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High-Def Digest’s Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Blu-rays for the Folks Who Have...Issues

Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 06:30 PM ET
Tags: Holiday Guides 2009, Best of 2009, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

All relatives are different, but some relatives are a little more...different...than others. Fortunately, Aaron Peck has compiled a list of perfect Blu-ray's for the loved ones who tend to keep us on our toes! Without further adieu, we present High-Def Digest's Alternative Gift Guide for 2009!

by Aaron Peck

Families are anything but generic. With that in mind here's a more specific approach to gift giving this year.

For that Brother-in-Law who is always trying to get you to invest in another one of his "side businesses," you could offer him a subtle hint that you don't think this new opportunity will amount to much by giving him 'Enron - The Smartest Guys in the Room.' Or you could go with a more abstract approach and give him 'Jennifer's Body,' with a note that simply says, "Nothing is ever a sure thing." Whatever you do, don't buy him any movies that showcase someone making tons of money from a harebrained scheme. In short, you can be happy 'Envy' hasn't found its way to Blu-ray yet. Continuing to weave our way through the list of eccentric characters we call our family, what follows is a list of the typical and not so typical family members and the perfect high definition gifts to give them this year.

Deeply Disturbed Emo Sister: She's just turned fifteen and her favorite pastimes are painting her nails black, applying thick streaks of dark eye makeup, shuffling around Hot Topic, and listening to "The Used." Her dour look and demeanor make you think she doesn't care much for life, let alone Christmas. But, being the nice person that you are, you decide to get her something anyway. You could go with the tried and true method of buying her 'Nightmare Before Christmas,' which is always a hit with the emo crowd. Chances are she's already got a zip-up hoodie with Jack Skellington's face plastered on the front. Or you could go with a more subversive approach and get her 'Twilight,' in the hopes that she'll see she's acting exactly like sour-puss Kristen Stewart, and change her ways.

Please avoid happy- sappy movies as these might cause an adverse affect, causing your sister to spiral downward into a state of endless woe. Whatever you do, don't attempt to remind her how happy the world can be, you've been warned.

Slacker Brother: Sitting in the basement playing Halo, this family member is rarely seen with the rest of the family, unless, of course, he has a Hot Pocket craving and must venture out of his cave to microwave his next meal. The Slacker Brother is one of the easiest to buy for. Any movie based on a video game will suffice. You have a wealth of movies to choose from, starting with the 'Resident Evil' films and moving right along to 'Max Payne.' Really, it doesn't matter. Sure he might bicker that the movie doesn't follow along exactly with the game storyline, but after passing out in a Mountain Dew induced coma, he won't remember what he watched anyway.

This may go without saying, but avoid movies with excessive love stories in them. This will just be remind him of a life that shall forever remain just out of reach , given his current rut.

I'll-watch-anything-as-long-as-there's-fighting-in-it Dad: Oh, Dad. Sometimes we shake our heads at his movie choices. How in the world can someone come home from the movie store with 'Saving Private Ryan' in one hand, and 'Catwoman' in the other? We'll just never understand it. In any case here's your chance to help your Dad add some quality titles to his collection, all the while keeping in mind the fact that he likes the rock'em, sock'em "Seagalian" genre of movies. 'Braveheart,' and 'Gladiator' are always safe choices, and if he's buying 'Catwoman' we know that he's not going to be concerned with a few missing arrows.

You may want to avoid films that may further his descent into crappy action movies. He's probably already bought 'Transformers 2,' but you can stop the bleeding and not pick up 'G.I. Joe' for him.

Overworked Mom: She never has time for movies anyway, right? So why not get her something else? Well, because everyone needs to take a break to watch a movie now and then. Here's the perfect time to show her that the old classics look fantastic in HD. 'It's a Wonderful Life,' 'Miracle on 34th Street,' or 'Wizard of Oz,' should do the trick.

Contrary to popular belief I think avoiding movies like 'Julie and Julia' would be a good idea here, it's probably not a good idea to remind her of what she's probably been doing all day.

