Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is set to start including Descriptive Video Service features to upcoming Blu-ray Disc releases. DVS is an audio feature that can help those with vision problems with their viewing experiences by adding narration of important visual elements on screen, during times mainly where there is no dialog.
The DVS features that will be used are developed by WGBH Media Access Group, which focuses primarily on solutions to make mass media accessible for disabled people. The group estimates that around 12 million movie watchers have some form of vision problem.
The first Blu-ray title from Sony Pictures set to include this feature is The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, which is due to be released on November 3.
Other Sony Pictures releases that will include this feature are District 9, Julie & Julia and The Ugly Truth, none of which have had their release date revealed by the studio just yet.
Result for: disc release
Paramount Pictures has mapped out its Blu-ray roadmap, marking its re-entry to the Blu-ray business a year after it signed exclusively to the now defunct HD DVD format.
The first three movies to hit Blu-ray will be “Face/Off,” “Next” and “Bee Movie” which will hit retailers on May 20th. “Bee Movie” was a highly anticipated HD DVD title but was scrapped after Toshiba dropped production and support for the format in early March.
Two other box office hits, “Cloverfield” and “There Will Be Blood” will hit Blu-ray on June 3rd. Both were recently released on standard definition DVD. “Cloverfield” will also hit the international market in August, added the studio.
Another important date to note is June 24th when Paramount will “issue its first day-and-date Blu-ray Disc release,” “The Spiderwick Chronicles.”
Paramount was originally a format neutral studio, along with Warner Home Video, but then moved HD DVD exclusive last August after allegedly receiving up to $150 million USD in compensation.
