The Video Dead on DVD in Oct!?

[spawningblue]

I don't know, it seems since Blu Ray all i hear is how great it is doing and how sales are up. Here's the most recent article I could find.

"A recent report from the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG) shows that sales of Blu-ray titles during the first six months of the year are up 91% - to $407M - compared to the first half of 2008. The increase in title sales has also affected sales of Blu-ray players, which are up 25% from the same period last year to 2M units.

Sanders also noted that studio operating profits have sustained minimal downturn during these hard economical times due to the greater revenue generated by Blu-ray sales versus standard DVD."

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=3127

As for Downloads taking over disc based format. I think disc based will be around for quite a while. Digitalbits did a great article on this, I'm too lazy to find it though, but it seems like there are always going to be people that want something they can hold. I think maybe in the next 5 years, downloads will become more prevalent, but I doubt in the next 10 years discs will be obsolete.

Sales are a little low now because of the recession, hence why a lot of studios aren't going release crazy, but compared to other industries the home video industry is doing pretty damn good!

[Workshed]

Originally Posted by Angelman

I would disagree. I see a sharp fall off starting about the time I joined. Plenty is a relative term.

Well, I think if you checked out the General forum, you might find some interesting topics on new DVDs. Naturally, the frontpage will see more robust conversation surrounding titles most posters have seen, but there are threads for new titles--Simon Says, Trick R Treat, Dead Wood, New Ghost House Underground releases, etc.--in General, and most, on the first page, have been updated this week. These threads cannot yet support the type of participation that new F13 releases, polls, or Blair Witch threads can. But they can be bumped.

Originally Posted by Angelman

Touche. I'm not really a "thread starter" though.

But again, I would ask if my core point/perception: boutiques folding, less releases, less genre DVDs sold, netflix negatively impacting sales (an thus the ability and inspiration to release old horror films)... is wrong?

Know who else sat idly by and watched as entire race of people (or format) were wiped out? Nazis! Just kidding. Felt this thread needed a Godwin.

I don't deny that DVD is dwindling in sales, but I'd suggest a lot of that has to do with natural attrition--"most" of the classic films we all love have been released and found their selves in our collection. It's natural to see a drop off once a market has been saturated. Plus, I'd add that the format war did some damage as customers waited to see it play out and some are still waiting. Netflix likely has had an effect on impulse blind-buying, but I don't think it's curbed fandom desire/buying habits for "evergreen" titles.

At least on this forum, I see people claiming to buy new release DVDs, or at least show interest in them. To me, Trick R Treat is a great example of this, and maybe the exception to the trend. What did this botched release do so right that other companies can use as a way to get the word out on their new releases, I wonder?

[rhett]

I'm late in the game here, but definitely an epic thread. Code Red always seems to be the brunt of frustration with fans, and really, it's getting pretty tired. Bill's understandably frustrated with the current state of the industry and how even with the trickle of new releases coming out there are still bootleggers out there stifling the honest work of companies like Code Red to release and restore legitimate product. I'd certainly take Bill's request to bootleg with a grain of salt as intended, as well, considering all he's had to deal with in bootlegging. Save your cash you'd be dropping on this VHS rip of THE VIDEO DEAD and put it towards products that deserve the support, like Code Red's upcoming slate (TRAPPED, THE STRANGENESS) or the awesome Blu-ray work being done by Criterion (REPULSION) or Blue Underground.

As for less threads popping up on new releases, I'd say it's not because we're buying less, but there's just less product to talk about. When new titles are announced, big (like THE GATE) or smaller like Code Red or Severin obscurities, we're talking about them. There's just been less to talk about now with the market the way it is, so all we can do is wait it out. And sure, buy a little more, too.

[Angelman]

Originally Posted by rhett

As for less threads popping up on new releases, I'd say it's not because we're buying less, but there's just less product to talk about. When new titles are announced, big (like THE GATE) or smaller like Code Red or Severin obscurities, we're talking about them. There's just been less to talk about now with the market the way it is, so all we can do is wait it out. And sure, buy a little more, too.

