bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Reporter

A year after the world's major consumer electronics companies hailed the arrival of the Digital Video Disc - now known in some circles as the Digital Versatile Disc or DVD - its home movie and personal computer applications are finally about to hit the market.

  The question now is when, or if, it will be worth owning one.

  With at least a dozen major manufacturers planning to launch DVD movie players this spring at prices ranging from US$599 to $1,750, there should be no shortage of hardware for electronics enthusiasts who want realistic Dolby Digital surround sound and video quality that exceeds that of laser discs.

  But major Hollywood studios such as Universal Studios, Disney, Paramount, Fox and MCA have been reluctant to back DVD technology with a library of titles because of worries over copyright protection.

  Without the unanimous support of the entertainment industry, the product would have trouble selling even a million units, retailers said.

  'It is tough to call DVD a messiah, but certainly at this point in our industry it is the next best thing,' Mike Fidler, who recently moved from Pioneer to Sony, said at last week's Winter Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

  Video and home audio electronics sales fell last year in the United States for the first time since 1991.

  Overall, US consumer electronics sales grew just 4 per cent in 1996.

  Warner Home Video fed cautious optimism with an announcement at the show that it would begin releasing DVD-formatted movies at the same time as VHS titles in March.

  It would initially offer about 25 hits such as Space Jam, Twister and The Bridges of Madison County.

  Warner Home Video president Warren Lieberfarb emphasised that the DVD discs, which look the same as CDs but can hold seven times as much data, would have to be priced similarly to VHS cassettes in order to grab market share.

  This is possible because they are much cheaper to make than laser discs.

  In a best-case scenario, he predicted that sales of DVD players and DVD-ROMs could reach 2.8 million in the first 12 months of distribution.

  A recent survey showed that 38 per cent of 'early adopter' households would buy a DVD player if there was enough software.

  Columbia Tristar Home Video said it would release its first titles to coincide with the launch of Sony's high-end DVD player in April and would have 20 titles on disc by the end of the year.

  In addition, nationwide video store chain Blockbuster said it would set up Sony DVD demo kiosks in 50 stores and promote the discs with free rentals.

  MGM Home Entertainment, Polygram and New Line have also agreed to get on the bandwagon. MGM said it would release 10 titles in the spring and another 15 in August.

  Several DVD-player manufacturers, however, cautioned that DVD movie releases would initially be only available in selected cities because of a shortage of copies of titles.

  It was also unclear whether DVD titles would become widely available in rental shops, or if they would be reserved for sale as laser discs generally are in the US.

  Phil Schoonover, of Best Buy, the nation's largest consumer electronics retailer, said he did not see a role for DVD in the rental market.

  Only one manufacturer is addressing another important consideration: space.

  With CD, laser disc and VHS players already well established in swelling home theatre systems, buying a DVD player could mean adding another piece of hardware - and yet another remote control.

  Next month, Pioneer will begin selling a $999 DVD player that is compatible with both laser discs and CDs to simplify things.

   While waiting for new DVD movies to appear, video enthusiasts could still choose from 10,000 laser disc titles, Michael Townsen, the company's vice-president of marketing communications, said.

  The expense of DVD does not end with the purchase of a player. To get the full benefit, consumers need to consider upgrading their audio as well as their video.

  The DVD titles will support the Dolby Digital AC-3 surround sound, but bare-bones receivers with the decoding chips necessary to enjoy it currently retail at about $1,000.

   Those prices could fall to below $800 this year, manufacturers say.

  Some retailers worry that consumers may hold off buying DVD products because the players cannot record.

  People may also wait for the next generation of technology set to arrive in 1998 or 1999 - high definition television (HDTV) and advanced television.

  Industry executives, however, say that those products will not be a reality until the next century.

   'The conversion to HDTV is going to require a huge investment on the part of broadcasting companies that will require many years,' Mr Lieberfarb said.

TENTATIVE DVD OFFERINGS Toshiba: SD-1006 (US$599) and SD-3006 ($699) Pioneer: DV-500 DVD/CD Player ($599), DV-700 DVD/LD/CD Player ($999) and Pioneer Elite DVL-90 DVD/LD/CD Player ($1,750) RCA: DVD Player ($499) Panasonic: DVD-A100 and DVD-A300* Sony: DVD-S7000 Player ($1,000) Philips Magnavox: DVD Player* Zenith Inteq: 2100 DVD Player* Zenith: 2000 DVD Player ($749) Samsung: DVD-705U ($699) *Pricing to be announced 



Moment of truth arrives for DVD