JULY 21 | Frustrated retailers understand there’s a chicken-and-egg aspect to launching the new high-definition DVD formats: Studios don’t want to bring out their biggest titles until HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc penetration reaches some critical mass. Yet stores feel that a “killer app” title—a Star Wars, Batman Begins, Lord of the Rings or Pirates of the Caribbean—is needed to get the fledgling formats flying.

“Someone could really take the lead by putting out a title that people really want to have,” said Shannon Nutt, editorial director for DVD Empire. “I hope the reason things are taking time is they are prepping a lot of exclusive content.”

As more studios announce high-def slates—within the past two weeks, Paramount Home Entertainment listed its HD DVD titles and Warner Home Video and Buena Vista Home Entertainment have announced their Blu-ray lineups—retailers are increasingly shaking their heads at the middling title choices and lack of attention-getting features.

“We need the best titles to really make the formats take off,” Value Electronics president Robert Zohn said.

“I don’t think the studios get it yet,” Fred Meyer buyer Randy Schaaf said. “They need to have some big titles, and when those take off, then expand the variety.”

Studios are releasing titles in a wide range of genres, from chick flicks such as Rumor Has It… (Warner) to the action-oriented Terminator films (Lionsgate and Warner) and the family-friendly Eight Below and Dinosaur (Buena Vista). And Warner, now officially generating titles in both formats, is currently cherry-picking movies expressly for the early adopter.

“This is a launch of a format, so the consumer who is buying is not the mass market consumer,” said Steve Nickerson, Warner senior VP of marketing management. “Warner is selecting titles based on who we think the early adopting consumer is. There are some [taste] tendencies. We are putting out a big range of product, from Lethal Weapon and Blazing Saddles to more recent films like Syriana and 16 Blocks.”

He also made the point that Warner and other studios are releasing their most current films on high-def in a day-and-date strategy with standard-definition versions. But the available films for July and August DVD release are traditionally weaker than the elite summer theatricals that roll onto disc in the fourth quarter.

Product development issues, due to taking extra care on exclusive bonus features, also are holding up Warner’s earlier announced blue chip HD DVD titles Batman Begins and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, according to Nickerson.

In the case of Blu-ray, some studios are holding back their flashier releases until 50GB discs, with twice the capacity of current 25GB discs, are available to hold the films and extra interactive features.

Some retailers understand that with only an estimated 20,000 HD DVD players and a smaller number of Blu-ray players in households (VB, 7-11), it doesn’t make a lot of sense for studios to bow their biggest titles until penetration increases.

“There’s little reason to put out big titles with a small install base,” said Bob Webb, Ingram Entertainment executive VP of purchasing and operations. “The most you’d sell [is in the thousands].”


Props to Shannon being quoted.

http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6355177.html

Don't forget the last paragraph:

Referencing this thread.

I think we're getting plenty of good titles. The strategy seems to be right now to go for films with a cult following and that's fine with me. It just gets land of the Dead and Army of Darkness here sooner!

Fantastic for Shannon. Good article. Batman Begins could make me buy sooner than I expected.

This is SO much like the DVD launch it isn't funny. I remember checking these sights daily for news of releases in early 98 much like I'm doing for HD DVD now...

I don't quite understand how the purchasing day is supposed to tell them what we want, when we're buying titles that have already been released. They'll think we want more titles like the ones that are purchased?

I'm glad there's a wide range of titles released. I didn't want it to turn out like UMD where most of the titles were from the past few years, and many titles were aimed at young males. I think Warner in particular is doing a decent job so far, even if the older films don't go back further than the 70's. They ought to put out Citizen Kane or Casablanca to get some classics fans interested.

This is the thing that baffles me:

“There’s little reason to put out big titles with a small install base,” said Bob Webb, Ingram Entertainment executive VP of purchasing and operations. “The most you’d sell [is in the thousands].”

With that mentality, what reason is there to put out ANY title? What the fuck does it matter? What is the difference of only selling "in the thousands" of a big movie like Batman Begins or something like Training Day? Does a big blockbuster movie cost them more to put out on HD DVD? The discs will still be there for the people who jump in on the format later on to buy, so what sense does it make holding it back until there are more owners?

It's about promotion and what the market will bear. If they wait on a big title, they can do a big promotional push that will sell more copies. Look at how Spielberg's titles on DVD were staggered out instead of being released all at once.