Hi all,

On New Years Eve day, I went to my first DVS (Descriptive Video
Service) movie in a theater.  On the whole, I enjoyed it very
much.  I cannot begin to tell you what a thrill it was,  for the
first time in my life not to have to lean over to the person with
me to find out what I was missing during all those silent gaps!!
I do feel there are a few miner bugs &parts of the system that
could use a bit of tweaking in order to make it all just that
much more enjoyable.

The movie was Catch Me If You Can.  Not really my kind of film,
but the only DVS option available at the time.  The theater was
AMC's  Mercado 20
in Santa Clara California.  According to the Email from WGBH just
a few days earlier, there was to be a 1 o'clock showing with
video description in theater #6.  When I called the theater
before leaving, they also confirmed this  information.  Assuming
all showings would be in #6, I also assumed all showings would be
video described.

When we went to purchase our tickets, we were told there would
indeed be a 1 O'clock showing, but  it would not be in theater
#6.  Since #6 was the only theater in the complex with the DVS
system, we would have to wait 2 hours till our movie would be
shown.  I new we had the option of getting our money back &coming
another time, but we had already driven some 30 or more miles.  I
wasn't about to leave the theater without experiencing this
exciting new technology for the first time!!

As far as the movie its self, the discriber did a great job!!
While by no means were the headsets heavy or other wise
uncomfortable, they did interfere somewhat with my ability to
hear the full effect of the surround Sound.
With the headsets covering my ears, it was hard to separate the
sound as far as forwards, backwards, etc.  Might there be a way
in the future where not only could we access the video
description through the headsets, but the full soundtrack as
well?

I mentioned earlier that we had driven some 30 miles to the
theater.  Not far from where I live, we have a complex with 9
theaters.  If I were to Email someone here the particulars, would
you be able to direct me as to how to approach the owners of the
chain about installing a DVS system.  Also, what about composing
some kind of generic letter &making it available on your Web
Site,  for those of us wishing to advocate for more installations
in our local areas.

As I am totaly blind, my thanks go out to each &every one of you
out there who have brought these new innovative formats to the
forefront!!  Thanks to WGBH and
many others I'm sure, you've made it possible for  all of us with
visual issues to see a movie screen in such a way we never would
have thought possible in our lifetime!!

Gary Peterson