June 12, 2006 10:15 AM PDT

As DVD sales slow, Hollywood seeks new cash cow

DVD sales are expected to grow just 2 percent this year, a far cry from the double-digit growth just two years ago.
The New York Times

The story "As DVD sales slow, Hollywood seeks new cash cow" published June 12, 2006 at 10:15 AM is no longer available on CNET News.

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I Have a great idea!
<Quote>
Another complication is that consumers with older high-definition television sets may not get the best possible picture if studios activate certain copy protection software embedded on their DVDs.
</quote>

And it is not posible to for anyone to get a better idea.

Hollywood studios should simply deactivate, and not use any of their DRM functions, doing so will help thoes who have older television sets, plus many more!
Posted by idsantos (20 comments )
Reply Link Flag
I Have a great idea!
<Quote>
Another complication is that consumers with older high-definition television sets may not get the best possible picture if studios activate certain copy protection software embedded on their DVDs.
</quote>

And it is not posible to for anyone to get a better idea.

Hollywood studios should simply deactivate, and not use any of their DRM functions, doing so will help thoes who have older television sets, plus many more!
Posted by idsantos (20 comments )
Reply Link Flag
Same Content
Same content, new format.

Sales of dvd's have been high because people have been replacing their old vhs movies, and first time released tv shows. That's what's been the biggest reasoning behind the high sales. And now that one can go to a store and buy a dvd movie for $5.00, Sony and Toshiba think we're due for an "upgrade."

Sure HD looks very nice. But, not to offend or sound disrespectful, but most of the Walmart shoppers aren't looking for the $1500 movie player. I'm happy with my $29.99 dvd player. And that's exactly the point. Until these players come down in price into the lows $250, the average Joe is not going to do anything about it. Same thing with the movies. If they want to sell the new content, they must lower the price of the dvd's to $12.99, and put the new HD or Blu-Ray at $19.99. There's no justification behind selling the content for such a high price. Other than greed, of course.

All these companies need to cut the nonsense and get smart about the whole HD strategy. Consumers don't want to be taken for a fool, again, and again. Want to have consumers adopt the new technology, then bring it within their reach. We don't want to be victimized with the whole "DVD-R, DVD-+, and DVD-RAM" nonsense once more. At the end, all burners can handle the "+ and -." The DVD-RAM seems to be the one left in the dust. And that's what consumers don't want; getting stuck with an and expensive, and obsolete, piece of hardware.
Posted by Dead Soulman (246 comments )
Reply Link Flag
Movie greed mirrors music greed
I agree with Soulman, the movie studio's pricing policies are infected with the same rabid greed that has seized the music industry. It was a revealing comment that "Studios earn $17.26 for each DVD they sell", because it means they've settled on $19+ as their rollout dvd price; but if they did a market study they will surely find a price point below that where volume sales give them a profit boost worth lowering the price for. Piracy of music and movies is being caused by overpricing of the product, and it behooves both of these industries to look for the price point that consumers are comfortable with. Teenagers will continue illegally sharing music on the web and adults will continue using pay-per-view on cable so long as the prices of new discs are too high.
Posted by Razzl (1317 comments )
Link Flag
Same Content
Same content, new format.

Sales of dvd's have been high because people have been replacing their old vhs movies, and first time released tv shows. That's what's been the biggest reasoning behind the high sales. And now that one can go to a store and buy a dvd movie for $5.00, Sony and Toshiba think we're due for an "upgrade."

Sure HD looks very nice. But, not to offend or sound disrespectful, but most of the Walmart shoppers aren't looking for the $1500 movie player. I'm happy with my $29.99 dvd player. And that's exactly the point. Until these players come down in price into the lows $250, the average Joe is not going to do anything about it. Same thing with the movies. If they want to sell the new content, they must lower the price of the dvd's to $12.99, and put the new HD or Blu-Ray at $19.99. There's no justification behind selling the content for such a high price. Other than greed, of course.

