More Articles By Susanne Ault

• Image, BTP merger deadline extended
  JAN. 14 | Image Entertainment and BTP Acquisition Company have again extended the deadline to finalize their merger to Feb. 1. More
  
• Borders gets exclusive lease on Life
  JAN. 14 | In one of its first DVD ‘gets’, Borders will be exclusively selling the first season of This American Life . For six months, Borders will be the only retailer offering the title, which is priced at $19.99. More
  
• Toshiba plans big HD DVD marketing campaign
  JAN. 14 | Toshiba is launching a massive marketing campaign for its HD DVD hardware, including granting $150 to $200 price chops on players. More
  
• MusicGiants partners with Paramount
  JAN. 11 | MusicGiants is expanding its high-end audio business with a film download partnership with Paramount Pictures Digital Entertainment. More
  
• Trans World ends 2007 with loss
  JAN. 10 | Despite earlier break-even projections, Trans World will wind up 2007 with a $15 million to $20 million net loss after a disappointing holiday season. The sobering news coincides with Trans World’s decision last month to shutter 138 primarily underperforming F.Y.E. and Suncoast stores as their leases were expiring. More
  
• Trans World liquidates 138 stores
  JAN. 9 | In some year-end housekeeping, Trans World Entertainment has been liquidating 138 of its retail outlets over the last several weeks. The bulk of the closures, which started in early December, are of stores under Trans World’s F.Y.E. brand. About 40 of the shuttered outlets are part of Trans World’s DVD-centric Suncoast brand. More
  
• CES: Blu-ray growth forecast healthy
  JAN. 8 | LAS VEGAS —With momentum in the format war on their side, studio members of the Blu-ray Disc Assn. projected healthy format growth this year, according to research provided at a Monday Consumer Electronics Show press conference here. At an NPD Group CES session immediately following, however, analysts talked of ongoing obstacles for Blu-ray to win widespread acceptance. More
  
• Blu-ray will win format war at end of 2008, predicts Understanding & Solutions
  JAN. 7 | After Warner Bros. Entertainment’s decision to release titles exclusively on Blu-ray Disc, research firm Understanding & Solutions forecasts that the high-definition format war will be resolved by the end of this year. More
  
• CES: Samsung, Panasonic, Sharp and Philips to bow new Blu-ray players
  JAN. 6 | LAS VEGAS-- Samsung in May will bow its fourth-generation Blu-ray Disc player, the manufacturer’s first straight Blu-ray set-top to offer picture-in-picture functionality. More
  
• CES: Sony cheers Warner move; preps advanced Blu-ray players
  JAN. 6 | LAS VEGAS— Sony Corp. chief Howard Stringer reversed his previous description of the high-definition format war as “at a stalemate” in light of Warner Bros.’ abandonment of the HD DVD format and cheered what he now sees as a Blu-ray victory. More
  
• CES: Toshiba vows to back HD DVD without Warner
  JAN. 6 | LAS VEGAS— Toshiba expressed some shock over Warner Bros. Entertaiment’s dropping support of HD DVD , but said it was not giving up on the format, during a Sunday press conference on the eve of the Consumer Electronics Show here. More
  
• Disney builds Blu features for Sleeping Beauty
  JAN. 6 | Walt Disney Home Entertainment confirmed that its first Web-enabled Blu-ray Disc title will be Sleeping Beauty , one of several Platinum Edition titles the studio plans to street in the high-def format this year. Bowing in the fall, Sleeping Beauty will feature online shopping via broadband connection and a BD Live “Virtual Castle” feature. More
  
• Eugster taking top seat at Baker & Taylor
  JAN. 4 | Baker & Taylor chairman and CEO Richard Willis is stepping down from his role, and will be replaced by former Musicland chief Jack W. Eugster, effective immediately. More
  
• Retailers expand merchandising of Blu-ray, HD DVD
  JAN. 4 | Key retailers are moving into the new year with more merchandising space devoted to the fledgling high-definition DVD formats. More
  
• NBC to provide kiosk downloads at CES
  JAN. 4 | Entertainment kiosk company Mediaport has inked its first video download deal with a major studio, NBC Universal, and the pact will kick off at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Jan. 7-10. More
  
• CBS DVD to increase its release slate
  JAN. 4 | After multiple reorganizations, CBS DVD anticipates expanding its release slate dramatically in 2008. More
  
• Pioneer plans pricey new players
  JAN. 4 | Pioneer captures less than 5% of current Blu-ray hardware market share, but the manufacturer is committed to playing in its limited, high-end niche. More
  
• Warner backs Blu-ray exclusively
  JAN. 4 | UPDATE: Warner Bros. Entertainment this year will begin releasing high-definition titles exclusively in Blu-ray Disc, dealing a severe blow to the HD DVD format. The studio hopes its decision will help end the format war, and boost the chances of high-definition quickly becoming a vital business. More
  
• Cookson to head Sony Pictures Technologies
  JAN. 2 | Christopher J. Cookson has been named president at Sony Pictures Technologies. In this newly created position, Cookson will oversee the development and execution of Sony’s technology policy and processes. More
  
• Virgin reports successful Q4
  JAN. 2 | Despite the announced closure of three locations in 2007, Virgin Megastores has declared the year a success, citing growth in several product categories including DVD. More