Sex appeal in high-def
- » SUBMIT FEEDBACK
- There is a war between HD DVD and B...
Sam Matos – 05/01/06 - Sounds like you want to prolong the...
Greg Voevodsky – 04/28/06
Sorry, no blogs are active for this topic.
Sony and Reef Check celebrated the DVD release of Surf’s Up at Malibu Bluffs Park in Malibu, Calif., on Oct. 6.
Fox celebrated the DVD release of Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer on Oct. 2 with a “Surfing in New York” event in New York.
CBS and Paramount hosted a release party for the first season DVD of Jericho with cast and crew members at Crimson in Hollywood.
» VIEW ALL GALLERIES
» VIEW FEATURED GALLERY
By Tom Paine -- Video Business, 4/28/2006
APRIL 28 | In the beginning, there was VHS and Beta. Somewhere along the line, we started carrying Nintendo games. Then came Super Nintendo, and everyone started asking themselves if carrying Super Nintendo was a good idea, and if so, when. That was the first time we had to consider an upgraded format. Some jumped and some waited.
Paine
We have come a long way since then. Several gaming systems have come and gone, as have laserdiscs. DVD has made a huge impact. In the old days, you could be a little late getting into a format as long as your direct competitors were late too.
Enter HD DVD into a changed world.
In the new world, there is only one choice. Get into HD DVD, the first of two high-definition disc formats coming to market—and get in now.
New products are being thrown at the consumer continuously, and loyalties are constantly shifting. Some products catch on and others do not, because no one knows what will happen until the consumer has her say. It sounds like a good case to take a wait and see attitude, but do not be fooled. Things are happening too fast to wait.
Your biggest competitors have HD DVD right now, and they are telling your customers all about it. I’m talking about the Internet subscription companies and sell-through merchants, both online and bricks-and-mortar. They have already taken some of your customers. Do not let them take more.
HD DVDs are currently only being sold at stores that sell the hardware, including online stores. There are only a few titles out so far, but you should have them.
Why now? The answer is because we can no longer count on customers to be loyal enough to wait around for us to adopt something new. Simply put, the average consumer loyalty goes only as far as their pocketbook, or more likely as far as who is offering the next new thing.
A friend of mine in the business mentioned a few months back that video stores are not sexy any more. He might be right. Our business may be getting a little old, but we will look a lot better if we put on a little makeup and lipstick. You have the perfect opportunity to tell movie lovers in your area, and particularly your own customers, that HD DVD is here and you have it. That’s sexy.
When you do get the high-def discs, flaunt them. When your customers decide the time is right to buy that high-def player, they need to know you are right there with them, hand in hand. Otherwise, they might be seduced by the pretty young thing with ads all over the Internet.
So make a big display and don’t forget to educate your employees as well. Make sure they understand the technology, know about the hardware and are up to date on industry news. Of course, they also need to know about Blu-ray, particularly to tell your customer that when it is available, you will have it. Tom Paine is owner of six-store DVD Now, Redmond, Wash.
