Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - (Page 22) NEWS Analyst: ‘Monsters’ to Ship Low Nos. By Erik Gruenwedel reamWorks Animation’s touted 3-D feature film Monsters vs. Aliens doesn’t bow theatrically until March 27, but Pali Capital analyst Richard Greenfield already estimates that the title will ship 13.8 million DVD/Blu-ray Disc units worldwide later this year — the lowest number of shipments for a budding franchise release. Greenfield, who believes Monsters will generate $483 million in global box office, including $297 million internationally, said the packaged-media tally is 2 million units below projections for Madagascar: Escape 2 www.homemediamagazine.com Africa, which streets April 3, and 4.2 million units behind last year’s Kung Fu Panda. The analyst said Monsters’ principle box office revenue driver will be the release in about 2,000 3-D screens, which he said charge about a $3.18 per ticket premium over traditional theaters. “Based on recent 3-D films that have been released, we would expect attendance to skew heavily toward 3-D screens,” Greenfield wrote in a note. He expects Monsters vs. Aliens to generate $55 million its opening weekend, given the recent strong domestic movie attendance trends. Bishop Defends Packaged Media By Thomas K. Arnold “In reality, the fundamentals of our business avid Bishop, worldwide president of are still viable, with the data presented indicatSony Pictures Home Entertainment, ing that consumers are still buying packaged delivered a passionate defense of the media in significant numbers,” Bishop said. He noted that box office revenue has steadily home entertainment industry during Screen Digest’s PEVE Digital Entertainment 2009 risen over the years — so far this year, the U.S. theatrical tally is up 12% from the same time conference in Paris. “We all know that these are extraordinary last year, according to tracking service Box Office Mojo — and he expects home times,” the executive said in his keynote entertainment to benefit from this inaddress. “But even so, our industry crease, particularly as more and more remains strong and continues to be a households switch to HDTVs. critical revenue stream for our parent Bishop cited Screen Digest data that companies.” shows U.S. HDTV penetration is apBishop’s remarks came in response proaching 50%, as well as predictions to skepticism among analysts and conBishop that by the end of 2009, 78.6 million sumer press about packaged media’s long-term viability, given recent advances in households will be HDTV-ready in Western download technology. He noted that home en- Europe alone. As demand for HDTVs grows, he tertainment is still a $50 billion a year business, said, consumers will demand more HD media. Bishop also talked up special interactive feameasured in worldwide consumer spending, and claims Blu-ray Disc is indeed fulfilling its tures unique to Blu-ray, most notably BD Live, and the format’s support for digital copy, which promise as the successor to DVD. While DVD sales slipped 2.4% in unit sales, he said “elevates the value of physical media by to 2.26 from 2.31 billion, Blu-ray Disc unit building a bridge to the digital world.” Studios also are looking at digital delivery as sales rose 316%, to 37.4 million from just 9 a complement, rather than as a replacement, million in 2007. “However, despite these positive trends, our to packaged media. “In reality,” Bishop conindustry has been recently criticized by some, cluded, “the prospects for home entertainment and this is creating a perception about our busi- come down to a single proposition: our ability to continue to engage end users by providing them ness that differs from reality,” Bishop said. He pointed to a recent Business Week article the most compelling entertainment experience that maintained consumers are “bypassing possible, while offering our retail partners inDVDs because they have a range of other op- novative and strategic new business models that tions, from watching movies and TV shows will ensure the success of our industry going forward.” online to playing video games.” Panasonic Unveils High-Def Product Continued from page 8 options for wireless rear speakers, Internet connectivity and universal iPod docks. All of Panasonic’s 2009 HDTVs have a play lifespan of 100,000 hours, an image viewer for digital photos, blacker blacks and Energy Star certification. The flagship model — the Z1 series (54 inches; $5,999.95) — is a slick, one-inch plasma display, featuring wireless connectivity to access Internet content, such as Amazon VOD, a 40,000:1 contrast ratio and an SD card slot. It is also one of three new Panasonic models that earned certification from THX, with an easy set-up option for consumers. The V10 (65 inches; price TBA) and G10 (54 inches; $2,399.95) plasma models are also THX certified, and also include Viera Internet connectivity, 40,000:1 contrast ratios and SD card slots. “Our goal was to recreate what the filmmak- er was seeing in the mastering environment,” said Graham McKenna, senior spokesman for THX. “It’s a great out-of-the-box setting.” Panasonic’s X1 series (50 inches; $1,099.95) is geared toward the consumer looking for a lower-priced HDTV, with 720p video. On the LCD side, the top-of-the-line G1 series (37 inches; $1,099.95) has 1080p and 720p options, with PC inputs, three HDMI inputs, SD card readers and 20,000:1 contrast