Home Media Magazine - December 9, 2007 - (Page 38) NEWS NETFLIX: MAILERS ARE COMPLIANT WITH ALL POSTAL REQUIREMENTS By Erik Gruenwedel www.homemediamagazine.com JUST ANNOUNCED A Weekly Product Update* Netflix Inc. said its return mailers are in compliance with U.S. Postal guidelines and is ready to implement changes if needed, according to a spokesperson. Netflix received a jolt Dec. 5 when Citi Investment Research released a note suggesting the first-class two-way DVD return envelopes often jam the postal service’s automated processing equipment and require manual processing. The DVD-by-mail service ships about 1.6 million discs each day. Netflix spokesperson Steve Swasey confirmed the company had received a report by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (OIG) that claimed 70% of the DVD mailers required manual processing over the past two years, resulting in $41.9 million in related labor costs. The report predicted labor costs could top $61 million over the next two years and recommended the postal service develop new standards for processed first-class mail, including a 17-cents-per-envelope surcharge. The Citi note said such a surcharge could negatively impact Netflix’s operating income by 67%. Swasey said the OIG report failed to recognize that Netflix saves the postal service about $100 million annually by picking up mailer shipments directly from the post office. “We pay full first-class postage both ways, but we pick up the mail ourselves and they don’t deliver it to us,” he said. Swasey said it is unlikely Netflix would face surcharges as the mailers are in compliance and can be altered it needed. “If we have to change the mailer, we will change the mailer,” he said. We Own The Night STREET DATE Nancy Drew BOX OFFICE (MILLIONS) Across the Universe TITLE PREBOOK GENRE PRICE We Own The Night 2/12/08 1/10/08 $28.6 Drama DVD $28.95, BD $38.96, UMD $24.94 Sony Pictures. 2007. Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Robert Duvall. The manager of a Russian-owned nightclub in 1988 Brooklyn hides his identity and connection to the police department as he tries to stay out of the drug trade operating out of the club. Nancy Drew 3/11/08 2/5/08 $25.6 Mystery DVD $28.98 Warner. 2007. Emma Roberts, Josh Flitter, Craig Gellis. Nancy Drew moves to Hollywood to solve the mysterious death of movie star Dehlia Draycott. Includes several featurettes and a music video of “Pretty Much Amazing.” Across the Universe 2/5/08 1/3/08 $23.9 Musical DVD $28.96, BD $38.96, UMD $24.94 L ATE FLAS HE S I SAMSUNG TO BOW DUAL-FORMAT HD PLAYER Samsung has confirmed its dualformat high-def player is set to launch in the United States later this month. Its suggested retail price will be $799, which is $200 less than the originally reported $999 price. However, despite playing both Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD, the cost of the DB-UP5000 player is still less than purchasing separate Blu-ray and HD DVD players: The Toshiba first-generation players are being priced at less than $200, and the PlayStation 3’s cheapest model runs at $399. – Chris Tribbey Sony Pictures. 2007. Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess. A love story, set in the 1960s, in which a small group of friends and musicians are swept into the anti-war and counter-culture movements. Includes featurettes, deleted scenes, commentary from the director and composer and more. The Comebacks 1/29/08 1/2/08 $13.2 Comedy DVD $29.98 I BABY DVDS CLEARED The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will not go after Brainy Baby LLC and Walt Disney Co.’s Baby Einstein Co., The Associated Press reported, ending more than a year of investigation into whether the two companies had falsely advertised the educational benefits of DVDs for toddlers. The Boston-based Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood accused the two companies of falsely marketing their toddler products in May 2006. Mary Engle, the FTC’s associate director for consumer protection, told the news service that both companies have changed how they market their products, and both have promised to back up their claims in the future. In August, a University of Washington study named the two brands as possibly being detrimental to the vocabulary progress of infants and toddlers. – Chris Tribbey Fox. 2007. David Koechner, Carl Weathers. A spoof on memorable sports movies about an unlucky football coach who tries to lead a ragtag team to victory. Includes director commentary, deleted scenes and featurettes. Available in both unrated and theatrical ‘PG-13’-rated versions. Sydney White 1/22/08 12/18 $11.7 Comedy DVD $29.98 Universal. 