Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - (Page 28) NEWS Sony Adds iTunes Download to DVD Continued from page 1 www.homemediamagazine.com said, and the studio will include the option with more releases in 2009. Fox was the first out of the gate with a digital copy, and, Kaye said, “Consumer uptake is good.” “The problem is getting our message out there. We all have our own different [versions,] and it’s confusing for consumers,” he said. More than one industry body is getting everyone on the same page, or at least trying. DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group got everyone to agree to an industrywide logo for digital copy, and the DVD Forum is working toward finding an industry standard for digital copies of movies, which content owners beyond the studios have started to include on DVDs. “It’s currently kind of a mess,” said DVD Forum director Mark Waring, with Sanyo. “It’s good because it discourages people from stealing, but they have to put multiple copies on there. The concept should be ‘Buy a movie, you get to watch it wherever you want.’” PCs or the PlayStation Portable. It’s the first time Sony has offered an iTunes download, and the studio plans to include iTunes options on other titles. The announcement is important because it means every major studio is working toward catering to both the Windows Media and iTunes crowds, offering the option for a portable, digital copy of films and TV shows to as many people as possible. “SPHE is thrilled to expand the value and convenience of our digital copy program to the iTunes community,” said Lexine Wong, SVP of worldwide marketing for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. “Consumers can enjoy Pineapple Express where and how they like.” However, the delivery form of the digital copies, the system requirements for computers and programs, and what portable devices those files will play on, can vary from studio to studio, and sometimes from disc to disc. Some digital copies must be downloaded, while others can be transferred from a disc. Some digi- tal copies have different system requirements from Apple’s operating system. Everyone’s doing it differently. And that’s not likely to change right away. “We’re all just kind of figuring it out,” said Rich Marty, VP of business development for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. “Some are disc transfers, some are downloads, and we’re all just trying to gauge how consumers respond to it. … If we can get together and deliver a similar message, it would be easier.” It’s worth it to the studios to perfect digital copies, if Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment’s first digital copy — the Disney File on the re-release of The Nightmare Before Christmas — is any indication: Disney reported more people took advantage of that digital copy than all other online VOD or download options combined. “That spoke to the fact it resonated with consumers,” said Lori MacPherson, North American GM for Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, which will have digital copies for both Wall-E and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Love Guru’s digital copy was popular among consumers. Prince Caspian. “I think it’s probably less important to have another absolute standard as it is to have a good explanation about what’s included on each disc.” Both Chris Saito, VP of marketing for Paramount Home Entertainment, and Danny Kaye, EVP of global research and technology for 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, agreed. Paramount’s The Love Guru saw its digital copy widely used by consumers, Saito B RIEFS I BEST BUY, BROADCASTERS TEAM TO EDUCATE ABOUT DIGITAL TRANSITION $179 and $199, respectively. “Blu-ray vendors and dealers are starting to realize that for [the format] to become the next DVD, they need to lower player prices in order to generate interest and build volumes,” said Steve Wilson, principal analyst with ABI. Wilson said he applauded efforts by LG and Samsung to incorporate streamed movies from Netflix into their Blu-ray players to help differentiate the hardware from streaming-hardware alliances between Netflix and Roku, Microsoft’s Xbox 360, and TiVo and Amazon. “The more Blu-ray players adopt these download capabilities, the better they will be able to differentiate themselves from standard DVD players,” Wilson said. — Erik Gruenwedel CLASSIFIED SHOWCASE B R O W S E R D I S P L AY S CO M P U T E R S O F T WA R E PA C K A G I N G Best Buy and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) will host in-store workshops at Best Buy stores in 25 of the largest cities in the country to teach people about the transition to digital TV. Local television personalities and Best Buy BlueShirt employees will answer questions about the transition. They will also give tips on which products to buy as well as how to install those products properly. The workshops will take place in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, Minn.; Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa, Fla.; and Washington, D.C. “We are very excited about collaborating with NAB to help consumers fully understand the digital TV transition,” said Mike Mohan, SVP of consumer electronics for Best Buy. Mohan added that the retail chain has been working hard to educate the public about the transition and there’s still a lot more work that needs to be done before February. By Feb. 17, 2009, all full-power