The American with George Clooney, the suspens thriller - Blu ray & DVD release

Academy Award winner George Clooney (Up in the Air, Burn After Reading) is The American in this suspense thriller from director Anton Corbijn (Control).  

Hailed as “riveting and irresistible” (Joe Neumaier, NY Daily News), this Focus Features film debuts on Blu-ray Hi-Def, DVD, Digital Download and On-Demand on December 28, 2010 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.  

The American follows elusive assassin Jack’s (Clooney) treacherous journey as he completes his last assignment – but when he pursues a torrid relationship with a beautiful woman, Jack  soon finds himself in a battle to escape from his troubled past. Also starring Violante Placido (Soul Mate), Thekla Reuten (In Bruges), and Paolo Bonacelli (Midnight Express), The American is a mesmerizing film critics are calling “a labyrinth of seduction, secrets and suspense!” (Jake Hamilton, Fox-TV). 

  

THE AMERICAN 
CAST AND FILMMAKERS 

Cast: George Clooney, Violante Placido, Thekla Reuten, Paolo Bonacelli 

Directed by Anton Corbijn 

Screenplay by Rowan Joffe  

Based on the Novel A Very Private Gentleman by Martin Booth 

Produced by Anne Carey, Jill Green, Ann Wingate, Grant Heslov, George Clooney 

Executive Producer: Enzo Sisti 

Director of Photography: Martin Ruhe 

Production Designer: Mark Digby 

Editor:  Andrew Hulme 

Music by Herbert Grönemeyer 

Costume Designer: Suttirat Anne Larlarb  

Casting by Beatrice Kruger 

Languages/Subtitles:  English SDH, Spanish and French Subtitles 

Sound:  English Dolby Digital 5.1/DVS 2.0 DD, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1 

Running time: 1 Hour 45 Minutes 

BONUS FEATURES (BLU-RAY and DVD) 

•  Deleted scenes  

•  Journey to Redemption: The making of The American – An inside look at the making of The American.  

•  Feature commentary – With director Anton Corbijn 

Release Date: December 28, 2010 

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Out of Sight with George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez - Blu ray release 

Devil, directed by John Erick Dowdle - Blu-ray and DVD release 

Andy Warhol: Motion Pictures at MoMA, Museum of Modern Art, NYC 

Stanley Kubrick Photographer, 1945-1950 

Destiny’s Son by Kenji Misumi

 

Destiny’s Son (Kiru)

1962, 71 min., 16 mm, color, in Japanese with English subtitles.

Directed by Kenji Misumi

With Raizo Ichikawa, Eijiro Yanagi, Yoshio Inaba, Masayo Banri.

 

In director Kenji Misumi’s breakthrough film, Ichikawa seeks revenge and redemption after his family is murdered by a rival clan. An astonishing, dreamlike samurai film written by Kaneto Shindo, Destiny’s Son is a demonic masterpiece--designed with quasi-expressionist artistry, awash with surreal landscapes, and subsumed in an otherworldly beauty that fuses Zen and sword.

 

>>> Go back to the main page: Japan Society: The Chambara Films of Shintaro Katsu and Raizo Ichikawa

>>> Samurai Vendetta by Kazuo Mori
>>> Zatoichi, the Fugitive by Tokuzo Tanaka   
>>> Destiny’s Son by Kenji Misumi    <<< You are here :)
>>> Zatoichi On the Road: Fighting Journey by Kimiyoshi Yasuda
>>> Scar Yosaburo by Daisuke Ito
>>> New Tale of Zatoichi by Tokuzo Tanaka
>>> Nemuri Kyoshiro At Bay: The Sword of Seduction by Kazuo Ikehiro
>>> Lone Wolf Isazo by Kazuo Ikehiro
>>> The Devil's Temple by Kenji Misumi

Zatoichi, the Fugitive by Tokuzo Tanaka

 

Zatoichi, the Fugitive (Zatoichi kyojo-tabi)

1963, 86 min., 35 mm, color, in Japanese with English subtitles.

Directed by Tokuzo Tanaka.

With Shintaro Katsu, Miwa Takada, Misayo Banri, Junichiro Narita, Katsuhiko Kobayashi.

