Home Media Magazine - September 2-8, 2007 - (Page 10) HIGH-DEF www.homemediamagazine.com Formats Face Off on Amazon HD DVD and Blu-ray promotions pushed sales for both formats By Chris Tribbey igh-definition format oneupmanship found a new battleground on Amazon.com last week. An Amazon promotion that boosts to eight the number of free HD DVDs consumers receive for buying a new Toshiba HD DVD player pushed the HD-A2 player to No. 1 on the site’s electronics sales list Aug. 28. Not to be outdone, a mirror offer for eight free Blu-ray Discs with the purchase of a PlayStation 3 appeared the very next day, boosting sales of both the 60GB and 80GB PS3s. Through Sept. 23, customers who buy a Toshiba HD-A2, HD-A20 or HD-XA2 will get three out of 55 HD DVDs offered on Amazon.com at no BLU-RAY ENTERS INFORMATION AGE By Erik Gruenwedel lready touted for its storage capacity in Hollywood, Blu-ray Disc is, for the first time, being marketed in the data-centric medical, publishing and information business segments. PowerFile, a Santa Clara, Calif.-based manufacturer of digital data storage devices, and Panasonic Industrial are developing a BD standalone device capable of storing upwards of 120 terabytes of data. Put into entertainment perspective, 1TB can store about 500 movies. “It is a business device, not a home entertainment device,” said spokesperson Judy Smith. The $41,900 Active Archive Appliance Enterprise Edition consumes less than 240W of power, about 20% of the energy required to power standard data storage centers. Lower energy consumption is vital when seeking lower electric bills and a smaller carbon footprint, said PowerFile CEO Kirk Dunn. “Large organizations such as Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York are starting to realize that the cost to power and cool infrequently accessed information on spinning disks can quickly exceed the acquisition cost of the equipment,” Dunn said. H charge, in addition to the five free ti- a deciding factor in consumers’ purtles the HD DVD Promotion Group chases,” said Toshiba spokeswoman has been offering in its rebate pro- Jodi Sally. gram. The HD DVD Promotional “Free movie promotions also continGroup rebate offer ends Oct. 31. ue to drive hardware sales at retail,” Through Sept. 23, customers who she said. “We learned this when we inbuy a 60G or troduced 80G PS3 at DVD playthe site will ers over 10 get three out years ago. of 106 Blu-ray The HD Toshiba HD-A2 Discs offered DVD Proon Amazon.com at no charge, in ad- motional Group started a free movie dition to the five free Blu-rays the Blu- promotion on Toshiba’s players in Noray Disc Association has been offer- vember 2006, [and] this continues to ing. The BDA’s offer also ends Oct. 31. be successful in driving player sales HD DVD backers crowed about and continues to be promoted at many sales on the site. of our key retailers.” “We are confident this sales trend Steve Feldstein, SVP of corporate will continue as price continues to be and marketing communications with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, a Blu-ray supporter, agreed the offers were effective. “It’s a time-honored promotion,” Feldstein said. “If they weren’t successful, we wouldn’t repeat it.” Both promotions have seen a bump in hardware sales: The HD-A2 climbed to No. 1 in Amazon.com’s electronics bestseller list Aug. 28 and stayed there, while the HD-XA2 climbed 50 spots. On the video game bestsellers list, the 80GB PS3 jumped nearly 50 spots to hit the top 60, and the 60GB leapfrogged the Wii one spot to take No. 2 overall, behind the HD DVD add-on for the Xbox 360. “It’s great,” Feldstein said, adding future Blu-ray promotions are in the works. “Any boost in sales is