding Memories Enter The Digital Age On DVD
    Time: 17:44 EDT/22:44 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    Wedding photos and even wedding videos are rapidly moving down the list of the most desired ways to preserve the once in a lifetime memories of a couples wedding day.

    As the advantages of watching ones nuptials on DVD become more well known, the demand for this service has increased dramatically.

    Wedding Video Image, one of the first companies to offer this new service, has helped spread the word about the unique features such as crystal clear picture, interactivity, direct scene access, and longevity of the DVD format.

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  • InterVideo Announces Software DVD Player for Linux
    Time: 17:42 EDT/22:42 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    InterVideo, Inc. (IVI) today announced that it would soon release a software DVD player/decoder for the Linux operating system, enabling users to experience DVD video and audio quality rivaling that of high-end consumer electronic players. The product, which will be called LinDVD, is expected to be the first legal DVD software solution for the Linux OS.

    ``InterVideo has made a commitment to support the Linux community with digital audio and video products,'' said Joe Monastiero, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for InterVideo, Inc. ``LinDVD is the first product in a lineup that will ultimately include all of our Windows multimedia products.''

    The dearth of DVD solutions for Linux users has been recently well publicized, including a widely reported incident of hackers creating an unauthorized DVD decoder for Linux, resulting in lawsuits filed by the DVD industry. InterVideo has a long-standing Content Scrambling System (CSS) license, enabling it to produce and market DVD player/decoder software without violating copyright or other laws.

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  • Spruce DVD Authoring Ease-of-Use and Speed Make the Difference for Vidfilm Digital Media
    Time: 17:40 EDT/22:40 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    Vidfilm, a leading post production facility based in Glendale, Calif., has switched to the award-wining Spruce Technologies' DVDMaestro(TM) (www.sprucetechnologies.com) authoring system as the foundation for its recent and ongoing expansion. Vidfilm is using the system to author DVD titles for industry leaders such as Sony Pictures and Miramax films.

    Kirk Kessler, Director of Digital Media for Vidfilm, said, ``We started out in the DVD world using other systems, but when we found ourselves expanding we took a look at Spruce. We liked the ease of authoring and Spruce's MPX3000 encoder board looked very good. In fact, the look of it is as good or better than many of the other encoders I've used. We're very pleased with the system so far. We also very excited about the things Spruce has shown us that are coming in future versions.''

    Vidfilm is using Spruce DVDStation-MX, a complete DVD encoding and authoring solution that integrates Spruce's flagship DVDMaestro(TM) authoring system with Spruce's industry-leading MPX-3000 hardware encoder in a high-performance Windows NT computer.

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  • Sony aims to ship 10 mln PlayStation2s in 2000/01
    Time: 17:35 EDT/22:35 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    Sony Corp said on Thursday it aims to ship 10 million of its blockbuster PlayStation2 game consoles worldwide in the business year starting on April 1.

    Ken Kutaragi, president of Sony's game subsidiary Sony Computer Entertainment Inc, told a news conference the company was also sticking to its shipments forecast of 1.4 million units in the business year ending on Friday, less than a month after the console was launched in Japan on March 4.

    The heavily hyped home game machine, which includes a digital video disc (DVD) player and will eventually offer access to the Internet, is key to Sony's profit outlook.

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  • Released This Week: The Omega Code
    Time: 17:15 EDT/22:15 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    According to many, the Bible contains information about the future, even foretelling events that lead to the end of the world. The apocalyptic Book of Daniel and Book of Revelation are said to predict that “he who controls Jerusalem in the final days” will control the world.

    What if someone could use the latest technology to finally untangle these prophecies, break the code, and learn the future of our history?

    The Omega Code is a suspense thriller about just such an event – discovery of the Bible’s intangible secrets and hidden messages, and the fight to control the world before the end of days.

    "The Omega Code" is rated "PG-13" and has a running time of 100 minutes.

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News Headlines For Wednesday 29th March 2000
DVD News Around The Net
  • Released This Week: Leprechaun In The Hood
    Time: 17:15 EDT/22:15 GMT News Source: ActiveDVD Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    After a long and golden dormancy, the Leprechaun is brought back to life by three bungling rap artists looking to launch their music career.