Clueless Best Friend: We all know one. He's not clueless when it comes to life, but when it comes to Blu-ray and high definition media he's completely lost. He's still out buying DVDs at Border's for MSRP for heaven's sake. Every time he asks us "Is Blu-ray really that much better than DVD?" and we answer "Hell yes!" we just get a strange, skeptical (infuriating!) look back. Since he's already got a semi-nice high-def TV to watch sports on digital cable, all you have to do is point him in the right direction for a cheap Blu-ray player. If you're really a nice friend, spending a bit more money to upgrade him to Blu-ray by buying him a cheap player would be a perfect present. To show off the capabilities of Blu-ray you'll want to get some great demo material. 'Wall-e' or 'Up' would do quite fine in that regard.

Tyrannical Boss: Face it, even though your boss makes your life a living hell, it might be strategically prudent to get a present for them, just so you aren't in the dog house the next time you have a special request. You can give a gift and make a statement at the same time though. After lamenting that 'Glengary Glen Ross' hasn't made it to Blu-ray yet, you can get 'Office Space' as a subtle jab to your employer. If you'd rather not waste a modern day comedic classic on the person who makes you loathe getting up in the morning, then maybe 'Wanted' would do. That way you're giving a solid movie that almost anyone would like, with the satisfaction that your boss is watching a movie that slyly gives the middle finger to administrative tyrants and cubical Napoleons everywhere.

Dirty Old Uncle: Every family reunion he just sits there, a table away from the Jell-o buffet, leering at any girl that walks past. He makes lame jokes about the buttons on a girl's blouse, just so he can inch his finger closer. Drawing the gift giving line right before this person may be a good idea anyway. It's too bad all those Lifetime movies featuring countless deviant men don't usually get put on Blu-ray. But, maybe a little hint with 'Fireproof' might work.

Whatever you do, please do not forward his morbid curiosity with much younger women by purchasing him anything that could be associated with the word "titillating." He doesn't need the reinforcement and the rest of the family doesn't need the added aggravation.

Rambunctious Niece/Nephew: "Stop chewing on the couch! Don't touch that TV! Hands off my Blu-ray collection!" Just another day of babysitting your beloved nieces and nephews, right? Well, what we're looking for here is something that will induce that much needed trance effect that we all crave with out-of-control children. For the niece, 'Hannah Montana' should do quite nicely, although this may spawn impromptu child karaoke. For the nephew, 'Bolt' or any of the 'Ice Age' films should be colorful enough to trigger the trance receptors in his head. Before you know it, you'll have a noise free living room. Introducing them to non-CGI animated features may also be an interesting idea. The 'Wallace and Gromit' collection should go over well with the younger generation.

Just because your little nephew is a fan of Batman, doesn't mean 'The Dark Knight' would be a good choice. You may have to console him after that dude gets a pencil shoved in his head. You don't want to be the person who has to explain how dangerous pencils can be, seriously, he just started school!

(Any representations that may appear to be from my own life are purely coincidental. I promise)

Looking for other ideas? Be sure to check out our other Holiday Gift Guides for 2009!

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High-Def Digest’s Holiday Gift Guide 2009: HD Gear

Tue Nov 17, 2009 at 06:15 PM ET
Tags: Holiday Guides 2009, Best of 2009, High-Def Retailing, Michael S. Palmer (all tags)

The first of High-Def Digest’s annual holiday gift guides has arrived. This installment focuses on HD Gear, and a few choice titles for testing out your new favorite things.

by Michael S. Palmer

‘Tis the season, my friends. A favorite, festive time. For charity. Goodwill. And, bless us all, a chance to toss a new toy under our tree into our family rooms.

Hard to believe it’s upon us already, but next week is Thanksgiving, which fires off the holiday shopping season’s official opening salvo: Black Friday. A day of deals to be followed by a month-long shop-a-thon, where by the most experienced may survive only through sheer will and a steady Cinnabun diet.

