""The Abyss Special Edition"" DVD, Enhanced With InterActualÆ Software, Wins ""Best Consumer DVD-ROM"" Award

The Winner And All Three Other Finalists Used InterActualÆ PCFriendlyô Software To Add Enhanced Features That Connect The DVD-ROM Audience To The Internet

24-Jul-00

The 3rd Annual Discus Awards for Creative Excellence, honoring technological and creative achievement in the DVD industry was the highlight of the DVD-PRO industry conference, held near San Francisco, California. The Best Consumer DVD-ROM award went to Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainmentís ""The Abyss Special Edition"" DVD, which connects fans of the nautical sci-fi classic to a unique Internet-enhanced experience when played on computers with DVD-ROM drives. Three other nominees were similarly Web-enhanced, including (in award placement order): Warner Home Videoís ""The Matrix,"" New Line Home Videoís ""Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me"" and Saturn Home Videoís ""Grey Owl.""A panel of industry experts chose the finalists from a field of twenty-six nominated titles, representing the most advanced application of DVD-ROM technology. InterActualÆ Technologiesí PCFriendlyô software was the common underlying technology that enabled the special Internet and ROM features for all the winners in the category.""Weíre delighted to have won,"" said Peter Staddon, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. ""ëThe Abyss Special Editioní enabled people not just to see the movie, but to experience it in their homes as they have never done before. We look forward to working with InterActual to continue pushing the envelope of possibility for Web-connected DVD.""Scott Bates of Click Active Media, the content developer for the DVD-ROM portion of the winning disc, agreed, saying, ""InterActual enabled us to create a fully immersive multimedia experience that incorporated actual DVD video. They took us well beyond what we could have achieved with streaming video, and the difference was really noticeable to the consumer. InterActual works with Web-based development software we already know, like Macromedia Flash, allowing us to extend our creativity in new areas.""""This is a real example of how entertainment is converging,"" said Chris Brown, Chief Evangelist and co-founder of InterActual. ""These titles combine the quality of DVD video with the immediacy of the Internet resulting in the most compelling entertainment experience possible.""The Discus Awards were presented just one day after InterActual announced the next generation of its flagship software, InterActual Player 2.0, for multi-platform support of DVD and the Web. The successor to the popular PCFriendly software, InterActual Player 2.0 includes support for both the Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh operating systems, and also provides a common platform for the design of Internet-enhanced DVDs and CDs for use on upcoming Web-connected DVD consumer electronics players and appliances. InterActual Player 2.0 is the first software application to bridge the worlds of DVD and the Internet in a single, cross-platform environment.About Click Active MediaSince 1995, Click Active Media has created numerous award-winning Web sites and marketing campaigns for some of the most prestigious companies in the entertainment industry. This dynamic interactive communications agency utilizes technology solutions to raise the bar of the user experience as demonstrated by ""The Abyss Special Edition"" DVD-ROM. This commitment to pushing the technical and creative envelope has earned Click Active Media the privilege of collaborating with some of the finest artists working in digital media today, such as Van Ling, who created the stunning menu system on ""The Abyss"" DVD.About InterActual PCFriendlyHaving shipped on over 30 million DVDs worldwide, InterActual PCFriendly software is the industry standard solution for providing ROM features and Web connectivity to DVD titles. Some of the best-selling DVDs of all time include InterActual PCFriendly software, including ""The Abyss Special Edition,"" ""American Pie,"" ""Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me,"" ""The Blair Witch Project,"" ""The Matrix,"" ""The Mummy,"" ""Stuart Little,"" Walt Disneyís ""Tarzan"" and over 200 other titles.About InterActual Technologies, Inc.InterActual Technologies, Inc. (http://www.InterActual.com) is the leading provider of software and services that connect DVD and the Internet. InterActual PCFriendly software has enabled millions of connected viewers to enjoy exclusive special features with Hollywood movies and music when played in an Internet-connected DVD player or personal computer. By integrating the experience of Web browsing with theatre quality video and audio, InterActual is connecting the audience to a new dimension of entertainment and communication.

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