The top news and charts for week ending November 26, 2007.
Full-series TV DVDs grow at retail Grocery delivery service to offer DVD burning on demand HBO creates interactive window displays at Virgin |
Sing-along Musical screening Disney Channel’s Gary Marsh (l.) and Disney Studios Home Entertainment president Bob Chapek greeted High School Musical 2 star Vanessa Hudgens at the El Capitan screening on Nov. 19. See more industry photos. |
"SHREK THE THIRD" leads Top DVD Renters Chart "SHREK THE THIRD" leads Top DVD Sellers Chart "SHREK THE THIRD" leads Top HD DVD Sellers Chart "RATATOUILLE" leads Top Blu-ray Sellers Chart |
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SWEETING: Web 2.slow |
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RED STATE, BLUE STATE: HD VMD kickin’ it in Poland |
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DISC DISH: Garfield turns to chicken? |
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DVDIALOG: Jake Kasdan’s TV set |
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THE DOWN LOW: Vudu launches first HD titles |
Amway launches online venture Fanista
NOV. 21 | Online exclusive:The backers of the multi-level marketing company Amway have launched an online venture called Fanista (www.fanista.com), which is taking Amway’s marketing referral philosophy online.
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Trans World loss broadens in fiscal Q3
NOV. 21 | Gains made in DVD, videogames and electronics still could not prevent Trans World Entertainment from reporting wider losses in its fiscal 2007 third quarter. The retailer posted a $14.3 million net loss for the three months ended Nov. 3.
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Full-series TV DVDs grow at retail
NOV. 21 | “Mega” TV DVD collections are swelling retailer shelves as studios try to squeeze more revenue out of previously released content. Stores are carefully ordering the sets, which are coming fast and furious.
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HBO creates interactive window displays at Virgin
NOV. 21 | HBO Video is teaming with Virgin Megastores on an interactive window display designed to get shoppers to wrap—and unwrap—HBO DVDs as holiday gifts.
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Grocery delivery service to offer DVD burning on demand
NOV. 21 | Grocery delivery service Peapod may be one of the first retailers to manufacture DVDs on demand, under a new deal with TitleMatch Entertainment Group.
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Best Buy, Kmart reveal Black Friday plans
NOV. 21 | FROM TWICE: Best Buy and Kmart have officially posted their Black Friday circulars online, including sales on TVs.
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Trans World considers going private
NOV. 20 | Trans World Entertainment’s Board of Directors is allowing the chain’s chair and CEO Robert Higgins to move forward on his bid to shift the retailer into a privately held company.
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Blockbuster Total Access offered with Fujitsu laptop purchase
NOV. 20 | Fujitsu Computer Systems is offering a four-month subscription of Blockbuster Total Access with any new laptop purchase as part of a promotion that lasts through Jan. 31.
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Hastings approves stock repurchase program
NOV. 20 | Hastings Entertainment’s board of directors has authorized a $7.5 million stock repurchase program in a continued effort to bolster the chain’s share price.
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Best Buy gets exclusive on Mariah Carey concert DVD
NOV. 19 | Live Nation is releasing Mariah Carey’s next concert DVD release The Adventures of Mimi exclusively at Best Buy.
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Amazon readies Black Friday sales
NOV. 19 | Online exclusive: Traditionally geared toward ‘Cyber Monday,’ Amazon.com has jumped into the Black Friday fray and is set to chop prices on a number of items. Also, Amazon is continuing its holiday shopping contest, in which consumers vote on the products they’d like to see discounted most, including next-generation videogame consoles and high-definition DVD players.
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Icahn increases investment in Blockbuster
NOV. 19 | Billionaire investor Carl Icahn, who led the effort to replace Blockbuster's former CEO John Antioco, has increased his ownership in the movie rental giant.
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Trans World partners on Naruto promotion
NOV. 19 | Viz Media has teamed with Trans World Entertainment to launch a holiday retail campaign through Web, print and broadcast to promote the new three-disc deluxe edition of Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow.
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Hastings reports first profitable Q3 since 1998
NOV. 19 | DVD and videogame growth spurred on Hastings Entertainment to achieve its first profitable fiscal third quarter since becoming a publicly traded company in 1998.