 

As the iconic blind masseur Zatoichi, Katsu enters this fourth--and one of the most acclaimed--episode of the saga with a bounty on his head. Soon he is up to his neck slicing and dicing through a throng of yakuza thugs, fending off a long-lost love and battling a ruthless rogue samurai for hire.

.

>>> Go back to the main page: Japan Society: The Chambara Films of Shintaro Katsu and Raizo Ichikawa

>>> Samurai Vendetta by Kazuo Mori
>>> Zatoichi, the Fugitive by Tokuzo Tanaka   <<< You are here :)
>>> Destiny’s Son by Kenji Misumi
>>> Zatoichi On the Road: Fighting Journey by Kimiyoshi Yasuda
>>> Scar Yosaburo by Daisuke Ito
>>> New Tale of Zatoichi by Tokuzo Tanaka
>>> Nemuri Kyoshiro At Bay: The Sword of Seduction by Kazuo Ikehiro
>>> Lone Wolf Isazo by Kazuo Ikehiro
>>> The Devil's Temple by Kenji Misumi

Samurai Vendetta by Kazuo Mori

 

Samurai Vendetta (Hakuoki)

1959, 109 min., 16mm, color, in Japanese with English subtitles.

Directed by Kazuo Mori.

With Raizo Ichikawa, Shintaro Katsu, Chitose Maki.

A unique take on the 47 Ronin story, this epic film propelled Shintaro Katsu to superstardom alongside then-reigning Raizo Ichikawa. Betrayal, dishonor and death imbue this tragic tale of two swordsmen whose clans are embroiled in a blood feud and who vie for the same woman. The film is also known as A Chronicle of Pale Cherry Blossoms.

 

>>> Go back to the main page: Japan Society: The Chambara Films of Shintaro Katsu and Raizo Ichikawa

>>> Samurai Vendetta by Kazuo Mori                 <<< You are here :)
>>> Zatoichi, the Fugitive by Tokuzo Tanaka
>>> Destiny’s Son by Kenji Misumi
>>> Zatoichi On the Road: Fighting Journey by Kimiyoshi Yasuda
>>> Scar Yosaburo by Daisuke Ito
>>> New Tale of Zatoichi by Tokuzo Tanaka
>>> Nemuri Kyoshiro At Bay: The Sword of Seduction by Kazuo Ikehiro
>>> Lone Wolf Isazo by Kazuo Ikehiro
>>> The Devil's Temple by Kenji Misumi

The Double-Edged Sword Screening Details and Description Links

 

Links to each Film’s description

 

>> Samurai Vendetta (aka A Chronicle of Pale Cherry Blossoms) by Kazuo Mori

>> Zatoichi, the Fugitive by Tokuzo Tanaka

>> Destiny’s Son by Kenji Misumi

>> Zatoichi On the Road: Fighting Journey (aka Zatoichi and the Scoundrels) by Kimiyoshi Yasuda

>> Scar Yosaburo by Daisuke Ito

>> New Tale of Zatoichi by Tokuzo Tanaka

>> Nemuri Kyoshiro At Bay: The Sword of Seduction (aka  Sleepy Eyes of Death 4) by Kazuo Ikehiro

>> Lone Wolf Isazo (The Lone Stalker) by Kazuo Ikehiro

>> The Devil's Temple by Kenji Misumi

 

>>> Go back to the main page - Japan Society: The Chambara Films of Shintaro Katsu and Raizo Ichikawa

The Chambara Films of Shintaro Katsu and Raizo Ichikawa

 

Japan Society's Monthly Classics Film Series Delivers 9 Slices of Rare '60s Samurai Cool with a Duel Dose of Masculine Mystique

The Double-Edged Sword:
The Chambara Films of Shintaro Katsu and Raizo Ichikawa

Opening Screening: Samurai Vendetta on Friday, December 11, 2009, 7:30 PM

Introduced by curator Chris D. with reception and book signing

 

Japan Society's latest Monthly Classics film series The Double-Edged Sword: The Chambara Films of Shintaro Katsu & Raizo Ichikawa pays tribute to two Japanese screen legends in their most respected, representative and stylish chambara (sword fighting) films. Curated by film expert and author Chris D. (Outlaw Masters of Japanese Film), the series features 9 films slated to be screened monthly from December 2009 through May 2010. The opening night screening Samurai Vendetta takes place Friday, December 11 at 7:30 pm, and is followed by a reception and book signing. (Opening night tickets including reception are $15/$10 members, students & seniors; all subsequent screenings are $11/$7.)

