Blu-ray Dominates Black-Friday - Page 2

Dave H · 11-30-2007, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam Gregorich

When the first Spielberg title Jaws came out on DVD it sold 1 million copies. You want to milk your A list catalog for all it's worth. I think it was a mistake for Sony to release CE3K this early and it cost them a lot of sales.

But, won't future Blu-ray owners still pick up CE3K? This is what I never understood. Let's take Jaws on DVD for example. What if they released Jaws earlier and it only sold 500,000 copies because there were half the number of DVD owners. Wouldn't the other half that come into the market eventually buy Jaws anyway? In other words, aren't they going to get that million sooner or later? I understand wanting that big chunk of money now instead of having it dribble out over time, but still. It seems to me you could get more "potential" new buyers by releasing bigger titles earlier. I mean some titles will actually sell players as I'm sure Star Wars or Lord of the Rings would, for example.

TravisR · 11-30-2007, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave H

But, won't future Blu-ray owners still pick up CE3K?

Probably but I guess it's a "What have you done for me lately?"-world and they want to sell (for example) one million copies right out of the gate so they can make a ton of money right away off of big titles and put out a press release bragging about a million sold rather than just selling a million over the course of a year.

Lyle_JP · 11-30-2007, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam Gregorich

When the first Spielberg title Jaws came out on DVD it sold 1 million copies. You want to milk your A list catalog for all it's worth. I think it was a mistake for Sony to release CE3K this early and it cost them a lot of sales. I think they did it for the PR (Spielberg is only on Blu-ray!)

I think you're reading too much into it. CE3K blu-ray came out the day it did because it came out in a special 3-disc DVD edition the same day. These releases were obviously prepared in tandem, which makes economic sense. Nothing more nefarious than that, really.

Adam Gregorich · 11-30-2007, 08:21 PM

I wasn't implying that it was nefarious, just that in rushing it out it cost them sales. I heard nothing about the standard def version, only the BD one.

Shane Martin · 11-30-2007, 08:48 PM

Quote:

At EMA Ken G from Universal told us they were waiting for a higher installed player base before they rolled out the big guns (a certain director who starts with a S...)

I don't really buy that. HD has more stand alone players and they scream attach rates yet can't convince Spielberg to release titles when BR has less installed base and still gets a new Speilberg title?? There was a good post about how Spielberg favors BR so I wonder how much that plays into that?

Lyle_JP · 11-30-2007, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam Gregorich

I wasn't implying that it was nefarious, just that in rushing it out it cost them sales. I heard nothing about the standard def version, only the BD one.

Well, the standard def version is out there. Big 3 disc set in a box. And if you're still unsure of the timing, this release was timed for the film's 30th anniversary.

As I understand it, this is a Spielberg film which Steven has absolutely no ownership of and therefore no control over. And since he's done precious little with Columbia Pictures, they're not a company that feels like they must kiss his butt to keep him happy (like Universal).

ReggieW · 11-30-2007, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shane Martin

I don't really buy that. HD has more stand alone players and they scream attach rates yet can't convince Spielberg to release titles when BR has less installed base and still gets a new Speilberg title?? There was a good post about how Spielberg favors BR so I wonder how much that plays into that?

Why not?

It's been like that as long as I can remember, especially regarding dvd. None of these major titles appeared until million (s) of players had been sold. They may lower the bar this time around for HD media, but I'm sure Universal probably wants at least a million players out there before they even consider something like Jurassic Park, ET or Jaws. I'm guessing that we MIGHT see one of these titles sometime in 2008.

Frankly, I don't think Universal is trying to convince Mr. Spielberg of anything, as the decision to release his films will be made by the studio when they feel it's time. Spielberg has also never made any statement regarding a format preference as far as I know. Lyle just gave a good reason why Close Encounters probably surfaced on BD when it did. I too was shocked to see that Close Encounters appeared this early, and the BDA has been screaming from the rooftops about Spielberg choosing BD and knocking down false stories of his films appearing on HD-DVD. I for one believe their shouts are built on sand.

I'm betting we'll likely see some Spielberg on HD-DVD in 2008.

Adam Gregorich · 11-30-2007, 11:18 PM

Reggie-
I agree with you 100%.

Lyle- I know there is a regular 30th anniversary DVD copy out, but 98% of the CE3K discussion has been about the BD version. A lot of other XX anniversary editions have been released and are in the works for DVD, but not on a HD format. You are also correct about his ownership and relationship with Columbia.

Patrick_S · 11-30-2007, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shane Martin

There was a good post about how Spielberg favors BR so I wonder how much that plays into that?

Unless some quote has come to light recently in which Spielberg himself is quoted as saying he favors Blu-Ray, the notion that he favors Blu is the result of a misinterpretation, or perhaps wishful thinking on some peoples part, of a statement made by one of his associates a couple of months ago.

Of course that hasn't stopped sites like TDB from heralding it as proof positive of his preference.

Chuck Anstey · 12-01-2007, 11:34 AM

Quote:

But, won't future Blu-ray owners still pick up CE3K? This is what I never understood. Let's take Jaws on DVD for example. What if they released Jaws earlier and it only sold 500,000 copies because there were half the number of DVD owners. Wouldn't the other half that come into the market eventually buy Jaws anyway? In other words, aren't they going to get that million sooner or later? I understand wanting that big chunk of money now instead of having it dribble out over time, but still. It seems to me you could get more "potential" new buyers by releasing bigger titles earlier.

I have thought this too but I have a question. Are DVD/HD-DVD/BluRay discs and packaging created only once during an initial run and never created again such that they have to guess how many to create? Do they create more discs later when the initial stock low? I can see them waiting for a larger install base if they need to get it right on the initial printing and cannot justify constant small runs when stock gets low. There is probably also statistics that show people more likley to buy a movie during the first week of release versus them buying it after it has been out for a while. That might have to do with people loaning out movies to others.

Anyone have some definate facts to the conjecture above?

Jason Seaver · 12-01-2007, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave H

But, won't future Blu-ray owners still pick up CE3K? This is what I never understood. Let's take Jaws on DVD for example. What if they released Jaws earlier and it only sold 500,000 copies because there were half the number of DVD owners. Wouldn't the other half that come into the market eventually buy Jaws anyway? In other words, aren't they going to get that million sooner or later?

Things sell best in their first week/month of release That's when they get placed in ads, face forward in the "new release" section of stores, have a lot of people talking about them, etc. They get impulse buys during that period which don't happen as much later.