More Articles By Jennifer Netherby

• More Warner titles on DVD, VOD simultaneously
  FEB. 8 | Warner Bros. is stepping up its slate of films debuting simultaneously on DVD and video-on-demand, giving Michael Clayton , The Brave One and No Reservations a day-and-date release in February followed by March releases August Rush and Nancy Drew . Films will be available the same day through all VOD operators nationwide. More
  
• Sony pacts with Hewlett-Packard for manufacturing-on-demand
  JAN. 24 | UPDATED:  Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has inked a deal with Hewlett-Packard to make smaller films from its library available through DVD manufacturing-on-demand, making it the first studio to enter the MOD business. More
  
• Netflix income up 36% for 2007
  JAN. 23 | After a rough-and-tumble year battling Blockbuster Online, Netflix beat analysts expectations Wednesday, reporting a 6% increase in fourth-quarter earnings and a similar increase in new subscribers during the period. More
  
• Rental downloads more popular than sell-through
  JAN. 18 | With its move into the movie rental business this week, Apple became the latest digital player to acknowledge that the download-to-own movie business, as currently executed, isn’t catching on with consumers. More
  
• Low-price Chinese HD DVD players still absent
  AUG. 24 | With much fanfare, the HD DVD Promotional Group announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in January that Chinese manufacturers would begin selling low-price HD DVD players in the U.S. this year. But as of mid-August, no manufacturer or retailer has announced a firm date for the players. More
  
• Ratatouille served on DVD, Blu-ray Nov. 6
  AUG. 21 | Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment will serve up the Disney/Pixar production Ratatouille (pictured) on DVD and Blu-ray Nov. 6, the same timeframe that the studio chose for Pixar blockbuster Cars last year. The studio also will bow its blockbuster TV series Lost on Blu-ray, as well as DVD, on Dec. 11. More
  
• Ratatouille served on DVD, Blu-ray Nov. 6
  AUG. 21 | Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment will serve up the Disney/Pixar production Ratatouille (pictured) on DVD and Blu-ray Nov. 6, the same timeframe that the studio chose for Pixar blockbuster Cars last year. The studio also will bow its blockbuster TV series Lost on Blu-ray, as well as DVD, on Dec. 11. More
  
• Building B to launch TV/’Net-delivered service 
  AUG. 20 | Building B, an upstart TV and movie delivery company launched by former execs from Paramount, Sony, Bell Labs and other leading companies, will join the increasingly crowded Internet video business with a hybrid TV/Internet-delivered movie service expected to launch this fall. More
  
• Paramount supports HD DVD exclusively
  AUG. 20 | In a surprise move sure to shake up the high-definition format battle, Paramount Home Entertainment said today that it will exclusively support HD DVD beginning with Aug. 28 release Blades of Glory . Paramount said that all movies from its labels will be released in high-definition on HD DVD only worldwide. Films from DreamWorks Animation, which hasn’t yet released any films on high-def, also will debut on HD DVD only. More
  
• Netflix turns to phone customer service
  AUG. 16 | Going a different direction than most companies in the Internet era, Netflix has stopped taking customer service questions and complaints via e-mail, preferring to handle all customer support issues by phone. More
  
• Disney demands retraction of Baby Einstein study
  AUG. 15 | UPDATE: The Walt Disney Co. is demanding that the University of Washington retract study results issued last week that claimed Baby Einstein  and similar educational DVDs can slow vocabulary development in babies. Disney claims its Baby Einstein line of DVDs, distributed by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Group, have been impacted by the press release the University put out about the study. More
  
• Consumers prefer DVD, TV over downloading for movies
  AUG. 15 | Consumers still prefer watching TV shows and movies on DVD or the TV to watching movies online via streaming or downloading, according to a study by industry trade group DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group. More
  
• Universal to distribute Lego DVD premiere movies
  AUG. 14 | New CGI animation company Tinseltown Toons will distribute two to three family DVD premiere movies a year through Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Tinseltown has a deal with the LEGO Company to produce animated DVD premiere movies based on the toy company’s brands LEGO City, LEGO Mars Mission (pictured), LEGO Castle, LEGO Creator and Bionicle. More
  
• Blockbuster buys Movielink for $6.6 million
  AUG. 14 | Blockbuster, which first tried to buy movie download service Movielink for $70 million a year ago, paid just $6.6 million in an all cash deal last week when it finally closed the deal, according to a filing today with the Securities and Exchange Commission. More
  
• Netflix, Target share Tony Bennet DVD exclusive
  AUG. 13 | Netflix and Target will have a six-week exclusive DVD window on upcoming documentary Tony Bennett: The Music Never Ends from Netflix’s Red Envelope Entertainment, as part of a near simultaneous release of the flick on TV and DVD. More
  
• Google to close Video download service
  AUG. 13 | Google’s decision to close its online video download service this week sparked an Internet uproar, as users will no longer be able to view their digital rights management-protected TV and movie downloads bought from the site. More
  
• Kiosk company Polar Frog joins DEG
  AUG. 13 | Polar Frog Digital, a company that distributes and operates movie download kiosks, has joined the Digital Entertainment Group as an associate member. More
  
• Downloads promote TV DVD, say studios
  AUG. 10 | The last season of TV shows, just now arriving on DVD, have been more available to consumers than ever before thanks to the Internet, where TV episode sales lead all other video sales. More
  
• Lionsgate DVD revenue drops 10% on weak slate
  AUG. 9 | A weaker new release slate dragged Lionsgate home entertainment revenue down 10% to $103.8 million during the company’s fiscal first quarter.  Pride , Tyler Perry film Daddy’s Little Girls and Happily N’ever After (pictured) led disc sales for the period but weren’t big enough to outsell last year’s slate. More
  
• Blockbuster acquires movie download site Movielink
  AUG. 8 | After a year of rumors, Blockbuster Video has acquired studio-owned movie download service Movielink, putting the largest rental retailer in the digital business overnight. Blockbuster chair and CEO Jim Keyes called the deal the next “logical” step in the company’s transformation. More