Audio Video News

Early last week, Valley Media's Schwann Publications announced that they are introducing a new publication, Schwann DVD Advance. The company says the first issue of the bimonthly publication, dated September/October 1999, will list more than 3500 DVDs, sport an initial circulation of 10,000, and be available in retail stories and by subscription.

According to the company, Schwann DVD Advance is intended to provide DVD buyers and retailers with detailed information on DVDs. It will contain articles about directors, actors, film genres, and DVD technology. According to a press release, the publication will include "complete information about every DVD on the market, including notes on sound quality, aspect, actors, director, plot synopsis, list price, regional encoding, dubbed/subtitled languages, and additional DVD features."

As Editor Becky Barnhart explains, "Our staff is constantly in touch with movie studios, and we're able to get up-to-the-minute information on what's out now and what's coming out in the future. The great relationships we've developed with studios ensures strong support of our magazine—they're committed to its accuracy just as much as we are."

In addition to reviews, Schwann plans for the first issue to include articles about the directing career of the late Stanley Kubrick, the great flood of alien movies on DVD, and the basics of DVD terminology. According to Barnhart, "We'll have editorial content that will appeal to both the experienced DVD watcher and the DVD newcomer." She expects upcoming issues to include features on Victor Fleming's career, holiday movies, documentaries on DVD, and foreign films on DVD.