Macho cool had two faces in Japanese cinema from the 1960s: Daiei Studios’ cult stars Shintaro Katsu (1931-1997) and Raizo Ichikawa (1931-1969). The actors dominated postwar genre films in Japan, projecting a disparate duality of masculine mystique. The earthy Katsu played the affable anti-idol rogue, unpredictable onscreen (and off), while ethereal, coolly enigmatic Ichikawa was considered the "James Dean of Japan." Beyond their differences, both stars instilled in their roles a poisonous poetry and existential angst that lifted their art into genre-transcending territory.

The Double-Edged Sword film series offers seminal works from each actor's arsenal chambara epics. Popular films such as Samurai Vendetta and three choice selections from the Zatoichi series are coupled with the surreal Destiny’s Son and art house film Scar Yosaburo. The series also presents Nemuri Kyoshiro's At Bay: The Sword of Seduction and Kenji Misumi's little known masterpiece The Devil’s Temple for the first time in 35 mm on the big screen with English subtitles.

With 2009 marking the 40th anniversary of Raizo Ichikawa’s death, The Double-Edged Sword series also anticipates the centennial of legendary director Akira Kurosawa in 2010. Samuel Jamier, newly appointed film programmer at Japan Society, notes, "While the Kurosawa/Mifune collaborations have long been consecrated as examples of ultimate samurai films, this retrospective series gives the occasion to unearth cinematic treasures that are too often overlooked, exposing an entire movement that took place parallel to Kurosawa and Cie."

Chambara designates a category of films that involve swordplay. Alternately romanized as chanbara, the label is an onomatopoeia, mimicking the "chan-chan, bara-bara" sound of clashing swords. The origin of chambara can be traced back to dramatized sword fights in kabuki dramas. Some of the earliest silent films in Japan were chambara with elaborate, balletic fight scenes. The genre reached maturity in the 1960s (many critics and fans describe that period as the golden age of chambara). The central figure in chambara films is the swordsman, who could be a samurai (often a ronin–a masterless samurai), ninja, or yakuza, always armed and dangerous. Chambara is part of the jidai-geki genre (period drama) and includes the matatabi sub-genre (wanderer or drifter that becomes a gambler).

“The chambara genre… was one of the central vehicles by which Japan would reexamine its culture and values in light of its new postwar, post-imperial role," notes Allen White, in his essay “A Man, a Blade, an Empty Road: Postwar Samurai Film to 1970” (GreenCine). "Chambara not only recycled and redefined Japanese history; it also used it as a thinly-coded metaphor for present-day struggles." Today, with anime reaching a peak of popularity, many of the most popular series among young Americans--from Samurai Champloo to Afro-Samurai—are based on and inspired by old chambara movies.

 

THE DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD SCREENING SCHEDULE

 

Friday, December 11, 2009, 7:30 pm

Samurai Vendetta (A.K.A A Chronicle of Pale Cherry Blossoms)

Opening screening with curator Chris D., reception and book signing

 

Friday, Jan. 22, 2010, 7:30 pm

Zatoichi, the Fugitive

 

Friday, Feb. 19, 2010, 7:30 pm

Destiny’s Son

 

Saturday, March 20, 2010

5:00 pm Zatoichi On the Road (A.K.A Zatoichi and the Scoundrels)

7:00 pm: Scar Yosaburo

 

Saturday, April 24, 2010

5:00 pm: New Tale of Zatoichi

7:00 pm: Nemuri Kyoshiro At Bay: The Sword of Seduction (A.K.A. Sleepy Eyes of Death 4)

 

Friday, May 14, 2010

5:00 pm: The Lone Stalker (A.K.A. Lone Wolf Isazo)

7:00 pm: The Devil’s Temple

 

Chris D. (aka Chris Desjardins) is the author of Outlaw Masters of Japanese Film (2005, I.B. Tauris), which features essays and interviews with Japanese genre film directors from the '60s to the '90s. He recently completed work on two forthcoming books: an exhaustive study of yakuza films titled Gun And Sword – An Encyclopedia of Japanese Gangster Films 1955-1980, and an anthology of prose and poetry entitled A Minute to Pray, A Second to Die (New Texture Books, due Dec. 9). Chris D. worked as a film programmer at The American Cinematheque in Los Angeles 1999-2005 and was the main programmer of the Cinematheque’s Egyptian Theatre from 2006-09. Chris D. was also a singer/songwriter/producer for The Flesh Eaters and Divine Horsemen between 1978 and 2003. As an actor, Chris D. has appeared in Border Radio (1987), No Way Out (1987), Tweeked (1999) and Double Deception (2001). I Pass For Human (2004) was his feature film debut behind the camera. Japan Society's presentation of The Double-Edged Sword is an updated edition of a series he presented in Los Angeles in 2002.

