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To: BillyG who wrote (26865)	12/18/1997 4:56:00 PM
From: John Rieman	Respond to of 50808

EUROPEAN DVD LAUNCH BACK ON TRACK....................... ijumpstart.com The European DVD production community was relieved last week to hear that DVD Forum members have voted to give Dolby Digital (formerly AC-3) and MPEG-2 Multichannel standards equal status on PAL DVD-Video discs. This removes the last major technical hurdle and clears the way for the planned Spring 1998 launch of DVD across the continent to go ahead on schedule. Producers who wish to add multichannel surround sound to their discs can now choose either of the standards with no fear of breaking the DVD Forum rules. More than 100 PAL DVD-Video discs are expected to launch in Spring. Many of these will offer multichannel surround sound, where the studio has the master soundtracks available. "I know there will be titles available in Spring," Bob Auger, managing director of London-based post-production house Electric Switch, told our sister publication Inside Multimedia. Electric Switch has been encoding discs for major studios and distributors and the company is working to deliver at least 30 titles for the Spring launch, ranging from European feature films to music titles and documentaries. In a statement issued following the interview, Auger added: OThis has cleared the way for DVD Video titles to be in the shops from Spring '98. Our customers are scheduling European release for A-titles within 3 months of the US date and, as European DVD capacity is estimated to be 40 per cent of potential demand, major players are already reserving their place in the queue. If rights owners are wondering when to start DVD production, the answer is this week." Originally, MPEG-2 multichannel had been the mandatory format for surround sound on European DVDs. In July, the DVD Forum issued a clarification of the audio standard, replacing the word 'mandatory' with 'preferred'. This served only to add to the confusion, as disc producers were left unsure as to which format to adopt. In the US, Dolby Digital is the standard format: Hollywood studios have already released numerous DVD-Video titles using the format. In Europe, however, the launch of digital television made MPEG-2 multichannel audio the natural choice, as it would be compatible with the TV standards. Auger is well-known in DVD circles for his strong views on the need for unity and swift action from the European DVD community. Indeed, at the DVD European Summit in Versailles earlier this month, he exhorted the industry to stop carping and start moving on title production. "We should all be thinking about how to exploit the PAL territories," he said. "If the studios decide to support AC-3, they're going to find that the players play it back. We won't get the discs out if we keep going round in circles." Other conference speakers pointed out the importance of avoiding the customer confusion that a standards war would engender. "What's needed is to make the issue transparent to the consumer," said Kirk Paulsen of sound equipment manufacturer Sonic Solutions. This is likely to happen: by the Spring launch date, all DVD-Video players in Europe will be 'dual standard'. That is, they will recognise both Dolby Digital and MPEG-2 surround sound if it has been placed on the disc (although in some cases the user will have to buy an additional surround sound amplifier to hear it). Already the prospect that the launch of DVD-Video may be delayed until Autumn has reared its ugly head - fuelled by pronouncements from the likes of Warner Home Videos, that it will launch titles in 'late Spring.' Kevin Gage, director of technology applications at Warner Bros. Technical Operations in the US, was pressed to comment at the Versailles conference but dodged the question, saying: "I work for the technical side." A call to Gage following the Forum announcement was not returned at press time. Quality, interactivity key It's too easy to become lost in the Hollywood noise and forget that it is not just major studios that are producing DVD titles. Dr Mark Waldrep, president of AIX and Pacific Coast Sound Works, is a case in point. He has been busily (and successfully) releasing a catalogue of titles, including a number of cult films from the Troma stable. Titles such as "Toxic Avenger", "The Class of Nuk'em High" and "Sgt. Kabuki Man NYPDO are selling like hot cakes, he reports. His company has produced more than 45 titles, none of which have cost more than $10,000 to put together (in contrast to the $20,000 plus required to produce a DVD-Video of a Hollywood feature film). Waldrep said the secret of his success is twofold. First, the titles appeal to a DVD-friendly fan base. "The fan base is rabid for this stuff," he said. Second, the titles don't offer merely linear video, but have additional features. "The trick is to create additional stuff," said Waldrep. "Interactivity is what sets this apart from VHS."