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Audio Video News
Digital Cinema Continues to Grow
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 11, 1999

S<I>tar Wars&mdash;Episode 1: The Phantom Menace</I> might have grabbed all the attention as the first movie to be screened in the US from a digital source rather than a film print (see <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/shownews.cgi?454">previous story</A>), but it's not the only one to use the new technology. With virtually no fanfare at all, <I>An Ideal Husband</I> is being shown from a digital source at Laemmle's Sunset 5 theater in Los Angeles through July 15, 1999.

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Audio Video News
Incognito Offers a Fascinating Look at the Art World
Paula Nechak  |  Jul 11, 1999

J<I>ason Patric, Irene Jacob, Ian Richardson, Ian Holm, Rod Steiger. Directed by John Badham. Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 (letterbox). Dolby Digital Surround 5.1. 108 minutes. 1997. Warner Bros. Home Video 14538. Rated R. $24.95.</I>

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Audio Video News
Pioneer Drops Laserdiscs
 |  Jul 11, 1999

For 20 years, Pioneer has been laserdisc's biggest booster. But that era of home entertainment ended July 6, when <A HREF="http://pioneer-ent.com/">Pioneer Entertainment</A> announced that it would no longer produce or supply laserdiscs. The software division of Pioneer Electronics made the decision in view of the growing popularity of DVD, which, along with VHS tape, accounts for more than 90% of their business. The announcement is most certainly the kiss of death for the beleaguered format.

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Audio Video News
Disney Settles Katzenberg Dispute, Will Co-finance Films with MGM
Barry Willis  |  Jul 11, 1999

A payout of as much as $275 million to Jeffery Katzenberg could be in the offing for <A HREF="http://www.disney.com/">Walt Disney Company</A>, which agreed on July 6 to settle a five-year-old breach-of-contract suit brought by the former studio executive. One of Hollywood's longest-running and most bitter legal disputes was settled over the July 4 weekend at the Malibu estate of music mogul and DreamWorks partner David Geffen, who hammered out a deal with Stanley Gold, a Disney Company director and friend of Disney CEO Michael Eisner. Geffen is Katzenberg's partner in DreamWorks SKG, the film, music, and video company they formed with Steven Spielberg.

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Audio Video News
DVD in 1999: One Million and Counting
 |  Jul 04, 1999

Last week, the <A HREF="http://www.cemacity.org">Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association</A> (CEMA) reported that sales of DVD players have reached 1 million units so far this year. CEMA also announced its revised projections for total DVD-player unit sales in 1999, raising the previous prediction of 1.8 million to 3 million.

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Audio Video News
Movie Violence No Problem, Say Poll Respondents
 |  Jul 04, 1999

Twenty years ago, 60% of Americans said they would hesitate to see a movie if it were excessively violent. But according to an Associated Press poll released last week, a steady diet of action films over the last two decades have had a marked effect: Now, only 40% say that too much violence would keep them out of the theater.

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Audio Video News
Home Entertainment Gets Renewed Focus at Disney; DreamWorks Abandons Playa Vista Project
Barry Willis  |  Jul 04, 1999

As of June 27, <A HREF="http://www.disney.com/">Walt Disney Motion Picture Group</A> Chairman Richard Cook will add home video to his duty roster. A 28-year veteran with the Disney organization, Cook will supervise Buena Vista Home Entertainment, the studio's home-video operation. At the insistence of CEO Michael Eisner, Disney is restructuring in an attempt to become more profitable.

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Audio Video News
See the Movie, Wear the Suit
Jon Iverson  |  Jul 04, 1999

While watching <I>Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me</I>, one can't help but notice the groovy car driven by Felicity Shagwell (Heather Graham): a 1965 red-white-and-blue Corvette Stingray convertible. Wouldn't it be nice to have one of your own? And what about the silver suit worn by Doctor Evil---wouldn't it be cool to have the original for the ultimate Halloween costume this year?

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Audio Video News
Film Studios Announce Cutbacks, Layoffs, Reorganizations
Barry Willis  |  Jun 27, 1999

Bad news always comes in threes, goes the old adage. This folk wisdom proved true in Hollywood in late June as three major film studios announced cutbacks, layoffs, reorganizations---and the possible cancellation of a massive studio-building project.

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Audio Video News
Recordable DVD News This Week
 |  Jun 27, 1999

Last week, the DVD Forum announced that its Steering Committee has formally approved the physical format of the DVD-RAM discs for 4.7 gigabytes (GB) as version 2.0. The Format Book for version 2.0 (Physical Specifications) will be published in the third quarter of this year. The DVD Froum says that the 4.7GB DVD-RAM format will be compatible with the existing 2.6GB (v.1.0) DVD-RAM format, as well as with other DVD formats established by the DVD Forum. The new 4.7GB format is expected to impact both PC and audio/video applications.

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