DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group held its annual reception during the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to award top honors for digital entertainment products and retailers.
DEG Retailer of the Year Award
The DEG presented its annual industry awards honoring the Retailer of the Year. Two retailer awards were established to recognize excellence in merchandising and promoting both (1) new digital entertainment products and (2) DVD titles and high definition packaged media during the past year. In the category of Retailer of the Year for Hardware, the membership voted mass merchant Best Buy in a tie with Sixth Avenue Electronics, a New Jersey retailer with 10 locations.
DEG members were asked to consider national, regional and online retailers in their voting. The voting was done in a secretive ballot.
The DEG’s hardware members (consumer electronics and IT companies) agreed that Best Buy and Sixth Avenue Electronics have continued to lead the industry in consumer education of new entertainment technologies through demonstration of products, promotions and key advertising.
“We believe it is only fitting that the DEG membership award this high honor to both a mass merchant and a regional specialty retailer,” said Gene Kelsey, Vice President, DEG Board of Directors and Vice President, Entertainment Group, Panasonic Consumer Electronics. “Both local and national retailers are key to the success of marketing digital entertainment products to consumers throughout the country and these two retailers are true partners in that objective.”
For the Retailer of the Year for Software, the DEG membership awarded Best Buy the honor. In 2006, Best Buy also received the award for Best Retailer of the Year for Hardware and Software.
Accepting the award for Best Buy, Julie Owen, Senior Vice President, Entertainment Operating Group, Best Buy, commented, “Best Buy is truly honored to be selected for these two prestigious awards. This further reinforces our commitment to providing our customers with all forms of digital entertainment, now and in the future.
The DEG Emiel N. Petrone Digital Innovation Awards
In memory of the DEG’s founding Chairman Emiel N. Petrone, the DEG has three awards to acknowledge the year’s most outstanding digital entertainment products released in calendar 2007 in the categories of Sight, Source and Sound.
Selected by a panel of product reviewers from the industry’s home theater enthusiast publications, the following three products were awarded with the top honors:
The DEG Emiel N. Petrone Digital Innovation Award for SIGHT
Pioneer for the Elite Kuro PRO-150FD HDTV
The DEG Emiel N. Petrone Digital Innovation Award for SOURCE
Samsung for the Samsung BD-UP5000 Blu-ray Disc Player
The DEG Emiel N. Petrone Digital Innovation Award for SOUND
D&M Holdings’ for the DENON AVR-5308CI Receiver
DEG Creative Excellence Awards
The DEG also awarded eight honors to acknowledge Creative Excellence in DVD titles and high definition packaged media released in calendar 2007. The judging panel, nominated by the motion picture studio and music company members of the DEG, consisted of reviewers and industry reporters from trade, entertainment and daily consumer news organizations. In addition to overall sound and picture quality, all titles were considered for those features that best demonstrate the value-added nature of the format.
The DEG Creative Excellence Award Winners for 2007:
The DEG Theatrical DVD Title of the Year
Pan’s Labyrinth
New Line Home Entertainment
The DEG Catalog DVD Title of the Year
Blade Runner Ultimate Collector’s Edition
Warner Home Video
The DEG TV DVD Title of the Year
Twin Peaks – The Definitive Gold Box Edition
Paramount Home Entertainment
The DEG Direct to DVD Title of the Year
Futurama: Bender’s Big Score
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
The DEG Music DVD Title of the Year
Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds – Live at Radio City Music Hall
Sony BMG Music Entertainment
The DEG Blu-ray Disc Title of the Year
Planet Earth Box Set Complete Collection
Warner Home Video
The DEG HD DVD Title of the Year (TIE)
The Bourne Ultimatum
Warner Home Video
The Ultimate Matrix Collection
Warner Home Video
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