[nfb-talk] Fwd: DVS Home Video Sales Effort Ends

[David Andrews]

>Date: 06 May 2008 09:48:37 -0400
>From: Mary Watkins <mary_watkins at wgbh.org>
>Subject: DVS Home Video Sales Effort Ends



>DVS Home Video® Sales Effort Comes to a Close
>
>Deep Discounts Offered for One Week on Remaining Inventory
>
>Boston, MA. May 6.  DVS Home Video, a project 
>begun by Boston public broadcaster WGBH in the 
>early 90's to make movies on video accessible to 
>the nation's blind and visually impaired 
>viewers, will end as of May 12.  The Hollywood 
>studios have ceased manufacturing VHS or tape 
>versions of films for sale and rental. WGBH's 
>work to make media accessible via description 
>goes on, with efforts focused on television, 
>feature films in theaters, DVDs and online video.
>
>The DVS Home Video effort, started over a decade 
>ago with funding from the U.S. Department of 
>Education, resulted in more than 300 videos made 
>accessible through narration of key visual 
>elements inserted into natural pauses in 
>dialogue.  From the very first DVS Video's 
>debut, the reaction of the community was 
>immediate and actually profound.  Films came 
>alive in a whole new way, and the eagerness for 
>new titles only grew.  Many of the videos sold 
>over the years were purchased by libraries and 
>schools, which multiplied the number of 
>individuals and families who took such enjoyment in described movies.
>
>Films are now being distributed for sale and 
>rental on DVD, BluRay DVD and through video on 
>demand (either rental or download to own) 
>services via the Internet.  WGBH's Media Access 
>Group, home to the Descriptive Video Service, 
>has been working to transition the home video 
>efforts to DVD and to these online movie 
>delivery outlets.  Lack of available memory 
>space on DVDs has been stated as the reason why 
>more description tracks, created for theatrical 
>release in the over 300 movie theaters with 
>WGBH's Motion Picture Access® (MoPix®) systems, 
>are not making the migration onto DVDs. WGBH 
>maintains a list of DVDs that have description 
>tracks on them at the Web page listed with other 
>description-related links at the bottom of this post.
>
>Advocacy is needed from the community of 
>description fans to make this transition 
>happen.  Please see the link below for a list of 
>Hollywood studios' home video/home entertainment 
>divisions.  Help show the providers of video on 
>these formats that there is a market and that 
>you would be willing to purchase movies with a 
>description track included as an optional feature.
>
>For the next week (until May 12), DVS Home Video 
>titles remaining in stock will be sold at a deep 
>discount. Videos that previously were available 
>for $15.01 and above will be sold for 
>$10.  Videos retailing for $15 and below will be now be available for $5.
>
>To access a list of available titles, please visit the Web site
>
>http://main.wgbh.org/wgbh/pages/mag/resources/dvs-home-video-catalogue.html.
>
>To hear a list of titles, and/or to place an 
>order, please call:  317 579-0439 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)
>
>All of us at the Media Access Group appreciate 
>the unyielding support our efforts have 
>generated over the years, and we are looking 
>forward to the next chapter.  Here is a list of 
>links to information about ongoing description work from WGBH:
>
>DVS on Television
>http://main.wgbh.org/wgbh/pages/mag/services/description/ontv/
>
>DVS in Movie Theaters
>www.mopix.org
>
>DVS on DVD
>http://main.wgbh.org/wgbh/pages/mag/resources/accessible-dvds.html
>
>Link to Contact List for Hollywood Studios
>http://ncam.wgbh.org/mopix/studios.html
>(please include "Home Entertainment Division" in the address)
>
>Contact:
>Mary Watkins
>Media Access Group at WGBH
>617 300-3700
>mary_watkins at wgbh.org
>
>
>-end-
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>- Release Date: 5/5/2008 5:11 PM