    When Butch, Postmaster P and Stray Bullet loot the local hip-hop mogul’s studio to fund their demo album, the threesome unwittingly ends up with the secret of Mack Daddy’s success: a magical flute. Their gigs instantly turn golden, but a blood-thirsty Leprechaun and an angry Mack Daddy are hot on their trail, leaving a wake of destruction tainted by politically incorrect limericks.

    "Leprechaun in the Hood" is rated "R" and has a running time of 91 minutes.

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  • Image Entertainment Expands International Distribution
    Time: 17:35 EDT/22:35 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    Image Entertainment, Inc., a leading licensee and distributor of DVD programming in North America, today announced the signing of agreements that will see the Company's exclusively held programs distributed in Japan by Nippon Columbia and throughout Australia and New Zealand by Warnervision.

    The exclusive license agreements were made with Image's joint-venture partner Aviva International, LLC, international sales agent for the Company's products, and Nippon Columbia, for DVD and videocassette distribution to video and music retailers, Internet retailers, wholesalers, rack-jobbers, schools, libraries and institutions throughout Japan. Image's programming has been licensed to Warnervision for similar release throughout Australia and New Zealand.

    The first titles to be released in Japan, Australia and New Zealand under these new licensing agreements will be Image's record-breaking DVD Eagles: Hell Freezes Over and Sheryl Crow: Rockin' the Globe Live, Peter Frampton: Live In Detroit, The Cranberries Live In Paris, The Twilight Zone series, the original Broadway cast performance of Victor / Victoria with Julie Andrews as well as a wide selection of additional programming to be announced and available to be released into the territories throughout the term of the deals.

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  • DV Studio Chooses Sonic DVDit! for Apollo Expert DVDer
    Time: 17:25 EDT/22:25 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    Sonic Solutions announced today that DV Studio Technologies, LLC, will bundle DVDit!, the industry's easiest to use DVD publishing system, with its Apollo Expert DVDer(TM) MPEG-2 video encoding solution. With DVDit!, DV Studio customers can now author the high-quality MPEG-2 video they encode with DVDer and publish it directly to DVD-R for set-top DVD playback or to CD-R for playback on any DVD-equipped PC.

    ``We are extremely pleased to offer DVDit! with our Apollo Expert DVDer encoding solution,'' said Dr. Ash Pahwa, CEO of DV Studio Technologies, LLC. ``Sonic Solutions is the leader in DVD authoring systems and the power and ease-of-use of DVDit! is a perfect match for our MPEG-2 hardware.''

    Apollo Expert DVDer from DV Studio Technologies is a real-time MPEG-2 hardware-based encoder and decoder for Windows NT. Among its features are real-time MPEG-2 variable bit-rate and constant bit-rate encoding, creation of both multiplexed and elementary MPEG-2 video and audio streams, output of both WAV and MPEG-1 Layer 2 audio files, support for NTSC and PAL video formats and video bit rates from 1 to 25 Megabits per second.

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News Headlines For Tuesday 28th March 2000
DVD News Around The Net
  • ``The Sixth Sense'' Debuts Riveting New Web Site
    Time: 17:15 EDT/22:15 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    Buena Vista Home Entertainment will unveil a new ``The Sixth Sense'' Web site, a revolutionary interactive experience, on March 28, to coincide with the release of ``The Sixth Sense'' thriller on home video and DVD.

    The spine-tingling site, found at www.thesixthsense.com , takes paranormal activity to new depths and boasts a never-before-released look into the film's creation. The site also delivers exclusive interviews with the cast and crew of the suspenseful film that had the nation on the edge of its seat and most recently earned six Academy Award® nominations, including Best Picture.

    Beginning March 28, visitors to the site can explore Chapter One of the Oscar®-nominated screenplay, but beware -- everything may not be as it seems. This first-of-its-kind interactive screenplay is full of haunted twists and unexpected turns. Hidden within the shadows of each scene is a ``Secret Key'' that unlocks a new part of the mystery.

