Based on Sonic's award-winning DVDit(TM) application for professional desktop DVD publishing, MyDVD's simple drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to select video clips and images, build menus and preview a title in minutes. Projects created with MyDVD can be written to low-cost CD recorders, allowing home video publishers to easily share their videos on a low-cost, universal medium. MyDVD also includes a software viewer on each disc, so that a CD-R with DVD content, a cDVD(TM), can be played on any of the hundreds of millions of PCs equipped with high-speed CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drives.

``MyDVD is the 'killer app' for video publishing because it brings life and excitement to home movies,'' said James Manning, Product Manager for MyDVD and DVDit!. ``You don't have to watch hours of boring video footage any longer. With MyDVD you can choose the clips you want, add menus, record them to a disc, and share them with anyone who has a PC.''

The first release from Tool in four years will include a four-song DVD — which will also be available in VHS — as well as a CD featuring five live tracks and three studio cuts, according to Volcano Records. The package is scheduled to hit stores on December 12.

The expected moniker for the set was Salival, but the cover artwork and interior printed material arrived on the label's doorstep with no such title, according to a Volcano spokesperson. For now, the project remains untitled. The move is a familiar one for Tool fans, as two of the band's last three album covers do not feature titles.

The Addonics Mobile DVD/CDRW features 12x CD-R write,10x CD-RW rewrite, 32x CD-ROM read , and 8x DVD-ROM playback speeds.

Addonics bundles the drive with CD mastering software, and MPEG-2 decoding software for DVD movie playback on all FireWire, CardBus or USB-equipped mobile computers and desktop PCs. The combined DVD/CDRW functionality saves users the cost of buying two storage units for recording CD-ROM discs and playing DVD movies, and satisfies the demand for a low-cost storage and back-up device. The Mobile DVD/CDRW has a list price of $445, $459, and $499 for USB, Cardbus and FireWire connections respectively.

Still, for the first time, the DVD recordable market is finally shaking out, although which format will win--DVD-RW, DVD+RW or DVD-RAM--remains uncertain.

The stakes are high, and all the players know it. Market researcher IDC forecasts the CD/DVD-recordable market to be the fastest-growing optical storage segment, expected to register 45 percent growth compounded annually through 2004.

Integration of a 30GB HDD and a 4.7GB DVD-RAM drive in the RD-2000 allows storage of up to 33.5 hours of video images and supports editing between the HDD and DVD-RAM. With the new combination, Toshiba proposes saving programs to the HDD temporarily and using the DVD to build program libraries of scenes selected from the HDD.

Digitally remastered and offered in two volumes (five episodes on each) plus as a two-volume gift set, The Best of Friends will include expanded versions of each episode with exclusive, never-before-seen footage plus The Rembrandt's sensational music video ``I'll Be There for You,'' the best-selling theme from ``Friends.''

Volume Number Two will also contain featurettes shot during the two-part `London' episode. The two-volume gift sets are priced at $24.98 SRP for VHS and $34.98 SRP for DVD. The VHS single volumes are $14.95 SRP and the DVD single volumes are $19.98 SRP.

The Thin Red Line (1998)

A powerful frontline cast - including Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Woody Harrelson and George Clooney - explodes into action in this hauntingly realistic view of military and moral chaos in the Pacific during World War II.

Nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director (Terrence Malick), The Thin Red Line is an unparalleled cinematic masterpiece that Gene Siskel called “brilliant... a terrific achievement...the finest contemporary war film!"

Special Features: Interactive Menus, Scene Access

"The Thin Red Line (1998)" has a running time of 170 minutes.

You've Got Mail (1998)

You've Got Mail delivers all the wit, charm and warmth you'd expect from a reunion of the stars (Hanks, Ryan) and director (Ephron) of Sleepless In Seattle. Greg Kinnear, Parker Posey, Jean Stapleton and more talented co-stars add perfect support to this valentine to modern - to modem - romance in which superstore book chain magnate Hanks and cozy children's bookshop owner Ryan are anonymous email cyberpals who fall head-over-laptops in love, unaware they are combative business rivals.

You've got rare Hollywood magic when You've Got Mail.

Special Features: Audio Commentary, Sep. Film Score Audio Track, Cast/Crew Bios, Interactive Menus, Scene Access, Production Notes, Featurette, DVD-ROM Features, Web Access, Theatrical Trailer, Interviews

"You've Got Mail (1998)" is rated "PG" and has a running time of 119 minutes.

Heavy Metal 2000 (2000)

In the tradition of the groundbreaking cult classic Heavy Metal, comes Heavy Metal 2000, the sexiest animated sci-fi adventure ever. When lowly space pirate Tyler gets his hands on the key to the chamber of immortality, he becomes a powerful psychopath prepared to destroy anything and anyone in his path..

After he ravages the peaceful planet Eden, buxom avenger F.A.K.K. 2 rises from the ashes of her fallen planet to hunt Tyler, rescue her kidnapped sister and reclaim the key to immortality. Fueled by a cutting-edge metal soundtrack and the voices of Michael Ironside, Julie Strain (who inspired the character of F.A.K.K. 2) and rock’s bad boy Billy Idol, Heavy Metal 2000 will blow you away!

"Heavy Metal 2000 (2000)" is rated "R" and has a running time of 88 minutes.