Video Business article: "Universal tightens up screener policy" (1 Viewer)

[David Lambert]

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[rant]Universal tightens up screener policy[/rant]
No more advance DVDs to retailers, media in latest anti-piracy measure.
by Jennifer Netherby

NOV. 10 | Universal Studios Home Video will stop sending DVD screeners to retailers, effective immediately, VB has learned.

The move is the latest ripple effect of the Motion Picture Association of America's decision to ban all screeners for awards programs due to piracy concerns. Recently, the MPAA relented a bit in allowing encoded videocassettes to be sent to the 5,600 Oscar judges only.

Until now, the ban has affected only awards organizations and movie critics. Now it is hitting the video retail industry and the media.

Sources say Universal is undecided about whether it will send VHS screeners of the studio's Oscar-contending Seabiscuit to retailers before its Dec. 16 release date, or send nothing at all.

Retailers contacted by VB said they had not received screeners for Seabiscuit or Johnny English (Jan. 13 street date), which normally would have been sent by now.

One retailer said he was sent a notice from Universal a month ago saying the screener for Seabiscuit was on its way, but it never arrived.

The studio has already stopped sending some final product to the media, including VB, until street date, making it impossible to review in advance for the benefit of retailers who need to make buying decisions. In some cases, as with Hulk, Bruce Almighty and Seabiscuit, Universal is sending only discs with bonus features in advance.

A Universal spokeswoman declined to comment and referred all calls to the MPAA for its screener policy. MPAA officials were not immediately available for comment.

At a recent sales meeting with Southern California retailers, Universal reps told retailers that there would be no more screeners sent, according to retailers who attended the event.

Universal has been among the most aggressive studios taking anti-piracy measures. Last month, the studio became the first to adopt a program for inserting digital watermarks in its movies, beginning with their theatrical release and continuing through the chain of distribution, to prohibit playback of unauthorized movie files or prevent their being copied to another device (VB, 10-20).

This latest strategy, however, could significantly inhibit Universal's marketing and promotion efforts.

"Screeners for me will generally increase an order," said Ray Jewell, owner of Mister Video in Athens, Tenn. "They have a direct effect on how many I order."

Other studios contacted said they had no plans to change their screener policy. Paramount Home Entertainment primarily sends only VHS screeners to retailers. MGM Home Entertainment, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment and Warner Home Video send out DVD screeners that make the movie turn black and white at different points in the film.

One industry source said there has been talk by other studios of following Universal's move as piracy becomes a bigger concern. However, he said, the ultimate solution would be tougher anti-piracy technology on DVDs.

I thought that might be of interest to the DVD reviewers who hang out at this forum!

 

[Jake Johnson]

Universal needs to tighten up its Quality Control department.

 

[Robert Dunnill]

Isn't this a different kind of "screener" from those that we DVD reviewers get?

 

[Scott Weinberg]

I believe they are different, Robert, but it's been so long since I worked at a video store that I'm not entirely sure.

IMO, retailers don't really need the screeners. Let 'em run the Hot New Releases on their monitors.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

Screeners are a pain to watch, with the pop-up messages and the shifting to black-and-white. They give you an idea of what the movie's like, but that's about it. I wouldn't take a free one, much less buy a copy of one.

 

[Adam_WM]

THey're stopping this so that we can't what QC problems are on the disc before we buy it!

 

[Chad A Wright]

Honestly, how much tighter can their policies on screeners of any kind get?

Oh well, at least they are focusing on the important things.

Hey, maybe that's the reason for all the problems with their discs lately. They must figure that if the discs are defective, the software pirates won't want to put the time into copying them.

 

[Mark Zimmer]

Universal's never been terribly forthcoming with review screeners for us anyway, so it's not as if this is a big loss. They don't want free publicity, I guess we won't give it to them.

 

[Sarah S]

I don't like the 48-hour dvds, but maybe they could be a compromise for the studios that send out screeners of any kind, instead of messing with the mastering of the film itself.

Wait a minute, that make sense. I'll withdraw the suggestion.

 

[oscar_merkx]

well they are getting free publicity all the time for the wrong reasons I suppose

 

[Dave H]

It is a bit ironic such an incompetent studio is tightening up screener policy while doing nothing for quality control.