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  • InterVideo's WinDVD Bundled into New Gateway Profile(TM) PC
    Time: 17:10 EDT/22:10 GMT News Source: Yahoo! Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    Leading PC video software developer InterVideo, Inc. today announced that Gateway has begun shipping InterVideo's WinDVD software-only DVD player/decoder with its new Profile(TM) all-in-one LCD desktop computer. InterVideo's WinDVD player, recognized as the technical leader in software DVD, enables users to experience DVD video and audio with quality that rivals high-end televisions.

    ``InterVideo is very excited about being included in Gateway's new generation of Profile computers,'' said Joe Monastiero, V.P. of sales and marketing for InterVideo. ``The Profile is a progressive, stylish multimedia system, and a perfect showcase for our DVD technology. With our software and the Profile's sleek new hardware, Gateway's business and education customers will be guaranteed the best possible digital video and audio experience.''

    ``Gateway's Profile design centers on its 15-inch LCD active matrix display, making it highly desirable for DVD output,'' said Eddie Liao, Senior Engineering Project Manager for the Profile series line. ``We chose WinDVD for the playback/decoder engine because of its excellent video quality and complete DVD feature set. Our customers demand the best quality possible from all our products, and we believe we've got it with InterVideo's WinDVD player.

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  • MacMedic Utilities Ready for Panasonic DVD-RAM Backup/Recovery
    Time: 17:09 EDT/22:09 GMT News Source: Yahoo! Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    Panasonic® and the Total Recall Software Division of Total Recall Data Recovery, Inc., jointly announced today that MacMedic, a comprehensive drive utility, supports backup to and data recovery from the Panasonic 5.2GB DVD-RAM drive.

    MacMedic and the professional version, MacMedic Pro, can be used with Apple®'s complete line of computer systems, including Macintosh® G4 workstations, which incorporate the industry-standard DVD-RAM drive.

    With MacMedic and a Panasonic DVD-RAM drive, Macintosh users have everything they need for reliable, unattended backup and simplified restoration. They can schedule regular, complete backups or incremental backups that are limited to new or changed files. MacMedic also provides powerful tools for the recovery of directories as well as individual files that have been deleted or lost.

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  • Picardy Media Group Selects Sonic Solutions for Web-linked DVD Production
    Time: 17:07 EDT/22:07 GMT News Source: Yahoo! Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    Sonic Solutions announced today that Picardy Media Group's Television Post Production Division, Scotland's leading media business solutions company, has chosen DVD Fusion with eDVD for Web-linked DVD production. DVD Fusion will become an integral part of Picardy Media Group's (PMG's) plans to address the high-growth electronic media market in Scotland and the UK.

    With an extensive roster of blue chip companies including British Telecom, The Bank of Scotland, BP, The Scottish Executive, and Hewden Stuart, PMG is one of the first facilities in Europe to integrate web-based DVD production technology and is fast positioning itself as a major force in the UK's electronic media market. With the addition of the Sonic DVD authoring system with eDVD, PMG will offer its customers a comprehensive range of web-based interactive DVD content production services including internet-based interactive training and corporate Intranets.

    ``The advanced Internet connectivity that Sonic's DVD Creator production system provides with eDVD will make it possible for us to seamlessly combine high-bandwidth DVD-Video content with up-to-the-minute web-based HTML content,'' said Iain Hogg, Managing Director of Picardy Media Group. ``By teaming with Sonic, the industry leader in DVD production systems, we are able to satisfy our customers' hunger for high-quality web-connected video content.''

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News Headlines For Monday 27th March 2000
DVD News Around The Net
  • Spruce and Matrox Collaborate to Offer Professional DVD Authoring With Realtime Editing
    Time: 17:54 EDT/22:54 GMT News Source: Yahoo! Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    Spruce Technologies and Matrox have teamed up to offer their customers a complete solution combining Spruce's professional DVD authoring software with the Matrox DigiSuite DTV realtime editing platform. The solution will be sold exclusively through the Spruce/Matrox authorized reseller channels.

    ``This combined package gives customers an end-to-end solution that seamlessly moves their projects from postproduction through DVD pre-mastering and into their clients' hands,'' says Spiro Plagakis, Vice President Sales and Marketing, Matrox Video Products Group. ``DVDVirtuoso's rich feature set will appeal to any DigiSuite DTV user looking for advanced DVD authoring tools.''