But thing’s are tough, I know. The economy did a cannonball into an empty swimming pool, and now we’re all doing our best to recover while indulging out HD addictions. But the worst is over. It’s time to pull together, learn from the past, and jumpstart our future. Which is why, on this historic day, we are starting a brand new campaign:

SAVE AMERICA. BUY HIGH-DEF!

This is patriotism, people. Pure and simple. Purchase a high definition home theater system to watch a Blu-ray Disc or play a video game, and you employ the millions who designed, built, shipped, sold, and installed your gear. Not to mention the thousands of names on the credits of that epic film or game franchise based on your favorite best selling novel. And don’t forget the fnancial obligations of handsome high-def writers and reviewers.

With our civil duties properly outlined, it’s time to prepare. First: Budget, budget, budget. Remember, we’re in the “want” category of life (as opposed to “need”) so save your pennies first, then spend only what you have.

Second: Research is key. In the crowded, frenzied malls of the season, you don’t have the time to park the car, let alone properly demo gear. So head to the stores in advance, ask friends, read reviews (or helpful holiday shopping guides written by handsome high-def writers), and above all, loving shopper, listen to your husband/wife/kids to see what they really want this year.

TO BLACK FRIDAY OR NOT TO BLACK FRIDAY?

The Bard’s most famous question (or close approximation there of) for those who now have their list of wants. Black Friday Info is your go-to source for all sales on the day. But is it really worth it to spend a night on an icy sidewalk outside sears? The truth is, Black Friday is just a marketing gimmick. And like all things that worked well to bring out droves of potential consumers, it’s no longer limited to one day a year.

Amazon starts “Black Friday” this Monday, November 23 with a week of deals (as always, Amazon is the place to be for free shipping and no sales tax (unless you live in Washington state)). Beyond that, most stores are going to be riddled with sales for the rest of the year. The key is to look out for the products you already want, and cross check the major retailers to find the best price (many have price-matching policies, which create easy one-stop shopping).

With our list in hand, it’s time to get shopping, and save money while doing it. Here’s a list of fantastic gear I’d ask Santa for this year as well as recommend to my friends and family. I know everyone’s budget is different, so I've tried to find entry, mid, and high-end options to help start or improve your home theater set up (as usual, faithful readers, add your own suggestions to the forums!):

HDTVS

Remember the golden rule: below 40 inches, don’t worry about 1080p because you’ll probably be sitting too far away to tell the difference. I always tell my friends to get the biggest TV they can afford/fit because with HD, you’ll always want more.

Sony Bravia KDL-40V5100. At around $879, this 40-inch, entry-level LCD has a solid picture, and 120hz.

JVC LT-46P300. Find this 46-inch LCD for just over $1,000. Another entry-level model, this one is pretty big, has a good picture, and an easy-to-use built-in iPod/iPhone dock which can be hooked to your home theater receiver via the TV’s Dolby Digital out on the back.

Panasonic TC-P54V10. This massive 54-inch plasma sells for $2,399, is Internet ready, and according to CNET delivered “the overall best picture quality of any flat-panel HDTV we’ve tested so far this year.” Plasmas excel at deep, rich black levels, and it won’t have the same motion flicker that bothers some LCD owners.

Mitsubishi 737 Series. The last of the rear projection DLP. If you don’t need to hang something on a wall, and want “bigger for cheaper,” look for this series at 60 inches for as little as $1,200. The whopping 82-incher sells for $4,500 (forklift not included).

Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR10. At 52-inches and $3,999, the super thin XBR10 featuring 240Hz anti-blur technology is Sony’s flagship LED-LCD. Not only does this HDTV have every adjustment imaginable, but it has built-in web capabilities, and wireless high-def hookup. Simply mount this flat panel on the wall (and over the power outlet). Then, hook up the separate “Media Box” to your receivers, Blu-ray Disc players, and cable boxes. Simple. No need to run or hide cables.

BLU-RAY DISC PLAYERS

LG BD370. A well priced, fully functional Profile 2.0 Blu-ray Disc player, the BD370 retails for $150, and can be hardwired with a broadband Internet connection for access to streaming content such as Netflix, YouTube, and CinemaNow.

