Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - (Page 10) HIGH-DEF www.homemediamagazine.com Best Buy Discounts Its Label Blu-ray Player By Erik Gruenwedel RETAIL As a precursor to an anticipated fourth-quarter industrywide Blu-ray hardware and software sales push, Best Buy Stores is selling its proprietary Insignia brand Blu-ray Disc player with 1080p resolution for $329.99 — $20 below the initial launch price in May. The Profile 1.1 player (NS-BRDVD) with picture-in-picture capability (not Internet connectivity) also includes $100 worth of discount coupons on Blu-ray movies, effectively dropping the unit’s price below $230. Wal-Mart Stores currently sell a Magnavox 1.1 player (NB500MG9) for $298, making Best Buy’s player the least expensive standalone Blu-ray player available. Best Buy spokesperson Brian Lucas said the player ‘Knight’ May Bring Imax Home By Fred Topel Batman Begins sequel The DISC PREVIEW Dark Knight features Imax sequences that fill the full eight-story screen, while the rest of the film appears letterboxed. Director Christopher Nolan said that the Blu-ray Disc version could capture the Imax sequences by filling a 16 x 9 HDTV while the majority of the film appears letterboxed. “For home video, certainly the Bluray version will [involve] actually changing the format size and actually using the Imax footage,” Nolan said. “You can see the difference on that high resolution.” should help open dialogue between consumers about the format. “We are at a point now where we can really start to talk about Blu-ray and the benefits of it without that halo of ‘format war,’” Lucas said. “It’s a chance to have positive dialog about the potential of Blu-ray and what it can bring to your home theater.” He said the price drop and movie discounts work only when combined with proper in-store displays, movie selection and a knowledgeable staff able to field questions. “We know there is an appetite for high-def content,” Lucas said. “People are investing a lot of money in their home theaters.” As an example, the Blu-ray re-release of Batman Begins featured six minutes of the Imax footage from The Dark Knight. Indeed, it fills the 16 x 9 frame and captures the detail. “On the standard 35mm version, we did 35mm extractions from the Imax frame,” Nolan said. “The Imax negative is so clear and grain free that there’s a great sharpness and clarity to them. Obviously, the differences are nowhere near as dramatic as there is on the Imax screen.” There might be minor cropping in the Blu-ray edition, as Imax screens are not exactly 16 x 9 in dimensions. Rental Key to Blu-ray Adoption, Rentailers Say By Erik Gruenwedel RETAIL While studios gear up for a fourth quarter Blu-ray Disc sales surge, DVD rental stalwarts Blockbuster Inc., Movie Gallery and Hastings Entertainment have launched extensive point-of-purchase displays and kiosks to promote the high-def format. Working with Sony Corp. and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, executives with the three rentailers believe giving consumers the option to rent the more expensive Blu-ray movies for their PlayStation 3 will spearhead greater sellthrough of the format in the future. Separately, Netflix offers more than 800 Blu-ray movies — top among rental chains — at a premium price compared to DVD. BRIEFS I ‘CAN’T HARDLY WAIT: 10 YEAR REUNION’ DUE ON BLU Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Sept. 30 is giving 10-year anniversary Blu-ray Disc treatment to the 1998 high school graduation romp Can’t Hardly Wait. A DVD also will street Sept. 30. The Blu-ray is $28.95; the DVD $19.94. Along with the features from the original DVD, Sony is adding a new “Reunion Commentary,” new featurettes, deleted scenes, an interactive “You Know You’re ‘90s If …” game for BD Live players, a pop-up facts and trivia option, music videos and more. – Chris Tribbey make available the Kodak Theatre HD Player. Retailing for $299.99, the player features wireless connectivity and plays video at 720p. – Chris Tribbey With statistics indicating that increasing numbers of PS3 owners are watching movies instead of just playing games, Michael Pachter, analyst with Wedbush Morgan Securities in Los Angeles, said the console represents a captive audience to studios for Blu-ray movies. “Rental will lead, and retail will follow,” Pachter said. Blockbuster CEO Jim Keyes believes the rental life cycle is a huge opportunity for Blu-ray. He says the format’s higher price makes it ideal for rental. “Even though I can afford a $30 to $34 disc, I’m going to think twice about buying versus renting,” Keyes said. “We think this gives new life to the rental model and can stimulate increased consumer adoption of the format.” Movie Gallery eyes Blu-ray rental as an ideal litmus test for the fourth quarter, according to Sherif Mityas, COO and president of retail operations. “In certain markets we are going to be the low-cost Blu-ray provider from a rental perspective,” Mityas said. Characterizing Blu-ray as a “game changer,” Hastings CEO John Marmaduke said customers should get the appeal of Blu-ray when compared to standard DVD on a flat-screen HDTV. But he said studios and retailers should realize that mainstream consumers are not going to suddenly throw away their DVD players. “They are going to continue to rent both formats,” Marmaduke said. “From their perspective, renting Blu-ray is low risk and high reward.” I SONY SHIPS ECO-FRIENDLY, UPGRADABLE 1.1 PLAYER Sony Corp. is shipping its new standalone profile 1.1 Blu-ray Disc player (BDP-S350), capable of Internet connectivity (BD-Live) with a firmware upgrade. The $399.99 player, which features 1080p resolution and picture-in-picture (BonusView), is 55% smaller, 38% lighter, requires 52% less packaging material and uses 21% less power than previous Sony BD players. The company said the reduced size of the BDPS350 reduces