Home Media Magazine - February 3-9, 2008 - (Page 3)

www.homemediamagazine.com MENU FROM THE EDITOR BY STEPHANIE PRANGE, EDITOR IN CHIEF www.homemediamagazine.com In Support of Branding Blu-ray Disc PUBLISHER & EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Thomas K. Arnold EDITOR IN CHIEF Stephanie Prange EDITORIAL Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Angelique Flores Senior Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Erik Gruenwedel Senior Reporter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Tribbey Assistant Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Latchem Associate Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Billy Gil, Kyra Kudick Contributors. . . . . . . . . John Gaudiosi, Anne Sherber, Fred Topel, Ralph Tribbey, Holly J. Wagner Intern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ruby Cardenas ART Art Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Melbert Sebayan Graphic Designer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charles Park RESEARCH Market Research Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kelly Burner ADVERTISING 800/338-6700, FAX 714/338-6712 Advertising Sales Representative . . . . . . . . . . . . John Boezinger 714/338-6704 Advertising Sales Representative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Julie Savant 714/368-1020 Advertising Sales Representative . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kurt Wohlman 714/338-6749 Business Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joni Wu Group Administrative Coordinator. . . . . . . . . . Jennifer Guerena For reprints, call 800-290-5460, ext. 100 or HomeMediaMagazine@reprintbuyer. com For direct-mail lists, call Ilene Schwartz, Kroll Direct, 216/371-1667 FAX 216/371-1669 ilene@krolldirect.com ack in August of 2006, I wrote a column about the its research is. They are playing up the Blu-ray name with asname recognition advantage HD DVD had. suredness. No longer are the merchandising efforts tentative. Pioneer had just opened a branded store in South Coast The Blu-ray Disc logo is everywhere. Plaza, a mall here in Orange County, Calif. The Blu-ray Disc logo I can’t help but contrast that with the display of Apple TV in was prominently displayed around the store, but in a nod to the the Apple store in the same mall complex. Whereas formerly ubiquitous brand of DVD, the sign above the Blu-ray software the Apple TV device was in the display window, now — even display had the Blu-ray logo right next to the DVD logo. after CEO Steve Jobs’ big announcement of a rental service Not so anymore. The Pioneer store now has — the device is just one of dozens of display changed that sign to Blu-ray Disc only. THUS, SLOWLY AND components inside the store. It certainly isn’t Similarly, the Sony Style store in the same SUBTLY, BLU-RAY IS a focus of the store’s display plan. mall has put the Blu-ray Disc front and center MAKING ITS NAME IN Thus, slowly and subtly, Blu-ray is making in the display windows. The first thing shopSTORE DISPLAYS AT its name in store displays at Blu-ray supportpers see when they enter the store is the PlayBLU-RAY SUPPORTING ing companies, while Apple TV has been Station 3 and a Blu-ray disc displayed together. COMPANIES. relegated to one of many offerings at the DVD is downplayed in a wash of Blu. Apple store. During the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, If store placement is any measure, I’d say Blu-ray’s future has Blu-ray supporters noted how they have been largely success- gotten brighter since mid-2006 and Apple TV’s has dimmed. ful in branding the Blu-ray name. They said that, while Blu-ray Although the format battle isn’t yet over, the Blu-ray camp at awareness among consumers at the end of 2006 was 26%, it’s least has put the chips down in the merchandising arena to bet now 80%. Evidently Blu-ray supporters were aware of the name that it is. Incidentally, at the Sony store a clerk told me just that: problem and did the necessary advertising and promotion to “The format war is over. Warner has gone Blu-ray.” push the format moniker. And the Blu-ray camp is certainly putting its displays where Stephanie Prange’s e-mail address is sprange@questex.com MARKETING Marketing Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kristina Kronenberg 714/338-6743 Marketing Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kaitlyn DeWaard Online Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Renee Rosado IN THIS ISSUE FEB. 3-9, 2008 / VOL. 30 / NO. 5 News …………………………… CALENDAR PRODUCTION Production Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bonnie Ling Production Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Justin-Nicholas Toyama 714/338-6765 Assistant Production Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brady Gallardo 4 6 >> HIGH- DEF OFFICES 714/338-6700, 800/371-6897, FAX 714/338-6710 homemediamagazine@questex.com 201 East Sandpointe Ave., Suite 500 Santa Ana, CA 92707-8716 Image Entertainment’s merger with BTP Acquisition