DVD EXTRA, the technology that should see this company through to profits and a very bright future.
DVD-Extra

During the year the Group accelerated its development of a revolutionary
authoring software for producing interactive DVD-Video discs that will play on
any standard consumer DVD player. We applied for and received a SMART grant
award of 188,000 from the Department of Trade and Industry to assist with the
research and development. DVD-Extra unlocks the hidden interactive capabilities
that exist in every player, and allows developers to produce titles that exhibit
many of the properties of multimedia CD-ROM on a standard, unmodified, DVD
player.

ZOO's principal offering is a product for authoring interactive DVD-Video discs
called DVD-Extra Studio. This tool operates in a similar way to multimedia
authoring products that are designed for creating CD-ROM applications for PC and
Macintosh, but produces DVD-Video disc images as its output. It performs a
similar function to so-called DVD authoring products that are designed
specifically for creating DVD-Video discs, but due to the patent-pending
authoring method it employs, it offers substantial cost savings for companies
that are involved in the production of DVDs and also enables more sophisticated
functionality to be developed.

ZOO will license DVD-Extra Studio to multimedia developers and Compression and
Authoring facilities. Charges will be levied on a pay-per-use basis, such that
customers will pay a fee to ZOO for each project that uses DVD-Extra Studio.

The Group has applied for patents to protect the core DVD-Extra technology and
is continuing to further develop and protect its intellectual property
worldwide.

Outlook

Following the successful fundraising of 1.5m gross through the share placing
which was completed on 2nd June 2003 the Group looks forward to positive
progression. The portfolio of products is expanding, with a focus on the
development of our own intellectual properties. The board believes that the
combination of publishing low risk licensed product and in-house own brands
together with the huge potential of DVD-Extra Studio places the Group in an
excellent position for a move to profitability and significant future growth.

The Group plans to exploit the DVD-Extra technology internationally and has
established an Early Adopter Programme consisting of around twenty companies
including Technicolor, Warner and Comchoice, leading to the first commercial
release of the product within twelve months. We believe that the uniqueness of
DVD-Extra and the filing of international patents will allow ZOO to build and
maintain significant differentiation over other authoring tool providers.

John Barnes, Chairman

Ian Stewart, Chief Executive Officer.G

akel

Any idea what its worth to ZOO?

Eric

eric

its hard to evaluate,early days yet,
but zoos portfolio gets bigger by the month,
to take on everything at once would weigh too
heavily on there resources,(hence the alliance)
but i do have my alerts,in hand,so no news
will escape my attention,

Thanks, akel, just a small stake at present but 'watching the space'! Eric

Sudeki For The PC ( Game news )
posted by Exitium on Mon 31 January 2005, 18:12:19
More info on Sudeki

Climax's combat oriented RPG for the XBOX, Sudeki, has been confirmed for release on the PC, as reported by German magazine Yiya. According to the story, the German Ratings Board has given the PC edition of the game a USK 12 rating, and that the publisher of the PC edition is listed as ZOO Digital Publishing. It looks like more combat-oriented RPGs are headed our way.

i facer WROTE - 08 Dec'04 - 12:38 - 142 of 197

ptholden......yes the advfn site offers only drivel thats why ian stewart invited two of us to attend a meeting at zoo digitals offices...the visit took place last week and very detailed questions were answered...erm which delegates from this site were invited !!??



let me make this clear to every one. "I facer" was never invited to the Zoo offices as it was me - cashmagnet and jacop off advfn that went. so as regard your post you are a lier. So I facer I dont know what you are playing at copying my post as if you are me but I am warning you, stop now.
You write that the post on advfn offers only drivel but then in a later post you write skids, have a read through the posts (its free) www.advfn.com the questions were very technical and detailed and obtained via a number of posters.. in short you are a tosser.

