Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - (Page 12) ELECTRONIC DELIVERY NEW VIDEO GROWS DIGITAL LIBRARY By Chris Tribbey www.homemediamagazine.com T he digital arm of New Video has acquired 5,000 hours of independent content for the iTunes Comcast, MGM Bow Cable VOD Channel By Erik Gruenwedel omcast and MGM have launched the video-on-demand (VOD) channel Impact, the cable giant’s newest effort to re-establish VOD as an alternative to DVD and electronic sellthrough. Impact will make available upwards of 30 movies per month — mined from MGM’s catalog of more than 1,000 action-adventure titles — to Comcast’s 25 million subscribers. Selections include the “Terminator” and “James Bond” franchises, RoboCop, Rocky and Bulletproof Monk. Comcast, which claims more than 10,000 VOD titles per month, previously launched horror channel Fearnet with Lionsgate. Comcast, with Time Warner Cable BRIEFS I VUDU LOWERS PRICES Broadband movie set-top box company Vudu is offering an extended rental option for movies viewed by subscribers. Within seven days of viewing a film, Vudu subscribers can renew their rental for 99 cents. High-definition movies can be renewed for $1.99. Vudu also has launched a “99 for 99” channel, where 99 movies selected by Vudu are now available for 99 cents each. New titles will rotate in periodically, the company said. – Chris Tribbey store. From more than 85 content owners, New Video Digital has the rights to more than 3,000 hours of TV content, and more than 1,600 movies. “For independents, the digital platform is showing unusual strength,” New Video co-principal Steve Savage said. Aiming for more than 10,000 hours of content by the end of the year, New Video Digital has become the digital content aggregator for dozens of independent distributors, including MTI Video, Acorn Media, Cinema Libre, The Jim Henson Company, Tango Entertainment and Vanguard Cinema. C STUDY: UPPER CLASS HAVE MOST HOME NETWORKS By Chris Tribbey and others, has aggressively pursued VOD as incremental revenue counter to DVD. Critics contend releasing new movies on VOD dayand-date with DVD will cannibalize lucrative packaged-media sales. Analyst Rob Enderle, with The Enderle Group in San Jose, Calif., said cable’s lack of immediate access to newer content remains a problem. “[DVD] is solid revenue, and [studios] don’t want to prematurely cannibalize it,” he said. “But the market is moving. At some point they’ll need to move with it or be bypassed.” To date, Warner is the lone studio that has pledged releasing all new titles on VOD and DVD simultaneously. James McQuivey, analyst with Forrester Research, said cable VOD poses a lucrative option to studios due to the millions of subscribers equipped with VOD capability. He said studios will decide which alternative distribution channels have a chance. While DVD remains a cash cow to the studios, same-day VOD and DVD releases are irresistible because studios don’t have to market a title twice through staggered releases. “The window has already shrunk from 60 to 45 days in most cases and to 30 days in others,” McQuivey said. “Expect that shrinking to continue.” I ‘ENTOURAGE’ ON ITUNES “Entourage” is HBO’s latest offering on iTunes. Seasons one and two of “Entourage” are available for $1.99 per episode, with season three arriving Aug. 18, and season four available Aug. 26. – Chris Tribbey I REPORT: ONLINE REVENUE TO TOP $6.5B IN ASIA PACIFIC Paid electronic entertainment content in the Asia-Pacific region will deliver at least $6.5 billion in annual revenue by 2013, according to ABI Research. – Erik Gruenwedel A merica’s rich are most likely to have fully integrated home networks — defined as having multiple connected devices in the home, Internetconnected HDTVs and Internet-enabled TV devices — but the middle class is catching up quickly, according to a new report from MultiMedia Intelligence. According to the report, in 2007 four in 10 homes with complete home networks belonged to higher-income early adopters. By 2012, the report forecasts, more middle- and upper-middle-class homes will be fully connected, especially homes with children. VONGO, CLICKSTAR SHUTTER DOWNLOAD OPERATIONS By Erik Gruenwedel S tarz Entertainment’s Vongo download service is no longer accepting new subscribers, and current members will be able to use the site through Sept. 30, according to a spokesperson. Thereafter, all movies stored on individual accounts will be deleted. The two-year-old Vongo service offered about 1,000 major studio movies and will continue re-branded as Starz Play, licensed to third parties including Verizon, which is offering plans from $5.99 per month. Separately, ClickStar, the broadband movie download company backed by Intel Corp. and founded by actor Morgan Freeman’s Revelations Entertainment, quietly ceased operations. The service pledged to circumvent DVD distribution and offered movies online two weeks after their theatrical release, beginning last year with Freeman’s independent film 10 Items or Less. Download prices ranged from $1.99 to $24.99. Vongo and ClickStar join a burgeoning list