    Spruce DVDVirtuoso(TM) is a no-compromise, entry-level solution for professional DVD authoring aimed at producers that require DVD's high quality video and audio with straightforward menu and navigation structures. DVDVirtuoso accepts MPEG-2 files directly from Matrox DigiSuite DTV for uninterrupted workflow and can reside in a single integrated workstation. The system features the very best of Spruce's leading technologies including Spruce's proven timeline-style user interface, menu creator, and connection editor. DVDVirtuoso also features RealView(TM), Spruce's exclusive real-time preview and simulation technology that enhances productivity and creativity by enabling users to verify a DVD title as it is being created.

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  • Micro-PACE to Distribute Sonic DVDit! Leading Distributor of Digital Content Creation Products to Bring DVDit! to US Market
    Time: 17:50 EDT/22:50 GMT News Source: Yahoo! Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    Sonic Solutions announced today that Illinois-based Micro-PACE, a leading distributor of digital media products including digital video capture, editing, web production and digital music creation, will distribute the Sonic DVDit! line of products in the United States.

    Through its extensive network of over 3000 resellers nationwide and via its DV Direct e-tail site at www.dvdirect.com, Micro-PACE will deliver DVDit! to dealers and consumers eager to use or resell DVD publishing systems. Micro-Pace will carry DVDit! SE as a standalone application as well as DVDit! LE to SE upgrades for current users of DVDit!LE.

    In addition to providing high-level technical knowledge and personal service to its resellers, Micro-PACE offers configuration, installation, service and support for a wide variety of products. In addition to the Sonic DVDit! line of products, Micro-PACE distributes product for one hundred of the most progressive companies in the digital content creation market, including: 3Dlabs, Artel, Avid, Canopus, Digital Origin, AST, Integrated Computing Engines (ICE), Matrox, Medea, Media 100, NewTek, Pinnacle Systems and Sonic Foundry.

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  • IndieDVD Acquires Award-Winning Films for Initial DVD Distribution
    Time: 17:45 EDT/22:45 GMT News Source: Yahoo! Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    IndieDVD Inc., an alliance of independent filmmakers and marketers, today announced that they have acquired the DVD rights to several short independent films for their upcoming DVD compilation. Under terms of the standard agreement, the filmmakers and production companies have granted IndieDVD digital-exclusive rights to their film for the purpose of DVD distribution and retail sale. Indie DVD offers the filmmaker a full screen, interactive medium for independent cinema that can be played on a home entertainment system.

    IndieDVDs most recent acquisition is Lionheart Production's Korean War film ``The Nest.'' Recognized as the Best Action Short at the New York International Independent Film Festival in 1999, the twenty-four minute long film features Nathan Blackburn, former cast member of MTV's Real World Seattle. Set on the battlefield during the Korean conflict, ``it is a story about the battle between the soldiers -- and the battle within themselves'' according to producer and co-star DJ Perry.

    ``IndieDVD offers the best opportunity for widespread distribution of our short film,'' said Ed Schaefer, Principal Partner of Lionheart Filmworks, LLC. ``We are pleased to partner with such a visionary organization.''

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  • New Neil Young Home Video and DVD, SILVER & GOLD, To Coincide With Release of Album
    Time: 17:07 EDT/22:07 GMT News Source: Yahoo! Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    SILVER & GOLD, a live performance video from legendary singer/songwriter Neil Young, is set for release on home video and DVD on April 25th. Shot during his 1999 solo acoustic tour, SILVER & GOLD features new and classic Neil Young performances taped before a live audience at Bass Concert Hall in Austin, Texas, capturing the music, magic, and excitement of one of rock's consummate performers.

    Additionally, the home video and DVD releases coincide with the SILVER & GOLD album release from Reprise Records (April 25th) and the video had its world premiere at the South By Southwest Film and Music Festival in Austin, Texas on March 17th. The accompanying SILVER & GOLD album features ten tracks and showcases one of rock's greatest performers at his pinnacle. The SILVER & GOLD home video and DVD are closed-captioned and feature five selections not included on the CD and cassette versions of the album. Those added selections include Young's own version of ``Looking Forward,'' a group rendition of the title song of the current Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young album, as well as performances of Young solo classics ``Long May You Run,'' ``Harvest Moon,'' ``The Great Divide'' and ``Philadelphia.''

