Home Media Magazine - April 6-12, 2008 - (Page 12)

HIGH-DEF www.homemediamagazine.com Housing Slump BRIEFS I HD DVD PROMOTIONAL GROUP SHUTS DOWN The HD DVD Promotion Group has officially dissolved, closing the door on the HD DVD format for good. In a note on its Web site, the group of hardware and software companies announced the Web site also will shut down, and that any questions regarding the loser of the format war are to be directed to the former members directly. – Chris Tribbey Hits Circuit City Firedogs By Erik Gruenwedel RETAIL Circuit City Stores Inc. is cutting and repositioning 67 employees from its 3,000-member Firedog installation service. The service, which specializes in home entertainment and computers, has reportedly generated more than $300 million in revenue since bowing as a counterpoint to Best Buy Co.’s Geek Squad. Some affected Firedog staffThe Richmond, Va.ers will be transferred based No. 2 consumer from new construction to electronics retail chain existing commercial accited the ongoing drop counts, including hotels, in home sales — includwhile others will receive ing a 13% drop in new severance. home sales February — for Separately, the U.S. Suthe staff reductions, according to a preme Court refused an appeal by spokesperson. Circuit City seeking to overturn lower court rulings in an overtime arbitration case. The chain, whose CEO, Philip Schoonover, is under pressure to reverse mounting losses, made news last year when it cut 3,000 sales personnel in an effort to rehire them at lower wages. Circuit City reports financial results April 9. I DIGITAL TRANSITION TO LEAD CE MARKET EXPANSION In addition to continued evolution of consumer electronics markets in India, the Middle East and China, next year’s mandatory switch in the United States from analog to digital television transmission will help drive the global CE industry through 2011, according to a new report. Shipments of PCs, traditional CE devices such as TVs and communication products such as mobile phones will grow to 3.1 billion units, from 2.7 billion in 2007, according to In-Stat, a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based technology research firm. “Traditional consumer electronics devices continue to be led by the conversion from analog to digital television,” said Brian O’Rourke, In-Stat analyst. – Erik Gruenwedel CEA: Consumers to Donate, Sell or Recycle Analog TVs By Erik Gruenwedel mong consumers who receive television broadcast signals over the air, 95% plan to either sell or donate their TVs following next February’s mandatory switch from analog to digital transmissions, according to a new report. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) found that fewer than 15 million TVs will be removed from households through 2010, with 48% of affected households planning to purchase a digital converter box and continue using the same TV. The news is a plus for environmentalists concerned that the approaching digital transmission deadline will result in an A avalanche of discarded or abandoned analog TVs. “While some have speculated that millions of TVs would enter the waste stream, this new study suggests that is not the case,” said Tim Hebert, senior director of market research for the CEA. Hebert said 87% of respondents were aware and felt it was important they recycle their analog TV. The study found that 30% more TVs were recycled in 2007 than in 2005. While just 3% of consumer electronics devices were removed from homes in 2007, 27% more were recycled, and 7% fewer were tossed in the trash. TOP 10 HIGH-DEF SELLERS H IG H -D EF SELLER S Week ended March 30, 2008 FORMAT LABEL INDEX TOP 10 HIGH-DEF SELLERS HI GH- DE F S E L L E RS Aggregate by Title Week ended March 30, 2008 FORMAT LABEL INDEX TITLE TITLE The 6th Day H I G H -D E F CO M I NG U P STREETING The 6th Day Blu-ray Sony Pictures Street Date: 4/8 Girls Gone Wild: Sex Race Blu-ray Mantra Films Street Date: 4/8 Sharkwater Blu-ray Warner Street Date: 4/8 Walk Hard: The Dewey Blu-ray Sony Pictures Street Date: 4/8 The Water Horse … Blu-ray Sony Pictures Street Date: 4/8 PREBOOKING Untraceable Blu-ray Sony Pictures Pre: 4/10, Street: 5/13 Youth Without Youth Blu-ray Sony Pictures Pre: 4/10, Street: 5/13 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I Am Legend No Country for Old Men Enchanted Cars Gone Baby Gone Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead … Hitman Terminator 2: Judgment Day Apocalypto Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse … Blu-ray Blu-ray Blu-ray Blu-ray Blu-ray Blu-ray Blu-ray Blu-ray Blu-ray Blu-ray Warner 100.00 Disney/Miramax 26.34 Disney 20.53 Disney 14.65 Disney/Miramax 13.07 Disney 11.99 Fox 10.06 Lionsgate 10.05 Disney/Touchstone 9.80 Disney 9.73 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I Am Legend No Country for Old Men Enchanted Cars Gone Baby Gone Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead … Planet Earth: The Complete Series Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics Hitman Terminator 2: Judgment Day Blu-ray Blu-ray Blu-ray Blu-ray Blu-ray Blu-ray BD; HD DVD BD; HD DVD Blu-ray Blu-ray Warner Disney/Miramax Disney Disney Disney/Miramax Disney BBC Video Ryko Fox Lionsgate 100.00 26.34 20.53 14.65 13.07 11.99 11.16 10.17 10.06 10.05 Source: Nielsen VideoScan First Alert data Source: Nielsen VideoScan First Alert data TOP 5 HIGH-DEF BLU-R AY D ISC Week ended March 30, 2008 LABEL INDEX TOP 5 HIGH-DEF HD DVD Week ended March 30, 2008 LABEL INDEX TITLE TITLE 1 2 3 4 5 I Am Legend No Country for Old Men Enchanted Cars Gone Baby Gone Warner Disney/Miramax Disney Disney Disney/Miramax 100.00 26.34 20.53 14.65 13.07 1 2 3 4 5 American Gangster Transformers Beowulf The Bourne Ultimatum Planet Earth: The Complete Series Universal 100.00 Para./DreamWorks 81.57 Paramount 80.94 Universal 66.77 BBC Video 50.63 Source: Nielsen VideoScan First Alert data Source: Nielsen VideoScan First Alert data 12 Home Media Magazine April 6–12, 2008 http://www.homemediamagazine.com

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Contents News TV DVD Cine Mercado Reviews Pipeline Research Top 20 DVD Sellers Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts Just Announced

Home Media Magazine - April 6-12, 2008

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