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The top news and charts for week ending May 16, 2008 .
Studios take steps toward early high-def VOD window Blockbuster reports Q1 profit iTunes agrees to vary pricing for HBO |
 Sinatra stamps The U.S. Postal Service unveiled a new Frank Sinatra stamp on May 13 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the entertainer’s death. At the Las Vegas event were Frank Sinatra’s daughters, Nancy (l.) and Tina Sinatra (r.), with Warner’s Ronnee Sass. Warner recently released 22 of Sinatra’s films on DVD. Click for more industry photos. |
"P.S. I LOVE YOU" leads Top DVD Renters Chart "P.S. I LOVE YOU" leads Top DVD Sellers Chart "THE GOLDEN COMPASS" leads Top Blu-ray Sellers Chart |
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SWEETING: Content control |
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BETWEEN THE LINES: Retailers rally ‘round Blu |
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RED STATE, BLUE STATE: If Mrs. Brady can convert, so can you! |
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DISC DISH: Ellen Page, Josh Hartnett, Heather Graham |
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DVDIALOG: Am I Blue (Man)? |
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THE DOWN LOW: Sopranos on iTunes? |
Wal-Mart increases two-pack offerings
MAY 15 | Wal-Mart is increasingly looking to boost its DVD profit, introducing two-packs that pair a new release and a related catalog title for $20.
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Movie Gallery reports loss for month
MAY 15 | Movie Gallery reported a net loss of $49.8 million on revenue of $151.6 million for the month ended April 6.
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Blockbuster reports Q1 profit
MAY 15 | Blockbuster reported first-quarter profit as it boosted same-store sales and made its online-subscription business profitable. The company also said it’s continuing its due diligence in the $1 billion bid it made for Circuit City in February; has redesigned about 6% of its stores to emphasize games, electronics sales and DVD sales; and is preparing to relaunch its Movielink download service.
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Netflix tops e-commerce customer satisfaction for seventh term
MAY 15 | Netflix.com is tops in e-commerce customer satisfaction, according to the latest survey by ForeSee Results. This marks the seventh straight time that Netflix has been crowned king in ForeSee’s Top 100 Online Retail Satisfaction Index report.
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Pro-Active files Chapter 7 bankruptcy
MAY 14 | Pro-Active Entertainment Group filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California on May 7.
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Wal-Mart sells Blu-ray player for $298
MAY 14 | Come Memorial Day weekend, Wal-Mart will start selling Blu-ray Disc set-top players for $298, the cheapest starting price point yet for players in the format. Sources indicate the hardware will be manufactured by Japan-based Funai and will be sold under the Magnavox brand.
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EMA to honor Donna Reed son Paul Petersen
MAY 13 | In a special salute to classic TV, the Entertainment Merchants Assn. will honor Paul Petersen, who starred as Donna Reed’s son in the popular ’50s and ’60 series The Donna Reed Show.
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DVD distributor Allegro buys military wholesaler Softland
MAY 13 | Allegro Media Group has acquired DVD and CD wholesaler Softland, which supplies rental stores on Marine and Naval bases in the U.S. and Japan.
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Topics soars with Over Blu-ray sales
MAY 15 | Topics Entertainment has sold through 40,000 units of Over California and Over America at Costco alone, since the titles’ Blu-ray release exclusively at the retailer on March 15.
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Studios take steps toward an early high-def VOD window
MAY 15 | FROM CONTENT AGENDA: WASHINGTON—The major studios are working with cable and satellite operators to offer high-definition movies by video-on-demand shortly after their theatrical debut and well ahead of their release on DVD and Blu-ray Disc.
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Viz promotes Death Note movie with Hot Topic
MAY 15 | Viz Media has partnered with teen apparel retailer Hot Topic to promote live-action DVD release Death Note.
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Warner promotes three during New Line integration
MAY 15 | Warner Home Video’s Jeffrey Baker, Jeff Brown and Mike Saksa have been upped to executive VP and general manager of theatrical catalog, non-theatrical franchise and new releases, respectively, spanning both Warner and New Line titles.
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Image bolsters borrowing capacity
MAY 14 | Image Entertainment has increased its maximum borrowing availability on its Wachovia Capital Finance Corp. loan and security agreement to $20 million.
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PlayStation 3 helps Sony back into profit
MAY 14 | Stemming PlayStation 3 operating losses, Sony returned to profit in its fiscal 2008 fourth quarter and posted record year-end earnings. For the year, worldwide PS3 system sales totaled 9.2 million, almost tripling the console’s base at the same point during fiscal 2007.