    A complete track listing for the home video and DVD releases includes ``Looking Forward,'' ``Out Of Control,'' ``Buffalo Springfield Again,'' ``Philadelphia,'' ``Daddy Went Walkin','' ``Distant Camera,'' ``Red Sun,'' ``Long May You Run,'' ``Harvest Moon,'' ``The Great Divide,'' ``Slowpoke,'' ``Good To See You'' and ``Silver & Gold.''

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  • Pioneer Ships Industry's Fastest DVD-ROM Drive
    Time: 17:04 EDT/22:04 GMT News Source: Yahoo! Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    Pioneer New Media Technologies Inc., a leading manufacturer of DVD technology-based products, Monday announced that it is shipping the industry's first 16X (max.) DVD-ROM drive, ``Sweet 16.'' As with its introduction of the 10X drive, Pioneer is again the first to bring the fastest DVD-ROM drive to market.

    ``Prices of DVD-ROM drives are dropping, making them a feature of choice in many PCs shipped today,'' said Mary Craig, principal analyst, optical disk drives worldwide, Dataquest. ``With its backward compatibility to CD-ROM and lightening-fast speeds, customers are learning to appreciate the performance and benefits that DVD offers.''

    With speeds that are 16 times faster than first generation DVD-ROM technology, the 16X DVD-ROM/40X CD-ROM is compatible with single and dual layer DVD-ROM and DVD-Video, DVD-R, DVD-RW, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, CD-DA, Video CD and Photo CD media, preserving compatibility with conventional CD formats. Pioneer's most advanced drive to-date, the 16X DVD-ROM offers:

    • Random seek times of less than 85 msec for DVD-ROM (70 msec for CD-ROM)
    • Access times less than 95 msec (80 msec for CD-ROM)
    • ATAPI interface
    • Horizontal or vertical mounting capabilities

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  • Image Entertainment to Release DVD and Videocassette of Steely Dan's `2 Against Nature Live' Concert
    Time: 17:00 EDT/22:00 GMT News Source: Yahoo! Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    Image Entertainment, Inc., a leading licensee and distributor of DVD programming in North America, today announced the June 13 release of Steely Dan's ``2 Against Nature Plush TV Jazz-Rock Party in hi-fi Stereo,'' a live concert featuring material from the chart-topping album of the same name.

    Steely Dan's ``2 Against Nature'' album was released on February 29 and entered the Billboard Charts at #6. The band begins a worldwide concert tour in Japan on May 14. The U.S. leg of the tour kicks off on June 13 at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, coinciding with the home video release.

    Steely Dan, comprised of Walter Becker (bass) and Donald Fagen (vocals and keyboards), has not released an album of new music since 1980's bestselling Gaucho. The DVD of the concert, filmed January 28 - 29 at Sony Studios in New York City, will feature Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS Multi-Channel audio tracks on the same disc. The tracks were recorded and mixed by Elliot Scheiner and Roger Nichols.

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News Headlines For Sunday 26th March 2000
Halloween H20
  • ActiveDVD: Halloween: H2O: DVD - Review
    Time: 13:17 EDT/18:17 GMT News Source: ActiveDVD Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    We have posted our review of the Halloween H20 DVD. Here is a snippet from the review:

    In this film sees a turning point of where Laurie finally confronts the terror that has been following her for the last 20 years and at one point Laurie becomes the hunter and Michael Myers becomes the hunted. This film is quite good offering a good dosage of horror to a film that started off good, kind of got worse in the middle and picked up at the end.

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News Headlines For Friday 24th March 2000
This Week's Picks
  • DVD Genie 3.40
    Time: 19:17 EDT/00:17 GMT News Source: 3D Spotlight Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    Version 3.40 of DVD Genie has been released. DVD Genie allows you to modify the region code for popular software-based DVD Players such as Software Cinemaster, PowerDVD and WinDVD (among a few). It also allows you to tweak these programs with undocumented features to better fit your system.

    DVD Genie will also allow you to select which program runs when a DVD Disc is inserted into the drive and contains support for fullscreen Zooming on widescreen movies with certain players.