LG BD390. At $270, the BD390 is the older brother. Same great picture and sound, but the BD 390 has a built-in Wi-Fi abilities, and includes access to Vudu’s On Demand streaming service. Vudu’s “HDX” encoded movies look and sound almost as good as the Blu-rays you’re watching.

Sony PlayStation 3. At $299 for the newer slim, the PS3 is an amazing, versatile machine. Still, in my opinion, the best console around. Not only is it a wireless Internet ready Blu-ray disc player, it has its own web browser, a huge hard drive to act as a media server, and, oh yeah, it plays video games.

RECEIVERS

Finding a great, multi-feature receiver is pretty easy, and quite affordable. In addition to the brands and models listed below, check out Harmon/Kardon, Pioneer, Yamaha, and Integra for great, modern AVRs (or audio/video receivers capable of HDMI video/audio content used in Blu-ray and even cable or satellite boxes).

Denon AVR 1610. At $379, this is a great entry-level machine. It has 3 HDMI inputs, and can decode all the newer HD audio codecs into stunning 5.1 surround sound, 75 watts per channel @ 0.08% THD (total harmonic distortion).

Denon AVR 2310. For $849, one gets 5 HDMI inputs, 7.1 surround sound capabilities, 105 watts per channel @ 0.08% THD and bells n’ whistles like Audyssey MutlEQ and Dolby’s new ProLogic IIz. Personally speaking, I have last year’s model, the 2309, and I can’t turn it up loud enough.

Onkyo TX-NR5007. For $2,295, one gets this monster of an AVR: THX Ultra2 Plus certified, 8 HDMI inputs, new technologies like Dolby Volume and ProLogic IIz, and a staggering 9.2 channels of surround sound with 145 watts per channel @.05% THD.

SPEAKERS

There are literally so many choices out there, it should always be noted that speakers are best tested out by each individual buyer. If you don’t like these, check out Infinity, Definitive Technology, Martin Logan, and Klipsch. There’s something for everyone, and the main lesson here is simple:

Never use your TV’s own speakers. They’re cheap, and can never compare to a 5.1 surround sound experience.

Boston Acoustics SoundWare XS 5.1 Speaker System. Your choice of black or white finishes, this is the perfect little system for someone just starting out in surround sound, or who needs to save on space. Take it home for $499.99.

HSU Research HB-1 MK2 5.1 package. Home Theater Sound’s 2008 product of the year, this set for mid-sized rooms provides outstanding performance at a bargain. Priced online direct from HSU, pick these up for as little as $1149 (for the satin black finish), which includes 1 HC-1 MK2 center, 4 HB-1 MK2s bookshelf speakers, and 1 VTF-1 Sub.

Kef iQ Series 7.1 Speaker System. Britain’s own Kef Speakers are fantastic. Deep lows, clean mids, and mountainous highs. Checking around online (using 2 iQ90 fronts, 1 iQ60C center, 4 iQ30 surrounds, and the PSW2500BL Sub), bring home Kef in 7.1 channels for $2320. There are cheaper options as well (smaller fronts, or less surrounds), but these are world class speakers for a fair price.

In the speaker world, there is no budget limitations (Revel’s Ultima2 Salon2 front Towers are ONLY $21,998 per pair!). Above are some, albeit pricey, “entry-level” surround sound systems featuring quality satellite, bookshelf, and floor standing speakers. But I implore you to only buy when you hear what you love and can’t live with out. Happy hunting.

HD ACCESSORIES

No surround sound system is complete without a few finishing details:

Monoprice is a great place to save on all sorts of accessories, including speaker wire, HDMI cables and flat panel wall mounts. Accessories are like printing money for local retailers. They’re hugely overpriced, and you’ll save when you remember to NEVER BUY MONSTER CABLE. Do they work well? Of course, but why buy name brands when the Monoprice version works just as well, yet sells for a 10th of the price? It’s okay, I’ll wait for your answer.

