MUMBAI: Sansui India together with Optical Disc Systems magazine announced India's first DVD awards for excellence in DVD Authoring and Creation.

In a ceremony at the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi the award for the Best DVD Creation was given to Shemaroo Video for VR Films' Baghban. The award for the Best DVD Design went to Ultra Distributor for Koi Mil Gaya.

While the first is a technical award that recognises a superior encoding process that contributes to audio visual quality of a DVD, the Design Award recognises packaging and presentation of DVD discs.

The winners were decided after a careful evaluation of all DVD titles available in the Indian market, each evaluated for technical qualities, content, presentation and packaging. The specifications for each category have been developed by the DVD Forum, Japan.

Optical Disc Systems magazine informs that the revenues in the US from DVD at $ 12 billion has far exceeded the cinema theatrical revenues of $ 9 billion.

In India, the DVD market is set to explode with the rapid growth in affordable incomes and promotion of home entertainment at the malls and multiplexes. The structure of the entertainment industry in India will soon emulate the developed economies. The exponential growth of DVD in India that is estimated has not been realised due to rampant piracy.

With the public awareness about DVD quality, a change in consumers' preferences is possible. "Sansui is offering DVD players of very high quality at very reasonable prices. The Indian consumer I'm sure will respond enthusiastically once he experiences a good quality DVD and the Sansui ODs DVD Awards is the best thing that could happen to add some energy to DVD home entertainment," Khera says.