    Download Here

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  • The Matrix Named Best Film in IGN.com Anti-Awards, The Internet's Largest Online Movie Poll
    Time: 17:49 EDT/22:49 GMT News Source: Yahoo! Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    The Matrix, the sci-fi thriller starring Keanu Reeves, was voted by online movie buffs as the Best Film of 1999 in the IGN.com Anti-Awards. It easily beat out runner-up American Beauty, 47% to 21%, in the world's largest Internet movie poll, which was the cooperative effort of 30 top independent movie Web sites. Other nominated films were Fight Club, The Green Mile, and The Sixth Sense. Voting took place at the official IGN.com Anti-Awards web site, from March 11 to 22, with more than 300,000 votes cast. Official results with a statistical breakdown for all 37 categories will be posted on the site on March 24, 2000.

    Overall, The Matrix took home 10 Anti-Awards, including Best Director (Larry and Andy Wachowski), Best Action Film, Best Sci-Fi Film, Film They'll Remember in 20 Years, Biggest Surprise, Best Opening Sequence, Best Visual Effects, Best Editing, and Best Cinematography.

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  • 5.1 Entertainment Group Launches Silverline & immergent Record Labels
    Time: 17:45 EST/22:45 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    5.1 Entertainment Group, the worldwide leader in production and release of DVD Music Products, announced the formation of their Silverline and immergent record labels. Both will operate under the 5.1 Entertainment Group banner.

    Catering to the thriving DVD-based ``6-channel surround sound'' music marketplace, Silverline Records will debut over 15 high end classical and jazz DVD Music titles on March 28, 2000, with immergent Records' initial pop reissue releases due Spring/Summer 2000. Discs will carry a suggested retail list price of $19.98.

    The 5.1 Entertainment Group is at the forefront of developing the groundbreaking ``5.1 (five speakers, plus the sub-woofer) multi-channel format,'' also known as ``6-channel surround sound.'' The DVD Music discs, which play on any and all DVD players (including today's DVD players and the soon to be released DVD Audio Format), offer more than twice the sound quality of traditional CDs, as well as compelling visuals. Every Silverline and immergent disc will contain AC3 and DTS formats and, in June 2000, DVD Audio will also be incorporated on all releases. 5.1 Entertainment Group is at the forefront in providing ``6-channel sound'' for the 12 million-plus (and rapidly growing number) of DVD and home theater consumers.

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  • This Week's Picks
    Time: 04:41 EST/09:41 GMT News Source: ActiveDVD Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    The Abyss: Special Edition

    In this thrilling, underwater action-adventure from writer-director James Cameron (Titanic, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Aliens), a civilian oil-rig crew is recruited to conduct a search-and-rescue effort when a nuclear submarine mysteriously sinks. One diver (Ed Harris) soon finds himself on a spectacular odyssey over 25,000 feet below the ocean's surface, where he confronts a mysterious force that has the power to change the world or destroy it.

    Includes both the Special Edition, with 28 minutes of additional footage, and the original theatrical version, along with the 60-minute documentary Under Pressure: Making The Abyss, and much more.

    "The Abyss: Special Edition" is rated "PG-13" and has a running time of 171 minutes.

     

    Star Trek: The Original Series Vol. 9

    Shore Leave
    Stardate: 3025.3 - Airdate: December 29, 1966
    The White Rabbit and Alice in Wonderland? A knight on horseback? Don Juan, a samurai warrior, a World War II fighter plane? These strange sights await Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise when they beam down for shore leave on a mysterious planet. Is it all an illusion or some sort of trick? So it would seem, until the knight charges Dr. McCoy - and kills him!

    The Squire Of Gothos
    Stardate: 2124.5 - Airdate: January 12, 1967
    En route to Colony Beta Six, the U.S.S. Enterprise is trapped in orbit around an uncharted planet - a planet that shouldn't be there! Kirk discovers its sole inhabitant is an illogical but extremely powerful alien named Trelane (William Campbell), who challenges Kirk to a fox hunt - with Kirk playing the fox - in return for the U.S.S. Enterprise's freedom.

    "Star Trek: The Original Series Vol. 9 " is rated "G" and has a running time of 100 minutes.