All these companies need to cut the nonsense and get smart about the whole HD strategy. Consumers don't want to be taken for a fool, again, and again. Want to have consumers adopt the new technology, then bring it within their reach. We don't want to be victimized with the whole "DVD-R, DVD-+, and DVD-RAM" nonsense once more. At the end, all burners can handle the "+ and -." The DVD-RAM seems to be the one left in the dust. And that's what consumers don't want; getting stuck with an and expensive, and obsolete, piece of hardware.
Posted by Dead Soulman (246 comments )
Reply Link Flag
Movie greed mirrors music greed
I agree with Soulman, the movie studio's pricing policies are infected with the same rabid greed that has seized the music industry. It was a revealing comment that "Studios earn $17.26 for each DVD they sell", because it means they've settled on $19+ as their rollout dvd price; but if they did a market study they will surely find a price point below that where volume sales give them a profit boost worth lowering the price for. Piracy of music and movies is being caused by overpricing of the product, and it behooves both of these industries to look for the price point that consumers are comfortable with. Teenagers will continue illegally sharing music on the web and adults will continue using pay-per-view on cable so long as the prices of new discs are too high.
Posted by Razzl (1317 comments )
Link Flag
The format is not the problem.
It's the crappy content. Here's some advice for the movie industry:

1. Make better movies.
2. ???
3. Profit!
Posted by chassoto--2008 (71 comments )
Reply Link Flag
So true
Seems like all Hollywood can produce these days is inferior
remakes of old movies.

"The Poseidon Adventure"? Please. It's already been done twice.
The original, and still the best, with Gene Hackman, and a so so
made for TV version.

Want to sell more DVDs. Put out some original content. We
don't want remakes of Psycho, Longest Yard, The Time Machine,
Flight of the Phoenix, ad infinitum.
Posted by rcrusoe (1307 comments )
Link Flag
The format is not the problem.
It's the crappy content. Here's some advice for the movie industry:

1. Make better movies.
2. ???
3. Profit!
Posted by chassoto--2008 (71 comments )
Reply Link Flag
So true
Seems like all Hollywood can produce these days is inferior
remakes of old movies.

"The Poseidon Adventure"? Please. It's already been done twice.
The original, and still the best, with Gene Hackman, and a so so
made for TV version.

Want to sell more DVDs. Put out some original content. We
don't want remakes of Psycho, Longest Yard, The Time Machine,
Flight of the Phoenix, ad infinitum.
Posted by rcrusoe (1307 comments )
Link Flag
Forcing me to seek out "illegal" options...
"Another complication is that consumers with older high-definition television sets may not get the best possible picture if studios activate certain copy protection software embedded on their DVDs"

Less than 2 years ago, I spent $2,000 on a new model 1080i HDTV so I sorely resent it being referred to as "older". It did not come with HDMI inputs and now I am being told that I wasted all that money because of it?
If the industry decides to inhibit my ability to utilize my HDTV, it has only itself to blame when I and others like me turn to the inevitable hacked hardware and pirate HD DVDs for our entertainment.

The inane protection scheme will ultimately end up costing them potential profits and might even save me some cash.
Posted by brian o'blivion (5 comments )
Reply Link Flag
Maybe not
There is a fairly good rumor circulating that the studios have agreed not to downrez HD content on HD-DVD when output to component until 2010 if not even 2012. I think they were actually sold a bill of goods on the idea that component out support would lead to piracy. Retail stores are concerned about possible product returns if the players don't output in HD over component.
Posted by Captain Bebops (198 comments )
Link Flag
Forcing me to seek out "illegal" options...
"Another complication is that consumers with older high-definition television sets may not get the best possible picture if studios activate certain copy protection software embedded on their DVDs"

Less than 2 years ago, I spent $2,000 on a new model 1080i HDTV so I sorely resent it being referred to as "older". It did not come with HDMI inputs and now I am being told that I wasted all that money because of it?
If the industry decides to inhibit my ability to utilize my HDTV, it has only itself to blame when I and others like me turn to the inevitable hacked hardware and pirate HD DVDs for our entertainment.

The inane protection scheme will ultimately end up costing them potential profits and might even save me some cash.
Posted by brian o'blivion (5 comments )
Reply Link Flag
Maybe not
There is a fairly good rumor circulating that the studios have agreed not to downrez HD content on HD-DVD when output to component until 2010 if not even 2012. I think they were actually sold a bill of goods on the idea that component out support would lead to piracy. Retail stores are concerned about possible product returns if the players don't output in HD over component.
Posted by Captain Bebops (198 comments )
Link Flag
Oh well
Oh well, now we will hear the industry cry poor, decrying crazy exhorbitant unprovable meaningless dollar values of losses from alledged piracy ever reaching new heights of insanity, with the free press for ever publishing this propaganda drivel as fact without bothering to check of verify the sources!(apply Occams Razor and it fails to pass any verification test period!)

