PRIVATE U.S.A. TO CEASE VHS RELEASES IN NOVEMBER

SUN VALLEY, Calif. — Private U.S.A. will discontinue the VHS duplication of new releases beginning November 2004.

Private U.S.A. will be the first major adult producer to distribute their new releases exclusively on DVD. The company cites the lagging sales of VHS, the explosive growth and demand for the discs and the overall acceptance of DVD in the adult marketplace as factors in its decision.

“Anyone who’s seen the dramatic shift from VHS to DVD as the preferred home entertainment format will understand why we’re doing this,” Williams added. “It’s not just adult — it’s the entertainment industry overall.”

Private U.S.A. will continue to sell pre-November 2004 VHS titles until its inventories are exhausted.

Lisa Radamaker, sales manager for Private U.S.A., said sales of DVDs have topped VHS “for a few years now.” The special features, including behind the scenes footage, bonus scenes and interviews, that DVD allows gives consumers much more value when compared to tape, she said.

“They also take up less space than VHS, which means the discs take up less space in our warehouse and we can ship more of them in smaller boxes,” Radamaker said. “Going with DVD-only releases isn’t just good for the consumers, but it’s good for us as well.”