As per usual, Rhett is the voice of reason. I would agree. And I think I was struggling to make that point clearly, "it's not because we're buying less, but there's just less product to talk about" You nailed it.

Originally Posted by spawningblue

I don't know, it seems since Blu Ray all i hear is how great it is doing and how sales are up. Here's the most recent article I could find.

"A recent report from the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG) shows that sales of Blu-ray titles during the first six months of the year are up 91% - to $407M - compared to the first half of 2008. The increase in title sales has also affected sales of Blu-ray players, which are up 25% from the same period last year to 2M units.

Sanders also noted that studio operating profits have sustained minimal downturn during these hard economical times due to the greater revenue generated by Blu-ray sales versus standard DVD."

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=3127 As for Downloads taking over disc based format. I think disc based will be around for quite a while. Digitalbits did a great article on this, I'm too lazy to find it though, but it seems like there are always going to be people that want something they can hold. I think maybe in the next 5 years, downloads will become more prevalent, but I doubt in the next 10 years discs will be obsolete.

Sales are a little low now because of the recession, hence why a lot of studios aren't going release crazy, but compared to other industries the home video industry is doing pretty damn good!

I'm not sure Blu-ray will be the savior of Physical Media. Keep in mind that the numbers you stated are a little decieving as blu-ray will seem to be growing in leaps and bounds because it was "just starting out" and had that room to grow. I think the overall sway is toward digitally delivered entertainment. Sure, like vinyl (which I still buy and love) there will be a niche market for people who want to have something in their hands. I don't have a crystal ball and only time will tell but DVD's heyday lasted roughly 10 years. I could see discs being gone in another 10, easy.

Here is an article from just 6 days ago:

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,4884012.story

Some highlights:

Blu-ray sales rose a dramatic 91% to $408 million in the first half of the year, while Internet downloads and streaming combined with cable and satellite video-on-demand, which the trade group lumps together, grew 22% to $968 million.

The overall picture, however, was a negative one, as total home entertainment revenue fell 3.9% to $9.73 billion. That's a slight improvement over 2008, when home entertainment revenue declined 4.7%.

and most telling:

Although the group has regularly disclosed the value of the DVD sales in the past, DEG declined to do so this time.

Can't you all just admit that I am right and totally awesome too?

[Workshed]

Originally Posted by rhett

When new titles are announced, big (like THE GATE) or smaller like Code Red or Severin obscurities, we're talking about them. There's just been less to talk about now with the market the way it is, so all we can do is wait it out. And sure, buy a little more, too.

Bingo bango.

[old-boo-radley]

To be honest, I think what's "hurting" the industry is we all got gluttonous a few years back. So much shit was coming out and we had to have everything. So, we got a lot of movies worth seeing, but perhaps not really worth owning. And even those were better than a lot of movies being released today. Factor in some straggling Argento, Fulci, Bava and whatnot and the recipe was prime.

Now, when I look at a mediocre title, I pretty much just think about how it's not really essential to have when I already have a shitload of horror filler to get by on. If I want to watch a shitty slasher, I've already got dozens and I don't need to race out to buy new ones which will give similar thrills. I still buy like a crazed junkie, but the days of me buying something like The Forest or Don't Go in the Woods Alone because they were once really rare slashers are long over. Now, if Dark Night of the Scarecrow comes out; it's rare and good. That's a different can of worms.

[rhett]

Originally Posted by Angelman

I'm not sure Blu-ray will be the savior of Physical Media. Keep in mind that the numbers you stated are a little decieving as blu-ray will seem to be growing in leaps and bounds because it was "just starting out" and had that room to grow. I think the overall sway is toward digitally delivered entertainment. Sure, like vinyl (which I still buy and love) there will be a niche market for people who want to have something in their hands. I don't have a crystal ball and only time will tell but DVD's heyday lasted roughly 10 years. I could see discs being gone in another 10, easy.

