Shelf Talk: Recordable Dvd Is Coming Soon

CES NOTES: Philips Electronics and Pioneer each plan to have recordable DVD (DVD+RW) devices on the market in 2000.
The Philips DVD+RW machine will record up to four hours of real-time programming from TV programs, camcorder tapes, and non-copyrighted video sources. In addition, the device will have an advanced editing feature that can be hooked up to a computer. It will be compatible with DVD and DVD-ROM players now on the market.
Pioneer's DVD+RW, demonstrated at the Jan. 7-10 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, offers 1.5 hours of recordability. However, its discs won't play on existing DVD and DVD-ROM units.
Next-generation Pioneer DVD players, however, are expected to include DVD+RW playback capability. The company expects to expand recordability to two hours.
Price points and release dates weren't set for either device, but Philips will target its product to the high-end videophile.
High-definition TV (HDTV) was all the rage at CES‹and for those consumers ready to shell out $7,000-$10,000 for a new set. Thomson Consumer Electronics will supply an HDTV-DVD player to be marketed under the company's Proscan brand. It will include the Divx copy-protection technology to satisfy the studios' concerns.
Thomson will shop the technology to studios this year with the goal of having it, and HDTV-DVD software, available to consumers in 2000. A price point hasn't been determined.
THE SEARCH IS ON: Video Software Dealers Assn. (VSDA) chairman Mark Vrieling says that a committee is in place to find a new VSDA president following the resignation of Jeffrey Eves (Billboard, Jan. 16).
The search committee will be co-chaired by Tom Warren (a former VSDA vice chairman and a member of the committee that hired Eves in 1994) and Blockbuster's John Antioco. Other members include Hastings Entertainment's John Marmaduke; Ingram Entertainment's David Ingram; Monty Winters of Club Vid Movie Superstore in Archdale, N.C.; John Nucifora of Chimney's Video Superstore in Cicero, N.Y.; and former VSDA chairman Gary Ross of Media Play. Ross was also on the Eves committee.
With the exception of Ross and Warren, all are VSDA board members. The committee's first meeting will take place at the association's annual Regional Leaders' Conference, Jan. 22-24 in Los Angeles.
Vrieling says the first order of business will be hiring an executive search service to assist the committee in screening candidates. To date, Vrieling says only one candidate has officially tossed his hat in the ring‹former video retailer and VSDA board member Gary Messenger.