DVD Release Tests Format by Microsoft

DVD Release Tests Format by Microsoft

May 8, 2003

By MICHEL MARRIOTT

Yet another video release of "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991) would not seem notable, even on DVD. But for Microsoft, the new version amounts to the first test of a concept.

The two-disc set, to be released in June by Artisan Home Entertainment as "T2: Extreme DVD," will have a list price of $29.98. One disc will include a digitally remastered high-definition version of the film, with enhanced 5.1-channel surround sound, using a new Microsoft format called Windows Media 9. It promises almost three and a half times the resolution of a traditional DVD.

But there is a catch: it will play only on a computer using Microsoft's Windows XP operating system. And to appreciate the effects, users will have to download the free Windows Media 9 player software.

The Microsoft technology is designed to squeeze higher-quality sound and video playback from digital files that are 20 percent smaller than those in the current MPEG 2 format, said David Fester, general manager of Microsoft's Windows digital media division. The discs are also said to be more resistant to tampering and piracy.

Microsoft hopes that the format will be widely adopted not just on disc, where it enables more sound and images to be included, but also in the burgeoning field of digital movie production, distribution and projection, since it enables films to be stored and transmitted faster and more cheaply.

"We're very excited about things going on in this space," Mr. Fester said.

Lower-resolution uses of Media 9 were featured last year in a series of BMW car commercials that appeared on DVD's, on the Internet and in theaters. The technology was also used in digital versions of the documentary "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" and its DVD, released in April.

As for those with access only to a conventional DVD player, Artisan noted that they will be able to view "Terminator 2" on the less-enhanced disc.