2007. Amanda Bynes, Matt Long, Sara Paxton. A modern-day Snow White story, set against the backdrop of the college Greek society. Includes deleted scenes, a gag reel and more. Martian Child 2/12/08 1/8/08 $7.4 Drama DVD $28.98 New Line. 2007. John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Joan Cusack, Oliver Platt, Anjelica Houston, Bobby Coleman. A recently widowed science-fiction writer adopts a boy who claims to be from Mars. Includes commentary, a documentary, a featurette and deleted scenes. Lust, Caution 2/19/08 1/15/08 $4.3 Thriller DVD $29.98 Universal. 2007. A spy movie, set in Shanghai during World War II, in which a young woman becomes involved with a powerful political figure. In Mandarin with English subtitles. The Jane Austen Book Club 2/5/08 1/3/08 $3.6 Comedy DVD $26.96, BD $38.96 I ENTERTAINMENT RIGHTS GETS ‘TRANSFORMERS’ Entertainment Rights has nabbed the Latin America distribution rights to the new “Transformers” animated series. The U.K. company will distribute 26 regular episodes and a 70-minute feature after the series debuts in the United States in early 2008. – Chris Tribbey Sony Pictures. 2007. Kathy Baker, Maria Bello, Emily Blunt, Amy Brenneman, Maggie Grace, Hugh Dancy, Jimmy Smits. The members of the book club realize they share the heartaches of Jane Austen’s characters and find solace in each other and the books. Introducing the Dwights 2/12/08 1/8/08 $0.4 Comedy DVD $27.95 Warner. 2007. Brenda Blethyn, Khan Chittenden, Richard Wilson, Russel Dykstra. A coming-of-age movie about a shy and sexually inexperienced 20-year-old, his comedienne mother and his assertive girlfriend. Reservation Road 1/22/08 12/18 $0.1 Drama DVD $29.98 I PS3 TO GET 1.1 UPGRADE The long-awaited Profile 1.1 firmware upgrade for the PlayStation 3 should be available later this month. It was confirmed by Don Eklund, EVP of advanced technologies for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, at the High-Def 2.0 conference Dec. 4 in Los Angeles. With several studios lining up 1.1enabled Blu-ray Discs during the first quarter, the upgrade will allow those discs with picture-in-picture features to be used on the PS3. Also known as “Final Standard Profile,” 1.1 adds a secondary audio decoder and a secondary video decoder, and requires support for 256MB of memory, either built-in or from a memory card or USB flash drive. All Blu-ray players introduced to market after Nov. 1 are required to support the profile. – Chris Tribbey Universal. 2007. Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Connelly, Mira Sorvino. The lives of two men become intertwined due to a terrible tragedy that affects both their families. Includes the featurette “Looking Back on Reservation Road” and deleted scenes. Killer Diller 1/15/08 12/18 $0.02 Comedy DVD $26.99 I HULU GOES HD Hulu, the online video distribution site co-founded by News Corp. and NBC Universal, has begun offering clips in highdefinition. On the site’s HD Gallery, users can stream select clips with 128x720 resolution, provided they have a fast Internet connection (2,400 kbps or higher), Adobe Flash Player 9 and a fast PC. “We limited the bitrates on these HD streams to allow as many users as possible to sample HD video,” said CTO Eric Feng. “We look forward to a day when this becomes the baseline for video quality on the Web.” – Erik Gruenwedel Echo Bridge. 2006. Lucas Black, William Lee Scott, Fred Willard. A guitar-playing criminal is sent to a halfway house in the Bible Belt, where he meets an autistic savant piano player and forms a red-hot blues band. Great World of Sound 2/5/08 1/8/08 $0.02 Comedy DVD $26.98 Magnolia. 2007. Pat Healy, Kene Holliday. A man responds to an ad to train as a record producer, but discovers the job isn’t quite what he thought it would be. Rush Hour 3 12/23 Now $133.3 Comedy DVD $28.98, BD $39.98 DATE CHANGE. New Line. 2007. Chris Tucker, Jackie Chan. This third installment in the action-comedy series is also available in a two-disc platinum edition ($34.99) that includes audio commentary, deleted scenes and a featurette. The HD DVD will be released at a later date. Resurrecting the Champ 4/1/08 3/5/08 $3.2 Drama DVD $27.98 DATE CHANGE. Fox. 2007. Josh Hartnett, Samuel L. Jackson, Kathryn Morris, Teri Hatcher, Alan Alda. A young sports reporter rescues a homeless man only to discover he is a boxing legend who was believed dead. Includes a making-of featurette and interviews with cast and crew. * In order of box office, then prebook date Home Media Magazine December 9–15, 2007 http://www.homemediamagazine.com
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