Home Media Magazine - May 4-10, 2008 - (Page 5)

www.homemediamagazine.com MENU FROM THE EDITOR BY THOMAS K. ARNOLD, PUBLISHER www.homemediamagazine.com Blu-ray Pricing Is a Point of Contention I’ve long held that DVDs are a great value for the dollar, even ill we see another race to the bottom? One reason before the proliferation of Wal-Mart’s notorious dump bins studios preferred Blu-ray Disc over HD DVD is that there was more opportunity to justify a higher price sent the actual street price of catalog DVDs to the $5 level. Blu-ray Disc takes the DVD experience to a whole new level, tag. Blu-ray, after all, was hailed as a revolutionary new technology, while HD DVD, even after it went from using a red laser to with a picture six times clearer (at least, when viewed on a highdefinition TV set) and special features that make DVD extras a blue laser, was seen chiefly as a souped-up DVD. But now that Blu-ray Disc has prevailed, studio insistence that look tired and boring — particularly when the hot new BD Live technology is utilized. Blu-ray Disc prices be kept significantly higher So why not charge more? than DVD prices appears to be waning. On LOWERING THE PRICE [OF Studios agree Blu-ray Discs should sell for the one hand you have studios such as Sony BLU-RAY DISC] TOO SOON, Pictures Home Entertainment, which typi- TOO FAST, COULD LEAD TO more than DVDs. But how much more? That, cally charges a premium of about $15 over the THE SAME FREEFALL DVD dear reader, is the question with which they’re standard-DVD version; on the other you have EXPERIENCED IN THE LATE all grappling right now. Lowering the price too soon, too fast, could 20th Century Fox, which recently released 1990S. lead to the same freefall DVD experienced Juno on a Blu-ray Disc at a list price just $5 in the late 1990s. As studios continue to search for a middle more than the DVD. The discrepancy comes at a time when retailers are reporting ground, they just might find themselves making a startling, that some of their customers are reluctant to shell out significant- and disheartening, discovery: Maybe there is none. Perhaps ly more money for a Blu-ray Disc — particularly on the catalog the only options are to either stick by your guns and hope the end, where DVD prices are routinely less than $10. Blu-ray Disc consumer ultimately realizes the value, or drop your prices and releases of library titles typically come to market at prices twice send profits to the dump bin. as high, if not more, than the DVD, and some retailers fear if that Thomas K. Arnold’s e-mail address is tarnold@questex.com practice continues, format growth will be stymied. PUBLISHER & EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Thomas K. Arnold EDITOR IN CHIEF Stephanie Prange EDITORIAL Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Angelique Flores Senior Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Erik Gruenwedel Senior Reporter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Tribbey Assistant Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Latchem Associate Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Billy Gil, Kyra Kudick Contributors. . . . . . . . . John Gaudiosi, Anne Sherber, Fred Topel, Ralph Tribbey, Holly J. Wagner Intern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ruby Cardenas W ART Art Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Melbert Sebayan Graphic Designer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charles Park RESEARCH Market Research Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kelly Burner ADVERTISING 800/338-6700, FAX 714/338-6712 Advertising Sales Representative . . . . . . . . . . . . John Boezinger 714/338-6704 Advertising Sales Representative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Julie Savant 714/368-1020 Advertising Sales Representative . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kurt Wohlman 714/338-6749 Business Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joni Wu Group Administrative Coordinator. . . . . . . . . . Jennifer Guerena For reprints, call 800-290-5460, ext. 100 or HomeMediaMagazine@reprintbuyer. com For direct-mail lists, call Ilene Schwartz, Kroll Direct, 216/371-1667 FAX 216/371-1669 ilene@krolldirect.com MARKETING Marketing Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kristina Kronenberg 714/338-6743 Marketing Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kaitlyn DeWaard IN THIS ISSUE MAY 4-10, 2008 / VOL. 30 / NO. 18 News …………………………… CALENDAR I DIGITAL HOLLYWOOD SPRING Subjects covered at the spring conference include DRM, on demand, social media, cable and satellite, mobile entertainment, set-top boxes and high-deﬁnition. DIGITAL MEDIA Online Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Renee Rosado PRODUCTION Production Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bonnie Ling Production Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Justin-Nicholas Toyama 714/338-6765 Assistant Production Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brady Gallardo >> HIGH- DEF OFFICES 714/338-6700, 800/371-6897, FAX 714/338-6710 homemediamagazine@questex.com 201 East Sandpointe Ave., Suite 500 Santa Ana, CA 92707-8716 “Shrek the Third” boosts DreamWorks’ profits; Movie Gallery requests control of unexpired leases, pointing toward exiting Ch. 11; CBS’ Moonves touts content. Surf’s Up May 5-8 Renaissance Hollywood Hotel, Hollywood, Calif.. info: www.digitalhollywood.com Chris Tribbey, Senior Reporter 818-788-8616, FAX 818-530-2486 16130 Ventura Blvd. #570 Encino, CA 91436 News ………………………… CREDIT Credit/Collections Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ron Wright Sr. Best Buy and Circuit City up their Blu-ray efforts; research says Blu-ray adoption is at least 12 months away; managed copy on BD could still happen. I TRANSFORMATIONS: THE SEVENTH ANNUAL HOME ENTERTAINMENT SUMMIT The home entertainment industry’s most prestigious annual gathering of studio executives, analysts and other industry leaders. This year’s conference comes just as the format war has ended, setting the stage for a transition from standard DVD to Blu-ray Disc. June 16-17 Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, Century City, Calif. info: www.homemediaconferences.com CIRCULATION For subscriptions, please go online to www.homemediamagazine.com For current single copy, back issues or CD-ROM, call 866/344-1315 or 847/763-9594 for outside the U.S. Audience Development Manager. . . . . . . . . . . Sarah Joy Obaña >> EL ECTRONIC D EL IV ERY Shrek The Third BUSINESS QUESTEX MEDIA GROUP INC. President & CEO: Kerry C. Gumas; Executive Vice President & CFO: Tom Caridi; Executive Vice President: Robert S. Ingraham; Executive Vice President: Tony D’Avino; Executive Vice President, Corporate Development: Claudia Flowers; Vice President & General Manager: Don Rosenberg; Vice President, Digital Media: Seth Nichols; Vice President, Human Resources: Diane Evans © 2008 Questex Media Group Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including by photocopy, recording or information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use, or the internal or personal use of specific clients, is granted by Questex Media Group, Inc. for libraries and other users registered with the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Dr., Danvers, MA 01923 phone: 978-750-8400 fax 978-750-4470; call for copying beyond that permitted by Sections 107 or 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law. For those not registered with the CCC, send permission request in writing to questexpermissions@reprintbuyer.com or call 800-494-9051 ext. 100. News …………………………… News ………………………… Warner fires off a remastered How the West Was Won on DVD and Blu-ray; Image nabs mixed martial arts titles. I EMA’S HOME MEDIA EXPO 2008 TV DVD ………………………… 14 Disney slates season sets, including “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Ugly Betty”; the original “Speed Racer,” Peter Fernandez, discusses his famous voice role; WWE releases its first Blu-ray Disc. CinemaNow launches mobile efforts; mobile media providers are frustrated with mobile’s lower profile; The WB relaunches its Web site. The Home Media Expo gathers players from all over the home entertainment field, such as buyers, entertainment retailers, suppliers, distributors and sellers of home entertainment content. June 24-28 The Palms Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas info: www.homemediaexpo.com Reviews ………………………… 15 Research ……………………… 20 Is Military Intelligence and You! a smart send-up? Paramount Home Entertainment’s Cloverfield tops Does Wieners get laughs beyond its silly title? Will both the national DVD sales and rental charts. documentary fans want to ride along with Big Rig? Printed in the U.S.A. I SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL 2008 The San Diego Comic-Con enters its 39th year as the country’s premier comics and popular arts convention with a brand new slate of special guests, themes and anniversaries, and programming. July 24-27 San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, Calif. info: comic-con.org Pipeline ………………………… 18 Top 20 DVD Sellers ……………………… 20 Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts ……… 22 Dirty Harry actor Andrew Robinson discusses his role as the Scorpio Killer in the film as Warner Just Announced ……………… prepares a boxed set of all five “Dirty Harry” Sony Pictures takes on Vantage Point; Genius/ movies. Weinstein fly off with Superhero Movie. May 4–10, 2008 Home Media Magazine http://www.homemediamagazine.com http://www.homemediamagazine.com http://www.digitalhollywood.com http://www.homemediamagazine.com http://www.homemediaconferences.com http://www.homemediaexpo.com http://comic-con.org

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Home Media Magazine - May 4-10, 2008 Contents News TV DVD Reviews Pipeline Research Top 20 DVD Sellers Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts Just Announced

Home Media Magazine - May 4-10, 2008

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