The top news and charts for week ending October 8, 2007.
Indiana town questions Redbox monitoring NPD Group: Electronic sell-through has slow growth Best Buy named leading high-def retailer |
Jericho launches on DVD Jericho stars Skeet Ulrich and Ashley Scott celebrate at CBS/Paramount’s DVD launch party at Crimson Hollywood on Oct. 2. See more industry photos. |
"KNOCKED UP" leads Top DVD Renters Chart "KNOCKED UP" leads Top DVD Sellers Chart "KNOCKED UP" leads Top HD DVD Sellers Chart "WE ARE MARSHALL" leads Top Blu-ray Sellers Chart |
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SWEETING: By the numbers |
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GUEST: Reviving retail in a digital media world |
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MAGIERA: The end of the world as we know it? |
NPD Group: Electronic sell-through has slow growth
OCT. 5 | Despite the hype surrounding digital video, permanent downloads (a.k.a. electronic sell-through) have been slow to catch on—just 1.3 million households, representing 2% of Internet users in the U.S., purchased electronic sell-through products early in 2007, according to NPD Group.
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Indiana town questions Redbox monitoring
OCT. 5 | Legislators in a small Indiana town are taking Redbox to task over the inclusion of R-rated movies in its kiosks, and independent rental retailers are jumping on the opportunity to market themselves as more parent- and community-friendly than their $1-per-night rival.
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Best Buy named leading high-def retailer
OCT. 5 | Best Buy has emerged as the leading retailer of Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD titles by a wide margin, easily topping DVD-dominant Wal-Mart, according to the NPD Group. Wal-Mart carries a third-place share of the high-definition software market, followed by Circuit City and Target. Amazon.com sits in second.
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Giant Eagle switches to Redbox kiosks
OCT. 5 | One of the few grocers to house a relatively large permanent in-store DVD display, Giant Eagle is replacing its rental departments with Redbox kiosks.
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Analysts expect lower Blockbuster Total Access subscribers
Online exclusive: OCT. 4 | After a meeting with Blockbuster CEO James Keyes and chief financial officer Tom Casey, analysts are expecting a reduction in customers to Blockbuster's Total Access online subscription service. Meanwhile, a spokeswoman said the company is looking at an in-store subscription program.
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Best Buy offers nine HD DVDs with player
OCT. 2 | Best Buy is offering nine free HD DVDs with the purchase of its $399 Toshiba HD A30 HD DVD player, upping the ante of Toshiba’s promotional offer of seven free HD DVDs with each third-generation player.
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EMA forms Digital Council
OCT. 2 | The Entertainment Merchants Assn. (formerly VSDA) has formed a new Digital Council with the goal of helping define and standardize practices in digital entertainment and promoting consumer acceptance of new forms of entertainment delivery.
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Barnes & Noble revamps its Web site
Online exclusive: OCT. 1 | Barnes & Noble has launched a re-designed Web site, which includes an online review magazine, weekly podcasts and a live Webcast of its in-store events, among other new features.
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Robbins makes move on retail
OCT. 1 | Life coach and infomercial guru Tony Robbins will make his first major push at retail next year through indie supplier Westlake Entertainment.
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NPD Group: Electronic sell-through has slow growth
OCT. 5 | Despite the hype surrounding digital video, permanent downloads (a.k.a. electronic sell-through) have been slow to catch on—just 1.3 million households, representing 2% of Internet users in the U.S., purchased electronic sell-through products early in 2007, according to NPD Group.
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Judge finds Disney breach in Seagal DVD premiere
OCT. 5 | FROM VARIETY: In a case stemming from the home video distribution of Steven Seagal’s The Last Patriot, a judge ruled that Disney breached an agreement that capped distribution expenses and awarded plaintiff Ilshin Investment Co., the Korean financier of the film, damages of $6.4 million.
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Fox points to hardware for Silver Surfer Blu-ray problems
Online exclusive: OCT. 4 | 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is aware of consumers experiencing playback problems on Oct. 2 Blu-ray Disc release The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, but the studio believes the issues are confined to a limited number of players.
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Studios extend free Blu-ray movies promo thru Q4
OCT. 3 | Blu-ray backing studios and manufacturers are extending their ‘5 free BD movie’ promotion through the holidays.
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Microsoft intros flash Zunes
OCT. 3 | FROM TWICE: SEATTLE—Microsoft introduced last night two slimmed-down Zune portable media players and a new social networking beta site called Zune Social.
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Study puts U.S. losses from piracy at $58 bil.
OCT. 3 | FROM CONTENT AGENDA: The Institute for Policy Innovation, a pro-business think tank based in Dallas, Texas, will release a new study pegging total losses to the U.S. economy from copyright piracy at $58 billion.
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Universal builds bridge to Web shop on Evan Almighty
OCT. 3 | Universal Studios Home Entertainment will launch its first e-commerce features tied to a high-def disc with the HD DVD Combo release of Evan Almighty on Oct. 9. Designed to play off the movie’s environmental theme, this Web-enabled interactivity links consumers to a new ‘U-Shop’ feature (pictured) where they can purchase a variety of green-friendly products.
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Best Buy offers nine HD DVDs with player
OCT. 2 | Best Buy is offering nine free HD DVDs with the purchase of its $399 Toshiba HD A30 HD DVD player, upping the ante of Toshiba’s promotional offer of seven free HD DVDs with each third-generation player.
Click for Full Story
Warner makes a deal for Peanuts
OCT. 2 | Cowabunga! Warner Home Video has signed a multi-year deal to distribute Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang on DVD and digitally.
