Audio Briefs
Staff -- TWICE, 6/3/2002
Theaters Promo DVD-Audio
SAN FRANCISCO — Century Cinemas will install DVD-Audio playback gear in 25 of its multiplexes nationwide to demo DVD-Audio music before the start of a movie. The multiplexes feature 400 screens. The first install was completed in Corte Madera, Calif., in time for the premiere of Star Wars: Episode II. The installs are a joint project of Century Cinemas, music companies Warner Music and 5.1 Entertainment, and Dolby Labs. Century operates 850 screens in 11 states, with another 400 in development.
Things Go Better With SONICblue
SANTA CLARA, CALIF. — SONICblue and The Coca-Cola Company unveiled their first co-branded product: the Coke Brand SP50C MP3-CD player. The SP50C is expected to be on retail shelves shortly at an everyday $89.95, said David Huffman, vice president of SONICblue audio products. The Coke player features 120-second memory buffer (for MP3 playback), 10 hours of playtime on two AA batteries, folder navigation, programmable playlists, and custom play with repeat and shuffle modes. An included accessory kit features custom earphones, a car cassette adapter, and a car power adapter. Text display for ID3 title information lets users view track information while music is playing.
Sony Licenses InterTrust
SANTA CLARA, CALIF. — InterTrust's MetaTrust digital-rights management (DRM) technology could be appearing in Sony products in the future, joining Sony's own DRM technologies. InterTrust, which already licenses its MetaTrust DRM to other CE companies, gets a $28.5 million fee plus running royalties from Sony Corp., parent of Sony's hardware and content companies.
