A crazy idea for the New Year
December 28, 2007

In our society, particularly our business society, we are all operating on full throttle so much of the time, producing more products and revenue for our companies, more income for our families, that it leaves us little time for creative thinking. Those of us working between the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, however, may experience an unaccustomed lull. Few incoming business calls. Little e-mail. More time than usual to ... think. And sometimes, creative thinking can produce crazy ideas.

In the relaxed spirit of the week, here are three crazy ideas about home entertainment in the New Year.

1. Somebody ought to promote high-def DVD to consumers

No, not Blu-ray. And not HD DVD. Just high-def DVD.

If there’s anything both camps can agree on, it’s that consumers are confused. Most don’t even know if they’re watching a high-def signal on their high-def TV. Among those that are aware of high-def DVD, many don’t understand that both formats are backwards compatible with their existing home libraries.

What if somebody—EMA? DEG? Warner Bros.? Any key national retailer?—were to spearhead an awareness campaign to say to confused consumers, “You’ve got this great new HDTV. To see how great it can really look, you ought to pair it with a high-def DVD player. And, by the way, there are two great options, and they both play your old DVDs”?

Not going to happen, I know, since no one but the major studios and hardware makers have the cash to fund such an effort and they aren’t about to fund something that’s not format specific. But wouldn’t it be nice to at least see the “warring” rhetoric toned down?

Posted by Marcy Magiera on December 28, 2007 | Comments (1)