Quality Is The Trademark Of Criterion Collection DVDs.

CRITERION Collection Inc.; DVD-Video discs; DVD media; BECKER, Peter; GREEN, David Gordon; RAMSAY, Lynne, 1969-

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The success of DVD as the film collector's format of choice may not owe its initial success to the New York-based Criterion Collection, but its namesake company certainly helped pioneer many of today's standard special features. Criterion quickly became the watermark for high-quality DVDs when it entered the marketplace. "We think about the market remarkably little," says Criterion president Peter Becker. Criterion also seeks to turn its customer base on to films by such new directors as David Gordon Green ('George Washington') and Lynne Ramsay ('Ratcatcher'). The coming months will see the company releasing an eclectic mix of new DVDs to appeal to its discerning fans. The Criterion treatment involves an intense research process that literally scours the world to find the best available prints and bonus material and then applies expensive technical work to achieve the highest possible quality transfer from the original film elements to DVD. Becker says these innovations helped build a small but loyal niche fan base and set the stage for what people now expect from DVDs. Becker hopes to continue to raise the bar by staying on the forefront of technology while remaining true to the films.