television stations nationwide must begin broadcasting exclusively in digital formats to comply with a congressional mandate. — Michael Lee I ALLIO HDTVS INCLUDE PC, BLU-RAY AND CD/DVD The new HDTVs from California technology company Silicon Mountain Holdings are a lot like fastfood combo meals: Consumers can get their HDTV, Blu-ray Disc player and new PC in one ready-to-go package. The Allio 32- and 42-inch HDTVs — available only online for now — include built-in Blu-ray or CD/ DVD players, Intel Core2Duo-powered PCs and a minimum of 250GB of storage. A wireless keyboard and remote are included, and a split-screen feature allows for owners to use the Allio for two things at once. The Allio TVs will be priced starting at $1,599, with Blu-ray and added storage running the price up to as much as $2,799. “The Allio HDTV/PC takes the digital experience into another dimension,” said Tré Cates, Silicon Mountain president and CEO. “During product development, we discovered that our testers regularly expressed disappointment in their own large-screen television and home theater configurations after using Allio for just a few hours. “The results are clear. The Allio HDTV/PC experience simply suits our modern digital lifestyle better.” For information visit www.visionman.com. — Chris Tribbey I REPORT: BLU-RAY PLAYER PRICES TUMBLING FOR CHRISTMAS BUSINESS SERVICES USED TAPES & DVDS Faced with dire economic forecasts, competitive pressure from movie downloads, and even scuttlebutt about the viability of high-definition packaged media, Blu-ray player prices continue to fall, according to a new report. New York-based ABI Research said numerous Profile 1.1 players and older models (six to nine months old) are now available at less than $200, including the Samsung BD-P1500 1080p player on Amazon. Some models include promotions offering free Blu-ray movies. The ABI report, “Consumer Video Technologies Forecasts,” says holiday prices could fall as low as $150, which is about half of the original market forecasts and predictions. Online reports recently leaked that post-Thanksgiving Day (also known as Black Friday) pricing of Samsung and Sony Blu-ray players at Sears will be CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING MAKES DOLLARS AND SENSE! REDUCING YOUR INVENTORY? We Buy VHS, and also DVD & Video Games FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT: Kurt Wohlman (714) 338-6749 kwohlman@questex.com www.homemediamagazine.com xtreme deo E 733-7370 (203) Vi Home Media Magazine November 16–22, 2008 http://www.homemediamagazine.com http://www.rapidrental.com http://www.corporate.com http://www.homemediamagazine.com http://www.visionman.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 Home Media Magazine - November 16, 2008 Contents News HD-3 TV DVD Valentine’s Day Reviews Research Top 20 DVD Sellers Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts Just Announced Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 16, 2008 (Page Cover1) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 16, 2008 (Page Cover2) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 16, 2008 (Page 1) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 16, 2008 (Page 2) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Contents (Page 3) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - News (Page 4) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - News (Page 5) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - News (Page 6) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - News (Page 7) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - HD-3 (Page 8) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - HD-3 (Page 9) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - HD-3 (Page 10) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - HD-3 (Page 11) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - HD-3 (Page 12) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - HD-3 (Page 13) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - TV DVD (Page 14) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - TV DVD (Page 15) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Valentine’s Day (Page 16) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Valentine’s Day (Page 17) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Valentine’s Day (Page 18) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Valentine’s Day (Page 19) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Reviews (Page 20) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Reviews (Page 21) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Reviews (Page 22) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Reviews (Page 23) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Top 20 DVD Sellers (Page 24) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Top 20 DVD Sellers (Page 25) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 26) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 27) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 28) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 29) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 30) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 31) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 32) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Just Announced (Page Cover3) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Just Announced (Page Cover4)
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