Home Media Magazine - October 14-20, 2007 - (Page 3) OCTOBER 14–20, 2007 >> E LE C T R O N I C D E LI V E RY INSIDE Catalog on Demand A Warner exec says copy protection licensing could mean more product on demand. Video Unaffected by Suit Warner’s Harry Potter and warner’s the Order of the Phoenix The RIAA suit against illegal music downloading won’t likely impact video, analysts say. PAGE 19 >> H I G H-D E F B R I N G I N G D I G I TA L E N T E R TA I N M E N T TO YO U No Peace in Sight For Format War By Chris Tribbey uss Crupnick, VP and senior analyst for The NPD Group, is disappointed. “I was hoping to win the Nobel Peace Prize for solving the format war,” he said after hosting a high-def format panel Oct. 10 at the fifth annual HDTV Conference in Universal City, Calif. “That’s apparently not going to happen today.” In another contentious roundtable, representatives of both the Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD camps sparred Third Quarter R Picks Up the Pace Year-over-year decline narrows to 5% through Q3 By Thomas K. Arnold PRODUCT A strong third quarter helped ease the gap in consumer DVD sellthrough spending between this year and last, with the latest Nielsen VideoScan numbers showing a year-over-year decline of just 5% for the first three quarters of 2007. Earlier in the year, VideoScan data showed a shortfall of 6% at the year’s midpoint (June 30) and nearly 8% at the end of Universal Studios Home Entertainment’s late-September rethe first quarter. lease Knocked up sold 3.5 million units its first week in stores. VideoScan factors in pointof-sale data from most major U.S. DVD sell- $8.8 billion, down 4.4% from the estimated $9.1 through retailers, with the exception of Wal- billion consumers had spent between Jan. 1 and Mart, which accounts for about 40% of the do- Sept. 30, 2006. Rental spending, according to mestic DVD sellthrough market. Home Media Magazine market research estiHome Media Magazine market research pegs mates, finished the third quarter at $5.5 billion, total consumer spending on home video pur- down 2.8% from the total in the first nine months chases during the first nine months of 2007 at See THIRD QUARTER, Page 36 over which was better to supplant DVD, while a representative of Warner Bros., which releases titles on both formats, took the middle ground. “What we find people are excited about isn’t interactivity,” said Andy Parsons, SVP of new product development and technical support for Pioneer Electronics, and chairman of the Bluray Disc Association’s U.S. Promotion Committee. “[They buy high-def] because they want to see high-definition … Blu-ray titles are consistently See FORMAT WAR, Page 34 INSIDE >> Blu-ray Blues Some player owners report problems playing two Fox discs. >> ‘Pan’s’ Hits Both Formats New Line and BCI slate titles on BD and HD DVD. PAGE 18 DVD FORUM: 51GB HD DVD ON TAP; PARAMOUNT TO UP HD DVD 2008 EFFORTS By Chris Tribbey he 51GB HD DVD is a reality, but whether it will work on existing HD DVD players is still up in the air, according to a Toshiba representative of the HD DVD Promotional Group. The announcement came Oct. 9 at the DVD Forum’s North America DVD Conference in Universal City, Calif. Toshiba’s Mark Knox said the technology is still in the testing phase but likely will receive final approval from the DVD Forum by the end of the year. See HIGH-DEF, Page 32 $400 40GB PS3 Coming Nov. 2 By John Gaudiosi GAMES Sony Computer Entertainment America will bring its 40GB PlayStation 3, which just shipped in Europe, to the United States Nov. 2 at $400, $200 less than the 80GB model, according to multiple retail sources. The 80GB PS3 retails for $600 and comes bundled with the MotorStorm game. Some retailers are still carrying the discontinued See SONY, Page 32 T H I G H-D E F MAR KE T S HAR E Blu-ray and HD DVD Sales Comparison as of 10/07/07 Week Ended 10/07 Year-to-Date I Blu-ray I HD DVD ‘Get Smart’ Among Top TV DVD Noms WHEN: Monday, Nov. 12 WHERE: Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, Calif. By John Latchem ime Life’s and HBO Video’s complete-series set of the classic 1960s spy comedy “Get Smart” was one of several titles earning multiple nominations among the 16 categories for the fourth annual TV DVD Awards. DVD sets of “Lost,” “Seinfeld” Since Inception T and “The Muppet Show” also received multiple noms. The winners, based on a consumer vote, will be announced Nov. 12, during a gala dinner and cocktail reception at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, Calif. The awards are See TV DVD, Page 36 32% 68% 66% 34% 61% 39% Source: Nielsen VideoScan First Alert data NEWS Genius Products is considering a reverse stock split in hopes of enticing investors with a listing on the Nasdaq global market. PRODUCT The latest in fitness DVDs includes Kathy Smith titles from Lionsgate, the first since the studio inked a deal with the fitness star. RESEARCH Fox’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer soared into first place on the national DVD sales and rental charts. Page 16 Page 21 Page 30
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