Home Media Magazine - April 6-12, 2008 - (Page 3)

APRIL 6–12, 2008 >> ELECTRO N IC DELIVERY INSIDE Introducing ‘The Tudors’ Showtime offers the first episode of the first season online as the second season debuts. VOD Brings Little Revenue A report suggests targeted ads would help make it profitable. PAGE 13 >> HIGH-DEF BRINGING DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT TO YOU Blockbuster Goes Total ‘Madness’ By Erik Gruenwedel MARKETING Blockbuster Inc. released a slate of Total Access ads during the March 29-30 CBS telecasts of the NCAA men’s basketball championships, known as March Madness. The Total Access TV spots appeared to be a change in course from Blockbuster’s recent corporate strategy to promote retail-based commerce versus online. Blockbuster got itself into trouble last year when aggressive spending on the Web-based DVD rental, in-store return See BLOCKBUSTER, Page 40 Study: Blu-ray Gains Recognition More than 10 million U.S. households have a high-def player By Thomas K. Arnold RESEARCH A majority of U.S. households now know what a Blu-ray Disc is, while the number of households with a high-definition disc player has crossed the 10 million threshold, a new study shows. The study, from media research firm Interpret, finds that 60% of U.S. consumers are aware of Bluray Disc, up from 0% two years ago, when the format was still in INSIDE >> Slump Hits Circuit City The company is cutting jobs from its Firedog service. development, according to Jason Kramer, the Santa Monica, Calif.based firm’s chief strategy officer. Making that number even more significant is that the survey of consumers, 18-54, was conducted in mid-January, after Warner Home Video threw its support exclusively behind Blu-ray, but before Toshiba officially ended the format war by abandoning HD DVD. See BLU-RAY, Page 40 >> TVs Recycled Consumers plan to recycle, sell or donate analog TVs. PAGE 12 Best Buy Profit Falls for Quarter By Erik Gruenwedel RETAIL Game sales were up, and DVD sales were down as Best Buy reported a drop in profit for the fiscal fourth quarter. Income fell 3.5% to $737 million for the quarter ended March 1, from $763 million during the same period the year prior. Same-store (open at least 12 months) entertainment software sales, however, grew 2.2%, See BEST BUY, Page 40 GALLERY SHUTTERS 160 MORE OF ITS STORES By Erik Gruenwedel MAR KET S HAR E Blu-ray vs. HD DVD Sales Comparison as of 3/30/08 Blu-ray vs. DVD Sales Comparison* Week Ended 3/30 16% Since Inception Week Ended 3/30 8% Bankrupt Movie Gallery Inc. said through the end of the month it will shutter 160 underperforming Gallery and Hollywood Video stores — its third and final round of closures. The latest shutdowns bring the number of locations the Dothan, Ala.-based chain has eliminated to more than 1,000 since announcing 520 closures last September and another 400 in February. See GALLERY, Page 40 RETAIL 33% 84% 67% 92% I Blu-ray I HD DVD I DVD Source: Nielsen VideoScan: First Alert data * Top 20 BD unit volume vs. Top 20 DVD unit volume Actors Not Likely to Disregard DVD in Contract Talks By Erik Gruenwedel VD residuals apparently won’t take a back seat in contract negotiations between the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP), slated to begin April 15. D The contract between gotiate separately with AMPTP AMPTP, SAG and the Amerbeginning April 28. ican Federation of Television Packaged media residuals and Radio Artists (AFTRA) were figured to play a promiexpires June 30. nent role in the recent writers After a falling out last month, strike, but then vanished from the AFTRA (which represents mostly bargaining table when producers ofday-time TV talent) said it will ne- fered fiscal terms on new media the Writers Guild of America deemed the “best deal in 30 years.” The DVD residual rate, which is nearly 25 years old and pays 3% for TV and 3.6% for movies of the producer’s gross receipts, is more of a sore point among the SAG brass. Indeed, unlike writers whose ma- terial is principally found in screenplays, actors feature prominently in both the main attraction and on DVD bonus material as value-added commentaries, behind-the-scenes footage and related content. Initially considered by studios as See SAG, Page 38 NEWS Lionsgate continues its quest for more content by signing a multiyear distribution deal with LeapFrog Entertainment. RESEARCH Warner’s I Am Legend is living up to its name, ascending to the top of the DVD sales chart its second week in stores and again topping rentals. PRODUCT Disney Aug. 19 releases Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds 3-D Concert on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Page 8 Page 32 Page 38

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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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