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Wal-Mart offers online turkey day sale
NOV. 19 | FROM TWICE: Wal-Mart is planning to give online shoppers a head start on their holiday shopping this Thursday by offering online specials on certain electronics, toys, apparel and home products with free shipping.
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Palm Pictures hires Crash execs
NOV. 21 | Jan Korbelin and Marina Grasic, who executive produced Crash, have joined Palm Pictures as managing partners.
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HBO creates interactive window displays at Virgin
NOV. 21 | HBO Video is teaming with Virgin Megastores on an interactive window display designed to get shoppers to wrap—and unwrap—HBO DVDs as holiday gifts.
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Allen to host Video Hall of Fame
NOV. 21 | Comedian and TV personality Byron Allen will host the 27th annual Video Business Video Hall of Fame gala dinner and awards show Dec. 3 at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif.
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Fox extends Joy Ride with DVD premiere sequel
NOV. 20 | 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is extending Joy Ride into a made-for-DVD sequel for release in fall 2008.
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A&E to distribute Major League Soccer DVDs
NOV. 20 | Online exclusive: A&E Home Video and the Major League Soccer have signed a multi-year, multi-title agreement wherein A&E will distribute MLS titles to the retail marketplace.
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Copyright group wades into presidential campaign
NOV. 20 | FROM CONTENTAGENDA: WASHINGTON—The Copyright Alliance, made up of a broad range of industry groups and companies with a shared interest in promoting intellectual property rights, on Tuesday sent questionnaires to all 17 presidential campaigns soliciting their positions on copyright protection and enforcement.
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BD+ joins Macrovision stable
NOV. 19 | Online exclusive: Macrovision has agreed to acquire assets from Cryptography Research, including the new Blu-ray Disc copyright-protection technology BD+, for $45 million.
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Trans World partners on Naruto promotion
NOV. 19 | Viz Media has teamed with Trans World Entertainment to launch a holiday retail campaign through Web, print and broadcast to promote the new three-disc deluxe edition of Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow.
Click for full story
Beowulf slays competition
NOV. 19 | VARIETY BOX OFFICE REPORT: Paramount and Shangri-La Entertainment's violent epic Beowulf howled at the domestic box office, wolfing down the weekend competition and proving the potency of digital 3-D. Film, the widest release to date for the technology, grabbed roughly 40% of its estimated $28.1 million haul from digital 3D screens.
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Pinkslips prompt WGA, AMPTP talks
NOV. 19 | FROM VARIETY: Feeling the pressure as the strike's collateral damage continues to mount through layoffs of staff, cast and crew all over Hollywood, the AMPTP and the WGA will return to the bargaining table on Nov. 26.
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HD DVD moves to expand capacity
NOV. 21 | Online exclusive: The DVD Forum Steering Committee has approved amended specifications, dubbed Version 2.0, for the 51 GB triple-layer HD DVD.
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BD+ joins Macrovision stable
NOV. 19 | Online exclusive: Macrovision has agreed to acquire assets from Cryptography Research, including the new Blu-ray Disc copyright-protection technology BD+, for $45 million.
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EA uses Wii to target casual gamers
NOV. 21 | Christmas 2007 isn't shaping up to be the high-definition love-fest that Sony and Microsoft envisioned for their videogame platforms. Nintendo upset those assumptions with its hot-selling Wii, and game publishers such as Electronic Arts have had to adjust.
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Senators question Mature rating of Manhunt 2 videogame
NOV. 19 | WASHINGTON—Four U.S. senators released a letter they sent Monday to the president of the videogame ratings board calling for a “thorough review” of the system in the wake of Rockstar Games’ Manhunt 2 receiving a “Mature” rating, rather than the more restrictive “Adults Only” designation, after the publisher made some minor revisions to the game.
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Grocery delivery service to offer DVD burning on demand
NOV. 21 | Grocery delivery service Peapod may be one of the first retailers to manufacture DVDs on demand, under a new deal with TitleMatch Entertainment Group.
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BD+ joins Macrovision stable
NOV. 19 | Online exclusive: Macrovision has agreed to acquire assets from Cryptography Research, including the new Blu-ray Disc copyright-protection technology BD+, for $45 million.
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