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With enthusiastic backing from the movie industry, DVD-Video is beginning a strong climb to widespread popularity. More than 3000 titles could be available by the end of 1998, which is four times the number available in 1997, the format's first year.

On June 17, <A HREF="http://www.unitymotion.com/unity/home.asp">Unity Motion</A> announced an agreement with <A HREF="http://www.turner.com/">Turner Engineering</A> under which Turner will supply high-definition television (HDTV) broadcast-engineering expertise to Unity Motion, which this year begins transmitting multiple channels of HDTV via satellite to subscribers in the US. In addition, Unity Motion announced that it will broadcast the first national satellite-based HDTV signal in the US on June 23-25.

G<I>erard Depardieu, Nathalie Baye, Roger Planchon. Directed by Daniel Vigne. Aspect ratio: 1.66:1. Dolby Digital. One side. 123 minutes. 1982. Fox-Lorber FLV5008. Not rated. $29.99.</I>

In its continuing crusade to standardize soundtrack-playback levels, <A HREF="http://www.dolby.com">Dolby Laboratories</A> has introduced a new soundtrack-loudness meter, the Model 737. The device was unveiled two weeks ago at <A HREF="http://www.variety.com"><I>Variety</I></A>'s Dolby Tech Symposium at the Cannes Film Festival. According to a May 20 Dolby press release, the 737 "enables sound mixers to easily monitor the subjective loudness of trailers and other soundtracks as they are being prepared."