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Taiwan police raid pirates’ cove
MAY 13 | FROM VARIETY: Taiwanese police raided the biggest DVD burner lab discovered in the territory.
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iTunes agrees to vary pricing for HBO
MAY 13 | HBO has signed on to sell episodes of its TV shows on iTunes after the movie download service agreed to vary its pricing and release dates. ITunes will charge $2.99 per episode of The Sopranos, Deadwood and Rome.
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Genius loss widens after weak TWC slate
MAY 12 | Genius Products LLC reported widening losses in its first-quarter 2008 earnings, as the company was dragged down by a weak DVD slate from The Weinstein Company.
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Gaiam earnings up 26% with more merchandise displays
MAY 12 | Gaiam reported earnings gains in its 2008 first quarter, boosted by an increasing retail footprint.
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Porchlight turns on Ocean Park indie film label
MAY 12 | Porchlight Home Entertainment is launching a new label, Ocean Park Home Entertainment, for independent films.
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Iron Man proves box office mettle
MAY 12 | VARIETY BOX-OFFICE REPORT: Speed Racer sputtered out of the starting gate on its first weekend, bowing to a very weak $20.2 million. Both placed far behind Marvel and Par’s blockbuster Iron Man, which dropped 49% to $50.5 million in its second frame.
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Topics soars with Over Blu-ray sales
MAY 15 | Topics Entertainment has sold through 40,000 units of Over California and Over America at Costco alone, since the titles’ Blu-ray release exclusively at the retailer on March 15.
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Studios take steps toward an early high-def VOD window
MAY 15 | FROM CONTENT AGENDA: WASHINGTON—The major studios are working with cable and satellite operators to offer high-definition movies by video-on-demand shortly after their theatrical debut and well ahead of their release on DVD and Blu-ray Disc.
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High prices curb Blu-ray adoption
MAY 14 | Despite winning the format war, Blu-ray has not entirely convinced consumers of its worth, according to a new Harris Interactive Poll.
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Wal-Mart sells Blu-ray player for $298
MAY 14 | Come Memorial Day weekend, Wal-Mart will start selling Blu-ray Disc set-top players for $298, the cheapest starting price point yet for players in the format. Sources indicate the hardware will be manufactured by Japan-based Funai and will be sold under the Magnavox brand.
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Videogames on pace for another record year
MAY 16 | The videogame industry is still on a roll in 2008, as both hardware and software notched gains in April over the same month last year, according to NPD.
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GTA IV on Xbox outsells PS3
MAY 16 | FROM VARIETY: Grand Theft Auto IV was huge, but it didn’t have the ripple effect that the videogame biz was hoping for.
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Vivendi Games’ Q1 earnings plunge
MAY 14 | Vivendi said that its games unit’s first-quarter profit fell 53% from a year earlier, when it released the second version of its World of Warcraft franchise.
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PlayStation 3 helps Sony back into profit
MAY 14 | Stemming PlayStation 3 operating losses, Sony returned to profit in its fiscal 2008 fourth quarter and posted record year-end earnings. For the year, worldwide PS3 system sales totaled 9.2 million, almost tripling the console’s base at the same point during fiscal 2007.
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Nintendo does Wii-ly well in Japan
MAY 14 | FROM VARIETY: Nintendo has sold 6 million Wii consoles in Japan, a record for TV game consoles since game mag publisher Enterbrain began its sales surveys in 1996.
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EA Q4 sales jump on Rock Band, Burnout
MAY 13 | Electronic Arts’ fiscal 2007 fourth-quarter revenue surged on the popularity of its Rock Band and Burnout Paradise game titles.
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Studios take steps toward an early high-def VOD window
MAY 15 | FROM CONTENT AGENDA: WASHINGTON—The major studios are working with cable and satellite operators to offer high-definition movies by video-on-demand shortly after their theatrical debut and well ahead of their release on DVD and Blu-ray Disc.
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Jaman offers high-def streams for free
MAY 15 | Independent movie download service Jaman.com has begun offering ad-supported, high-definition movies for free online as part of its expanding movie service.
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iTunes agrees to vary pricing for HBO
MAY 13 | HBO has signed on to sell episodes of its TV shows on iTunes after the movie download service agreed to vary its pricing and release dates. ITunes will charge $2.99 per episode of The Sopranos, Deadwood and Rome.
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