What I think would sell one HD player or another (1 Viewer)

[Matt Leigh]

If a movie studio had the goods to release a big movie in theaters and the same day an HD version of it. That way people who wanted to watch it would have 2 options: Go to the theater or buy the home release and the player. Theatrical revenue would still be strong but player sales would increase dramatically.

 

[TravisR]

It might sell a few high def players but it would also cripple the movie at the box office because they'd also release it on SD DVD on the same day as it opened in theaters. In the long run, they'd lose money so it'll never happen.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Why do you believe that theater revenues would remain strong? Plus what incentive would studios have to help hardware sales?

 

[Matt Leigh]

Releasing the SD version wouldn't happen until later, as in 6 months after the fact. The incentive here is to release only the HD version so people have the choice of theatrical view or a purchase of the film on HD hopefully leading as well to the purchase of the player.

Sony is probably the company who would benefit the most from a move like this as they not only have the players they also have their own film studios.

I'd suggest doing this only as a one time thing. A film like Spiderman 3 hitting day and date on the format would create a pretty big splash and would move players which would feed Sony's long term interests.

Toshiba is more than able to do the same thing but they would have to cut a deal with one of their partners to get a film out there to do the same.

Just a thought as something big has to jump start a larger attachment to the formats.

 

[Ryan-G]

With all due respect,

It's ~$20-$30 to go to a movie, and it's a $500-$1000 investment to see the same movie by purchasing a player and the movie, assuming the person already owns the HDTV. If they don't it goes to ~$1500-$3000. There's no movie that can get people to make an investment with that much of a difference.

If we were talking a majority installed base of HDTV's and $100-200 players, it might move some units. But since the vast majority of the market would be looking at $1500-$3000 in expenses just to see the movie, it's unlikely it'd move more than a couple dozen players.

 

[Jerome Grate]

Though it may appear to be a sound idea and of course in a perfect world it's a good one, but the box office revenue is what really drives the industry. Everything else is gravy on top. Well if that was the issue I'm pretty sure some of us here would make the investment. Imagine the ability to have the HD version of a new release available for watching. It would be well worth the investment as it is now for HD-DVD or BD.

 

[Cees Alons]

They could restrict the point of sales, during a given period, to the movie theaters "hiring" the film. They wouldn't have to lose revenues.

So the theater would still be the one providing you with the film: inside, or to your home. A possible difference between the # of patrons at both is roughly equalled out, I think, by the bigger amount of discs sold as compared to tickets otherwise.

The DVDs would also be slightly more expensive than at your friendly retailer later.


Cees