Escient announced today the debut of PowerPlay, an IEEE-1394, Internet-enabled, 200-disc DVD changer and controller, that will ship in December 1999 at a suggested retail price of $5,000.

PowerPlay gives users the unique ability to store, manage, and control hundreds of DVDs – or even thousands when daisy chained with additional Escient changers. At the touch of a button, PowerPlay utilizes Escient’s patented automatic transport and identification technologies to instantly find and play any DVD or music CD in the user’s collection. Tapping into Escient’s Internet DVD and music CD databases, PowerPlay delivers disc cover art and data, such as titles, chapters, reviews, and ratings, to the user’s TV or display screen. Additional changers to accommodate large collections will be available for $1,500.

Escient’s PowerPlay system includes one 200-disc FireWire transport, set-top controller, user-friendly hand-held remote control and wireless keyboard,
state-of-the-art graphical user interface, cutting-edge automatic disc recognition technology, and free online support and software upgrades via Escient’s server.