Home Media Magazine - April 13-19, 2008 - (Page 1) APRIL 13–19, 2008 New Line Home Entertainment’s Kathryn Perez-Fraga (center) accepted awards for Best of Show and Best Theatrical DVD bestowed upon the studio’s Pan’s Labyrinth: Two-Disc Platinum Series at the Latino DVD Awards. The ceremony was emceed by comedian Alex Reymundo (right) and HM’s Angelique Flores. Photo by: Heather Kincaid BRINGING DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT TO YOU >> HIGH-DEF Blu Capabilities L Still Up in the Air Producers have just begun to explore disc feature capabilities INSIDE >> Clipping Coupons Digital TV box coupons are in demand. >> Film in HD 21, Sarah Marshall helmers talk. PAGE 14 Latino DVD Market Still Growing Strong By Chris Tribbey OS ANGELES — One in five Latinos in the United States is under age 12, according to Nielsen Media Research. The heads of Latino households are generally younger than those of non-Latinos. And for three straight years, the number of foreign-born heads of Latino households has declined. Marketing Latino DVDs is definitely becoming a different ball game. Studios, filmmakers and consumers gathered April 8 for Home Media Magazine’s fifth annual Latino DVD Conference to discuss the challenges and opportunities in Latino entertainment. “Basically, we’re looking at half the popula- By Chris Tribbey he future is Blu, but what of the future for Blu-ray Disc special features? With Profile 2.0 players emerging, and the PlayStation 3 now with Profile 2.0 (also known as See HD BLOGGERS, Page 40 T B tion [being] Spanish dominant,” said, Doug Darfield, SVP of multicultural measurement for Nielsen Media Research, referring to the main language spoken in the household. “In 14.1% of households in the U.S., only Spanish is spoken.” The top five markets for Spanish-speaking households are Los Angeles, New York, MiamiFt. Lauderdale, Houston and Chicago, he said. Latino households in the United States are a bit behind the rest of the nation when it comes to DVD player penetration, but ahead of non-Latinos when it comes to owning video games, Darfield added. Latinos lag behind non-Latinos in using See LATINO DVD, Page 10 CO. LINKS BLU-RAY WITH IPHONE, IPOD By Erik Gruenwedel lu-ray has won the format war for the living room. Now, an Alexandria, Va.based technology firm has introduced software it claims lets users watch a Blu-ray movie on an iPhone or iPod. NetBlender said its “BD Touch” software expands on BD Live by linking a Blu-ray player, including Sony’s PlayStation 3, with the Wi-Fi connection on the iPhone to create interactive functionality. As a result, an iPhone or iPod can work as a remote control letting users interact with a See BD TOUCH, Page 40 Court OKs Gallery Bankruptcy Exit Plan By Erik Gruenwedel RETAIL The U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Richmond, Va., has approved Movie Gallery’s amended plan for reorganization. The approval means the Dothan, Ala.-based rental chain will likely emerge from bankruptcy protection in the second quarter. An exact exit date has not been announced. The company filed for bankruptcy last October, citing more than $1.4 billion in liabilities and $850 million in assets. The decision came after more than 90% of Gallery’s 1,500 creditors signed off on the plan and the Internal Revenue Service withdrew its objections regarding $7.5 million in outstanding tax-related fees. See GALLERY, Page 38 MAR KET S HAR E Blu-ray vs. HD DVD Sales Comparison as of 4/6/08 Blu-ray vs. DVD Sales Comparison* «MOVIE GALLERY IS NOW POISED TO EMERGE AS A COMPETITIVE AND FINANCIALLY STABLE COMPANY.» JOE MALUGEN Week Ended 4/6 Since Inception Week Ended 4/6 4% >> ELECTRONIC DELIVERY Fox Goes Out With MediaEscort MediaEscort adds watermarking technology to Fox online screeners. INSIDE 36% 64% 67% 33% 96% Nearly Half of Music Sales Online by 2012 In-Stat projects 40% of global music sales will be through the Internet. 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 PAGE 16 NEWS Circuit City broke a streak of losses by posting a quarterly profit amid controversy surrounding shareholder Mark Wattles. PRODUCT Bret Michaels discusses his hedonistic dating show, “Rock of Love.” The first season is available from Anchor Bay. RESEARCH Fox’s Alvin and the Chipmunks charmed its way to the top of the national DVD sales and rental charts. Page 5 Page 18 Page 34
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