Image sings for HD DVD
Company to release Chicago, Heart, Manilow titles on format
By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 8/21/2006
AUG. 21 | Won over by the HD DVD camp’s promised heavy marketing campaign, Image Entertainment will throw three concert titles into the format’s ring for fourth quarter.
Image will bow Chicago/Earth, Wind & Fire: Live at the Greek, Heart: Alive in Seattle and Barry Manilow: Manilow Live! on HD DVD on Nov. 14 (prebook Oct. 3), priced at $24.99. “The original intention was that we were going to take 2006 and see what happens,” Image VP of catalog John Powers said. “But the HD DVD camp starting courting us and convinced us to go with a couple of titles this year. Blu-ray [Disc backers] haven’t really approached us.” Image was impressed by an upcoming $150 million HD DVD marketing campaign (VB, 7-11). Also, HD DVD title production costs are less than that of Blu-ray. Powers added that Image’s timing on its HD DVD releases isn’t aimed at boosting the company’s value as it faces off against Lionsgate in a takeover struggle.“It’s mutually exclusive [of issues with shareholders],” Powers said. “This was a good business decision to move forward on HD DVD.”
By launching HD DVD titles this fourth quarter, Image can amortize format costs easier over a longer period of time, he added.
Chicago, Heart and Manilow will likely represent Image’s only HD DVD releases this year. It’s unclear what the supplier’s future output levels will be on the format.