 

The Japan Society Film Program offers a diverse selection of Japanese films, from classics to contemporary independent productions. Its aim is to entertain, educate and support activities in the Society's Arts & Culture programs. The Film Program has included retrospectives of great directors, thematic series and many U.S. premieres. Some original film series curated by Japan Society have traveled to other U.S. venues in tours organized by the Film Program. Since 2007, the Program has presented the annual summer JAPAN CUTS Festival of New Japanese Film in collaboration with the New York Asian Film Festival. The Monthly Classics series are yearly events inviting guest curators to organize film series with once-a-month screenings.

 

Established in 1907, Japan Society has evolved into North America's major producer of high-quality content on Japan for an English-speaking audience. Presenting over 100 events annually through well established Corporate, Education, Film, Gallery, Language, Lectures, Performing Arts and Innovators Network programs, the Society is an internationally recognized nonprofit, nonpolitical organization that provides access to information on Japan, offers opportunities to experience Japanese culture, and fosters sustained and open dialogue on issues important to the U.S., Japan, and East Asia.

 

Tickets for regular screenings in The Doubled-Edged Sword series are $11/$7 members, students & seniors; the Dec. 11 opening night screening including reception is $15/$10.

Japan Society is located at 333 East 47th Street between First and Second avenues (accessible by the 4/5/6 at 42nd Street-Grand Central Station or the E and V at Lexington Avenue and 53rd St.)

 

Go to >>> THE DOUBLE EDGED SWORD SCREENING DETAILS AND DESCRIPTION

 

JAPAN SOCIETY
333 East 47th Street
New York, NY 10017
www.japansociety.org

Imageworks Congratulates Monster House on Oscar Nomination

SONY PICTURES IMAGEWORKS CONGRATULATES MONSTER HOUSE ON BEST ANIMATED MOVIE OSCAR NOMINATION® Sony Pictures Imageworks congratulated MONSTER HOUSE, the family-friendly thriller from Columbia Pictures, on its Academy Award® nomination for best Animated Feature. The movie was directed by Gil Kenan and executive produced by Robert Zemeckis, Steven Spielberg and Jason Clark. The filmmakers relied on a specially-refined version of Imageworks' proprietary motion-capture process, Imagemotion, which provided a creative instrument with which they could record the live-action performances in richly detailed data upon which the animation is then based. Additionally, one of the central goals of the MONSTER HOUSE was to anthropomorphize the house, to give it expression and breathe life into the inanimate bricks and mortar structure. Imageworks' talented artists hand-animated every aspect of this amazing central character, which on January 6th received a nomination from the Visual Effects Society for Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Motion Picture. The film also was recognized by ASIFA Hollywood with 7 Annie Award nominations, including Best Feature and Best Director for Gil Kenan. MONSTER HOUSE is the second feature to use Imagemotion, following its debut on THE POLAR EXPRESS, directed by Robert Zemeckis. Imagemotion allows for simultaneously capturing the entirety of a performance, including detailed facial expressions and subtle body movements by multiple actors, which then can be integrated into CG characters. The process, which also is being used on Zemeckis' upcoming BEOWULF, retains all of the spontaneity and dynamic interactions of the live rendition. Sony Pictures Imageworks was engaged because of its renowned expertise in the highly specialized work of creating photo-real CG characters and environments. The company rose to the exciting challenge by harnessing its unique combination of artistry, talent, pioneering digital production and top quality animation. MONSTER HOUSE is an ImageMovers/Amblin Entertainment presented by Columbia Pictures. In addition to the Academy Award® announced today, it has received many other honors including a Golden Globe nomination for Best Animated Film, 7 Annie Awards nominations including Best Animated Feature and Best Director Gil Kenan, and a Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards nomination for Best Animated Feature. Sony Pictures Imageworks recently completed work on GHOST RIDER for director Mark Steven Johnson and currently is in production on such projects as SPIDER-MAN 3, SURF'S UP and BEOWULF.