I'm guessing that the mention of my name "skids" is purely a reference to someone else's post, and therefore I am not the one being accused of being a t***er. lol

As much as this sort of post makes me laugh, I have to say that its best to keep it clean banter (and for the record, I think its pretty low if people are posting with others content as their own). But, this is the internet...

skids
All rights reserved. Copyright 2004/2005 Marques-Bros Racing...lol

Ya sorry skids but I was just posting what he wrote and ya name was init. I am so angry that this loser has tried to make out that he was the one that went to zoo. It was me

for the record i am about to change my name from cashmagnet1 to cashmagnet.

this is the same name i use on advfn

cashmagnet. I think the guy just paid a brief visit a while back and is not a regular poster. While you are here: what were the particular insights gained from the visit? Do you agree theie strategy? What is their USP which will take them far? Thanks in anticipation.

Eric

I posted in detail on the other site as I didnt know about this one. I dont think he went to zoo at all because I was the first share holder to be invited and he posted all the questioned that I asked as if he had asked them. He copied my post off the other site. If ya can be bothered than look back at all the post on advfn.

In short we had a great day at zoo and this is going to be huge. 1 within two years. I dont want to start posting in detail all over again so I have put this together for ya.

1) I know that DVD extra is covered by over forty international patents. But Id like to know what are the
Patents supposed to stop, and does this give us a huge advantage over competitors?

Well they have around 60 patents that cover the whole aspect of DVD Extra. In short we are very safe from any one thinking of taking zoo on.

2) Why should companies adopt your tools as opposed to what seems to be competitions?

Simple DVD Extra covers all known request from potential clients, were as the clients would have to go to several companies to try and achieve a similar goal. This would be far too costly as competitor technology takes to long to produce.

3) Where do you consider that the biggest market for DVD-extra lies? Is it games, films, education or marketing or other?
Which of these are we likely to see the quickest impact and could he predict when?


The quickest turn over is from the throw away DVD market like the Land rover DVD and marketing DVDs. These have to be replaced with new versions once a new land rover or marketing product comes out. Like a NEXT catalogue or Disney tour holiday DVD.

4) Have Zoo Digital made public ALL of the license agreements which have been signed to date.

I think not

5) Will Zoo Digital be making public ALL license agreements which may be signed in the near future?

They can only make public what is going to market if the producer has bought DVD Extra direct from zoo. For instance VCI produced the MAN U DVD so zoo couldnt say that they had made a deal with MAN U because they hadnt. Even though it was made using DVD Extra. Look out for further VCI DVDs as the same will apply.

6) What has been the reaction of the Hollywood studios?

GOOD

7)Do you consider that you have delivered shareholder value with regard to announcement of Utilization Agreements to date, and do you consider that you can do so in the future?

A BIG YES, from 2p to 15p I think so

8) Does DVD-Extra work on the new Blu-ray format which will allow 50 Gigabyte discs
If so what opportunities and pitfalls do you see with that format especially since the Play station 3 will have a blu-ray player built in.
Have the Hollywood studios approached Zoo and asked them to come up with a new DVD encryption code since the last worldwide one was cracked by a teenager. A 50 Gigabyte disc could obviously hold 6 - 12 films depending on quality, thus a big headache for the studios but a god send for pirates hence a new encryption code is a must.


Already posted on this, zoo or on the Blu-Ray committee

9) what do you want from Zoo? Another Laura Croft Eidos, worldwide recognition or to be able to retire at 60?

NO WAY, the two are nothing like one another.

10) Would you consider selling the company for the right price?

Never say never, if a good offer was offered would you lot turn it down.

11) What are his ambitions and what drives him as an entrepreneur?

It is fare to say that Ian loves his job. I would say what drives him is the excitement of what to come and knowing that he and his team are making DVD history.

12) Do you play the DVD interactive games yourself?

Yes enough said.


13) With the advent of the mobile phone becoming the new game boy, do you have any ideas to counter this potential loss of revenue?

I wouldnt see this as a potential loss of revenue at all. A mobile phone is nothing compared to the new game boy or play station coming out. And they are small hand held so why ya need a phone that hasnt been 100% manufactured for game use so there for the graphics etc will never be as good IMHO


15) What is the movies section is for on the website

Simple when a film using zoos products is made and on the market then a list will be shown there.

16) Why did WWTBAM have a RNS released and not the man U DVD?

Al ready answered that one


17) You forecast that zoo would be in profit at the end of this year, are we still likely to be.