     

    Blue Streak

    Master jewel thief Miles Logan (Martin Lawrence, Life, Bad Boys) has a big problem. A $20 million problem. Recently released from prison for the botched heist of a huge diamond, he's anxious to retrieve the hot rock which he hid at a construction site two years earlier.

    Unfortunately, his hiding place is now at the center of a recently completed high-security police precinct. Posing as a detective, and partnered with straight-laced rookie Carlson (Luke Wilson, Home Fries, Bottle Rocket), Miles utilizes his criminal expertise and inadvertently rises up the ranks, winning the respect of his fellow "boys in blue."

    "Blue Streak" is rated "PG-13" and has a running time of 94 minutes.

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  • SNL Product Line Eclipses 1 Million Units
    Time: 04:37 EDT/09:37 GMT News Source: Yahoo! Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    Trimark Home Video today announced that it has shipped more than 1 million total units of its Saturday Night Live sell-thru product line.

    Leading the way to date is ``SNL: The Best of Chris Farley,'' which alone has shipped nearly 200,000 units. Other top sellers include ``SNL: The Best of Adam Sandler'' and ``SNL: The Best of Mike Myers.'' In April, the company will release the DVD version of ``SNL: The Best of Chris Farley,'' VHS and DVD versions of ``SNL: The Best of Steve Martin'' and ``SNL: Game Show Parodies'' on VHS (order date: April 3, street date: April 25 for all three).

    ``The entire SNL lineup continues to re-order on a consistent basis, and this is directly attributable to the quality of the content provided by NBC and to the time and effort Trimark has spent on packaging and product placement in retail,'' said Ron Schwartz, Trimark's Senior Vice President of Home Video.

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News Headlines For Thursday 23rd March 2000
DVD News Around The Net
  • ActiveDVD: Deep Blue Sea: DVD - Review
    Time: 16:39 EDT/21:39 GMT News Source: ActiveDVD Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    We have posted our review of the Deep Blue Sea DVD. Here is a snippet from the review:

    The main difference between this film and Jaws is the fact that the researchers are trapped in the lab which is slowly sinking. The way the research center actually begins to sink is quite scary and will send shivers down your spine. The sense of claustrophobia in this film is something that you will notice after a while.

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  • Strategy Analytics Forecasts $13.6bn Flat Panel TV Market by 2005
    Time: 16:10 EDT/21:10 GMT News Source: Yahoo! Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    That age-old science fiction dream is set to become reality - the wall-hanging TV is about to invade your living room. What is more, new research from Strategy Analytics, Inc. suggests that consumers will find it more enticing than many other emerging technologies, including MP3 players, DVD recorders, Internet TV and smartphones.

    These findings are presented in a study entitled ``Wall-Hanging TV: Are Consumers Ready?'' and published recently by Strategy Analytics, Inc. within its strategic advisory service, The Interactive Home.

    Strategy Analytics conducted 140 two-hour interviews with next-generation consumers represented by the student population of San Diego State University to discover their attitudes and motivations towards a wide range of emerging technologies and services. Given $1500 to spend in a Virtual Mall, the respondents chose to spend 24% of their money on wall-hanging TVs priced at $1000, compared to 19% on advanced automotive information systems, 11% on recordable DVD and 11% on smartphones and only 2% on MP3 players.

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  • Adult DVD Talk Develops First Price Search Engine for Adult DVDs
    Time: 16:07 EDT/21:07 GMT News Source: Yahoo! Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    Adult DVD Talk expands its online community to add new shopping features, including the Internet's first price search engine for adult DVDs.

    Visitors can not only find the lowest online price for adult DVD titles, but they can also access movie reviews written by consumers for consumers and forum discussions. Adult DVD Talk provides the factual shopping information and lets the community express their opinions on titles, stores, stars and more. Combining the price search, the movie reviews and an active message board Adult DVD Talk has taken the caveat emptor out of adult DVD shopping.

    While on one hand Adult DVD Talk has made shopping easy, the community has on the other hand made market research as simple as a search. Forum participants have given the studios valuable feedback on their DVD likes and dislikes. Through both the forum and online chats with directors and stars, Adult DVD Talk has let the DVD producers know where their money is best spent.

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  • World's Most Powerful Audio System Now Available From AIWA
    Time: 16:04 EDT/21:04 GMT News Source: Yahoo! Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    With 800 watts of total power, a new surround sound audio system from AIWA is the most powerful available, and at the same time represents a radical new concept in audio system design.

