ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- Retailers can preview perhaps the largest presentation of digital videodisc software ever at this year's East Coast Video Show here Oct. 7 to 9.
Suppliers will be using their marketing and exhibit muscle to promote the new format at the ECVS, said Diane Stone, show director for Expocon Management Associates, Fairfield, Conn.
"PolyGram Video has been a strong proponent of DVD since its inception," said Bill Sondheim, president. "We believe the picture and audio quality will capture the consumers' imagination and broad retail involvement will be the key. The East Coast Video Show will allow both of these agendas to be followed.
"The show is beautifully poised in terms of timing for a lot of DVD product. People who come to this show are going to see the most DVD product in one place that has existed to date," Stone added.
Playing to that interest, there will be a special DVD demonstration room on the show floor set up by PolyGram Video, New York, and its parent company, Philips Electronics, Atlanta, which makes DVD hardware. Since the ECVS is the only video show many attendees come to, "the majority probably have not seen DVD in a professionally demonstrated way," she said.
In the demonstration area, "they will get a chance to really play with it and understand how it works. DVD is an incredibly exciting product," said Stone.
There also will be a seminar on DVD focused on educating store-level personnel unfamiliar with the new format, she said. Some don't know DVD from laserdiscs, she said. "There is a real communication problem with DVD and we are seeking to address that at the nuts-and-bolts store level," said Stone.
