Goldblum

Gizmo

In your opinion, sure. Still these downloads could be taking away from DVD or BR sales. This does not even include XBL downloads which Disney sells a lot of on XBL.

dsa_shea

Most people into downloading are into just watching the show/movie and not really interested in actually owning it regardless of the format. I have quite a few friends and relatives who are into shows and movies like me but have no desire to actually own those properties. Downloads are for them regardless if they were interested in SD or HD.

Howiefan

Can you guys start a thread to talk about downloads? This is a Blu-ray discussion thread and it's getting annoying to always read about downloads...

Supermallet

Mod Note: We've all seen the download arguments before. Let's get back to Blu-ray.

ianholm

http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6540698.html

Best Buy builds bigger space for Blu-ray

By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 3/14/2008

MARCH 14 | Best Buy is moving out the old to make room for the new, as Blu-ray Disc becomes a larger merchandising focus.

Some of the chain’s stores are using new security packaging for all single and box set BD software, affixing clear plastic casing over the original disc case.

Outlets also are making room for multiple BD hardware demos, such as one Los Angeles location that features two Samsung displays, one Sony-branded station and one Sharp section. The manufacturer areas screen a variety of BD material, with one Samsung display rolling a format tutorial.

HD DVD stock is nearly wiped out on shelves of some Best Buy stores.

At one L.A. store, one BD standee held 35 facings, and in-line racks held more than 200 BD facings combined. The store had no HD DVD standees, and in-line racks amounted to space for about 120 facings.

Many HD DVD slots were vacant, however, and featured titles were down to one or two copies apiece. All HD DVD titles are marked at 30% off.

In early January, the store’s total facings were split, with 190 for BD and 110 for HD DVD.

Best Buy spokesman Brian Lucas said the chain is just getting started emphasizing BD as the only choice for high-definition.

“The stores will be evolving a lot. When you can focus on Blu-ray, it lets you finally focus on demonstrating solutions rather than options,” said Lucas. “Rather than having an HD DVD setup and Blu-ray setups, we are now freed up to” more efficiently satisfy customers.

Lucas said the new security packaging isn’t yet a national fixture, but that certain store managers are testing the best way to offer BD product.

Compared to standard DVDs, BD is sold at a premium price and might be at a higher risk for theft. In the Los Angeles stores, when BD got the security packaging around the first of February, standard DVD and HD DVD are sold without security cases.

The next noticeable high-def push, spanning TVs and BD hardware, should hit near the Summer Olympics, said Lucas.

“One thing we talk about with high-def awareness is that the purchase decision is dictated by trigger points,” he said. “Super Bowl and certainly the Olympics fall into that category as well.”

candyrocket786

Fry's had a new BD end-cap today complete with a Sony Display (on top) and BD disks (at the bottom).

It definitely caught my attention.

Gizmo

Mine has had a nice lighted display up for about 2 months now. Looks really good.

Josh Z

I can't speak for everyone, but if I were in danger of losing my job, my home, or the shirt off my back, buying movies on any format, much less upgrading them to a High Definition format, would be the last thing on my mind.

Paul_SD

I disagree. when you are going thru hard or stressful times, that's when you need the cathartic release of entertainment even more...and we all know the most immersive vehicle for this is HDMs. Just as long as they steer clear of tier 2, 3, and 4 titles these people should be ok.

Gerry P.

That's what I thought.

Mr. Cinema

I Am Legend is the biggest release since the format war ended. I wonder if it will be able to break the first week sales record?

Who has this record? Pirates 3? Spider-man 3? I can't remember.

Drexl

Wasn't it 300?

The Cow

Wow really?

I never thought of this one as a big seller. I'm curious about the current biggest seller as well. 300 was an include with players, but I'd suspect that one as well. Or maybe Transformers.

Gizmo

If the Blu-ray version was the only one released, it would be top. Some people are still going to wait for the HD DVD version.

Mr. Cinema

Considering I Am Legend grossed $255 million in the US and Will Smith is probably the top draw right now, I thought this would have a great chance of being the new first week top seller. I thought Pirates 3 set the new record for first week sales in December. Around 160,000 copies?

The Cow

Yeah, I know the box office.

I saw it there too, and didn't think it had much replay value, that's why I was surprised. You are right, it may be a Will Smith thing.

PopcornTreeCt

I don't think I Am Legend is gonna be a big release. It's still gonna be released on HD DVD even though officially the format war is over, it will still sell quite a bit on HD DVD.

I say Juno is gonna big. Big I tell ya!

GreenMonkey

Restricting to specific MAC addresses is no substitute for wireless security, because it's not very hard to spoof a different MAC address. All you have to do is sniff the MAC address which from what I understand isn't that difficult.

Besides, I'm always putting things in and out of the network, fixing my dad's PC, etc. MAC address filtering is even more annoying than wireless security - you have to add each MAC for even wired devices.

It's a good add-on to wireless security, but not a substitute.

rfduncan

Still, it keeps the kids from sitting on my stoop and sucking up my bandwidth on their laptops and Nintendo DS's. Not sure from whom I'd be worried about "sniffing". There are at least 5 wireless networks on my block of row houses. You'd think you were guarding Fort Knox or something.

Mr. Cinema

HD Digest gave Bonnie & Clyde 4.5 video. Audio only got 2 stars, but it's only a mono mix. They couldn't find original elements to remix. Still, the video review is exciting to read. Can't wait to get this one.

dkny75

I'm pretty sure the people that used to work at Bear Stearns won't be buying in Blu-ray anytime soon.

darkside

I will say thank god they couldn't remix it. I love the HD restorations, but I can do without the bad 5.1 remixes on some of these old movies. Mono is fine with me. I have my BD version on preorder and can't wait.

rfduncan

Well to be honest, it might be kinda cool to have that final scene "eating the apple" in surround sound.

darkside

I guess my biggest issue is the fact they can't give you both soundtracks. 50GB of storage, but they refuse to also give you the original mono soundtrack.