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Media
Information > Media DVD Coverage 
Archive
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| Updated July 17, 2008 DVD
NEWS DIGEST
1 -
Vantage Point [Sony]
Blu-ray and DVD spending climbed 1.6 percent, to $10.77 billion, for the first half of the year, up from $10.6 billion last year, according to data gathered by Home Media Magazine's market research department. The group also found rental spending increased 2.6 percent to $3.9 billion for the first six months of the year. DVD sales haven't totally dried up, despite widespread piracy and increased availability of download-on-demand services.
DVD sales have increased for the first half of 2008 over 2007. Admittedly the growth is small, with DVD sales increasing by 1.1 percent from $6.8 billion to $6.87 billion. Tom Adams, the President of Adams Media Research who performed the analysis of DVD sales doesn't seem worried about the DVD sales though. He told Hollywood Reporter, "The fact is, despite what many on Wall Street seem to think, there is very little digital downloading going on. We're talking about $118 million in 2007 spending, and about $254 million this year -- so against a $24 billion packaged media market it's really not making much of a dent at this point."
"Ball Talk: Baseball's Voices of Summer," available now on DVD, features in-depth interviews with some of the masters of the baseball announcing craft, including Mel Allen, Red Barber, Jack Brickhouse, Jack Buck, Curt Gowdy and Ernie Harwell. "I got the rights to the film back and thought it was important to put it out now," said the producer, "especially considering that five of the six (save Harwell) have unfortunately passed away in the meantime."
A study conducted in the U.K. and the U.S. found that one-third of all respondents made illegal copies of DVDs over the last six months -- that's up from a little over 25 percent last year. Roughly 5,300 people participated in the survey. As you'd expect, the most likely pirates were boys aged 18 to 24, according to the study. About 62 percent of the so-called "pirates" in the U.S. said they copied DVDs that they legitimately owned or purchased. The Telegraph [UK]: China launches fake DVD crackdown The once familiar cry of peddlers selling pirate DVDs on the streets of Beijing is disappearing as the government finally acts on pledges to end the practice – at least until after the Olympics. The authorities ordered a "100-day drive against pirate copies", with officials on call 24 hours to act on reports of illegal CDs and DVDs going on sale. "Strike hard against all kinds of pirate copies violating rights and against illegal publishing activities," their notice said. "Go all out to create a healthy cultural market environment for the Beijing Olympic Games." In the most prominent location for street sellers of Hollywood films - on the main avenue near the old Friendship Store - peddlers who until last month would approach foreigners with a plastic bag full of films have been replaced by signs warning that they will not be tolerated.
Hard drives are fast becoming huge photo and video archives, but not everyone has the foresight or patience to install a backup system in case that drive takes a dive. Memorex eliminates the need for a dedicated backup program with its SimpleSave Photo & Video Backup DVDs, which include the necessary software right on the recordable disc. The SimpleSave discs work with Windows 2000 and later and require a computer with a DVD burner. Once the disc is inserted, the onboard software starts automatically and searches the PC for photo and video files. In addition to the common JPEG, MPEG, QuickTime and Windows Media Video files, the disc’s program can recognize dozens of other picture and movie file formats. Each DVD stores about 4.4 gigabytes of files and can be used only once. The backup program lets you know when one disc is full and when it’s time to insert another.
Hollywood is revisiting some related DVDs to help prop up the new films. Six titles were released recently not only with extras related to their contemporary counterparts, but with certificates good for significant discounts on tickets to see the new flicks. It has been more than six years since "The X-Files" ended its prime-time run on TV and 10 years since it spawned its only theatrical outing, "Fight the Future." So creator Chris Carter and executive producer Frank Spotnitz have selected eight meaningful episodes from the Emmy-winning TV series to reacquaint casual fans or initiate new ones. The DVD adds a fan-convention Q&A panel that runs 27 minutes and a trailer for "I Want to Believe." It also includes a coupon good for $8.50 off a ticket to the new film. The four DVDs serving as a prelude to "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" -- opening in theaters Aug. 1 -- are more typical cross-promotional efforts. The two-disc "deluxe editions" of 1999's "The Mummy" and 2001's "The Mummy Returns" (Universal, $20 each) add documentaries on the making of the films, digital copies (for portable video players) and a look at the new movie -- all three films starring Brendan Fraser. Many extras from previous editions are carried over, such as outtakes and commentary tracks. Studios hope DVD sales will translate into box-office sales for their new films. end
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