Imageworks: Origin of Creative Achievement

Press Release - CULVER CITY, CA – January 17, 2007 Sony Pictures Imageworks exemplifies the very best in digital imagery and animation. The quality comes from the people who have made Imageworks what it is today. As we embark on our 15th-year in business and look ahead to our future, we see our visual identity as an important reflection of ourselves: who we are, what we do and where we want to go. In a year of achievement, expansion and diversification, Imageworks, the nucleus of Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment and broadly recognized for some of the finest and most innovative visual effects, digital characters, CG animation and pioneering technology, takes this opportunity to develop a graphic identity as clean and consistent as our award-winning work. With support and feedback from a wide cross-section of our company, we embarked on a comprehensive design exercise to capture the spirit, vitality and, most importantly, the quality and qualities of Imageworks. Through extensive interviews and observation, we defined and distilled our core values into three words that became the guiding principles that help drive the design and emphatically bring forward the recognition of Imageworks' infinite creative achievement—past and future. Our goal is to provide Sony Pictures Imageworks with a clear, consistent and luminous identity. One that draws on a heritage of innovation from Sony, and a legacy of entertainment from Columbia Pictures. THE CORE VALUES DEFINING IMAGEWORKS The Imageworks identity is a promise, a vital living declaration that behind everything we do there is an unequaled creative kinship with all those with whom we share our passion. Our passion for humanity. For character. For our colleagues and our clients and our audience. For the kind of visual storytelling that touches our souls. For the hopes and dreams and triumphs of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Our true heroes. Then comes imagination. The way we look at things. Differently. Our vision. Our boundless creativity and ongoing delight in the anticipation of what could be. And "what could be", becomes the result of a collaboration between imagination and technology—where we ultimately explore, discover and shape our creative vision. This is where the magic takes flight. Humanity. Imagination. Technology. The catalyst to Imageworks' identity. WHAT COLORS OUR WORLD The stylized symbol that anchors the Imageworks logo is an iris. It represents humanity and wonderment, and symbolizes the proverbial window to our imagination. It is our emotional filter. At the center, a single square depicts the sparkle in our eye. Technology makes the complex appear simple. This is why we chose to configure the iris with a minimal amount of simple squares to create our circular mark. The many varying ways we orchestrate these squares through animation and design will be a reflection of our imagination and the technology we use as our part of our expressive palette. We have created three versions of the Imageworks icon. One fully modeled version for use in four-color print and animated applications. A second for 2D flat-color and single-color print applications. And a third for Imageworks 3D. Additionally, we have a "Sony Pictures" configuration for ancillary corporate usage. A comprehensive Brand Style Guide will be forthcoming to outline specific applicable usages. CLARITY Our brand identity is our face. It embodies our most endearing qualities, becoming our most enduring asset. It is a promise built upon the cornerstone of our core values. A promise that what we think, what we create, and what drives our vision is an extension of these values. The success of Imageworks depends on all of us. In fact, we are so committed to fulfilling that promise that we have staked our claim on our performance and passion as a company and seated a visual declaration prominently above our name for all to see. Our brand is the currency for our future success. Our new Made at Imageworks logo is the symbol for our collective consciousness. We have created outstanding work and continue to enjoy industry kudos and accolades for filmmaking we're proud of. But as the proverbial saying goes: "You ain't seen nothing yet."

