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Rental fortunes, part two
July 26, 2007

There were more mixed messages about the importance of the rental market at the Home Media Expo last week.

It seemed pretty clear at first, as the studios trotted out celebrities, high-def demonstrations and even free settop players for consumer members of the Home Theater Forum, that retailers were the odd men (and women) out. Retailers were definitely not invited to the Blu-ray backers afternoon soiree at the Venetian's Tao night club, and some studio execs went as far as say that retailers at the show aren't yet an important component of the high-def business.

Yet, during the show, Sony and Rentrak announced a revenue-sharing deal for Blu-ray that was positioned as  important in establishing Blu-ray at rental, and these very same retailers as on the cutting edge of technology. More likely, it will put Blu-ray in more stores, which is good for Sony and for Rentrak, while allowing the studio to say--if it's ever pressed to--that indie retailers were offered similar terms to Blockbuster.

So, rentailers--honored guests or gate crashers?

Post-show, the Blu-ray spin machine continues in high gear, and with some substance, I must say. The group is poised for better positioning vis-a-vis HD DVD at Target Stores, as part of the retailer's decision to carry only Blu-ray set-top boxes in its physical stores.

And the Blu-ray group is putting together a high-profile slate of titles heading into the fourth quarter. In addition to Pirates 3 from Disney, Sony is releasing catalog titles Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Dracula on BD this fall. The marketing mavens over at the studio are making much of bringing those artistes Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola over to the format.

Posted by Marcy Magiera on July 26, 2007 | Comments (1)