Vivid Secures Blu-ray License for <i>Debbie</i>

STUDIO CITY, Calif. - Vivid Entertainment has confirmed that its release of Debbie Does Dallas is the first adult title replicated in a licensed Blu-ray facility.

"What we have at Vivid is a fully AACS licensed and encrypted Blu-ray disc that will play on any player," said Scott Giovanini, the company’s head of product development. "Up until recently, they weren’t letting adult companies get licenses; that’s why our Blu-ray version of Debbie Does Dallas is a few weeks late getting to market. We recently got the license; the fact that they relented was a surprise to all of us."

Internet-based company CDGirls.com has offered two of its titles on Blu-ray since January, burning the discs in-house without licensed copy protection. The first of these titles, Jenna Haze’s Oil Orgy, is due for a wide release in early June through a distribution deal with LFP Video.

However, Giovanini said, Vivid is the only company to go through the proper channels to produce a true Blu-ray disc.

"There have been other adult titles burned to BD-R [Blu-ray writable disc], but those don’t necessarily play on all machines," Giovanini said. "Many of the players would require a firmware update to play BD-R."

Vivid went through over 25 replicators before finding a facility that would handle adult content. While the company would not reveal the name of its Blu-ray replicator, the facility is rumored to be located overseas.

What Sony was doing was not so much blocking porn from the format as not being helpful," Giovanini said. "At the same time, as a result of a duplication mishap where porn ended up appearing on a Disney release, Disney has made replicators sign a contract stating that if you are handling any Disney product, you must four-wall the adult in a separate facility. The Blu-ray production line costs about $4 million, and no replicator was going to buy two of them. Disney would find out who was replicating adult for Blu-ray and send them one Disney title. I eventually found somebody who had two facilities, and we were able to get it done."

The Blu-ray edition of Debbie Does Dallas is available for order now. For sales, contact Howard Levine at (866) 466-6969 ext. 107, or e-mail [email protected].