Macrovision Corporation, the leading provider of video, multimedia and software copy protection as well as digital rights management technologies, announced today the implementation of its copy protection technology for higher resolution DVD playback with 525p progressive scan outputs. The 525p copy protection has now been licensed to Genesis Microchip Inc., JVC, Matsushita, Oak Technology Inc., and Pioneer Corporation.

The 525p progressive scan output operates at twice the scan rate of conventional 525 NTSC interlaced outputs and transmits twice as much information in a given period of time. For TVs, monitors or projection TVs with capability to display the higher scan rate, DVDs with 525p playback will produce pictures with less flicker and better resolution.

Copy protection for 525p was developed in response to the rights holders' need to protect movies and video content distributed on DVDs. It is a requirement under the licenses issued to player manufacturers by the DVD Copy Control Association (DVD CCA) which assumed the responsibility of licensing the Content Scrambling System (CSS) technology for the DVD Forum.

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Hitachi Maxell, Ltd. (President Norio Akai) will release its rewritable 4.7GB DVD-RAM (DVD-RAM Book Ver.2.0) beginning July 10th. The disc holds up to 2 hours of digital recording or 4.7GB of computer data. In addition, a 60 minute (high-quality mode) 2.8GB DVD-RAM disc for video camera use will be released August 25. The 4.7GB disc will begin to be shipped to PC manufacturers in June.

The market for DVD is increasing with the expanding usage of DVD players in homes. In Japan, the Broadcasting Satellite digital broadcasting is planned to start by the end of this year and broad band network service is expected to grow substantially. The use of PCs and the internet has been increasing in the homes of the average consumer. The infrastructure for distributing and exchanging high quality digital data, picture, and sound at high-speed bit transfer rate is gradually being set up.

The DVD-RAM disc has the ability to play, rewrite, save, and exchange data due to the demands presented by this newly emerging digital society. DVD media has to handle movies, still pictures, sound, and computer data in addition to addressing copyright protection issues.

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Digital Media Group of Hitachi, Ltd. today announced that on August 25 it will release the world's first DVD-RAM camcorder in Japan.

In addition, a DVD-RAM video recorder will be released on the same day, and volume shipments of 4.7GB DVD-RAM and DVD-ROM drives for PCs will follow after the end of June. The DVD-RAM products are based on the 4.7GB DVD-RAM standard.

In the field of audiovisual (AV) equipment, the pace of the shift to digital video and audio continues to increase at a rapid pace. At the same time, the advent of faster CPUs and the growing capacities of hard-disk drives is driving a migration of AV applications to the PC and other digital appliances. To enable this process of convergence to achieve its full potential, there is a need for a large-capacity media format that is compatible with both AV equipment and PCs. DVD-RAM standard is based on the concept that holds compatibility in both video recorders and storage devices for PCs through DVD-RAM disk media. Setting DVD standards is a mission of the DVD Forum, which is comprised of more than 200 member companies from around the world. Through their efforts, DVD is fast becoming the key storage media for providing a bridge between AV devices and PCs in the DVD world of the 21st century.

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Mel Gibson's Academy Award-winning epic ``Braveheart'' charges onto DVD for the first time ever on Aug. 29 from Paramount Home Entertainment

One of the most requested DVD titles of all time, ``Braveheart'' is a full-scale historical spectacle, a story of the timeless struggle for freedom, based on the life of legendary Scottish hero William Wallace.

Unparalleled battle scenes, spectacular in their intricacy and scope, stunning cinematography and a breathtaking cast of thousands have made this film a favorite of fans and critics alike, leading to the film's being honored with Oscars® in 1996 for Best Picture, Director, Cinematography, Makeup and Sound Effects.

In surveys conducted by online retailers and daily newspapers, ``Braveheart'' ranks as one of the top three most eagerly anticipated DVD releases among consumers. The ``Braveheart'' DVD is priced at $29.99 (S.R.P.) in the U.S. and $39.99 (S.R.P.) in Canada.

The DVD of ``Braveheart'' is presented in widescreen format enhanced for 16 x 9 televisions. It features a commentary by director and star Mel Gibson, as well as ``Braveheart: A Filmmaker's Passion'' -- a 28-minute featurette and two theatrical trailers. The DVD includes interactive menus and scene selection, while the audio tracks feature Dolby Digital English 5.1 surround, English and French Dolby surround. It is closed-captioned in English for the deaf and hard of hearing.

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iMMERSION New Media, a leading provider of hybrid media solutions, has announced the launch of the first movie to be created specifically for DVD ROM. This DVD release will not only showcase the iMMERSION line of multimedia software tools, it will prove iMMERSION's ability to successfully combine the intense interactivity of the Internet with the enveloping characters and story line of a motion picture.

The DVD itself will actually contain two different movies, one on each side of the disc. One side tells the story of Ong's Hat and the Incunabula Papers, a tale of intrigue narrated by Joseph Matheny. The movie investigates the circumstances surrounding the shocking recent discovery of a parallel dimension in a New Jersey physics laboratory. As the viewer watches the movie, he is presented with a myriad of interactive opportunities to explore this mystery using the Internet as a guide.

