DEG: The Digital Ent. Group, which held its annual reception at CES 2006 in Las Vegas, honored THE INCREDIBLES: COLLECTORS EDITION (Buena Vista Home Ent.) as the Theatrical DVD Title of the Year.
Other winners included KING KONG: COLLECTORS EDITION (Warner Home Video) for Catalog; LOST: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON (Buena Vista Home Ent.) for TV; and the animated FAMILY GUY PRESENTS: STEWIE GRIFFIN, THE UNTOLD STORY (Twentieth Century Fox Home Ent.) for Direct to DVD.
In addition, DEG announced support for HD technologies by agreeing to promote and serve as a clearing house of information for HD TV. The DEG will provide media, trade and consumers with updated information clarifying the differences between HD TV technologies. The group aims to provide accurate information so that consumers enjoy the optimal HD experience.
The DEG also announced support for HD packaged media. The DEG will disseminate information provided by the format development standards setting groups in a non-competitive, unbiased manner.
"We believe HD will transition the home theater into an even more enjoyable viewing and listening experience. The consumer is hungry for high definition content they can own and collect, and we are pleased that the industry is meeting the demand," said Bob Chapek, president, DEG and president, Buena Vista Home Ent. "The time is now for high definition technologies. And, the DEG is pleased to have instituted the necessary changes to our mission to keep this organization poised to pro-actively address the opportunities and challenges in the years ahead."
DEG (www.digitalentertainmentinfo.com) serves to advocate and promote the many benefits associated with DVD while providing updated information regarding the format to both the media and the retail trade. As an industry funded, nonprofit organization, the DEG also offers a forum for member companies to engage in ongoing discussions and provide external communications concerning various issues and opportunities, which relate to new digital technologies that may emerge in the future.
DEG regular members are Anchor Bay Ent., Buena Vista Home Ent., DreamWorks Home Ent., D&M Holdings, DTS, EMI Music, HBO Video, Hewlett Packard, Hitachi, Image Ent., JVC Co. of America, Lionsgate, MGM Home Ent., Microsoft, New Line Home Ent., Panasonic Consumer Electronics, Paramount Home Ent., Philips Electronics, Pioneer Electronics (USA), Sony BMG Music Ent., Sony Electronics, Sony Pictures Home Ent., Thomson, Toshiba America Consumer Products, Twentieth Century Fox Home Ent., Universal Music Group, Universal Studios Home Ent. and Warner Home Video.
Associate members are AGI Media, Ascent Media/Blink Digital, Clear-Vu, Deluxe Media Services, Giant Interactive, JVC Disc America, Macrovision, Memory-Tech, Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory, Sonic Solutions, Sonopress, Sony DADC, Technicolor and Universal Operations Group.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