Me thinks so yum yum yum

18) When we are in profit in 2005 when do you envisage the payment of dividends to shareholders.


No bog off the money is all mine, mine I tell you ha ha only joking.


19) Have you anything to say as regards the company called DVDi (out of California). Their product has more than a passing resemblance to DVD-Extra in terms of what they claim it can do i.e. very similar 'predictive pre-processing' technology etc. How does DVDi differ from DVD-Extra?

Dont make me laugh, zoo are keeping a very close eye on other companies that claim to do what DVD Extra does. I think its save to say that they cant and zoo has the monopoly over these losing companies.


21) How do you plan to fund the growth of DVD Extra in the future? Do you think you can fund development from cash flow/profits or do you feel fund raising will be necessary? What is the up to date cash position?

I have already answered this but in short there is no need for fund raising as zoo have the money they need to market there product and continue to improve it.



22) Is Zoo a possible takeover target and if it were what sort of company would be attractive to Zoo's management for future development prospects?"

Never say never at the right price IMHO


24) How much does Zootech make per DVD movie which might have a game on it made using DVD Extra.

5 to 50 cent I have already answered this in detail


25) Universal remains the only major global DVD distribution partner. Therefore Zootech will need to secure others' support if it is to turn DVD-Extra into a global standard. Do you think this is achievable and if so what is the time scale?


Hard one this, wait and see I think

26) I would like to know how I.S feels about this quote: - Its current status bears a remarkable resemblance to Eidos in its early years with a games publishing business being built up around a proprietary technology licensing business. Unlike Eidos, whose technology licensing efforts foundered, ZOO is expecting its ZOOtech division to become profitable in 2005

Again what a load of crap

1,100,000 sell at 11.5p wow

any ideas what that is all about?

they need the cash

another 1 m sold

cashmagnet

Really brilliant post and much appreciated!

Eric

i think you guys are 8 months behind when it comes to zoo info, get over to the advfn site and catch up. read the links in my thread, after read if ya dont buy then ya mad as this will be 1 or more within two years

cashmagnet

OK, made your point. Swore never to do so but will probably swear now if I don't!

Eric

EWrobson thanks, and say hi once ya start reading over there :-)

i am surpriced at how far behind you guys are here, but i think i have now got ou attention and woken you guys up :-)

Conclusion
Despite its somewhat meandering business direction during the Company's first few years, ZOO appears to have now found a balanced strategy that is both delivering growth and should put it into profit in 2005. Its current status bears a remarkable resemblance to Eidos in its early years with a games publishing business being built up around a proprietary technology licensing business. Unlike Eidos, whose technology licensing efforts foundered, ZOO is expecting its ZOOtech division to become profitable in 2005 and has attracted a number of early-stage but high profile licensees including Universal, BBC and Celador. Despite concerted marketing and sales efforts by the Zootech team over the last few years, Universal remains the only major global DVD distribution partner. Zootech will need to secure others' support if it is to turn DVD-Extra into a global standard. However, the Company is reporting an encouragingly strong deal pipeline following the product's formal launch event in April 2004. It expects 100 products to have launched by the end of 2005 and has indicated that this is the primary focus for the Company for the time-being. DVD-Extra does have some technology-based obstalces to overcome in the medium to long-term also, such as the consumer launches of Blu-Ray and HD DVD standards in 2005. Both of these initiatives are expected to receive widespread backing from the major DVD distributors and will likely prove divisive forces within the DVD entertainment market.
Possibly in recognition of these short and long-term risks, ZOO has begun to grow its traditional games publishing division aggressively with a regular stream of both licence and IP acquisitions (ZOO bought the Premier Manager IPR and the rights to dozens of other former Gremlin-owned titles from Infogrames in 2002 and 2003). The games publishing business has changed considerably since the days of CEO Ian Stewart's Gremlin and it is arguably a more hostile environment for small publishers to operate in. However, the ZOO games publishing model is very low risk (it rarely funds development, most of its products are licensed as completed projects and/or funded by third parties) and ZOO definitely has the potential to carve out a profitable niche for itself within this sub-sector.

Some more good news.

http://i-newswire.com/pr6087.html