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Sony produces milestone Blu-ray disc
OCT. 2 | Sony DADC has produced its 10 millionth 50 gigabyte Blu-ray disc, and the company says manufacturing yields are approaching that of standard DVD.
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Sony promotes Mullaly, Griesbach
OCT. 1 | Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has promoted two staffers and made one addition in its worldwide publicity department.
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Vongo adds Screen Media titles
OCT. 1 | Starz Entertainment has signed a multi-year deal with indie label Screen Media Ventures to add 100 movie titles to Starz’s online subscription service, Vongo.
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Warner burns up Japan
OCT. 1 | FROM CONTENT AGENDA: Proponents of on-demand manufacturing and in-home burning of DVDs wondering whether the major studios are ready to embrace the new business model can look to Japan for comfort.
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Robbins makes move on retail
OCT. 1 | Life coach and infomercial guru Tony Robbins will make his first major push at retail next year through indie supplier Westlake Entertainment.
Click for Full Story
Best Buy named leading high-def retailer
OCT. 5 | Best Buy has emerged as the leading retailer of Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD titles by a wide margin, easily topping DVD-dominant Wal-Mart, according to the NPD Group. Wal-Mart carries a third-place share of the high-definition software market, followed by Circuit City and Target. Amazon.com sits in second.
Click for Full Story
Fox points to hardware for Silver Surfer Blu-ray problems
Online exclusive: OCT. 4 | 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is aware of consumers experiencing playback problems on Oct. 2 Blu-ray Disc release The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, but the studio believes the issues are confined to a limited number of players.
Click for Full Story
DVD Forum closer to approving 51GB HD DVD
OCT. 4 | A working group within the DVD Forum has approved the specification for a triple-layer 51GB HD DVD, confirmed a spokesperson for the North American HD DVD Promotion Group, opening the door for the format to be competitive with Blu-ray Disc’s highest-capacity 50GB disc.
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Panasonic execs bullish on Blu-ray
OCT. 4 | FROM TWICE: Chiba, Japan — Top executives of Matsushita Electric Industrial, marketers of the Panasonic brand worldwide, made pointed comments about the Blu-ray/HD
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Studios extend free Blu-ray movies promo thru Q4
OCT. 3 | Blu-ray backing studios and manufacturers are extending their ‘5 free BD movie’ promotion through the holidays.
Click for Full Story
Universal builds bridge to Web shop on Evan Almighty
OCT. 3 | Universal Studios Home Entertainment will launch its first e-commerce features tied to a high-def disc with the HD DVD Combo release of Evan Almighty on Oct. 9. Designed to play off the movie’s environmental theme, this Web-enabled interactivity links consumers to a new ‘U-Shop’ feature (pictured) where they can purchase a variety of green-friendly products.
Click for Full Story
Best Buy offers nine HD DVDs with player
OCT. 2 | Best Buy is offering nine free HD DVDs with the purchase of its $399 Toshiba HD A30 HD DVD player, upping the ante of Toshiba’s promotional offer of seven free HD DVDs with each third-generation player.
Click for Full Story
Sony produces milestone Blu-ray disc
OCT. 2 | Sony DADC has produced its 10 millionth 50 gigabyte Blu-ray disc, and the company says manufacturing yields are approaching that of standard DVD.
Click for Full Story
Blu-ray eyeing China
OCT. 1 | FROM CONTENT AGENDA: After initially turning a cold shoulder to China, the Blu-ray Disc Assn. is warming up to Chinese OEMs and consumers, BDA spokesman and Pioneer Electronics senior VP Andy Parsons tells Content Agenda.
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Halo 3 racks up $300 million worldwide
OCT. 5 | FROM VARIETY: Halo 3 is continuing to rack up huge sales, as Microsoft revealed that the third installment in its uber-popular sci-fi action franchise grossed more than $300 million worldwide in its first week.
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NPD Group: Electronic sell-through has slow growth
OCT. 5 | Despite the hype surrounding digital video, permanent downloads (a.k.a. electronic sell-through) have been slow to catch on—just 1.3 million households, representing 2% of Internet users in the U.S., purchased electronic sell-through products early in 2007, according to NPD Group.
Click for Full Story
Hewlett-Packard signs 30 suppliers for media-on-demand
OCT. 4 | Hewlett-Packard waded deeper into the media-on-demand space by announcing it has licensed the catalog of 30 content providers, adding 4,000 titles under its H-P Video Merchant Services brand.
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Microsoft intros flash Zunes
OCT. 3 | FROM TWICE: SEATTLE—Microsoft introduced last night two slimmed-down Zune portable media players and a new social networking beta site called Zune Social.
Click for Full Story
Vongo adds Screen Media titles
OCT. 1 | Starz Entertainment has signed a multi-year deal with indie label Screen Media Ventures to add 100 movie titles to Starz’s online subscription service, Vongo.
Click for Full Story
Warner burns up Japan
OCT. 1 | FROM CONTENT AGENDA: Proponents of on-demand manufacturing and in-home burning of DVDs wondering whether the major studios are ready to embrace the new business model can look to Japan for comfort.
Click for Full Story
NPD Group: Electronic sell-through has slow growth
OCT. 5 | Despite the hype surrounding digital video, permanent downloads (a.k.a. electronic sell-through) have been slow to catch on—just 1.3 million households, representing 2% of Internet users in the U.S., purchased electronic sell-through products early in 2007, according to NPD Group.
Click for Full Story
Microsoft intros flash Zunes
OCT. 3 | FROM TWICE: SEATTLE—Microsoft introduced last night two slimmed-down Zune portable media players and a new social networking beta site called Zune Social.
Click for Full Story
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This message was sent to cheryl.cheng@reedbusiness.com.
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