is in trouble; Lionsgate temporarily settles with the Writers Guild; Gallery gets more time to exit Ch. 11. News ………………………… I WONDERCON 2008 The comic book convention is returning to San Francisco for its 22nd anniversary. Feb. 22-24 Moscone Center South, San Francisco info: www.comic-con.org/wc News …………………………… Research says Blu-ray has it in the bag; Sonic Solutions cancels developing HD DVD authoring tools; Disney offers a rebate on Blu-ray Discs. Chris Tribbey, Senior Reporter 818-788-8616, FAX 818-530-2486 16130 Ventura Blvd. #570 Encino, CA 91436 The market for 3-D is growing, both theatrically and eventually for home media; retailers have a quiet week for new releases. >> EL ECTRONIC D EL IV ERY News ………………………… I LATINO DVD 5 Home Media Magazine, in cooperation with DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group, The Hollywood Reporter and the Entertainment Merchants Association, presents the fifth annual Latino DVD Conference. The event will feature a day full of informational sessions and panel discussions on the growing Latino home entertainment market. This year’s theme is Tuning in to Latino DVD, with an emphasis on music. In addition Latino DVD 5 will include the Fourth Annual Latino DVD Awards. Submissions for this year’s awards are due Feb. 15. April 8 InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Los Angeles CREDIT Credit/Collections Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ron Wright Sr. Commentary …………………… 12 Guest contributor Scott Hettrick of HollywoodinHiDef.com says new formats, such as high-def discs and digital movie rentals, can co-exist in the future of home media. CIRCULATION For subscriptions, please go online to www.homemediamagazine.com For current single copy, back issues or CD-ROM, call 866/344-1315 or 615/377-3322 for outside the U.S. Audience Development Manager. . . . . . . . . . . Sarah Joy Obaña Cablevision tunes in to instant VOD access with DVD purchase; Web-enabled CE devices soar; Time Warner Cable launches an on-demand site. BUSINESS QUESTEX MEDIA GROUP INC. President & CEO: Kerry C. Gumas; Executive Vice President & CFO: Tom Caridi; Executive Vice President: Robert S. Ingraham; Executive Vice President: Tony D’Avino; Executive Vice President, Corporate Development: Claudia Flowers; Vice President & General Manager: Don Rosenberg; Vice President, Digital Media: Seth Nichols; Vice President, Human Resources: Diane Evans © 2008 Questex Media Group Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including by photocopy, recording or information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use, or the internal or personal use of specific clients, is granted by Questex Media Group, Inc. for libraries and other users registered with the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Dr., Danvers, MA 01923 phone: 978-750-8400 fax 978-750-4470; call for copying beyond that permitted by Sections 107 or 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law. For those not registered with the CCC, send permission request in writing to questexpermissions@reprintbuyer.com or call 800-494-9051 ext. 100. The Game Plan The Bubble info: www.homemediaconferences.com Research ……………………… 22 Printed in the U.S.A. Disney scores on both the national DVD sales chart Reviews ………………………… and the rental chart with its well-timed release of Is Becoming Jane a becoming portrayal of Jane The Game Plan. Austen’s life? Does The Bubble pop with a mix of sex and politics? Will horror audiences want to tangle Top 20 DVD Sellers ……………………… 22 with Wrestlemaniac? Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts ……… 24 I PEVE DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT 2008 Established in 1992, the annual PEVE conference caters to the international home entertainment business. Industry players from more than 20 countries attend the conference, which this year will tackle such issues as digital home entertainment. April 17-18 Maison Internationale, Paris info: www.peve.screendigest.com Pipeline ………………………… 20 Just Announced ……………… 26 Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is skewered in a documentary from Cinema Libre Studio; Flicker Alley and Film Preservations Associates release a boxed set from film pioneer Georges Méilès. Fox and MGM offer Lions for Lambs; Sony Pictures rolls up The Final Season; Lionsgate invites viewers to experience Starting Out in the Evening. February 3–9, 2008 Home Media Magazine http://www.homemediamagazine.com http://www.homemediamagazine.com http://www.comic-con.org/wc http://HollywoodinHiDef.com http://HollywoodinHiDef.com http://www.homemediamagazine.com http://www.homemediaconferences.com http://www.peve.screendigest.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Home Media Magazine - February 3-9, 2008

Contents News Commentary Reviews Pipeline Research Top 20 DVD Sellers Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts Just Announced

Home Media Magazine - February 3-9, 2008

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