Chatsworth, Calif. — Packaged video distributor Image Entertainment announced its first slate of HD DVD titles will be released on Nov. 14 in the United States and Nov. 15 in Japan.
The distributor, which was among the early software pioneers of the DVD format, said it is releasing high-definition editions of three of the company’s bestselling music programs: “Chicago/Earth, Wind & Fire: Live at the Greek,” “Heart: Alive in Seattle” and “Barry Manilow: Manilow Live!”
The discs will be authored, compressed and replicated by Memory Tech in Japan. Image will handle North American distribution of the titles while Digital Site, Image’s Japanese licensee, will handle distribution throughout Japan, the company said.
“We have been preserving shows in high definition since 1999 in anticipation of this exciting new format,” said John Powers, Image Entertainment catalog VP. “We anticipate the announcement of additional high definition discs as we come into the holiday selling season. Consumers will be further exposed to this cutting edge technology through planned software marketing campaigns and additional hardware launches anticipated for the fourth quarter.”
