[Promotion-technology] Fw: DVS Home Video Sales Effort Ends

[Everett Gavel]

FYI

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mary Watkins" <mary_watkins at wgbh.org>
To: <MAG_News at mail4.wgbh.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 9:46 AM
Subject: DVS Home Video Sales Effort Ends


DVS Home Video® Sales Effort Comes to a Close

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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