FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE




SAN DIEGO, CA, July 21, 2011 - Long before the current live-action Transformers franchise took over the box office and introduced giant alien robots to a new generation, there was a sweeping animated sci-fi epic that delivered "mecha" to the masses: Robotech. Arriving on U.S. airwaves in the mid-80s via syndication, the legendary space opera - one of the very first anime imports -- helped to usher in the multi-billion dollar anime industry and now, through the cult classic curators at A+E Networks Home Entertainment, the influential series will be reborn on DVD. Working in close conjunction with original Robotech producer Harmony Gold, the franchise will be available in a handsomely-designed collector's set featuring all 85 re-mastered episodes of the engaging and dramatic anime classic. Available for $99.95 SRP, the specially-priced 17-disc set ROBOTECH: THE COMPLETE ORIGINAL SERIES will also feature four exclusive bonus discs with more than 10 hours of bonus content - much of which is new to DVD. The deal was brokered by Content Media Corporation, the worldwide distributor of the series.

A sweeping science-fiction anime epic, ROBOTECH was set at the turn of the millennium, when a mysterious spacecraft crash-landed on a South Pacific island. The secrets of alien knowledge aboard this vessel were unlocked, leading to the development of "Robotechnology" and the creation of a vast arsenal of robotic "mecha" to defend the Earth against the alien threats that would eventually strike, attempting to lay claim to the mysterious power source known as "protoculture." Told through the eyes of characters caught in a successive series of three extraterrestrial invasions, the saga was the first anime series that many fans had seen, and is often credited with the explosion of anime fandom that continues to grow in the U.S. today.

The cornerstone of a blockbuster franchise that has spawned dozens of movies, books, toys, video games and comic books, ROBOTECH was originally licensed from Japan's Tatsunoko Studios, adapted from three different series and re-edited and re-dubbed into English. Because ROBOTECH hailed from three completely different anime series, Harmony Gold joined them into a cohesive narrative by splitting them into three distinct chapters, each representing a different generation of the saga: THE MACROSS SAGA (36 episodes), THE ROBOTECH MASTERS (24 episodes) and THE NEW GENERATION (25 episodes). These are also informally referred to as "The First Robotech War," "The Second Robotech War" and "The Third Robotech War" respectively.

Aside from featuring all 85 half-hour episodes of the original series (re-mastered from original elements for this release), ROBOTECH: THE COMPLETE ORIGINAL SERIES also includes over ten hours of bonus programming:

• The Making of Robotech Documentary - NEW to DVD
• Robotech Music Videos - NEW to DVD
• Robotech Overview - NEW to DVD
• Alternate versions of select Robotech episodes - NEW to DVD
• Robotech: The Movie supplementals (including several sequences NEW to DVD)
• Macross Original Pilot - 70 minute extended version - NEW to DVD
• Promotional reel of Robotech Launch in China - NEW to DVD
• Over an hour of deleted scenes
• Robotech: The Sentinels (with optional audio commentary)
• Robotech: The Sentinels promotional video
• Macross Original Pilot - Parts 1, 2 and 3
• Mospeada Original Pilot - Part 1
• Original opening and closing animations
• Galaxy of the Stars - Harmony Gold promotional reel
• Toy Commercial and Videogame presentation reels
• International clips for all three Robotech Wars
• A vast stills appendix containing character bios, model sheets, pre-production art, comic book covers, and merchandise galleries
• And much, much more!

Voted #34 on the "Top 100 Animated Series of All Time" by IGN.com, ROBOTECH will also be released day-and-date in several additional configurations. THE FIRST ROBOTECH WAR (THE MACROSS SAGA; 5 discs), THE SECOND ROBOTECH WAR (THE ROBOTECH MASTERS; 4 discs) and THE THIRD ROBOTECH WAR (THE NEW GENERATION; 4 discs) will also be available for fans both new and old.

With interest in "mecha" at an all-time high, don't miss out on this landmark in anime history from the guardians of classic TV DVD at A+E Networks Home Entertainment.


Formed in 1983, Harmony Gold is a leading production, acquisition and distribution company of quality international television programming, producing some of the most classic and history-making programs in the industry. Harmony Gold is a division of The Harmony Gold Companies, whose interests range from theatre management, real estate and finance to film and television production.