that includes failed movie download efforts by Wal-Mart and Google — some victim to limited content offerings, others, indifferent consumers. Eric Becker, communications director with Starz Entertainment, insists Vongo gave the company a foothold in electronic distribution. “Our affiliates are ready to launch broadband-delivered services and, because of our experience with Vongo, we are well positioned to help them do so,” he said. I FIOS DEBUTS DISNEY CHANNEL CONTENT Subscribers to Verizon’s FiOS VOD TV service will have access to Disney’s The Cheetah Girls: One World Aug. 19, three days before it premieres on the Disney Channel. Earlier this summer, FiOs premiered Disney Channel’s “Disney Channel Games” and Camp Rock. – Chris Tribbey TOP 5 RANK TITLE E LE C T R O NI C SELLT H R OUG H Week ended August 9, 2008 RELEASE DATE VIDEO LABEL GENRE TOP 5 RANK TITLE E L E C TRO N I C S E L L THRO U GH Week ended August 10, 2008 RELEASE DATE VIDEO LABEL GENRE 1 2 3 4 5 Starship Troopers 3: Marauder Nim’s Island Doomsday 21 8/5/08 8/5/08 7/29/08 7/22/08 Sony Pictures Fox Universal Sony Pictures New Line Sci-Fi Family Action Drama Comedy Source: Movielink 1 2 3 4 5 Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay 7/29/08 10,000 B.C. Lost Boys: The Tribe — Unrated Jumper Lost Boys: The Tribe 6/24/08 7/29/08 6/10/08 7/29/08 New Line Warner Warner Fox Warner Comedy Adventure Horror Sci-Fi Horror Source: CinemaNow Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay 7/29/08 TOP 5 RANK TITLE E LE CT R O NIC D OW NLOAD S Week ended August 9, 2008 RELEASE DATE VIDEO LABEL GENRE TOP 5 RANK TITLE E L E C TRO N I C DO WN L O A DS Week ended August 10, 2008 RELEASE DATE VIDEO LABEL GENRE 1 2 3 4 5 The Spiderwick Chronicles Vantage Point Drillbit Taylor Definitely, Maybe 6/24/08 7/1/08 7/1/08 6/24/08 Paramount Sony Pictures New Line Paramount Universal Fantasy Thriller Comedy Comedy Comedy Source: Movielink 1 2 3 4 5 Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay 7/29/08 10,000 B.C. Lost Boys: The Tribe Jumper Vantage Point 6/24/08 7/29/08 6/10/08 7/1/08 New Line Warner Warner Fox Sony Pictures Comedy Adventure Horror Sci-Fi Thriller Source: CinemaNow Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay 7/29/08 12 Home Media Magazine August 17–23, 2008 http://www.homemediamagazine.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 Contents News News High-Def News Electronic Delivery News TV DVD Kidvid Reviews Pipeline Research Top 20 DVD Sellers Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts Just Announced Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 (Page Cover1) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 (Page Cover2) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 (Page 1) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 (Page 2) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 (Page 3) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 (Page 4) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Contents (Page 5) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Contents (Page 6) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Contents (Page 7) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - News (Page 8) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - News (Page 9) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - High-Def News (Page 10) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - High-Def News (Page 11) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Electronic Delivery News (Page 12) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Electronic Delivery News (Page 13) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - TV DVD (Page 14) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - TV DVD (Page 15) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Kidvid (Page 16) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Kidvid (Page 17) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Reviews (Page 18) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Reviews (Page 19) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Reviews (Page 20) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Reviews (Page 21) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Reviews (Page 22) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Reviews (Page 23) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Pipeline (Page 24) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Pipeline (Page 25) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Top 20 DVD Sellers (Page 26) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Top 20 DVD Sellers (Page 27) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 28) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 29) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 30) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 31) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 32) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Just Announced (Page Cover3) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Just Announced (Page Cover4)
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