Sony Corporation, one of the originators of the DVD format, will be honored tonight with an Emmy Award(R) for Scientific and Technological Advancement from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) for its role in the development of this breakthrough digital technology.

DVD-Video, which was introduced in March 1997, is the one of the fastest-growing products in the history of the consumer electronics industry. According to the Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association (CEMA), more than 5 million DVD-Video players will be shipped by the industry in the U.S. during the format’s first three years. Comparatively, it took the VCR eight years and the CD player almost five years to reach the same plateau. After introducing the first reference standard DVD-Video player two years ago, Sony last year also introduced the industry’s first five-disc DVD/CD changer. This month, Sony’s 200-disc DVD/CD megachanger reached retail shelves with innovative disc management features (for the cataloging and filing of music and video titles) and a sophisticated Remote Commander(R), which simplifies operation.