Home Media Magazine - May 25 - 31, 2008 - (Page 1)

MAY 25–31, 2008 >> HIGH-DEF SU SPE PP CIA LE L M HA E INSIDE NT, RDW PA A Cablers Add MGM HD GE RE Comcast and Time Warner Cable subs get 16 access to high-definition titles from MGM. No Blu Drive for Xbox 360 Microsoft’s game chief says no Blu-ray drive is in development for the console. PAGE 12 >> ELECTRO N IC DELIVERY BRINGING DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT TO YOU Gallery Exits Bankruptcy; Joe Malugen Out as CEO rella, consultant and former SVP of finance at By Erik Gruenwedel RETAIL Movie Gallery Inc. is no longer in 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment; and bankruptcy, and co-founder Joe Malugen is Thomas McGrath, senior managing director of Crossroads Media. out as chairman, president and CEO. Malugen is still on the board. C.J. Gabriel, a former seEdward Woo, analyst with Wedbush Mornior executive with Albertgan Securities in Los Angeles, said Gallery’s sons Inc., was named president and CEO. See GALLERY, Page 40 The Dothan, Ala.-based No. 2 DVD rental chain emerged from Chapter 11 May 20, seven months and four days Malugen after filing for bankruptcy By Erik Gruenwedel RETAIL First-quarter DVD same-store revenue at with more than $1.4 billion in liabilities. Gallery announced a new seven-member Trans World Entertainment Corp. grew 4% — the first board of directors led by four private equity growth in that category since the second quarter of executives, including Neil Subin, managing the prior year. director of Trendex Capital Management, who Still, it wasn’t enough to pull the retailer out of the assumed the position of chairman. red for the first quarter (ended May 3). The other financial executives are: Mark HolTrans World posted a quarterly loss of $11.8 milliday, partner and portfolio manager at Camden lion, compared to a loss of $9.1 million during the Asset Management LP; Steven Scheiwe, presi- prior-year period. Total revenue topped $232 mildent of Ontrac Advisors Inc.; and Richard Short- lion, compared to $286 million in the prior year. en, founder, principal and managing member Albany, N.Y.-based Trans World operates stores of Silvermine Capital Resources LLC. See TRANS WORLD, Page 38 Other board members include Bob Fio- Netflix Streams Content to TV Small set-top box from Roku bridges gap from PC to the television By Erik Gruenwedel RETAIL Online DVD rental pioneer Netflix Inc. last week introduced a small dictionary-sized set-top box that allows its 8.2 million subscribers to stream movies and television shows from the Internet to the TV. Manufactured by Roku Inc., a Saratoga, Calif.-based software and hardware company, “The Netflix Player by Roku” retails for $99.99 — less than half the price of Apple TV and Vudu Box — and is available at www.roku.com. The device allows for both land and wireless connections to the Internet. “Now, streaming video isn’t limited to people sitting in front of the PC; it’s ready for the TV in the living See NETFLIX, Page 40 INSIDE >> Jaman Clips Hit Skype Web phone users get film site clips. >> Gen 2.0 Young people want connectivity. PAGE 24 TRANS WORLD POSTS LOSS, BUT DVD GROWS Studios Back Family Movie Download Site By Erik Gruenwedel he Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and Parent Teacher Association (PTA), together with Hewlett-Packard (HP) and major studios, have launched the first-of-its-kind online service featuring age-appropriate DVDs and movie downloads that can be burned to a DVD. The sites, www.ptavideostore.com and www.bgcavideostore.com, offer family-oriented interfaces See FAMILY, Page 40 T Home A R C H Media RESE MAR KET S HAR E 5% as of 5/18/08 I Blu-ray I DVD Consumers spent $126.46 million on DVDs for the week Blu-ray vs. DVD Sales* Consumers spent $7.99 million on Blu-ray Discs for the week They’re Baaack! Expiring Discs Stage a Comeback By Erik Gruenwedel xpiring discs — albeit now recyclable — are making a comeback. Flexplay Technologies Inc. last week said it would start selling no-return DVD rentals at 1,550 Staples stores beginning in June. Atlanta-based Flexplay already distributes discs via kiosks at gas stations, truck stops Up 1.49% from the previous week. * Top 20 unit volume 95% Up 21.71% from the previous week. Source: Home Media Research E and The Paradies Shops, which operate more than 500 stores at 60 airports and hotels in the United States and Canada. The discs cost from $4 to $6 and can be viewed for up to 48 hours upon removal from their sealed packaging. Flexplay says it has distribution deals with See FLEXPLAY, Page 38 NEWS With its continued diverse offering of packaged media and other products, Hastings Entertainment posts a profit. PRODUCT Actress Samaire Armstrong talks about playing a man trapped in a woman’s body in Anchor Bay’s upcoming It’s a Boy/Girl Thing. RESEARCH Crime films steal the charts, with Sony Pictures’ Untraceable taking sales and Anchor Bay’s Mad Money nabbing rentals. Page 8 Page 35 Page 36 http://www.roku.com http://www.ptavideostore.com http://www.bgcavideostore.com http://www.bgcavideostore.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Home Media Magazine - May 25 - 31, 2008

Home Media Magazine - May 25 - 31, 2008 Contents News Hardware Commentary TV DVD Reviews Pipeline Research Top 20 DVD Sellers Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts Just Announced

Home Media Magazine - May 25 - 31, 2008

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