great.” A Sonic Patent Included in HD DVD Specs By Erik Gruenwedel onic Solutions’ patent that allows for the online revision of content has been included in the HD DVD specification for HD DVD players and optical media. Interactivity between movie watchers in the home and the studios is seen S as a major component of next-generation optical media. Sonic’s patent allows movie studios and other content holders the option to replace trailers or change menu selections on DVD and video games via a player’s connection to the Internet. “The inclusion of Sonic in the for- mation of the HD DVD Patent Portfolio License underscores our technology depth and our continued investment in the success of new digital media formats,” said Dave Habinger, president and CEO, Sonic Solutions. The Novato, Calif.-based company’s 621 patent, which is included in sim- ilar Blu-ray Disc license material, is in use by select studios for standard DVD releases of Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and the “Star Wars” trilogy. Separately, Sonic last week reported first-quarter (ended June 30) net revenue of $29.5 million, down $500,000, to $3 million from previous company forecast. TOP 10 HIGH-DEF SELLERS TOP 10 HIGH-DEF SELLERS H I G H-D E F S E LLE R S Week ended August 26, 2007 TITLE FORMAT LABEL INDEX H I G H-D E F S E LLE R S Aggregate by Title Week ended August 26, 2007 TITLE FORMAT LABEL INDEX Delta Farce H I G H-D E F CO M I N G U P STREETING THIS WEEK Delta Farce Blu-ray Lionsgate Street Date: 9/4 Nip/Tuck: The HD DVD & BD Warner Street Date: 9/4 Remember the Titans Blu-ray Disney Street Date: 9/4 PREBOOKING Evan Almighty HD DVD Universal Pre: 9/4, Street: 10/9 Carlito’s Way HD DVD Universal Pre: 9/11, Street: 10/23 Carlito’s Way: Rise HD DVD Universal Pre: 9/11, Street: 10/23 Inside Man HD DVD Universal Pre: 9/11, Street: 10/23 The Jack Ryan HD DVD Paramount Pre: 9/11, Street: 10/23 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 300 300 Wild Hogs Black Hawk Down Perfect Stranger Planet Earth: The Complete Series Casino Royale Disturbia Shooter Planet Earth: The Complete Series Source: Nielsen VideoScan First Alert data Blu-ray HD DVD/DVD Blu-ray Blu-ray Blu-ray Blu-ray Blu-ray Blu-ray Blu-ray HD DVD Warner 100.00 Warner 74.72 Disney/Touchstone 48.05 Sony Pictures 31.35 Sony Pictures 25.60 BBC Video 24.95 Sony Pictures 22.18 Para./DreamWorks 16.02 Paramount 15.98 BBC Video 15.80 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 300 Wild Hogs Planet Earth: The Complete Series Black Hawk Down Shooter Perfect Stranger Disturbia Casino Royale The Departed House of Flying Daggers Source: Nielsen VideoScan First Alert data BD; HD DVD/DVD Blu-ray Blu-ray; HD DVD Blu-ray Blu-ray; HD DVD Blu-ray Blu-ray; HD DVD Blu-ray BD; HD DVD/DVD Blu-ray Warner 100.00 Disney/Touchstone 27.50 BBC Video 23.32 Sony Pictures 17.94 Paramount 15.75 Sony Pictures 14.65 Para./DreamWorks 14.26 Sony Pictures 12.69 Warner 8.93 Sony Pictures 8.86 TOP 5 HIGH-DEF B LU-R AY D I S C Week ended August 26, 2007 LABEL INDEX TOP 5 HIGH-DEF H D DVD Week ended August 26, 2007 LABEL INDEX TITLE TITLE 1 2 3 4 5 300 Wild Hogs Black Hawk Down Perfect Stranger Planet Earth: The Complete Series Warner 100.00 Disney/Touchstone 48.05 Sony Pictures 31.35 Sony Pictures 25.60 BBC Video 24.95 Source: Nielsen VideoScan First Alert data 1 2 3 4 5 300 Planet Earth: The Complete Series The Bourne Identity Hot Fuzz Shooter Warner BBC Video Universal Universal Paramount 100.00 21.15 19.68 17.09 15.43 Source: Nielsen VideoScan First Alert data 10 Home Media Magazine September 2–8, 2007 http://www.homemediamagazine.com http://Amazon.com http://Amazon.com http://Amazon.com
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