'DVD Magic 8' to Unveil the Future of Home Entertainment.

SANTA ANA, Calif. -- With an eye toward home entertainment's high-definition future, Home Media Retailing's Fourth Annual Home Entertainment Summit: DVD Magic 8 promises to be the industry's defining moment. E[acute accent]Attendees of the prestigious conference, June 27 and 28 at the Century Plaza Hotel & Spa in Century City, Calif., will either get one last look at the two competing next-generation, high-definition optical-disc formats before they both launch, or witness the first public presentation of a unified standard format. E[acute accent]"We're hoping the industry will come to its senses and come out with only one high-definition disc format," said Conference Executive Producer Thomas K. Arnold, Home Media Retailing's group editor and associate publisher. E[acute accent]The event, produced in cooperation with The Hollywood Reporter and DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group, comes as DVD celebrates its eighth birthday -- and all of Hollywood is shaking the eight ball to figure out where the business is headed on the eve of the high-def era. E[acute accent]The conference is expected to once again attract upwards of 300 of the home entertainment industry's top movers and shakers, from studio executives, DVD producers and key retailers to prominent Wall Street and entertainment analysts and members of the media. Two days of programming will be highlighted by a research supersession, a studio presidents panel and an in-depth look at Internet marketing and the booming handheld market. E[acute accent]Also on tap are the inaugural DVD Critics Awards: The Great Eight, in which top DVD releases from the past year will be recognized by an esteemed panel of DVD critics from around the country. E[acute accent]The conference also will provide many networking opportunities, including a studio-sponsored cocktail party, a breakfast, a lunch, a dinner and two breaks. The luncheon will feature product presentations and a distinctive keynote speaker. E[acute accent]Platinum sponsors of the Fourth Annual Home Entertainment Summit include Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Paramount Home Entertainment, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Warner Home Video/HBO Home Video/New Line Home Entertainment. E[acute accent]Lions Gate Home Entertainment is the summit's gold sponsor, while silver sponsors include Anchor Bay Entertainment, DreamWorks Home Entertainment, First Look Home Entertainment, Image Entertainment, R2 Entertainment and Ventura Entertainment. E[acute accent]The event is open to the trade only. Advance registrations are $495 for members of DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group and Hollywood Reporter subscribers. Nonmembers are $545. Special press registration is available to credentialed media by contacting Lyndsey Shinoda at [e-mail]. E[acute accent]For more information, visit www.dvdconferences.com.