Imageworks Showcased by ACS Siggraph

Top names in digital production shared the insiders' perspective during "The Four Pipelines of Sony Pictures Imageworks," a special presentation by Los Angeles Professional Chapter of ACM SIGGRAPH. The November 14 event included sneak peaks at the latest amazing examples from all four of Imageworks' areas of expertise along with other clips illustrating points covered by the far-ranging discussion. Tim Sarnoff, President of Sony Pictures Imageworks, kicked off the event, welcoming SIGGRAPH members and other guests with an overview of Sony Pictures Imageworks. He then introduced senior creative director Ken Ralston to moderate the proceedings. Senior visual effects supervisors Rich Hoover and Kevin Mack were on hand to explain their unique creative approach to live action VFX. Rich spoke about his work on SUPERMAN RETURNS, in particular the multifaceted decisions behind the spectacular shuttle disaster scene. Kevin gave a breakdown of how Nicolas Cage was transformed into GHOST RIDER, the skeletal urban warrior shrouded in hellfire. Software architect Parag Havaldar used MONSTER HOUSE examples to show how he bases his work on scientific studies of the physical manifestations of human emotion, which he then translates into precise data manipulation. Rob Engle, Digital Effects Supervisor, discussed the process of producing 3D stereo versions of films and how that work integrates with some of the complexities that the performance capture group and other teams face every day. Visual effects supervisor Doug Ikeler addressed the unique perspective Sony Pictures Animation brings to its animation pipeline. Doug used OPEN SEASON to illustrate the required intricate attention to detail, particularly when it comes to water, fur and recent advances in background animation. Rob Bredow, digital effects supervisor, took a break from working on SURF'S UP to screen a teaser that demonstrated his discussion of the imaginative techniques being used on that upcoming feature film. The event was hosted by Sony Pictures Imageworks. Participants enjoyed a casual barbeque on the facilities' lawn before strolling to the nearby Pacific Theater to enjoy the presentation.

Sony Pictures Animation welcome audiences to the Hotel Transylvania

The Mummy wants new sheets in his room and he wants lots of them! Dracula had a bloody rough night with all that noise coming from the Werewolf's room and Frankenstein keeps bumping his head on the low ceilings. It's just another night at HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA, the ultimate get away for the misunderstood among us who are just looking for a little R and R and the chance to avoid contact with pesky humans. Sony Pictures Animation Executive Vice Presidents Sandra Rabins and Penney Finkelman Cox have announced HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA as the company's third animated project. Sony Pictures Animation's first feature, OPEN SEASON, debuts September 29, 2006, followed by Surf's Up!, which is scheduled for a June 8, 2007 release. Both films will be released by Columbia Pictures, as will HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA. Based on an original story, HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA takes a 21st Century look at the stories of the classic monsters Frankenstein, The Mummy, Dracula and The Werewolf. Anthony Stacchi and David Feiss, both veterans of OPEN SEASON, have been tapped to direct the new project. OPEN SEASON producer Michelle Murdocca and co-producer Amy Jupiter will also make the transition from Timberline to Transylvania. "Both Tony and Dave bring a great understanding of story and character development, as well as impeccable comedic timing, to this project" said Finkelman Cox. "We are very proud of the talent that has grown up with us at Sony Pictures Animation," added Rabins. About HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA The world is a scary place...even for the iconic monsters that have endured through the centuries. Wary of the human race, they have secluded themselves in a remote location on the outskirts of Transylvania. Leading a comfortable and safe existence, their lives are turned upside down when the rightful heir to their castle arrives to stake his claim. HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA is directed by Anthony Stacchi (co-director OPEN SEASON, additional credits include ANTZ) and David Feiss (credits include creator "Cow and Chicken," OPEN SEASON). The screenplay is by Don Rhymer (DECK THE HALLS, BIG MOMMA'S HOUSE). The producer is Michelle Murdocca (OPEN SEASON, additional credits include STUART LITTLE 2, STUART LITTLE). The co-producer is Amy Jupiter (OPEN SEASON). The CG animation will be created by Sony Pictures Imageworks.

PQI mTrix Portable Multimedia Player

At IFA Exhibition (Messe Berlin Exhibition Center, Germany, 2nd - 7th September, 2005), Power Quotient International Co., Ltd (PQI) has displayed its range of portable multimedia players namely the mPacks. The topic of this exhibition is Future Digital Lifestyle, focusing on portability, convenience and entertainment. The mPack P600, mPack P400 and the mTrix has been featured, together with the mPack P800 which is already selling in the market. As of 9th August 2005 PQI's portable multimedia players product line are officially Dolby approved by the Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation.

The mTrix, is currently the smallest portable multimedia players - MPEG4 player. It weighs only 115g but carries a 2” LTPS TFT-LCD full color screen for a high-resolution video playback and sound quality. Built-in with a 32MB NAND Flash memory, this device is conceived out of PQI’s years of expertise in Integrated Technology (Memory & Multimedia technology). This technology enables expandable memory capacity such as MMC/SD/ Intelligent Stick to be integrated into mTrix to produce a big storage and transfer of music, pictures, photos and videos. Besides the MMC/SD/ Intelligent Stick slots, the mTrix has the usual USB 2.0/1.1 port available in its device.