CO2 emission by about 43% due to its reduced shipping weight. – Erik Gruenwedel I KODAK BOWS HD PLAYER Kodak is the latest company streaming video from the computer to the home theater system, announcing that in September it will TOP 20 HIGH-DEF BLU-R AY D ISC Week ended July 13, 2008 LABEL INDEX TOP 20 HIGH-DEF B D M A R K E T S HA R E Percentage of Sales Per Title vs DVD Week ended July 13, 2008 LABEL PERCENT TITLE TITLE B LU-R AY D I S C C O M I NG U P STREETING 21 Sony Pictures Street Date: 7/22 Earth: The Biography BBC Warner Street Date: 7/22 The Exorcism of Emily Rose Sony Pictures Street Date: 7/22 The Perfect Storm Warner Street Date: 7/22 The Scorpion King Universal Street Date: 7/22 PREBOOKING Redbelt Sony Pictures Street Kings Fox Pre: 7/24, Street: 8/26 Pre: 7/23, Street: 8/19 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Batman Begins Batman: Gotham Knight Batman Begins: Limited Edition Gift Set Vantage Point 10,000 B.C. The Ruins Hellboy Jumper National Treasure: Book of Secrets Rambo The Spiderwick Chronicles Cloverfield I Am Legend Planet Earth: The Complete Series Casino Royale The Bucket List There Will Be Blood 300 Fool’s Gold Blade Runner: Complete Collector’s Edition Warner 100.00 Warner 48.15 Warner 29.76 Sony Pictures 16.70 Warner 12.51 Para./DreamWorks 10.76 Sony Pictures 6.87 Fox 6.09 Disney 5.60 Lionsgate 5.23 Paramount 4.97 Paramount 4.77 Warner 4.45 BBC Video 4.42 Sony Pictures 4.21 Warner 4.07 Paramount 3.78 Warner 3.71 Warner 3.23 Warner 2.71 Source: Nielsen VideoScan First Alert data 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Batman Begins Batman Begins: Limited Edition Gift Set Blade Runner: Complete Collector’s Edition There Will Be Blood Cloverfield Planet Earth: The Complete Series 300 Rambo I Am Legend Casino Royale Jumper Hellboy Batman: Gotham Knight 10,000 B.C. National Treasure: Book of Secrets Vantage Point The Ruins The Bucket List Fool’s Gold The Spiderwick Chronicles Warner 67.79% Warner 53.51% Warner 44.92% Paramount 35.13% Paramount 33.27% BBC Video 29.57% Warner 21.99% Lionsgate 18.63% Warner 17.54% Sony Pictures 13.56% Fox 13.30% Sony Pictures 13.13% Warner 12.85% Warner 10.94% Disney 10.14% Sony Pictures 9.88% Para./DreamWorks 6.59% Warner 5.88% Warner 5.71% Paramount 5.03% Source: Nielsen VideoScan First Alert data Home Media Magazine July 20–26, 2008 http://www.homemediamagazine.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 Home Media Magazine - June 20-26, 2008 Contents News TV DVD Commentary Horror/Halloween Reviews Pipeline Research Top 20 DVD Sellers Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts Just Announced Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - June 20-26, 2008 (Page Cover1) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - June 20-26, 2008 (Page Cover2) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - June 20-26, 2008 (Page 1) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - June 20-26, 2008 (Page 2) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - June 20-26, 2008 (Page 3) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - June 20-26, 2008 (Page 4) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Contents (Page 5) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - News (Page 6) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - News (Page 7) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - News (Page 8) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - News (Page 9) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - News (Page 10) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - News (Page 11) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - News (Page 12) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - TV DVD (Page 13) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Commentary (Page 14) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Commentary (Page 15) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Commentary (Page 16) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Commentary (Page 17) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Horror/Halloween (Page 18) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Horror/Halloween (Page 19) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Horror/Halloween (Page 20) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Horror/Halloween (Page 21) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Horror/Halloween (Page 22) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Horror/Halloween (Page 23) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Horror/Halloween (Page 24) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Horror/Halloween (Page 25) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Reviews (Page 26) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Reviews (Page 27) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Reviews (Page 28) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Reviews (Page 29) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Reviews (Page 30) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Reviews (Page 31) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Pipeline (Page 32) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Pipeline (Page 33) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Top 20 DVD Sellers (Page 34) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Top 20 DVD Sellers (Page 35) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 36) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 37) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 38) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 39) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 40) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Just Announced (Page Cover3) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Just Announced (Page Cover4)
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