Re: Paramount announces DVD support

Posted by Indiana Giles from pm2-99.connection.com on April 28, 1998 at 18:22:42:

In Reply to: Paramount announces DVD support posted by Dominic Casario on April 28, 1998 at 10:44:55:

: Paramount pictures has announced its support of open DVDs. Of course Paramount is the studio that released all the Indy movies, so we should see at least Raiders out by the end of the year...

: IF

: ...Spielberg doesn't stop it. Spielberg has said many times he doesn't think DVD is ready and is holding back all the movies he has control of from release on DVD.

According to the current issue of Entertainment Weekly (#429, May 1, 1998)
"Though about 1,000 films are now on DVD, Steven Spielberg's won't be joining them just yet. "They're on hold," admits DreamWorks exec Marvin Levy, his longtime spokesman, "Steven feels there aren't enough DVD players out there." The ban goes for movies that his production company, Amblin Entertainment, controls-like Men in Black- and pictures from his studio, DreamWorks.
But there is a leak about to spring in Spielberg's DVD dike: Contracually, any DreamWorks title that comes to tape, like Amistad, can also appear on Divx, the new DVD rental format debuting later this year. That catch has led to speculation that Spielberg is really concerned about another abstruse set of initials - DTS, the blue-ribbon sound standard he partly owns. Divx players conform to DTS specifications;
first generation DVD playes don't"

For those of you that haven't heard of the DIVX system, it's the studio's attempt to change the way we rent videos. The DIVX system works like this. It's just like the DVD system accept you have to pay for each time you watch the disc. The player must be hooked to a phone line. You call the respective studio and pay for the disc to be decoded for a specific amount of time, a day, a month, whatever. The studio unlocks the disc through the phone line. After that specific amount of time,
the disc is no longer watchable until you call again. Think of it like pay-per-view, only you hold onto the hardware. The rumour is that the discs will be available for between $9-12 to start with a $3.99 rental per viewing. If you want to unlock the disc forever, it will cost another $12-15. However, once decoded forever, it will only work on your machine. Hmmm, all totaled, isn't that the price of current DVD's? The idea is to get rid of your local video store and you'll be buying the DIVX's
from Walmart type places.

In my opinion, I like the idea of buying it and that's it. It works when I want it. I don't like the idea of having to call for the rest of my life to watch my favorite films. So why not just pay the extra money and turn it on forever? That, it seems, comes back to the original format, DVD.

Just adding more to the discussion
Indiana Giles

Follow Ups:

Re: Paramount announces DVD support JasonC 02:03:39 5/01/98 (0)
DIVX Kortan 07:07:06 4/30/98 (0)

Post a Followup:

Name:    
E-Mail:  
Subject: 
Comments:

: : Paramount pictures has announced its support of open DVDs. Of course Paramount is the studio that released all the Indy movies, so we should see at least Raiders out by the end of the year...

: : IF

: : ...Spielberg doesn't stop it. Spielberg has said many times he doesn't think DVD is ready and is holding back all the movies he has control of from release on DVD.

: According to the current issue of Entertainment Weekly (#429, May 1, 1998)
: "Though about 1,000 films are now on DVD, Steven Spielberg's won't be joining them just yet. "They're on hold," admits DreamWorks exec Marvin Levy, his longtime spokesman, "Steven feels there aren't enough DVD players out there." The ban goes for movies that his production company, Amblin Entertainment, controls-like Men in Black- and pictures from his studio, DreamWorks.
: But there is a leak about to spring in Spielberg's DVD dike: Contracually, any DreamWorks title that comes to tape, like Amistad, can also appear on Divx, the new DVD rental format debuting later this year. That catch has led to speculation that Spielberg is really concerned about another abstruse set of initials - DTS, the blue-ribbon sound standard he partly owns. Divx players conform to DTS specifications;
: first generation DVD playes don't"

: For those of you that haven't heard of the DIVX system, it's the studio's attempt to change the way we rent videos. The DIVX system works like this. It's just like the DVD system accept you have to pay for each time you watch the disc. The player must be hooked to a phone line. You call the respective studio and pay for the disc to be decoded for a specific amount of time, a day, a month, whatever. The studio unlocks the disc through the phone line. After that specific amount of time,
: the disc is no longer watchable until you call again. Think of it like pay-per-view, only you hold onto the hardware. The rumour is that the discs will be available for between $9-12 to start with a $3.99 rental per viewing. If you want to unlock the disc forever, it will cost another $12-15. However, once decoded forever, it will only work on your machine. Hmmm, all totaled, isn't that the price of current DVD's? The idea is to get rid of your local video store and you'll be buying the DIVX's 
: from Walmart type places.

: In my opinion, I like the idea of buying it and that's it. It works when I want it. I don't like the idea of having to call for the rest of my life to watch my favorite films. So why not just pay the extra money and turn it on forever? That, it seems, comes back to the original format, DVD.

: Just adding more to the discussion
: Indiana Giles

Optional:

Link URL:   
Link Title: 
Image URL:

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The Indyfan Forum ] [ FAQ ]