The mTrix supports ASF and Motion JPEG video files, and plays MP3/WMA/WAV audio files with 3D sound enhancement of bass and treble. It also has various equalizers such as normal, pop, rock and jazz. It also has a Photo Viewer that supports JPEG files for a slide show for your photographs. The maximum playing time of the mTrix is 4 hours for video and 6 hours for audio (LCD switched off) on a SD card, and 3.5 hours of video and 5.5 hours for audio (LCD switched off) on an I-Stick.

Ranging between the estimated retail price position of 130 - 150 euros (with import duty, without local taxes, without MMC/SD/ Intelligent Stick), the mTrix is comes with accessories such as CD software, USB driver, AC/DC adapter, USB cable, earphone, pouch and battery pack. This device is also equipped with Rechargeable and Detachable Battery (device also rechargeable through USB connections), Calendar and Clock functions.

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PQI mPack P800 Portable Multimedia Player

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PQI mPack P800 Portable Multimedia Player

CeBIT 2005 / Hannover, Germany - Power Quotient International (PQI)

The mPack P800 breaks new ground as the first PMP to support the Sony/Philips Digital Interface Format (SPDIF). When linked to a 5.1-Channel Home theater system via optical Toslink port, mPack P800 is able to deliver a crystal clear 5.1 digital surround sound for music and movies. mPack P800 also supports a broader and more inclusive variety of media formats than any other device of its kind, including:

- Video: MPEG 1/2/4, XviD, ASF, AVI, MOD (decoding); MPEG 1 (encoding), with WMV 9 encoding soon available via free firmware upgrade; - Audio: MP3 CBR/VBR, WMA, AC3, AAC, WAV, OGG (decoding); WAV, MP3 (encoding); - Photo: JPEG, GIF, BMP, PNG, RAW Image.

Thanks to mPack P800's TV/DVD recording capability, entertainment lovers can record their favorite DVDs, home videos, and TV programs or sporting events direct from their TV for later playback -- whenever and wherever they want -- on the unit's 3.5-inch, 320 x 240 full-color TFT LCD screen. Live FM radio listening and recording capability is also supported. As a storage/playback platform, mPack P800 enables users to play entertainment from its hard disk drive onto a home TV or theater system. Its USB 2.0 transfer capability not only allows quick download of videos, photos and audio files, but also enables text documents and other files to be easily stored and carried. Movies - PQI's mPack P800 is able to play video files recorded in resolutions higher than 760 x 576 (30 fps) -- the highest among all leading PMPs. The unit's LCD screen provides exceptional, full-color rendition of any kind of visual entertainment. Music - Music lovers can load hours of songs into mPack P800. In addition to MP3s and the many other formats supported, mPack P800 displays available album art on its screen; a built-in EQ enables the user to adjust the sound for normal, jazz, pop, rock, or classic sound environment. The onboard FM tuner makes listening to and recording favorite live FM programs easy. Photos - The mPack P800 also functions as a walking photo gallery. The unit's type II CompactFlash slot lets users mount their CompactFlash card directly into mPack in order to save and view pictures without connecting to a PC. Memory Stick, Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard and SmartMedia cards are supported through an optional 4-in-1 adapter.

Convenience Features - mPack P800 includes two different remote controls -- an in-line wired remote for close-up control, and a wireless infrared remote control for use across the room such as when connected to a home system. The remotes also allow quick navigation of music files, video, and pictures, making it fun and convenient to experience all forms of stored entertainment. PIMS functions of the mPack P800 including a calendar, address book, and clock. The internal microphone allows instant, on-the-fly recording of lectures, business meetings, or verbal notes. mPack P800 even includes a number of entertaining games to make sure users are never bored. Other advanced usability features include a full complement of operational software including full-function audio/visual file browser, a download manager, address book manager, media library, and smart firmware update utility.

Pricing and Availability - PQI's mPack P800 requires 4400 mAh to operate (two permanently-installed 2200 mAh rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries) and comes with 70mW ear bud earphones; AC adaptor with cable; USB 2.0, SPDIF cable, Manual, Quick Guide, CD and A/V cables; infrared and in-line remote controls; daytime carrying bag; and larger travel bag with room for all accessories.

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