Side B of the DVD will contain a movie by Alexandra ``Chica'' Bruce that embodies a similar aesthetic to the Incunabula Papers. Titled Montauk Memories: True Stories from a Parallel Universe, it is based on the testimonies of people who claim to be survivors of the Montauk Project. According to these accounts, the Montauk Project was a series of high security operations conducted by the US Office of Naval Intelligence, under the supervision of off-planetary beings. The movie offers first person glimpses of these experiments in time travel, genetic engineering and mind control that reportedly took place at an underground installation located beneath a derelict military base. The viewer is posited as the experiencer of these bizarre goings-on.

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To offer consumers a wider selection of choices and versatility for their home entertainment needs, Sharp Electronics today introduced two new full-size DVD models, the DV-710U and DV-770U. Equipped with dynamic features, both DVD players enable all consumers - from home theater enthusiasts to those just beginning their DVD collections - to enjoy quality digital performance at attractive prices.

``By making cutting-edge technology available to a larger customer base, Sharp is driving the future of sound and vision, and bringing innovative and high-end entertainment to more consumers,'' said Robert Pleyer, product manager for Digital Video, Home Digital Division, Sharp Electronics Corporation. ``The DV-710U and DV-770U exemplify Sharp's commitment to the DVD format and to provide the most enhanced digital viewing experience for the home.''

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The double-disc "Fight Club" DVD hits the streets today, offering the most ambitious title to be assembled by the once DVD-averse 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

"Fox was one of the last to get on the DVD bandwagon, but this release shows that they're now seriously committed to DVD," Tower Records video product manager Cliff MacMillan said.

Fox initially believed that digital video was the preferred digital format because of its backward compatibility with VHS. But hardware manufacturers threw their collective weight behind DVD, and Fox has joined the fastest-growing home entertainment format. While the "Fight Club" DVD isn't the first Fox double-disc set ("Patton" was), it is clearly the studio's most feature-rich and director-involved DVD.

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Released This Week: Interview With The Vampire

The undead are among us and livelier than ever when Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and a talented group of young-bloods star in Interview With The Vampire, the spellbinding screen adaptation of Anne Rice's best seller that's "one of the best films of the year," --Caryn James, The New York Times. Award-winning box-office favorite Cruise stylishly plays the supremely evil and charismatic vampire Lestat.

Pitt is Louis, lured by Lestat into the immortality of the damned, then tormented by an unalterable fact of vampire life: to survive, he must kill. Stephen Rea, Antonio Banderas, Christian Slater and newcomer Kirsten Dunst also star. One lifetime alone offers plenty of opportunities for the savage revelries of the night. Imagine what an eternity can bring. Hypnotically directed by Neil Jordan (The Crying Game), Interview With The Vampire offers enough thrills, shocks and fiendish fun to last a lifetime... and beyond.

"Interview With The Vampire" is rated "R" and has a running time of 123 minutes.

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Warner Home Video runs ``The Whole Nine Yards'' with the July 18 debut of the hit comedy which was the No. 1 movie in America for three straight weeks. It will be available for rent on video and for sale on DVD at the suggested retail price of $24.98.

Directed by Jonathan Lynn (``My Cousin Vinny''), ``The Whole Nine Yards'' stars Bruce Willis (``The Sixth Sense''), Matthew Perry (``Three to Tango,'' ``Fools Rush In''), Rosanna Arquette (``Pulp Fiction''), Michael Clarke Duncan (``The Green Mile''), Natasha Henstridge (``Species''), Amanda Peet (``Isn't She Great,'' ``Body Shots''), and Kevin Pollack (``The Usual Suspects'').

``The Whole Nine Yards'' DVD contains the following special features: interview gallery with the film's cast and crew, feature-length commentary by director Jonathan Lynn, both 4x3 standard and 16x9 widescreen formats, theatrical trailer, subtitles and English/French Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. The film, also available on VHS with Spanish subtitles, is rated R with a running time of 98 minutes.

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MGM will turn the volume knob up to 11 in September with a limited theatrical re-release and special DVD edition of ``This is Spinal Tap.''

The 1984 Rob Reiner-directed ``mock-umentary'' of a low-intelligence heavy metal band is such a cult favorite that Criterion's out-of-print DVD copies of the Embassy Pictures release are fetching close to $200 on the Internet. MGM will release the film in select theaters in the U.S. in early September through a special arrangement with StudioCanal, which owns all media rights worldwide to the Embassy library.

MGM Home Entertainment, which acquired video rights to Embassy's library, will mount a wide-ranging promotional campaign for the re-release of the movie followed by elaborate new DVD and VHS versions on Sept. 12.

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InterVideo , a licensee of the software that enables DVD information to be decoded, plans to release beta software called LinDVD this month that allows people to watch DVDs on Linux machines, the company said.

Users of the Linux operating system currently can't watch DVDs without using a decryption program called DeCSS, which hackers created without official sanction. DeCSS currently is at the center of an ongoing lawsuit, in which the Motion Picture Association of America argues that the software enables DVD piracy.

The InterVideo product functions by handling all the decryption in software, the company said. The company's comparable Windows product, called WinDVD, is used on computers from Dell, IBM, HP, Compaq, Toshiba, Gateway and others.

Using software to decode DVDs lessens the expense of hardware. However, it also demands higher-performance computers.

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