Hollywood Studios Unveil First Wave Of D-VHSÆ Titles

DreamWorksí ìThe Peacemaker,î Foxís ìX-Men,î Universalís ìU-571î And Artisanís ìTerminator 2: Judgment Dayî Launch New High-Definition Video For JVCís D-Theaterô System

6-Jun-02

Expansive National Advertising, In-Store Promotions And Enthusiast Festival Kick Off D-Theater Titlesí DebutDreamWorks SKG, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal Studios and Artisan Entertainment formally announced today the first wave of feature films releasing on the new high-definition D-VHSÆ platform, featuring JVCís D-Theaterô copy protection system. DreamWorksí ìThe Peacemaker,î Foxís ìX-Men,î Universalís ìU-571î and Artisanís ìTerminator 2: Judgment Dayî will be the first four D-Theater films available to consumers nationwide on June 10, and will retail for $35.00-$45.00. This marks the first time in entertainment history that Hi-Definition movies will be available in a pre-recorded format.The second wave of titles to be released later this year will include DreamWorksí ìThe Hauntingî and ìGalaxy Quest,î Foxís ìIndependence Dayî and Fight Club,î Universalís ìBackdraftî and ìEnd Of Daysî and Artisanís ìTerminatorî and ìDirty Dancing.îThe eagerly anticipated D-Theater releases will be supported with significant national advertising, including print ads in targeted publications such as Maxim, Gear, Sound & Vision and Widescreen Review, among others. As part of the retail launch, Good Guys stores will offer a free copy of the ìTerminator 2î D-VHS with the purchase of a JVC HM-DH30000U D-VHS D-Theater player, through the end of June. In addition, the titles will receive prominent exposure at the inaugural D-Theater Movie Festival June 8 and 9 produced by Widescreen Review at its facility in Temecula, California. This booked-out event will give consumers their first look at the superior picture quality of the first D-Theater titles, with two full days of screenings. Initially available at Good Guys stores, the first four D-Theater titles can also be purchased online, along with the JVC D-Theater player, at DVHSMovie.com and select titles will be available at BestBuy.com and Buy.com. All the D-Theater titles can also be purchased online at DVSHMovieGuide.com.D-VHS is currently the only high-definition format available, and offers the increasing number of consumers with high definition televisions the content they have been seeking. Created by JVC specifically for copyrighted, high value prerecorded content, D-Theater provides a state-of-the-art level of security demanded by content providers in the digital era.ìThe release of these titles ushers in a new era for the high-definition industry,î said Dale Cripps, president, The High-definition Television Association of America and The Academy of High-Definition Television Arts and Sciences. ìThe only thing that has been missing to this point has been compelling programming, which these studios are providing. The studiosí support is imperative to the growth of high-definition entertainment.îD-VHS D-Theater software is recorded in the HS mode at an incredible 28 Mbps data rate, surpassing even the 19 Mbps ATSC standard for HDTV broadcasts. This allows the highest quality available for HDTV viewing. D-VHSís enormous 50 GigaByte capacity per cassette makes it possible for software content providers to fit an entire feature-length HDTV movie on a single cassette. In addition, the D-Theater system ensures the protection of copyrighted digital content through a proprietary security system designed by JVC.A D-VHS cassette has the maximum capacity to record and playback four hours of high definition television or more than 50 hours of standard definition television. JVCís high- definition recorder also gives consumers the flexibility to record and play back in analog VHS, Super VHS, Super VHS ET and digital D-VHS formats (HS, STD and LS3). Blank tapes have a suggested retail price of $14.99 (DF-300) to $24.99 (DF-420)ìWeíre tremendously excited about the introduction of these first D-VHS titles,î said Jerry Barbera, Vice President of the Consumer Video Division for JVC. ìHistorically, the VHS platform gained immense popularity with the introduction of software. With the ability to record and time shift hi-def programs as well as play back pre-recorded content with an unprecedented picture quality even above that of current hi-def broadcasts, the D-Theater system offers consumers a unique home viewing experience.îThe D-Theater system ensures the protection of copyrighted digital content through a proprietary security system designed by JVC. Studios interested in the best security available for pre-recorded content on D-VHS can license the D-Theater technology. Such content will be playable only on D-VHS machines with D-Theater technology. Studios that currently support the D-Theater system include DreamWorks SKG, 20th Century Fox, Universal Studios, and Artisan Entertainment.