|
|
| News | Market Data | Tipsheet Reviews | New Releases | Blogs | Events | Resources | Videogames |
The top news and charts for week ending January 7, 2008.
Warner backs Blu-ray exclusively Movie Gallery reports $80 million loss in six weeks Retailers expand merchandising of Blu-ray, HD DVD |
A Hollywood celebration Superbad’s Christopher Mintz-Plasse (c.) celebrated his Breakthrough Performance of the Year award with actor Paul Rudd (l.) and Sony’s Jason Allen at Hollywood Life Magazine’s award show on Dec. 9. See Click for more industry photos. |
"RUSH HOUR 3" leads Top DVD Renters Chart "THE SIMPSONS MOVIE" leads Top DVD Sellers Chart "THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM" leads Top HD DVD Sellers Chart "PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END" leads Top Blu-ray Sellers Chart |
|
||
 |
SWEETING: The Content/Technology Agenda for 2008 |
 |
BETWEEN THE LINES: Final crazy one (for now) … |
 |
RED STATE, BLUE STATE: Fox Bows “Must Have” BD catalog |
 |
DVDIALOG: Is Dave Attell Miserable? |
Retailers expand merchandising of Blu-ray, HD DVD
JAN. 4 | Online exclusive: Key retailers are moving into the new year with more merchandising space devoted to the fledgling high-definition DVD formats.
Click for Full Story
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.
Click for Full Story
Distributor Artie Bach dies
JAN. 4 | Video pioneer Artie Bach died Dec. 10 at Sloan-Kettering hospital in New York City from complications following cancer surgery. He was 78.
Click for Full Story
Movie Gallery reports $80 million loss in six weeks
JAN. 4 | Online exclusive: Movie Gallery is reporting continuing losses during its bankruptcy period, according to filings with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and Securities and Exchange Commission.For the first six weeks since the bankruptcy was filed, Oct. 16-Dec. 2, the company reported a net loss of $80.7 million. Of that total, $53.5 million came from Hollywood Video stores and $27.2 million from stores under the Movie Gallery brand.
Click for Full Story
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.
Click for Full Story
Netflix partners with LG to stream to TV
JAN. 3 | Netflix is teaming with LG Electronics on a set-top box that streams movies and other programming from the Internet to the TV.
Click for Full Story
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.
Click for Full Story
Warner backs Blu-ray exclusively
JAN. 4 | 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.
Click for Full Story
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.
Click for Full Story
CBS DVD to increase its release slate
JAN. 4 | After multiple reorganizations, CBS DVD anticipates expanding its release slate dramatically in 2008.
Click for Full Story
Awards hopefuls set DVD bows
JAN. 4 | FROM VARIETY: As the kudos season kicks into high gear, studios are staking out prime DVD berths for their hopefuls.
Click for Full Story
Album sales take a tumble in 2007
JAN. 4 | FROM VARIETY: The digital growth in downloaded songs and albums hit record levels in 2007, but it wasn’t enough to make up for the loss in physical CD sales.
Click for Full Story
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.
Click for Full Story
Six major studios top $1 billion
JAN. 2 | FROM VARIETY: For the first time since 1998, Paramount ended the year No. 1 in market share, a victory made possible because it owns DreamWorks and distributes its movies.
Click for Full Story
New Year’s box office hits the bubbly
JAN. 2 | FROM VARIETY: The five-day New Year’s frame continued the late-year boost to the film biz, with Disney sequel National Treasure: Book of Secrets leading and 20th Century Fox’s surprise hit Alvin and the Chipmunks overtaking Warner Bros.’ I Am Legend for the No. 2 spot.
Click for Full Story
Koch Lorber offers Q1 discount
DEC. 31 | Koch Lorber Films will kick off the New Year with a buy three, get one free promotion. The savings work out to as much as 67% because Koch Lorber will allow the free title to be the most expensive, said Dan Gurlitz, general manager of Koch Lorber.
Click for Full Story
Warner backs Blu-ray exclusively
JAN. 4 | 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.
Click for Full Story
Retailers expand merchandising of Blu-ray, HD DVD
JAN. 4 | Online exclusive: Key retailers are moving into the new year with more merchandising space devoted to the fledgling high-definition DVD formats.
Click for Full Story
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.
Click for Full Story
DVR penetration to double in five years
JAN. 3 | Online exclusive: A new JupiterResearch report forecasts steady growth for digital video recorders in U.S. TV households over the next five years, which will create a challenge for advertisers, even though DVRs themselves face competition from video-on-demand and online video streaming.
Click for Full Story
Netflix partners with LG to stream to TV
JAN. 3 | Netflix is teaming with LG Electronics on a set-top box that streams movies and other programming from the Internet to the TV.
Click for Full Story
CinemaNow, Macrovision offer ‘Connected Platform’
JAN. 3 | Movie download service CinemaNow and digital solutions firm Macrovision announced a deal to allow users to download CinemaNow titles onto consumer electronics devices and share them over a home network, using Macrovision’s Connected Platform technology.
Click for Full Story
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.
Click for Full Story
CinemaNow, Macrovision offer ‘Connected Platform’
JAN. 3 | Movie download service CinemaNow and digital solutions firm Macrovision announced a deal to allow users to download CinemaNow titles onto consumer electronics devices and share them over a home network, using Macrovision’s Connected Platform technology.
Click for Full Story
| News | Market Data | Tipsheet Reviews | New Releases | Blogs | Events | Resources | Videogames |