Don’t forget a universal, computer programmable remote to easily run the whole system (the technical term is making it “wife proof” because who really wants to figure out what each of the 7 remotes on the coffee table actually do?). The Logitech Harmony series is excellent. I have owned the 550 and 880. The Harmony One, at under $200, is easy to program, illuminates in the dark and includes a rechargeable battery, but remember: if you want to run your PlayStation 3 using a Harmony remote, you will need the $60 “PS3 Adaptor” to go along with it.

MOVIE & GAME DEMOS

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Now that you have your first system, or maybe you’ve just brought home a new Blu-ray Disc Player, video game console, or surround sound system, it’s time for the best part: DEMO!!! Time to show yourself and your family that there will be no buyers’ remorse for this money well spent because if there’s one way to win over high-def converts, it’s to simply let the technology speak for itself. Here’s a handful of must buys for cinema and gaming enthusiasts:

‘Star Trek’ is out now, and this action/special features packed reboot soars in high definition.

‘The Godfather Collection’has never looked this good, classic cinema lovers.

‘Up ’ might be the newest Pixar release, but this year alone they’ve released (or re-released) ‘Monsters, Inc.’, ‘Cars’, and ‘A Bug’s Life’ on Blu-ray disc. Not only do these movies represent the finest digital picture and sound, but Pixar continues to make the best movies of any year. There’s no better way to gather as a family, than over heartwarming adventures that connect to every generation with equal appeal.

‘Taken’ is a visceral ride for adult-oriented action junkies, and along those lines, watch the opening studio logos for ‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’. Viewing the movie itself may cause brain damage, but kudos to the sound engineers for engaging the viewer on every flying star as they whoosh across the screen and settle around the word “Paramount.” It’s stunning.

TV fans won’t find better television, or better high definition than this year’s releases of ‘LOST: The Complete First Season’ and ‘Band of Brothers’.

As for gaming, look no further for stunning graphics than these bestsellers and new releases: ‘Madden 10’, ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’, ‘Gran Turismo 5: Prologue’ (the most realistic driving graphics I’ve ever seen, courtesy of the PS3), ‘HALO 3: ODST’, ‘Assassin’s Creed 2’, and ‘Uncharted 2: Among Thieves’.

Happy hunting. Happy saving. And Happy Holidays, dearest readers, from all of us at High-Def Digest. And remember, always:

SAVE AMERICA. BUY HIGH-DEF!

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'Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs' Streams Free for New Sony Owners

Wed Nov 11, 2009 at 09:00 AM ET
Tags: Sony, Industry Trends, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

New owners of Sony internet connected televisions and Blu-ray players will get free access to an early stream of 'Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs' in 720p. Existing Sony owners, you’ll have to pay $25.

To show off the streaming capabilities of their new hardware, Sony is hooking new Bravia owners up with a free rental of 'Cloudly With a Chance of Meatballs.' Customers will be able to watch the movie in a 24 hour window, anywhere from December 8th until January 5th.

This availability marks a unique offering from Sony, as the streaming rentals will start nearly a month before the film’s January 5th DVD and Blu-ray release date. The rental will be in a 720p resolution, rather than the 1080p of Blu-ray discs, and while pausing and rewinding will be possible, recording will not.

Existing Sony owners will not have access to the free rental. Sony isn’t completely leaving these customers in the lurch though, as they can opt to pay a $24.95 rental fee for the same 24 hour viewing window. That’s right, for around the same price as the Blu-ray disc of the same movie, you’ll be able to rent it in 720p for a whole 24 hours.

Information is fuzzy at best, as it is entirely unclear exactly which TVs and Blu-ray players will qualify to receive the free stream, and whether there is a certain time during which these purchases must take place. Sony has stated that PS3s will not have access to the film.

Source: Associated Press

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Wal-Mart Offering Home Theater Installation

Tue Oct 27, 2009 at 10:00 AM ET
Tags: Walmart, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

In an attempt to position themselves as an alternative to Best Buy’s Geek Squad, Wal-Mart steps up their offerings.

