Home Media Magazine - December 21, 2008 - (Page 1) DECEMBER 21–27, 2008 O www.HomeMediaMagazine.com n the eve of our 30th birthday, Home Media Magazine salutes the captains of our industry — the leaders, visionaries and power brokers who are guiding home entertainment as it transitions to Blu-ray Disc and digital delivery. PAGE 8 SHINES BLU By Erik Gruenwedel oly Blu-ray, Batman! Warner Home Video’s The Dark Knight destroyed the all-time Blu-ray Disc and 2008 DVD sales records with combined first-week global sales — including rental — of 13.5 million units, according to the studio. The title sold 10 million units in the United States and, with some retailers already commodity-pricing the standard DVD edition, is expected to double that tally by early 2009, industry experts said. Paramount Home Entertainment’s Iron Man previously held both records. The Robert Downey Jr. starrer sold about 7.2 million combined DVD and Blu-ray units (850,000) during its first week of release starting Sept. 30. Rob Enderle, analyst with Enderle Group in San Jose, See ‘DARK KNIGHT,’ Page 20 ‘DARK KNIGHT’ Blu-ray Sales Can’t Boost Best Buy The retailer sees a drop in profit during its Q3 By Erik Gruenwedel RETAIL Best Buy Co. said macroeconomic conditions continued to batter consumer confidence and spending, despite double-digit sales increases of Blu-ray Disc players. The Minneapolis-based No. 1 consumer electronics retailer said thirdquarter (ended Nov. 29) profit fell 77% to $52 million, compared to income of $228 million during the prior-year period. To circumvent the possible effect of a prolonged recession, Best Buy said it would offer nearly all of its 4,000 corporate employees a voluntary separation plan, which includes additional weeks of pay, health care and dental coverage. “We want to reduce the number of involuntary separations,” Brad Anderson, vice chairman and CEO, said in a call with investors. The move by Best Buy to target corporate, not hourly, employees for downsizing underscored the retailer’s consistent store-centric approach aimed at recognizing and See VOLUNTARY, Page 20 H >> HIGH-DEF FREE BD PLAYER WITH PURCHASE AT BEST BUY By Erik Gruenwedel S eeking to stir the pot heading into the home stretch of the winter holiday retail season, Best Buy is offering its house-brand Insignia Blu-ray Disc player for free with the purchase of a $79.99 HDMI cable and 10 select Blu-ray movies. The in-store and online offer for the $249.99 player advertised in a national newspaper circular featured 50 titles See BEST BUY, Page 20 >> ELECTRONIC DELIVERY Home A R C H Media RESE length performances at all three locations, interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. “I think its potential is great,” said HBO Home Entertainment president Henry McGee. Rock, who made his debut on “Saturday Night Live” in 1989, has won three Emmy Awards and has now done five solo standup performances for HBO. MAR KET S HAR E 14% as of 12/14/08 I Blu-ray I DVD HBO WILL RELEASE ITS FIRST DIGITAL COPY INSIDE >> VOD Surges Consumers to stay in more. >> Vudu App Web application hits CE devices. PAGE 18 By Chris Tribbey T he three-disc collector’s edition of Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger will include HBO Home Entertainment’s first digital copy when it is released Jan. 20. The special includes 90 minutes of footage from Rock’s international shows in New York, the United Kingdom and South Africa. Also included in the set are the full- Consumers spent $461.51 million on DVDs for the week Blu-ray vs. DVD Sales* Consumers spent $60.78 million on Blu-ray Discs for the week Up 91.83% from the previous week. * Top 20 unit volume 86% Up 157.07% from the previous week. Source: Home Media Research NEWS An analyst says the push by studios and retailers toward Bluray could be having a negative impact on DVD sales. RESEARCH Warner’s The Dark Knight became the biggest title of the year its first week out, hitting the top spot on all three major charts. PRODUCT Disney is at the head of the class with High School Musical 3: Senior Year, coming to DVD and Blu-ray Disc in an extended edition. Page 6 Page 16 Page 20 http://www.HomeMediaMagazine.com
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