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To: DiViT who wrote (29175)	2/6/1998 2:54:00 PM
From: John Rieman	Respond to of 50808

Post production equipment sales to reach $1.4M by 2003............... ijumpstart.com RESEARCH <Picture><Picture><Picture> Digital Video Boom: Revenues Seen Topping $1.4 Billion By 2003 Sales from the growing post-production equipment business will reach $1.4 billion by 2003, thanks to the ongoing switch from standard-definition broadcasting to ATSC Digital Television and the resulting need of post-houses to put productions into the highest-quality formats, according to a new report from research firm Frost & Sullivan. F&S Researcher Inna Radzinsky, author of the report, U.S. Video and Audio Post-Production Hardware and Software Markets, said the high figure for 2003 is confirmed by industry revenues of $836.3 million in 1997 combined with an annual compound growth rate in post-production equipment sales of 8.5 percent from 1993 to 2003 (projected). "DTV will be one of the most important factors of growth," Radzinsky said. "DTV and HDTV will affect post houses because they do advertising work and they want the highest quality... they'll have to buy new equipment to match the standard set by DTV and HDTV." But some industry watchers are skeptical about the glowing optimism. Post-production research specialist Matthew Peterson of Scenic Wonders doesn't dispute Frost & Sullivan's prediction that the business will grow, but is doubtful of the projected revenue. "We estimate that 10 to 15 percent of revenues get sunk into equipment every year. [Frost & Sullivan's figures] mean we're going to be posting a $14 billion post-production industry," Peterson said. While it is possible, he added, that total equipment revenues could reach that which is supposed by the research firm's new data, it is a daunting goal to achieve by 2003. "$1.4 billion for equipment seems high to me," Peterson continued. "I'm bullish on the post-production industry because of DTV, HDTV and the Internet, I'm just not quite convinced that it will translate into a substantial recapitalization of the industry." Peterson said the cost of converting to component digital caused an industry shake-out in the early '90s. Many post-production executives are concerned that another recapitalization so soon for DTV could slow industry growth in the short-term. Radzinsky remains confident in her crystal ball. "We performed the bottom-up approach," Radzinsky said. "We estimated the annual growth rate for each sub-segment [of the industry], starting from the base year when the research was performed, 1993, and combined that with the result of revenues for each segment." (Frost & Sullivan, 212/964-7000; Scenic Wonders, 608/273-4803)

To: DiViT who wrote (29175)	2/6/1998 3:50:00 PM
From: John Rieman	Respond to of 50808

MultiRead: Look for It..................................................... onlineinc.com Being able to identify easily the capabilities of a DVD-ROM drive at point of purchase can be difficult. Most consumers are not accustomed to scrutinizing detailed specification sheets and sales staff are not always well-informed. Something as specific as checking for CD-R compatibility can easily get lost in the shuffle. One way to provide a clear definition to the public of a drive's capabilities is by having consumers look for an identifying logo or term on the box or in advertising that captures complex concepts. "MultiRead" is such a helpful term. Created by the Optical Storage Technology Association (OSTA), a prominent manufacturers' and industry group that promotes the use of writable optical technology, MultiRead is a drive specification defining the logical and physical requirements of a drive that can read CD-ROM, CD-DA, CD-R, and CD-RW discs. Any DVD-ROM drive bearing the MultiRead logo or displaying the name MultiRead provides assurance that the unit reads CD-R discs. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The OSTA CD-R/DVD-ROM Compatibility Study Since 1995, the CD Writable Physical Compatibility subcommittee of OSTA has undertaken a program of compatibility testing for CD recorders, media, and readers. The current effort by the group is a CD-R/DVD-ROM compatibility study designed to help manufacturers assess the ability of their DVD-ROM drives to read CD-R discs. Fourteen hardware companies are participating in the study, including Acer Peripherals, Hitachi, JVC, LG Electronics, Matsushita Kotobuki, Mitsubishi Electric, NEC Home Electronics, Philips, Pioneer, Samsung, Sanyo, Sony, and TEAC. The framework for the tests involves having DVD-ROM drives read a representative sample of fully-written 74-minute CD-R discs taken from an earlier OSTA compatibility study, as well as one pressed CD-ROM containing the same data set. Both the CD-R and CD-ROM media are played in the manufacturer's DVD-ROM drive to measure such parameters as average access time, average transfer rate, and read time, in addition to optional data verification and average error rates. The first round of testing is scheduled for completion in February 1998, followed by a formal report. Preliminary results presented at the OSTA meeting in San Jose, California on October 21, 1997, indicated relative success. More than 70 percent of the CD-R discs displayed an average access time within 10 percent of that of the pressed disc. Additionally, more than 90 percent of the CD-R discs arrived at an average data transfer rate within 10 percent of that of the pressed disc. Since many of the products used at that time were still in development, the final results are expected to become significantly better as market-ready products are evaluated.