Wal-Mart is the absolute last place that a home theater enthusiast thinks of when they’re looking for a new TV, speakers, or Blu-ray player, but it’s one of the first for many consumers. Wal-Mart takes the all-in-one store concept a step further today by announcing their new home installation service.

For a cost of anywhere from $99 to $339, customers can have their new television, computer, network or home theater set up by Wal-Mart’s team. The service includes a pre-purchase consultation and a tutorial on how to use the newly purchased equipment once it is set up.

So when you’re standing under the bright glow of Wal-Mart’s overhead lights this holiday season trying to decide between the Sylvania and the Westinghouse display and mulling over whether or not to shell out the extra few hundred dollars for a HTiB, you can take solace in the knowledge that a Wal-Mart associate will happily assist.

Source: Reuters

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Redbox Tests Disc Sales Through Kiosks

Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 01:00 PM ET
Tags: Redbox, Industry Trends, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

In a move that’s a bit less appealing than their ever popular $1 rental kiosks, Redbox has announced DVD sales kiosks.

Clad in black rather than the iconic red, the new “Vidigo” kiosks will test consumer desire to make full DVD and Blu-ray purchases through kiosks. While no definitive information exists on Blu-ray pricing, DVDs will run between $19.95 and $20.95.

Current Vidigo kiosks are essentially Redbox kiosks colored black, but the new kiosks will be designed with space in mind, and will be smaller and slimmer. The new space saving design was created with the hope that Vidigo kiosks will be featured in convenience stores rather than large retail locations.

These ‘sell through’ kiosks would be in direct competition with stores that already sell DVDs, but certainly appeal to studios like Fox and Warner who have less than favorable opinions of the Redbox rental kiosks.

Source: Video Business

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Anti-Kiosk Advertising Coming This Fall

Wed Oct 14, 2009 at 01:00 PM ET
Tags: Industry Trends, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

The Video Buyers Group really doesn’t care for kiosks, and they’re not shy about saying so.

In 1,700 stores across the country, advertisements will be featured stressing the value of the video rental store.

Rental kiosks are big business, and traditional brick and mortar stores see that as a direct threat. They’re not the only ones though, studios and distributors also seem to have a problem with dollar a day style rental kiosks, stressing that such pricing devalues the product.

Ted Engen, president of the Video Buyers Group (VBG) states that “This program underscores the advantage that traditional rentailers have. We have talked to Family Video, and they are joining efforts with us. We all want to [spread the message] to consumers that one dollar rentals are devaluing our industry.” Family Video, not currently a part of the VBG, has pledged its support to the program, and will be inserting this marketing campaign into 550 stores country wide.

He also draws a comparison in pricing between a video rental and a bottle of soda, implying that two hours of entertainment should cost significantly more than a carbonated beverage.

Titles such as 'Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs' and 'Orphan' are expected to be featured on upcoming posters, as these will be the first titles held back from Red Box by Fox and Warner Bros.

Source: Video Business

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Best Buy Details Insignia Blu-ray HDTV Combos

Fri Sep 25, 2009 at 10:00 AM ET
Tags: Best Buy, Insignia, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

Retail giant Best Buy has released details on their upcoming Insignia brand Blu-ray player HDTV combos. At $599.99, they run a scant $100 more than the equivalent drive free model.

Insignia isn’t the first name that comes to mind when thinking of home theater products, but it will almost certainly be on the lips of those searching for a cheap way to get into high definition this holiday season. Best Buy’s 32” Insignia HDTV/Blu-ray combo features everything that the $499 drive free model does, plus a Blu-ray player, at a price of $599.

The display is Full HD, and features a contrast ratio of 4000:1. Insignia’s new set also features a pair of HDMI inputs as well as ins for composite, component and PC. The set also features an Ethernet port that “lets you connect your TV to your home network” according to Best Buy’s site.

Little information on the Blu-ray drive is available, and the site specifications appear to be off, as the section detailing the built in player states a DVD player, rather than Blu-ray.