For the music industry, due to the annual publication of say 20,000 new songs annually, with less than a 1000 of these cloned formula music same old same old crap, worth listening too, and perhaps a mere 100 may make it to the top of the pile! If it wasn't for the internet file sharing the volume sales of audio cd's would have collapsed at a double digit rate in the past decade, as the users sort out what is listenable and easy on the ear, from the 98% of the average dross and crap released daily!, on what they call music! This probably explains why the music industry majors are scheming and scamming ways(including the outright bribing of local politicians for draconian controls and overbearing unrealistic copyright legislation) and means to sell the same track at high profits to themselves with minimal royalties payable to the recording artist, minus any fair use rights in a similar manner to the very dumb majority of Apple Ipod users!

Interestingly , the music media moguls, how they forget to tell the people how much the super profits are generated from the cost of the average licenses issued to all outlets that use and broadcast music, and or that which is generated in the various countries by goverments that apply a surchage media tax on all blank CD recordables, which has a limited shelf life anyway!

The average the MTV video, has now degenerated to a form of soft porn , to sell the music as well!

Now the Hollywood moguls, having seen the light, as to how much the current DVD sales super profits are generating, even from this new century of substandard clone/indirect unoriginal euro copy garbage 'Z Grade' A list releases by Sony's Movie Division!

They too will join the bandwagon to extort absolute control of this media, to the point of extinguishing all fair use rights!(MPAA went one further step past the RIAA questionable legal actions, by telling an independent foreign government "stuff your own local laws, this is what you have to do now, with no if's or but's!"), all in the name of government guaranteed monopolies and profits to the exclusion of all else!

Time, is sadly not on the side of Joe C Consumer!
Posted by heystoopid (691 comments )
Reply Link Flag
Oh well
Oh well, now we will hear the industry cry poor, decrying crazy exhorbitant unprovable meaningless dollar values of losses from alledged piracy ever reaching new heights of insanity, with the free press for ever publishing this propaganda drivel as fact without bothering to check of verify the sources!(apply Occams Razor and it fails to pass any verification test period!)

For the music industry, due to the annual publication of say 20,000 new songs annually, with less than a 1000 of these cloned formula music same old same old crap, worth listening too, and perhaps a mere 100 may make it to the top of the pile! If it wasn't for the internet file sharing the volume sales of audio cd's would have collapsed at a double digit rate in the past decade, as the users sort out what is listenable and easy on the ear, from the 98% of the average dross and crap released daily!, on what they call music! This probably explains why the music industry majors are scheming and scamming ways(including the outright bribing of local politicians for draconian controls and overbearing unrealistic copyright legislation) and means to sell the same track at high profits to themselves with minimal royalties payable to the recording artist, minus any fair use rights in a similar manner to the very dumb majority of Apple Ipod users!

Interestingly , the music media moguls, how they forget to tell the people how much the super profits are generated from the cost of the average licenses issued to all outlets that use and broadcast music, and or that which is generated in the various countries by goverments that apply a surchage media tax on all blank CD recordables, which has a limited shelf life anyway!

The average the MTV video, has now degenerated to a form of soft porn , to sell the music as well!

Now the Hollywood moguls, having seen the light, as to how much the current DVD sales super profits are generating, even from this new century of substandard clone/indirect unoriginal euro copy garbage 'Z Grade' A list releases by Sony's Movie Division!

They too will join the bandwagon to extort absolute control of this media, to the point of extinguishing all fair use rights!(MPAA went one further step past the RIAA questionable legal actions, by telling an independent foreign government "stuff your own local laws, this is what you have to do now, with no if's or but's!"), all in the name of government guaranteed monopolies and profits to the exclusion of all else!

Time, is sadly not on the side of Joe C Consumer!
Posted by heystoopid (691 comments )
Reply Link Flag
 

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