ratios. The S1 series (37 inches; $899.95) features 1080p, 15,000: 1 contrast ratio, and PC and HDMI inputs, while the X1 series (37 inches; $799.95) is 720p, with an iPod entertainment kit, PC and HDMI inputs, and 12,000:1 contrast ratio. Some of the new HDTVs are shipping this month, with others available this summer. “We think the television market will remain strong in 2009,” said Henry Hauser, project manager with Panasonic said. CLASSIFIED SHOWCASE B U Y I N G G A M E S & B L U - R AY PA C K A G I N G Licensing Costs for Blu-ray May Drop Continued from page 8 USED TAPES & DVDS CO M P U T E R S O F T WA R E REDUCING YOUR INVENTORY? We Buy VHS, and also DVD & Video Games eo Extreme (203) 733-7370 Vid FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT: Kurt Wohlman (714) 338-6749 kwohlman@questex.com www.homemediamagazine.com added Blu-ray player competition for isn’t exactly welcome, but more competition can only spell good things for the Blu-ray industry, he said. “It can only accelerate the total business of Blu-ray, and not just from the hardware perspective,” he said. On the software side, the new group is quoting per-disc licensing fees of 11 cents for a read-only Blu-ray, 12 cents for a recordable disc and 15 cents for a rewritable disc. Reaction from suppliers was mostly positive to the announcement that licensing costs for Blu-ray could be on their way down. “It better,” said Mike Stimler with Water Bearer Films. “The licensing issue has prevented all the smaller labels from entering Blu-ray. [Still] I feel that even with this change, the drive toward Blu-ray still will be slow and the consumer adoption rate is bearing this out.” Freyr Thor, president and CEO of Vanguard Cinema, said that licensing fees from Sony were hampering his company’s Blu-ray plans, and the new licensing group would help independent suppliers join the game. Berry Meyerowitz, president of Peace Arch Home Entertainment, concurred: “When you’re doing volume, every 5, 10 cents matters.” But David Rand, SVP of feature films for Image Entertainment, said even with lowered licensing costs, independent suppliers would continue to tread carefully when it comes to Blu-ray. “I don’t think this will increase the number of independent Blu-ray releases, not with this economy,” he said. “At least once a week someone here finds a title in our catalog and says, ‘Should we do a Blu-ray?’” added Richard Buchalter, SVP of sellthrough at Image. “I’ve got hundreds, maybe thousands of titles with HD masters, but it may be too soon to hit the Blu-ray consumers with these catalog titles.” Martin Mair, head of home entertainment for Cinema Libre, said it was the still-high authoring costs for Blu-ray keeping more suppliers from diving into high-def. “If a release has enough visibility to warrant the demand,” said Bruce Frigeri, president of Lifesize Entertainment, “these reduced costs could very well be the tipping point for an independent film releasing on Blu-ray,” Frigeri said. BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN hom032309_022.pgs Home Media Magazine March 23–29, 2009 03.19.2009 19:29 mnickell http://www.homemediamagazine.com http://www.rapidrental.com http://www.homemediamagazine.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 Contents News Comedy Reviews Research Top 20 Sellers Top 20 Rentals Just Announced Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 (Page Cover1) Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 (Page Cover2) Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 (Page 1) Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 (Page 2) Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 (Page 3) Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 (Page 4) Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - Contents (Page 5) Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - News (Page 6) Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - News (Page 7) Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - News (Page 8) Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - News (Page 9) Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - Comedy (Page 10) Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - Comedy (Page 11) Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - Comedy (Page 12) Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - Comedy (Page 13) Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - Comedy (Page 14) Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - Comedy (Page 15) Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - Comedy (Page 16) Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - Reviews (Page 17) Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - Reviews (Page 18) Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - Reviews (Page 19) Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - Reviews (Page 20) Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - Top 20 Rentals (Page 21) Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - Top 20 Rentals (Page 22) Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - Just Announced (Page 23) Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - Just Announced (Page 24) Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - Just Announced (Page Cover3) Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2009 - Just Announced (Page Cover4)
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