High-def catalog releases reflect broader appeal
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Studios market to both genders as high-def catches on with larger audience
By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 6/15/2007
JUNE 15 | High-definition catalog releases to date have been especially testosterone-fueled for early adopters, but a broader selection of titles should arrive at retail through the second half of 2007 as high-def-disc adoption spreads to what marketers call the “early majority.”
Since last year, studios have been targeting high-def fare to two consumer groups: older, mostly male professionals who can afford relatively pricey set-top players and younger, also mostly male, intense gamers who were first in line to buy PlayStation 3 or the Xbox 360 HD DVD drive.
However, studios believe that by this fourth quarter, the high-def market will expand from an early adopter to early mass stage, coinciding with projected gains in HDTV households. Research concern DisplaySearch counted 31 million HDTV households in 2006 and is projecting the market will grow to 40 million homes in 2007 and 55 million in 2008.
The Consumer Electronics Assn. estimates that U.S. HDTV household penetration will jump from 26% in January to 36% in January 2008.
With high-def spreading its wings, Universal Studios Home Entertainment is rolling out some of the first chick flicks on HD DVD, such as The Wedding Date on July 10 and Erin Brockovich on Aug. 14 (prebook July 3).
Paramount Home Entertainment will bow Flashdance on HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc on Sept. 18 (prebook Aug. 7).
By early 2008, Warner Home Video will bow some of the first made-for-DVD titles, horror movies The Rest Stop and Sublime from its Raw Feed label.
“When we talk to retail, we find that when someone is buying an HDTV for the first time, it’s a joint decision” among husbands and wives, said Ken Graffeo, Universal executive VP of HD strategic marketing. “You want to start having enough product that appeals to males and females. We are [entering] an early mass market.”
So as not to unnecessarily flood shelves prematurely, Warner has been to this point carefully slating such guy-friendly titles as classic war film Battle of the Bulge (on Blu-ray and HD DVD May 15), Steven Seagal actioner Out for Justice (on both formats on July 24) and wilderness survival nightmare Deliverance (on both formats on Sept. 18).
“With the PlayStation Portable, studios were releasing titles in a cookie cutter way, where some of it skewed toward people 35 to 55, but the target market was much younger and into playing games,” said Jeff Baker, Warner senior VP and general manager of theatrical catalog and sales. “The sales weren’t there, and retailers contracted their commitments on [PSP software]. What we are trying to do is connect the dots to high-def and release titles like Troy, Goodfellows and The Matrix, which are geared toward males.”
However, with its upcoming Raw Feed releases, Warner also is looking to diversify as the high-def market widens. It is streeting its first audiophile movie, Prince vehicle Purple Rain, on Blu-ray and HD DVD on July 24.
“A couple of Prince guitar riffs will sound pretty good in Dolby HD,” said Steve Nickerson, Warner senior VP of market management. “There was a great appreciation for the audio for one of our earlier [HD DVD] releases, The Phantom of the Opera.”
Nickerson added, “It won’t be early adopters in the fourth quarter, but at a point of the early majority, so as you put out product, you need to anticipate the upcoming demographic.”
On top of more variety going forward, studios also are planning to rally around summer theatrical blockbusters when releasing high-def catalog. From Warner, look for the first two installments of the Ocean’s franchise to street in high-def, when the latest sequel, Ocean’s 13, heads to disc this fourth quarter. Also, many of Warner’s Harry Potter films will be released on high-def timed to the home entertainment bow of July theatrical Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
“We look for titles that may coincide with traditional DVD release windows, and we regularly mine the catalog for titles that fit the key high-definition demographic,” said Marc Rashba, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s VP of marketing. “As the market expands, we will release a broader array of movies to appeal to the growing audience.”