The Insignia Blu-ray HDTV combo has not been dated, but it can certainly be expected before the holiday shopping season kicks in.

Source: Best Buy

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Sony Moves Cautiously Towards Video On Demand Same Day Releases

Thu Sep 24, 2009 at 03:30 PM ET
Tags: Industry Trends, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

In what Sony VP of strategic development Jason Spivak referred to as a test of the market, Sony will be releasing four films on both physical media and through Video On Demand simultaneously.

Slated to hit sometime this winter, Spivak didn’t mention specifics as to what movies would be a part of this trial, but he did touch upon why Sony in particular has been slow to adapt this idea. Movies that get rented could be movies that aren’t being purchased.

Sony’s VP of digital distribution, Sean Carey, agrees with this sentiment. “We’re very concerned about rental transactions cannibalizing ownership transactions,” he states.

The window between retail and VOD has been shortening over the last several years, with some companies more eager to make the jump than others. Warner is the forerunner, and has released most of its films on VOD day and date with DVD releases. The sales are with them, as they hold three of the top five spots in VOD sales over the last six months.

Lionsgate on the other hand, hasn’t had a single day and date release, though they’ve shortened their window significantly. President of digital at Lionshead, Curt Marvis is confident that the trend will only continue in the future, predicting “Ultimately, everyone knows all the studios will adopt a day and date position over time.”

Source: Video Business

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Blockbuster Closing 960 Stores – Opening 9,500 Kiosks

Thu Sep 17, 2009 at 01:45 PM ET
Tags: Blockbuster, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

It’s been a rough few years for Blockbuster. So rough in fact, that they’ve announced the closing of nine hundred and sixty retail stores across the US.

685 of those stores will be closed by year’s end, with the remaining 275 shutting down in 2010. According to their SEC filing, Blockbuster is ready to shut down up to 1,500 locations should the need arise. Clearly, Blockbuster is losing ground in the brick and mortar space, but they have a plan to rejuvenate their company, a plan inspired by their biggest competition.

Adding to the 497 current Blockbuster Express rental kiosks already deployed, the company plans to open an additional 2,000 by the year’s end. By 2010, Blockbuster hopes to have 10,000 rental kiosks in locations across the country.

That still puts them at around half of Red Boxes current install base, but Blockbuster seems to be hinting towards some major retailer support. Additionally, existing Movie Cube rental kiosks will be converted into Blockbuster Express kiosks thanks the acquisition of competing kiosk company The New Release.

Blockbuster also hopes to capitalize on their Total Access and On Demand services, which have a high profit margin and little upfront cost. Interestingly, while Netflix is listed as a competitor for Blockbuster’s Total Access movies by mail service, the name is absent from the competition list for Blockbuster On Demand.

Source: Securities and Exchange Commission

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Blu-ray Prices Dropping – Retailers Call For More

Tue Sep 01, 2009 at 01:00 PM ET
Tags: High-Def Retailing, Industry Trends (all tags)

Encouraged by increasing sales, many retailers are calling for a further reduction in Blu-ray prices.

Newly released Blu-ray discs cost an average of 12 percent less than they did a year ago according to Rentrak data. More excitingly, pricing on older “catalog” titles has dropped 33% to an average of $17.23. With prices down and profits up, retailers are encouraged and asking for more.

Steve Torr of InMotion Entertainment loves the new trend, but suggests that it might not be moving fast enough. “I’m of the opinion that Blu-ray pricing needs to go down faster,” he says. “I think a Blu-ray title should be $2 to $3 more than a DVD. The film buffs get it, but the everyday consumer just isn’t seeing the value in Blu-ray yet.”

According to Torr, online retailers only see catalog titles move when they are discounted significantly. He believes that a cut in the price of catalog titles would make those sales steadier, rather than coming only when the title is on sale.

An unidentified studio source told Video Business that “There is an overall industry attitude to pull the gap together between standard-def and Blu-ray catalog… everyone is trying to make it a little bit easier on the consumer. We want Blu-ray growth.”

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