Here is an article from just 6 days ago:

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,4884012.story

Some highlights:

Blu-ray sales rose a dramatic 91% to $408 million in the first half of the year, while Internet downloads and streaming combined with cable and satellite video-on-demand, which the trade group lumps together, grew 22% to $968 million.

The overall picture, however, was a negative one, as total home entertainment revenue fell 3.9% to $9.73 billion. That's a slight improvement over 2008, when home entertainment revenue declined 4.7%.

and most telling:

Although the group has regularly disclosed the value of the DVD sales in the past, DEG declined to do so this time.

Can't you all just admit that I am right and totally awesome too?

Yeah, you are awesome, and I think that physical media is definitely on the outs. Paul Schrader predicted in Film Comment a couple years ago that Film as an artform is slowly dying and will eventually be replaced by more interactive media, and it's tough not to see his point. Look at all the movies being watched on gaming platforms like the Xbox or PlayStation or even the PC through download. It's like movies are slowly becoming an extension of gaming technology rather than an entity all their own. Most of the movies we're watching today have the gimmick of either recalling past properties or 3-D, so it's tough to argue that the industry is growing at all. It's regressing in terms of new content, and morphing into greater realism with the 3D technology. Much like how games are becoming detached from older genres like platforming of shoot'em ups in favor of the Shenmue/Grand Theft Auto/World of Warcraft sandbox environments, movies too look to be forging towards a similar path.

I don't know, I think at one point something's gotta give, and movies will probably become stuff fit for Wii's Virtual Console.

We've been raised on the joys of owning physical copies of everything, but once the kids raised on iTunes and internet come of age, I doubt those ties to the container will be as important as the product within. Hell, I myself am getting sick of the giant wall of 2000 DVDs and video games taking up a giant chunk of my living space!

[Angelman]

Originally Posted by old-boo-radley

Now, if Dark Night of the Scarecrow comes out; it's rare and good. That's a different can of worms.

Exactly. I'm the same way. I flipped when I finally heard Night of the Creeps was coming to DVD and I will buy that on day one, no questions asked. But I do that less and less... I still do it with CDs, because I like having the artwork and lyrics, but I am a dying breed.

Wouldn't mind Dark Night of the Scarecrow either.

Originally Posted by rhett

Yeah, you are awesome

OK, that made me laugh out loud.

[KamuiX]

In regards to streaming/downloadable content, until it's all in 1080p and uses the same bitrate as an actual Blu-Ray, I'll still want to purchase the actual media on disc. As nice as an HD download or OnDemand looks, it STILL doesn't look as great as watching a Blu-Ray in full 1080p and at a high bitrate. And from the ways cable companies slice the bandwidth for certain channels (my HD AMC looks like shit, not that I care to be honest with all the commercials), I don't see this becoming a real reality for a while yet. I think there's still enough of us out there that want the best, not the most convenient, to keep the industry afloat.

[Angelman]

Originally Posted by KamuiX

I think there's still enough of us out there that want the best, not the most convenient, to keep the industry afloat.

Time will tell.

[fceurich39]

dark night of the scarecrow i believe got put on old because image was having financial problems i believe as well as the kingdom of the spiders special edition

[chrismac87]

Well folks, looks like this release has been canceled.

Apparently the UK distributor backed out as of this morning and the release at this point has been canceled.

The folks over at Televista called me this afternoon to give me the news, though there's no reason why the company backed out, they're looking into it as I type this and are going to get back to me with a reason as to why.

Bummer.

[fceurich39]

as far as i am concerned maybe mgm will be relasing this is why they canceled wishful thinking but i can dream can't i

also until it is taken off amazon and mvd's site i still think it will come out

[chrismac87]

Well the company releasing it, Televista, was the one licensing it to MVD and they just got the news this morning so I doubt it will be taken down right away.

They did say they are going to try and pursue a reason as to why the company backed out but that's all they can do.

[Angelman]

More proof of Netflix growing, even in a bad economy. Coupled with the week old article I posted about DVD... well, you get the picture:

http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/0...critics-wrong/