    The new AIWA Mega A/V XH-A1000 digital audio system represents home entertainment on a grand scale, from its imposing main section to its floor-standing speakers. The main section includes the amplifiers, CD changer, tuner and auto-reverse cassette deck, with its silver front panel dominated by a full-width multi-color information display. In addition to the three-way/four-driver main speaker system, the XH-A1000 comes with two surround speakers and a center channel speaker, making it ideal for home theater applications.

    For genuine cinema-like performance, AIWA's Mega A/V system features the company's Multi-Amplifier technology and built-in subwoofers that together ensure powerful deep bass performance without the clutter and complexity of a separate subwoofer. In the XH-A1000, the Multi-Amplifier system uses a 200-watts-per-channel amplifier to power subwoofers built into sealed compartments in the left and right speaker cabinets, while a separate 80-watts-per-channel amplifier handles the mid and high frequencies. The center channel speaker is driven by its own 80-watts amplifier, while the two surround speakers are powered by an 80-watts-per-channel amplifier. That adds up to an incredible total power output of 800 watts!

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  • It's Oscar Time! bigstar.com Releases Drive-In Special Edition Movie Trailer Magazine On Web-Connected CD
    Time: 16:00 EDT/21:00 GMT News Source: Yahoo! Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    BigStar Entertainment, which operates www.bigstar.com , a leading Shop-A-Tainment(TM) filmed entertainment destination site and online movie superstore, today announces the release of Drive-In Special Edition, a Web-connected CD-ROM magazine that ties in with this year's Academy Awards®. This 2000 Academy Awards® special edition CD-ROM gives viewers a comprehensive and entertaining look at the year 2000 Academy Awards®. This CD-ROM, made specifically for this year's Oscars, is available to current bigstar.com customers and can be ordered at no charge on the bigstar.com Web site.

    The 2000 Academy Awards® Magazine CD-ROM features broadcast-quality trailers and clips for this year's Academy Awards® nominated films, including the categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Screenplay. Drive-In provides access to bigstar.com's proprietary editorial content as well. Customers can learn more about the stars of this year's most acclaimed films, purchase films immediately or, for those movies still in the theaters, ask to be notified when one of the nominated films is released on video or DVD.

    The 2000 Academy Awards® Magazine CD-ROM will be released in advance to select markets on Wednesday, March 22nd and will be available to the public on Friday, March 24th.

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News Headlines For Wednesday 22nd March 2000
American Pie: Collector's Edition (Unrated Version): DVD - Review
  • New Threat to DVD?
    Time: 20:34 EDT/01:34 GMT News Source: BetaNews Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    A movie codec dubbed DivX began circulating throughout IRC channels earlier this month, and is becoming quite popular in the pirating world. The new codec allows users to view DVD quality movies – at a fraction of the size.

    Unrelated to the now defunct DVD rental system, the new DivX codec was released just recently. The encoding process enables users to convert DVD movies to AVI without sacrificing quality or hard drive space. Encoding this new format may be tougher than the usual procedure, but the overall quality is higher than current movie types and is bound to upset the industry.

    Already under heavy pressure by motion picture companies after a utility called DeCSS was able to circumvent DVD copy protection, the DVD Copy Control Association will once again face the heat. Pirating movies over the Internet is nothing new, but the size and quality of a copied film has kept the process out of the mainstream. DivX changes all this however, touting much higher quality at under half the size.

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  • The Internet Movie Database and Amazon.com Advantage Celebrate Independent Film with the Launch of a New IMDb.com Independent Film Section
    Time: 17:59 EST/22:59 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Matthew Sabean

    Amazon.com's (Nasdaq:AMZN) Internet Movie Database (IMDb.com), the Web's authoritative source of information about movies, and Amazon.com Advantage, a program designed to help independent filmmakers and video producers sell their work, announced an IMDb Independent Film section today at the first annual Yahoo! Internet Life Online Film Festival. The new feature is located at http://indie.imdb.com/

    The new IMDb.com Independent Film section features broad independent movie coverage, currently offering in-depth searching capabilities for more than 20,000 independen