About Content Media Corporation:
Content Media Corporation plc ("Content", formerly ContentFilm plc), is a publicly traded, global entertainment media company based in London with offices in Los Angeles, New York and Toronto, which owns and distributes a significant library of film, television and digital assets. Content Film (formerly ContentFilm International), the film sales division, holds the rights to 200 titles and helps producers secure financing, marketing and distribution. The division also acquires top-tier documentaries. Content Television (formerly Fireworks International) is the television sales division, which holds the library rights to 3,200 hours of TV programming incorporating major drama series, non-fiction entertainment, special event programming, kids' series, TV movies and mini-series. Content Digital licenses over 300 hours of bespoke digital properties, in addition to the existing library, to digital media platforms worldwide, including on-demand, broadband and mobile.

A+E Networks Home Entertainment, part of the Consumer Products Division of A+E Networks, is a video distributor of non-theatrical programming, featuring collectible DVD editions of the high quality programming from A&E Network, HISTORY, and Lifetime, as well as acquired classic programming and sports. A+E Networks Home Entertainment brings the best of critically acclaimed entertainment presented in award-winning packaging to the special interest category.


ROBOTECH: THE COMPLETE ORIGINAL SERIES
Street date: October 18, 2011
Sug. Retail Price: $99.95
Running Time: 32 hrs., 30 mins. + bonus
Format: DVD/ 17 discs

THE FIRST ROBOTECH WAR (THE MACROSS SAGA)
Format: DVD/5 Discs
Running Time Approx. 15 hrs.
Sug. Retail Price: $49.95

THE SECOND ROBOTECH WAR (THE ROBOTECH MASTERS)
Format: DVD/4 Discs
Running Time Approx. 10 hrs.
Sug. Retail Price: $39.95

THE THIRD ROBOTECH WAR (THE NEW GENERATION)
Format: DVD/4 Discs
Running Time Approx. 10 hrs.
Sug. Retail Price: $39.95

Hello again everyone. Now that NDK has wrapped, we have another round of updates and responses:

* A&E has completed authoring the DVDs and is now manufacturing them for release on October 18, 2011.
* Codename: Robotech, the extended version of the "Gloval's Report" recap episode, will not be part of the bonus disc set. However, Carl Macek's audio commentary about the making of Robotech has been adapted for inclusion with the alternate March 1985 version of the The Macross Saga episodes.
* To clarify, the alternate March 1985 version of the Robotech episodes are not the old audio mix that had been previously released on home video up until the ADV Legacy box sets. This is an even older version of the episodes that had been released for the original broadcast only in spring 1985 and had never been released on DVD.
* There are challenges to transferring from the original film reels to HD, one being that the footage was originally filmed in 16mm, not 35mm, so the materials have much more grain which would be pronounced in HD resolution. Therefore, this is something we're still working on -- the ideal is for the restoration technology to improve and costs to come down to hit a sweet spot for consumers.
* For those of you who prefer the older mono sound effects over the 5.1 mix, audio engineer Bob LaCivita has recommended turning down all the left/right/surround channels on your 5.1 surround tuner and leaving on only the center channel. For a little more "impact" to the playback, you can optionally leave on the subwoofer channel.
* An abridged version of Robotech: The Untold Story (the 1986 animated movie first released by Cannon Films) is confirmed to be part of this bonus disc set. Rather than being a loose collection of scenes minus the Megazone footage, it has undergone some editorial work to be a somewhat more cohesive standalone feature.
* An updated version of Robotech: The Sentinels is confirmed to be part of this set. It is a new edit that adds some new footage and trims others (mostly flashbacks) based on advice left by Carl Macek, as well as being digitally remastered.
* The audio of the updated version of the Sentinels is a conservative cleanup and noise removal of the original stereo track with no changes to the sound effects. The Spanish audio track will also be included.
* The English-language Macross television pilots (featuring the Robotech cast) will include both the 30-minute version previously released by ADV and the extended 70-minute version that had last been released on VHS and Beta in 1984.
* Other extras include new galleries, music videos, and other bonus video clips.