DEG Hands Out Entertainment Awards at CES 2016

DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group announced the winners of its annual product and retailer awards at CES 2016.

For more information visit: www.degonline.org


Unedited press release follows:

DEG HONORS INDUSTRY’S FINEST AT CES 2016

Amazon, Best Buy, and Target Among Retailers Recognized

LAS VEGAS (Jan. 6, 2016) – During the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) the DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group held its annual reception to award top honors for digital entertainment products and retailers who excel in the marketing of these products.

DEG established its retailer awards to recognize excellence in merchandising and promoting new digital entertainment products for hardware devices, Blu-ray Disc, and Digital HD titles; in addition to merchandising sellthrough and/or rental content online.

The membership voted for the following as the 2015 DEG Retailers of the Year:

DEG Hardware Retailer of the Year 2015 – Best Buy
Members voted for the retailer – national or regional – who they believe best market and educate to home entertainment enthusiasts all the options in the marketplace. The DEG’s hardware members agreed that Best Buy has continued to lead the industry in consumer education of new entertainment technologies through demonstration of products, promotions and key advertising. Members commented that this retailer has highly trained sales professionals that lead with content experiences on device demonstrations.

DEG Digital Retailer of the Year 2015 – Amazon
Amazon is a key partner in the digital marketplace and we are delighted to acknowledge them as DEG Digital Retailer of the Year. Amazon was honored for its stellar execution into the electronic sellthrough market and for innovating amongst their peer group.

DEG Software Retailer of the Year 2015 – Target
Target received the honor of DEG Software Retailer of the Year, marking the second recognition from DEG membership in the past three years. Members commented on their long standing commitment to both physical and digital content.
“The DEG is pleased to recognize Amazon, Best Buy and Target as DEG Retailers of the Year,” Amy Jo Smith, President, DEG commented. “Our retail partners are key to engaging consumers and making their home entertainment experience complete. We thank them for all their hard work and support.”

The DEG Emiel N. Petrone Innovation Awards
In memory of the DEG’s founding Chairman Emiel N. Petrone, the DEG has four awards to acknowledge the year’s most outstanding digital entertainment products released in calendar 2015 in the categories of Best 4K Ultra HD TV, Best Sound Bar, Best Connected Blu-ray Disc Player and Most Innovative Home Entertainment Product. Selected by a panel of product reviewers from the industry’s home theater enthusiast publications, the following four products will be awarded with the top honors:

Best 4K Ultra HD TV: LG 4K OLED TV – EF9500 or EG9600 Series

Best Sound Bar: Yamaha YSP-5600 with Dolby Atmos

Best Connected Blu-ray Disc Player: Sony 4K Upscale Blu-ray Disc Player with Super Wi-Fi – BDP-S6500

Most Innovative Home Entertainment Product: VIZIO Reference Series – 120”

DEG Creative Excellence Awards
The DEG will also award seven awards to acknowledge Creative Excellence in Blu-ray Disc and Digital HD titles released in calendar 2015. The judging panel consisted of reviewers and industry reporters from trade, entertainment and daily consumer news organizations. In addition to overall sound and picture quality, all titles were considered for those features that best demonstrate the value-added nature of the formats. The DEG Creative Excellence Award Winners for 2015:

Best New Release on Blu-ray: Mad Max: Fury Road (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment)

Best Classic Reissue on Blu-ray: Lost in Space: The Complete Adventures (Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment)

Best New Release on Digital HD: Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (Paramount Home Media Distribution)

Best Classic Reissue on Digital HD: Star Wars Digital Movie Collection (Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment & Walt Disney Studios)

Best TV on Blu-ray: Game of Thrones: The Complete 4th Season (HBO Home Entertainment)

Best Hi-Res Audio Download: David Bowie – Five Years (Warner Music Group)

Best Concert Video on Blu-ray: Rammstein – Live in Amerika (Universal Music Group)

DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group is an industry association that advocates and promotes entertainment platforms, products and distribution channels on behalf of the motion picture, music, consumer electronics and technology companies.

DEG membership is comprised of: Akamai, Alchemy, Alliance Entertainment, Amazon, Anchor Bay Entertainment, BBC AMERICA, bitMAX, BluFocus, CenturyLink, Cinedigm Entertainment, Cinram, Comcast, ContentBridge, Cryptography Research, DTS Listen, Deloitte, Deluxe Digital, DirecTV, Dolby Laboratories, DreamWorks Animation, GfK Entertainment, Gibson Brands, Google play, HBO Home Entertainment, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, IHS, IMAX, Intel, Kaleidescape, LG Electronics USA, Lionsgate, MAI, Mediamorph, MGM, Microsoft, Midnight Oil, MovieLabs, Neustar Media, Nielsen Entertainment, NPD Group, One+K, The Orchard, Outpost Media, Panasonic, Paramount Home Media Distribution, Parrot Analytics, PBS Distribution, Philips Electronics, Playster, PricewaterhouseCoopers, RLJ Entertainment, Random Media, Redbox, Rentrak, Rovi, Samsung Electronics, Screen Engine/ASI, ScreenPlay, SellThruCo, Sony DADC, Sony Electronics, Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Technicolor, Testronic, TiVo, Universal Music Group, Universal Operations Group, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, V2Solutions, Verizon Digital Media Services, Vubiquity, W2O Group, Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Warner Music Group, and Western Digital.