J&R Music and Computer World reopened its store in N.Y.C. Mon., having been closed since World Trade Center attack on Sept. 11. On day of WTC attack, cloud of black soot blew through doors and settled inside DVD players and PC hard drives, company said. Rescue workers also opened some doors and set up triage center that got little use. All 300,000 sq. ft. feet of retail space, housed in several buildings, are less than one-quarter mile from WTC. Workers spent much of last month replacing about 3,000 sq. ft. of carpet, painting walls, vacuuming ash from 5 escalators and cleaning credit card terminals and cash registers. Privately held J&R, with 650 employees and revenue of more than $300 million, lost millions in sales while store was closed, industry sources said. It offset some of lost sales by continuing to operate small satellite store near Columbia U. and catalog and warehouse operations in Maspeth, N.Y. In ads trumpeting reopening, all DVDs and music CDs were on sale and T-shirts featuring American flag and letters “NYC” were being offered free with $50 purchase plus $1 donation to Twin Towers Fund. Reopening will include ribbon cutting Thurs. featuring N.Y.C. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.
Shorter window between rentals and sales of video titles is expected to be announced in U.K. this week by Universal. Studio is expected to cut window to 4-8 weeks from 4-6 months for DVD and VHS beginning in first quarter, British press reported. Studio contends shorter window will stimulate consumer awareness of titles after theatrical release and said consumers’ intent to rent remained greater than intent to purchase.
Sony, fresh from signing long-term licensing pact with TiVo, also has struck agreement for personal video recorders (PVRs) with Gemstar-TV Guide International, which is suing TiVo for patent infringement. TiVo countersued Gemstar seeking damages for antitrust violations.
Zight reached agreement with Baranti to work on design of its microdisplays targeting “wearable” PCs and home entertainment products. Baranti previously had worked on Zight’s reference design for near-eye applications such as head-mounted displays (HMD) using 0.47” microdisplay with 800x600 resolution. At same time, volume production of 0.25” microdisplay with 320x240 resolution is set for Nov., said Mktg. Dir. Rainer Kuhn, who declined to identify manufacturer. Zight began sample production of 0.25” at Hana MicroDisplay in first quarter and was expected to offer volume manufacturing in following quarter. Meanwhile, Zight is “still moving forward” with Polaroid, despite latter’s recently having filed for bankruptcy protection, Kuhn said. Polaroid has shown digital camera with 0.47” microdisplay as viewfinder. I/O Display also is expected to ship i-Glasses HMD with 0.47” in Nov.
Downloadable plug-ins for Microsoft’s Windows XP will permit PC users to play DVDs and copy MP3 files to blank CDs with Windows Media Player, developer InterVideo said Tues. Xpacks are available for online purchase at www.intervideo.com.
Mobliss made Wireless Jumble game available via Nextel Online Internet Wireless Service of Nextel Communications. Seattle-based wireless media company Mobliss created Pervasive Marketing Program that includes Multi-Player Gaming Engine. Wireless Jumble is version of puzzle that appears in more than 600 newspapers in U.S. each day. Mobliss Pres. Brian Levin said Jumble was “most popular branded game for wireless devices.”
Film and TV actor Joe Pantoliano, who appears on HBO’s The Sopranos, will be in episode 4 of Electronic Arts’ (EA) online game Majestic. Pantoliano will play blackballed investigative journalist Tim Pritchard. For his work on EA’s game, Pantoliano spent 2 days filming and one day in studio to record voice mail messages that Majestic players will receive, game maker said.
U.K. court denied CD counterfeiter’s appeal for reduction of 30-month prison term. Appeals court said sentence was appropriate in case of John Gleeson, convicted on 19 counts of unauthorized possession of trademarked goods under 1994 Trademarks Act for producing copies of commercially available CDs.
MGM’s worldwide home video revenue soared 35% in 3rd quarter ended Sept. 30, spurred by 200% rise in unit shipments of DVD, company said Mon. Studio shipped 4.1 million copies of Hannibal on DVD and VHS in Aug. and 1.4 million copies of Silence of the Lambs, which was re-released with Hannibal.
PC game Zoo Tycoon from Microsoft started shipping at $29.99. E-rated (Everyone) simulation-style title, developed by Blue Fang Games, challenges players to turn bunch of animals into money-making machine by building profitable animal park. Microsoft PC Games Div. Gen. Mgr. Stuart Moulder said company expected game to be one of its biggest titles this holiday season. After buying game, players can download new content including completed zoos and new animals via Zoo Tycoon Web site, www.microsoft.com/games/zootycoon/.